Maker Paradise - Hear tips from the creators of crowdfunding projects daily.

Putting up the Christmas lights on your house is only nice after you’re done. Until that point, it’s hours of untangling cables, climbing up & down the ladder and dodging snow & ice spots. After all that effort, Darren Taylor found it dreadful to take them down again, only 2 weeks after. It was well into the spring that his buddy, Ross Harke, would still tease him about it. So they came up with a solution that would save everybody’s time and energy, in the moment we need it the most: during busy holidays. They called it EverLights. @MyEverLights are made of little LED buds that you simply can’t spot during the day. But by night, they light up in the color of your choice, from an application on your phone. Darren shares in the interview, other things we can do with the EverLights and how else he’s planning to make them even more interesting. Notes from the audio interview: Part I01:15 The repeated frustration that inspired Darren to come up with a solution02:30 What EverLi

When your friends ask you about your nice watch, there’s usually not much you can say: the make, the model and the store you bought it from. But imagine how interesting the conversation would be if your watch was made out of actual car parts. Christian Mygh from REC Watches has created the P-51: a mechanical watch made out of classic Mustangs parts. But @recwatches don’t only sell you a watch that replicates the Mustang’s looks. They also show you the actual car your watch is made of: its story, its previous owners, the roads it used to roam on and its journey to you. More than 400 people liked this idea and turned Christian’s project into a crowdfunding success. Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: Part 101:34 The inspiration behind REC watches02:57 What’s unique about the P-51 REC watch Part 213:34 Christian’s first entrepreneurial experience16:21 Difficult moments they went through as first-time entrepreneurs19:37 Making it through with the help of your best frie

Anything you do with a drone, you have to do it away from people, to avoid accidents. But this way, you miss out on so many close-up experiences. Safety was the first thing Laurent Eschenauer thought of, when he created Fleye: a flying robot that’s safe to fly anywhere and actively adapts to its environment. You can give it simple tasks to perform, directly from your smartphone, or you can take total control of it, with your piloting and programming skills. But most important, you don’t have to worry about bumping into it, as you would with a drone. Actually, you can @gofleye it anywhere you want, touch it, hold it and even push it without any risk of injury. Laurent shared with us all the things that make Fleye be the only one of its kind. Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: Part I01:04 What inspired Laurent to create more than a drone: a flying robot04:00 The solution that Fleye brings, in terms of safety Part II12:34 Walking the beaten path: challenges of coming up with a new kind of p

If you ever tried to do any activity with your earbuds on, you know what frustration is. If they have a cable, it’s always in the way of what you’re doing. If there’s no cable, you have to constantly secure them in. That’s how Christian Houle felt after repeatedly having to interrupt his workout every time his earbuds fell out. So he invented Phazon, a new kind of wireless earbuds. The kind that are so well designed, they only come out when you want them out. They also pulled a world’s first with the “one size fits all” feature. So you can forget about different size inserts as well. And because Chris listens to his backer’s wishes, he also made Phazon waterproof. I almost can’t believe I can jump rope, box, and swim without anything getting in my way. Good job, @PhazonAudio! Hear the complete story behind it all, from frustration to crowdfunding success, from Chris himself, in our latest podcast. Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: Part I03:30 Wh

Ever dream of becoming an accomplished DJ that can mix music, and produce top tracks? Now imagine you had a friend who was a top Professional DJ, who has worked with Beyonce and David Guetta.  What if he was willing to organize all the tools, samples, and the process that he uses in one hard disk? Joachim Garraud was getting a lot of requests from friends around the world who wanted to learn how to become a DJ and produce music. So he made it happen. Joachim created Producer Box.  It has all the software, samples that he uses and step-by-step explanations from Joachim on how he creates music. Producer Box is like having a Professional DJ sitting next to you and helping you get better at making music. Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: Part I01:23 Why Joachim wanted to create the Producer Box03:53 What’s unique about this project Part II15:03 Behind the scenes: Pre-campaign work18:36 Marketing strategies when approaching the music industry21:58 Joachim shares the key lesson he learnt

