Categories
Luggage and Bags

TUL briefcase builds in a scale to save on airline baggage expenses

TULIn spite of full body scans, baggage and over-the-limit fees, obnoxious ticket prices and generally treating most passengers like they are prisoners, there are still people out there willing to fly what is quickly becoming not-so-friendly skies. For those who seem to be able to put this outrageous affront to customer service aside, TUL offers a way to save a few pennies via luggage with a built-in scale. Just close the lid, flip on the switch and the sensors and digital display do the rest. There isn’t even any lifting involved. This seems like a great idea, but Americans take note: it appears that only kilos are calculated. For $229 AUD backers get one suitcase and an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Travel

SeatSnoozer holds heads still to help nodding off in planes

SeatSnoozerMost people will admit that trying to sleep on a plane is nearly impossible. The creators of SeatSnoozer were no exception. So after a particularly bad flight and during the course of several beers at the bar, they began working on a solution. It says something that this is actually one of the less ridiculous looking plane sleep aids we’ve seen. Plus, it can be used with headphones. Plane engines (and sometimes the cabin) are noisy. So listening to music can be relaxing, help a person to fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer. At an early bird special of $23 plus a bit if your dignity, it will likely be a worthwhile investment for those who travel frequently. Expected delivery is October 2014.

Categories
Nutrition/Hydration Travel

Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that brewing mug in your hand?

The Premise. Coffee can, unfortunately, make or break a meeting, lecture or work event. Without it, it’s hard to focus and getting anything done becomes extremely difficult. While most schools and offices recognize this by providing cafes and coffee carts in house, that cup of java is not always right at hand.

The Product. The Hey Joe Coffee Mug is a convenient way to get that caffeine dosage for hardcore coffee addicts. It looks like any normal travel mug and is tall and black. The mug comes with small cartridges of coffee and with the push of a button will brew a cup of coffee. It is designed so that drinkers are welcome to use their own coffee as well. The temperature can be regulated with the push of the power button and the coffee brewing is powered from a rechargeable battery on the bottom of the mug. Cleaning is easy since the coffee is relatively contained. One simply needs to fill the mug with water and soap and then press brew sans coffee cartridge.

The Pitch. The campaign video really stresses the environmental friendliness of the product. It goes through statistics for how many disposable coffee materials people consume and how the Hey Joe Coffee Mug cuts down on that waste. In addition, the coffee cartridge package comes with seeds so that when the coffee grounds are used, one can plant them to grow into flowers. Hey Joe is looking to raise $20,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. Early birdies will receive the travel mug for $39. For $49, backers will receive the mug in black. At the $69 level, backers have the choice of color for their mug and also get 40 coffee cartridges so that they can start brewing. Reward tiers go all the way up to $10,000 with estimated delivery in November 2014. 

The Potential. Coffee convenience has become a thing of concern in recent years. The ever-popular Keurig machine has made it possible to brew one cup at a time easily. This type of machine, however, leaves behind little plastic cups of waste. Other products, like the highly touted AeroPress still requires a source for hot water. The Hey Joe Coffee Mug is the first of its kind that can brew on the go and regulate temperature. This product will certainly be a staple for all caffeine addicts with hectic schedules.

Categories
Relaxation Sleep Travel

JQ Headrest lets you bury your face in slumber, perhaps shame

JQ HeadrestThe problem of rest while in transit is a doozy. For those who have trouble falling asleep on the move, traveling can be extremely uncomfortable. The JQ Headrest aims at helping weary passengers get some rest. It comprises of an adjustable pole that rests on the forehead and chest to let passengers sleep leaning forward. Despite its awkward look, it claims to be effective, much like the Forward Front Face Pillow Cushion. If backers think they can get it past security, they only have to pay $36 (if they live in China and have a lung disease) for delivery in August 2014. Healthy, non-Chinese backers must donate $99. JQ hopes to raise a huge $386,000 goal in a 27-day Kickstarter campaign.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries

JuiceBoxx is made to save MacBook chargers from themselves

juiceboxxMacBook owners have either heard or been victims of the horror stories that befall the fragile yet necessary chargers. With their two prongs for winding the cable for storage, it seems like the perfect design, yet time after time the cable becomes frayed. The team at JuiceBoxx have come up with a snap-on case for the MacBook charger that fits snugly around it and provides enough extra width to keep the charger cable from breaking its insulation and fraying. While the solution is very low-tech, it does aim to solve a problem that can be several times more expensive to replace. MacBook owners living in fear of damaging their chargers can have a JuiceBoxx in one of four colors for $20 by November 2014.

