For those who like to accessorize when on the go, items such as jewelry, cufflinks, earbuds or USB cords can easily get misplaced right in a person’s luggage. And when that happens, it seems the only way to find those types of items is to dump everything out, only to find that they’ve somehow worked their way to the very bottom! PentaBox is a great soft, elastic silicone, storage solution for keepingthese items safe from becoming lost in luggage space – or in the case of some women, a large purse. Early bird backers can get theirs for $13, with an expected delivery of July 2014.
Tag: storage
As winter finally releases the country from its icy grip, the season of beach weather is fast approaching. While a day in the sun, sand, and surf is always relaxing, keeping an eye on wallets, phones, and other property is a constant stress. The Beach Vault is a simple capsule that is easy to bury in the sand and cover up with a towel to keep personal belongings safe and out of sight. With a rubber O-ring, the Beach Vault is waterproof in case of rising tides, and the drill design makes it just as easy to remove. The Beach Vault, inflatable cushion, and special beach towel designed for easy access can all be had for $30, arriving just in time in June.
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Perhaps every home owner’s main complaint about their home after living in it a few years is not enough space. Of course, that could easily apply to a dorm room, apartment or even a teenager’s bedroom. The very clever Smart Furniture offers a unique solution to creating more space in small environments. The bookcase holds colorful chairs and a table that seamlessly slide in for storage and out when ready to use. Cushions are also available for setting up the storage area as more comfortable benches. The chairs, however, are pretty spartan and probably wouldn’t be comfortable for extended periods. For $55, a backer gets the complete product, but you will have to assemble it yourself. Expected delivery is May 2014.
Even with solid state drives and cloud-based services storing files without taking up space, organizing and preserving old hard drives can be precarious and awkward. The translucent tome-like Datainer line of products is designed to give these drives a safe, neatly organized home for a company’s or professional’s long-term storage and access. Using a modular design, Datainer organizes both 3.5” and 2.5” drives, as well as SD cards, flash drives, and other handheld storage. While supports can make a mix-and-match Datainer system, a $20 pledge is enough for two DataMates (3.5” HDD), a Twin25 Module (2 2.5” HDD), a DataBase Anti-Slip Mat, and a FlashBox Module that can store 35 flash cards, all to be shipped in June 2014.
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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.
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Ode to StaX: I think that I shall never see, a storage thingy diverse as thee. Well, maybe that was a bit over-the-top, but StaX is truly capable of providing a home for all your small clutter. The multi-optional-colored cylinders are made of aircraft grade aluminum, so you can choose to use them in the garage to store hardware, living room as drink coaster and nut holder, kitchen, bathroom, kids’ rooms, or wherever. It might be interesting to see how the dog would respond to it…or might make an interesting wind chime. StaX seems unique in diversity and adjustability. Plus it looks really cool. For $49, backers get a five piece set with an expected delivery of June 2014.
While businesses and complex, professional, high-traffic websites have to pay hosting companies to keep their services running, the average consumer doesn’t have to. Those with less demanding needs in terms of hosting or cloud storage can turn to the NanoHive, a small personal server about the size of a mobile phone that only needs an electrical outlet and an Ethernet cable. It is functionally similar to products such as the PogoPlug or Drobo Sync. With a quad-core processor and 8GB of onboard storage which can be supplemented using two USB ports, users will have fast, simple access to their files across all devices. For $75, supporters can connect to their NanoHive in August 2014.
The Premise. Family outings into the great wilderness always require a few items. Food, drinks, towels for the beach, camping gear for the woods and chairs are all essential for a trip into the great outdoors. All of this gear can be tedious for the lazy everyday average Joe to carry back and forth from the car.
The Product. The Gypsy Mule Wagon consists of one or two folding chairs that transform into a heavy-duty wagon. The chairs that recline and have adjustable heights look like something perfect for the beach. The striped fabric comes in different colors as does the metal frame. The wheels and handle attachments must be assembled to the chair in order to transform it into a wagon. Additional accessories include backpack straps to carry the chairs with and cargo netting to make transferring items easier.
