This table will chill your drinks, charge your phone and play your tunes

The desk I’m currently sat at offers limited functionality. It has two drawers (one broken), and a handy hole down which I can drop some cables. It also shakes violently when I stand up, which is probably a testament to my limited skills with flatpack furniture assembly, but I’m going to generously call that a feature too.

Even with these three features, the table is clearly a creature of design stagnation. You could argue that it doesn’t need to do more, and that the pinnacle of its R&D was the addition of legs. Sobros, a project that has currently raised over $1,000,000 on Indiegogo, disagrees. The team believes that what the table is really missing is connectivity, bright lights and a banging sound system. Oh, and a way of keeping your drinks cold.

It certainly looks stylish, in an Apple kind of way. It’s all tempered glass and bright white surfaces – although passing the $1,000,000 funding target has resulted in the addition of a wooden version to the mix, if, you know, you want to add Sobros to your log cabin. The touch controls on the table can be used to control the music and set the temperature of the fridge to a chilly 1.1 degrees celsius. There are two USB ports and two power outlets, meaning that your devices – phones, laptops, gamepads – can always stay topped up.

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The plan is for the Sobro to eventually retail for around $1,200 (£930), but currently backers can get it for $649 (£503). Sadly, those British currency conversions are something of a moot point – for now, the product will only be available in the United States and Canada. “We see Sobro in homes around the globe. But each country has different standards for electrics and refrigeration that we must follow,” the FAQ explains. “For our initial campaign, we’re limited to the US and Canada, but if we get enough interest from other countries, we can add an international perk. Stay tuned for more.” The first shipments are expected around August/September time.

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Before you get too excited and start pressuring for a UK release, here’s our usual warning about crowdfunding campaigns: buyer beware. Don’t ever put down more money than you can afford to lose, as some campaigns don’t deliver on their promise.