NEWS – Remember back when fidget spinners were hot and everyone and their brother was spinning them between their thumb and index fingers? That was just the beginning of the whole fidget toy craze that appears to have no end in sight.
Fidget toys can help you concentrate and relieve stress and who doesn’t need more of both? So just in time for Easter comes the Thinking Egg from the Orijin Design Company.
Thinking Eggs are small marble sized eggs made of natural materials like stone, wood, brass, and even lava. They are like a holiday-inspired worry stone that you can roll between your fingers without the annoying distraction that traditional fidget spinners can have. Thinking stones are priced at $24.95. You can read more about them at theorijin.com and buy one from The Grommet.
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NEWS – Not content to just sell everyone on the planet everything they need, Amazon wants to help you with that process by providing global broadband internet access…from space!
Project Kuiper is an ambitious project to launch 3,236 satellites into orbit at three different orbital altitudes: 784 satellites at an altitude of 367 miles; 1,296 satellites at 379 miles; and 1,156 satellites at 391 miles. The goal is to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access to underserved areas around the globe that lack the infrastructure to support traditional internet access points.
There isn’t a released target date to begin launches or to start service. Other companies are also looking into this, so Amazon may face competition. If history is any indicator, that won’t slow down Amazon much.
Taken to its logical conclusion, along with other planned Amazon initiatives, perhaps someday soon, you will be able to be in the middle of the Serengeti, and be able to holler “Alexa, order sunscreen”. In a few minutes, SPF50 will drop from a hovering drone. Ah…progress.
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CROWDFUNDING NEWS – I’m a big fan of hoodies—I happen to think they are one of most comfy clothing items going. And if you can add a few features to the standard hoodie, all the better. And then, if you can make it out of sustainable materials, even better. The Evolution Hoodie from Coalatree may have checked all these boxes. Let’s have a look!
What is it?
The Evolution Hoodie is made of fibers that are derived from sustainable materials and also includes several additional handy features.
Why do I like it?
First off, I like that the Evolution Hoodie has some extra features that you don’t typically find on standard hoodies, like thumb holes, a zippered “pickpocket proof” travel pouch (that even has organization pockets inside), and it compacts down into a travel pillow. But even better is that the Evolution Hoodie is made from sustainable materials, including recycled plastic bottles and coffee grounds. Plus, it just looks super comfy.
Where can I find more info?
The Coalatree Evolution Hoodie: Made from Recycled Coffee Grounds campaign ends on April 18, 2019, and has already blown away its funding goal of $50,000. Pledge packages start at $62 for a single Evolution Hoodie in your choice of color and increase from there depending on the options selected. After the end of the campaign period, rewards are expected to start shipping in September 2019. Visit the Evolution Hoodie: Made from Recycled Coffee Grounds campaign site for more information or to become a backer.
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NEWS – Ikea, the king of unusual product names, and Sonos, the whole-house WiFi speaker gurus, have teamed up on a new product line called Symfonisk.
Planned for an August 2019 release, the Symfonisk line will offer two speaker products, a bookshelf speaker and a table lamp speaker. Both products are fully Sonos enabled and can be controlled via the Sonos control app.
The Symfonisk table lamp allows you to put quality sound in a room without just dropping in a speaker to clutter things up. The lamp has a diffusing shade and can be used with another as a Sonos stereo speaker pair.
The Symfonisk bookshelf speaker can be displayed or tucked away out of sight. It comes with hooks so you can hand the speaker on a rail, or simply place it on a shelf, vertically or horizontally.
Pricing is currently listed only in Euros.
The Symfonisk lamp is expected to go for €179 and the speaker is targeted for €99.95. With today’s exchange rate of 1 Euro = 1.13 US dollars, that puts the lamp at approximately $202 and the speaker $113. For more information, visit Ikea.
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CROWDFUNDING NEWS – This week I’m bringing you two Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns and two campaigns from Indiegogo. We have instruments, EDC items, and more. Let’s check them out.
MOVEO: The world’s first all-in-one water bottle
What is it?
MOVEO is a 750ml (25oz) water bottle that includes every feature but the kitchen sink – which you’ll need to fill it up
Why do I like it?
