There’s nothing like a leisurely ride through the neighborhood on a gorgeous day — that is, until someone who isn’t watching where they are going steps out in front of you. Not the first bike bell to ring in its debut via Kickstarter, the Trigger Bell gives you quick access to your bell to warn distracted pedestrians to mind their steps. Bike handlebars must be between 22 and 36 millimeters. For £8, backers get the colored brass version, or for £13 your color choice to match your bike. Expected delivery is July 2014.
The Premise. Humans have had a long-time love affair with music. It is part of our culture, our customs and even our identity. We’ve crafted instruments of all shapes and sounds and musical genres to suit every culture and mood. But numerous individuals and groups have proved that you don’t always need an instrument to make music.
The Product. MIDI Sprout shows us that humans are not the only species who can create sophisticated musical compositions. It is a biofeedback-to-MIDI converter that enables plants to play synthesizers in real-time based on their physiological changes from the environment. The MIDI Sprout comes with two probes that send out a small electrical charge from a battery and attach to a leaf. In humans, the same technology provides insights into emotional states and is the basis of simple lie detector readings. While MIDI Sprout will not be able to prove whether plants have a hidden consciousness, it can transform data from living plants into biofeedback art to be experienced by all – just add a computer or synthesizer.
The Pitch. A-sharp? Data Garden, makers of the MIDI Sprout focus their Kickstarter campaign on educating potential backers on the concept of the “DIY biofeedback movement” and its benefits. The campaign video features music generated by plants and the voice of a futuristic woman who talks over images of people experiencing biofeedback art and interacting with plants. Data Garden aims to raise $25,000 in 45 days which will be used to produce prototypes for artists to use in installations and performances and to distribute to the wider public, including backers.
The Perks. Just to give backers some room for options, Data Garden amazingly offers 23 commitment levels, ranging from $1 to $10,000. You’ll have to pledge at least $95 to the project if you want to receive your very own pre-built MIDI Sprout converter ready to hook up to your plant and synthesizer/computer. If Data Garden reaches goal, MIDI Sprouts are expected to ship by November 2014.
The Potential. While there are products which convert human biofeedback to MIDI, they are for medical use and quite expensive. MIDI Sprout would be the first affordable converter intended to be marketed “to the masses”. For the general public, raising awareness of biofeedback art and its potential impact will be necessary for the product to gain success. Until then it will likely become a fad that only a small niche of artists and perhaps some environmentalists will open their wallets for.
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Perhaps one of the best forms of exercise is riding a bike. For enthusiasts who shun the basement or garage as places to store their bikes, or space is simply limited, Shelfie offers a unit that lets your two-wheeled companion just conveniently hang around. Designed by a professional biker, the bike rack unit lets you hang your bike by the seat, which significantly reduces paint scratches and kinked wires. The units will be injection molded out of a high quality plastic in the US. For $125 a backer gets a complete product with an expected delivery of October 2014.
Leaning your head back on planes or in cars is apparently out of style. Flopping your slumbering head forward is now all the easier with the redundantly named Forward Front Face Pillow Cushion. Designed to hang from the seat in front of you or sit on a tray table, the pillow comes equipped with security straps, air holes and a fan so you can stay cool while avoiding smothering yourself. The cushion goes for $86, which is a lot compared to the similar Skyrest Travel Pillow at only $30, but it seems quite a bit more portable and versatile. The nap accessory hopes to raise $30,000 in its 33-day Kickstarter campaign.
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What’s a college party in a frat house without a beer bong? And leave it to the party crowd to find a way to make it, um, more effective – hence—Bong Along. Armed with the slightly off-balance argument that your standard beer bong ought to be collapsible, dishwasher-ready and more easily storable (perhaps so it can be better hidden from those in authority) a mind-boggling six years went into “improving” on a college tradition of quaffing and staggering to create a product with those exact additions, plus better control of beer flow. For $30 backers get a complete product with an expected delivery of June 2014. What a unique gift this would make.
The Premise. Paraplegics, quadriplegics and other disabled people are less mobile than the rest of us not necessarily because of their disabilities, but because there aren’t enough creative modes of transportation made for them. Designers need to think outside of the box more to accommodate the needs of everyone.
