Yoga has numerous health benefits, but many new practitioners find themselves with injuries because they don’t perform the positions correctly. Yoga by Numbers is speciality yoga mat comes with gridlines and numbered targets to help yogis practice safely. The company has filmed DVDs to help aspirants learn the mechanics of poses with their mat, making yoga more accessible to everyone. The dog-loving team that developed the mat, which seeks to raise $17,000, is producing in the U.S. using natural rubbers; these are good for the environment and sticky enough for new yogis to get a good grip. The best reward deal seems to be the $120 starter package, which includes the mat, two DVDs, and a mat-carrying strap. It’s due in April 2014.
Author: Ross Rubin
The Premise. Aaah, vacation time! The car is packed, hotel booked and route preplanned in your favorite mobile. But one question looms as you seek to keep your smartphone’s maps available at a glance. Can’t anyone make a mounting device that’s at least a halfway decent and also provides easy viewing? Ananda Svarupa Das of Bunglejungle has had a very similar thought – only he likely believes that his solution is well beyond halfway decent.
The Product. The Neutron S offers quick attachment or removal and works with nearly any phone or tablet whether in its case or not. Machined from solid aerospace aluminum, bead-blasted and anodized, it complements even top Apple and Android devices. The mounting mechanism consists of shielded permanent neodymium magnets that won’t lose their hold and are hindered by neither burger grease covered fingers, the sweat of sultry summer days, nor frigid winter nights. The magnets offer easy mounting: a metal surface or the supplied 3MVHB tape, which is apparently similar to duct tape in effectiveness — only less bulky and no fun colors for adventurous types. Neutron S itself, however, comes in sleek matte black or attention-grabbing silver.
Its slim attachment disk is about the diameter and depth of a penny and has the really cool Bunglejungle palm tree logo etched on it. The attachment disk goes on the backside of a mobile device or case for easy flaunting and potential prompting from friends and passers-by of, “Hey, what’s that really cool silver disked palm tree thingy stuck on your mobile’s backside, dude?”
The Pitch. The video for the $10,000 campaign was designed with showing and not telling in mind. The upbeat music is cleverly coordinated with the click of various mobile devices attaching to their corresponding mounts. On the few occasions that written phrases clarify a point of importance, the print could be darker so that the words are easier to read. It’s notable that no magnetism passes through the Neutron S to mobile devices, making it safe for all mobile devices. Bunglejungle has had campaigns on Kickstarter before and Ananda Svarupa Das indicates that he and his colleges have learned a great deal from that. They seem to be well suited and organized to follow through with the project.
The Perks. There are eight tiers from which backers may choose. The $15 early bird offers backers a complete product; if it’s exhausted, though, the $20 level will still offer about a $10 discount from the expected retail price. Estimated delivery is April 2014 for most of the levels.
The Potential. Neutron S will be useful to anyone who has a recent metal iPhone and and wants to enjoy the convenience of hands-free availability. Of course, those with plastic phones — and there are many — will either have to stick to adhesive or find some metallic case or plate attracted to magnets. There are other magnetic mounts and holders on the market, but the Neutron S is considerably smaller, convenient and attractive.
The Premise. If it wasn’t for distractions such as work and the family, fitness would be so much simpler. Well, okay, the TV, video games, smart phone, computer, social networking, iPad and various other gadgets might have a little something to do with it too. What if there was an electronic device that could assist people with restricting such distractions?
The Product. The Fitlime Air System is a combination of hardware and software that is ironically used to keep you from some of your favorite hardware and software. A bland black loxkbox prevents use of videogame consoles while the app is used to restrict permissions on phone or tablet apps such as games. The key for the lock device can be left with a trusted friend until workout goals are completed. Fitness goals are registered in the app by the user along with the offending gadgets of distraction; the company is planning to integrate with popular exertion tracking apps and devices such as RunKeeper and the Jawbone UP.
