Kickstarter - page 6

Keep a no profile with online privacy device

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The tracking and profiling ends here.
The tracking and profiling ends here.
Photo: eBlocker

You played poker online a few times and didn’t tell anybody. You didn’t have to. The bank you hope will give you a mortgage just purchased your online profile from a data broker and now wonders whether your history of gambling makes you a risky borrower.

Tech entrepreneur Christian Bennefeld is betting people are beginning to want privacy when connected to their devices. His eBlocker Pro is a simple plug-in device that hides your IP address and stops all tracking activities.

These wooden skins are a natural fit for your MacBook

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A bamboo skin with the Bambooti logo.
A bamboo skin with the Bambooti logo.
Photo: Bambooti

The MacBook is a work of art, but looking at all that pretty brushed aluminum might get old for some.

A Belgian design firm is here to help. Any MacBook owner can quickly give their laptop a unique look with wooden skins that can be customized with initials, a favorite sports figure — even their spirit animal!

Sketchbook gets second life as iPad Pro case

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The look of a sketchbook in an iPad Pro case may appeal to the ever-doodling artist.
The look of a sketchbook in an iPad Pro case may appeal to the ever-doodling artist.
Photo: Longo Case

The iPad Pro and Apple Pencil are impressive tools but what becomes of the special bond an artist has with their sketchbook?

This is centuries-old relationship Apple is disrupting, so an accessories company has designed a case for the iPad Pro that has the look and feel of a personal and coveted sketchbook.

Classy poster captures how little we’ll miss Internet Explorer

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classy-poster-captures-how-little-well-miss-internet-explorer-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601The-Web-Address-by-Everyone-Ever-Internet-Explorer-jpg
The Web Address by Everyone Ever Internet Explorer
Goodbye, Internet Explorer. We won’t miss all of those security breaches. Photo: Everyone Ever

Internet Explorer is dead, and some nerdy designers are taking their good-riddance to Kickstarter.

The campaign will produce classy, poster-sized screen prints of a fictional speech that perfectly captures how little anyone will actually miss the maligned web browser. It’s seeking a measly $500 to start production, with extra money going toward making the prints available in additional languages.

Bullet, the ‘tiniest flashlight on Kickstarter,’ blows away its target

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The tiny Bullet is sorta like the 12-inch MacBook of LED flashlights.
The tiny Bullet is sorta like the 12-inch MacBook of LED flashlights.
Photo: Slughaus

The makers of a tiny (but badass!) new LED flashlight say they took inspiration from the 9mm bullet, but Apple’s incessant drive toward miniaturization seems at least as much of an influence.

You can almost hear the dulcet tones of Jony Ive’s voice in the description of the Bullet, which its maker calls “the tiniest flashlight on Kickstarter.”

Ekster special smart wallet keeps your cards safe and trackable

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Ekster wallets promise  extra security from data thieves.
Ekster wallets promise extra security from data thieves.
Photo: Ekster

I would love a smart wallet that doubles my money. Tuck in a five spot and boom! Alexander Hamilton.

That would be a magic wallet. A good smart wallet, though, can help protect you from losing your money.

At least, that is the idea behind the ultra-thin Ekster Smart Wallet, which provides RFID blocking to keep credit cards secure and has a GPS tracking device that communicates with a smartphone app when the wallet is out of range or even lost.

iPhone light meter will make your photos shine

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Turn your iPhone into a trusted lighting assistant on photo shoots with the Luma Power.
Turn your iPhone into a trusted lighting assistant on photo shoots with the Luma Power.
Photo: Lumu Labs

A good photographer doesn’t say, I’ll fix it later in Photoshop. Lumu Labs understood this when they developed an accessory in 2013 that turns the iPhone into a light meter.

Though heralded by working photographers and tech journalists at the time, Lumu Labs wasn’t satisfied with the bulbous little device that hooks into the headphone jack. They continued to tinker and came up with the next generation of light meter that is like having a knowledgeable photo assistant in the palm of your hand.

VR iPhone case is virtually a reality after hitting Kickstarter goal

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As iPhone cases go, this one's pretty darn cool.
Photo: Figment VR

A nifty iPhone case-turned-VR headset has passed its $75,000 Kickstarter funding goal in just one week — promising users a snap-on virtual reality solution for their Apple handset for the low price of just $55 for early backers.

And, despite the goal having been hit, there’s still time if you want to hop on this Kickstarter bandwagon!

