Here’s a simple yet great idea over on Kickstarter for an iPad accessory - the SoundJaw, by Matthew McLachlan. It’s an iPad accessory that redirects sound, giving it a louder and richer tone (all without batteries). It makes an incredible difference according to Matthew. The SoundJaw is very portable, so you can keep in your pocket when not using it. He also says that it makes the biggest difference when you are outside or somewhere with a lot of background noise.
Besides sound quality, he also wanted it to compliment the slimness of the iPad with a slim accessory. The SoundJaw works with the iPad in either landscape or portrait mode, no interference with your hands. It also works with a Smart Cover as well. Matthew even says that a future, more flexible version will also work with an iPhone 4, truly making the SoundJaw a universal accessory.
Promo video after the break.
The reason Matthew started a Kickstarter project for the SoundJaw is because the injection molding process involves a lot of up front costs. He has already put money into this so he could keep the funding price low - $7,000. This amount will be enough to guarantee SoundJaw’s project success.
According to the Kickstarter project page, the SoundJaw already has 232 backers with a total of $5,754 for the $7,000 he needs to make this project happen. There are only 14 days left and if you’re interested, please consider pledging. The pledge amounts start at $3 and Matthew has some very wild ideas on what to do if you contribute a large amount of money to his Kickstarter project. “If this project does well I will be shooting a video commercial involving a helicopter and the SoundJaw. I will also have a reward to accompany it if someone wants to take place in a video that is sure to go viral.”
The SoundJaw looks like a great idea and seems to be a great sound booster for a very small piece of hardware. There is no exact mention of the retail price other than the $20 pledge saying “You have just bought the SoundJaw accessory,” so I think it should retail for around $20 if this project is a success.