'Tis the season for giving and Kickstarter is teeming with innovative ideas that need your support to become a reality, so why not donate to one for the holidays? HNGN has put together a list of some of the most promising ideas that need your help to get on their feet.
101touch - The New Generation of Keyboard
The touchscreen phone revolution has already taken the tech world by storm, so why not touchscreen keyboards?
The new company 101touch hopes to create a "smart" keyboard that would most likely be compatible with MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, OS X and BIOS and would not require installation or setup. They keyboard would be complete with an application store that would boast games and software.
WÜF- The World's Smartest Dog Collar
This collar actually monitors your dogs behavior through their movements, sounds, locations, and other activities. The device will then provide suggestions on how to improve problem behaviors such as barking or pulling on the leash. The GPS will also make sure your furry best friend never gets lost.
"With one suggestion a day, our goal is simple, to help dog owners around the world have a Good Dog, Every Day," the company says.
Smart Unit, the first anti-theft luggage tracker
According to Franck Dubarry, from Miami, Fla., 90,000 suitcases are lost every day during airline travel. Of those, 3,000 are never recovered – never returned to their owners.
Smart Unit is "the first anti-theft luggage tracker" that tells you where your suitcase is, if it has been opened or if it has been taken from the "circle of security" (a radius around your personal location).
If $50,000 is pledged by Jan. 16, 2015, the FAA compliant device will have reached its goal.
Cobi - World's Smartest Connecting Bike System
A new device that works easily through your smartphone could transform your bike into a high-tech vehicle.
COBI could add as many as 100 intelligent features to your bike through your smartphone. The device would allow riders to listen to music, call friends, track fitness, check the weather, and easily navigate with a GPS system, and enjoy a variety of other features. The system includes an easy thumb grip, a theft alarm, and auto lights for safety and visibility.
Countercrop - The Modern Way To Grow Your Own Food
This little countertop device brings "local" produce to a whole new level by allowing users to grow fresh vegetables and herbs in the comfort of their own kitchen.
The device will be extremely easy to use and weeding will not be necessary. The water will be added at the same time as the seeds, so daily care and watering could soon be a thing of the past. A remote control would be used to regulate the plants, making the setup a true garden of the future.
High school students in Oklahoma have teamed up with the non-profit group Earth Rebirth to give new life to the school's greenhouse. The AP Environmental Science students at Norman High School have enlisted the help of an engineering group to create a system of growing that they say could provide up to 20 percent of the school's food.
The system combines aquaculture (snails, fish and other water animals) and hydroponics (growing plants in water). The students need at least $10,000 to make their project happen. Backers can earn the right to name the fish reservoir or even the whole Aquaponics garden project.
Cheese makes everything better. It just does. For some who go vegan, dairy cheese is the hardest thing to give up. There is nothing like the melty goodness of dairy cheese – until now, Skye Conroy says.
Conroy, "the gentle chef," has played with different starches to come up with what he says are perfect vegan cheeses you can make in your own home. In order to come up with melt-able, shred-able and palatable cheese, Conroy used some ingredients not available in typical stores.
That's why he says you need the DIY Vegan Cheese Kit. Incentives for backers include kits, cookbooks and t-shirts.
Fred Water Flask - More Water = Less Sugar
A cleverly designed bottle could allow you to carry a refreshing amount of water in your pocket.
The bottle is BPA free and made of food grade stainless steel, it also comes in a number of spiffy colors.
"At Fred, we're passionate about the healthy role water can play in people's lives. When you drink more water and less sugar, good things happen. And since we like to make good things happen all the time, we created a way to keep water with you wherever you go: refillable Water Flasks," the company stated.
Your Word, in Binary, on Canvas
Explaining computer language to led to an idea from the folks at www.binaryoncanvas.com. You pick the word (like "love," pictured above) and a painted canvas can be shipped to you with your word represented in an abstract conceptualization of binary code. Raluca and Cristi say they just need some funds for painting supplies and to keep their website running.
Southern Indiana's Katelin Kinney combines the technology of Photoshop with fine art photography. She is looking for backers to fund her book of 50 "fine art surreal images" that will include a "how-to" section with "in-depth instructions and tips" on using Photoshop. If Kinney doesn't get $15,000 by Jan. 15, the project is a no-go.
For the Life of Me: Between Science and the Law
Diana C. Frank's sister, Patricia Crone, was diagnosed with cancer that had spread to her brain. Frank says the National Cancer Institute lists marijuana's affects on cancer as "anti-metastatic and tumor-shrinking."
Frank is asking for funding for a documentary about her sister's battle with cancer and her self-experimentation with marijuana, from a pot grower in Oregon to multiple brain scans. Frank is hoping to have the documentary finished and aired on PBS in time for her sister to see it.
Backing for this Kickstarter project is already more than $6,000 over its goal and there are over two weeks left in the campaign. Backer gifts range from a "sincere thanks" to an executive producer credit.
Reporting and writing by Rebekah Marcarelli and Kimberly M. Aquilina.
