

Ostrich Pillow - take a nap anywhere - deepakprakash
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ostrich-pillow/ostrich-pillow

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lambda
Does this really belong on Hacker News? This is the stuff of your standard
infomercial or Sharper Image catalog. Kind of gimmicky concept that tries to
convince you that really, it's cooler and more useful than it looks. Not sure
why this is on HN.

Also, doesn't this violate Kickstarter's new "Kickstarter is not a store"
rules, such as no having the rewards simply be "1 of x, 2 of x, 5 of x, 10 of
x"? And $75 plus $15 shipping? That seems pretty steep for... a pillow, even a
fancy one.

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Magenta
I think you might be right:

"Offering multiple quantities of a reward is prohibited. Hardware and Product
Design projects can only offer rewards in single quantities or a sensible set
(some items only make sense as a pair or as a kit of several items, for
instance). The development of new products can be especially complex for
creators and offering multiple quantities feels premature, and can imply that
products are shrink-wrapped and ready to ship."

Who the hell wants ten ostrich pillows anyway? A ten-headed narcoleptic hydra?

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jonchang
The guideline only affects projects started after September 20. This one was
started on the 18th.

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numlocked
I thought there would be at least some sort of acknowledgment in the video of
how absurd the thing looked - a little self awareness might go a long way
towards connecting with people otherwise put off my looking like an insane
person in public spaces.

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dmix
_Queues PGs post on Segways_

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jlgreco
Unless there are several of them, queuing them before cueing them is probably
unnecessary. ;)

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moocow01
Unfortunate name in that wearing it in public will definitely get you
ostracized - I have almost no doubt about that.

I think Id be genuinely afraid to wear this thing out in that it probably
suffers from the same thing mascots suffer from - there is an urge to tackle
you or bop you as if your a stuffed animal. I just feel like inevitably you'd
be awoken by a whap to the back of the head by some teenager on a dare.

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petewailes
I think you mean ostrichized, no?

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oliwarner
England here and we think you both mean: ostracised.

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dchuk
I thought this was a nicely put together spoof of kick starter, I'm
flabbergasted how that has raised so much money. The people using it look like
the heaven's gate cult photos from years ago.

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chao-
I don't really understand the cult connection, even after Googling Heaven's
Gate (I am too young to remember much about them directly).

But on the topic at hand, I would buy one of these, or at least, I definitely
would if I were still in High School. On state standardized test days
(normally a half-week occurring a few times per year), I (and many peers)
would inevitably finish in about 2 of 4 hours. Of course we were obligated to
stay in the room and remain completely silent for the entire 4, so I would
fold a jacket such that it fashioned a very poorly-functioning version of
this.

The main issue while using a jacket was having proper respiration between my
face-down head and the desk. If this product solves this when it comes out
(maybe I can try it out somewhere? Brookstone or some such?), I can see myself
considering it.

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dchuk
They all committed suicide with cloth bags over their heads. It's an extremely
creepy sight and I won't be linking to the photos for many obvious reasons,
but...they look just like they're all wearing this product.

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cdrxndr
Dying watching this video over here. Watched it twice and couldn't stop
laughing ...

Some missing FAQs:

* How fricking hot is it in that pillow-hat?

* How do you prevent people from messing with you when sleeping on the train?

On a regrettably serious aside, I _am_ curious if there is a natural advantage
to sleeping with you hands over your head - opens your lungs up, but would
make circulation more difficult ...

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mdonahoe
I too wondered about the heat. That is usually the first thing that affects my
ability to sleep.

