Author: Ross Rubin

Categories
Fishing

Alive Lure tricks fish into coming over to your place for dinner

Whether it’s a day trip to one’s favorite lake, a weekend adventure, or a week-long vacation, fishing can be one of the most relaxing activities when enjoying the great outdoors. That is, until one has been waiting for several hours for the fish to bite and one’s stomach is making enough noise to scare off even the bears.

Such a scenario was something of the situation for the creator of Alive Lure. If his pride wasn’t already injured from not getting a single bite, it may have added salt to the wound when a winged insect landed on the water and a fish snapped it up in a matter of seconds. But in that moment of annoyance, an idea for his battery-operated fish lure was born. The insect shaped fish trickster is activated as soon as it comes into contact with the water and begins buzzing and flailing in such a way as to attract the fish and persuade them to bite, thereby allowing the user to enjoy some dinner. Alive Lure works best when fishing for freshwater fish and seems to be reusable provided one wants to clean it after being swallowed by the fish.

This product will be appreciated by outdoor enthusiasts, especially those who like to camp. Interested backers may also want to check out LureViewer, CampCaddy, and Campfire in a Can. This campaign seeks to raise $11,000 by February 10, 2015. Backers get one product for $25 with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Cooking

EZ Bacon lets you cook your bacon without pan, messy cleanup

One of the most savory smells in the world is fried bacon. One of the biggest messes to clean up is, yes, fried bacon. Bacon is one of those tasty items that is usually best cooked on the weekend or in the evening as part of a BLT sandwich because of how long it takes.

One option that shortens that cooking time is microwaving, and EZ Bacon aims to offer users a kitchen gadget to assist with that. This product features a ribbed design that lets the bacon be draped over top and cooked, without lying in its own grease. This way, the bacon is crispy and not quite so fattening.

The product is touted as saving the user from a greasy skillet and messy cleanup, but a couple of paper towels on a plate, with the bacon placed on top works quite well for microwaving bacon. Breakfast loving backers might also like to check out ButterUp. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by February 9, 2015. Early bird backers get one product for $15 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Relaxation

Foot Hammock invites your weary feet and legs to hang out under the desk

Long days and late nights in front of the computer, whether work-related or game-related, can make for stiff legs and uncomfortable feet. And if it seems like the space under the desk is colder than the rest of the room during the winter months, that’s because it is.

That’s why Foot Hammock was created. The suspended foot rest hangs under a desk via straps on either side that get strung through a plastic holding device. The holder sticks to the underside of the desk so that no tools are required for installation. The straps appear to adjust easily so that it can be set to one’s preferred height. Foot Hammock comes in mesh, fleece and a heated version.

It would be especially interesting if that heated version had a built-in foot massager. As well as this campaign seems to be doing, maybe that will be considered for the future. As the warmer months approach, backers might be interested in Adventurers Hammock and Bungalow Beach Chair. In the meantime, this campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by February 8, 2015. For $20, backers get the mesh version with an expected delivery of July 2015.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Handle This Cup helps keep your brew where it belongs

Some people would say that there’s nothing that rounds out a great sporting event like a cup of beer. But getting that golden delight from concession stand to stadium seat without spilling it can be challenging. Especially when one has been delegated as the group beer-run-boy.

In order to help keep as much brew in everyone’s Solo cup as possible, Handle This Cup was created. The plastic cup carrying system allows for multiple cups to be carried in one hand, and the only apparent limit is how much beer one can lift and how rapidly one’s head happens to be spinning from any previous beers. The product can be customized to have the logo and colors of one’s favorite team, or with one’s business logo for advertising.

Even though this product is really for those game-loving beer drinkers, it’s still useful, albeit slightly silly. Beer-loving backers might also enjoy checking out Kickoff Kaddy, Das Kühling, and Brewie. This campaign seeks to raise $13,421 by February 9, 2015. Early bird backers get one product for $10 with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Television

JB Flat Screen TV Stand gets your TV off the wall and moving around

For those who have an aversion to having their TV hanging around on the wall or using a bulky  and often size-limiting TV entertainment center, JB Flat Screen TV Stand offers an alternative. The telescopic stand can be adjusted from 43 inches up to 81 inches, and supports a TV that is anywhere from 27 – 65 inches. Its basic and simple black design also includes a small floor shelf for storing a few DVDs and perhaps some game accessories.

As for the creator’s claim of being the first telescopic stand, a quick search reveals that Displays2go and Chief PF are just a couple examples of others that are out there that may even be better. Backers interested in home entertainment products might want to check out the Ovoid HomePod, and Vibro Vest campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $19,500 by February 8, 2015. For $200, backers get one product with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Imaging Interviews Wearables

The Backerjack Interview: Narrative’s Oskar Kalmaru on the evolving wearable camera

Raising over half a million dollars as Memoto, the Narrative Clip has been a pioneer in the field of wearable cameras. Originally marketing a life-logging device, the company has seen its cameras embraced for more diverse scenarios. Backerjack caught up with Narrative CMO and co-founder Oskar Kalmaru to discuss what the company has learned from the first Clip. Kalmaru also discussed some of the cool features of the Clip 2, which will include better image quality, better connectivity and 3D-printable mounts, but take a pass on Kickstarter.

Backerjack: It’s been about a year since the Narrative Clip shipped. What have you been hearing from your customers?

