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Ninety-nine bottles to wash every day, ninety-nine bottles to wash! Well, that might be slightly exaggerated, but parents of a new baby will agree that there are a lot. And the convenience of the dishwasher can seem pointless when they don’t get clean, which is why LolliPop Bottle Stop was created. The n0t-quite-lickable rubber stopper goes in the dishwasher’s top rack and the bottle over the stopper, which prevents the bottle from flipping over during the wash cycle. Gone the hassle of hand washing those 99 bottles! Seems like a very cool idea…or maybe a hot one, whose time has come. For $10, a backer gets three LolliPOP Bottle Stops and an expected delivery of May 2014…for the product. If you’re an on-the-go parent or know someone who is, you might also want to check out the Quix baby bottle campaign.
Author: Ross Rubin
The Premise. Imagine, it’s finally the weekend! The sunny sky is a clear blue and you’ve been looking forward to getting out and playing tennis with your good friend all week long. It’s a perfect summer morning. Could anything be better than taking a few swings with your favorite racket? It could if there was a new racket that might become your favorite.
The Product. If you’re a tennis enthusiast, and especially a professional, you’ll likely want to check out this ergonomically correct tennis racket by Curvstar. Tennis pros, health pros, and engineers got together to design a curved racket that boasts of not only being able to give you a better game, but also a safer one. The inventors claim that the curve is a better fit with the design of the human body and takes the stress off of a player’s wrist and forearm that would otherwise be present with a traditional racket. And less stress means reduced chances of injury and more opportunity to enjoy the tennis season from start to finish.
The Pitch. The video for the $50,000 campaign could have used some better lighting for the live shots throughout the video, but the explanation of how and why the product is better than a traditional racket has some good logic to it. It was a nice touch to hear background music that wasn’t dorky. The video also notes that it’s not necessary to change your technique in order to use Curvstar. The racket head is roughly the same size as a traditional racket, and you’ll hold it in pretty much the same location.
The Perks. There are ten tiers from which backers may choose. The first level that includes a racket is the $149 early bird special. This is a $100 savings off of the anticipated retail price. Expected delivery is June 2014, just in time for summer session!
The Potential. With an anticipated retail price of $249, it’s not likely that the average Rafael or Serena will take an interest in Curvstar, especially when a traditional Wilson racket can be purchased for around $30. However, tennis enthusiasts, aspiring professionals, and professionals are a niche that could possibly really make this product take off because if the claims that the design reduces injury and improve performance ring true.
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With the cycling enthusiast and computer savvy in mind, My Task adds additional practicality to your phone case. Trading a wee bit of girth for the convenience of a multitoo, the iPhone 5/5 case has a built-in sliding tray that holds tools that assist you with typical tasks that you might encounter on a day-to-day basis associated with cycling and computers, perhaps for a quick repair if someone doesn’t hear our Trigger Bell in time . However, the tools can be changed out so that the tray could hold other items such as change, a few business cards, spare key, jewelry or whatever suits your fancy. It’s made of polycarbonate and covered with a black or red soft-touch coating. For $50, a backer gets their choice of a black My Task Urban or My Task Bike and Jet and an expected delivery of June 2014.
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Do you still care about 3D? Well, maybe your kid does. With the old ViewMaster toy in the back of his mind as his inspiration, the creator of Ullu has added a new dimension to your iPhone 5 photos and videos. The plastic viewer that clips onto the phone comes in multiple colors and allows you to view your photos and videos in 3D. The open sides also allow for easy browsing of pictures. Once you (or your kids) are done enjoying those special moments, the clever if chunky accessory folds down and becomes a protective case for your phone, differentiating it from similar products. For $89, a backer gets a complete product with an expected delivery of December 2014.
