Tag: home

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Home Tools

Toilet strainer prevents kids from flushing jewelry

Kids have a tendency to destroy things like valuables and happiness. Okay, maybe not happiness, but certainly priceless family heirlooms.

iGuard is a solution to this problem, straining out items from the toilet. Ew. Okay, yes it sounds disgusting, but the creators claim it’s the only way to prevent clogged toilets. The small plastic mechanism hooks onto the side of the toilet bowl. There’s a round piece that goes into the toilet with holes in it to strain. This way, it’ll catch unwanted items from going down the pipes. The only question that remains is, what about those things that you want to go down? iGuard comes in a case that opens with tap of the foot so touch is unnecessary. One is going for $50 on Kickstarter with an estimated delivery of April 2015. iGuard is looking to raise $20,000.

Categories
Organization

Clutter Cover hides stacked messes, beats actually useful organization any day

Here’s a winning idea: something that hides home clutter and diminishes the need for dusting. Clutter Cover is the perfect item for packrat types who  find that the item that they just threw out a couple days ago, but had kept for years prior, should have been saved after all. The silver cover fits over free-standing shelves and is made-to-order, with a limit of 72” for height, depth and width. The clutter-hiding, dust-diminishing system comes with two heavy duty front zippers for easy access with Velcro flap holders. Clutter Cover can be used either inside or outside and is completely machine washable.

Presently, this product comes only in sliver, but other colors along with the option to add a special logo are available for an extra donation. While this is a great product for the pack rat in everyone, it’s a bit lacking in appearance. If clutter is going to be covered up, why not do it in style? This campaign has a goal of $1,974. For $55, backers get one product with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Furniture

Back to the Backers: Mükava ergonomic table

Backerjack covered the ergonomic table, Mükava, back in September. Although it was unsuccessful in reaching its goal on Kickstarter, the brains behind Mükava, Tom Keenan, decided to try another tactic. He set up a campaign on Indiegogo with a low goal, 1% of his original $50,000 campaign. Asking backers for only $500, Keenan found success on Indiegogo. Now, he’s moved back to Kickstarter with the same small goal.

Mükava is an ergonomic table aimed at making reading books, tablets, phones, magazines or whatever else easier. The table has an adjustable angle and height, making it easier to read in bed or wherever else. Devices stick to the surface made of a special material and it comes equipped with book holders for this old-fashioned medium. In addition, Mükava has USB ports for charging, an LED light and even Document Pebbles to attach documents.

Mükava is versatile to be sure, but looks a little bit like it belongs in a hospital. Still, its many uses span both the home and office. Keenan hasn’t changed the table at all since the original campaign. Backers can have their very own for a $225 donation for estimated delivery in April 2015. It’s clear that backers like this product because they’re still ordering it and if Keenan can keep those goals low, he’s certain to have success for Mükava. Don’t give up, Keenan!

Categories
Smart Home

EZ Wand has the magic touch to motorize blinds

One part of the home that has unceremoniously been ignored by smart home fever is the window blind. As such, automating them is an involved process that usually costs home owners lots of time and money to properly do. The EZ Wand makes the entire process as simple as replacing the wand on horizontal or vertical window blinds. When that’s done, the supplied remote control can control up to eight different wands either individually or in groups, making what used to be an annoyance as easy as a button press.

With the EZ Wand as easy to install as it is, it makes for a low-cost no-brainer for most home owners who are looking for this sort of thing. The 4 AAA required powers the wand for nine months while the remote for two years at a distance of up to 45 feet away, a fact that would make it pretty versatile were it not for its lack of color options. Unfortunately, the EZ Wand is limited in what kind of blinds it can control and doesn’t feature smartphone interaction. Other types of blinds can be outfitted with the ShutterEaze or Tilt My Blinds instead. In any case, $59 gets backers one wand and a remote, with an estimated delivery date of December 2014. The company behind the campaign is looking for $35,000 to make this product a reality.

Categories
Furniture

The BU Desk lets you create your own desk space

It’s reminiscent of those old typing tables from the days before computers. Except that The BU Desk offers more versatility and has a more esthetically appealing design. BU Desk allows users to customize their desk for their specific needs. Besides functioning as a standard desk, it can also work as an elevated drawing board, easel, offer a duel computer monitor space, function as a social space for games, or a place to gather for small group meetings. In addition, it folds up to be stored away easily.

The dimensions of the desk are not clearly indicated, and it looks as though it may need to be secured to a wall rather than being self-standing, making it much less convenient. Backers may also want to check out the Zestdesk portable desk, Lappito, and iTray campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise €35,000 (~$43,600) by December 24, 2014. Backers can get the basic kit for €165 (~$210). Larger contributions get more options. Expected delivery is May 2015.

