Working long hours at a computer can be hard on your back, wrists and sometimes soul. It’s easy to forget that even while not in motion, you may not be taking care of your body. Mousebar is a product designed to be ergonomic and friendly to the human wrist. It is long, comes in several different colors and supports your arm from elbow to wrist on the side that you control your mouse from. While slightly clunky, Mousebar is great for compulsive computer-ites and goes for $19 early or $29 regularly on Kickstarter. Mousebar’s creators hope to raise $11,000 in their 30-day campaign.
Category: Tech Accessories
Most of us have multiple devices and end up using them simultaneously. To make this easier, m][3 offers a mount that attaches tablets, laptops or monitors to different iOS and Droid devices. The phone sits on top of the tablet or other device with the mount in between so that the user can watch TV and answer e-mails at the same time. This multi-tasking, but confusedly named mount comes in black, white and red. M][3 needs $20,000 in a 60-day run on Kickstarter for success. One mount goes for $29 with an estimated delivery date of June 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.
It’s warm outside, not a cloud in the sky, and an occasional light breeze makes its way through the trees. It’s too gorgeous of a day to be stuck inside, but there’s work to be done. Time to break out your laptop and DigiShade Laptop Sun Shade. The 6061 aircraft aluminum shade keeps the glare off your screen, and the magnetic mount allows it to easily attach to any MacBook Pro or MacBook Air; alas, users of other laptops are out of luck. And shade. When you’re ready to go, it folds flat enough to fit in your laptop sleeve for easy transport. For $65, a backer gets one DigiShade with an expected delivery of June 2014.
With whistleblowers raising issue with online security from hackers and governments alike, encryption can be an important tool to protect privacy. The Privus system allows users to encrypt their emails, chats, and texts easily for complete privacy. All you need to know is in the first second of the video, as a CIA and NSA Surveillance Contractor declares the Privus encryption unbeatable. For a pledge of $25, backers can get access to Privus email encryption with a year’s subscription to Privus Premier. Those who want safe physical storage can add on a 16GB USB drive with Cipher-Key application for a total of $65.
One of the continued limitations of laptop computing is the lack of a functional mouse substitute. Far from the first ring-slinger, The ThumbTrack takes the hand motions of the standard mouse and shrinks them down to a wearable thumb ring that is light, small, and easy to use at any location. The design is also designed to be ergonomic and reduce hand strain. Simple touch features are also available to allow users to easily scroll or drag icons. Backers interested in giving this project a thumbs-up will be able to get this product on their hands in December of this year for a $119 pledge.
While businesses and complex, professional, high-traffic websites have to pay hosting companies to keep their services running, the average consumer doesn’t have to. Those with less demanding needs in terms of hosting or cloud storage can turn to the NanoHive, a small personal server about the size of a mobile phone that only needs an electrical outlet and an Ethernet cable. It is functionally similar to products such as the PogoPlug or Drobo Sync. With a quad-core processor and 8GB of onboard storage which can be supplemented using two USB ports, users will have fast, simple access to their files across all devices. For $75, supporters can connect to their NanoHive in August 2014.
Laptops can be very hard to use in those on-the-go moments when there is no place to sit down to use them. The Frack Pack that looks like a regular old backpack is a dual-use product, specifically designed to tote around your laptop but then also fold down to use as a portable work station. Those indifferent to nerdiness stigma can swing it around to the front, flip the compartment down and work on their laptop while standing up. In this way it is a bit like the (just barely) successful crowdfunded Trego for iPads that is sleeker and less expensive. After donating at least $259, backers may expect to receive have a place in which to pack their frack in April 2014.
There are many charging stands and docks available for smartphones and tablets, but relatively few can accommodate the multiple mobile devices that stuff our modern pockets and bags, much less are ready for the emerging wave of smartphones. Straight outta Brooklyn comes the oxymoronic Firststand 2, however, employs a clever hollow tube-like design that not only plays well with a smart — or really any —watch, but also accommodates resting phones and even tablets. The space inside the tube can be used for cables, keys and other small items. A bevy of length configurations stretch from a $29 early bird to a $99 combo that includes a 10″ and 4″ stand. Alas, backers’ digital darlings will likely have to flail about in lesser homes until at least May 2014.
The new hotness is not so welcome when it gets uncomfortably warm in your lap. The designers of the Hive Airdesk agree with this sentiment, which led them to create an aerated surface for setting down your imperfectly engineered hottie and a few of its accessories. The Hive Airdesk uses a “solid surface material” that supposedly performs better in dissipating heat. One can say with certainty that does a better job of dissipating your money compared to cheap versions with vulnerable fans. Early birds can pick one up for a cool $68 CAD while late birds will find their laptop-cooling worm jumps to $118 CAD. Add in another $25 CAD to ship outside of Canada. Or you could put that money toward upgrading from your 7 lb. Pentium 4. The Hive Airdesk is slated to go from buzz to product in March 2014.