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60 seconds with the kit that makes everyone their own 'mini EPA'
Sure, there are plenty of consumer-focused gadgets in our Insert Coin competition. But at least one group has a much more altruistic vision. Public Lab wants everyone to have a spectrometer in their home that allows people to detect pollutants in their environment. The heart of the Homebrew Oil Testing kit is simple enough: a refractor that attaches to the camera on your phone. The cheapo version can be made from a DVD and a folded-up piece of cardboard, but there's also a heavier duty plastic model in the works. The other hardware component is a simple light source. In this case: a Blu-ray laser. If you want to know what sort of foreign substances are floating around in your water, you shine the light through a sample of it and into the spectrometer strapped to your phone.
60 seconds with Hemingwrite, an E Ink typewriter
Between social networks, video games and the endless void of procrastination we call "the internet," computers can make pretty poor writing devices. Isn't there something better? Insert Coin contenders Adam Leeb and Patrick Paul think so -- they've created the Hemingwrite: an E Ink typewriter that does almost nothing, save text entry. It's a minimalist writing machine that features a machine-tooled aluminum chassis, a satisfying mechanical keyboard and a six-week battery life. It's not completely devoid of modern faculties, however: it also automatically uploads your prose to a cloud storage system as you type it.
60 seconds with the team that wants to make every car smart
Wouldn't it be great if you could change your car's head unit as frequently as you do your smartphone? Enter Onics, a startup that's crafted a dashboard-mounted module that lets you turn your phone into your car's nerve center. Essentially, the hardware's just a double-din unit with a locking clip up front, that'll accept any Android or iOS smartphone that's up to six inches in size. Rather than trailing a power wire from the 12V socket, there's a built-in microUSB or Lightning port, and if your vehicle supports it, you'll even be able to start the car with your mobile.
10 reasons to join us at Engadget #ExpandNY!
It's what you've all been waiting for! Engadget Expand is the place this week. We're taking over the Javits Center in Manhattan on November 7th and 8th. We're pretty damn excited for what's on tap this year, and we think you should be too. But, in case you need convincing read on for 10 reasons to get pumped.
Engadget Expand is all about you. And us. But really, you.
Engadget Expand is our annual event that's all about you -- our fans. It's not your typical tech conference that's priced for people fortunate to have an expense account. We make the event completely FREE thanks to our generous sponsors, giving you the chance to experience the future -- right now. And while you're at it, you get to meet your favorite Engadget editors. When you join us at the Javits Center North in New York City next week on November 7-8, you'll be set loose on our show floor. You can check out some of our exhibitors and get your hands on gadgets that people can't buy yet (or in some cases, build your own in our workshops), head to our Expand stage and hear from some smart and inspiring people and so much more.
What's up with Engadget Expand?
We're just two weeks away from our free Engadget Expand event, taking place at New York City's Javits Center on November 7th and 8th and there's still so much to tell you about. If you can't join us in person, don't worry -- we'll keep you updated throughout the weekend with dispatches from the show floor and our livestream here on Engadget.
Engadget and JetBlue will beam you to Expand!
We're sending one lucky Engadget reader (and a guest of choice) to Engadget Expand in New York City on November 7-8, thanks to our friends at JetBlue Airways and our sponsors. What's more, if you're one of the 10 runners-up, Suitable Technologies will give you a block of time to mosey around the Expand floor remotely with its BeamPro device.
Last chance to vote for our Insert Coin semi-finalists!
Time is almost up to help us choose who the lucky 10 semi-finalists will be in our Insert Coin competition at this year's Expand. As a reminder, each one of the semi-finalists will receive a $1,000 travel stipend and a spot on our showfloor at the Javits Center. Then they'll have a chance to compete for up to $25,000 to help bring their vision to market. You can read about all of our contenders in the gallery below, then head right here to cast your vote for who should make it to the next round. But make it quick -- all votes must be in by 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 15th, 2014.
Here's what you need to know about Engadget Expand, so far
We've talked a lot about Engadget Expand so far (you know, that free event we're holding at the Javits Center in NYC on November 7th and 8th). It's time we got you caught up on who's speaking (and when), who's exhibiting on the show floor, what's up with Insert Coin and finally, the winner of our 'In The City' sweepstakes. Let's get started.
