There’s something about homemade cookies, pies, pizza and other treats that just somehow doesn’t seem available in generic store bought or bakery items. Years ago, grandma had her secrets that she passed along to visiting grandchildren, but nowadays, grandma has to work just like mom does. That’s where DoughEZ comes in. Though lovers of baking still have to mix up their own dough, this product promises to help them roll it out to the perfect thickness for each baked delight every time. The dough rolling system consists of a plastic, non-stick surface and guide sticks that can double as a frame for no-bake items. The system is touted as being suitable for everyone from professional bakers to beginners. The best way to clean the system is not clearly indicated, but it does appear that it may be able to help reduce the mess that comes with using flour when making homemade goods. This campaign is seeking to raise $500 by November 1, 2014. For $50, backers get one system with an expected delivery of December 2014.
For years, cyclists have sought out ways to make themselves safer on the road because the lights most bikes come equipped with just don’t cut it. They’re extremely small and only work when light is shone on them, limiting their overall usability and putting riders in undue danger when riding at night.
8Rlicht is a smart taillight with 140 LEDs on a rather large display that ensures your ride will never be safer. The product reacts to sudden braking, lighting up to alert drivers behind you — a powerful feature. In addition, show off customizable patterns and text on that display using the companion smartphone apps compatible on iOS or Android. In addition, the unit’s onboard Bluetooth connectivity and many sensors allows it some other tricks as well.
With Bluetooth, OTA updates are possible so that you can update software capable of tracking calories or setting up competitions between you and friends, as well as alerting you when the bike is being stolen. And when you’re wandering back to your bike and have no clue where it is, 8Rlicht lights up to your presence provided you also have your smartphone with you. The asking price of €49 is stellar but the funding goal of €200,000will be a stretch for this connected taillight
The product is no slouch on features but certainly has room for more, despite the folks behind the product not saying much about that. And with this dangling off the back of your bike, it makes a prime target for thieves.
It’s easy to defend the iPhone from its critics in just about every single way imaginable… except for the charger. Think about the last time there was a pristine iPhone charger cable nearby, and it was probably when the phone was still in its box. BelayCords are fixing this problem by offering a durable charger cord with in its own sense of style and a lifetime guarantee. If that wasn’t enough, BelayCords also have a reversible USB outlet, meaning that it can be plugged in no matter which way the cable is facing. For many people, that would be cause enough to stop this write-up immediately and go buy one.
Though BelayCords were designed for the iPhone, they also have compatibility with Android, Windows, and Blackberry devices with Micro USB, meaning that even after a change of brand loyalty heart, there’s still no need to go buy a new charging cord. Designer Made In College is raising just $4,000 to make BelayCords a commercial possibility, and supporters and phone users can desperately grab one up for $30 with a November 2014 release. It bears repeating: this cord has a USB plug that can be plugged in regardless of orientation. What more is there to want in life?
Most of us use Keurig machines or something quite similar. As a result, our cupboards are inundated with K-Cups, pods, and other products. The Abacus Pod Rack goes in the kitchen and attaches to the underside or just side of any cabinet. Coming in several colors, this rack won’t be an eyesore. It stores columns of pods/cups to make choosing the perfect beverage easier. To insert, slide up and in. To remove, just pull each cup out. It holds up to 36 pods and attaches with adhesive strips. One of these Aussie products will cost $19 AUD. Abacus hopes to raise $15,000 AUD on Kickstarter.
With the prevalence of convenient coffee machines in people’s home, this product makes sense for storage. It’s more for the beverage enthusiast who has lots of different flavors for their brewer. There are lots of other storage options out there, however, like the DecoBros organizer that keeps K-Cups in a mini drawer. Nonetheless, Abacus comes with the perk of keeping your counters clear by adhering to cabinets. While this may be more for the finicky of heart, it’s a great storage solution for those little pods that fuel America.
Since the Chromecast’s runaway success, scores of companies have created their own version, or changed the dimensions of their existing set top streamers to better suit the now popular dongle look. The proprietary nature of most systems and the need to find some sort of workaround is a problem. This sort of problem presents roadblocks to the average consumer that they’re not willing or capable to negotiate.
This means that Matchstick, a new streaming dongle powered by Mozilla Firefox OS, has to be something truly special to catch people’s attention. And for the most part, it does. The small stick is a completely new product category for the OS, standing apart with its completely open platform that will work with any device. You can download the design schematics to build your own version or use a versatile developer SDK to grow the platform; the company’s developer program supplies interested parties with prototype models, ensuring that will happen.
It doesn’t rest on its laurels with just those points. Its hardware is a move up from competing devices: bragging 4GB onboard storage and 1GB DDR3 memory where the Chromecast has none enables it to do everything other streamers do with just a bit more pep. Chromecast will need to play catch-up because a quick recompile will make current Chromecast apps compatible with Matchstick.