The Pitch. The idea for the product came to founder Trevor McGerri back in 2011 while working toward his dentistry degree; the aspiring oral doctor struggled with the newest gadgets distracting him from his fitness goals and studies. The campaign video hits on the idea of distractions interfering with fitness goals by using 1960s Woodstock-style music and a guy who zones out with his smartphone when it’s time to say his name. The point is accentuated by a woman who rolls off the gym treadmill while answering her ringing smartphone. Of course, as soon as someone says they’ve never heard of such a thing, a McDonalds-style lawsuit will be splashed all over mainstream headlines on just such an event.
The Perks. Before you have the privilege of self-denial, you’ll need the discipline to send at least $74 to the campaign, which is the price for a console. This includes the hardware locking device and a remote to unlock it plus apps to connect up to 10 devices, Depending on which tier a backer selects, the estimated delivery date would be anywhere from March to May of 2014
The Potential. From the time of Odysseus and the sirens, we’ve known that precommitment can be a powerful aid in resisting temptation. More recently, we’ve seen sites such as Stickk that require you to pay money when you miss certain goals. The Aim hardware device is similar in concept to Bob, designed to control tasks such as TV watching and game playing for kids. It, like the Aim, is ineffective for battery-controlled devices such as the iPad. Fitlime is trying to set straight tech junkies, game addicts, and those who tend to get wrapped up in TV, the Internet and social networking to the point of losing track of the time once they get started. But the veneer of prevention that it provides doesn’t appear to be enough of a deterrent.
The Premise. To get that perfect shot, serious photographers rarely rely on just a camera in their hands. Any photographer’s assistant can tell you that there’s plenty of ancillary equipment like tripods, beauty dishes, extra lenses and external flashes that needs to be lugged around. But sometimes one needs to lug a little less.
The Product. Flekt is a diffuser that works with the built-in flash on your DSLR in order to eliminate the need for a much larger piece of equipment. Photographers use diffusers to prevent the harsh contrast of dark shadows common when using a flash. The accessory attaches to your DSLR via a magnetic piece called a Magattach inserted into the camera’s hot shoe. Light is then redirected by the reflector onto the Flekt attachment with a white, silver or gold reflector. The purpose of Flekt is to give professional photographers and advanced amateurs a way to achieve studio-quality lighting using just the camera’s pop-up flash, eliminating the need for other equipment. One can bend the shape of Flekt to create some variety in its lighting effect.
The Pitch. Flekt’s inventor, Preston Vance, and partner Max Beach present the concept of Flekt and explain the details that went into the product’s design. Preston explains that he hired 10 photographers to give him feedback on the initial beta version in order to refine later product designs. While Flekt is the first in this product line, Preston’s ultimate vision is to have the photography community design attachments and reflectors which will then be created by his team.
Reading the rest of the campaign page, you’ll see that Flekt has been seven years in the making and that the founders are looking to raise $70,000. Other tidbits include sample photos and a few gifs which show how easily the system comes together. In a bold move, the site compares an image taken with an iPhone to an image taken with Flekt on a DSLR. While not really comparing apples to apples, it does capture the potential of image quality the product versus the common alternative.
The Perks. Material rewards for Flekt backers start at $65, which nets 150 early birds a Flekt system with the white reflector coating. From there, options continue to $150, which provides backers with the entire Flekt system including all three audaciously named reflector coatings – Lambertian White, Silver Exciter and Gold Exciter. If the project meets funding goals estimated, delivery of the systems will be September – October 2014.
The Potential. Several camera accessory brands have versions of pop-up diffusers, but Flekt is unique in that it offers a full system of interchangeable reflectors and was designed with several camera brands in mind. The photog community will likely put Flekt through a variety of tests to understand whether the innovation truly stands up in terms of image quality. The flip side is, that if Flekt passes the test, it will likely be eagerly embraced. What Flekt has going for it is its portability, simplicity and versatility.
The Premise. Ever had to transport a bottle of wine that was already open even though that’s against the law in a lot of places? Or have a problem with your wine stopper making your wine bottle too tall for the fridge?
