Crowd Curator

[crowdcurator]

Foldio2: The portable photo studio

Orange Monkie are the team behind 3 other successfully funded Kickstarter projects, including the original runaway success that was Foldio. The latest version boasts some worthwhile improvements. The setup is bigger, for one, allowing you to take shots of bigger objects, but still sticking to the mantra of a fold up studio.

Dimmable, embedded lighting means you don't even have to think about lighting if you don't want to. The included set of three backdrops, white, grey and black, gives you even more choice, and the ability to choose your own.

I didn't realise I wanted one until I saw the original Foldio. Now I want a Foldio2.

Back it on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

WakaWaka Base: Solar Powered Base Stations

Who knew portable, renewable energy could look so sexy? This looks like a must-have for any serious glamper. Possibly even a non-pretentious camper might even consider this?

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Woody Mac

The Woody Mac set instantly reminded me of the Kenner Building Sets I played with as a child. This Kickstarter has got me right in the feels.

There's something so special about a "toy" that transcends age. Woody Mac is a toy that's only limited by your imagination. It's a toy that favours creation over assembly. It's a toy you may well look back on decades later and remember as fondly as I do, my Kenner Building Sets.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

EQUES Smart Peep Hole

There are other smart door bells out there, but perhaps none as striking as the multi-faceted design of EQUES. It's a pretty good price point, and seems to offer some diverse functionality. The only thing that would clinch the deal would be a motion activated record functionality.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

United Rail

Ever wanted to make your apartment look like a boutique Chapel St shop? The United Rail is a self assembled display/storage solution for space constrained and design conscious individuals. It ships as close to flat pack as possible, but I can't imagine it shipping internationally for cheap.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Customise your Whiskey with Whiskey Elements

Unlike wine, whiskey does not continue to improve once bottled. It's the ageing in wooden barrels that impart all the delicate flavours often associated with an award winning drop.

Whiskey Elements have borrowed an idea from cheap spirit manufacturers in which "flavour chips" of oak and other woods are circulated through their rather ho-hum liquid to bring about a sophisticated taste in a fraction of the time. Whiskey Elements purport to flavour your whiskey in a mere 24 hours.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Uuni Stackable Containers

Personally, I've never had an issue proving dough. Apparently this is a thing? Regardless, these sleek stackable containers can serve many purposes than what they're designed for. What I particularly like is the re-use of the lid as a chopping board. Uuni is perfect for picnics, and so much more.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Refold's Portable Cardboard Standing Desk

Standing desks are growing in popularity as study after study touts their positive health benefits. We're being urged to sit less, and figures indicate no amount of exercise can undo a day spent at your own desk.

But a standing desk, especially a convertible one such as Refold, can be a seen as a significant investment. Refold attempts to overcome price issues by taking advantage of inexpensive cardboard, but unfortunately falls in the same price range as the plywood alternatives. 

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Zen Thermostat

It seems like every day a new home automation or internet of things device is offered up for crowd funding. It's hard to differentiate one from the next. The Zen thermostat shows potential that few others demonstrate, in that it has already undergone usability reviews, field testing and iterative refinement. You're backing a product that's ready to hit the production lines, and not a shoot for the moon, physics-defying concept.

Another reason competing products don't get featured here is their lack of integration points. The Zen thermostat is currently undergoing OpenHome certification, and the Melbourne-based team also aim to support Apple's Homekit ecosystem. It's hard to justify backing anything that doesn't support at least one of these APIs.

Back on Indiegogo

[crowdcurator]

YOHANN Stand

There seems to be a run on iPad specific stand this week. The Swiss-designed YOHANN uses a multi-faceted support structure to present your iPad at six different angles. It purports to work as well on your desk as it does on your bed. The Walnut, Oak, Maple and Cherry wood stands are the obvious stand outs. The lacquer version doesn't even compare.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Swing Bin

Japan has given us both Muji and Uniqlo of late, and for that we're eternally grateful. The latest design out of Japan as been dubbed "the only bin that Johnny Ive himself would use". The swing bin has a truly beautiful, minimalist design. It's awkward shape leads to expensive shipping costs, so think carefully before you back it.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Slim - iPad Stand

The simple and elegant Slim iPad stand is made up of anodised and sandblasted aluminium, with a design that borrows heavily from the iMac. Snap up an early bird deal while they're still offering free shipping and a heavily discounted price. 

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Hedge

Bright and colourful hangers for bright and colourful plants. The Hedge range offers hanging pendants and wall trellises in near limitless combinations. International buyers beware, shipping outside the US starts at $50 USD. Bring some tranquility to your home by backing Hedge on Kickstarter today.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

iCollection Leather Goods

Kickstarter veterans Chivote bring you their third crowd funded leather range, the iCollection. Beautiful, simple and elegant, iCollection delivers a quality product worthy of your fruit adorned products. Quality product design to accompany quality industrial design.

Crowdfunded projects are rarely delivered on time, so having achieved it twice already is a glowing endorsement of Chivote. Back with confidence.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Rollybot

It's common these days for a product to try and tell a story. Rollybot attempts to sell you on a particularly trite story, and it just kind of detracts from how awesome the product is. I mean, it's a remotely controlled spherical robot with a built in video camera. It would look at home in any sci-fi feature film, and you're trying to tell me how it's practical? Shut up and take my money.

Back on Indiegogo

[crowdcurator]

Noke: The No Key Padlock

A Bluetooth connected padlock? It's like a cheaper version of the Skylock, but with wider applications! Securing a padlock with Bluetooth may sound like a terrible idea, but their video demonstrating the quick click sequence may help allay your concerns. $59 USD gets you on board with the early bird price.

Back on Kickstarter

[crowdcurator]

Plusberry Pi

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. The growing use of Raspberry Pis as a home theatre solution means living rooms are a chaotic mess of hard drives, RPis and cables. The Plusberry Pi team aim to cut that down with a single case, providing extra USB ports (a must), a 2.5" HDD enclosure, a power supply and switch, all neatly packaged up.

Back on Indiegogo