Wear your colors, Genki's face with Saints Row clothing line
Joining gangs is ill-advised, but wearing the colors of a video game's fake, comedy-oriented group? That probably won't ruin your life! Insert Coin just started initiation with its line of Saints Row clothing, and while a themed varsity jacket or hoodie would boldly represent your crew, you could always don a polo or t-shirt if you'd rather sport some subtlety. As you can see from the shop's imagery, supporting the Saints themselves isn't the only way to show your love for the series: Nods to both Professor Genki and the Saints Flow brand of drinks appear in the wardrobe. The collection's prices range from $30.80 t-shirts up to the $77 varisty-themed jacket, and though fans are welcome to place an order for any garment, the varsity jacket, Professor Genki-themed leggings and Gat's polo are only available for pre-order. As noted in Insert Coin's FAQ, if your order includes an item available for pre-order as well as something that's already finished, it will only ship when all involved items are ready to go. [Image: Insert Coin]
Submissions for our Insert Coin: New Challengers contest are open!
The Insert Coin competition has been a highlight of our Engadget Expand live events; a ton of great products have been demoed on-stage, and a few even walked away with piles of cash to help with funding. And with Expand NY on the books for November 2014, we're accepting product submissions today through September 26th. We're looking for the latest crop of innovative devices -- past winners include an aquatic drone and a cube for growing food indoors. Whether your project's up for funding on Kickstarter or you're just starting to show off hardware, we want to hear from you. Head here to submit your project, but not before reviewing our eligibility requirements past the break. And for those of you who'd like to attend our two-day tech fest, head to our event page for more info.
Kickstarter marks $1 billion in crowdfunding pledges
Ever thought that you'd never get anywhere by asking strangers to fund your invention? Kickstarter is proving you wrong, now that the site has raised over 1 billion dollars for personal projects. To celebrate, the company has revealed that after the US, the UK is the most generous backer of tech, that the most successful day for pledges is Wednesday and that you get far more cash in the first half of the month than the latter. Of course, for every crowdfunding success like the OUYA and Pebble, there's also the misfires, like the Ubuntu Edge and, you know, OUYA. But let's not take the shine off Kickstarter's special day, okay?
Upcoming Saints Row duds let fans properly represent 3rd Street
Showing proper respect for the 'hood is about to get a lot easier thanks to an agreement between Saints Row developer Volition Inc. and gaming-centric clothier Insert Coin which allows the latter to release a line of garments emblazoned with Saints Row themes. Included in the preview images on Insert Coin's site are a Saints Flow t-shirt, a classy Johnny Gat polo shirt, a hoodie sporting Saints colors and, most crucially, leggings covered in the grinning, Cheshire smile of Professor Genki. Visit Insert Coin for a full view of what the company has planned. While there's no specific release date attached to these garments just yet, Insert Coin hopes to release the line at some point in "early 2014." Prices have also yet to be determined, but if the price tags attached to Insert Coin's line of men's tees are any indicator, expect this Saints Row merchandise to be relatively spendy.
Mr. Postman launches smart mailbox Kickstarter campaign
All right, all right, Mr. Postman really missed the 2013 holiday season, launching its Kickstarter campaign on Christmas Day. But hey, hopefully this means that the Insert Coin: New Challengers semi-finalist will have all of the bugs worked out well in advance of next year's package-mailing scrum. And hey, now that you're flush with cash from grandma, perhaps you'd consider supporting the solar-powered, WiFi-enabled mailbox you unlock with your smartphone. The Mr. Postman app works along with the smart mailbox, letting you know when new packages have arrived and when outgoing mail has been picked up. Get in now and a pledge of $180 will get you the mailbox, set to be delivered this summer -- to your curb, we assume, seeing as how your mailbox hasn't actually arrived yet.
Insert Coin: capture 360-degree video with DLSRs and GoPros, viewable on an Oculus Rift
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Turning around is for suckers. Just screw a GP360 onto the front of a DSLR, GoPro or other video camera, and you can capture 360-degree video or stills. You can watch the video on your computer or mobile device or upload it to the Eye Mirror site for sharing. Pretty snazzy, no? The GP360's makers assure us that the add-on is rugged, too. They've tested it at down to 60 meters diving, in Arctic conditions and at up to 160 miles per hour while skydiving. Sounds like a pretty gig at the end of the day. The project's Kickstarter page has a lot more information, including links to some interactive demos that let you scroll around the aforementioned 360 degrees while the video plays. Pledge $196 and you can score a GP360 of your very own - or heck, if all you want is someone to talk to, $33 will get you the personal phone numbers of the guys behind the project. Previous Project Update: Looks like the GPS Cookie did just fine, thank you very much. The journey tracking device scored almost $30,000 out of a $7,500 project goal.
