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Crowdfunded Project News: The best of Kickstarter, Indiegogo and the rest
Every week, TUAW will be providing 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: meMINI, a wearable camera that constantly captures videos, then lets you go in after the fact to select the best moments. Currently 31 percent funded with 28 days to go. Operator, an OS X RSS news reader that circumvents internet censorship. Currently 16 percent funded with 23 days to go. Everydisk, a project from Avatron Software to create a software-based, secure cloud-storage environment using your own computers. TUAW covered this project earlier in the week; the project is now 29 percent funded with 17 days to go. TEO, a keyless padlock that is unlocked with an app. No keys to lose, no combinations to forget; 4 percent funded with 59 days to go. Traccar Client for iOS, a GPS tracker application. It's already funded with 11 days to go. RECAP 2, a hardware device to allow recording of iPhone calls on an iPad. Funded, and there are six days to go in the campaign. Open-Me, a way to control your garage door from an iOS app. You can determine if the garage door is open or closed from the app, as well as have the door open automatically when you're within a certain radius of your home; 6 percent funded with 12 days to go. From Indiegogo: The Air Dock, an iPhone-compatible wireless charging car dock that holds your phone without clips or clamps; 70 percent funded, 25 days to go. PanoPal, remote-controlled rotating device for taking panorama shots with your iPhone; 16 percent funded with 41 days left. Apple Worm, data cable phone case for iPhone 5, 5s and 5c; 32 percent funded with 20 days left. Pet-Remote, control your dog with your iPhone. Dog-training app and collar device; 19 percent funded with 11 days left. 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.
Fruit Ninja, Open Me! squeeze onto Vita this week
There are a couple of Vita surprises in this week's PSN update for North America, surprise being a befitting quality for both. As revealed on the PlayStation Blog, sales phenomenon Fruit Ninja will creep onto the Sony portable's PS Store tomorrow, joined by augmented reality puzzler Open Me!. Details on the Vita's version of slice-and-dicer Fruit Ninja are currently sparse, maybe indicating a fairly straight port of the iOS and Android HD iterations. We've reached out to developer Halfbrick Studios for more info. As for Open Me!, we knew it was coming to North America sometime this year, having first been unveiled in Japan last year. We went hands-on with the curious game at last year's Tokyo Games Show, grappling with how to pry open its AR-displayed boxes, locked away by puzzles guarded with vicious-looking traps - think Fireproof's The Room, but meaner. Open Me! also has a co-op mode for two Vitas, each player seeing and interacting with the same AR puzzle but from their own perspective. As for what secrets are locked within the boxes of Open Me!, we've no idea - maybe it's more godly powers. The PlayStation Blog also confirmed the rest of this week's PSN releases, which we'll briefly run through. Payday 2, Mars: War Logs, Thunder Wolves and Ducktales Remastered are all headed to PS3, while the Vita also gets Breakquest freemium follow-up Extra Evolution, and old-school puzzler A-Men, finally coming to North America after being available in Europe since the Vita's launch in February 2012.
All boxes checked for Vita's 'Open Me!' in North America
If you've ever thought "what the Vita needs to succeed is a game about opening imaginary boxes," then you probably watched our video about Box! Open Me at TGS. PlayStation C.A.M.P's augmented reality, cooperative puzzle game is now officially coming to North America "later this year" as Open Me!dThe puzzler shows a notional box on the Vita's screen, and requires players to interact with a series of switches, puzzles, traps, and other obstacles to attempt to open it. A coop mode lets two players work together on more complex puzzle boxes, with each player given their own view of the same puzzle from their Vita screens.
