Kickstarter: Fairy Quest

You don't usually find that many stories or original value and intrigue mixed in with amazing art. Going through some of Kickstarter's many different projects, I stumbled upon "Fairy Quest" by Paul Jenkins. It's an amazingly and I'm assuming painstakingly 48 page fully illustrated fictional tale. Starting at $14, you can have the huge PDF file and read it through on your iPad or iPhone or what have you. For only $30, you can have a "beautiful, hardbound, shrink-wrapped copy of Fairy Quest 1 – Outlaws by Paul Jenkins, Humberto Ramos and featuring gorgeous color and design work by our old pal and collaborator, Leonardo Olea!" That's the winner. If you want to up your pledge, get a signed copy for $60! (unfortunately the $40 signed edition is already pledged out and I am still trying to find out the difference between the two save for the personal message)

Kickstart it already! As you know, we did!

Kickstarter: Hidden Radio & BlueTooth Speaker

Who would have ever imagined that we'd be paying upwards of $199 for Jawbone's Jambox or $299 for Bose's Soundlink Wireless!?  Forget the days of "docking as both these devices offer Bluetooth connectivity.  I personally think it's a must these days are wires have become the bane of the electornic frontier. I had the opportunity to try out both the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker and the Jawbone JAMBOX over this holiday season.  Admittingly, the sound that they produced was great.  You can't really go wrong with either one.  The Jambox doesn't "fill" a room with it's sounds presence as much as the Bose and while the Bose offers better bass, the Jambox does undercut the competition by offering itself as a bluetooth speakerphone handy for conference calls and also comes in at a $100 less.

Forget those two and take a peek at this Kickstarter offering!  The Hidden Radio & BlueTooth Speaker, which will normally retail for $175 is being offered for an introductory $119 for those willing to "kickstart" the duo.  They have some great features and sound is "touted" to being on par.  From what I can tell in their introductory video, they compare it directly to the Jawbone Jambox.

Here is a FAQ taken directly off of the website:

Q/ How long will the batteries last? A/ The rechargeable batteries last over 30 hours.

Q/ How will I know it will support my phone, tablet or computer? A/ Bluetooth is a global standard designed to work on any device.

Q/ How loud is the sound? A/ We’ve tested it over 80dB, basically it will easily fill the space of a large apartment.

Q/ Is shipping included? A/ We are offering free global shipping only for Kickstarter backers!

Q/ When will you start to manufacture? A/ Once we get to 1000 units we’ll begin production immediately. I hope you can help us bring this great product to market.

Kickstarter: Twine - Listen to your world, talk to the Internet

Have you ever wanted your laundry machine to tweet or text you when it's done? Or maybe when a door opens of if the temperature drops, you'd want some type of alert? These guys from the MIT Media Labs have developed a device that communicates in a simple language and setup that you and I can configure. Check out the video! You have approximately 30 minutes left to get in and "back" their project! Afterwards, you'll have to wait and adopt their technology for a higher retail price. But why not and "angel" invest!

Update: If you weren't able to catch the Twine Kickstarter before their fundraising period ended, they sent out a thank you and a "you can still buy me" update. Here it is:

Kickstarter backers — you guys are amazing. When we started this 6 weeks ago, our expectations were modest, other than making a product that we wanted and that others would find useful, too. John and I cannot believe that you pushed Twine past 550K, making it one of the most successful crowd-funded projects ever! We are going to take good care of you. Twine will be that much more polished and ready to rock because of your support.

Missed the Kickstarter? Not to worry. You can still join the thousands of other awesome Twine owners by pre-ordering at the Supermechanical site. It's the next best thing to being an original backer!

Kickstarter - Teardrop: the perfect cup of tea, every time

It's amazing what kind of projects and ideas one can develop and see to production with programs like Kickstarter. Today isn't any different. After looking for other projects around Kickstarter, adellelijah has found another amazing product to back. Check out the "Teardrop" project by Michael DiStefano. At 8% backing w/ 28 days to go, it seems like it's going to have a 4th period type finish, but I'm sure that after the public backing from Kevin Rose on twitter, you have to think that some of his 1.2 million followers have the funds to make this a successful project. If this post helps you realize Mr. DiStefano's dream, please leave a comment. Shoot, even if you are a fan of tea, an avid tea drinker or just love being a wannabe "Angel Investor" like adellelijah, please support Teardrop. For only $40, you get this amazing idea and at a 20% off retail price.

Watch the video below for an explanation of the magic. Self contained timer, never let it over-steep (a tea drinker's dream so that he / she can leave and let be while in the shower) and aesthetically pleasingly! If you feel extra nice and angel like, buy it for your mom for Mother's Day! Cheers!

Kickstarter - Urbanized: A Documentary Film

Here's your chance to support an amazing film by Gary Hustwit as he completes his Design Trilogy with the making of "Urbanized." Currently at 85% of his goal, on Kickstarter, Mr. Hustwit offers a whole array of types of deals ranging from $10 to $5000 for a private screening. Just for a mere $400, you and your company can be listed in Mr. Hustwit's credits under the "Special Thanks" segment which I think is a steal! Check out the video below and support his Kickstarter!

Gary's two other amazing films, Helvetica and Objectified, have received amazing reviews and you too should check them out now. Heck, I'd go for the Blu-ray Design Trilogy which includes the hardcover book and other contents sign by the man himself for a Kickstarter pledge of $125! We have just under 13 days to help the guy out! What's not to love?

http://kck.st/hk8Stv

Kickstarter: Custom SLR Split Strap

Yet another awesome project to "back" by one of the first guys that we "backed" on Kickstarter by Custom SLR. A great group of SLR enthusiasts putting together another awesome idea for all those hobbyists, professionals and geeks that carry bags. Something so simple as this Split Strap used to string around an expensive camera or laptop. If you've been looking for a replacement for that the crappy one on your laptop bag, gym bag or your european man bag, help these guys out! Who knew that a swivel and a vent could be prove that much utility? Pay close attention though, there are quite a few different Split Straps based on the "backing" level. The first lists at $20 for cameras then the rest are as follows; $22 for laptop bags, $24 for larger duffles, $26 for guitars, $28 for the gliding Split Strap for those SLR enthusiasts, or $30 for the Split Strap arm sling. I know that's a lot of options, but hey, we all have the need for 'em. If you feel like going the distance, pledge $150 and get all the various straps that Custom SLR has to offer. Pictures are embedded throughout the Kickstarter website.

Kickstarter: Vere Sandal Company, USA - 2011 Collection

If you aren't familiar with the idea behind "Kickstarter," get to know them. Behind every good idea, project and dream is the need of funding. With the help of ordinary citizens such as yourselves, you can be your own "Angel Investor" and make these dreams come true. I'm proud to put forth that we have supported two successful funded projects which are just now being shipping and will have pictures and reviews of both. The two were C-Loop - Camera Strap Mount Solution and the now very famous TikTok+LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Kits. If you want in, you can jump in on this next project whether or not you are thinking about buying a pair of sandals. I mean, why not support these guys and pick up a $25 pair. If you leather, go for the $50 backer! You might just ended up saving a little money and helping a company do it the American way! They are cheaper than most of the elitest brands out there such as Rainbows (which are now made in China rather than San Clemente, CA and even have a good sense of patriotism. Support 'em just as we have at adellelijah. =)