A Backpack That Is Also a Portable Charger, And Wi-Fi NAS

In our weekly look at crowdfunding projects, we are trying to highlight the most interesting new innovations that you can be a part of. After all, the Pebble smartwatch and the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset emerged from this route, and we're watching out for what could be the next big thing.

The Colfax Smart Pack Kickstarter doesn't look to be a game-changer the way some of those other products were, but it is still very cool, and looks incredibly useful.

It's a small bag, around the size of a typical laptop backpack, with a sleek design and stylish colours. This is a grown-up's bag that you won't be embarrassed to be seen carrying, but at the same time, it has some secret superpowers.

The basic Colfax bag is not just a nice looking bag, available in cement and charcoal colours, with a rain cover that you can pull out from the base to make the bag waterproof. It also has water resistant pockets, and the whole pack can be opened like a suitcase for easy access to your gear. That's just the start though. There are two more variants you can buy.

The Colfax P comes with a built-in power pack that can be used to recharge your devices on the go, as long as they can be powered from a USB port. You can recharge the bag at home, using the built in power cable - you can even charge your devices through the bag while it is being charged.

The Colfax PHD includes the power pack, and also a 500GB HDD - with its own secure Wi-Fi network. This means that you can stream your media files to mobile devices while on the move; or connect the HDD to a computer at home to add media. You can connect up to eight tablets, smarpthones or computers to the HDD at the same time. There are also 1 and 2TB versions of the bag available at higher prices.

Incidentally - on the updates page of their Kickstarter, the Colfax team also noted that the bag meets the standards for the TSA security guidelines, which means that you should be able to carry the bag on flights without any difficulties.

To know more, check out the video below:

The Kickstarter is accepting funding until August 20, and estimated shipping dates are in December 2014. The Colfax bag will set you back by $129, the Colfax P is for $199, while the Colfax PHD 500GB is for $395. The 1TB and 2TB models are for $459 and $495, respectively.

To read more stories from the world of crowdfunding, click here.