The Product. Wine condoms are small, black, rubber instruments designed to be rolled over the top of an open wine bottle and keep the wine fresh and from spilling in transport. To anyone in the restaurant industry, they look just like one of the finger cots they give you when you cut your digits and slap on a Band-Aid. But, sure, wine condom.
The Pitch. Hmm, where to start? Well, the video starts off with handsome young inventor Mitchell Strahan explaining why wine condoms only work for wine and not champagne. See, when you apply the wine condom to champagne, the carbonated gasses (with a little help from a vigorous shake or two) will cause the wine condom to blow off. Okay dude — we get it. The video then cuts to a closeup of Strahan and his girlfriend, where he flutters his light blue eyes and tells the story of his mother bringing over an open bottle wrapped in cling film and rubber bands and then spends about a minute on a blooper reel where he goes off on a tangent, giggles, and talks to someone off-camera. It’s all very cute if you go in for that kind of pitch.
The Perks. The young man seems to be aware of how much people would be willing to pay for his product — donors get a pack of ten for $7, 25 for $14. After that, he’s got a fair amount of swag — sunglasses, shirts, hats, and even signed photos of himself (yes, really — he’s pretty, sure, but goodness!). Each level-up includes all of the previous, so donors can potentially end up with a good bit of Mitch-merch.
The Potential. The wine condom serves a useful purpose and is easily stored but, much to the chagrin of double entendre fans, faces an uphill battle against default capping measures. Most people who open wine can either pop the cork back in, screw on the screw cap, or use a wine stopper. On the other hand, we could see a lot of jokes being made while applying the Wine Condom, especially after a few glasses have been refilled.
The robots destined to rule Earth as our indifferent masters will one day chuckle at how we primitive humans enabled them to resist our weapons. Two guys in Northern California have developed a prototype indestructible drone with a four-pronged body that can survive multiple falls, flying through glass plates and fire, landing in water, and being shot. For $125, you can get the unassembled parts of the product and put it together yourself. Or for $600. you can get one fully assembled. Perhaps the only thing it can’t resist, though, is a ticket. If you’re flying unmanned aircrafts, make sure you abide by your local drone laws. Happy piloting!
The Premise. As we rely on our smartphones ever more for streaming audio content, earbuds are increasingly tucked in and around our ears. However, figuring out what to do with them when you need both your ears and hands free be a challenge.
The Product. Frank Cho conceived Zipi as he walked from his parked car into his work building with only two minutes of a podcast left, three minutes until start time, and highly keen to finish listening. No worries. The magnetic earbud strap would keep the earbuds in place and free up his hands to pause the podcast, gather his things, open and shut the car door, unpause, and proceed to sneak past the boss. Bonus: because Zipi uses neodymium magnets, the strongest magnets on the market, he also managed to avoid hearing or speaking to his least favorite coworker who is directly along the route to his cubicle. Zipi is also easy to attach to earbuds and grips onto itself for easy transport. And if the florescent yellow color in the video seems too painful to look at, there’s always the option of stylish translucent white, teen girl hot pink, computer geek black, and pop culture aqua.
The Pitch. The video for the $6,000 dollar campaign is presented professionally with a nice, feminine, empathetic voiceover actress and demonstrations of the product by Frank Cho that just might have Emmy award winning potential—ok, slight exaggeration. The video also highlights that Zipi is easy to wear and take off, isn’t bulky, and like a good neighbor, is always there when needed. In addition, the magnetic connectors keep it from snagging on clothes and help prevent the risk of breaking a nail. The Perks. For $10, backers get a Zipi strap in the color of their choice, which is really pretty reasonable. One should note, though, that Zipi is compatible with the original Apple earbuds and EarPods. It has not been tested with other types of earbuds. The earbud accessory is anticipated to be available for delivery by September 2014.
The Potential. Zipi is an item that has a large addressable market — from student to homemaker to blue collar worker and even hip grandparents. That it comes in multiple colors means backers can color coordinate with any outfit, which adds potential cosmetic appeal. The most similar item to Zipi presently on the market would be neck strap earbuds, but these don’t have the advantage of the magnetic connectors and easy self-grip transport of Zipi.
