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11 great crowdfunding campaigns to check out in December

We’ve got tiny PCs, a universal remote, and an electric motorcycle this month.

Fuell fllow electric motorbike in an industrial neighborhood
Image: Fuell

Crowdfunding is an excellent way for innovative products to see the light of day without the restrictions placed on in-house development at large companies.

It’s also a great place to check out video games from small studios, movies, and campaigns for social good.

With all those campaigns competing for your attention, finding ones based on your interests can be tricky. Let KnowTechie do all the hard work for you with our top picks for December.

Check out these 11 awesome crowdfunding campaigns this month

So… with how many crowdfunding campaigns are out there, how do you choose what to back?

Well, I use a combination of checking out their campaign page, looking to see if any of the comments on their show dissatisfied backers, and companies I’ve already had successful pledge fulfillment.

I also stick to gadget areas I know a bit about, like photography, cooking, maker tools, and writing implements. That way, I can judge whether the campaign’s aspirations are within reach.

I’m also picking campaigns with some time left to run, as it’s no fun finding out about excellent gadgets after they’ve finished.

So, with all of that out of the way, here are some of the crowdfunding campaigns I’ve found worthy of attention in December:

SUMJet Pro – The First True Cordless Dry Cleaner

Steam cleaners are great tools to degunk our homes and smooth away wrinkles in our clothes. The big problem is that they’re mostly corded, so you can only use them when near a socket.

SUMjet Pro fixes that with a fully cordless design that can create 320f temperature steam.

Superheated Ultra-fine Mist (SUM) can steam suits, car seats, and clean surfaces you’d rather not touch, like those in your bathroom or kitchen wall.


Zeus: World’s smallest 270W GaN charger

Chargeasap is back with a tiny 270W Gallium Nitride (GaN) charger. It has three USB-C Power Delivery ports and one USB-A port with QuickCharge 3.0, AFC, VOOC, SCP, and FCP support.

That’s most of the powerful fast-charging specs in one easy-to-carry device. One USB-C port is rated to 140W, to power things like the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The other two USB-C ports are rated 100W, and the USB-A is 36W max.


HEIPI: The Most Compact 3-in-1 Travel Tripod

For travel photographers, portability is key. HEIPI’s travel tripod has a three-pillar center column for more support.

It also means that you can take the center pillar out and have a second tripod on you at all times.

It’s constructed from carbon fiber, so you get the best balance of weight and stiffness for stability. HEIPI also comes with a pro-level ball head, so your shots will be supported at any angle.


Pimax Portal – World’s First Metaverse Entertainment System

Ever wanted a device that can transform based on how you want to play?

The Pimax Portal might be the closest thing so far, being able to change between a standalone VR headset, a tethered VR headset, a mobile gaming device, and a living room entertainment hub.

The Android device is powered by the Qualcomm XR2, the same chip in the Meta Quest Pro. It has a 4K LCD, or an optional QLED display with MiniLED backlight, and can output 4K at 120Hz when in docked mode.


The Skip 1s Universal Remote Control by Flirc

Trying to control your entertainment devices is tricky, with everyone needing a different remote. Flirc’s Skip 1s universal remote lets you control things with just one unit.

The software for the Skip 1s gives deep customization into user modes and looks like it works with all kinds of devices.

Drag and drop customization for every button is available, and you can customize the backlighting color.


FUELL Fllow: Ride Into the Future

FUELL and ex-Harley Davidson engineer Eric Buell are back, this time with an electric motorcycle.

The FUELL Fllow looks like a midsize motorbike, but it’s got the low center of gravity of a scooter thanks to the heavy and large 10 Kwh battery.

That battery gives it a 150+ mile range, whether you’re dodging through commuter traffic or opening it up on the highway. It has CCS fast charger capability to recharge in under thirty minutes.


Brightbin – Make your inventory smart

Do you have hobbies that involve storing parts, books, or anything else that needs an inventory? Brightbin is here to take the pain out of inventory management.

Digitally catalog your items, then let Brightbin show you a shelf to put them away on. On the flip side, you can use Brightbin software to locate the bin you stored the item in originally.


Nireeka Revenant – Full-suspension trail eMtb

This ebike has full suspension and mountain bike styling, with a 1000W hub-mounted motor. That gets a max speed of 35 MPH, and has a 50-mile range thanks to an 840 Wh battery using Samsung cells.

The frame is carbon fiber, stopping is handled by ABS hydraulic disc brakes, and the fast charger can get you back on the road in 3-5 hours.


GPD Pocket 3

Small PC form factors have a niche market, but nobody does it better than GPD.

The Pocket 3 has an 8″ screen with a 1920×1200 resolution (16:10), and either the Intel Core i7-1195G7 or Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor.

Either model supports Thunderbolt 4/USB4, WiFi 6E, has an IR camera for Windows Hello, and a pressure-sensitive stylus. You also get a 2.5GBe Ethernet port and a KVM module for controlling a server or other computer.


Retro Styled Modular IPS Display for old and new systems

Love retro gaming but not the weight of the CRTs you need to enjoy older consoles? Well, this retro-styled monitor might be the answer.

You get a 19″ shell that you can put any panel inside to create a personalized monitor. But that’s not all.

You can then add input ‘pods’ that house Component, Composite, HDMI, VGA, and MiSTer AIO for retro gaming, or a Raspberry Pi pod to turn it into a fully contained computer.


E-ink fans are going to love this tablet, which is one of the first to use the new E Ink Gallery 3 color technology.

It has a 300 ppi, just like the class-leading e-readers, but it has CMYW pigments to create saturated, colorful images.

The Bigme Galy runs on Android 11, so it has multiple productivity apps and a pressure-sensitive stylus with eraser. Perfect for annotations, writing, or sketching.


Crowdfunding is cool, but understand what you’re getting into

Getting in on a new gadget or tech before it comes to market is a neat feeling. When you back a crowdfunding project, you’re personally helping to bring something to retail availability.

That said, there are some things to keep in mind. While your pledged money to the creator is guaranteed, your reward is not.

Sometimes delays happen, and campaigns miss their delivery estimate. In rare cases, campaigns fail to live up to their promises, and you end up with nothing.

This is less common now that crowdfunding is more mature. The major crowdfunding sites have reviewing processes in place to minimize fraud, along with rules for campaigns to stay trustworthy.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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