Portable, cordless air-compressors aren't exactly new, but they're often bulky, limited in scope and ugly. In response to these issues, a team of engineers and product designers from Hong Kong has come up with the Norshire Mini, a compact, minimalist, multi-function pump/compressor for the iPhone generation.
Launching this month on Kickstarter, the device will not only inflate everything from basketballs to car and bike ties, but will look cool in the process. If the lightsaber was designed by the crew at Apple, it'd look pretty much like the Norshire Mini, and frankly, why shouldn't a tire-pump look as good as our other portable gadgets? Especially when most of the current offerings look like a home-brand cordless drill.
The designers claim that the Norshire Mini is the world's smallest and most portable tire inflator, and it may well be, but these sorts of claims tend not to last too long, thanks to competitions and innovation. Others like the Fumpa are indeed smaller, but don't have all the features. Still, at a sleek 208 mm (8.2 in) long and 40 mm (1.6 in) in diameter, the Norshire Mini is a true go-anywhere compressor, taking up very little room in the glovebox, backpack or even on the bike (though a mounting bracket would be handy).
Pledgers on the Kickstarter page have a choice of three configurations. Both the Power and Battery versions are rechargeable via your car's 12V cigarette lighter or the same 5V/2A DC adapter you use for your phone. The only difference between these models is pump speed and maximum air-pressure limit – 175 psi at 10 L per minute for the Power Version, and 65 psi at 17 L per minute for the Battery Version. Both weigh in at 450 g (1 lb).
The third option is the Battery-less Version, which has the same output rating as the Battery Version, but is shorter and lighter at 156 mm (6 in) long and 300 g (0.66 lb), and needs to be plugged into a 12-volt power supply.
All models feature an OLED display with capacitive touch; an instantaneous tire-pressure gauge that displays bar, psi, kpa and mpa; auto cut-off when the desired pressure is reached; and a thermostat that regulates the cooling fan.
Pledges start at HKD390 (US$49) for the Norshire Mini Batteryless Version, a 12-volt car adapter, air-hose and nozzles, charging cable and storage bag, while the Battery Version and the Power Version begin at HKD550 (US$70) and HKD600 (US$77), respectively.
The campaign has passed its goal with over a week still to run, and if all goes to plan worldwide shipping is expected top begin to backers of the Batteryless and Battery Versions this month, with the Power Version expected to ship in September.
The Norshire Mini can be seen in action in the pitch video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, Norshire
