It’s happened to all of a us. Enjoying a nice time with friends is usually stunted by the inevitable round of phone checking that happens every ten minutes. If you’re looking to have fun in the moment with your friends without cellular interference, try BLOCK. This bulky candle holder burns down a typical tea light, while also jamming the signal to cellular devices to prevent distraction. It has adjustable jamming ranges and can simply be stepped away from when phone time is necessary. One of these high-tech Dutch candles costs backers €19 for delivery in September 2014. BLOCK hopes to raise €30,000 in a month-long Kickstarter campaign.
Tag: phones
The Premise. The more devices people keep on their person as they go about their day, the more likely it is that they’ll need to recharge at some point. Of course, with everyone facing the same dilemma, finding a public outlet can be increasingly difficult. Portable charging solutions are readily available, but rarely ideal.
The Product. Winner of the Best of Show Award at CES 2014, the iDAPT Modulo is a portable recharging solution that is flexible in terms of compatibility and in how much power it can output. As its name implies, the Modulo can be paired up with other Modulos to offer more charging capacity, and more ports to connect devices too, allowing users to share power and keep more devices powered without the use of outlets. The Modulo is about the size of a current smartphone, so it fits almost any pocket, and works with thousands of different devices.
The Pitch. iDAPT’s promotional video for the Modulo takes us through the device’s functionality on an average day. A woman and her friend are charging a phone and tablet respectively over breakfast when she gets an invite to go to lunch. Hopping on her bike, she stuffs the Modulo in her pocket and uses it to keep her phone alive and keep her connected to the online social world. Modulo’s campaign itself is almost entirely comprised of pictures, but they combine to tell the full tale of the device and what it’s capable of. iDAPT wants to raise $30,000 to get through the initial production of the Modulo. Stretch goals are available starting at $50,000 to enable wireless, solar, dual-cable, and crank-operated models.
The Perks. Backers can get a Modulo for $25, complete with cables, skin, and Smart Attach to keep it stuck to a phone if desired. At the $60 tier, backers can get 3 Modulo with 2 cables, 1 Smart Attach, and 3 skins. Additional cables and adapters are available a la carte as well. All rewards expected to arrive in July.
The Potential. iDAPT already has plenty of experience with the device charging market, and so the Modulo is a natural progression for them. As a standalone, the Modulo’s full smartphone battery charge should get even the most tethered user through the day. By combining chargers, the Modulo could be a great way to enhance off-site collaboration or save a study session even if the stack can get a bit awkward and thick. While most people who need thousands of milliamps will probably go for something with more capacity up front, the idea to charge the packs through other means could be a stronger differentiator than stacking per se.