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Peripheral Vision 011: Ayah Bdeir on the importance of knowing how your electronics work
"I didn't set out originally to start a company," explains Ayah Bdeir. "I was trying to solve a problem." She's seated in the solution, a sunny office space in downtown Manhattan. A portable dividing screen provides some semblance of privacy, separating us from a space packed to the gills with makers and engineers tinkering with LittleBits' newest products. The company is in the pre-holiday push, bringing 20 new modules to market, additions that bring the total number of available Bits to 60. In amongst the explosion of microcontrollers like Arduino and RaspberryPi, Bdeir's company offers something different: utter simplicity. LittleBits are targeted firmly as those with the desire to create, but largely lacking the technical expertise to do so - people curious about how their smartphones work, but with no idea where to begin looking. "I realized that electronics govern our lives and people don't understand them," Bdeir continues. "There are all of these tools available to hobbyists and tech enthusiasts, but what if you don't want to go through the step learning curve? We have to speak to the wider crowd, people who are not necessarily sold on the idea that they have to know how to wire a circuit or make something move." Bdeir will be appearing this weekend at Engadget Expand in New York City.
MYBELL keeps cyclists safe by blasting their MP3s of choice (hands-on)
Biking in heavily trafficked areas can be dangerous -- and few know this better than NYC cyclists. Peter Pottier is one of many in the Big Apple to survive a near miss while on two wheels, and that experience led him to develop a digital noise-maker to help keep bikers safe. The handlebar-mountable MYBELL, created by Pottier and his two colleagues, pumps out sound at up to 96dB -- the average mechanical bell tops out at about 70dB -- and features LEDs to improve nighttime visibility. Safety is clearly the focus here, but Pottier says he wants to improve the relationship between bikers and drivers as well. "I looked at what was currently on the market, such as air horns, but I didn't want to ostracize bikers." (Who wants to be accosted with that honking sound, after all?) To that end, the MYBELL is customizable; you can upload any MP3 file to the device via micro-USB, and you can choose different LED patterns in night mode. On top of the novelty value, hearing screaming techno instead of a standard bell ring will theoretically be safer, thanks to the wider pitch and range which make it easier to detect. And, if you're lucky, your taste in music might even earn the respect of that otherwise-hostile SUV.
Hands-on with Mr. Postman, a smart mailbox that links your inbox to your letterbox
Sometimes, even the oldest cliches can serve as inspiration. Take the dog and the letter carrier, for instance: when Manuel Masri first moved to the United States, he was surprised to find his canine companion obsessed with the mailman. Every delivery became an event, anticipation for a 4pm delivery and an excited pooch -- but the K-9 notification system only worked when he was at home. His solution? Mr. Postman, a mailbox that knows when to expect your mail, notifies you when it arrives and locks after delivery. Masri's smart mailbox falls into that growing category of the "internet of things," something that links typically disconnected physical objects with each other and your digital world. It also happens to be one of Engadget Expand's Insert Coin semi-finalists. We dropped by the company's show booth to see the project's take on the future of mail delivery.
Insert Coin semifinalist: Mr. Postman brings snail mail to your smartphone
As a general rule, we're in favor of any gadgets named for one of our favorite girl group jams. We've also got a soft spot for those projects looking to send a little love in the postal service's direction -- lord knows it can use it. Mr. Postman, naturally, fulfills both of those quotas. The smart mailbox communicates with your handset to let you know when mail has arrived. You can also use the app to lock and unlock your mailbox, to ward off those pesky neighborhood mail thieves. Now if only there were a high-tech way to tell them to get off your lawn. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: Smart Power Strip helps you do home automation yourself
Seems like everyone's trying to get a piece of the home automation action these days. Question is, however, if pricey catchall systems are really the answer. Smart Power Strip offers a simple, affordable solution, letting you control and monitor appliances in real-time using your smartphone. The power strip has outlets that can be managed individual via your handset both at home and remotely. The strip also features two USB ports for charging -- because it's 2013, after all. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: NutriSurface helps you monitor dietary intake
Sure it's no HAPIfork, but the NutriSurface was created to ensure that you're getting the most out of your diet. The nutrition tracking gadget comes in two sizes -- coaster and chop -- letting you manage nutrient levels, portions and the like. NutriSurface's creators are opening up the API for third-party developers to help expand usage, but in the meantime, the product has some interesting potential applications for athletes, people with diabetes, chefs and a slew of other folks with specific dietary requirements. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: DIWire Bender
Desktop 3D printing has exploded as of late, and portable CNC milling seems to be leaving its mark on the maker community. So, what's the next big craze? We could certainly get behind wire bending. Most of the applications we've been dreaming up since we first saw the DIWire Bender have revolved around freestanding sculptures, but give the diversity of materials, strength of objects and huge build platform, we're excited to see what the maker community can cook up with one of these. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: BlinkScan lets you scan multiple objects in a single go
So maybe its "scanning at the speed of light" claims are a bit overstated, but BlinkScan's capabilities are still pretty impressive. The peripheral scans, crops and straightens images in the speed its name implies, pulling out individual files when you can several images at once. After the break, you'll see a YouTube video wherein the BlinkScan does its thing with 47 coins at the same time, giving each its own individual file without ever having to open photo editing software. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: GrowCubes help your produce flourish indoors
This NYC Resistor-designed food system provides just about everything you'll need to grow produce indoors, including rotating shelves that'll assure that plants get the best light possible and an aeroponic spray mist that cuts down on water by 90-percent, eliminates the need for soil and delivers nutrients directly to the plant. All of the above is automated, using a network of sensors and info downloaded from the internet and culled from a network of experts. Check out a video of the stackable cubes after the break, and be sure to watch GrowCubess' presentation at Expand next month. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Announcing the Insert Coin: New Challengers semi-finalists!
