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ICYMI: Sims yourself into a new VR social network
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new social network for virtual reality just launched, geared towards users who will decorate rooms to their taste, then have online friends over to hang out in their rooms, sharing content and chatting in real time about whatever movie they might be watching. Meanwhile, a bike path in Poland is made of material that glows for 10 hours after being charged by sunlight. It's being watched through the winter and if it handles cold temperatures well, researchers will begin work on commercializing the material in the spring. Nissan's EV mobile office video is here, and if you're interested in that GoPro contest, the mountain biking video is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Phosphor's Touch Time is a smartwatch that doesn't need a smartphone (hands-on)
When we talk about smartwatches, it's normally devices that either work with your phone, or seek to replace them altogether. That's not the approach taken by Phosphor, which recruited former Nike designer Stefan Andrén to craft a model that's entirely self-contained. Of course, without a smartphone riding shotgun, the watch should have better battery life, but it also has to do the heavy lifting on its own. After raising more than $300,000 on Kickstarter, the Touch Time is clearly seeking to knock the Pebble from its perch, but will it succeed?
An early look at Phosphor's survival pseudo-MMO Nether
When I first learned I'd be jetting off to meet with Phosphor Games for a first look at its upcoming title Nether, I must admit I wasn't enthusiastic. I expected to see just another zombie-esque first-person shooter in a genre already overstuffed with shotguns and undead targets. But now that I've seen the demo in person, I might just have changed my mind. It's not really an MMO, not with 64 people on a map, but it's certainly skirting the boundaries; I'd consider it a happy marriage between Left 4 Dead and DayZ, so it's certainly the type of game fans of post-apocalyptic survival pseudo-MMOs will want to watch. The game's backstory features a near-future world, about a decade after a major mutation event called "the Cull" in the game's lore. Thanks to the Cull, the majority of the population transformed into zombies violent mutated humanoid creatures. I guess there's an attempt to avoid the classic zombie trope in Nether, but who's fooled, really?
Project Awakened's independent crowdfunding campaign in full swing
Project Awakened came up short on Kickstarter in March, raising $338,498 of a requested $500,000, but the team at Phosphor Games wasn't ready to give up on the game just yet. After a week-long survey that attracted 4,000 responses, Phosphor decided there was enough interest to launch an independent fundraising campaign, with a few new tweaks.Phosphor is using PayPal, one option that Kickstarter doesn't offer its projects, and its first goal is $250,000: the launch of multiplayer, mod-able Project Awakened: Danger Room in November. If Awakened doesn't hit that mark by May 5, all backers will receive a full refund.Donations range from $5 to $10,000, each with unique perks. In Kickstarter-inspired fashion, the Awakened campaign has stretch goals, including for the initial requested amount of $500,000, which sees Phosphor commit to a launch date of June 2014 for the expanded Project Awakened: Subject, rather than the standard window of "around" the end of 2014.So far Project Awakened has raised $44,696 from 764 backers, with 32 days to hit the first $250,000 goal. Check out the fundraising campaign on Phosphor's official site.
Project Awakened falls short of $500K Kickstarter goal
Project Awakened, the attempt to reinvigorate Phosphor Games' beleaguered superhero action game, fell short of its Kickstarter goal today, raising $338,498 of a requested $500,000. On Monday, with less than two days to raise more than $200,000, Phosphor Director Chip Sineni told us that if Awakened missed its Kickstarter goal, his team would continue to develop the game in its own time."If nothing else comes up for funding elsewhere – we will keep looking," Sineni said. "We would not be able to promise a 2014 beta, and it would likely take a long time to complete."At the one-day countdown, Phosphor put together a Heineken ad Hello Kitty piano recital video featuring the team drunkenly singing Tom Waits' "Innocent When You Dream." If that can't make a Kickstarter succeed, we just don't know what will.
