Categories
Tech Accessories

Btunes plays music; wirelessly plugs into headphones eliminating tangles for good

There are tons of products devoted to the untangling and organization of earbud and headphone wires. BTunes would rather focus on making headphones wireless, so tangling is no longer an issue.

BTunes is an attachment for your headphones. Fitting into headphones where the wire can be removed, it connects to your smartphone so that you can listen to hifi music, make calls and talk to Siri. In addition, it’ll fit into any auxiliary jack in a car to listen to music wirelessly. With NFC, connecting to NFC-enabled devices is simple. The product is black and looks a bit like a Bluetooth.

BTunes is an excellent way to stay wirelessly connected to your smartphone. It’s unclear if there’s any type of button to answer calls with, however. Still, for music, Skype, Siri and countless other options, Btunes is the way to go. One with a pair of headphones in your choice of color will cost backers $49 for estimated delivery in May 2015. BTunes is looking to raise $40,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Tools

Loopy multitools clips to belt loops, give them a job beyond belt guiding

Multitool gadgets are convenient items to have when cycling or hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. There are quite a few of these around these days. Loopy is one of the newest to try to push its way into a crowded marketplace. One thing that makes this product a little different is that it attaches to a belt loop. Loopy is 1.5 inches in height and claims to provide 12 tools in one, including a bottle opener, wrench, bike tools and more. Because it’s made of stainless steel and titanium, it is washing machine safe and doesn’t have to be removed from one’s jeans belt loop – as long as one can remember to which pair of jeans one attached it last.

Loopy is one of the more minimalist of these types of tools, honing the discretion of the Swiss Army knife. It’ll definitely find its place on the belt loops of the types of guys who still carry their cellphones around on belt holders. Other interesting multitool options that backers might want to check out include My Task and TrackBelt360. This campaign seeks to raise $27,000. Early bird backers can get one Loopy for $7, with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Trongs prevents evidence of sticky fingers

For those who don’t listen to that old tape of their mom’s voice in their head saying, “Wash your hands before you eat!” there is now a new type of eating utensil emerging in the marketplace.  Trongs goes one step further than a spork and blends tongs and a mini tripod. The idea is a product that fills in the gap between a fork, spoon and knife so that people can eat those traditional finger foods like french-fries, buffalo wings and barbecue ribs without having to get one’s fingers dirty and sticky and using lots of towelettes. Trongs lets the user pull rib and chicken meat away from the bone.

While they are washable and reusable, it’s unclear if they are dishwasher safe, or exactly what they are made of. Also, it doesn’t seem that they’d work so well with pizza, though that finger food can be eaten with a fork and knife if one really wants to do that.  This campaign seeks to raise $150,000. For $25, backers get one pack.

Categories
Imaging

ProPalz enhances GoPro camera users’ extreme sense of humor

Using video to improve one’s game will do one of two things: it will either make one bitter or better. And better often includes bringing out one’s sense of humor. ProPalz may be able to help those who tend toward the extreme to take themselves less seriously when the stress and pressure to improve is on. The plush critters appear to serve a “duel” purpose in that they function both as a protective camera case and clip-mount. The padded case reduces shock during those extreme activities, and the clip camera mount offers the opportunity to attach the camera (while in the case) to a belt loop, back pack, golf club, guitar neck (or perhaps strap during performance), goal post, Harley handle bars or whatever one desires to make a ProPalz type of visual statement.

Of course, it might also work well for getting the kids to smile in videos, too. Other GoPro camera mounts that backers may want to check out include the Infinity Arm and SpinMount campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $6,500. For $100 backers get one product with an ambitious expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries

Conkey hangs around to keep mobiles useful

On those especially busy days at work or while enjoying weekend activities, it can be difficult to keep a mobile from losing all of its juice. So Conkey can be attached to a keyring for those days when there’s no time to wait around for a mobile charge to be restored. Though the mobile battery backup only provides 30 minutes of extra usage and its micro USB connector is only compatible with Android and IOS, it does have a few other nice features. The built-in, universal power plug unfolds to plug into a wall outlet, and it has an internal SD memory card. A magnet fastener keeps the item’s short cables from getting tangled around the user’s car keys.

Since it’s roughly the size of a standard car key, it’s going to offer more convenience and portability than most portable chargers, but not as much power. Backers may also want to check out the ReelJuice and OneCard campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $30,000. For $30, backers get one set.

Categories
Organization

Clutter Cover hides stacked messes, beats actually useful organization any day

Here’s a winning idea: something that hides home clutter and diminishes the need for dusting. Clutter Cover is the perfect item for packrat types who  find that the item that they just threw out a couple days ago, but had kept for years prior, should have been saved after all. The silver cover fits over free-standing shelves and is made-to-order, with a limit of 72” for height, depth and width. The clutter-hiding, dust-diminishing system comes with two heavy duty front zippers for easy access with Velcro flap holders. Clutter Cover can be used either inside or outside and is completely machine washable.