They innovated, you voted, we tallied, and now it's time to announce the Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists who will be joining us at Expand next month. The 10 contenders will be tabling at Javits and will join us on stage to demo their entries, foron by our panel of judges, including Ryan Block, Ben Heck, Hilary Mason and Peter Rojas -- and you at home, of course. Check out the full list after the break and thanks everyone for voting!
Reminder: Insert Coin voting ends tonight at 11:59PM PT!
What's that? You say you haven't voted for the second Insert Coin: New Challengers? What are you waiting for -- voting wraps up tonight at 11:59PM PT / 2:59AM ET. The competition was one of the highlights of March's Expand San Francisco, and we're pumped to do it again at the Javits Center in November. You can cast your votes here, and if you need a bit of a refresher on the candidates, check out these longer writeups of the nominees. Now get cracking!
Peripheral Vision 006: Shawn Campbell on starting a radio station with a computer and microphone
"People sometimes say, 'oh, you're just like a real radio station,' " Shawn Campbell begins with a smile. "I have to say, 'we are a real radio station -- we're just one that doesn't have a broadcast signal yet.' " Campbell is seated besides a mic in studio B of what does, indeed, look like a real radio station. I might have half-jokingly made a comment along those lines when we arrived -- one-hundred-plus years of terrestrial broadcasting is enough to instill one with certain preconceived notions about what, precisely, makes a radio station. Campbell launched Chicago-based CHIRP in 2007 with terrestrial radio dreams and a team of 75 volunteers. "I'd had a couple of bad experiences in radio where I'd really poured my heart and soul into a station, only to have it thwarted by the owners," she explains. "Initially we thought that we were going to have to wait to apply for a low-power FM federal broadcast license. We thought we were going to have to lobby and change the laws to be able to do that. But we were so engaged that after about six months, we thought there [was] no reason not to start as an online station and continue our work to increase access for low-power FM and eventually apply for a license."
Insert Coin: GPS Cookie leaves a trail of breadcrumbs wherever you go (video)
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. Richard Haberkern's pretty much got this Kickstarter thing nailed down. The Soundlazer and Lumapad creator has now turned his attention to Arduino-based location logging, and needs your cash to produce the GPS Cookie. Slam in a microSD card and some batteries, and the unit will track the time, route, speed and altitude of all of your journeys. Coming in cookie and sandwich-shaped versions, the unit's available to backers for $79, while solder-happy modders can snag the unassembled version for $25. Unfortunately, the early-backer editions have already been snaffled. Curious to learn more? The video's after the break.
Hey makers, the clock is ticking -- Insert Coin submissions close in two weeks!
Insert Coin: New Challengers was far and away one of the highlights of March's first-ever Engadget Expand, and we're excited to see what the maker community has in store for round two. Time's running out to get those projects in -- we're closing the door on submissions on September 27th. Think you've got what it takes to earn a trip to Expand to compete for the $10,000 Judge's Choice and $15,000 Readers' Choice awards? Check out the contest fine print after the break and click the source link to submit your project!
