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Kickstarter brings crowdfunding to the UK on Halloween
Whether you're currently keeping calm, or simply carrying on, we've got some good news for you steadfast Brits: Kickstarter makes its official launch in the UK on October 31st. Sure, its arrival was rather inevitable, but All Hallows' Eve will mark the first time that inventors outside of the US can take part in the crowdfunding website. Kickstarter visitors will find UK projects listed alongside those in the US, and inventors who think they've stumbled upon the next great mousetrap may begin work on their listing today. Naturally, Insert Coin fans are bound to find some nifty projects work their way across the pond, but in the meantime, you can check out the commerce-related details at the source link below.
Kickstarter sends some love to Europe, will support UK projects beginning this fall
Kickstarter's US-based micro funding site has seen measurable success on this side of the Atlantic, and it looks like the company is planning to capitalize on that momentum, bringing its service to the United Kingdom later this year. A company spokesperson was unable to comment on the move beyond what was offered up in an earlier tweet, but judging by the 110 characters you see above, it appears that Kickstarter plans to open the site up to UK projects beginning this fall, with more information to come at a later date. That 140-character limit is hardly to blame for the micro-size tease, with much space to spare even beyond that rather informal sign-off -- it seems that the site just wants to get its ducks in a row before revealing more. For now, feel free to hit up the source link below to read the post and share your thoughts on Twitter.
Kickstarter pledges more transparency, publishes project stats page with daily updates
Every time we boot up a browser there appears to be a new iPad mount or Arduino project on Kickstarter, but just how many projects have there been to date? How many were successful? And how much might that microfunding startup be netting in commission cash? You can find all those answers through a new Kickstarter stats page (and some number crunching on a calculator), updated daily with key raw data that's tallied, and broken up by category as well. To date, 60,786 projects have launched, of which 24,986 (44 percent) were successfully funded, 31,722 failed and 4,078 are currently active on the site. Of the $261 million that's come in, $219 million has been in the form of "successful dollars," representing $10.95 million in income for the company itself based on a five-percent commission rate -- roughly the same amount raised for Pebble, a single project. Speaking of million-dollar-plus projects, there have been a total of seven, including one in the Music category, three in Games, two in Design and one in Comics (Pebble falls within the Design category, not Technology). There are plenty more stats to comb through if you've been hankering for a peek behind the scenes at Kickstarter -- it's all at our source link after the break.
Kinect Accelerator company profiles: Freak'n Genius, GestSure Technologies, Kimetric and Styku
Microsoft's Kinect Accelerator program kicked off over a month ago, but at the time we were only made aware of the participant start-ups' names, not their innovations. So, when Microsoft offered us the opportunity to talk with the folks behind four of the program's participants -- Freak'n Genius, GestSure Technologies, Kimetric and Styku -- we jumped at the chance. Join us after the break to see what this quartet of fledgling companies has planned to propogate the Kinect effect further than ever.
Microsoft kicks off Kinect Accelerator program to take 11 Kinect-centric start-ups to the next level
Microsoft unwittingly created quite the hacking cottage industry when it first introduced Kinect. Though it took awhile for the company to come to grips with the amazing inventions enabled by its sensor bar, Redmond eventually released Kinect for Windows. Now, the Kinect Accelerator program is here to take Kinect development even further. Kinect Accelerator is a three-month long incubator of sorts for folks with Kinect-basted start-ups. It works by providing the chosen ones with mentors from Microsoft Research, Microsoft Studios, Kinect for Windows and the Xbox team to provide support and knowledge to refine and improve their Kinect apps. Additionally, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs will be available to give advice help the teams craft business plans to help them become profitable. We had the opportunity to chat with Craig Eisler -- who heads up the Kinect for Windows team and is heavily involved with Kinect Accelerator -- about this new venture. Eisler told us that Microsoft's been planning the program since last summer after witnessing all the Kinect innovations that have been percolating organically. So, the Accelerator gives Microsoft the opportunity to find some of the best ideas and speed up their development. Microsoft wound up receiving almost 500 applicants to the program, and winnowing it down to a final 11 was no easy task -- the final 50 ideas were apparently all quite good, and the initial plan was to only take ten into the program. The 11 who made the cut hail from across the globe (US, Canada, Argentina, France, and Germany), and will receive $20,000 and office space, plus Kinect hardware and development software to get their ideas off the ground. Unfortunately, we couldn't get Eisler to tell us exactly what each team is working on, but he did say they'll benefit the medical, retail, fashion, and even farm industries when all is said and done. Specifics about the inventions will come later, once the mentors have worked their magic and the apps are closer to their final forms, so stay tuned. You can learn more about the Kinect Accelerator and the chosen teams at the source link below and PR after the break.
