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ICYMI: Cameras on Cops, VR beam onto Enterprise and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-467571{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-467571, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-467571{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-467571").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The Department of Justice just announced it will give $23 million to 32 states to help buy more body cameras for police officers. A virtual reality tour that would create all 42 decks of the Starship Enterprise is being crowdfunded. And an overfunded IndieGoGo campaign for a lamp that is exactly modeled on the moon is still available for your bedtime with tots enjoyment.
Quirky will sell its Wink smart home tech after going bankrupt
Quirky hinted that things weren't going so well when it stopped building its namesake oddball gadgets, and it's now extra-clear that the company has hit a rough patch. It's filing for bankruptcy in a bid to get its house back in order, and the restructuring effort will include selling off Wink, the firm behind its relatively popular smart home platform. The contract manufacturing outfit Flextronics is making a "stalking horse" offer for Wink to set a baseline price, but the hope is that another company will pony up a greater amount. So how does this affect you, then?
Engadget giveaway: win a smart home starter kit courtesy of Wink!
The changeover to smart homes seems inevitable, but you do have to make a reasonable investment in networked gear or you'll be stuck building a smart(ish) home one lonely, Bluetooth item at a time. This week, though, one lucky Engadget reader is going to get a boost into the future with a selection of Wink and other compatible smart home items. There's a Wink Relay so you don't always have to dig out your phone to control settings and a Wink Hub to unify the system -- compatible with WiFi, Z-wave, ZigBee and Bluetooth frequencies. That will cover the lamp dimmer, LED lightbulbs, connected lock and sensor pack in this prize bundle as well. If you get hooked, it's easy to expand your smart home's abilities by adding more items to the network as you go. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this IoT starter pack courtesy of Wink. Winner: congratulations to Luis B. of North Miami Beach, FL!
Quirky bails on building not-so-useful products
The Quirky dream is over -- or at least, it's fundamentally changing. The company just announced that it'll no longer be building products of its own, instead it'll focus on channeling ideas to corporate partners like GE and Mattel. Quirky launched as a way for anyone to pitch their unique invention ideas, which would then be voted on by the community and, if deemed worthy, eventually produced by Quirky. On top of the internet fame from getting your dream idea built, you'd also get a cut of the profits. But now, Quirky is changing things up, following a slew of unusual products (remember that smart egg tray?) that were often buggy, and which few people wanted to buy. The news comes as the company is preparing to announce a new round of funding, as well as additional funding for its connected home spinoff Wink.
Quirky wine rack could refill itself using Amazon Dash
Do you wake up in the middle of the night, soaked in cold sweat and frantically worrying, "Oh God, is my wine rack sufficiently full?" Well, fear not, because this automated wine rack from Quirky not only keeps tabs on your vital vino supply, it could even automatically restock its cellar when you run out of wine. The Poppy Reserve, as it's called, is a two-part system consisting of a smart rack and its associated app. The semi-autonomous wine rack comes packed with temperature, weight and humidity sensors. That way it can monitor how much wine you have left as well as whether they're being stored under the proper conditions.
Developer makes Amazon's Echo control Wink and Nest devices
After Amazon gave select developers access to an SDK for its Echo wireless speaker last month, we now have a few examples of what you can do with it. Developer Jeffrey Bachand has built apps allowing Echo to control his smart lights, which are connected to Quirky's Wink hub, as well as his Nest smart thermostat. In the video below, you can see the apps in action. Unfortunately, there's still no way for developers to publish apps to the Echo platform, but you can be sure Amazon will fix that soon once there are more apps lined up. Bachand also notes that the NDA for SDK testers has just ended, which means you can expect to see more Echo apps soon. Amazon added support for Belkin WeMo and Philips Hue devices to the Echo earlier this month, but the addition of third-party developers should dramatically increase the amount of devices it works with.
Wink has a fix ready for its busted smart home hubs
Over the last day Wink Hub smart home controllers were hit with a long outage that left many users disconnected for good and needing to return their units. Now, the company has worked out a solution that owners can apply themselves. Several people who were affected by the problem -- traced to an expired security certificate -- have already tried the fix on their devices and say it works. Ultimately, what owners will need to do is temporarily reconfigure the DNS setting on their router, which directs the Hub to a specially configured server where it can download an update that fixes the problem. Update: The directions are available now, check out the Wink support site here.