Real prints come to life with this app and printer

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Point your phone at a LifePrint print and watch the moment in motion.
Point your phone at a LifePrint print and watch the moment in motion.
Photo: LifePrint

The newspaper that covers the wizarding world of Harry Potter publishes photos that move on the page. For us Muggles, there’s LifePrint, a pocket-sized printer that brings a similar magical to our still photos.

The LifePrint device lets you embed a video inside a printed photograph, using augmented reality and requiring the viewer to point their smartphone at the picture to bring it to life.

Kanga Hoodie sports single, iPad Pro-sized pocket

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Kanga Hoodie
The Kanga Hoodie contains the biggest pocket you've ever seen.
Photo: KickShark

The appropriately named Kanga Hoodie drops the recent trend of fitting as many little pockets as we can into everything in favor of one huge pocket that goes all the way around your body.

The project is looking for some cash from crowdfunding site Kickstarter to finish production, and it’s looking to do some good in the process.

This tablet stand solves one of the iPad’s biggest annoyances

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tablet-tstand-kickstarter - 2 (1)
The Tstand redefines what it means to Netflix and chill.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

If you’ve had an iPad for at least a couple of years now, you’ve probably noticed one of the major ergonomic issues with it: there’s no perfect way to hold it. You can hold your iPad to use it which always feels just slightly awkward, place it on a table which hunches you over and strains the back of your neck, or put it on your lap and fold your legs up which just feels ridiculous. A Kickstarter project called the Tstand aims to solve this problem.

The Tstand is a new, adjustable tablet stand that can dramatically decrease muscle tension when you’re trying to do something as simple as watch a show on Netflix. The stand has a foldable, clamshell design that can match any viewing angle you need.

Your Apple Watch will sparkle on this bejeweled charger

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This crystal-encrusted charging dock for the Apple Watch and iPhone can be had for $5,000.
This crystal-encrusted charging dock for the Apple Watch and iPhone can be had for $5,000.
Photo: Defined Corp.

Watch snobs say the Apple Watch could never be a true collector’s items. But there is one Apple Watch charger guaranteed to be a pricey collectible.

It is saucer-shaped, gold in color and encrusted with 1,000 Swarovski crystals. Act now and you could own one of 10 for $5,000.

A pro-grade action camera with no learning curve

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The People's Camera, 1080 HD for less than $100.
The People's Camera, 1080 HD for less than $100.
Photo: Vidi Action Cameras

GoPro owns the action camera market it invented and the routine emergence of new competitors only seems to make GoPro’s sales go up. Why would anyone try to compete?

In creating The People’s Action Camera, Utah-based Vidi did not set out to target GoPro. It is instead aiming for more budget-conscious consumers who aren’t necessarily into gadgets. The result is a camera that requires little to no study to use, provides pro-grade high-def footage and has software that edits video for you.

One other thing – it costs less than $100.

Decibullz earphones are molded music to the ear

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Decibullz brings its moldable earpieces to wireless earbuds.
Decibullz brings its moldable earpieces to wireless earbuds.
Photo: Decibullz

The openings to my ear canals are small. There, I said it. Hearing is not a problem, but finding earbuds that fit is a pain in the, well, ears.

Apple’s customary earphones that came with every iPod or iPhone I bought got tossed in a drawer. At least there, they wouldn’t fall out.

Decibullz, a startup company when they hit it big with moldable earbuds last year, is now trying to bring to production a set of wireless earphones with the moldable tips. The molding process requires nothing more than a glass of hot water.

Take your fitness in hand with smartwatch SHIFT band

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EdgeGear-Shift
The best band for running.
Photo: EdgeGear

With the watch now reinvented, a pair of avid runners believe it’s time to reinvent the watch band.

They have created a band that moves the face of a smartwatch to the spot on the hand just below where the thumb and forefinger meet. The result for runners, cyclists or anyone using the Apple Watch’s health tracking features is the face of the watch remains in the line of site.

Power-cutting cord gives your device battery the perfect amount of juice

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The UsBidi charger for smartphones and tablets.
The UsBidi charger for smartphones and tablets.
Photo: UsBidi

We know that keeping our smartphones and tablets plugged in over night, well past the point of a full charge, will deplete precious battery life. But who among us purposely gets up in the middle of the night to unplug?

The team at UsBidi assumes very few, which is why its developers believe they have something special with a charging cord that automatically cuts off the power to a device when the battery is full.

Somebody finally figured out where you can stick your Apple Pencil

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The Quarter with the Apple Pencil docked and ready for use.
The Quarter with the Apple Pencil docked and ready for use.
Photo: SteelConnect

When Apple enthusiastically introduced to the Apple Pencil in September, it left out one little detail – where we are supposed to put it.

