Skip to main content

Amazon has just launched a store full of Kickstarter stuff

Amazon has just joined forces with Kickstarter to help promote and sell more than 300 products launched on the crowdfunding site.

The new Kickstarter Collection features as part of Amazon’s Launchpad portal, which showcases products from startups and forms part of a wider program to help small businesses get their products noticed.

Recommended Videos

Visitors to the new section of Amazon’s massive e-commerce site can browse the selected Kickstarter-funded products by categories that include electronics, home & kitchen, and books. You can also search by theme, among them “inventing the future,” “public benefit,” and “exquisite objects.”

A quick look around the electronics section reveals everything from famous Kickstarter successes like the Oculus Rift and Pebble smartwatch to less well-known products such as Kapture’s audio recording wristband and these interesting laptop desks that can apparently “fit in an envelope.”

Many of the Kickstarter-funded products listed in the new collection have actually been available on Amazon for some time, but this is the first time they’ve been brought together under one roof. It’s certainly a fun place to browse, with a huge range of fascinating creations just a click away.

“Working with Kickstarter is a great way for us to hear directly from customers what products they care about, since they truly hold the power to bring these products to life,” said Amazon VP Jim Adkins, adding, “Our goal is to enable [creators, inventors, and startups] to reach Amazon’s hundreds of millions of customers and to overcome one of the biggest challenges any startup faces – bringing their product to market successfully.”

As for Kickstarter co-founder and CEO Yancey Strickler, he said he was “thrilled” to be collaborating with Amazon as it created “a new path for [Kickstarter] projects to be discovered, experienced, and loved.”

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Amazon Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings series finally has a premiere date
An Early Glimpse of the Lord of the Rings TV series.

In 2017, Amazon struck a blockbuster deal to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved epic, The Lord of the Rings, to Prime Video as an original series. It's been a long and winding road, with a few COVID-related delays along the way. However, the first season has finally wrapped filming and Prime Video has set a date for the series premiere: September 2, 2022.

“I can’t express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth!," said Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke. "Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life.”

Read more
Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg helps Amazon launch Echo Dot concepts
amazon launches new fashion forward echo dot concepts midnight kiss 3

Have you looked at your smart home devices and thought, "Gee, I wish some of these were more stylish?" Now you have the chance to add a bit of flair to your smart home thanks to a collaboration between Amazon and the famous fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. This is done through the Build It program, a way for customers to pre-order limited-edition versions of popular accessories. In this case, the device on the table is the Echo Dot.
How Build It works
Build It gives customers a say in what devices are manufactured next. Customers choose from different concepts by pre-ordering the ones they want, often at a special promotional price. After its launch, the concept has a set pre-order goal that must be reached within 30 days. If it meets this goal, Amazon will build it, and those that pre-ordered will be the first to receive the product. If the concept doesn't reach its goal, it won't be produced. Either way, customers aren't charged for the device until it actually ships.

This system means that customers can vote with their preorders without wasting money on a device that may never be built. It's Amazon's version of crowdsourcing style.
Diane von Furstenberg concepts

Read more
Amazon Music now has a car mode, but don’t use it while driving
Amazon Music Car Mode

The Amazon Music app for iOS and Android now comes with an optional car mode that offers up a simplified interface that can automatically launch as soon as you connect to your car's Bluetooth system.

It looks like the ideal solution for those who don't have an infotainment system that's compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto but want to stream music from Amazon Music while driving. According to an email from Amazon's PR partner, the new feature was designed "to limit extensive browsing while driving." Curiously, however, on the webpage that promotes car mode, Amazon warns its customers that they should not "interact with this app while operating your vehicle." Which naturally raises the question: Why give the app a car mode at all?

Read more