Umbrellas keep rain off of us, but that same repelled rain sticks to the umbrella and then ends up on the floor when we find shelter. Lolli-Simone eliminates dripping after a storm and comes in a variety of fun colors. The lightweight umbrella has a hard case that, when removed, attaches to the handle so that it doesn’t get lost. Once out of the wet and cold, the umbrella folds and rolls up back into the hard case which is contained so there’s no dripping. Cases get lost all the time and wet floors are a big problem during the rain, so Lolli-Simone fixes two common problems in a clever way for the rare group of umbrella early adopters. Lolli-Simone will cost backers $35 with a campaign goal of $10,000 on Kickstarter.
Photographers know that light is what makes the difference between a quality photograph and a waste of memory. BounceLite is a camera attachment that allows a photographer to manipulate light for a great photo. It features a hinged white square that angles light wherever it needs to go. The attachment also features colored gels that are easy to install in order to give a photo a different mood or quality. BounceLite eliminates the need for bulky reflectors and makes professional-quality photos easier to capture. It looks like a handy camera accessory that will be attractive to advanced amateurs and pros. This British product will cost backers £88. BounceLite hopes to raise £28,000 on Kickstarter.
If walking forward on the old treadmill has become a bore, consider walking backwards. Or even sideways. K-Mill allows users to go in multiple directions, which the creator claims builds up more leg strength in multiple areas and also burns 57 percent more calories per minute. But if making exercise more exciting is the aim, consider Virtuix Omni, which adds the elements of virtual reality and gaming to a treadmill workout. As for K-Mill, it’s not entirely clear what the retail price is going to be as of yet.
The Premise. People love to decorate their homes. Many choose artwork to pepper their walls with in order to give a room some depth and personality. The only problem is that people are limited to art that they can purchase and transport home easily. The internet offers millions of digital artwork, but these can be difficult to gain access to on an everyday basis.
The Product. FRAMED is a digital frame that allows the person to purchase and display a myriad of digital artwork. The frame comes in 24” and 40” sizes, several finishes and is compatible with many different file formats. Its image can be animated, stagnant or even interactive. FRAMED works with a free iPhone and Android app so that the image can be controlled remotely. The screen is HD and features a 180° viewing angle.
The Pitch. FRAMED’s campaign video shows the creators talking about the benefits of sharing and buying artwork from around the globe. Artists can sell or give away their work using the FRAMED network. Using one of these frames means that the stream of artwork in your home can change constantly. The rest of the campaign goes through the tech specs of the frame and shows just a few examples of the vast selection of images that the frame can display. This Japanese product hopes to raise $75,000 in a month-long Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Several early-bird special allows backers to purchase the product for an earlier delivery date of March 2015 at $399 and $449 for the 24” frame. The regularly-priced 24” FRAMED costs $499 for delivery in February 2015. The 40” comes in at a regular price of $1,500 and includes three pieces of artwork. Higher tiers offer multi-packs, custom colors and include free artwork. Reward tiers go all the way up to $10,000.
The Potential. In an ever-evolving digital world, it’s refreshing to come across a product that values the potential of digital with the practicalities of a physical object. FRAMED introduces a way to bring art from around the world home in the easiest way. We’ve seen a similar product recently in Electric Objects, a digital frame that displays artwork controlled by a smartphone app. Electric Objects is meant to completely blend in with physical artwork and its image isn’t animated. FRAMED allows for animated or interactive content, but is clearly digital. Both products are quite interesting and FRAMED is a great way for people to enjoy all the internet has to offer in their everyday lives without being glued to a screen.
When going to a fun event outside, it’s always necessary to bring along extra equipment to make yourself more comfortable. Hauling all of this stuff can be a huge pain, though. SpekPack has room for pretty much anything. This giant pack features a cooler, wheels, tripod legs, and a compartment for chairs, golf clubs and umbrellas. The fully loaded version comes with two chairs and an umbrella for shading the sun. While this bag seems quite versatile, it seems like it’d be quite heavy to carry when fully packed. One SpekPack costs backers $199 for delivery in February 2015. SpekPack is look to raise $12,000 in 45 days on Kickstarter.
Renewable forms of energy are slowing making their way into the mainstream. Drill Turbine is a wind turbine with a drill shape that allows you to charge your device by harnessing the power of the wind. With winds at 25mph, the turbine can put out 10 watts of power. The campaign video shows the Canadian Drill Turbine charging a phone while spinning around during a bike ride, an interesting and convenient way to create power while on-the-go. One mini turbine will cost backers $60 CAD. Drill Turbine hopes to raise $36,000CAD in a month-long Kickstarter campaign.