Categories
Tech Accessories

DigiShade attaches with magnets, makes MacBook the real slim shady

DigiShadeIt’s warm outside, not a cloud in the sky, and an occasional light breeze makes its way through the trees. It’s too gorgeous of a day to be stuck inside, but there’s work to be done. Time to break out your laptop and DigiShade Laptop Sun Shade. The 6061 aircraft aluminum shade keeps the glare off your screen, and the magnetic mount allows it to easily attach to any MacBook Pro or MacBook Air; alas, users of other laptops are out of luck. And shade. When you’re ready to go, it folds flat enough to fit in your laptop sleeve for easy transport. For $65, a backer gets one DigiShade with an expected delivery of June 2014.

Categories
Travel

Forward Front Face Pillow Cushion lets you faceplant in comfort while traveling

Picture 1Leaning your head back on planes or in cars is apparently out of style. Flopping your slumbering head forward is now all the easier with the redundantly named Forward Front Face Pillow Cushion. Designed to hang from the seat in front of you or sit on a tray table, the pillow comes equipped with security straps, air holes and a fan so you can stay cool while avoiding smothering yourself. The cushion goes for $86, which is a lot compared to the similar Skyrest Travel Pillow at only $30, but it seems quite a bit more portable and versatile. The nap accessory hopes to raise $30,000 in its 33-day Kickstarter campaign.

Categories
Kids/Babies

Quix baby bottle makes parents twist, quiets baby’s shout

The Premise. Powdered baby formula and being mobile just don’t go together very well. Of course, there’s always the premade canned stuff that’s far more expensive. Leave it to prolific parents to come up with a much more workable solution for busy parents and baby caregivers.

The Product. The Quix baby bottle claims to reduce stress and mess by offering a baby bottle that keeps powder and water separate until the demand to blend arises. The two components are stored in one convenient baby bottle container, but are separated by a closed valve. Before rushing out the door with baby, powder goes in the bottom portion, water in the top portion, and ring, nipple and plastic cover seal the top. Then when you’re on location and baby decides that it’s time to eat, mom, dad, or perhaps a helpful sibling opens the valve, shakes, and baby gets the easily digestible version of bone apatite. Aaah, hear that? Peace and quiet for all involved.

The Pitch. The cost of a music license is likely all that kept the old 1961 Twist and Shout song written by Bill Medley and Bert Berns  out of the campaign vid/eo. Maybe some major company will pick up on that if this product makes it out of the crowdfunding stage. Anyway, thiere is nothing quixotic about the Quix. In fact, it’s so user friendly that, uh, yes, a child could do it. So, a great deal of detail really wasn’t needed to explain this product to viewers.

The Perks. There are 11 tiers from which backers may choose. For $25, backers get one Quix baby bottle and a guarantee of radically reduced crying…until it’s time to change the diaper anyway. Expected delivery for Quix is October 2014.

The Potential. As new parents are tirelessly reminded, breastfeeding is best, but there’s still a huge market for baby formula. The Quix seems to uniquely solve a problem common to many parents of babies, a group that’s always looking for a little extra help wherever they can find it.

Categories
Luggage and Bags

PBX promises to protect your luggage

PBX  20140220082703-012[1]Aaargh! Nothing like the deep annoyance of lost or damaged luggage by those airport goons! In what seems to be a too-good-to-be-true scenario, PBX boasts of being an easier-to-use-system for luggage handlers, thereby simplifying things for both handlers and travelers. As long as you register your luggage with the PBX system before boarding, you’ll be able to access a direct connection to carriers via your mobile at the last airport where your luggage was scanned. And if your luggage doesn’t show up at your final destination, you can start the tracking process through your mobile. For $25 and a bit of good fortune that theindustry adopts the scheme, backers get two luggage tags with an estimated delivery of June 2014.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Bevie Pro is what holds the holder for liquid colder

Bevie Pro  1da31537b7fa50dbcb8abbc1fd7e587b_large[1]For those of you who didn’t have the foresight to buy a patriotic (or at least Texan) lawn chair with a built in drink holder, Bevie Pro offers you the opportunity to redeem yourself. The drink holder product is compatible with soft drink and beer cans, bottles, most coffee mugs, and offers attachments for stemware, seamless glasses, lawn chairs without arms, and even lawn peg attachments. Its biggest competition might be the Universal Drink Holder, unless backers take a liking to Morella’s multitasking-drink-holding umbrella. But for those who prefer the Bevie Pro concept, backers get a complete product for $35 with an expected delivery of June 2014