NEWS – Jonesing for some new gadgets and gizmos, but don’t have time to find the newest tech? Kickstarter campaign Tech2U.club plans to solve that problem for you. Tech2U offers a curated, monthly consumer electronics subscription club. Think Watch Gang for tech nerds.
They promise to bring their members, “new, unique and practical tech” with three membership options:
$70 for one month
$180 for three months ($60/mo)
$300 for six months ($50/mo)
Their focus is on new, fun and practical tech that their members will be able to put into use in their everyday lives. Sounds a little like what us Gadgeteers look for every day! The first month’s box promises to contain practical items like a security camera, phone holder, aux cable as well as a fun 3D drawing pen with a total claimed value of over $159.
The Kickstarter campaign is still in its infancy with only four backers and $921 of a $30,000 goal raised as of this writing. Their main listed risk is getting too few (under 100) members to be able to provide access to the tech they want to provide to members. The funding period is scheduled to end on March 22, 2019 with subscription deliveries starting in April 2019. Does this sound interesting to you? You can learn more about the campaign on Kickstarter.
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NEWS – This week I’m bringing you four Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns and one campaign from Indiegogo. We have pens, drones, “notebooks”, and more. Let’s check them out.
Micro Drone 4.0
What is it?
The Micro Drone is a palm-sized autonomous drone that captures smooth aerial video and is priced under $200.
Why do I like it?
I’ve been on the lookout for an ultraportable drone that has a decent feature set without hurting my wallet. The Micro Drone 4.0 looks pretty sweet at less than $200. It has a 2 axis gimbal which is a must-have if you want smooth footage, and it’s going to have cool features like autonomous flight and 360 orbiting around objects of interest. Another plus is that these guys already have a successful drone campaign under their belts.
Where can I find more info?
The Micro Drone campaign ends on 3/1/19 and they have already met their funding goal of $75,000. You can pre-order an Micro Drone starting at $145. After the Micro Drone campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in June 2019. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.
Spoke Pen
blurb by Andy Jacobs
What is it?
The Spoke Pen is, “a streamlined geometric-deco style in a world of minimal cylindrical machined pens.”
Why do I like it?
This campaign is a collaboration between Brian Conti of Spoke Design and Brian Dowdy of The Pen Addict. You could not have a better combo of pen technical knowledge and the ability to bring campaigns to life. Brian Conti has produced some really cleverly designed, solidly built, and successfully-crowdfunded products in the past, so I am confident in his ability to make this one happen. He has also been progressively updating his original Spoke Pencil design for several years now, with the latest evolution being the Spoke Pen, which he has been working on for some time. The Spoke Pen continues the familiar “spoke” shape and includes an aluminum barrel grip in either aluminum or titanium, a magnetic cap, a spring clip, and anodized colors. It’s also been designed to accommodate the Uni-ball Signo DX cartridge.
Where can I find more info?
The Spoke Pen campaign ends on March 9, 2019. To date, over 600 backers have already pledged over $50,000 toward the $20,000 funding goal. Pledge packages start at $55 for a single aluminum-grip Spoke Pen shipped to the USA and increase from there based on the options selected. Visit the Spoke Pen campaign site for more information or to become a backer.
Re:ease – The Modular Desk Organizer with 11 Features
What is it?
Re:ease is a modular desk organization system that is made of small magnetic modules that include a pen holder, a wireless phone charger, stapler, hole punch, and more.
Why do I like it?
I like Re:ease because I’m a stationary and an organization nerd. Combining both seems like a win win for me because I don’t like a messy and unorganized workspace.
Something to consider before pledging
Rewards aren’t estimated to ship until November which is a very long time to wait.
Where can I find more info?
The Re:ease campaign ends on 3/7/19 and they are still working towards their funding goal of $17,013. You can pre-order a Re:ease starting at $124. After the Re:ease campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
Paper Guardian Zero-waste Refillable Notebook
What is it?
Paper Guardian is a paper holder that lets you recycle regular used paper to create a refillable notebook that never runs out of paper.
Why do I like it?
I like the Paper Guardian because it lets you reuse paper that you would otherwise throw in the trash. I also like that has a built-in straight edge that you can use to resize the paper into an A5 sized notebook which is my favorite size to use because it’s more manageable and can easily fit into bags.
Something to consider before pledging
Rewards aren’t estimated to ship until December which is a very long time to wait.
Where can I find more info?
The Paper Guardian campaign ends on 3/1/19 and they are still working towards their funding goal of $35,000. You can pre-order a Paper Guardian starting at $37. After the Paper Guardian campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
DualFuel – Charge Any Device on the Go
What is it?
DualFuel is a pocket-sized emergency power bank that can charge any of your USB gadgets and it’s a flameless lighter.
Why do I like it?
I like products that can have dual uses and the DualFuel fits that criteria. You can use it to charge your phone or other gadget and if you need to burn something, you can do that too. Because who wants to sit around rubbing two sticks together when they have a flameless lighter in their pocket. Nobody! Even better is the fact that this lighter doesn’t use lighter fluid so there are no consumables to manage. Yay!
Where can I find more info?
