Hole(all) in One : The first portable eBoard and Backpack in One. The future of commuting?

For those with a long commute to work, the hardest part can be the last mile between getting off of the subway or train and walking to the office.

Not too sure how relevant these will be in a market outside of the US especially in a country like India with the prices it holds, the consumer education it requires and the spaces. However, it definitely is a product that gets the best of my greed, agreed?

Just pull a handle, and out pops a board that can travel up to 20 miles per hour, or up to 10 miles at a time. It's portable, can be controlled easily, functional with added assets and needless to say, its Eco-friendly.

The original Movpak, dubbed "the world's first backpack electric vehicle," missed its $100,000 funding goal on Kickstarter two years ago. Now it's back on Indiegogo with a more modest goal ($50,000) and a crazy amount of new functionality. As if building a backpack that converts into an electric skateboard wasn't whiz-bang enough, the new model pairs with your phone over Bluetooth, acts as a mic and speaker, has GPS tracking, headlights, and charges your other gadgets over USB. The new model also has a more reasonably sized remote control, and two motors instead of one for more oomph.

While the Movpak is fun when you’re on it, the backpack (which contains the battery) and the skateboard together weigh 17 pounds. In a pinch, it’s convenient to only have to carry one thing (as opposed to having a separate backpack and skateboard), but you wouldn’t want to go hiking with this thing — except for the fact that the giant battery can be used to charge other devices, like your phone. The backpack has a handle that extends to let you roll the bag around using the skateboard’s wheels.

So what's the catch?

There are quite a few. First, it makes for a pretty heavy backpack: The Movpak weighs 17 pounds (7.7 kg) empty. That's actually lighter than a lot of electric scooters, but it could definitely take a toll on your back if you plan to strap it there. (Movpak has anticipated this: there's a pop-out handle so you can drag it like a wheeled suitcase.)

Second, the Movpak isn't for sale yet. It's an Indiegogo project looking for crowdfunding to help support the fledgling company. That means if you plop down $599 thinking you're getting a huge early-bird discount (it'll retail for $1,200, or about £840 or AU$1640 converted), there's a decent risk you'll lose all that cash if the company fails or can't produce the product.

Movpak actually tried and failed to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter a year and a half ago -- but Kickstarter refunds money if a goal isn't met. Indiegogo doesn't.

Check out their video campaign here :

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