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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.
And your Insert Coin winners are: DIWire and GrowCubes!
The votes have been tallied, the judges have conferred and we have a pair of winners in our Insert Coin competition. First up, our panel of experts have settled on a victor after much debate, and Pensa Labs will be taking home the $10,000 judge's prize for its DIWire. The automated wire-bending machine is sure to find a home in many a maker's workshop. The readers though, chose something different. Attendees and viewers at home cast their support for GrowCubes. The idea of stackable greenhouses small enough for a New York City apartment really captured the imagination of the public. And for that they'll be taking home the $15,000 reader's prize. So congratulations to our winners! Of course, the story doesn't end here for any of our Insert Coin competitors. We're sure some successful crowdfunding campaigns lie in their futures.
Here are your five Insert Coin finalists, cast your vote now!
It's been a long day of demos, tough questions and talking to potential consumers for our Insert Coin competitors. But the judges and readers have spoken, and we have our five finalists. MyBell, DIWire, GrowCubes, Smart Power Strip and BlinkScan will be moving on to the next round where they'll be competing for two prizes: one awarded by our panel of judges, and the other chosen by you the readers. Your vote here will select the winner of the $15,000 Reader's Choice Award from the slate of the five finalists. Read more about each project, along with the finalist projects, before casting your vote very carefully. Voting starts at 6:30 PM EST on Saturday, November 9 and closes at 4:30 PM EST on Sunday, November 10!
Hands-on with BITalino, a microcontroller board for quirky and serious projects alike (video)
It's safe to say that BITalino isn't your average DIY electronics board. For starters, the sensors that spring from the main unit (which comprises the microcontroller, Bluetooth module and power unit) are more at home in a hospital than they are scattered over a tinkerer's workstation. Jutting off the main board are a light meter, accelerometer, heart-rate sensor (ECG), muscle activity sensor (EMG) and a sensor to measure sympathetic nervous system activity (EDG). There's also a standard LED, and while all the above forms a single structure, each module can be snapped off to mix and match for specific projects. BITalino is a semi-finalist in our Insert Coin competition being held at Expand NY this weekend, but before that kicks off, we caught up with its creator Hugo Silva to talk about the board's inception, applications and what lies in its future.
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.
BlinkScan is a flexible, fast and high-fidelity scanning solution
Your scanner is stupid. You might not know that, but it is. Thankfully, Expand NY Insert Coin semi-finalist BlinkScan is here to give you what you never knew you needed. It's a device that scans images, documents or even objects like many other scanners out there, but unlike those dumb machines, BlinkScan tailors its output. Instead of producing a single image with everything lumped together, it crops out the individual items scanned (so that the background is completely eliminated), straightens the resulting images and exports them as separate files to your photo editing software of choice -- all in about three seconds. BlinkScan also delivers super-high-quality pictures thanks to its unique image-capture method, which the company calls "perfect color capture." To get such fidelity, the device takes three separate 10-megapixel monochromatic images (red, blue and green) and combines them into a 36-bit, 30-megapixel image.
Smart Power Strip set to bring simple, cheap automation to the home (video)
Listen, we'd all like an automated home -- we've got the appliances and we've got the smart devices. What we really need is a bridge between the two, something that allows our little pocket computers to turn our home devices on and off at will. There has been no shortage of attempts by some of the most prominent names in the industry to become a catch-all solution, but none have really managed to make a major impact on our day-to-day lives. It's hard to point to a single explanation for the lack of mainstream adoption -- though if we had to choose one, we'd probably point to pricing. After all, automation's a convenience, to be sure, but for the vast majority of us, thousands of dollars is an awful lot to pay for convenience. You could wait a decade or so for the cost to come down on some standardized solution, or you could bite the bullet and pick up something easier and considerably cheaper in the near future. It's not the most elegant solution we've seen, but Smart Power Strip is clever, intuitive and requires pretty much nothing in the way of installation to get started. Simply put, it's a power strip with a little extra. There's a WiFi module built in and controls that let you turn the individual outlets on and off using a smartphone and the company's proprietary app. That means you can turn the lights on the minute you get home without flicking a switch.
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: BITalino is a self-contained physiological tinker lab
You might be asking yourself, do we really need another electronics tinkertoy / microcontroller kit? And we say, you can never have too much of a good thing. BITalino takes the standard setup, and includes all the sensors you could want to get started building your next DIY project. There's a light sensor, an accelerometer, as well as sensors for electromyography, electrocardiography and electrodermal activity. All that data can then be fed to a host machine over Bluetooth. It even comes in a variety of forms: one where the sensors can be unplugged and rearranged, one where the components sit on perforated boards that can be snapped off should you want to position the sensors away from the main board and one where the company has already disassembled the various components for you. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: HeadsUP is a smartphone-powered HUD for your car
HeadsUP is in the extremely early prototype stage, but that hasn't stopped us from falling in love with the concept. Unlike many other heads up displays for cars, this one can be added to any vehicle and relies on your phone to power it. So there's no worry about the technology becoming hopelessly outdated. It displays the UI from your Android phone (or tablet, we suppose) on a transparent overlay on your windshield, allowing you to check your notifications or get directions while keeping your eyes glued to the road. And, rather than have to worry about taking your hands off the wheel to tap tiny navigation icons, you can simply wave your fingers at it to control the UI through gestures. Or, you can just talk to it the way you normally would using Google Now or S Voice. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: iOximeter is a simple, cross-platform wellness tool
Pulse oximeters that connect to your smartphone aren't exactly new. In fact, a super-hackable Bluetooth model called smARtPULSE wound up as a finalist in our Insert Coin competition early this year out in San Francisco. What sets the iOximeter apart is its cross-platform compatibility and extremely low power requirements. In fact, it's able to draw all the juice it needs from the headphone jack on your phone. The appropriate data is also transferred over a standard issue audio cable and presented in an app on your iOS or Android device. That leaves you free to charge your phone while watching your the oxygen saturation levels in you blood climb. Data is not only presented in real time, but recorded for later analysis. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
Insert Coin semifinalist: MYBELL is an extremely loud and customizable electronic bike bell
Say what you will about the cavalier bike messengers that give cyclists a bad name, but it doesn't change the fact that pedaling your way to work is better for both your health and the environment. Unfortunately, biking (especially in New York City) can feel a little, well, dangerous at times. MYBELL isn't magically going to keep you from getting doored while flying down Broadway, but the extremely loud electronic bicycle bell should make you a little harder to miss. Inside this little box is a powerful audio amplifier that plays custom sounds at up to 96dB -- your average mechanical bell tops out at 70dB. It also includes LEDs that can be programmed to flash in a pattern unique to you. Of course, none of that is going to keep careless motorists out of the bike lane, so you'll still your wits and quick reflexes, in addition to MYBELL. You can see all of the Insert Coin semifinalists here.
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!