Wink smart home hubs knocked out by security certificate (update)
Now for the downside of a house loaded up with "smart" devices to allow remote control and monitoring: turning your home into a computer means computer-like problems. Today's example comes from the Wink Hub, a $50 device sold at Home Depot that's supposed to simplify things by working across standards and link common home appliances (lights, thermostat, garage door, etc.) to your phone. That was the plan until yesterday when Wink sent out a software update that went wrong somehow, and now a number of users have a box "so secure that it is unable to connect to the Wink servers" (Wink's words, not ours). The problem knocked all Wink hubs offline from 12:40PM to 11PM ET yesterday, and while the company says a "majority" of hubs were able to recover and reconnect, those that weren't will need to be sent back. Update: We've confirmed what several Wink users have reported -- it appears that an expired certificate is at the root of the problem. The update pushed out was an attempt to fix the issue, and judging by responses on the Facebook group it did work for some owners. Stay tuned though, we're expecting more information on the issue shortly. [Thanks, Paul!] Update 2: There's a way to fix the problem! Quirky founder Ben Kaufman tells us that Wink is currently testing it with a small group of users but plans to email directions out soon. Click here for more details, and keep an eye out for that email. [Thanks Larry, Steve & John]
Daily Deals for January 6, 2015, featuring the Quirky Apple Accessory Kit
It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring exclusive TUAW Deals, a handy list from Dealnews and our own handpicked iOS and OS X selections. All prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly. TUAW is not responsible for third-party deals and cannot guarantee availability or quality of any particular product at a specific price. TUAW's Daily Deals Quirky Apple Accessory Kit [On sale for $39, down from $46] It's a whole new world of cord management. Quirky is covering all your bases, from pesky earbud cords to overcrowded power strips, with 5 amazing accessories designed to the nines for optimal organization. Each product solves a different cord management problem: Cordies keeps desktop wires out of chaos w/ 4 tight-grip slots for even the thinnest earbud cords Pivot Power Pop's pivoting outlets accommodate any size plug so no plug is left hanging PowerCurl Mini keep iPhone chargers wrapped up neatly on the go PowerCurl is the Mini's older sibling, keeping your MacBook charger in order on the go Wrapster makes sure your earbuds steer clear of the usual giant knot with a handy wrapping technique Save 26% on Quirky Apple Accessory Kit at TUAW Deals. Dealnews Deals MegaMacs: [Mac Pro] Refurb Apple Mac Pro Workstations at MegaMacs from $600 + free shipping Microsoft Store: [Monitors] Dell 28" 4K LED LCD Display for $299 + free shipping Arrow Direct: [iPads] Refurb Apple iPads at Arrow Direct: Extra 20% off + $8 s&h Best Buy: [Laser Printers] Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer for $50 + free shipping Office Depot and OfficeMax: [Computer Desks] Brenton Studio Computer Desk for $60 + free shipping MegaMacs: [MacBook Pro] Refurb Apple MacBook Pros at MegaMacs from $700 + free shipping MegaMacs: [iMac] Refurbished iMac Core Desktops at MegaMacs from $500 + free shipping VM Innovations: [Headphones] Refurb Sennheiser Headphones from $10 + free shipping Other World Computing: [iMac] Used iMacs at OWC from $129 + free shipping Fry's: [Networkable Drive Enclosures (NAS)] Netgear ReadyNAS 4-Bay Gigabit NAS for $140 after rebate + free shipping Verizon Broadband: [Computer Services] Verizon FiOS 50/50 w/ Locals, HBO, more for $60/month Fry's: [Software] PC and Mac Software at Fry's for $0 after rebate iOS Software Discounts Small World 2 [iPad; On sale for $6.99, down from $9.99] Based on the phenomenally successful Small World fantasy board game with over 500,000 copies sold! Spirits of Spring [iOS Universal; On sale for $0.99, down from $9.99] Inspired by familiar struggles with bullies and isolation, Spirits of Spring is an empathy game rooted in deeply emotional storytelling. Doodle: easy scheduling [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $2.99] Find the right date and time for a group of people to meet with Doodle's virtually effortless scheduling! Slated - Translation Keyboard [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $4.99] Slated is a keyboard extension - it can replace your keyboard in other apps, letting you converse in another language. Ephemerid: A Musical Adventure [iPad; Now free, down from $3.99] Ephemerid is a musical adventure game about insects, bugs, and rock n' roll. Icycle: On Thin Ice [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $2.99] Games and art become one in the masterfully crafted and visually stunning Icycle: On Thin Ice. Apple's App of the Week. OS X Software Discounts Two Dollar Tuesday [OS X; Category: Various; $1.99] Two Dollar Tuesday is offering three OS X apps for $1.99 each. Titles include Instalyrics for Mac, Chronicle and Templates for Numbers. PhotoStitcher [OS X; On sale for $1.99, down from $19.99] Automatically Stitch Your Photos To Panorama! CVS [OS X; Now free, down from $4.99] New year's gift, for the health of your eyes! xClipboard [OS X; Now free, down from $9.99] xClipboard is a whole new way to use your clipboard.
