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Sparkbeats iPhone 5/5s case shines a light on notifications: A TUAW Video Review
It's always fun to see former Kickstarter projects make it to market -- kind of like seeing a kid you mentored graduate from college. That's the situation with Sparkbeats (US$49.99), a unique iPhone 5/5s case that started with a successful Kickstarter campaign and is now available on BiteMyApple.co, the place where you can find a lot of cool Apple-related products. What makes Sparkbeats so different? A channel in the back of the case that reflects light emitted by the iPhone's camera flash. In theory, it makes for a bright and silent way of getting notifications, plus you can have a lot of fun with it at the same time. Pair it with the accompanying free app, and you can change the frequency of flashing, have it pulse out an SOS, flash in time with motion, or even have it follow the beat with music. Conclusion As cool as the idea of Sparkbeats sounds, I wasn't impressed with the execution. I explain in the video that not all of the app settings worked consistently (or at all), or sometimes required constant adjustment to get them working properly. Even when the app worked well, the effect was just not that impressive to me. If you need a flash notification, save fifty bucks and your iPhone's battery life by just enabling Settings > General > Accessibility > LED Flash for Alerts. Rating: 2 stars out of 4 stars possible
Crowdfunded Project News: The best of Kickstarter, Indiegogo and the rest
Every week, TUAW provides readers with an update on what new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects are in the news. This update is designed to give readers a heads-up on projects they might find interesting enough to back. Note that we're not covering those "projects" on Indiegogo where people are trying to get someone else to cough up money for a new computer or tablet... If a project reaches at least 80 percent of total funding and provides us with review material, we may choose to write a detailed post about it. This week we seem to have a plethora of projects from Kickstarter to cover, so I'll be skipping Indiegogo until next time. From Kickstarter: OK, Lupo. You guys say that your project is much more than just another "lost and found device." We've seen other projects that do the same things -- find your stuff, act as a remote -- but we'll believe you. Although I'm starting to get burned out by these devices, there appears to be a market hungry for tiny Bluetooth dongles that will help you find stuff. 18 percent backed with 35 days to go. Those smart kids at B&A Studio in Houston, TX have a new dock idea up their sleeves. Arq is billed as a modular nesting dock that works with any smartphone or tablet and multiples thereof. Very cool looking aluminum dock that is 30 percent funded, and has 43 days to go with its campaign. Would you believe it also works with cases on your iOS devices? We think you're gonna make it, Arq! And speaking of docks and/or mounts for iPhone and iPad, I figured I'd better cover the Léaf Mount before my inbox is inundated with a few hundred more emails about it. It is a collapsible and transportable mount from Tajudeen Bisiriyu and Léaf, Inc that is about 36 percent funded with 50 days to go in its campaign. I have to admit that I like the looks of the Léaf Mount: How cool is the idea of a game (Mac, Wii U, Linux and PC) that has astronauts, architects, and scientists on the development team? Space Pioneers from Space Enigma Studios gives you the chance to "Build vast colonies and cities. Explore the many unknowns of our universe!" This project needs your support, though -- at this point, Space Pioneers only has about 20 percent funding with just 12 days to go. Now, you see the Léaf Mount above? Well, another similar stand that I've received tons of emails about is the Plinth. It's billed as a universal tablet stand, it's collapsible and transportable, and it's 52 percent of the way toward total funding with just over a month to go in the campaign. Here it is, folded up and sharing some space with a pair of EarPods in a carry bag: Last but not least is the Sparkbeats iPhone case. This is really pretty cool -- a case that illuminates your case with the help of the iPhone's flash to notify you of incoming calls or other notifications. With three days to go in the Kickstarter campaign, Sparkbeats has blown by its goal with almost 145 percent funding. If you're aware of any other crowdfunded Apple-related projects, be sure to let us know about them through the Tip Us button at the upper right of the TUAW home page for future listing on the site.