Insert Coin: SparqEE CELLv1.0 opens up cell networks for Arduino and Raspberry Pi
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. Here's one to get the maker community's mouths watering. SparqEE CELLv1.0 is a compact certified cellular board that plugs directly into Arduino and the Raspberry Pi shields, letting you piggyback on networks all over the world. The company, naturally, is offering up plenty of potential applications for the technology: remote home automation, pet tracking, RC copter flying. You know, the usual. As ever, though, the fun of these sorts of things is in the execution the manufacturers never dreamed of. Of course, $70,000 is a fairly lofty goal for the component's Kickstarter campaign, so SparqEE needs all the help it can get. Watch the company's Kickstarter plea after the break. Previous project update: Choose Your Own Adventure is chugging along. The page-turner of a campaign is currently at $30,878 of its $100,000 goal. Thankfully, it's still got nearly a month to get there.
Ziphius gets fully funded on Kickstarter, expected to ship in March
Now that's what we like to see. Our first-ever Insert Coin: New Challengers winner has secured full funding over on Kickstarter -- and just in the nick of time. With just over a day to go before the end of its fundraising period, Ziphius has managed to pass its lofty $125,000 goal. That means we can expect to see the cool little aquatic drone shipping to backers in March of next year, just in time for the warm weather. And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that you too can live the crowdfunding dream. We've opened up entries for our second Insert Coin competition, as of late last month. It may not get you all the way to a final product, but with $25,000 up for grabs, it's a heck of a head start.
Submit your hardware to Engadget's second Insert Coin: New Challengers competition
Roughly this time last month, we opened up our second Insert Coin: New Challengers competition to all you entrepreneurial makers. The first one was an unquestionable highlight of March's first-ever Expand event in San Francisco, and we're psyched to see what you guys have in store for us this time. Ten semifinalists will get tickets to the show and a $1,000 travel stipend. One Judges' Choice winner will walk away with $10,000 and one Readers' Choice winner will get $15,000. Both will also score a product review on this site. Ziphius, which managed to pick up both prizes back in March, is entering the home stretch in its own search for $125,000 over on Kickstarter. The aquatic drone managed to capture the imagination of the Expand crowd and our online audience, beating out a number of impressive finalists, including the Make-a-Play, SmartPulse, Smart Knob and Snapzoom. Think you've got something just as good in the works? Well, now's the time to show us. Submissions are open now through September 27th. You can find all the necessary rules over on our event page.
Ziphius aquatic drone DIY Edition for makers offered up as Kickstarter reward
Ziphius, our first-ever Insert Coin winner, is halfway through its Kickstarter campaign and is looking for a little extra steam. As incentive, the company is offering up a pretty cool alternative reward for donors. Pledge $99, and you can get your hands on the DIY Edition of the aquatic drone. The kit includes a 1080p HD camera on a servo motor, Raspberry Pi and ATMEGA microcontrollers, a microSD card and a slew of other components to help you build your own Ziphius as an aquatic, terrestrial or aerial drone. The company's included an image of its own homebrewed land version for inspiration (see: above). More info on the offering can be found in the source link below.
Insert Coin: OnBeat headphones are powered by rock, the sun
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. Granted, they're lacking that ever-important rapper endorsement, but the OnBeats do have one important thing on their side: that giant atom-smashing ball in the sky. The black and orange prototypes feature a solar panel on the headphone band, with a battery in each ear cup. The panel feeds the batteries, which charge your phone via USB. For those times when solar charging isn't an option -- or you just need a full backup battery for a long day -- you can also refill the battery by plugging it directly into the wall. The headphones' Scotland-based creator Andrew Anderson is asking the Kickstarter community for a lofty £200,000, with a little over a month to make up the £197,000 and change. If you want in, a £69 pledge will get you a discounted pair (in the Kickstarter-only black and green), with expected delivery around February of next year. Check out Anderson's video plea after the break, along with some early OnBeat prototypes -- and a sunshiney Spotify playlist to get you started.
Submissions for Expand's Insert Coin: New Challengers competition now open!
Calling all makers, dreamers, inventors and entrepreneurs, Insert Coin: New Challengers is back for round two! We were absolutely blown away by the responses to our Expand San Francisco competition. We had a hell of a time whittling all of the submissions down to a group of semi-finalists and had a blast interacting with all of the finalists on the show floor. Ultimately, Ziphius' head-turning aquatic drone took home the gold, a well-deserved and hard fought win. This time out, we'll giving 10 semifinalists tickets to the show, along with a $1,000 travel stipend. One Judges' Choice winner will walk away with $10,000 and one Readers' Choice winner will get $15,000. Both will also score a product review on this site. Think you've got what it takes to walk away with the big prize at Expand NY in November? Well, now's your chance. We're opening up submissions today through September 27th. Semifinalists will be announced on this site and the big winners will be unveiled at the show. Submissions rules can be found after the break and over on our event page. We can't wait to see what you've got cooking this time out!