SteelConnect, a company known for designing smart watch accessories, has come up with with a pencil holder that connects to the new iPad Pro. The Quarter provides a way to store the pencil, dock it in a ready position or keep the cap from getting misplaced while the pencil is charging elsewhere.

Beddi is an alarm clock that’s more like having your own butler

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The Beddi smart alarm clock has a host of functions. Waking you from sleep is just a start.
The Beddi smart alarm clock has a host of functions. Waking you from sleep is just a start.
Photo: Witti

You may have broke your last alarm clock swiping it off your nightstand as you tried to make it stop doing that one thing it’s supposed to do – get your ass out of bed.

In its place comes Beddi, the clock that teams up with your iPhone to wake you, get the coffee started and even hail you an Uber ride. Dock your phone at night for charging, enjoy some pillow talk with Siri, activate a mood light and fall asleep to white noise.

Luxury aluminum case protects your iPhone, hides your credit card

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The ALUMINUM Slider case for the iPhone 6 by Gresso has a secret drawer for a credit card.
The ALUMINUM Slider case for the iPhone 6 by Gresso has a secret drawer for a credit card.
Photo: Gresso

Those iPhone cases that hold cash and credit cards are fine as long as you want to look like you’re carrying your mother’s wallet.

Luxury accessories design company Gresso has a solution to return your overriding need to be practical back to cool. It has designed a stylish aircraft aluminum iPhone 6 case that has a hidden slide-out drawer for your cards. Jony Ive might approve.

Aluminum tube turns iPhone into a 3D scanner

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Eora 3D scanner for iPhone
The Eora 3D scanner wants to leave no dino head undigitized.
Photo: Eora 3D

The 3D-printing future is here, but unfortunately it’s still cost-prohibitive for many people who want to get in on the newest making revolution. But an upcoming project just launched on Kickstarter may just have the solution to that problem.

The Eora 3D scanner connects to your smartphone to create precise and accurate models of just about anything you can put in front of it, and it will do it for way less money than you’d expect.

This rolling luggage keeps tech travelers plugged in

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The iQ bag includes a router to give the traveler a Wi-Fi hotspot.
The iQ bag includes a router to give the traveler a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Photo: Andiamo

The tools inside the business traveler’s carry-on luggage have changed. The luggage itself has not.

Two companies are hoping to take off through crowd-funding with modern roller bags that fit all the essentials and charge your devices. One even has a router to give you a Wi-Fi hotspot where ever you land.

When iPhone power is low, this device can take charge

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The XI.i.CON is a case-dock charging combo for the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus.
The XI.i.CON is a case-dock charging combo for the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus.
Photo: Benchsoft

Some day battery anxiety will not be an issue. Until then, we cope by way of the many charging accessories that exist for iPhones. Lightning cords, docks, power banks, battery cases . . . Every manufacturer claims their product is better, faster or the only one of its kind.

The XI.i.CON by Benchsoft, makes it own bold claims by being all of those accessories in one.

End storage nightmares by creating your own cloud

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The Helixee is a hard drive that, with an app, can give you cloud-like functions for storage and access from any device.
The Helixee is a hard drive that, with an app, can give you cloud-like functions for storage and access from any device.
Photo: novathings

One click and your digital life gets stored in the Cloud. Where or what that is exactly is a mystery to most of us. Two startup companies are producing products aimed at the segment of the computing population that doesn’t want to save pictures, videos and documents to large cloud-based servers.

These products let you create your own cloud to store the personal stuff.

Wind turbine promises to blow away your utility bills

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A Trinity turbine powering a house and an electric car.
A Trinity turbine powering a house and an electric car.
Photo: Janulus

You’ve spared no expense in creating a smart home. You bought smart lightbulbs, a smart TV and smart appliances. All that’s missing is a device that makes you look smart when the electric bill comes in the mail.

The Agustsson brothers of Iceland may have figured out that part. They are the creators of Trinity, an affordable line of portable wind turbines, some of which can power the entire home.

Tiny gizmo will make you less of a loser

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The O wearable and app
The O wants to make sure you never forget your unicorn again.
Photo: The O

A new gadget hopes to help you keep tabs on your important items before you lose them.

The O is a small, electronic tracker that pairs with an app on your iPhone. You place it on (or attach it to) something you don’t want to leave behind, and you’ll get alerts if you do. It’s kind of the same “You forgot your phone” feature that we were hoping to get out of the Apple Watch when it strays out of range of its paired handset, but these little pucks are cool, too.