Looking for a way to have equal rights when cycling, even when there’s no bike lane? Jonathan Lansey from Loud Bicycle knows the roads are not as bicycle-friendly as they should be. So he came up with a solution to help bike riders stay safe on the road. The Loud Mini Bicycle Horn makes the same sound that drivers are programmed to pay attention to: the sound of a car horn. So when you use it, drivers will immediately react. Thanks @LoudBicycle for helping cyclists get the attention of cars with a horn that sounds like another car! Notes from the audio interview with the maker: (listen here) Part I02:02 Feeling  invisible to cars while riding your bicycle?04:12 What does the Loud Mini horn have that other horn’s don’t Part II16:49 Crowdfunding part-time and on a budget18:08 Eye opening confession: the time span between launching the campaign and delivering the product20:48 Going through hard times: how it felt on the maker’s side and how did the backes react32:58 Tips to avoid del

Imagine the world has suffered terrible destruction. Now you must choose a role and help the remaining fragment of civilization survive. Richard Todd Broadwater created a post-apocalyptic dungeon crawler that you can enjoy both with your friends around and also when you’re solo. With the aid of 40 amazing hand crafted miniatures, you can take control of as many characters as you want, during your journey for glory and renown into the darkness. What Todd brought is 15-20 hours of entertainment with the main storyboard alone. He expanded that with 3 additional campaigns, to add even more play time to your Blackout experience. Get to know the world of card games like never before, as Todd tells the story of his long time passion and reveals the details of a successful crowdfunding campaign. Notes from the audio interview with the maker: (listen here) Part I02:11 - What is missing in other games?04:21 - Todd describes the universe he created07:22 - Roles that you can play Part II12:52 - The journey of

Everybody likes sweet drinks. And it’s only natural to be that way: they taste so good! But they are so bad for your health... Parents have a particularly hard time making their children understand this. And even as a responsible adult, you may find it difficult to cut down on sweetened beverages. Isaac Lavi found himself in that exact position when his doctor told him to only drink water. It’s so difficult to follow that advice when it tastes so plain! So he created a cup that adds nothing to your water but fills your brain with the right olfactory sensations to trick you into staying healthy. Pour plain water into @the_right_cup and watch how your brain transform it into tasty orange juice. Healthy hydration: mission accomplished! Find out more from our podcast, as Isaac unveils the whole story about The Right Cup. Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: Part 102:06 Isaac’s personal story that inspired his project04:20 What is the solution that The Right Cup brings06:06 The “we

Do you know that promise we always make to ourselves that we are going to work out more? But with such busy lives, how many of us are able to keep that promise? Jonas Eliasson also wanted to include more fitness in his daily life, but he often found it difficult to take time from his schedule and go to the gym. So he invented the Me-Mover FIT, a second generation step machine on wheels, that allows you to work out on your way to the office, during your coffee break or on a shopping trip. @thememover provides a skiing like experience on dry land. That makes it fun to work out. And you can use it while you get around the city! Join us behind the scenes, as we unveil the story of the Me-Mover, from its runaway success on the first campaign to the better, fitness-improved version.06:53 - The background story that inspired the creation of Me-Mover09:13 - Jonas mixed skiing, riding and steering into the Me-Mover FIT: How does it all work18:30 - What drove Jonas and his team to get on Kickstarter20:05 - The experien

Did you know that when you travel, you are probably experiencing unnecessary fatigue from pulling a carry bag on wheel designs that are decades old? Extra fatigue takes it's toll on your body over many hours of travel. In addition to fatigue, we also worry that our bag will be lost or otherwise be damaged. An ideal bag should enhance our productivity by giving us the ability to charge our computer or phone, and providing a temporary mini-table to work from. Netta Shalgi has created G-RO, with specially designed wheels that reduce fatigue. It has an optional phone and computer charging station, an anti-theft location system, and is made to last. If we can avoid fatigue by having a G-RO bag that is better designed for travel, many people will want it. Check out the behind the scenes audio interview right below the photo at the top of the page. Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers:Part I01:46 – Solving unnecessary fatigue for millions of travelers05:27 – Raising the va

