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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. While our policy is to not go into detail on items that haven't reached at least 80 percent of their funding goal, 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... From Kickstarter The ARK is ready to set sail. With a little over a week to go in its campaign, this next generation portable wireless charger (using the Qi wireless charging standard) is 300 percent funded. At this point, iPhone 5/5s users will need to pledge US$79 or more to get an ARK and a wireless charging case that works with their phone. The cool thing about ARK is that it is also a portable backup battery that you can take with you to wirelessly charge your iPhone. LabNation's SmartScope is another very popular project, well over 520 percent funded with a little over a day to go. It's a 100MS/s open source oscilloscope for iPad, and an excellent idea for anyone who develops for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or does their own circuit design and testing. A great way to turn your iPad or iPhone into an oscilloscope. Remember iCPooch, the Internet pet treat delivery and video chat station that we covered in an earlier roundup? It's now 111 percent funded with 12 days to go. If you feel guilty about leaving your pet at home during the day while you're at work, backing iCPooch will help you feel better about yourself. Gazer's digital gimbal stabilizer for iPhone is an amazing little device, using a gyrostabilized mount to make your iPhone videography look amazingly professional. With 20 days to go, the project has only raised 45 percent of its funding. From Indiegogo BluCub is a Bluetooth-enabled wireless thermometer and hygrometer measuring a tiny 50 x 50 x 20 mm. Operating on a single replaceable battery for three years, it transmits humidity and temperature information to your favorite iOS device every ten seconds. A very cool idea -- why there's no built-in ambient temperature measurement in our iPhones has been a mystery to me for years! This has a month to go, and needs your support as it's only about 8 percent of the way to being funded. Hat tip to Hal Sherman for bringing BluCub and the following item to our attention. Rawlemon Solar Devices is a company that is pushing spherical solar concentrators as a way to more efficiently utilize solar power, especially in northern climes. To give the idea a boost, they've created a small version of its device called the Beta.ey that uses the spherical solar concentrator idea to create a smartphone charger by day, LED light by night. Quite cool and 81 percent funded with 11 days left in the campaign. WiseButton has already raised much more money than required with a month yet to go. It's a "keychain wearable" device that can be used with an iPhone or other smartphone to serve as a remote for your iPhone or iPad while playing music or videos, or running presentations. It will also alert you if you leave your iPhone behind, and can be used with the Wise Button Sticker to track other items. Very cool looking, nicely presented, and it looks like it may be go for launch. 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 possible future consideration.