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BasDirks
The design is based on a terribly unergonomic position, it's ugly, and it
looks perfectly possibly to suffocate yourself with it.

~~~
malandrew
I backed the project and I kind of agree that the armholes are kind of
unnecessary because that's not the most ergonomic way to use it, at least for
me. However that doesn't preclude using it the way I plan on using it, which
is arms crossed on the table in front of me outside the ostrich pillow with my
head in the pillow resting on top of my crossed arms. That's perfectly
ergonomic and a position I've slept in multiple times.

This project is particularly interesting to me because I'm not physically able
to sleep reclining or on my back because I snore so loudly and with such vigor
that my uvula swells up to the point that I can partially swallow it into my
throat. I welcome anything that makes sleeping face down, but still breathe. I
also see this useful on those cold winter nights where you want to keep you
head warm as well when in bed.

This is one of those project that either makes total sense to you or doesn't.
For me, it'll be a godsend. There are tons of times I've wanted something like
this, looking like a goofball be damned.

The pillow reduces not only light but sound too, while allowing you to
breathe. This is already better than most other sleep aids for sleeping in
public such as eye masks.

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anakha
Using one of these in a public place will be an invitation to get mugged.

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mdonahoe
I'm guessing this would get used in very loud public places, like airports or
train stations. I'm also guessing that muggings would be rare because of all
the bystanders.

However, wearing one of these in public is an invitation to get your picture
taken and posted on twitter.

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skeletonjelly
I think airports and university libraries are their big markets. Public space
would be off limits in my opinion.

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taylorlapeyre
I'm sorry, but this thing looks downright ridiculous.

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marshray
If you're willing to sleep in public then you already don't care about looking
ridiculous.

I find this product highly appealing.

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nekopa
Who knows, snuggies (I think that's the name, the backwards bathrobe/blanket
looking thing) have made lots of money...

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nivla
I agree, by looking at the percentage already funded, I think it has to the
potential to follow Snuggie's success. Infact, I found Snuggie to be a
ridiculous invention when it first came out and have good doubts about its
success. Well, its just a blanket with sleeves, who wouldn't see that through!
right? but boy was I wrong. It even made it to the people's top holiday
shopping list. So when I have a chance I snagged the misspelled variation of
its domain <http://www.snugies.com> when it expired from a domain squatter and
did it referral redirect to the product page on Amazon.

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lambtron
Just curious, how meaningful was the monetary return on the referral redirects
from snugies? Wondering if we should do the same and get ostrichpillows or
something.

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nivla
Don't have an exact figure since I use the same referral tag on different
sites but my estimation is about $100 per month in commissions for this one
page static website. Domains are inexpensive and they are the cheapest
investment you can have, so I would suggest getting it. However make sure you
get the SEO right. If you Google snugies, the first result is the link to the
above site. Try to have yours listed within the first 10 results for the prime
keywords.

Good Luck!

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phy6
Kind of expensive, I'll wait for a cheap Chinese knock-off on eBay.

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halcyondaze
You suck at life

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malandrew
This with an inflatable cheese wedge pillow would be the best thing on
flights.

Something like this:

[http://www.travelersjoy.com/images/item_images/archive/00000...](http://www.travelersjoy.com/images/item_images/archive/0000007364.jpg)

Leaning forward on flights like that is my favorite flight sleeping position.

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sixQuarks
I don't know how anyone could actually use the wedge pillow on a flight. There
is never enough room to use it.

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zamnedix
I don't care how ridiculous it looks, I think this is an amazing idea. I do
not do well in public places and have to find a way to detach every once in
awhile or I gradually get more and more irritated. This pillow is a godsend.
The next $75 I get is going straight to this.

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anmol
I don't care how ridiculous it looks. If it solves the red-eye and airport
sleeping problem for the rest of us, its worth it.

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paulmcpazzi
Basically it's like sleeping with an Half-Life headcrab in your head.

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scotty79
Might make a hilarious sex toy. Absurd for any other purposes.

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wslh
It make me laugh! Is it a "joke" ala
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokal_affair> ?

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monk_e_boy
Sleeping in a public place? With a bag on your head (and you hands tucked into
it)? Isn't that just asking to be molested or robbed?

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hamoid
I wonder if it includes flame retardant chemicals like other pillows do in
some countries...