On the brink: What's next if Project Awakened can't save the world
Phosphor Games has less than 48 hours to raise more than $200,000 for Project Awakened on Kickstarter. If Phosphor doesn't hit that goal, the $270,000 people have already pledged will vanish, and Awakened's current development timeline will be stretched indefinitely.Still, Phosphor Director Chip Sineni is optimistic about Awakened's success."We are feeling stressed, but we still feel there is time for the community to help us make this happen," Sineni tells Joystiq. "We got the Unreal Engine 4 tech demo out, we announced Austin Wintory joining as the composer and a lot of Kickstarters have last-minute surges."A lot of Kickstarters fall short, too: Last year, 2,796 video game projects asked for funding, and 1,885 failed. Of course this means 911 gaming projects succeeded, and those projects earned $83 million overall. Sineni wants to see Awakened in that second group, but the entire process has been a fast-paced learning experience on the whims of crowd-sourced funding. Only (a short amount of) time will tell if Phosphor absorbed its lessons too late.
Project Awakened brings super powers to Steam Greenlight
Project Awakened, the super-powered action game that Phosphor Games resurrected on Kickstarter, now has a Steam Greenlight page, hoping to eventually sneak onto that service. As Phosphor told us earlier this month, Awakened is a PC, next-gen game heavy on customization and kicking dystopic booty with a myriad of interchangeable powers.Get a glimpse of some early super-human combinations in the demo video below, and if you're intrigued, check out Awakened on Kickstarter and Greenlight.
Awakened returns with a new design strategy and funding goal: You
In November 2010, Phosphor Games was quietly shopping around a project called Awakened, a super-hero action title heavy on character customization and creative chaos. As part of its publisher pitch, Phosphor made a demo video for Awakened; it was rough and never meant for public consumption. It showed a city on the brink of man-made annihilation, tanks patrolling streets littered with blood, bodies and fire, and a cast of seemingly ordinary people with supernatural abilities: invisibility, force push, mind control, electric shock, on-demand armor, stealth, accuracy, a tornado.In January 2011, the video leaked."We didn't actually intend it to go out," Phosphor Games director Chip Sineni looks back on the day the video broke on YouTube. "We were kind of embarrassed because it was very rough and there was a lot of stuff that just wasn't ready to show to the public. We were really surprised by how many people were supportive of it."The video, rough as Sineni thought it was, resonated with the gaming audience in a big way. Publishers loved it, too – just not enough to pick up the project. Awakened fell to the back of Phosphor's priorities and out of the gaming industry's eye as the company focused on developing smaller, lucrative games, such as Horn and Dark Meadow for iOS. However, in the few years since Awakened burst into public consciousness, video game funding has evolved, and Phosphor may not need publisher approval to get the game off the ground. All it needs now is something it believes it has already proven – community interest – and somewhere to channel that support.Awakened has turned to Kickstarter.
Phosphor Touch Time reinvents the digital watch, asks for Kickstarter cash (video)
E-Ink watchmaker Phosphor thinks digital watches are a pretty neat idea. So much that it wants to reinvent the '80s staple for the modern era, so it's hired Nike+ designer Stefan Andren to design a touchscreen timepiece that doesn't need a smartphone. Touch Time has a backlit-LED, capacitive display that lets you swipe between faces and control a series of built-in apps. In addition to the usual alarm, stopwatch and world time, you'll get a calendar, reminder, calculator and it'll even track the phases of the moon. Since it doesn't need your smartphone for help, it'll run for a year on a single coin battery and is water resistant up to 30 meters. The first 200 backers can get one for $89, while $115 will buy you the pick of color straps -- and if you're really baller, you can get a recession-baiting $499 version that's dipped in 18-carat gold.
IRL: Nikon D90, myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 and Phosphor's World Time Sport
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Desperate times call for desperate measures -- namely, new gadgets. Disappointed with his Droid Charge's ever-depleting battery capacity, Tim took a $100 portable charger for a spin to see if he could eke out a little extra runtime before racing for an outlet. Meanwhile, Dan agreed to wear his first E-Ink watch after his analog Fossil timepiece outlived all compatible wristbands. Rounding things out, we have a more traditional account of gadget nostalgia from Don Melanson, who explains why he won't be replacing his aging D90 anytime soon.