Tired of sitting in front of a computer screen all day? Now it’s possible to stand up for a while and keep on working. Stealth Rising Desktop raises the user’s desktop at the press of a button. For those who are counting calories, it’s even possible to hook up a PC to the Stealth and schedule regular times of standing and track the extra calories burned from standing rather than sitting. While this might be a nice way to change up the workday, the claims that it actually improves health seem like they may be a bit on the exaggerated side although there’s lots of evidence in favor of at least getting out of the seated position once in a while. Expected delivery is February 2014.
The Premise. Moms and dads can get tired from carrying their babies around all day. However, all of this lifting can become quite taxing. Many carriers are designed for the baby’s comfort, leaving little thought to its parents, which can lead to back problems and poor posture.
The Product. Hipster is a baby carrier designed with both parent and child in mind. The weight of the baby sits on the hips instead of on the shoulders. The baby can sit in the front, back or on the parent’s hips, but the fastener keeps the spine straight to avoid injury. With versatile straps, the carrier can hold the child in a total of nine different ways. Using different attachable layers, the carrier can be made summer friendly with less padding and winter friendly with more. Additional pockets and compartments make it easy for parents to store whatever they may need while holding their child. Hipster comes in different colors and patterns with additional accessories like the head cover.
The Pitch. This Swiss product was created by a couple, Cecillia and Alessandro. As explained in their video, when Cecillia pinched a nerve in her back, she struggled to pick up her baby. Different carriers weren’t working for her unique back problems. Thus, the idea for Hipster was born. The rest of the campaign goes through reward tiers, specs and shows Alessandro using Hipster in its 9 different ways. Hipster is looking to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter.
The Perks. For only $100, backers can receive the Hipster at an early-bird price with estimated delivery set for August 2014. The regular price of $120 offers delivery in September 2014. Tiers offer a variety of accessories and colors and go up all the way up to $1,000.
The Potential. People are really beginning to get wise to the fact that poor posture can be extremely detrimental. Many hiking packs load weight onto the lower back and hips in order to give shoulders a rest. Hipster uses the same idea for kids. Another low-fastening baby carrier, the Side Ride Hip Carrier, uses the same idea to hold kids on the hips, buthas only two options for carrying instead of nine. The baby carrier’s versatility and posture control make it a sensible and desirable contender on the new parent market.
Everyone is familiar with that sinking feeling that comes with observing that the toilet is clogged up and about to overflow yet again. The creator of Happy Poo argues that his invention is more sanitary and eliminates issues of splash back caused by a standard plunger, but it looks like it takes more effort and involves far more undesired close contact with the toilet. It also appears to be a knockoff of the Korean product Pung-too. In addition, $8 for one product seems a bit pricy when an old fashioned plunger, which can be reused when necessary, can be purchased for as little as about $6, but this could be more effective at times. Anticipated delivery would be November 2014.
The Premise. The dream of a household robot is so alluring because it falls somewhere between faithful pet dog and trusty, capable butler. Now that homes are more readily equipped with Wi-fi and several connected smart home devices, the perfect environment exists in which to bring in a truly sophisticated but accessible home robot.
The Product. JIBO, a robot that looks like a cross between a desktop fan and EVE from the Pixar movie Wall-E, seems to be the first step in blending functionality with companionship. Sitting cheerfully wherever he is placed, JIBO will learn faces and voices as he interacts with people around the house. As he continues to learn and develop, JIBO will be able to interact with household devices and services like lighting, voicemail, and email. JIBO also functions as a digital camera capable of taking photos and video and even as a telepresence robot during video calls. JIBO developers can create for him like any other platform, offering a variety of apps and features in the future.
The Pitch. JIBO’s pitch video shows the friendly robot blending in and being a part of the family, helping set up steamy dates over Chinese takeout and playing with kids inside blanket forts. Movie buffs might be a little unsettled by the simulated “first-person” JIBO scenes, which seem oddly similar to scenes from Terminator, but the device seems functional and friendly enough for now. The development team behind JIBO needs to raise $100,000 to finish the internal design and testing of JIBO.
The Perks. A JIBO Robot along with the developer’s JIBOAlive Toolkit will cost backers $499, although the device won’t ship until February 2016. If that sounds like too long to wait, some charity will get one sent a little sooner. Those who pledge $799 will get a JIBO in December 2015 along with donating an identical unit to the Boston Children’s Hospital. Likewise, a $899 donation will offer the same perk albeit with the Developer Edition.
The Potential. JIBO seems like a great digital assistant and communication device at its base, with the promise of more to come. JIBO’s disposition seems to be bright and cheerful enough to dissuade any fears of the robot uprising, and the lack of mobility emphasizes this although limits something that would make JIBO a huge leap forward for personal robotics. Those looking for a friendly face in the home that doesn’t need to be walked or cleaned up after will be excited to rush out and make friends with a JIBO as soon as possible.