The DualFuel campaign ends on 2/28/19 and they are still working towards their funding goal of $9,712. You can pre-order a DualFuel starting at $45. After the DualFuel campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
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NEWS – Have you already embraced totally wireless earbuds yet, or are you still playing the 3.5mm jack or dongle game? There really aren’t many reasons why you should stick with wired earphones now that the prices for Bluetooth earbuds have gotten so affordable. If you have already been shopping around for a pair, here’s another one to consider if your budget is tight. They are the Nano Pods from UNICK and their $24 price tag is very wallet friendly. The Nano Pods feature:
Unbeatable Sound Quality: Built by Graphene technology with the balanced stereo. Unbreakable connection: Bluetooth 5.0 offers a 10m range connectivity. Unrivaled Battery life: 5 hours playtime while the charging case offers a total of 25 hours playtime. Touch Control: Answer calls/Switch songs/Smart assistance.
Sounds good, but what’s the catch? The catch is that the Nano Pods are an Indiegogo project. The campaign ends on 2/22/19 and they have already met their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a pair of the totally wireless earbuds starting at $24. After the Nano Pods campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in May 2019. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.
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NEWS – As a self-confessed nerd, everyone that reads my news stories knows that I am a sucker for gadgets. I am also pretty much “tied” to my smartphone and tablet, and my entire home runs on some sort of technology for most tasks that can be handled by technology. Every day on my commute back and forth to work, I carry my iPhone and iPad in my backpack and during the commute, I am on one or the other. While the apple environment does integrate devices and allows you to answer a phone call on the iPad, I wonder if there is a newer technology device that marries both devices into one much like a device I once saw called a Phablet.
The Cosmo Communicator is touted as the complete mobile communication tool that provides a pocket computer, mobile phone, and camera all in one compact device. It features a keyboard, a world-wide dual-SIM mobile phone and can be used for emails, messaging, editing documents, making calls and taking photos. Its specifications include a dual-display: an external 2″ touchscreen when the device is closed and large 6″ touchscreen when the device is open, a high-resolution 24MP camera, 6GB of ram and 128G of flash storage, along with NFC for payments, a fingerprint sensor and a smart toggle button for security and control.
The crowdfunding for the Cosmo Communicator ended on December 6th, 2018, and managed to raise 453% of the intended fundraising goal. You can read more about this device on their Indiegogo page. It should start shipping in June of this year(2019) and should retail for around $570.
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NEWS – This week I’m bringing you four Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns and one from Indiegogo. Four of the products are EDC items and one is a fitness product. Let’s check them out.
IMStick – your phone’s best friend accessory!
What is it?
IMStick is a magnetic mounting device for your smartphone.
Why do I like it?
I think the IMStick is interesting concept for a device mount because it uses magnets and bendy arms that you can bend/mold to make the mount do whatever you want. I also like that you can remove it when you don’t need to use it since it attaches to the back of the phone with a magnet.
Where can I find more info?
The IMStick campaign ends on 3/2/19 and they have already met their funding goal of $6,535. You can pre-order an IMStick starting at $21. After the IMStick campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in April 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
TAIHE Gemini portable monitor
What is it?
The Gemini is a 15.6″ FHD touchscreen or 4K UHD battery powered display.
Why do I like it?
The Gemini reminds me of a Surface tablet because it has a similarly designed kickstand. But the Gemini isn’t a tablet, it’s really an ultra-portable monitor that connects to your devices using USB-C, mini HDMI, mini DP, etc and one version features a touchscreen which would make it a pretty cool add-on for playing games on your phone or Nintendo Switch.
Where can I find more info?
The Gemini campaign ends on 2/18/19 and they have already surpassed their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a Gemini starting at $219. After the Gemini campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in May 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
The Straprack Home Fitness Gym
What is it?
The Straprack is a door frame mounted multi-function home gym that can fold out of the way or removed easily when it’s not being used.
Why do I like it?
Unlike other door frame mounted fitness equipment that I’ve seen before, The Straprack offers more than just a way to do pull ups. You can also use this affordable home gym to do leg raises, dips, and TRX style strap workouts.
Where can I find more info?
The Straprack campaign ends on 2/10/19 and they have already met their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order a Straprack starting at $125. After the Straprack campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
Evo-The Smallest Global Travel Adapter
blurb by Andy Jacobs
What is it?
The Evo is a travel adapter for electronic devices that can be used in multiple countries despite its extremely small and compact size.
Why do I like it?
I travel outside the USA for work a few times per year, and when I do, I like to travel as light as possible (I’m a One Bag Travel guy with my GORUCK GR2 backpack). I own a couple of travel adapters that work fine, but they are a bit bulky. The Evo is downright tiny by comparison. It’s only 0.8×1.2×2.7 inches and 1.76 ounces in weight. That’s pretty small. It can be used in the USA, UK, EU and Australia (and probably other places in the world as well, depending on their electrical prong setup—over 150 countries in all). If that’s not enough, in addition to its main charging outlet, it also has two standard USB ports, all three of which can be used simultaneously. And those are just the highlights.
Where can I find more info?
The Evo campaign ends on February 27, 2019. To date, 2754 backers have pledged over $92,000, already zapping (pun very much intended) the campaign goal of $1,000. Pledge packages start at $22 for a single Evo shipped to the USA and increase from there based on the options selected. Visit the Evo campaign site for more information or to become a backer.
High Five® – The Most Compact 5in1 Charging Cable
What is it?
The High Five is a 5-in-1 USB charging cable that you can easily carry on your keychain.
Why do I like it?
I like the High Five because it’s one very portable cable that can be used with devices that use USB-C, micro USB, and lightning connectors without being bulky.
Where can I find more info?
The High Five campaign ends on 2/17/19 and they have already met their funding goal of $17,079. You can pre-order a High Five starting at $16. After the High Five campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in May 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
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