Do you have some extra cash burning a hole in your pocket? Then consider funding one of this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns. Click through to see this week’s list of projects.

The Paq Carry On Travel Bag

What is it?
The Paq Carry On Travel Bag is a bag that can be worn like a backpack or as a shoulder bag.

Why do I like it?
I like the Paq Carry On Travel Bag because it’s a versatile travel bag that can convert from backpack to a duffel bag that you can wear over your shoulder. Their cool rotating strap buckle design makes the conversion easy and fast.

This is a LARGE bag that can carry all your gear for a weekend or longer. Although it’s large, it will fit in most airline overhead bins.

They sent me a prototype to check out and I was very impressed by the materials, workmanship and all the extra little features that seasoned travelers will appreciate.

Where can I find more info?
With 18 days left in the campaign, the Paq Carry On Travel Bag campaign is still working towards their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order a Paq Carry On Travel Bag starting at $178. After the Paq Carry On Travel Bag campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

Yaket Ice – High Performance Ice Packs

What is it?
An upgrade to the classic, scalloped ice pack drink holder for your cooler. Optimized to cool your drinks faster and keep them cool longer.

Why do I like it?
As a product development engineer myself, I really appreciate the idea of taking a product that has been in use for years, or even decades, and thoughtfully re-engineering it to make it even better, thus moving the state of the art of that type of product forward. In many cases, the changes to a product might be subtle, but still very effective, and I think that might just be the case with the Yaket Ice ice pack. Compared to a typical ice pack of this type, the Yacket Ice is larger, heavier, and colder and includes a silicone band to hold your drinks tightly against it. Again, these may appear to be minor improvements, but I think could add up to a more effective ice pack. Also, the Yacket Ice campaign was created by brothers Brian and Dan Conti. Although this is their first campaign together, I’ve backed several Kickstarter projects run by Brian Conti, and I have been very happy with the results, so I have trust in the Conti Brothers to run a good campaign and deliver a great product.

Where can I find more info?
The Kickstarter campaign is in full swing and will end August 31, so there is still time to become a backer. It’s worth noting that the campaign has already met its minimum funding goal of $2,500 with over $6,300 in pledges and 148 backers as of this writing. Pledge package pricing starts at $29 for the Early Bird package and combo packages are available. Estimated delivery is September 2017 for early backer pledges. Visit the Yacket Ice Kickstarter campaign page for more details.

Waylens Secure360 with 4G – Automotive Security Camera

What is it?
The Waylens Secure360 is a 360-degree dash camera that keeps an eye on everything inside and around your car and alerts you via 4G if there’s an issue.

Why do I like it?
I like the Waylens Secure360 because it’s an interesting evolution of the dash cam. It doesn’t just capture what goes on in front of your vehicle, it records everything inside and around the car and will let you live stream when you’re not nearby with the built-in 4G-LTE connection.

Where can I find more info?
With 25 days left in the campaign, the Waylens Secure360 campaign has already driven past their funding goal of $60,000. You can pre-order the 4G LTE version of the Waylens Secure360 dash cam starting at $249. After the Waylens Secure360 campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in March 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

PolarSeal Heated Tops

What is it?
PolarSeal tops are lightweight knit shirts that warm up with the touch of a button.

Why do I like it?
I wear a light weight sweater all year round both at home and my day job because I’m pretty cold natured. I feel like my internal thermostat has been broken since my whole cancer adventure. The slightest breeze can make me break out in goosebumps. So a long sleeve shirt that can instantly ward off chills sounds like something I would buy.

The shirts feature three heating levels and two heating zones. One zone is on the upper back and the other one is on the lower back. The rechargeable battery pack will allow for up to 8 hours of warming.

Where can I find more info?
With 21 days left in the campaign, the PolarSeal Tops campaign has already burned past their funding goal of $49,868. You can pre-order a PolarSeal top starting at $139. After the PolarSeal tops campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Crowdfunded

Paq convertible travel bag, Waylens 360 degree dashcam, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 2017 at 11:46 am.

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It must be a slow week for cool crowdfunding projects because I’ve only found 4 Kicstarter and Indiegogo projects to tell you about. Click through to see this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

Lauco – NanoSuction car mount for phones & cases

What is it?
Lauco is a simple car or desk mount for your smartphone that uses nano-suction technology instead of suction cups and magnets.

Why do I like it?
I like the Lauco mount because you don’t have to bother with metal plates that go between the phone and a case like you do when you use magnetic mounts. That also means that you don’t even need a case on your phone to use this mount.

This particular mount is effective even in high temps which can happen in a hot car, and it allows for 720-degree rotation so that you can always adjust the phone for the most comfortable viewing angle.