I like that the MOVEO water bottle has all its bases covered. The bottle includes the following features and accessories:
Fruit Infuser
Pill Box (Pill Disk)
Water Cup
Carrying Strap
Time Marks
Wire Ball
Bottle’s Lid
Infuser’s Adaptor
Removable Pin
Additional Nozzle Cover
Straw Filter (not included with all pledge levels)
Carrying Case/Sleeve (not included with all pledge levels)
The only caveat is that if you want the bottle with the straw filter or the carrying case sleeve, you’ll have to pledge additional funds.
Where can I find more info?
The MOVEO campaign ends on 4/17/19 they are working towards their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a MOVEO starting at $18. After the MOVEO campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in June 2019. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.
Carbon Fiber Ukuleles and Guitars | KLŌS Guitars
What is it?
KLŌS dreadnaught sized guitars and tenor sized ukuleles are made from carbon fiber instead of traditional materials like wood.
Why do I like it?
I like these instruments because of the fact that they are made of carbon fiber. Using carbon fiber to build them means you won’t have to worry about the wood drying out and cracking due to low humidity which is a big deal in some areas of the world. You can drop these instruments, freeze them and even leave them in a hot car and they won’t break or crack.
I also like that the instruments are available in 6 colors instead of black which is a typical color you think of when it comes to carbon fiber. I just wish they made a soprano though as that’s my favorite size of the ukulele to play.
Where can I find more info?
The KLŌS campaign ends on 4/12/19 they have already reached their funding goal of $15,000. You can pre-order a KLŌS instrument starting at $449. After the KLŌS campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.
LumiCharge II: All in One LED Lamp & Phone Charger
What is it?
The LumiCharge is an LED desk lamp with extra features.
Why do I like it?
I like the LumiCharge because it’s a multi-tool lamp. In addition to functioning as a desk lamp, it is also a Qi wireless charger, a universal phone charger for lightning/iPhone, USB-C and Micro USB Smart Phones, and it also has a builtin display with the time, date, and temp.
Where can I find more info?
The LumiCharge campaign ends on 5/2/19 they have already met their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a LumiCharge starting at $99. After the LumiCharge campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in June 2019. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.
The Ultimate Adjustable Backpack For Travel & Everyday Use
blurb by Andy Jacobs
What is it?
I’m a believer and practitioner of “one-bag travel”—which for me means a single backpack that carries everything I need for a trip. Sometimes I take more items, sometimes less; it all depends on the duration of the trip, and what the purpose of the trip is. What I’d really like is a bag that has a large range of versatility built in so that I could use it for everything from my daily commute to a 2-week work trip or vacation. And you know what? I may have found it. Take a look at the Bamian Pack–The Ultimate Adjustable Backpack for Travel & Everyday Use from Eshena.
The Ultimate Adjustable Backpack for Travel & Everyday Use, AKA the Bamian Pack, from Eshena is a backpack system that provides a very wide range of both adjustability and versatility in size, carrying capacity, and organizational features through the use of clever design, modularity, and magnets (!).
Why do I like it?
I’ve reviewed and/or investigated a LOT of backpacks in my time, but I’ve never seen anything like the Bamian Pack. It comes in two versions, the 15 and 17, which are sized for shorter or taller folks respectively. The Bamian Pack has a military-inspired look, and is made from 1680D MATT coated fabric, and includes waterproof zippers, Woojin plastic, and YKK Zippers throughout. Using a zipper, its main volume can be expanded or contracted, from 22L to 37L for the Bamian Pack 15, and from 27L to 47L for the Bamian Pack 17. Further, by the use of variously-sized modular pouches (that attached via magnetic MOLLE straps!), the Bamian Pack 15 can reach up to 45L and the Bamian Pack 17 can reach up to a whopping 55L of space for your gear. The Bamian Pack is absolutely loaded with both internal and external organization and hidden safety features as well, and several modular accessories are available as add-ons, such as a rain cover, packing cubes, laundry pouches, a phone pouch, and a shoe pouch, just to list a few. Honestly, the only way to do justice to all of the features of this pack is to visit the campaign site for more info.
Where can I find more info?
The Eshena Ultimate Adjustable Backpack for Travel & Everyday Use (AKA the Bamian Pack) campaign ends in 17 days on April 25, 2019, and has already surpassed its funding goal of $10,000. Pledge packages start at $109 for a Basic Bamian Pack bundle and increase from there depending on the options selected. After the end of the campaign period, rewards are expected to start shipping in July 2019. Visit the Eshena Ultimate Adjustable Backpack for Travel & Everyday Use campaign site for more information or to become a backer.
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