Categories
Home

Water Hero offers remote valve shutoff to avoid costly floods

Flooding and water damage from a leaking or burst pipe can be one of the most expensive home repairs. Water Hero offers users the ability to track what’s happening in their home via a Wi-Fi cloud-connected smartphone system and app. Water Hero can be self-installed, alerted about the amount of time the user will be away from home, and will automatically shut off the water if that amount of time gets exceeded or if a leak is detected. Then it sends the user a text. The user can also set and control the system while away from home.

Other nice features include a warning system for frozen pipes, an alert for when the dehumidifier may need to be turned on, and a battery backup. Though the Water Hero only works with indoor municipal water meters, there is an outdoor Water Hero in the works. For anyone who has come home to a flooded home, this product offers huge peace of mind. This campaign seeks to raise $54,000.  For $199, backers get one product with an expected delivery of November 2015.

Categories
Organization

360 Shelf brings a new twist to holding small items on a wall

Shelf space is key when it comes to trying to organize one’s living space, second only to a good floor plan. The 360 Shelf attempts to offer shelf space for the little things that clutter up life, but it appears that several of them would be needed to really be very useful. Users can choose from multiple angles for the shelf, or affix it so that it is level. The Beachwood shelf units come in four different finishes. Some instillation is required using a single screw for mounting.

It’s not clear what the measurements of the shelf actually are, but it appears to be fairly small, only holding 1-3 small, book-sized or tablet-sized items, depending on the items. Other interesting products designed to help with organizing the home that backers might like to check out include the Shelfie, Bench, and StaX to name a few where getting organized is concerned. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by December 23, 2014. Early bird backers get one shelf for $40 with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Tablet Accessories

Branch holds up your tablet, isn’t as big as a tree

The capabilities of tablets have grown more and more ever since the first tablet came out. Now they not only take wonderful photos or control our smart home devices, but also provide entertainment in the form of Netflix streaming and e-books.

The Branch tablet stand makes it possible to read or watch anything on a tablet in bed or on the couch. This stand features a long base that bends in the middle for optimum viewing angle. With an elaborate metal and rubber clamp, the tablet will be sure to stay in place. In addition, the part of Branch that attaches to the tablet can be removed, making it easy to use at a desk or table. This stand is also compatible with keyboards.

Branch’s creator claims it’s the perfect device for at home or on the go. The stand looks a little bulky to be carried around, even in its most minimal form. It doesn’t appear to fold up at all either. There are plenty of other portable tablet stands out there for those needing them. However, this is a nifty stand for at home, especially as tablets become a bigger and bigger part of daily life. Backers can have their own for £65 (~$102) for delivery in April 2015. Branch is looking to raise £19,500 (~$30,500) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Home Kids/Babies Safety

Toddler Safety Electrical Plugs play hide and seek from little fingers

It seems like baby-proofing the house is one of those tasks that is really never done – kind of like parenting. And for whatever reason, toddlers seem to be especially fascinated by electrical outlets. Toddler Safety Electrical Plugs is kind of an out of sight, out of mind gadget that hides the electrical outlet from small fingers, but still allows mom or dad to easily access it when it is needed. Initial installation may be somewhat inconvenient, since it involves using a screwdriver and removing the existing faceplate, but after that, the product is touted as offering one-hand operation convenience.

There is actually a wide variety of outlet covers out there with child safety in mind. This particular product seems to have a similar design as the KidCo Outlet Plug Cover. One of the more popular covers among parents is Munchkin because they are extremely easy to use and inexpensive.  Backers with toddlers may also want to check out the PopSwitch and Bright Switch campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $5,000, however may have trouble doing so as it is offering no reward tiers.

Categories
Lighting

Light Bandit captures sunlight, brightens up homes without electricity

Sunlight is incredibly important for all aspects of life, from quality of sleep to energy levels and focus throughout the day. With everyone’s general well-being as intimately connected to the amount of sunlight as it is, it’s a shame more and more people are living with less of it due to the prevalent lifestyles of the day.

The Light Bandit by Think Tekk, LLC is a box installed at a window’s edge that captures sunlight that otherwise may add unwanted levels of heat to a home, and redirects it to different parts of a user’s home with optical cables. This light can be used to provide more natural, soft lighting to darker corners, help indoor plants grow stronger, or simply for decoration—all without any electricity or power whatsoever.

With a 3×3 sq ft of sunlight providing as much light as 100 bulbs, the Light Bandit can capture enough to equal about two to three bulbs at once, and multiple cables can be used at one time to brighten up different parts of the home. Unfortunately, there is nothing installed that can save the sunlight for later. The Light Bandit can be had with a $299 backing, and is expected to ship in November 2015 should Think Tekk, LLC’s campaign reach its $200,000 goal.