Kalmaru: It’s a really nice feeling to be able to go from being a Kickstarter project where everything is just pre-everything – pre-users, pre-product —  to having an actual product out with actual users actually using it and seeing that it does work. It does help people to live in the moment and capture things as they happen and relax in the moment and still get photos out of it People use it in 52 countries now and have been using it for travel, taking pictures of their families, photographing weddings.

Backerjack: From those use cases, it sounds like people are using it more situationally rather than wearing it all day every day and sorting through the photos. When I tried the product, I was pleased with the picture quality but it makes you realize you’re not doing the most exciting stuff every day.

Kalmaru: It’s a camera that’s great for life-logging if that’s what you want to do. But if it isn’t, it’s great for a lot of other things, too. And as with most wearables, what we’re seeing now is that they aren’t necessarily meant to be used all the time. There are a few wearables that are used all the time — maybe your watch, maybe your glasses. You use the camera in situations where it would make sense. It could be having dinner with friends, spending time hiking with your family. It could be doing things that are maybe out of the ordinary or you want to be able to do those activities and stay in the moment and still capture it.

Backerjack: When you launched, you had a competitor that was priced quite a bit higher. It looks like they’ve exited the hardware market so what do you take away from that? Do you think it was just the price point they were at? Or is it a setback for the category?

Kalmaru: I can’t really tell why they pulled out. We’re having a fantastic year. We have users from all over the world using it all the time. We raised another $8 million from Khosla Ventures in Menlo Park. Again, this is proving that this category is the future. Just look at the trends. The photo trend, that’s one megatrend. There are two billion photos uploaded every single day and you have the wearable trend next to that. People are getting more and more used to wearables devices. Combine those two and you have wearable cameras.

Continue reading “The Backerjack Interview: Narrative’s Oskar Kalmaru on the evolving wearable camera”

Categories
Health and Wellness

Flip Band bracelet gives motivation to complete goals with a check

Right about now, most people’s New Year’s resolutions are falling by the wayside. All of those commitments to work out and get in shape have faded as January comes to its close.

So Flip Band was created to help people to stay on track with their personal improvement goals. The concept is rooted in behavioral psychology and works as follows: the user picks a goal that they want to do every day. Then they wear a Flip Band that says, “Go ahead punk! I dare you to make my day and flip me!” Well, okay, it really just says, “Flip me.” Once the goal is completed, the user gets to flip the band over to the green checkmark side, which is supposed to give them an instant sense of gratification. Flip Band recommends an accountability buddy for the best results.

For those who are able to be motivated by the color green and a checkmark, this just might work. A “thumbs-up” icon might have been more of a motivator, though. This product seeks to raise $7,500. For $19, backers get a set of two bands with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Hailstonez ice spheres chill your drinks, won’t ruin them with dilution

While the right drink can be the perfect complement to a well-cooked meal, a drink that’s watered down certainly distracts from it.

So Hailstonez is changing the way that drinks are kept chilled. The product was thought of using the concept of heat transference through solids; in this case, cold retention. Since a sphere has the lowest surface-area-to-weight ratio of all shapes, a sphere of frozen ice is better than an ice cube. Less surface area of the ice in contact with any liquid means that ice spheres won’t melt as quickly, which in turn means drinks dilute less rapidly. The vertical stack method that Hailstonez uses allows for the ice mold to be filled faster, and it takes up less space in the freezer. The mold makes 96 ice spheres. Plans are in the works for both 1.5 and 2.5 inch ice balls.

This particular product seems like it has some potential, and is much more clearly explained than the Glacious LE ice sphere campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $58,000 on Kickstarter. Early bird backers get one product for $30 with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Arts

PlexiSketch allows for erasable note taking, saves paper in the process

While most tablets and smartphones offer some great conveniences, including a place to take and store notes, sometimes it’s nice to jot down ideas and make quick sketches in a non-electronic way.

PlexiSketch is a portable dry erase board made from laser cut Plexiglas and has hand beveled edges. Its rubber grips allow for one-hand writing simplicity. In addition, it’s compatible with either dry or wet erase markers. The portable note taking board is slightly larger than a standard piece of copy paper at 8.5 x 11.37 inches, and is only 1/8” thick, so it fits easily in a briefcase, backpack, or large purse.

Where portability is concerned, there is some question as to how to keep the notes from smearing when toted out of an office environment. However, it may serve as a useful way for moms with children who are really too small for electronic devices to keep their kids occupied without needing to have paper or a coloring book on hand. This campaign seeks to raise $5,000 on Kickstarter. Early bird backers get one product for $14 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Health and Wellness

Neo Razor’s built-in dispenser doesn’t rough up faces of sensitive men

Shaving is one of those grooming activities that everyone does, but no one really cares all that much for. Finding a decent razor is a challenge that can add to the aggravation. If they don’t cause a skin rash, many of them still irritate and dry out the skin.

Neo Razor, designed for men, is a product that was created with sensitive skin in mind. The product is touted as reducing shaving cream waste since it dispenses shaving cream directly onto the face right from the razor. According to the campaign, it works effectively on all facial hair types.

Neo Razor seems like is offers some nice convenience with the built-in shaving cream dispenser, though it’s unclear if the dispenser is refillable or if a new razor must be purchased in order to maintain that convenience. If so, that would be a definite drawback. Backers might also want to check out Sphynx, Rockwell, and RazorPOD  This campaign seeks to raise £150,000 (~$228,000 USD) on Kickstarter. For £500 (~$760 USD), backers get one Neo Razor with an expected delivery of June 2015.