Have you ever been running outdoors, had it rain and ended up trying to complete your run with soggy shoes? For casual runners we end up with soggy shoes more often than we would like. For people who participate in outdoor sports challenges, this becomes even more important. Eric saw the 24 hours that most sports shoes take to dry out as unacceptable. He started looking for a way to solve this. “Crosskix is the shoe that Eric from @crosskix so we don’t have to run with soggy shoes. Brilliant!” Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: 02:07 - The main need for a new foam shoe 04:44 - What are the unique features of Crosskix 08:07 - The difference between the new 2.0 and the original APX 12:21 - Getting the Crosskix on the toughest terrain: Obstacle Course Races 14:15 - Aspects to learn from on each campaign 16:16 - How much does it cost you to have one pair of shoes that are fit for any activity 17:23 - The difficulties of finding the right manufacturer in a foreign country 19:46 - How to

Have you ever played a game with your friends and, although it was supposed to be entertaining, you felt like the play needed a little boost? How would you like to surprise your mates with more fun, tons of excitement and even a touch of chaos? If you’re wondering how that can be possible, imagine you can make your dice do the Boogie by only clapping your hands, snapping your fingers or banging the table. Boogie Dice does exactly that and a lot more: It is the world’s first self-rolling, sound activated, programmable, gaming dice You can make it receptive to different sounds, change its trigger mechanism from sound to motion, use its timer to keep count of your rounds and even use its randomizes function to add unexpected elements to your game play. The coolest new game accessory around can be easily programmed using an app on your phone or by simply accessing a webpage. Boogie Dice’s array of features makes it adaptable to almost any dice game you can think of, while its smart build ensures

Imagine a fly-free word: no nuisance at the restaurant, no irritation at home and no sanitary threat in the hospital. I know you already like this imaginary world: Dennis and Joylyn Darnell had the same feeling, so they made it reality. With engineering and business backgrounds, they found the perfect way to create a most-needed device: A simple and efficient trap for flies, that uses no chemicals, but simply their natural attraction towards smell. Never having to worry about flies landing on my food is such a great relief! Thanks @GarbageFlyTrap for being so awesome! Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: Part I01:47 - The widespread problem that inspired this solution04:59 - What’s unique about the Garbage Can Fly Trap07:44 - The wide applications of the trap Part II11:25 - Training for the first crowdfunding campaign13:32 - Manufacturing: other locations besides China15:30 - How Dennis and Joylyn chose their project goal17:02 - Complementary backgrounds that brought value to the campaign18:02 -

Whether you are a fan of the vintage in style, while still craving the utility of a multi-pocket modern bag, or simply wish to have a reliable suitcase to last you a lifetime of travels, say hello to KENDAL & HYDE’s new Weekender Duffel. Following their creed for Strength, Style and Utility, KENDAL & HYDE have completed their collection of satchels and briefcases with a 1940s-inspired, lifetime guaranteed duffer, made out of the strongest leather of old American cows and bulls, secured with the best hardware, stitching and finishing materials available on the market. Last but not least, the duffel has an excellent touch of modern utility: a classy but smartly located computer pocket, which can be easily accessed at security check, without rifling through your carefully packed clothes. As its makers put it, around the world on great adventures or around the corner at the gym, the Weekender Duffel is built to last a lifetime – two if you count the cow’s. Essential Learning Le

Erfworld 2016 Pin-Up Calendar is Rob Balder’s 5th successful Kickstarter campaign. Rob started Erfworld in 2006, and with the help of four different artists over the span of four books, they released a fantasy/comedy web comic about a master strategy gamer who is summoned into a game like fantasy world. Rob’s goal for this campaign is to collect high-quality prints of the first twelve pin-ups drawn by his current illustrator, Xin, over the last 18 months, into a 2016 wall calendar. The catchy part is that the calendar will show the characters the fans are used to, but they will be in a setting and a moment that is unguarded and personal, which might not ever come up in the comic. This way, the calendar will always stand as a special "master work" of Erfworld art. They are also extending their Battle Crest lapel pin collection with a new item you can get exclusively through the 2016 Pin-Up Calendar KS campaign. But what is more than awesome is that Rob is redirecting all additional money pledged to

