Knomo, a mobile accessories brand known for its cool designs, wants to make a high-tech backpack to overcome the frustrations felt by anyone who travels around for work, or just loves to take all their gadgets out and about. That means it needs to give power, keep everything inside safe, and make it very difficult to mislay. The result is the #LiveFree — yes, the name really is a hashtag — and it’s waiting for your backing on Kickstarter now.
It’s the #LiveFree’s wireless charging feature that’s really interesting. This is Knomo’s own system called DropGo, and it’s not built into the backpack as such, thus avoiding complicated internal systems. Instead, it’s a wireless power bank that slips inside a special pouch in a side pocket. That means it’s easy to take out and charge. It’s compatible with Samsung phones using the Qi wireless charging standard, or an iPhone wearing a special Qi charging case. Put your phone in the dock, and it charges automatically. Sadly, it’s not a universal system, so you have to order a bag that’s right for your phone.
The bag has a special compartment for a laptop up to 15.6-inches in size, a pocket for a 10-inch tablet, cable management pockets, various mesh pockets and storage spaces for headphones and all kinds of other accessories. Filled with all your equipment, you really won’t want to lose the LiveFree (sorry, that hashtag is just too much) backpack. And so in partnership with Chipolo, the LiveFree has Bluetooth tracking, with a tiny disk that slips into a specially made holder inside the bag. The bag’s last known location shows up on an in-app map, and an alarm can be sounded to help locate the bag if you mislay it, or to warn off a potential thief. Knomo’s LiveFree backpack is made from a water repellent material, and even has RFID blocking to keep your bank cards safe from snoopers.
All this technology and security comes at a price, which varies depending on the specification of the bag itself. A version with only the Bluetooth tracking cost 190 pounds (about $237) at the time of writing, but this is an early bird offer and is limited. Miss out and you’ll pay 203 pounds (about $253). Early bird offers are also available on LiveFree bags with both Bluetooth tracking and wireless charging, with prices starting at 222 pounds (around $277) for the Samsung version, and 251 pounds (that’s around $313) for the iPhone version, which comes with a case.
The project is live now, and is close to its 50,000-pound ($62,300) target. If it’s funded, the bags are expected to ship in September this year.
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