Phosphor Reveal wristwatch hands-on (and giveaway!)
It usually takes a very particular type of personality to buy a crystal-encrusted object of any sort, much less something that you'd drape across an exposed body part like your wrist. That said, the pure novelty of the movement in Phosphor's Reveal line of watches might be enough to change your mind: it uses some sort of patented black magic to flip between two different colors of crystals to form digits that indicate the time. We've had a couple of the watches in our possession this week, so we're able to personally confirm the cool factor. What surprised us a bit is the amount of time it takes for digits to change: depending on how many crystals need to flip, we'd estimate it can take as long as a quarter second or so, because the crystals flip in sequence rather than all at once (perhaps to limit current draw). Like E Ink -- another one of Phosphor's specialties -- this "display" is bistable, meaning it'll stay put without any power consumption once a time is set. Of course, we don't know exactly how much power it takes to be flipping all these crystals every minute, so it's an open question how often you'll need to be replacing the coin cell. The most understated men's style is -- in our humble opinion -- simple enough to wear even if you can't stand the thought of donning dozens of Swarovski crystals, thanks in part to the fact that the bezel is a clean dark metal; of course, if you don't mind the crystals, Phosphor is happy to help you bling it up. Follow the break for some video of the watches in action! Oh, we almost forgot: we're giving two of these away. Right now. Here's what you need to know! The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. Two winner will each receive one Phosphor Reveal wristwatch. We choose which style you get. We can't honor requests -- sorry! If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, March 11, 2011, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Phosphor's Reveal wristwatch uses Swarovski crystals to tell time, bedazzle you
The Phosphor brand has usually been associated with E Ink watches in the past, but they're taking the off-the-beaten-path timekeeping technology in a very different direction this time around with the introduction of the new Reveal line. Of course, glittery little stones are no strangers to the surfaces of watches around the world, but with the Reveal, they play an active role: Phosphor is using what it describes as "proprietary Micro-Magnetic Mechanical Digital technology" to rotate Swarovski crystals into place to form digital time readouts on the thoroughly encrusted face. Think of it like an extremely low-res E Ink, we suppose... but with shiny rocks in place of electrically-charged granules of white and black pigment. The models are available in six styles -- four for women, two for men -- starting today from $199 and up. Follow the break for the full press release.
Engadget giveaway: win one of four Phosphor World Time E Ink watches!
We said you needed to be on the lookout for a giveaway back when we reviewed Phosphor's latest E Ink wristwatch last month... and, well, here we go! These lovely fashion accessories, which you'll find in today's edition of our Holiday Gift Guide, feature a curved E Ink display capable of showing two time zones of your choice simultaneously -- perfect for the geeky globetrotter. Though we can't guarantee it, we're fairly confident the winners will also receive the admiration of passers-by that happen to observe the watch on their wrists, so this is really a two-for-one sort of prize. Let's do this! The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. Four winners will receive one Phosphor World Time E Ink watch. If you win, we choose which style you receive. Unfortunately, we're unable to take requests. Sorry! If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Monday, November 29, 2010, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Phosphor World Time E Ink watch review
They may not be the highest-function watches you've ever seen, but Phosphor's line of timepieces can make a claim that virtually no other watches in the world can: they've got E Ink displays. Sure, Seiko's been teasing us all with gorgeous pieces of E Ink wrist candy for half a decade, but the critical thing about Phosphor's offerings is that they're easy on the wallet (relatively speaking) and you won't need to embark on a grueling multi-year journey through specialty jewelry shops in Asia to try to find one. The company just recently introduced its latest line of models featuring world time capability, and we've had a chance to check them out -- all four of them, to be precise. Read on for our quick review! %Gallery-106195%
Phosphor's latest watch can E Ink its way through 24 time zones
Tired of waiting for Seiko to produce an E Ink watch that mere mortals can touch, much less afford? A little company by the name of Art Technology has been delivering mass-market wearables using the technology since 2007 -- and its latest model dials up the functionality factor just a smidge by adding support for twenty-four time zones, two of which can be displayed simultaneously. Granted, it's using a segmented display, not dot matrix -- which means it bears a closer resemblance to that Timex you owned in the late '80s than Seiko's wild active matrix model -- but again, like we said, this one's actually quite affordable and it's available right this second. Depending on your choice of band style, you'll pay anywhere from $150 to $195; follow the break for the full press release.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Fun Stuff
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Still haven't found just the right gift for that particularly hard-to-buy-for someone in one of the more neatly defined categories? Well, then look no further, 'cause we've collected a wide assortment of other products right here that may have little in common with one another, but will each undoubtedly bring a smile to the face of anyone that receives one of them. Just try to remember you're not shopping for yourself.