In a world driven more and more by consumerism, it is very unlikely to get a lifetime promise from a company. That promise becomes a lot less likely when it comes to umbrellas: you know, those metal-pinned, fragile leaves we turn to when it rains, but which turn away from us in heavy wind, every time. Hedgehog Products not only breaks the rule on that exact promise, but also breaks the ground of the industry, by bringing you Cypress Umbrella, a product small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, yet sturdy enough to last season after season. Created by two mechanical engineers with an extensive experience in the automotive and aerospace industry, Cahay Ho and Kevin Truong, the Cypress Umbrella has a rigid structure 10 times stronger than traditional counterparts, an automotive-inspired Independent Suspension System to combat against chaotic winds and a brand new canopy for any given time you want to change its appearance. You can say goodbye to the classic after-storm image of a ruined umbrella, because with feat

Have you ever listened to music and thought “this doesn’t sound quite right”? Did you hear that strong bass or those high-pitched sounds that troubled your ears? Treelabs decided to give music the pure representation it truly deserves. They created Astro, the world’s only bluetooth speaker that doesn’t distort the sound. And because it also had to look good, they partnered with the famous Tatoo Temple to provide premium design options.  Tattoo Temple is one of the most exclusive tattoo studios in the world. Find out the whole story behind Astro directly from Chris, as he joins the club of successful crowdfunders with Astro. Audiophile or just a music fan, now you can listen to your favourite songs as they were originally recorded by the artists @AstroSpeaker Essential Learning Lesson From These Makers: Part I03:20 - What motivated Treelabs to “save” the music04:41 - How bluetooth speakers CAN be good07:41 - Combining hardware and design: the stylish tou

The need?Light plays a very important role in our health.  What you might not realize is that our exposure to light also affects our moods, which affects our productivity and even our relationships. Lack of quality sleep is a widespread problem. Natural light varies throughout the day in the intensity, direction of the rays, and in color spectrum.  The timing of these variations throughout the day are linked to our hormone levels. In particular these include stress hormones such as Cortisol. Having a light source that is close to natural light means it would change intensity, direction, and color spectrum. So is it possible to create an indoor light source that provides the same variation and quality of natural light? The solution?If you have trouble sleeping, or feel anxious, or depressed - you will want to look closely at the new light called Ario. Ario is designed to provide varying light throughout the day which as close to natural light rhythm as possible. What makes Ario smart is that it uses

Why do i need a pen like Squire?The founders of Baron Fig, Joey and Adam, had a unique approach to developing products. They ask people what they want.   The first product developed by Baron Fig, came about when Joe and Adam sent out dozens of surveys to journalists, authors, and writers at creative agencies and asked them if they still used paper notebooks. Would they want if they could create the perfect notebook? They got flooded with responses, and they created their first crowdfunding campaign which had over 4,000 backers and raised $168,000+. What’s unique about the Squire Pen from Baron Fig?With the Squire Pen, they followed a similar process.  Once people received their notebooks, Baron Fig started to get a lot of requests to make a Pen. Instead of rushing in, Baron Fig went through the same process again. They sent out surveys to dozens of writers, journalists, artists, and creative design agencies. What would they want in a pen? The Squire Pen, is simple, extremely well balanced, and

The need?If you ride horses for fun or competitively, you know that the sooner you can detect a problem in your horse's’ health, the safer it is for you and for the horse. Injuries to horses come from several sources. First the horse might begin to develop “lameness” in one of the legs. If detected early, problems leading to lameness can be helped by proper rest, treatment, and massage. If a horse is developing lameness (or having soreness) in one of it’s legs or hoofs, and you don’t detect it early enough - it can lead to serious problem for the horse.  It is also unsafe for the rider. Ensuring the optimal health of the horse also involves tracking details of each workout session. How long did the session last? What was the level of physical activity? How many jumps did the horse do? How far apart were the jumps? Instead of manually tracking the health of the horse’s gait, and their exercise level for each session, it would be tremendously valuable to have an objecti