AMPY
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Crowdfunding Roundup: Smart Yoga mats and dumb-looking pyramids
Each week, TUAW provides readers with an update on new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects 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. So many of the Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns we cover are power-related, primarily because we all use our devices so much that we're constantly running the batteries down (well, except for those of us with the iPhone 6 Plus, of course...). AMPY is quite a different product, capturing kinetic energy from your movements, convering it into power, and then giving you a way to connect your device for a quick charge. Sound far-fetched? It's not. The project is already funded to the tune of 127 percent with 24 days to go. Hey, here's an idea: grab a ruggedized solid state drive and strap it to your wrist. No, unfortunately I'm not making this up - this is KUFF, AKA "the future of wearable storage." But hey, it will be Open Source! And have a strap! Sorry, why not just get a regular portable SSD and carry it in your pocket? Obviously I'm not "sharing the vision" with this team. With 37 days to go, KUFF is about 6 percent funded. An intelligent Yoga mat... Yep, it has sensors, and a smartphone or tablet app "guides you through a series of audio and visual indicators, allowing a more detailed and insightful Yoga practice." At 189 percent of funding with 14 days left, I don't think SmartMat needs my backing. And here's another "smart" object. A lot of companies have had smart power outlets for years; the Smart Outlet by Newbeem is another one. Plug it in, and you have three outlets... Only one is Wi-Fi enabled, and there are two others that are "regular". All are surge protected, so there's that. The project is about 70 percent funded with about 8 days to go. We've seen some microscope lenses and kits for iPhone and iPad before, but never has there been an affordable high magnification microscope lens. Dotlens wants every student to have his or her own microscope. Attach these little dot lenses (hence the name) to the camera of your device, and you have either a 15 power or 120 power microscope in your hands. That 120x Dotlens has a minimum resolution of 1 micrometer! Sadly, this campaign is running a bit behind, with only 21 percent raised with less than two weeks to go. You can help by backing the project for as little as $10 (15x) or $25 (120x). Some people are concerned about the fact that the iSight camera on their Mac can theoretically be hacked, thus providing someone with a view of your home or office without your knowledge. Rather than using the time-honored tradition of placing electrical tape over the camera, the Nope project creates a nice, professional-looking magnetic cover that you can take off when you need to actually use the camera. This is funded big time: 10,242 percent funded with over a month to go. Get in on the action for $5 or more. Sometimes I feel like I've seen certain campaigns before, simply because they remind me of another Kickstarter or Indiegogo project. That was the case with StandStand, which fellow TUAW editor Dave Caolo pointed out to me. It's actually a pretty nifty product -- a portable wood standing desk that weighs less than two pounds but has been tested to withstand over 900 pounds of weight. It's funded to the tune of over 550 percent with five days to go, so StandStand is ready for launch. You can still get in on the fun as a backer. Occasionally, I have to call out a campaign for public shaming just for the sheer joy of pointing out some questionable design choices. P-VOX is this week's winner, and what's really bizarre is that this combo pyramid, speaker, desk lamp, analog clock and charger actually has a chance of making it to production. Yeah, it's 73 percent funded with less than a week to go. Why do I have a bad feeling we're going to see infomercials for P-VOX on late night TV? We'll be back next Thursday for another roundup of crowdfunded projects that you can support or ignore. Many thanks again to Hal Sherman for providing some tips about new and exciting projects, and 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.
