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The best crowdfunding campaigns to check out in January 2021

PC accessories, iPhone accessories, and more this month.

Gemji crowdfunding campaign
Image: Gemji

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 January.

Check out these 12 awesome crowdfunding campaigns available in January 2021

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 January:

CLMBR: The Most Efficient Cardio & Strength Machine

It’s that time of year when we all let out a collective sigh for the ending of one year, and start making resolutions for the next. If one of those resolutions includes personal fitness, you can’t go wrong with CLMBR. The full-body workout burns up to 60% more calories than cycling, rowing, or running, and the adjustable resistance means you can tweak your sessions for cardio or strength training. Nice. All you need to do is find enough space to fit the machine.


GEMJI: The Most Versatile Board Game & STEAM Tool

I don’t know about you, but I’m rapidly growing bored with watching Netflix and mashing buttons on my console. Maybe Gemji and its game creation engine is the answer. It comes with 30 games and seven building models to start with, but the only limit to how many games you can turn it into is your own fevered imagination. Who knows, maybe something you create will become a hit.


ElecHive Portable & Universal Super Power Station

Having the power go out really sucks, especially in these days of shortened daylight. Have a backup on hand at all times with the huge battery bank of the ElecHive 2200. It’s got a huge 2,400 Wh capacity, using advanced LiNiMnCoO2 battery packs that minimize the risk of accidents. Those are the same battery packs used in modern electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3, so you know they’re safe and powerful. Oh, and the ElecHive can work in temperatures down to -4f or up to 104f in the summer.


Goovis Lite: Giant screen personal 3D cinema

Want to watch your movies on a 600-inch screen? Of course you do, so you need the Goovis Lite. Using AMOLED screens, it’s got the highest pixels-per-inch of any HMD, so you get crystal clear content watching, without bothering anyone else in your home. You can use it via USB-C or HDMI, or plug it into Goovis Cast and get wire-free viewing, wherever you are.


TurboHub: SSD and multiport adapter

With ports fast disappearing on laptops in the search for slimmer devices, you’ll need a way to connect to your other accessories. Enter TurboHub, a port-filled adapter that’s also an external SSD for additional storage. Add up to 4TB of SSD storage, and add HDMI, USB3.1, Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, an SDcard reader, and Ethernet to your laptop, tablet, or phone from one device. Nifty.


Snapods: TWS earbuds that stick to your iPhone 12 with MagSafe

Got a new iPhone 12 with MagSafe? Wish you could stick your earbuds to the back so you never lost them? Well now you can, with Snapods. The slimline TWS earbuds magnetically attach to the back of your iPhone 12 to carry them everywhere, and they’re Qi-charging enabled so you can recharge them straight from your iPhone.


Mindnap: Your personal meditation coach

With all the stressors of modern life, it’s great to just unplug for a while and live in the moment. Help yourself do that with Mindnap, the personal meditation coach that guides you through both meditation and breathing exercises to help you find your center. The only drawback? It’s not shipping until May.


HotDive: Turn your phone into a diving kit

If you love spending time under the waves, you know the high cost of underwater photo gear. HotDive is here to sink that bar to entry, with its innovative smartphone case that bundles a dive computer, underwater fill light, and fully waterproof enclosure into one low priced device. It even pumps out all the air from inside the case so you don’t end up with blurry or foggy images, something most underwater photo cases suffer from.


GENKI: ShadowCast for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5

Ever wanted to play your console but the TV is being used by someone else? How about wanting to use your fancy camera as a webcam, so your Zoom calls don’t look like something from the 90s? Well, you can do all of that and more with Genki’s latest gizmo, the ShadowCast. It’s a USB dongle that takes the HDMI out from your devices and replicates it on your laptop or your PC. There are even native apps for Windows and both Intel and M1 Macs, so you don’t have to fiddle around with game capture software.


Light Speaker — A portable sound and light experience

Bluetooth speakers are cool, but they all tend to look like boring plastic tubes. Light Speaker from Transparent is different, using a glass cylinder to mimic a gas lantern, so you get 360 degree sound and a nice flame effect that pulses along with the music. Now that really warms our hearts.


Woobloo Smash

With the start of another year of lockdowns, keeping entertained is more important than ever. The Smash smart projector adds Alexa to the usual mix for hands-free viewing, a three-hour battery life so even the longest epic can be watched without cords, echo cancellation, and an HD projector for crisp visuals. Oh, and it’s portable, so even though you shouldn’t go out, you can still mix it up by watching in a different room.


GPD WIN 3

Want a portable console that can play all your favorite PC games? The GPD WIN 3 should be up to the task, with either an Intel i7 or i5 and Iris Xe graphics. It’s got a 1TB SSD for stuffing full of AAA titles, Thunderbolt, a fingerprint sensor, and all of the joysticks and buttons you’re used to from your consoles. Oh, and did I forget the slide-out screen hides a backlit keyboard, so you can use it to do work as well?


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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