Monday, February 13, 2012

Help put the Lil'G Mini Boombox into production!

The Lil’G portable speaker system blends an 80s hip-hop vibe with the millennium’s urban, vinyl-toy look. 

It's always fascinating to watch a passionate artist/creator go through the entire life cycle of conception, prototyping, pitching, promoting selling, funding and finally manufacturing a brand-new product. This is a long-ass process, no matter how you cut it. Just ask Steve Talkowski about his Sketchbot figure, or try preordering a ThreeA toy. You're gonna have to be patient, no matter what kind of toy or product you are waiting on.

I first covered Jason Dollin and his Lil'G Boombox two years ago (February of 2010) when he teamed up with Mini at the Canadian International Auto Show. His Lil'G was but a prototype back then, and the Lil'G product helped jazz up the display that Mini had at the show.

Jason shared with us the trials and tribulations of having to have this brand-new prototype ready for public display. Luckily, he's a resourceful guy and the show went off really well for him.

Now, Jason and his Lil'G are in, perhaps, an even more vital part of the development process: funding and preorders! Jason has teamed up with Ideacious to set up preorders for the Lil'G Mini Boombox. The final product costs $95, and a $5 deposit secures your preorder. Go here to preorder your own Lil'G!

Ideacious is a little different than Kickstarter: Buy now & Make Money Later!
The idea is simple, by pre-ordering a product on Ideacious– that is, putting your money down on an item before it has begun production. Once Lil'G has met it's quote for units, things roll into manufacture. Pre-ordering rewards early buyers with more than just heart-warming feelings – you’ll also earn revenue on every production run after the initial one for the next 10 years!


Here are the stats on the Lil'G Mini Boombox:

- Portable carrying case so you can take it to the BBQ, beach, park or party!
- Device cradle in back to safely hold your music player while you're in motion.
- DIY white so you can express yourself and personalize with your own style!
- Durable retro boombox styled body.
- Dual speakers with great sound. (paper cones *3.600 Ohm / 149.762 Hz)
- Works with any digital audio device equipped with either bluetooth or headphone (AUX) jack. Bluetooth Activation: Double-tap the power button to put it in pairing mode with desired electronic device. 2.0 wireless connectivity Daisy chain capability for wireless stereo.
- Protective and removable speaker grills.
- Lithium-ion battery that lasts around 6-10 hours play time (depending on volume levels). Capacity: 900mAh
- Versatile charging (USB/mini USB).
- Free range controlling, to control Lil'G you use your MP3 device via bluetooth (or) while plugged in using the 8" AUX jack (3.5mm).
- Supporting independent designers. Buying from ideacious supports independent designers and injects fresh ideas and designs into the world. 

I highly recommend supporting Jason in his project- the satisfaction from playing a part in the funding of another person's dream is really tangible and it's one of the main reasons why I've helped fund several such projects. To place a preorder on a Lil'G, click here
Crowd-funding is the wave of the future!

If you want to learn more about Jason Dollin, go check out his website here.

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