CES 2012 to feature 94 startup companies in 'Eureka Park TechZone'
CES hasn't exactly been known as the place where small startup companies catch their big break, but the CEA seems intent on changing that notion this time around. The organization announced today that its new 'Eureka Park TechZone" will feature 94 startup companies occupying some 9,000 square feet of floor space at The Venetian -- up considerably from the 28 companies that were signed on when the new area was first announced this summer. As CNET's Daniel Terdiman notes, digital imaging companies look set to have a particularly big presence in the area, including the likes of smartphone accessory-maker Kogeto (its Dot device pictured above) and the Cornell Research offshoot Mezmeriz, which is focused on pico projector technology. Needless to say, we'll be there next month to see what comes out of it.
AT&T Foundry innovation center opens its doors in Palo Alto to help devs do what they do
We've heard of keeping up with the Joneses, but this is getting ridiculous. First it was Verizon, then Vodafone, and now Ma Bell -- with an assist from Ericsson -- has built an innovation center in Silicon Valley. This new center completes the triumvirate of AT&T Foundry facilities (the other two are in Texas and Israel), and is a part of the company's strategy to accelerate the process of developing and delivering new products to its customers. Right now, there are over 100 projects in development in Palo Alto, and AT&T is looking to add more. Those who are chosen gain access to AT&T's networks and expertise to ensure that new projects play nice with all of the company's gear, and it's already produced a few things that were on display at the center's grand opening. Want a sneak peek at what's in AT&T's innovation pipeline? Read on past the break to get it. %Gallery-133819%
Vodafone Xone R&D center opens its doors in Silicon Valley, wants to help startups grow
Verizon's doing it, so why not Vodafone too? That's right, folks, the big red telco from abroad has decided to get into the swing of things in Silicon Valley with its new Vodafone Xone R&D center in Redwood City, California. Unlike VZW's Application Innovation Center just a few miles north in San Francisco, the Xone is focused on identifying startups with potential and putting their ideas on the fast track to proof-of-concept trials. In order to do so, the center provides technical expertise, business advice and access to its lab to ensure that products are compatible with Vodafone's global 2G, HSPA, and LTE networks. This R&D center is also aligned with Verizon's facility in Massachusetts, so budding entrepreneurs have access to stateside LTE infrastructure, too. We got a chance to check out the new business incubator ourselves, so read on for more. %Gallery-133022%
Gig. U hopes to bring Gigabit networks and straight cash, homey, to university communities
Familiar with Johnny Appleseed? He who traipsed 'round the country with a sack 'o seeds on his shoulder, planting trees hither and yon leaving apple orchards blooming in his wake? Gig. U is similar, only it's a project that aims to plant Gigabit networks in 29 collegiate communities to facilitate research, attract start-ups, and stimulate local economies. The plan is just getting underway, and the schools in question -- including Virginia Tech, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Alaska -- are asking private telcos and companies to help make their high-speed dreams a reality. In addition to benefiting the immediate areas, Gig. U sees these swift new networks functioning as hubs in a faster nationwide broadband system. The colleges claim that construction of these new information superhighways won't start for several years, so it'll be some time before they can help elevate us from our current state of broadband mediocrity. Chop, chop, guys.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Squirrel project revealed... as the Square iPhone Payment System
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/twitter-founder-jack-dorseys-squirrel-project-revealed-as-th/'; tweetmeme_source = 'engadget'; Remember the Square iPhone Payment System we told you about back in August? If you'll recall, the device -- which involves an iPhone app and associated dongle -- enables an iPhone or iPod touch to become a kind of mini credit card reader, allowing payments to be taken on the spot, no matter where you are or how big (or small) the transaction may be. When we'd first reported the device, word on the street was that it was only being alpha tested around New York City, and there wasn't much else to say. Now, we may have a little more insight on just where this device is headed, and who's behind the project. Jack Dorsey, the man who all but built Twitter in a matter of two weeks, has been working on a half-secret start-up project since around May. His new venture -- dubbed, funnily enough, Squirrel -- is based around the concept of using the iPhone as... yep, a portable, personal cash register; essentially the exact device which Square has created. And that's no accident. In the images we ran of the Square system, you can see a domain name on a receipt: squareup.com. Squareup.com is the domain of the Square System (obviously), and a casual investigation into the site's WHOIS profile reveals registrant info that points to an office in San Francisco, and a contact email address which reads... billing@paybysquirrel.com. Square, squirrel, square... are you getting it? So the cat, er, squirrel appears to be out of the bag. Now the question is whether or not Dorsey and co. can turn this fairly obscure piece of tech into the kind of firestorm which Twitter has become -- and who knows, maybe there'll even be a business model this time. [Thanks, Little Birdie]
