A couple of months ago we wrote a story about how people check their phone before going to sleep and within three minutes of waking up. Now, for many this may be too long so a new project from Jim McGaw and Tara Armbruster might be the answer to those of you who can’t bear to be parted from your iPhone.
Swoop the owl, is a plush pillow that holds your iPhone safe and sound for use around the home and in particular in bed. We spoke with Jim to discover how he came up with the idea and whether he has any other projects up his sleeve.
The idea of Swoop the Owl
The gadgets and gizmos team has always said that some of the most innovative gadgets are born from necessity, and believe it or not, Swoop the Owl was no different. Jim explained how he came up with the idea, “I read a Stanford study last year that said 75% of iPhone users surveyed sleep with their phone. After doing my own anecdotal research, I determined this was common among not just college students but among several adults as well. I thought it would be nice to have a stuffed animal that would keep iPhones protected while people are sleeping, or to keep them from getting lost in the sheets.”
Not just for sleepy students
Although the initial idea came from a study, Jim and his business partner Tara explored and field tested the product within other demographics. Jim explained that the product has universal appeal. “I’ve done some informal market testing, and while college students like him, teen and tween girls really love him. Beyond that, I think he’s a good fit for anyone who sleeps with their iDevice,” he explained.
Any other plans?
Despite plans to extend the range in the future, Jim remains loyal to the current project with a firm focus on getting the product to early adopters from Kickstarter. He said, “If we get funded on Kickstarter, we’re going to work hard to get Swoop produced and sent along to our supporters as quickly as possible. From there, we’ll likely create other mobile plush animals to extend the line”.
Why kickstarter?
Jim and Tara seem genuinely grateful for all the support from their Kickstarter page, as a final parting comment, Jim explained “The Kickstarter community is a generous bunch of people who are anxiously looking for new ideas. They’re a great audience to have the privilege of interacting with. More practically, it’s a new kind of product, so we wanted to test the idea with people before we made any significant financial investment in the project”.
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For a more detailed look, please visit the official kickstarter page for swoop the owl and let us know what you think of the product below.
