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The best crowdfunding campaigns to check out in December 2020

3D printers, face masks, and more.

Blanc face mask crowdfunding campaign
Image: Blanc

Crowdfunding is a really cool 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 even campaigns for social good.

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

Check out these 11 awesome crowdfunding campaigns this month

So… with how many crowdfunding campaigns there 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 prior campaigns show dissatisfied backers, and also companies I’ve already had successful pledge fulfillment from.

I also tend to stick to gadget areas that I know a bit about, like photography, cooking, maker tools, and writing implements. That way I can judge if the campaign’s aspirations are within reach or not, which adds to my decisions. I’m also picking campaigns with some time left to run, as it’s no fun finding out about cool campaigns 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:

Olive Pro: 2-in-1 Hearing Aids & Bluetooth Earbuds

These smart true wireless headphones pack a superpower. They don’t just enhance your music, they can enhance every sound around you, as they’re also an FDA class II hearing aid. That makes hearing enhancement finally in reach of anyone, without the high bar of existing, expensive solutions. The Olive Pro is stuffed full of all the tech you’d expect from a set of true wireless headphones of this price, active noise canceling, 18hrs of playback between the buds and the carrying case, and hifi quality sound.

Get a pair for $199 while the campaign is still running.


Chobe 2.0 – Every day carry made simple

What’s the worst thing about the majority of bags for everyday use? Is it the lack of compartments, or the substandard zippers, or maybe that your laptop won’t fit without a struggle? Gura Gear knows all of the usual issues, and Chobe 2.0 aims to fix every single one. It’s got over 20 compartments for everything from chargers to cables to your laptop, to anything else you might need. Adding Et Cetera cases into the mix lets you have see-through pouches to stow your gear, and there are two widths of camera inserts, to keep your camera and lenses safe.

I’ve been using the 13-inch Chobe 2.0 for a couple of weeks now, and it’s perfect for my Fujifilm X-T3 and a few lenses, along with all of the batteries, chargers, and lighting modifiers I like to carry when I’m shooting outside. Bonus points for it fitting my iPad Pro so I can edit before I get home.

Get the 13-inch version from $179 while early bird pricing is in effect or the 16-inch version from $209.


Polaris 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser TV by Bomaker

We’re all watching more TV than usual, so why not watch it on a huge screen? The Polaris 4K laser projector can project up to a 200-inch screen on your wall, using an ultra-short throw RGB laser. It’s packed with Dolby DTS audio, HDR10, 2000:1 contrast ratio, and a huge 2,500 lumens of brightness. Don’t worry about your eyes either, it’s got a clever distance sensor that shuts off the brightness when people get too close.

Sure, it starts at $1,999, but what price is a 100-inch+ TV? Go check it out on Indiegogo.


Impulse Neuro-Controller for PC Gaming

If you’ve always suspected that the only thing holding you back from esports greatness is the speed you’re able to click your mouse buttons, you might actually have a point. See, to press that button you need to see your target, move to aim, then lift your finger and put it back down again to click. Seems like a lot of wasted effort, since your brain knows you want to click before you start moving your finger. Impulse was created to shortcut your ingame actions, so you shoot when you intended to, not when your reaction times and finger allows you to.

It uses a sensor-studded glove to read your biosignals, figuring out what you were thinking of doing. That can lead to up to 80 milliseconds less between when you decide to hit the shot, and the game registering your input. That could be the difference between being the hunter and being the hunted. Exciting stuff.

Go check it out on Kickstarter, you can get Impulse for $123 while early bird pricing is in effect.


Blanc: Face the world with the only full-face modular mask

Look, mask-wearing isn’t going away any time soon. We might as well have a bit of fun with our masks, like this fantastic modular mask, Blanc. Sure, it’ll filter incoming air through two HEPA filters. And yes, it does cover your whole face so you might not be able to walk into your local bank, but are they even open for foot traffic? Don’t like the basic white? Mix it up with one of the other six magnetic coverings, or go creative and paint your own designs.

Go check out the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, where you can get Blanc for $79 while early bird pricing is in effect.


Geeek Club Cyberpunk Printed Circuit Board Construction Set

Most tinker kits are pretty boring to look at because most PCBs don’t really get created for aesthetics. Geeek Club is aiming to change that, with its new range of cyberpunk building models. One part electronics kit, one part model kit, several parts fun. Choose from the 3RT Cybercopter, MAT002 Wipe Racer, W4 Scout Recon, ANT Hexapod Tank, or MCX Two Legs Sniper kits, and build something cool to put on your desk, while learning basic electronics skills.

Get a kit from $39 while early bird pricing is still available, and don’t forget the $44 tools kit if you don’t have a soldering iron on hand.


The Camera Battery Re-invented with this crowdfunding campaign

It’s never been a better time to be a photographer, with modern cameras packing in video and photo features, and better ergonomics. One thing that hasn’t changed much though, is battery life. Most cameras have tiny batteries, so the overall camera doesn’t end up being huge. That’s a problem, especially if you’re using your consumer camera for video use. X-Tra has one solution, with a 3,700 mAh battery that charges via USB-C. That’s twice the capacity of most camera batteries, letting you record for longer.

Grab one for $99 while crowdfunding early bird pricing is in effect.


Zumy: Pro Studio Quality Light For Video Meetings

If you want the best quality in your video chats, you need to give yourself enough light so your tiny webcam can do its work. Zumy is a clip-on lighting solution with a pop-up softbox, so you get nice, soft, flattering light on your face. It has four lighting levels, is powered by USB, and folds down to pocket size. Oh, and it’ll limit the ‘hot spot’ effect on glasses.

Grab one for $49 while special pricing is in effect.


MIOPS Flex – Supercharge your camera with this smart gadget

We love MIOPS‘ photography gear here at KT, and they’re back with their latest supercharged camera trigger crowdfunding campaign. FLEX is packed with tools to create stunning time-lapses, HDR photos, capture moving objects, and insane lightning strikes.

Every single one of these photographic disciplines normally takes years of practice just to get the camera control needed, but no longer with FLEX. It can even deal with extreme light changes, like when you take day-to-night time-lapses. It can be light-activated, sound-activated, laser-activated, or with your smartphone as a superpowered camera trigger. That’s not all though, as FLEX lets you see what your camera does, and also change settings from your smartphone. Whew.

Grab an early bird FLEX for $219, over on Kickstarter


Creality 3DPrintMill(CR-30)- Belt 3D Printing For Everyone

Sometimes you need to 3D print something that’s longer than your printer will allow. Normally, that’s done in sections, with varying levels of success, but it’s a fiddly process. The belt printer from Creality lets you create huge prints, as the belt essentially lets you have an infinite length for your print. You can also use it as a production line, as smaller prints will just fall off the belt once it moves along. It’ll let you create hundreds of the same item without user input, or eventually, the ability to queue up multiple parts and automate your entire production run. Nifty.

Grab one for $688 while early bird pricing is in effect.


Canal Battery Guard: Double the Lifespan of Your Phone

If you’ve ever had a mobile device that lost battery capacity in the first year, you’re not alone. All the heat generated by quick charge systems is a killer for our batteries, unless mitigation is built into the device. Now you don’t have to count on the manufacturer to mitigate battery death, with Battery Guard. Plug the Battery Guard dongle in between your charger and your phone, then open the app and connect the two. It’ll take over your overnight charge, working to get your battery to 100 percent while reducing the stress on your battery by minimizing heating.

Grab one for $25 while the campaign is still going on.


Editors’ Recommendations:

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

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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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