foam – Backerjack

Charging a cellphone while driving can be a chore when wires are involved. Not to mention how unsafe it can be fiddling around with cords and outlets. The Air Dock 2.0 is a wireless car charger and dock for smartphones and tablets that features Qi inductive charging technology, so there is no need for fumbling around while placing a device on the dock.

The face of the Air Dock is made of nanosuction foam, so mounting a phone or tablet is as simple as placing it on the dock. Suction cups secure a mobile device to the dock without leaving any residue. Phones or cases with non-glossy surfaces may slip on the nanosuction foam, so the Air Dock comes with a magnetic sticker that guarantees reliable attachment to those non-glossy surfaces. Backers who provide $79 for the device’s Indiegogo campaign will get an Air Dock 2.0 with the mount of the buyer’s choice from a selection of four. The dock’s makers are looking to raise $85,000 as part of what is their second Air Dock campaign.

Many consumers will likely find the device handy. The CD mount option, which repurposes a car’s CD player, slipping into the CD slot and then expanding to hold itself firmly in place, is an especially interesting concept. But the device is rather costly for a charging dock, which could turn off some consumers. Although the device is compatible with many smartphones, some will require additional hardware or a case to be compatible with the dock.

The Premise. You may have seen them dressed up like knights or monsters, waging epic battles in your local city park. For years, foam combat enthusiasts and LARPers have been getting together for sparring, but have mostly had to rely on the honor system to determine a winner until now.

The Product. LevelUp’s Sabertron is a foam sword combat game that is looking to bring 21^st century innovation to 16^th combat. Beneath the humble foam exterior is a polycarbonate plastic core housing an accelerometer to detect hits, LEDs to display player damage, and a speaker to output the sounds of combat. Five different game types are available and sensitivity settings can be adjusted by the players to even the fight.

The Pitch. The campaign video explains the technology behind the game while backdropped by demonstrations and battles. It also introduces the basic game rules, lay out planned expansion for the line (including body armor and helmets that will open the game up to be played on more than a one-on-one level), and project lead David Lynch explains the project’s genesis. There are also plenty of photos that range from scrapped prototype ideas to future possibilities, a look at the technology inside each sword, and a companion Web site already developed. LevelUp is looking to raise $195,000, which will help it finalize a market-ready design, conduct safety testing, and get the swords ready for store sale. If the project reaches $400,000, the stretch goals decree that the faux swords will be equipped with a rechargeable lithium ion battery that can be charged via MicroUSB.

The Perks. At $99, backers will get a pair of Sabertron swords. The pre-release batch set to ship in August 2014 is already sold out, but backers can still pledge the same amount to get a pair of the medieval-style swords delivered by September. Sci-fi fans can get a pair of illuminated swords in the color of their choice for $125, while a model where colors can be changed on the fly is priced at $199 for a pair.

The Potential. Sabertron is designed to bring laser tag-style uniformity and gamesmanship to foam combat sports. While weekend wizards and warriors might be reluctant to give up the DIY craftsmanship they’ve practiced for so long, this would be a great way to interest new people to try out their various games. Sold in toy stores, this could easily become a high-ticket must-have item for this year’s holiday season.