Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
Last week's Switched On discussed the issues around crowdfunding liability, offering examples of some recent tech projects that delivered late or inconsistently, and explaining the justification for sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo denying accountability. Given this, there are a few options in how consumers choose to engage with crowdfunding sites.
Seemingly made for the urban warrior, the Energi charging backpack by TYLT does precisely what it claims to do. Hosted on Christie Street as a crowd-funded project and shown off here at CES 2013, the bag offers an array of compartments for everyday product storage (as you would assume), in addition to a charging base within its main pouch. The brick is capable of charging up to three devices simultaneously via USB, as well as a micro-USB port for juicing the bag itself. There's also an accessible slit on the lower right side for threading out cords and charging devices on-the-go. It's currently on sale for $169, but look for that price to jump to $189 once the company reaches its $150,000 goal.
Sarah Silbert contributed to this report.
Filed under: Misc