They sent me a prototype to check out and I was happy with the fit and finish of this particular car mount.

Where can I find more info?
With 30 days left in the campaign, Lauco is just getting started working towards their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a Lauco mount starting at $19. After the Lauco campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

The Color Notebook

What is it?
The Color Notebook is a reusable notebook that can be archived using a smartphone app, wiped clean, and reused over and over again.

Why do I like it?
You can draw or write on the Color Notebook using dry erase pens, colored pencils, and even crayons.

At the bottom of each page is a line of icons that can be used to archive the drawings/writings to different cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and more. The beauty comes when you want to reuse the notebook because the pages wipe clean in a sec.

Where can I find more info?
With 31 days left in the campaign, the Color Notebook has already raced passed their funding goal of $21,500. You can pre-order a Color Notebook starting at $20. After the Color Notebook campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

SparkMaker – The Most Affordable Desktop SLA 3D Printer

What is it?
SparkMaker is an affordable SLA 3D printer that prints in high-resolution.

Why do I like it?
I like the SparkMaker 3D printer because unlike other 3D printers, this one is small enough to fit on almost any desk. It also uses a liquid resin instead of filament to create the models which hang from the print bed like a bat It also does not need to be connected to a network. You just copy the model files to an SD card and insert that card into the printer.

Where can I find more info?
With 32 days left in the campaign, the Color Notebook has already passed their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a Color Notebook starting at $145. After the Color Notebook campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Musvalk. A fierce, yet small and elegant cutting tool.

What is it?
Musvalk is a little knife that is made of ceramics, titanium, and carbon fiber.

Why do I like it?
I like the Musvalk knife because it’s small and has a unique shape that allows it to fit in your pocket or wear it around your neck. The blade is made of zirconium dioxide ceramic (Zirconia) and is almost as hard as a diamond.

Where can I find more info?
With 31 days left in the campaign, the Musvalkv has already passed their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order a Musvalk knife starting at $38. After the Musvalk campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Crowdfunded

Lauco car mount, SparkMaker 3D printer, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 8, 2017 at 12:07 pm.

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Happy Wednesday! Here’s a new batch of five Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns that I think are interesting and/or worthy of your pledges. Click through to see this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

Sandman Doppler: The World’s Best Alarm Clock

What is it?
Sandman Doppler is an alarm clock that’s Alexa enabled, has 6 USB charging ports, can play music, and more.

Why do I like it?
The Sandman Doppler a smart alarm clock which by itself doesn’t sound that exciting, but I like that it has a bunch of USB ports on the back so you can keep your everyday gadgets charged. But the best thing are the programmable physical buttons on top of the clock that you can use to interact with your other gear. You can program a button to turn off all your Philips HUE lights, turn your Nest thermostat up or down, and more.

Where can I find more info?
With 14 days left in the campaign, Sandman Doppler has already passed their funding goal of $25,458. You can pre-order a Sandman Doppler clock starting at $119. After the Sandman Doppler campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Tülry: The World’s First Glamour Utility Necklace

What is it?
Tülry is a wearable EDC tool kit designed for women that has 16 built-in tools.

Why do I like it?
I can’t imagine actually wearing a Tülry necklace because I never wear necklaces, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the design. The necklace can expand to add more tools like different types of screwdrivers, a bottle opener, and hex keys. It’s both goofy, useful, and geeky.

Where can I find more info?
With 9 days left in the campaign, Tülry has already passed their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a Tülry necklace starting at $69. After the Tülry campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

SHIFT: The Ultimate Pack for Photography, Travel and Tech

What is it?
The SHIFT Pack is a modular backpack that’s perfect for photographers but one that can be used by anyone that likes to keep their gear organized and easily transportable.

Why do I like it?
I’ve been a messenger bag carrier for years, but have just recently started thinking about switching to a backpack and I’ve been keeping an eye out for interesting bags that have more features than the standard run of the mill backpack. The SHIFT Pack can sit flat without falling over, has a ton of storage pockets, can easily attach to rolling luggage, and it has a zippered padded compartment in the bottom that can be used to hold a camera, shoes, or other larger items that you want to keep separate from the rest of gear.

Where can I find more info?
With 15 days left in the campaign, SHIFT Pack has already passed their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a SHIFT Pack starting at $179. After the SHIFT Pack campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in February 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Rollbe – Super Compact Measuring Tool

What is it?
Rollbe is a 4 or 8 inch (10 or 20 cm) stainless steel ruler that you can carry in your pocket.

Why do I like it?
I like the Rollbe measuring tool because it can be used to measure straight lines and curves. It’s cool little pocket ruler that you can take with you when you’re shopping for quick measurements.