There’ll be a rather small assortment of apps at launch, like Netflix and HBO Go, compared to the rest of the big players already enjoying a broader range. With Airtame working similarly across all devices and being able to beam to multiple displays, Biggifi a full Android experience but only working with Android, and the premium priced Sugarcube able to stream 4K, the Matchstick has plenty of competition. Its $100,000 goal and $18 price tag will definitely give it a better shot at success.
Here’s something that seems like a big time winner. Something that can help reduce the necessity to clean! Appliance Defender is designed to help reduce dirt and scratches on flat surfaces all over one’s home, from the fridge to washer and dryer. The first thing that must be done, however, is to clean the area one desires to have protected from dirt and scratches. The idea is similar to the phone screen protector that comes with every new smartphone. The clear, plastic sheets come pre-cut to fit an abundance of appliances.
It’s not clearly indicated how frequently the plastic protectors need to be replaced, though the creators say that it should last for at least over a year. Perhaps that depends on whether or not the user wants to wipe them down when grime starts to show or just peel and apply a fresh round wherever desired. This campaign is seeking to raise $50,000 by November 7, 2014. For $10, backers get four 7×7 protectors with an expected delivery of January 2015. Larger pledges will get larger protectors. All in all, it seems that the Appliance Defender is a useful product for neat freaks interested in protecting their homes from grime.
Once computers and smartphones began surfing the Internet, streaming videos, playing games and also telling the time as a bonus, the wall clock and the wristwatch became obsolete in a hurry.
SmarTock is a wall clock for the 21st century. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, apps for weather, wallpapers, calendars, and more, SmarTock is designed to provide the convenience and aesthetic of having a wall clock into a package that better fits modern times. Using an LCD display with 1080p resolution, SmarTock will be an appealing, modern addition to any home. Inventor Josh Cotton has set a financing goal of $99,000 to begin mass production. Buyers interested in a SmarTock can grab theirs for $179 to ship out in May 2015.
The idea here is solid enough, though whether this does enough to compete with the “smart” accessories is debatable. Compounding this problem is a lack of information or demonstration on the product’s campaign: the internals are explained, some questions are answered, but instead of more concrete details, too much space is spent on sample wallpaper ideas. This could be an idea with merit behind it, but only time will tell if there’s enough concrete work here to result in a competitive product.
Long motorcycle trips are cumbersome mainly because riders have to keep up the throttle so that they can accelerate to their desired speed. Aftermarket solutions, like throttle locks and cruise control systems, are available to deal with this issue but most work with only very specific models of motorcycle, require drilling or other custom fabrication to install, and are ultimately awkward to use. In addition, since the installation is permanent, it’s lost when the bike is sold.
Inspired by his difficulties during a 28 country motorcycle tour, inventor David Winters created the ATLAS Throttle Lock. This product addresses the awkwardness of other throttle locks by being as thin as two bank cards while still being able to be used with a wide range of handle grips. (There’s a 100% money back guarantee included with the product if it doesn’t fit.) With a single, comfortable button press, riders can engage ATLAS and quickly disengage it with another button press or by rotating the accelerator. All these points add promise to the product provided it will hold up over time, an aspect in question with its thin design. An early bird special shaves $64 off the retail price; interested backers can grab one and help this campaign reach its funding goal of $11,200.
The fastest way to create home automation is to start off with the infrastructure. If your outlets are smart enough to be turned on and off automatically, so too can any device plugged into them.
The Smart Outlet from Newbeem is a wall outlet that adds more features than simply providing power. With a built in surge protector, this device turns any outlet into three outlets, one of those three being Wi-fi enabled. With that and the variable dimmer inside, any light or appliance can be plugged in and controlled manually using a phone or set up on a timer or programmable dimming pattern. Newbeem is trying to raise $20,000 CAD to fund mass production of the outlets. Picking up a Smart Outlet will only cost supports $30 CAD, with an expected shipping date of November.
Anything that makes smart electricity more accessible and easy to use is always a welcome addition to the market. Two questions stick out when viewing this product however. First, how does it differentiate itself from competitors like WeMo or Brightup? Second, why is only one of the outlets Wi-fi enabled? Without adequate answers, this may prove to be a product of middling quality at best.
Golf is one of those sports that seems none too stimulating. Untrue. There’s a lot involved in perfecting one’s stroke to get that ball close to or in the hole. Chute Trainer is designed to perfect your swing. Essentially a little parachute, it attaches to the bottom of your club to teach you the dynamics of lag. This helps to strengthen the golfers’ arms so that they shoot with more force, leading to drives up to 20 to 30 yards longer. Chute Trainer is small, folds up in your pocket and is completely detachable from the club. One will cost backers $35 with a Kickstarter campaign goal of $25,000.
Golf trainers are many and short between. Most, however, focus on putting, like GreenPlay, X Ball and Zen Bloodhound covered on Backerjack. This is one of the few that aims to improve a golfer’s drive, the first and most important step in getting par. While really only appropriate for serious golfers, Chute Trainer is a good tool for those who find themselves on the green most days, if it actually works.