Tabletop clutter from magazines and other literature can make a living space feel confined and congested. But information lovers often have trouble letting go of those coveted stacks of golden knowledge. MagRack offers a way to sweep information, and perhaps also any crumbs left on the table from snacking, into a v-shaped storage area. The blended magazine rack-table is 75 centimeters wide and either 105 centimeters long or 160 centimeters long. Table top surfaces are either coated with high quality linoleum, or with a polished acrylic layer. It does have to be put together, but it appears that assembly is fairly simple, and a mitter joint is used to connect the pieces. The tables are made of layers of plywood, which can be seen from the side only. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 CAD (~$13,200 USD) by December 11, 2015. Early bird backers get one product for $356 CAD (~$316 USD) with an expected delivery of April 2015.
The Achilles heel of most devices is their lack of storage. Even if we find ourselves in 2014 with SD cards that have incredible capacities, our smartphones and other device most likely don’t have more than 64GB — a paltry amount comparatively speaking. In addition, transferring these files from device to device is more of hassle than it should be.
The GoDrive wants to smooth that process out just a bit by offering an extremely portable USB micro SD card reader that works with your smart devices, GoPros, and even drones. To achieve this, the GoDrive is compatible with both USB 2.0 and micro USB connections so that you can easily manage up to 128GB of additional storage on-the-go.
The device’s portability will definitely come in handy, but just don’t go sticking your new toy everywhere without considering a USBCondom first. A donation of $16 will get you a GoDrive in August of 2015. Pilot Electronics, the company behind it, just needs $40,000 to get started.
The use of propane to heat a home can sometimes be a pain. Supply levels must be kept up with or else homeowners will find themselves without shivering. This can also lead to frozen pipes and flood damage, both which can be extremely costly to any homeowner. The Tank Utility helps ward off these problems by being your personal propane assistant. The remote smart meter monitors your propane tank level by connecting to your Wi-Fi network, relaying that information back to your smartphone for review. You’ll receive personalized alerts when you’re low and schedule deliveries right on your phone. In the meantime, it’ll be able access diagnostic information about consumption trends, efficiency, and other problems like disconnected Wi-Fi or low battery, all while keeping an eye out for leaks and other strange usage. With the device requiring no tools to install and able to work in temperatures as low as -20°, it is an incredibly useful tool to effortlessly keep on top of things around the home. Combine this with other home automation solutions like the ActuSwitch and the Ninja Sphere to really keep things under control. Expected in May 2015, the Tank Utility is priced at $200 and is looking for $20,000 in funding.
Cooking with fresh herbs is one of the best ways to make flavorful dishes. And being able to have an herb garden right at one’s fingertips while those delectable delights are being made is not only convenient, but adds some nice greenery to the kitchen scenery. The Herb Grower is a vertical system of removable pots and gravity irrigation that provides plants with a built in watering system to help keep them healthy. The runoff pan keeps walls and floors dry, and since it’s a modular system, the garden can be pretty much any size desired and rearranged at will. It appears that it comes with potting soil, so plants can be easily started from seed or purchased and repotted. Though it is touted as having minimal installation, the ideal tools to use to put it in place are not noted. Nevertheless, it does seem like a great idea, especially for those who enjoy cooking. Backers can enjoy plants in their home with the similar Garden@Home as well. This campaign seeks to raise $55,000 CAD (~$48,500 USD) by December 8, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $55 CAD (~$48 USD) with an expected delivery of March 2015.
There are some people who take their dog for a walk, and then there are dogs who walk their owner. Leash Mate is a safe way for the owner to maintain control without using a retractable leash. The round add-on is available for both flat and round leashes, which means it will work with the leash the user already owns. It’s lightweight, strong, and can be used as a tether when walking more than one dog. For those who love to hike, it can be used to secure the leash around the user’s waist while hiking with their dog. While it seems that it may be less convenient than a retractable leash, Leash Mate also appears to be a safer option for both pet and owner. Those who like to walk at night might like to check out The Watchdog light up leash campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 CAD (~$22,000 USD) by December 8, 2014. For $10 CAD (~$9 USD), backers get one product with an expected delivery of March 2015.