Quirky wants to own your connected home with a slew of smart gadgets
Quirky is making a huge leap beyond cute, but not-so-useful smart home gadgets, like its infamous intelligent egg tray, into connected gadgets that could actually make your life better. At a press event today, the company unveiled seven new smart home gadgets produced together with its partner GE, ranging from connected light switches and electric plugs, to an ambitious smart thermostat that doesn't look like any thermostat you've seen before. The new devices join the Aros. the smart air conditioner the two companies launched a few months ago, and they're all compatible with Wink, the smart home platform that spun out of Quirky earlier this year. And as with all of Quirky's products, they're all born from ideas submitted by the Quirky community.
GE promises smart light bulbs without the usual steep prices
Many smartphone-controlled light bulbs cost a pretty penny, even if you're not interested in mood-setting colors or other elaborate tricks. How are you supposed to afford enough bulbs to illuminate your entire abode? That's where GE's new Link bulbs could save the day. While you'll need a hub ($30 by itself) to get everything connected, the LED-based white lights cost just $15 to $25 each -- in contrast, Philips' upcoming Lux models are $40 a pop. There's also a kit that includes two 60W-equivalent bulbs and a hub for $50, or half as much as you'd pay for an equivalent Lux bundle.
Wink wants to simplify the smart home with a universal app and $80 hub
You've probably never heard of Wink, but you may soon encounter its logo ("Wink app ready") or its smart home router (the "Wink Hub") the next time you go shopping at Home Depot. The logo will appear on a range of WiFi-connected devices from different manufacturers, including air conditioners from GE and thermostats from Honeywell, signifying that they can all be controlled via the Wink app for Android and iOS. The hub unit, which will go on sale July 7th priced at $80, will act as a secondary router for Wink-compatible devices that communicate over Bluetooth, Z-Wave or Zigbee wireless protocols instead of regular WiFi -- it's something Wink describes as a reluctant but necessary addition in order for these other sorts of devices to be easily controlled via its platform
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for April 14, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Kickstarter Simulator 2015 is a brief adventure from Frog Fractions dev
Those that follow crowdfunded gaming projects know the drill: As most developers' Kickstarter deadlines draw near, they like to remind you to pledge your monetary support so their visions can come to life, enticing you to do so by offering concept art or videos. In the case of Frog Fractions developer Twinbeard, with a week left to go in its Frog Fractions 2 campaign, it opted to launch a brief adventure game called Kickstarter Simulator 2015. Kickstarter Simulator 2015 is a browser-based "autobiographical game about running Kickstarters" that features videos of real-life friends of Frog Fractions creator Jim Crawford. Players click on the actors to keep them on track with the zany crowdfunding project so that it sees success a week from today. The point-and-click game is as quirky and hilarious as one might expect from Twinbeard, so it's worth checking out on the developer's site. The Frog Fractions 2 campaign is just under $9,000 away from its goal and ends on Wednesday, April 9. [Image: Twinbeard]
Quirky and GE cook up a smarter, prettier air conditioner
Quirky is more than just bendy power strips these days -- recently, it's been pushing its vision of the connected home thanks to a multi-million dollar partnership with GE. So far their deal has yielded stuff like intelligent egg trays (seriously) and clocks, but they're unveiling something much cooler today: the Aros, an 8,000 BTU smart air conditioner. Yes, really.
