Gear

Kickin’ It

Kickstarter Projects That Need to Happen

Unfortunately, not everything exists yet. Like invisible speakers. And little robots who hand you gin and tonics. We should totally have those by now. Enter: Kickstarter. Also enter: five projects that aren’t quite funded yet but definitely should be. It’s the future. Get excited.

BOT TO TROT

Your New Bartender: A Tiny Robot

The Thing: A little robot who lives on bar tops, follows black electrical tape wherever you lay it down and serves drinks.
The Financial Goal: $68,500.
The Real Goal: Whipping this little guy out at your next cocktail party and saying, “Here comes Doug. He’s my robot. Tom Collins, anyone?”

THE KING AND YOU

Resurrecting a Royal Yacht

The Thing: A campaign aimed at raising enough funds to rebuild King George V’s legendary racing yacht, Britannia, which he ordered to be sunk when he died.
The Financial Goal: £500,000.
The Real Goal: If you donate enough, you get to sail with the crew on the maiden voyage. Tip: donate enough.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

A Speaker That You Can’t See

The Thing: A transparent speaker that wirelessly streams music from your iThings.
The Financial Goal: $120,000.
The Real Goal: Playing music from an invisible speaker. If that’s not the real goal, then you may have a problem. Because this basically just allows you to play music from an invisible speaker.

THE SKI’S KNEES

A Homing Beacon for Your Skis

The Thing: Little sensors that attach to your skis and direct you right to them when you fall in deep powder. It’s like LoJack for ski gear.
The Financial Goal: $100,000.
The Real Goal: Peace of mind when you eat it on a double black diamond. You can’t put a price on that.

GOOD PHIL HUNTING

Phil Collins on Kickstarter. Who Knew.

The Thing: A mini documentary about Phil Collins’s attempt to redefine his public persona as a... collector of artifacts from the Battle of the Alamo.
The Financial Goal: $10,000.
The Real Goal: Well, it’s hard to say, really. It’s a Phil Collins documentary on Kickstarter. That’s happening. Sometimes goals are hard to define.