Crowd-funding on sites like Kickstarter has become the latest trend, letting small creators with big ideas to be funded by their future customers. Here are ten crowd-funded mobile accessory projects, hand-picked by our experts, that you should check out.
1. Legion Meter: Charge your smartphone 92% faster
The Legion Meter is a small dongle, about the size of a USB drive, that allows your smartphone to charge much faster. You plug one end into your USB port, and then your charging cable into the Legion Meter. The Legion Meter automatically disconnects the USB data connections and pulls additional power through the port. An OLED display on the device shows how much power is being drawn, and can also be used to determine the storage capacity of your battery.
2. iStick USB Flash Drive with Lightning for iPhone and iPad
The iStick is a USB flash drive with a standard USB connector on one end, and a Lightning connector on the other. This allows you to copy files between your PC and iOS device, and is quicker and easier than many wireless options.
3. MBLOK – One memory for all devices. Always by your side.
MBLOK is a kind of personal cloud, providing easy access to 256 GB of flash memory via USB and Bluetooth Smart Ready. The MBLOK is tiny, but can last for 300 hours between charges and should make it simple to access any of its files, whether you’re on a computer, phone or tablet.
4. Smash: The game changing tennis wearable
Smash is a motion-sensing wristband that connects to an app on your phone, helping you improve your skill at tennis. The app can show you stats as well as curated advice on how to improve your technique.
5. iFind – the world’s first battery-free item locating tag
iFind is the first Bluetooth item locator that doesn’t require charging. Instead, the iFind generates its own energy as it moves. Once attached to your belongings, you can easily find them using an app on your phone. You can also shake your iFind tag to find your phone.
6. ODIN: Android smart projector to carry in your pocket
ODIN is a battery-powered projector with Android on board, allowing it to beam apps like Netflix, iPlayer or games to your wall. It also has an HDMI input, so you can connect laptops, PCs, tablets, smartphones and games consoles.
7. Sherlybox – a private and shareable cloud on your desk
The Sherlybox is a small egg-shaped box that acts as a personal cloud, providing secure access to your files no matter what device you’re using. The files and folders therein can also be shared with the people you want, making it easy to collaborate without trusting another company with your data.
8. Umbrella USB
This simple device prevents ‘juice jacking’, where an attacker accesses your phone via a public USB port. The Umbrella USB device sits between the USB port and your cable, blocking all data connections and just allowing power to flow through.
9. Headbones: bone conducting headphones deliver great sound
Damson Headbones transmit audio to your inner ear, leaving your ears clear to hear what’s going on around you, making them ideal for use when exercising or travelling. A built-in microphone provides call capabilities.
10. Hug Your Tablet: a new generation of hand-crafted tablet cases
Hug Your Tablet cases are handmade from bamboo, paper board and leather. The case uses a multiple panel hard cover which magnetically folds backward to allow for easy standing and typing.
Conclusion
Thanks for checking out our Kickstarter selections! Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter @mobilefun. You can also recommend accessories for our next Kickstarter roundup!