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The recent economic downturn affected a lot of different industries, but in many other industries, grandiose economic factors weren't as heavy an influence on business. One of these industries that continues to thrive regardless of the current state of the economy is the luggage industry. Even while recreational travel was down, business travel was in full swing as the only way to escape an economic downturn is to keep selling. Only closers get coffee, and companies like Phorce have a pot brewing.
Phorce is a startup that is seeking to tap into that sweet luggage market, estimated to be worth $48.4 billion by 2015, with their Phorce smart bag. In this age of too many mobile devices (I mean, do you really need an iPad and an iPad Mini?) the Phorce is a carry-all bag that appears at first glance to meet the needs of our mobile society. Of course, like many startups these days, Phorce is in the middle of running a very successful Kickstarter campaign.
The Phorce bag isn't just a cool looking bag that transforms from laptop bag to backpack to murse; that's not enough for a $200 initial price point (judging by reward levels on the Kickstarter page). Rather, the Phorce bag offers much more than your normal carry-on: the Phorce bag will charge your devices, including Mac laptops. The Mac version is separate from the regular Phorce bag, which includes three USB connections, two high speed ports and one super high speed port. As their slick campaign video points out, we all could use some extra charging time.
I know, as a frequent traveler, I'm certain of two things. I'm carrying a bag full of devices and I'm constantly looking for a place to plug them in. When attending a conference or event, the Phorce bag is worth the coin just to alleviate that worry. Additionally, the Phorce comes with an Android and iOS application that connects to your phone via Bluetooth. This tells you how much power the bag has left and sends a notification to your phone if you leave your bag behind, hopefully with your phone not left in it.
For frequent travelers, or just coffee shop squatters who have to fight daily for access to outlets, the Phorce bag is certainly going to be a huge benefit. The only thing I have to say right now is that they better start making some with different colors, because I can see this being a hot graduation gift. Stay tuned for a future review, but for now be sure to check out their Kickstarter Page.