Where can I find more info?
With 28 days left in the campaign, Rollbe has already passed their funding goal of $6,361. You can pre-order a Rollbe starting at $16. After the Rollbe campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Vizy – World’s Safest Car Mount. Period.

What is it?
Vizy is a smartphone holder for your car that attaches to the window visor.

Why do I like it?
I like the Vizy holder because it doesn’t use a suction cup, adhesives, vent slats, etc. It looks easy to install and relocate as needed. I also like that your phone will be more in line with your eyes than if it was down in the console area.

Where can I find more info?
With 39 days left in the campaign, Vizy is still working their funding goal of $9,448. You can pre-order a Vizy starting at $14. After the Vizy campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Crowdfunded

Rollbe EDC ruler, Vizy smartphone car mount, the best alarm clock, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2017 at 11:09 am.

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This week we bring you five Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns for a variety of products. Click through to see this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

The Best Premium Toiletry Bag For Traveling

blurb by Andy Jacobs

What is it?
A premium quality, durable, & versatile toiletry bag that lets you organize & pack your toiletries. It’s sleek, sturdy, and adaptable.

Why do I like it?
Many of us here at The Gadgeteer, myself included, are travelers of varying degrees. Two of the habits that typically help make my travels go more smoothly are organization and packing light. Gravel founders Lance Williams and Chris Livingston seem to agree, because this Premium Toiletry Pack they designed might just help with both. The pack has a ton of pockets in differed configurations specifically designed to separate and store various type of travel items, a full-opening zipper clamshell design, a hideaway hang strap, and multiple premium materials including a Tarpaulin PVC exterior for water resistance. And to top it all off, a Lifetime Warranty.

Where can I find more info?
The Kickstarter campaign kicked off June 19 and ends August 18, but Gravel has already vaulted past their funding goal of $12,000 with over $100,000 in pledges and 1,950 backers as of this writing. Pledge package pricing starts at $39 for the Early Bird package and combo packages are available. Estimated delivery is December 2017. Travel over to the Kickstarter campaign page for more details.

ORII – Your Voice Powered Smart Ring

What is it?
ORII is a “headset” that uses bone conduction to send sound through the bones in your finger and into your ear.

Why do I like it?
I like the ORII because it’s a headset that you don’t have to leave in your ear to send and receive calls. I always feel like a dork when I have a Bluetooth headset in my ear and I refuse to wear one in public to the grocery store, etc. With ORII, you’re already wearing the headset, but it’s on your finger, so it’s less dorky.

Where can I find more info?
With 21 days left in the campaign, ORII has already reached their funding goal of $30,000. You can pre-order an ORII ring starting at $119. After the ORII campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in February 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

ANCHOR CABLE – Last cable you will ever need

What is it?
ANCHOR CABLE is a stainless steel magnetic charging cable that can be used with USB-C, lightning, and micro USB enabled devices by way of special magnetic plugs that stay in the device’s charging ports like the Apple MagSafe connector on MacBooks.

Why do I like it?
I like the ANCHOR CABLE because magnets! And because it’s made of stainless steel. What’s there not to like? Seriously though, if I can’t have wireless charging for my iPhone, I want a MagSafe-like cable for it. Or even one for my 12″ MacBook for that matter because Apple likes to ruin everything and got rid of the MagSafe connector for their newer MacBooks…. sniff.

Where can I find more info?
With 15 days left in the campaign, ANCHOR CABLE has already reached their funding goal of $13,022. You can pre-order an ANCHOR CABLE starting at $34. After the ANCHOR CABLE campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in January 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Swidget™ Outlet: The Smart Home Device for All Platforms

What is it?
Swidget is a replacement AC wall outlet that uses your home’s existing wiring to make your home a smart home with special inserts that plug into the outlet to add various capabilities.

Why do I like it?
I like Swidget because it’s a neater way to add smart home features without having plugs sticking out of walls or modules that you have to find room for on shelves and tables. It’s also customizable. You choose the features you want like temperatures sensors, USB ports, motion detectors, etc.

Where can I find more info?
With 36 days left in the campaign, Swidget still has some work to do before they will reach their funding goal of $40,000. You can pre-order a Swidget starting at $38. After the Swidget campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in June 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

DJIN: The Wallet, perfected.

What is it?
DJIN is a small wallet that has a clip for cards and bills, a slide pocket for coins, keys and USB sticks, and a secret stash-drawer for smaller items like SIM and flash cards.

Why do I like it?
I like DJIN because it’s an interesting example of a minimalist wallet. It’s a bit thicker than some minimalist wallets, but I like the fact that it has a drawer for coins, keys and more.