Engadget's recession antidote: win a Phosphor E-Ink watch!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a curved E-Ink wristwatch from Phosphor up for grabs. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Special thanks to Phosphor Watches for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) E-Ink Digital Hour Clock Watch with Black Leather Band. Approximate retail value is $185. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, June 16h, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Phosphor intros new line of curved E-Ink watches
Yes, e-books and phones are awesome -- but there are plenty of other applications for E-Ink tech out there, and Phosphor has been selling its analog / digital combo E-Ink wristwatches for a while now. The company's now adding to that stable with a line of curved-display models available in your choice of leather, rubber, and stainless steel bracelets and one of two faces; one can be toggled between a large digit and graphical view of the time, while the other offers an always-on monthly calendar and a smaller time display up top. Prices start at $175 for the new designs and hit streets now -- and stay tuned, because we'll be giving away a few of 'em! We've had a chance to play with the watches, and the displays are as clear and crisp as E-Ink units we've seen; ultimately, we'd like to see what they could do with a matrix display, but segmented is a welcome first step. The models feel solid and well-built (the stainless steel versions, in particular, are pleasantly weighty on the wrist) and we get the impression that you could pass them off in virtually any social situation without the awkward "holy cow, you're a geek of epic proportion" moments. Click on through to the gallery to see both face styles and all four bracelets in action.
Reminder: Phosphor E Ink watch giveaways almost closed!
We know you want to be the envy of all your friends and colleagues by sporting one of the trio of Phosphor e-ink watches we're giving away, so if you haven't entered already, consider this a friendly reminder that the clock is ticking on all three contests. Entering is as easy as leaving a comment, so just make sure to read the rules and then throw your hat into the ring. Reminder: You can only enter once per giveaway (up to three times total).Read - Phosphor E Ink watch giveaway (part 1), closes tonightRead - Phosphor E Ink watch giveaway (part 2), closes Thursday nightRead - Phosphor E Ink watch giveaway (part 3), closes Friday night
Phosphor E Ink watch giveaway (part 3)
Yeah, we've got three Phosphor watches to giveaway this week, and today we're putting the last one up for grabs. No longer do you need to be an executive at E Ink Corp to get an electrophoretic display in your classy analog timepiece -- you just need to enter our contests (or pony up $250 of your own cash to guarantee it). Sexy hands-on shots below (which, ironically, do not really depict the watch on or even near our unworthy hands). Oh, and don't forget the rules. (Yeah, there are always rules.) Leave a comment below. How about you tell us what your current timepiece is? There's no wrong answer. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) But you CAN try your luck at the other two watches, just know that you can't win twice. If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. One winner per giveaway (as if that wasn't obvious). Each will receive a Phosphor watch ($250 US). Entries can be submitted until Friday, December 28th, 11:59PM EDT. Good luck! Full rules can be found here. Just in case you missed Monday's or yesterday's contest, here you go.%Gallery-12031%
