We’ve all had moments where we wished we could tune out a particular person or muffle loud music without losing the ability to hear a friend’s voice, but standard earplugs don’t exactly allow for a lot of fine-tuning. But with a new product called ‘Knops,’ you can literally turn the volume of the world up or down in an instant. Founded by musicians, the Dutch startup aims to help you hear what you want to hear and ignore what you don’t with the twist of a tiny knob.

Each pair of knots has four modes you can switch between: the first is clear sound, the second reduces ambient ‘city noise’ by 10 decibels, the third muffles live music by 20 decibels, and the fourth is ‘isolation,’ blocking out 30 decibels. You can easily switch between the four levels whenever you want, eliminating the need to constantly pull out and reinsert your earplugs.

Noting that most earbuds are “downright ugly as hell,” the designers gave Knops a minimalist look available in four different colors and trims. You might imagine that they’d be unnecessarily high-tech, turning a simple product like earplugs into an expensive, high-maintenance gadget that requires syncing to electronic devices or battery charging. Surprisingly, that’s not the case. The creators wanted control over external sounds without the distortion that can come with electronic solutions.

How does it work? According to the creators, “Knops uses no electronics, no apps and no batteries. Instead our earbuds are acoustically engineered. The real sound is filtered using gold old physics. With the help of computer simulations and real-world prototypes tested in acoustic labs, we tuned Knops. We spend a lot of time fine-tuning the sound, so we can provide the best quality sound at every volume level. Working with the natural response of the ear canal.”

You can pre-order a pair by backing the project on Kickstarter for 58 Euros (about $62 USD) or more.

Blast your tunes out the eyes of either C-3PO or a Stormtrooper, the bass pounding from beneath their heads, with this set of Star Wars speakers painstakingly reproduced from George Lucas’ original designs. A company called ACWorldwide landed a licensing deal with Disney to release a range of characters from the films over the next 12 months, and is funding production of the first round on Kickstarter.

The designers started by sculpting originals of both heads, ensuring that every last detail is an exact replication of how the characters originally appeared. After making molds, they created reproducible castings using high-grade injectable plastic for “a more tactile feel and solid look.” The Stormtrooper helmet is made up of 48 different components.  In fact, these speakers are more like real character heads than the props used in the movies, boasting real vents and grills instead of paint and stickers that mimic them.

The 2.1 system combines stereo sound with a down-facing ported subwoofer for powerful bass. Measuring 12 inches in height, the indoor/outdoor speakers can be plugged in or taken on the go with a rechargeable battery. Player music wirelessly with built-in Bluetooth, or hook the speaker up to your PC or external audio systems. Once paired with your device, the speaker’s eyes with glow blue and the character will either say “I do believe they think I am some sort of god” or “move along.”

Each speaker will come in special Collector Branding packaging “reserved for only the finest authorized Star Wars merchandise.” As a backer on Kickstarter, you can choose from standard editions of each character, limited collector’s editions, or perhaps some of the most luxurious Star wars merch ever made: a white gold-plated version of the Stormtrooper, and a rose gold-plated C-3PO.

For the last five years, this photographer has been traveling around the United States and capturing an eclectic but dying breed of roadside architecture: the American rest stop.

Ryann Ford of Austin, Texas, who has taken 150 pictures of  these to date, notes that this architectural typology has been associated with ” rest, relief, hospitality, and nostalgia” for the last half-century. The shots shown here include Big Bend National Park, Texas (FM 170), Walker Lake, Nevada (U.S. 95), Thackerville, Oklahoma (I-35), Clines Corners, New Mexico (U.S. 66/I-40), Monument Valley, Arizona, and more.

Though The Last Stop has just reached her crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter, there is still time left to support the project in return for this oversized coffee table book which will be filled with 100 pages of images and stories. It represents both an aesthetic treat but also a critical archive of these structures, many of which are being abandoned or destroyed. Polaraids, prints and other prizes are also available.

“When interstate highways were first built, passing up many small towns, rest stops were a way to reconnect people to the places they were traveling though. They gave small towns a chance to show their cultural significance. Rest areas have become relics of America’s roadside past. These sites not only illustrate a unique period in the American travel experience, but are significant for the architectural forms found within them.”

Stripping away all non-essential functionality, these sleek audio accessories are tiny enough to be effectively invisible and entirely wire-free. No need to worry about charging, either – their small carrying case lets you power them back up on the go.

Earin just finished raising £972,594 on Kickstarter, over 5 times its original funding goal, reflecting how much so many of us wish to get rid of those pesky wires when listening to music on the move.

Beyond long battery life, ergonomic comfort, snug sport-friendly casing other essential considerations, stretch goals for the project include waterproofing, phone adapters and battery monitors.

From its creators: “No unnecessary functionality has been added. No sensors, no lights and no microphone, that’s right – no microphone! Not because we couldn’t but because we wouldn’t! We use balanced armature speakers, used in professional in-ear-monitors and hearing-aids to deliver the best possible sound and to keep power-consumption at its minimal. High-density rechargeable batteries are used to keep playback time up and size down.”

Much of the technical specs on their Kickstarter page will be of interest to audiophiles (and show just how much these makers have thought about their project), but in summary: “The architecture of the earbud is based on two main covers which are ultrasonically welded to create a water-tight seal, protecting the electrical components. The materials are carefully selected to withstand both climate and impact testing. As all project members have extensive experience of creating similar consumer products, we know what works and what does [not].”

Would you trust your skateboard to hold sensitive personal belongings, like your laptop or phone? The Briefskate has a built-in storage compartment designed to hold electronics, books, wallets and other small items in a lined interior compartment while you’re skating.

The idea is to eliminate the need to carry a backpack – though you’d better have a safe place to store your skateboard once you get to your destination. Designed by Alexei Novitzky, the Briefskate contains a padded, shock-resistant chamber to hold whatever you need to transport.

Of course, there’s always the chance you’ll wipe out and somehow manage to damage the items contained inside – but that’s a risk when you’re carrying them in a bag while skating, too. The Briefskate is available in long and mini versions, and they’re about to launch a Kickstarter campaign.