Presently, this product comes only in sliver, but other colors along with the option to add a special logo are available for an extra donation. While this is a great product for the pack rat in everyone, it’s a bit lacking in appearance. If clutter is going to be covered up, why not do it in style? This campaign has a goal of $1,974. For $55, backers get one product with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Kids/Babies Toys

DIY SodaJet bottle rocket kit converts, takes your two-liters airborne

Little kids love to see things explode. For them, it’s fascinating to watch rockets defy gravity and shoot up into the air. The only thing is that most rockets are dangerous and require delicate motors and fire in order to launch.

Christopher Garmen of the SodaJet has taken rocket launching and made it kid-friendly. He uses 3-D printed parts and standard two liter soda bottles to make rockets. These rockets use air pressure instead of fire to shoot skyward. Not only is this a safe method for children to use, it’s also cost-effective. Garmen uses his campaign to reminisce about being a kid and launching rockets, disappointed at how disposable and expensive they were. Now, he’s got his four-year-old daughter launching SodaJet rockets with Barbie attached, kind of an awesome mini-feminist statement. The parts consist of a cone head, fins and a release mechanism.

SodaJet takes the best of recycling, science, and good clean fun to create a cool toy for kids to play outside with. Best of all, it doesn’t involve any kind of screen. Backers looking for more G-rated fun should also check out the Moonshot Ring Launcher. One SodaJet DIY kit requires a $25 donation for estimated delivery in April 2015, provided SodaJet can reach its $5,000 Kickstarter goal.

Categories
Health and Wellness

Oraglide Tongue Cleaner aims to make your breath sweeter

As embarrassing as bad breath can be for an adult, it is at least twice as much so for the teen population whose age alone often means a significant lack of self-confidence. One amazing 13-year-old, Sheil Patel, is taking advantage of bad breath by creating his own business to help others overcome this problem. Oraglide gives those who suffer from bad breath a potential solution. Since the cause of bad breath is often tongue bacteria, this product cleans the tongue through its “u” shape and by removing the white film that is a culprit of bad breath.

There isn’t much of anything new about this tongue scraper as compared to others, but backers love kids with crowdfunding campaigns. Go, Sheil, go! Backers interested in oral care may also want to check out the Goodwell and CLEARsmile campaigns, and pet lovers whose furry best friend has this issue may be interested in the Zumby campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $65 by January 1, 2015. For $15, backers get one product with an expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Music

Capo Clips make open strings ring without the hassle of tuning

One of the more difficult things to work around when chording on a guitar is those open strings. Excluding them makes for less dissonance, but it also thins the sound. Capo Clips allows the musician to cheat and use open strings for a fuller chord sound without having to retune their guitar.  The product is an alternative type of capo that clips directly over the fret (as opposed to in between) and spans two or more in spacing to create a more melodic and fuller sound. A Capo Clip is also capable of giving the guitar a more full sound even when no chord is being played, depending on which Capo Clip is being used and the placement choice on the guitar neck. The moveable rubber fretters allow for many different chords from each Capo Clip.

While the product is touted as suitable for anyone from beginner to pro, beginners may want to focus more on learning chords and proper technique than on finding ways to cheat. This campaign seeks to raise $2,500 on Kickstarter. Backers get one Capo Clip for $7 with an expected delivery in January 2015.

Categories
Furniture

Back to the Backers: Mükava ergonomic table

Backerjack covered the ergonomic table, Mükava, back in September. Although it was unsuccessful in reaching its goal on Kickstarter, the brains behind Mükava, Tom Keenan, decided to try another tactic. He set up a campaign on Indiegogo with a low goal, 1% of his original $50,000 campaign. Asking backers for only $500, Keenan found success on Indiegogo. Now, he’s moved back to Kickstarter with the same small goal.

Mükava is an ergonomic table aimed at making reading books, tablets, phones, magazines or whatever else easier. The table has an adjustable angle and height, making it easier to read in bed or wherever else. Devices stick to the surface made of a special material and it comes equipped with book holders for this old-fashioned medium. In addition, Mükava has USB ports for charging, an LED light and even Document Pebbles to attach documents.

Mükava is versatile to be sure, but looks a little bit like it belongs in a hospital. Still, its many uses span both the home and office. Keenan hasn’t changed the table at all since the original campaign. Backers can have their very own for a $225 donation for estimated delivery in April 2015. It’s clear that backers like this product because they’re still ordering it and if Keenan can keep those goals low, he’s certain to have success for Mükava. Don’t give up, Keenan!