Every wine connoisseur knows that wine must breathe before it is served. Decanting is a must for serving a great beverage. Now decanting just got a little bit smarter with the Sonic Decanter. This product decants your wine using water and ultrasound. To set how long it runs for, use the accompanying smartphone app. Simply fill it with two cups of water, uncork the bottle and place it in the decanter pushing the button to activate. According to the campaign, this technique makes your wine, whether red, white or somewhere in the middle, positively delectable. The science behind it all is a bit complicated, but a full explanation can be found on the campaign.
While Sonic Decanter is surely one of those frivolous wine accessories, its claimed capabilities may be too much for the fanatic wine-o to resist. The accompanying app is a nice touch too, allowing the user to adjust times based on what kind of wine they’re about to drink. One smart wine preparer will cost backers a donation of $199 for delivery in May 2015. Sonic Decanter is hoping to raise $85,000 with the help of Kickstarter.
Many new digital cameras use filters and special techniques to make the photos they take look vintage. There’s something about old photographs that evokes a sense of nostalgia and old world charm into our minds. The Intrepid 4X5 Camera is a redesigned version of an old camera model, updating technology that is over 100 years old. Made out of wood, the camera is lightweight and can be folded up easily for maximum portability. Intrepid is a film camera and uses the 4×5 format because of its depth and clarity of image. In digital format, 4×5 would be considered HDR to give digital lovers a sense of its sharpness. It’s able to capture both portrait and landscape photographs. While this British camera looks very cool and the campaign shows the magnificent images it can produce, many may opt for the convenience of digital with some old-time filters instead. Lenses and film are sold separately which also may act as a deterrent for backers. Still, camera enthusiasts will surely appreciate the mix of old and new technology to make a cool final product. Another bonus: the bellows come in different colors! One Intrepid will cost backers £129 (~$203) for delivery in March 2015 (not a bad price at all). Intrepid is looking to raise £27,000 (~$42,500) on Kickstarter.
The tyranny of the USB port has finally come to an end with the Reversible USB Adapter. There are no surprises here: the product does exactly what it says. Attach it to any USB connection to instantly tame its fickleness and reclaim the few hours out of the year spent trying to jostle those connections into place. With so much time spent trying to do such an inane task, it sure is welcome. This adapter is part of trend of making what used to be a daily headache just a bit easier to handle: just compare this adapter’s good deeds with what the Super Motor USB Flash Drive does for storage. With both of these products, the utility is certainly there — it just needs to make sure it’ll last. If not, what would be the point of purchasing one now with the advent of USB 3.0? The Reversible USB Adapter is priced at just $7, while the campaign itself is looking for $10,000 to relieve your connection woes. Backers can expect this cure-all by December 2014.
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Time Out locks up temptations for a while
There’s something to be said for removing the thing that causes a person to participate in unwanted behavior – as long as positive habits or alternatives are being developed to replace the bad. Time Out is designed with the intent of giving parents the upper hand in modifying the behavior of their kids. The lock has a digital timer that can be set for up to 24 hours. Keep in mind, though, that it usually takes about 10 constant days or more to replace a bad habit with a good one. So if the kids’ video games are going to be taken away so that they play them less, it’s typically a good idea to make some alternative fun activity available. Locking up food for weight loss or cigarettes or alcohol to reduce consumption only works when the root cause of binging is addressed. Nevertheless, this campaign seeks to raise $24,000 by December 16, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $29, with an expected delivery of April 2015.
There are a lot of portable phone batteries that claim to be light enough to forget about while powerful enough to recharge your phone a million times very quickly. Many claims are quickly debunked the moment you realize there’s a brick in your bag for most of the day. The ONE CARD is looking to shame all the rest by offering a 2,200mAh battery in the form factor of a credit card.
Despite its 6.5mm size, small enough to stick in your wallet, the ONE CARD is still extremely versatile sporting connections enough for the iPhone 4/5/6 and Android phone and an LED power indicator to keep you informed. The campaign boasts about its featherweight qualities by saying you can easily walk and talk with it, but who would want to do that? In any case, you shouldn’t have to for too long as the ONE CARD charges devices at 1A, or about 1% a minute, limiting the amount of time you’d need to wait. And if the ONE CARD is too petite for your taste, also on offer is the ONE THING charger which has a 10,000mAh battery in the size of a pack of cigarettes that can charge up to two devices at once. Currently, a ONE CARD is going for $17, while a ONE THING is going for $35, with a delivery date of December 2014. The campaign hopes to raise $1,200.