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Automotive

Gleamfire saves water for washing cars, may save California from dusty rides

Washing your car is a great way to keep it clean and preserve its paint job. Frequent trips to the car wash can be costly, though. And washing it yourself uses a lot of water.

patent-claimedGleamfire hopes to save water while also delivering a super clean car. This product goes beyond the bucket, as its campaign says, and uses only one and half gallons of water to get the job done. The clear cylinder holds the water and no-rinse car wash soap. To use, insert the washing mitt into the cylinder and pump up and down to rinse it. The pump contains a filter so it keeps the mitt in clean water eliminating the need for additional fresh water. The special soap doesn’t require an additional rinse, so washing the car with the mitt is enough to get it sparkling clean.

Gleamfire offers a great way to save water, especially important right now in California with its epic ongoing drought. It uses simple innovation to cut down on the water usage and cost associated with washing one’s car. Those who would like one will need to donate $97 for delivery in April 2016. Gleamfire is looking to raise $129,000 on Indiegogo.

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Home

Soap Saver Jar uses soap slivers to make a new bar

When a bar of soap gets down to one of those little slivers, it can seem like money is being thrown in the trash when it gets pitched.

In an effort to save the environment and even throw in extra motivation by offering the opportunity to save a bit of cash, the Soap Saver Jar was invented. Nothing complicated here in that the user just continues to put soap slivers in the jar and the compression from the screw-on top makes them all into a brand new bar. No electricity or special tools needed, just a desire to pinch those pennies until they scream and a distain for landfills.

It’s not clear how many slivers are actually required to make a new bar. Backers wondering how they can slow down the melting of their newly compounded soap slivers might want to check out the Soapseat campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $13,800 by mid January. For $7, backers get one Soap Saver Jar with an expected delivery of April 2015.

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Kids/Babies

WetHeads spew water to amuse kids into washing hands

It’s almost like a daily wrestling match: in one corner, there’s mom or dad and in the other is little Johnny or Suzy. The bell is the sound of mom or dad’s voice saying, “Go wash your hands.” And it’s all downhill from there. The one hope in all of this is that maybe a secret weapon such as WetHeads can help pin kids to the “mat” of the bathroom sink. Thankfully, this battle will not be complicated with any special tools for installation. WetHeads pretty much just screws onto the faucet, though it’s not clear whether or not it’s compatible with the majority of bathroom sinks out there. WetHeads also controls soap usage since there isn’t a dispenser to press down on, kids just rub the bubble mechanism instead.

The idea seems to have potential for persuading kids to wash their hands for maybe a few weeks or so, but kids tend to get bored with new things pretty quickly, so it may not be lasting.  This campaign is looking to raise $33,000 CAD (~$29,000 USD) by mid January 2015. For $20 CAD (~$18 USD), backers get WetHeads with an expected delivery of February 2015.

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Health and Wellness Travel

Sphynx razor packs along water and moisturizer to escape hairy situations

Traveling means making lots of little sacrifices in what to bring. Perhaps a smaller toothbrush or leaving behind that expensive moisturizer is necessary for extra bag room. Either way, it can be hard to stay fresh while out on the road.

For those who need to shave constantly to remain looking professional, try Sphynx, yes named after the hairless cat. This is an all-in-one shaving product for travelers on the go. Sphynx features a water sprayer, razor and soap so that not even a sink is necessary for shaving. This round product is small enough to fit into any purse, briefcase, or even pocket. It is round and, when opened, requires rotation to enjoy each feature. First spray, then rotate and lather, then rotate and shave.

The soap used is non-stick so that it comes off cleanly after the shave, a definite bonus. However, it’s unclear if the razor can be changed or not. If not, once the razor becomes dull the whole thing has to be thrown out, not good. Sphynx is really only marketed to women, but could definitely benefit men as well. For those looking to stay clean-shaven, one can be had for $16 by March 2015. Sphynx is hoping to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter.

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Home

Soapseat provides a goop escape route for your wet soap

Most soap dishes allow your bar soap to sit in its own gooeyness resulting in mold or, at the very least, a soggy soap puck. SOAPSEAT promises to CHANGE that. It’s essentially a soap dish with raised ridges in the middle that spill into the sink. One side curves downwards while the other side grips the edge of the sink. In this way, the water can flow down so that your soap stays fresh. This product comes in three different finishes, all dishwasher safe. One of these vamped up soap cradles will cost backers $25 for estimated delivery in February 2015. SOAPSEAT has a Kickstarter campaign goal of $10,000.

If fresh soap really means a lot to you, then this is a useful product. Most probably don’t care, or opt for those soap dishes with holes in the bottom so the liquid collects in a bottom tray that’s cleaned out. SOAPSEAT is lower maintenance, but still a high price for such a simple product.

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Smart Home

Soap cleans your home of extra devices with an Android tablet home hub

The Premise. A smart home control hub is great for giving access to all the connected devices in a house or apartment, but why shouldn’t the hub be able to do more than just give access? Why can’t it give control to devices, usage, security, or any other important aspect of a home network?

The Product. Soap is a powerful Android tablet that also doubles as a smart home hub and a full wireless router. Designed to over complete control over all connected devices in the home and the people who use them, Soap is built with functionality, security, and complete control in mind.

The Pitch. Soap’s campaign video is a bit of an understatement when it comes to the kind of flexible power the device actually offers. The video shows the device mostly as a control for connected amenities and accessories, but downplays Soap’s qualities as a fully-featured Android tablet or its ability to work with other Soap devices, something that really sets this device apart from others. Soap is raising $42,500 to complete testing and begin production. The campaign is also implementing an incentive scheme that allows backers to accrue credits toward a free product by sharing links with a personal code.

The Perks. The basic Soap Solo is available to backers who pledge $240. For $5 more, the device will be delivered two months earlier. (December 2014 compared to February 2015) At $250, a beta Soap Solo will be sent out in October. The Soap Dual, with a dual core processor is available at $280 (beta at $350), the quad-core Soap Quad starts at $360, and the Soap 8.4 with a larger 8.4 inch display and a quad-core processor starts at $500, with the beta version at $550. Higher tiers include multiple devices for setting up a whole home or more, with the highest tier coming with a boggling 100 Soap units.

The Potential. Soap seems like a great way to really integrate the wireless router, smart home hub, and control center into one neat, portable package. What keeps Soap from being redundant in both the tablet and smart hub markets is that it fully functions as both, simultaneously even. The processing power and ability for Soap units to create a more powerful mesh network when used in tandem allow for something that works as a great in-home tablet for watching movies, listening to music, or being productive providing you don’t move it from its fixed location. However, it just as easily lets you move that content around across other devices while simultaneously allowing users to turn off lights, change the thermostat, or notify kids to get ready for bed without interrupting usage. Soap may just be blending two great technological tastes into one concoction, but it’s doing so with the necessary horsepower to not cut any corners.