The Product. The Horizon Electric Bike is an electrically powered all-terrain trike that has three different riding modes. Power either comes solely from electricity, from pedaling and electricity or from hand power and electricity. That being said, the bike comes with different customization options. The rider can choose between foot pedals, hand pedals or a foot tray and standard handles or tri-pin handles depending on hand mobility. Horizon’s three wheels makes balancing a non-issue. Also, the seat of the trike is reclined, making it a comfortable ride for anyone, and rises for easier mounting and dismounting. The handles can be removed for possible side entry if necessary.
The Pitch. The Horizon’s Kickstarter campaign features a heartwarming video with testimonials from people of various physical capabilities who love using the bike. One of the men, Chris, suffered from a broken neck at the age of 17 and loves using the Horizon bike because it allows him to enjoy cycling again. The video does a great job of showing how the bike can be enjoyed by people of all different physical states. Horizon hopes to raise $100,000 in its 30 day campaign.
The Perks. One Horizon trike goes for $7,950 with an estimated delivery date of December 2014. Each trike is completely customizable, giving backers the choice of which handles and pedals they’d like to use as well as options for engraving.
The Potential. The Horizon Electric Bike is cool for a number of reasons. Its creators really thought about accessibility in the bike from the custom pedals and handles to the built-in ease of entry and exit. The bike also comes with a decent amount of power and speed behind it. Best of all, it’s accessible for the physically disabled, but can also be used by everyone. There is truly nothing else out there quite like it. The price tag may be a bit high, but the versatility the Horizon offers can’t be ignored.
For lots of ladies on the go, hair can be a
bear to maintain. Mini Sleek offers portable hair care as a wireless straightening iron. The battery plugs into the wall and, when done, offers 30-45 minutes of life while heating up to 375 degrees. This hair tool is compact enough to fit in a purse and comes with a heat resistant box cover so that waiting for the straightener to cool down isn’t an issue. One Mini Sleek goes for $85 on Indiegogo. The creator hopes to raise $50,000 in her 60 day campaign.
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It seems that even if you do find a good place to store your earbuds, you’re still stuck with the annoying task of untangling them out before using. Hearkening back to the magnetic back that was one of the better features of the Zune premium earbuds, Nearbuds and Nearbuddy are small clasps that attach to the standard apple earPods to keep the gangly appendages better organized. When not in use, you can hang them up by sticking your earbuds to pretty much any metal surface. The product provides similar benefits to the Zipi, but are a lot more compact and let you hang your earbuds to the wall (for when you want to listen to some cool tunes, one would suppose). For $20, backers get a complete product with an expected deliver of August 2014.
The Premise. Audiophiles and musicians alike have bemoaned the digital era for ripping all the humanity and natural sound away from listening to music. Despite a dedicated community who still swears by vinyl, the rest of the music-listening population has merely accepted these imperfections as something that comes with the territory.
The Product. Named for the Hawaiian word for “righteous,” PonoMusic makes it clear that it is not a new file format or audio standard, and yet what it does is revolutionizes the digital music store. Using FLAC as means to distribute sound at a bitrate well above CD quality and without any compression, Pono wants to deliver users music the way it was meant to be heard. The player itself looks like an early MP3 player but has a unique, triangular shape and a LCD touch screen making control as easy as other personal music players.
The Pitch. With a lengthy campaign promo video, viewers are shown a parade of legendary music acts ranging from David Crosby and James Taylor to My Morning Jacket and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Each of these mega-stars talk about Pono as if it were the best thing that’s happened to home audio, a telling endorsement if nothing else. The rest of the campaign helps explain what makes Pono’s audio playback unique, and how it stands above other existing digital distribution models, making it more like the digital equivalent of a record album. Pono’s goal is to raise $800,000 to help establish the format for the consumer market.
The Perks. A first edition PonoPlayer can be had in yellow or black for a pledge of $300, with an expected release date of October 2014. For $100 extra, backers can get their hands on a limited-run chrome version with a laser-engraved signature from a variety of different artists supporting Pono.
The Potential. Even if the glowing praise from all of the high-profile rock stars in the video have more to do with how well Pono sounds versus trying to be respectful toward Neil Young’s vision, it is difficult to see Pono taking much momentum from smartphones and existing streaming services. Not only is the price high, but the campaign is built around the notion that hearing is believing; it will be some time before most folks can experience he triangular player versus lesser alternativs.
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.