Where can I find more info?
With 31 days left in the campaign, DJIN has already reached their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order a DJIN starting at $39. After the DJIN campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Crowdfunded

ORII Bluetooth “headset” ring, ANCOR CABLE, Swidget modular wall outlet, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 27, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Today I’m bringing you a brand new batch of interesting crowdfunding projects. I find these campaigns through emails that have been sent to me and my own web surfing explorations. Click through to see this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

GEMINI Magnetic Speakers, Stick and Play 360° Sound Anytime

What is it?
GEMINI speakers are individual Bluetooth speakers with magnetic mounts.

Why do I like it?
I like the GEMINI speakers because magnets! The speakers can play for up to 8hrs and can recharge in about 50 minutes. I also think it’s cool that you can adjust the space between the left and right speaker to give the full stereo effect for your tunes. And for those of you who like to run or bike, they are offering specially designed mounts so you can take the GEMINI speakers with you.

Where can I find more info?
With 44 days left in the campaign, GEMINI is just getting started toward their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a set of GEMINI speakers starting at $49. After the GEMINI campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

The EVERGOODS CPL24 and MPL30 Crossover Backpacks

Blurb by Andy Jacobs

What is it?
The EVERGOODS Civic Panel Loader, 24 Liter (CPL24) and Mountain Panel Loader, 30 Liter (MPL30) are crossover backpacks that look great, have very thoughtful and useful features, and are designed and durably manufactured in the USA.

Why do I like it?
I’m a big fan of backpacks, and Jack Barley and Kevin Dee, who have extensive backgrounds in backpack and outdoor gear design and manufacturing, have teamed up to found EVERGOODS, a new gear company whose first products are the CPL24 and MPL30 crossover backpacks. What does “crossover” mean? The CPL24 is designed to excel in an urban environment but is just as useful in the outdoors. Vice-versa for the MPL30 focused for use in outdoor settings, but at home in town or city. These first two backpack designs feature clean, appealing appearances and the sheer number of well-considered, useful features in each of them is very impressive. Plus they are quality built in the USA from highly durable materials.

Where can I find more info?
The Kickstarter campaign just kicked off last week on July 11 and ends August 12, but EVERGOODS has already blown through their funding goal of $45,000 with over $120,000 in pledges and over 470 backers—and the campaign looks to be picking up steam. As of this writing, EVERGOODS has just added more “Early Bird” pledge options with good discounts (pledges starting at $199 for CPL24 and $229 for MLP30), and combo packages are also available. Estimated delivery is December 2017. Visit the Kickstarter campaign page for more details.

KEYANCHOR | World’s Smallest EDC Multi-Tool & Key Organizer

What is it?
The KEYANCHOR is a small key organizer and multi-tool that’s made of Grade5 Titanium.

Why do I like it?
I like the KEYANCHOR because it’s so small and unique. It’s a key organizer, tiny pry bar, box opener, bottle cap lifter, and more. I’m not sure how it would feel in your pocket due to the way the ring and keys are situated, but I can’t help but be intrigued.

Where can I find more info?
With 22 days left in the campaign, KEYANCHOR is still toward their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a KEYANCHOR starting at $24. After the GEMINI campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Amabrush – World’s First Automatic Toothbrush

What is it?
Amabrush is an automatic toothbrush that will brush your teeth for you in just 10 seconds.

Why do I like it?
I like Amabrush because sounds like an incredible claim for a product that can automatically and effectively brush your teeth hands-free in 10 seconds. Sounds too good to be true. But from the look of how well this campaign is doing, there are a LOT of people (over 13,000 backers so far) who think a gadget like this would be useful. Until I can try one, I’m not convinced it can really brush my teeth as well as I can do it manually, but I hope it does work as advertised and I get a chance to try one.

Where can I find more info?
With 17 days left in the campaign, Amabrush has smashed their funding goal of $57,639 by over 1 million dollars. You can pre-order an Amabrush starting at $90. After the Amabrush campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Volterman – World’s Most Powerful Smart Wallet

What is it?
Volterman is a smart wallet made of leather.

Why do I like it?
I like the Volterman wallet because it has features not seen in other so-called smart wallets. In addition to offering a built in powerbank and proximity alarms which some other wallets offer, the Volterman raises the bar by also offers wireless charging, free GPS tracking, WiFi hotspot and even a hidden thief detection camera. which snaps a picture when the wallet is opened.

Where can I find more info?
With 15 days left in the campaign, Volterman has already reached their funding goal of $45,000. You can pre-order a Volterman starting at $139. After the Volterman campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Crowdfunded

GEMINI magnetic speakers, EVERGOODS backpacks, Amabrush automatic toothbrush, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2017 at 9:56 am.

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