Smart Power Strip brings its home automation dreams to Kickstarter
Smart Power Strip landed its way into the final round of our Insert Coin competition the other week at Engadget Expand, and while it didn't take home one of the giant foam commemorative coins (or the prize money attached), it was an impressive feat nonetheless. Not taking home the gold means that Roger Yiu and team could use the money even more. The project just hit Kickstarter, in hopes of snagging $100,000. A pledge of $99 will get you one of the smart outlets, so you can bring a touch of low-cost, smartphone-controlled automation to your home. You can check out our hand-on with the the device here and watch the crowdfunding plea below.
DIWire hits Kickstarter, is already doing just fine, thank you very much
It's been a good week over at Pensa Labs. On Sunday, the Brooklyn-based team walked off with the $10,000 judges' prize from our Insert Coin competition and now its Kickstarter project's already crossed the $64k mark (out of a $100k goal). In fact, we'd suggest that it doesn't even need this coverage, but we're too smitten with the device to skip it. For those who weren't at the Javits Center over the weekend (and managed to go a couple of days without checking in on this site), DIWire is a desktop CNC wire bender. That means you enter the designs and it'll shape a piece of metal wire accordingly. The applications for prototyping and artwork are pretty clear -- and once this thing is actually out in the world, we'll no doubt see all sorts of cool uses its creators never dreamt up. All of the $2,500-level awards are now gone, so the cheapest you'll be able to get one for is $2,750. No firm date on shipping for the product beyond mid-2014 at this point.
The Engadget Show 47: Insert Coin - New Challengers
We got to hang with Spike Lee, LeVar Burton, Reggie Watts, Ayah Bdeir, David Gerrold, Bens Heck and Huh and Rachel Haot. We played around with Occulus Rift, some electric skateboards, a surgical robot and a few 3D scanners. Once again, however, our Insert Coin competition was arguably the highlight of the whole Expand event. Ten products competing for two big prizes, to help jumpstart their crowdfunding campaigns. Once again, the diversity of the projects was staggering -- a fact that no doubt made it all the more difficult for our panel of illustrious judges to pick just one winner. In this second of two Engadget Show Expand specials, we follow the journey of our top five finalists, MyBell, GrowCubes, Smart Power Strip, DiWire and Blink Scan. Huge congrats as always to all the semi-finalists and a big ole thanks to co-host Mark Frauenfelder and our four-judge panel.
GrowCube promises to grow food with ease indoors (hands-on)
Food. It's a bit of a big issue. After all, half the world doesn't have enough, and the other half has so much it doesn't really know where it comes from. Chris Beauvois, a software developer turned inventor, has created a device that could potentially solve both of these problems in a single swoop. GrowCube is a gadget that's designed to grow plants with aeroponics -- think, hydroponics, but with mists instead of trays of water. It uses just two square meters of space and 95 percent less water than traditional farming methods. Now the company is here at Engadget Expand as an Insert Coin semi-finalist in the hope of earning a big stack of cash to help bring this product to the wider world.
The NutriSurface is an intelligent food scale with Obamacare beginnings
Obamacare is probably the last (loaded) term you'd expect to read about on a tech site -- no less in conjunction with a nutrition-focused gadget. But Andy Tsai, creator of the NutriSurface, actually credits the controversial healthcare program for redirecting his company ReFlex Wireless away from a focus on nanotech and towards a technological solution for the food and beverage industry. Pulling inspiration from a CNN segment documenting the new challenges and nutrition label requirements for major food chains, Tsai devised an intelligent scale/chopping board that would be able to streamline the information-gathering process for restaurants and grocery chains. The resulting NutriSurface, now its third iteration, has broken away from its modest incarnation as a one-way communication device into two separate models: a coaster and waterproof chopping block that not only transmit nutritional info, but can also be programmed remotely. Neither device is yet on the market and both are still undergoing testing, but Tsai plans to launch an Indiegogo campaign for the product and, if its current market success is any indication, crowdsourcing could help to expand its uses even further. As Tsai put it, the NutriSurface was "built to be a hardware platform where developers can [create] their own applications," thus leaving the modest device open to myriad uses.