The Premise. Plenty of kids love to play with Legos and blocks. But toys in that realm are meeting their match, because, until now, we were bound by the lockable structures on the bottom or, quite frankly, by physics.
The Product. Inspired by the wildly popular game Minecraft (for which kids show a special fondness), CubeCraft seeks to push the bounds of limitation by giving you small blocks that can be arranged in any way. Each cube has magnets sealed inside that allow you to build structures that wouldn’t be possible with non-magnetic blocks. You can combine the individual blocks into one larger block, use that to build a base, and then continue on using the smaller blocks. CubeCraft cubes can also be further customized with stickers, LEDs or other geekery.
The Pitch. The CubeCraft campaign itself builds primarily off two videos — a still-heavy unnarrated one that shows many configurations of the progress and a secondary one that introduces the creators and provides a lot of information. The partners tell how they came together, what they’re asking for, how their designs are safe for children over the age of 5, what your funding will go toward, and how these blocks could be used to ease stress or in the classroom. Sure, the developers may be a little camera shy, but they know a lot about their products and showcase them as well as they can.
The Perks. For $27, you receive the “stress” set (the name of which proves they’re marketing these toys to adults as well). It consists of eight cubes and would be great for people who need something to do with their hands while they’re working. The prices and set sizes go up from there, $121 for the “inventor set” with 64 cubes and $299 for the classroom set with 216 pieces. These toys would definitely spark imagination in children and adults alike.
The Potential. New toys that aren’t digital are in high demand. Many parents don’t want their kids on computer games all the time, but kids are bored by regular blocks. CubeCraft would definitely keep the kids interested and the parents happy.
You may think you’re hot stuff, but you’re nothing compared to your morning coffee. The Smart Lid turn bright red when the liquid inside the cup is over 118 degrees, and gradually fade as the temperature cools down. This ingenious, simple idea will save many people from the horrible experience of having a burnt tongue. A simple but clever idea imported from Australis, the lids would be most useful for the likes of coffee shops and restaurants, but could see far greater distribution. After reaching some portion of the $8,000 flexible funding campaign, they’ll be available to backers in March 2014
The Premise. Many people have to monitor their own blood pressures multiple times daily due to various medical conditions. The means having a bulky blood pressure cuff with them, which can be unsightly and to some, embarrassing.
The Product. QardioArm revolutionizes not only the look of a blood pressure cuff, but also the usability and feasibility. The company has created a product that is sleek and doesn’t look out of place in a work bag or purse, while simultaneously creating a product that brings blood pressure monitoring into the digital age. The QardioArm can connect via Bluetooth to your iPhone, where it syncs the data with its secure cloud storage system. You can then share the information with your family or doctor, if you choose.
The Pitch. The video for the $100,000 campaign is professionally shot and features not only the developers but a physician who speaks to the merit of the product. After a brief personal story of how the item came to be, the video shows various stages of product, usage, and puts the QardioArm in a series of shots that are the contents of peoples’ bags, to show it doesn’t look out of place. The text gives more information and details, as well as a brief few sentences about an upcoming product that is a wearable EKG monitor that will work through the same system.
The Perks. For $85, a backer gets an early bird special price on a QardioArm, and for $160, a backer receives two. However, the company is also marketing to physicians and hospitals, and offers five QardioArms for $400 and 100 for $7500. That shows forward thinking and a great way to reach out to the medical community. The product offers perks for those who have to track their health, but one drawback may be the security these devices provide. By linking to a cloud and to doctor’s offices, there is a chance of hacking and so forth.
The Potential QardioArm follows earlier connected blood pressure monitors such as those from Withings and iHealth that attached directly to the iPhone, but makes improvements in terms of portability and Bluetooth connectivity. Making blood pressure readings more convenient, even consumers who have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure may be incentivized to do so and gain greater insights into their health.