The Pitch. The Gypsy Mule Wagon’s Kickstarter campaign begins with a rambling video of company president Robert Tyson putting the wagon together and showing how it’s just as easy as 1-2-3… 4-5-6-7-8 and all the way to 20 because that’s how many steps it takes to put the thing together. The campaign also shows how the Gypsy Mule Wagon is made, what it is made out of and the difference between the Single- and Dual-Chair wagons. Rob and the folks at Gypsy Ventures Inc. hope to raise $130,000 in order to shlep their wagons into the production process. More instructions for assembly, different fabric choices and other information can be found at the company’s Web site.
The Perks. You’ll have to pay a significant duty to have your beach chairs do double-duty. Contributions of $325 or more earn a Single-Chair Gypsy Mule Wagon with limited choices of color and fabric choices. Backers willing to fork over $650 or more get a Dual-Chair Gypsy Mule Wagon. Higher donations earn more freedom with design and fabric choices for the wagons. Estimated availability is currently set at August 2014, giving the creators plenty of time to deliver after the campaign ends in March.
The Potential. Any product that means having to lug things around less is always welcome on the market. People love the idea of saving time and making their lives easier. In that sense, Gypsy Mule Wagons are on the right track. The beach may be difficult for the wagon’s wheels to plod through, but the Gypsy Mule Wagons are perfect for camping trips or picnics at the park. The clunky detachable wheels and other accessories make the wagons not as portable and compact as promised, however. A host of beach carts can help carry gear even when you’re sitting in other chairs. And while it holds only a fraction of the Gypsy Mule Wagon, the Beach Chair Portable Folding Cart presents an alternative featuring wheels that don’t detach, which might make assembly and storage easier. All in all, the Gypsy Mule Wagons are a convenient, albeit expensive, option for the lazy and burdened lover of the outdoors.
There is a veritable ocean of Bluetooth speakers out there, but how many can be used in the ocean? If the creator of Drytunes has its way, you’ll be able to pack up your troubles, or at least a few of your valuables, in music-spewing suitcase enclosure and toss it straight into the water without worry about damage. Project creator Michael Applebaum uses his radio-friendly voice to tell the story for the submersible speaker system. This includes having people express surprise at how good it sounds, although such demonstrations are of course hard to appreciate through whatever speakers you may be using. Drytunes is being made offered to backers for $315, or $299 if you catch the early bird and should be available in March 2014.
The Premise. The “build it yourself” stacker modification concept has been around for quite a while, and it’s certainly no stranger to the crowdfunding landscape. Still, products like these absolutely serve a purpose, especially for those who have little space to work with in their homes.
The Product. ModRoomz basically works on the same principles as Legos and the pieces don’t look too dissimilar from the classic toy either. The difference here, however, is that these building blocks can be used to create practically any type of modular furniture, ranging from coffee tables to bunk beds. The cubes can be modified to create extra storage, allowing you to build drawers and cubbies to store away for your belongings, and the company offers add-ons such as shelves, drawers and cover doors. Curiously, the exact dimensions of the ModCubes is nowhere to be found.
The Pitch. Judging by the campaign video for its “magic in a cube,” ModRoomz appears to be exceptionally easy to use. Moving the cubes around and create your own custom type of furniture looks fun, and the narration-free video itself has a nice production value to it. ModRoomz doesn’t seem to be too concerned about not meeting its lofty $200,000 funding goal as the company already has a fairly complete Web site of its own to market its system.
The Perks. One challenge that the campaign may face is its rewards pricing. Early bird pricing packages offer five or 1o cubes at $50 per piece. After that, you’re in for a $2,500 configuration that takes the form of a crib or bed ModRoomz entrepreneurs Brad and Dani will hand-assemble the furniture, but you must live within 100 miles of their Boston location.
The Potential. Those who lack space and like the idea of adding their own touch to the furniture in their homes will likely enjoy this product. There are similar systems on the market such as the shelving systems from Foremost, Way Basics and The Living Cube; some of these offer more choices in the sizes of their components. Still, the snap-on construction and quality materials stand to be a differentiator and the price will surely drop once production ramps up.