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The four hundred billion dollar question posed in connection to this particular campaign via its video: Do you use your phone in the bathroom? Given the fact that 1.4 billion phones have been dropped in the toilet, there are apparently many who do. And the above noted amount is a rough total in losses. The Phone Sitter is a plastic phone mount that is specially designed to dock your phone on your bathroom wall while you dock yourself nearby for a more pressing matter. While it won’t actually do anything to prevent your phone’s demise should it go for a swim in the porcelain pool, the idea is that having a dedicated place to put one’s phone should help avoid positioning that leads to such unfortunate circumstances. The creator’s goal is to get this handy-dandy gadget mounted in every bathroom in America – even in your place of employment. (So much for hiding in the bathroom to escape the boss for a while.) For $30, a backer gets The Phone Sitter in their color choice with an expected delivery of June 2014. Or you could just leave it on the sink
The Premise. Your preparing for your big concert and will be looking off of several pieces of sheet music. You’ve been around the block enough to know that if you don’t organize it into a binder with sheet protectors that you will be driven crazy because it will either blow off the stand or fall off when you go to turn the page. But sometimes getting three or four sheets of music to stand side by side on a piano can be a balancing act exercise worthy of a circus.
The Product. 8Scape takes the concept of a binder and sheet protectors and extends it into a bit of a different direction. The clear plastic covers and folder provide musicians with the potential to secure eight pieces of sheet music on a music stand and a total of two page turns; the added thickness stabilizes the sheets. The finished product will allow for music to be loaded in from the side, as opposed to top-down.
The Pitch. The video for the modest $5,000 campaign is a bit dry and looks something like a sales pitch. While there is something intended to be sold here, it would be nice to see it presented in a warmer, more personable and creative way – as opposed to something like you might see in a B movie or infomercial.
The Perks. There are six tiers from which backers may choose. For $30, backers get one 8scape and an expected delivery of July 2014.
The Potential. The best niche for this may actually be classical musicians, especially if there is someone available to turn pages for them. However, the way that this product was presented made page turns look cumbersome and there seemed to be a risk of the entire product falling off of the stand or piano because the design may not be sturdy enough. The concept is a great one, but it could use some polish. For now, a binder with sheet protectors (items available in any office supply store) seem like they would do better. Despite there being more page turns, such a tried-and-true system provides more stability and organization.
As for other alternatives, the campaign owners argue that just putting your music on an iPad isn’t a good option because your battery might die. That’s true, but you could also forget to bring paper along or it could get torn or lost. The 8Scape may be help prepare your music for being played, but there’s no substitute for a musician’s being prepared.
The only drawback to a gorgeous sunny day is when you want to take pictures or shoot a video. The glare on the lens makes for muted colors and saturation. In response to the repressed photographer that likes to capture those picturesque moments with their mobile device’s camera, Shadei Sun Hood improves your outdoor shoot with portable shade that fits in your wallet or pocket and is compatible with most devices donning a camera. However, it is not hands-free in that it needs to be held in place by one finger on the finger adjust. Some assembly is required before you use it for the first time, and after that it folds down for easy toting. For $10 AUD a backer gets a complete product with an expected delivery of April 2014.
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There are those who like burgers because they are a quick and easy meal, and then there are those who are burger connoisseurs. The difference? Quick and easy mealers are not bothered by the puddle of grease that gathers beneath their burger. In fact, they will even sop it up with the bun. On the other hand, a burger connoisseur would declare such an encounter a meal-ruining travesty and demand a new burger. Like a bridge over dribbled slaughter, the stainless steel Burger Lift provides the perfect rescue for your sop-sensitive palate . For $15, a backer gets a pair of the sandwich accessories. Expected delivery is August 2014.
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Dooh! Those pesky earphone and headphone wires! They can get as tangled as wild vines in a forest and really complicate things when you just want to hear some good music during your workout routine or other activities. Whether your exercise of choice is hiking, jogging, cycling, or some other activity, earMc not only keeps those wires under control, but lets you look stylish, too. The small accessory item holds wires in place through magnetic force and comes in several color options. For $7, backers can choose from five colors, or $9 offers a jeweled heart or diamond style. Expected delivery is April 2014. If this seems interesting, you might also want to check out Nearbuds and Nearbuddy.
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Not only are they functional, but they let you express yourself. Snap Shades let you change your frame to match your mood, the occasion, or just because you can. The magnetic hinge system easily connects to the frame to make changing colors quick and easy. Colors come in matte, metallic, clear colors, glow in the dark and more. For $25, a backer gets one rim and four side colors of their choice. Expected delivery is June 2014. And if you like this idea, you might also want to check out the Mod-to-Order watches campaign.