No Risk, No Reward is a recurring weekly feature that spotlights two very different crowdfunding campaigns: one for a somewhat serious technology project, and one for a somewhat less serious technology project.
When it comes to crowdfunding, one major problem is figuring out what's worth putting hard-earned dollars toward. Some campaigns are better run than others, with fancy videos and flashing lights.
It's not an easy task picking one over another. That's where we come in, picking a couple tech-related crowdfunding projects every week to look at specifically.
For your consideration, this week features both male Kegels and sweet earbuds.
kGoal Boost
The kGoal Boost by Minna Life is an exercise tracker specifically made for dudes to sit on top of and do Kegel exercises. Kegels, as they're typically referred to, are meant to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to help with stuff like prostate health and bladder control. There's some science that suggests the exercises are genuinely helpful, and the kGoal Boost makes it easier than ever to do them.
How does the Boost actually do that? Well, in addition to the physical tracker that people sit on, there's a connected app for reminders, goals and guided workouts, and it even plays games with the pelvic exercises. The best part of the crowdfunding campaign might very well be the demonstration of a Kegels-based Breakout clone. There's nothing it adds that can't be done manually — well, except playing Breakout — but it makes the whole process that much simpler and easier to remember.
Also worth noting is the fact that the company successfully funded a Kegel exerciser for ladies previously, so it's not like they're new to the Kegels game. They even delivered in a reasonable amount of time, shipping to backers in January 2015. That's a Kegel tracker we can get behind.
Decibullz
On the other end of the spectrum — and the other side of the body — Decibullz by Decibullz Wireless are custom-molded wireless earbuds that come in a variety of colors. These are for the music connoisseur on the go that just hates having to plug things in and out of other things. It also acts as a lanyard!
According to the company's crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, the actual earbuds themselves are machined out of a solid block of aluminum — which just screams quality. The wire connecting the two, which is where the lanyard comparison comes in, also means that the pair keeps a battery charge for longer.
The best part is that the custom molding is capable of being molded over and over again thanks to its construction. Heating it in hot water lets the earbud portions get molded to fit new owners or old owners with suddenly different ears. The soft plastic quickly cools, meaning that it retains the new shape once all's said and done. The shaping only works because the earbud is technically two different portions: the moldable bit with silicone canal tip and the actual earphone and sound seal that connects into that.
For its part, Decibullz is no stranger to the earbud game. It has a selection of other earbuds available on its website, so the actual risk here is pretty minimal for folks who want to own a pair of their own. That said, there's no telling how a full run of these things might pan out until it actually happens, so there's always that.