Switched On: The desktop dashboard, take two
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The last Switched On discussed the contrast between the $100 laptop concept of 2006 and the $100 tablet reality of 2013. In that case, an idea that didn't bear fruit was succeeded years later by a different approach. However, what's even more rare is to see a failed idea by one small company tried many years later by another small company. This recently occurred with the introduction of the Quirky Nimbus, a physical desktop dashboard that offers four customizable displays that keep track of your digital information, like the weather, commuter traffic, email and calendar updates. The product concept is very similar to the Ambient Executive Dashboard that a yearling Switched On addressed way back in 2005 with two columns focusing on the device and its content. Contrasting that product to the Nimbus reveals that much has changed about technology in the past eight years, but there are still a few things that plague this particular niche product.
Quirky's Crossover: finally, a truly unique iPhone 5 case
As you're probably aware, TUAW does a lot of reviews of iPhone cases. To be honest with you, most of the cases don't really catch my attention anymore. But this morning I got an email from crowdsource design firm Quirky about the Crossover (US$34.99), and it's so completely different that I had to write it up. Rather than the typical "stick the iPhone 5 into the case" approach, designer Richard Moreen had the idea of using a couple of big stretchy silicone bands that cross over (hence the name) the back of the iPhone. Want to turn the Crossover into a wallet case? Stuff your ID and some credit cards under the bands and you're done. The cool thing is that you can customize your case by selecting the color (there are 12 in all) for each band when ordering. For example, Colorado Rockies fans like me could select Wisteria Purple and Charcoal Gray for a nice tribute to our favorite baseball team... According to Quirky spokesperson Jaime Yandolino, today's the official release for Crossover, so you can order your custom "case" today.
Quirky helmet concept gives new meaning to headlight
As a general rule, it's usually never a good look to strap things to your noggin. That said, we're willing to let this particular Quirky-made concept slide for two reasons: it could very well save your motorcycle-loving life and it won't muck up your head gear. The in-development helmet light, which goes by the plain though apt Signal moniker, makes use of an elastic fiber-optic fabric known as Lumigram, thus avoiding the need for messy adhesives and, more importantly, keeping your biker fashion in check. So, how exactly does it help steer you out of harm's way? Well, by communicating wirelessly via RFID, the attachment doubles up on signaling safety, mimicking your ride's real-time responses for brake lights and turn signals. According to its creators, this hide-saving accessory could be "the coolest thing to happen to motorcycles since Easy Rider." We're not sure we (nor Jack Nicholson, for that matter) agree with that, but it should keep your body and bike free from the crush of neighboring wheels.
Credit card-sized stylus in the works at Quirky
Quirky is a design shop that uses ideas from a crowd of contributors and influencers to create new products. In the past, it's come up with some incredibly useful Apple-related accessories like the US$12.99 Power Curl, which has made its inventor almost $80,000 in royalties. Now the company is evaluating a new idea -- a touchscreen stylus called the Cipher (expected price $4) that fits in your wallet like a credit card. That's because it is a credit card, made with a capacitive material that acts just like your finger or a more traditional stylus. When you want to draw on your iPhone or iPad, you grab the Cipher from your wallet and go to town. There's less chance of losing the Cipher like a regular stylus, and the fact that it will be sold in a 2-pack means you can always have at least one in your wallet. At this point, Cipher's still in the product evaluation phase, but keep your eyes open for the clever flat stylus in the near future.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite quirky dev studio name?
I think it's safe to say that we all love a good sense of humor from our favorite games. One way to spotlight that humor front and center is for the MMO's development studio to name itself something silly or creative. With some good ones out there like Working As Intended, OneTwoFree, and The Amazing Society, we can see that these companies don't take themselves too seriously -- and that's a good thing! But now it's your turn. Not only do we want to know what your favorite quirky dev studio name is (MMO or otherwise), we also want to know what quirky name you'd call your own studio, given the chance. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
