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Crowdfunded 3D headphone startup Ossic closes its doors
It's a sad time if you're a fan of 3D audio. Ossic, a startup that crowdfunded a pair of headphones that personalized 3D sound for your ears, has shut down due to a lack of funds. It successfully shipped a handful of developer-oriented units in January, but didn't have the money to mass-produce the devices for most listeners. There's no mention of customers getting refunds, although that's typical for crowdfunding efforts given that contributions are considered investments rather than guaranteed purchases.
'Shenmue 3' will apparently arrive in 2019
At this point, it seems like driving a forklift in the world of Shenmue again is even more of a pipe dream. Development on the third entry in the groundbreaking series kicked into gear in 2015 after a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign; after the last postponement, Shenmue 3 was scheduled to drop in the back half of 2018. However, another delay means you'll have to wait until 2019 for the next part of Ryo Hazuki's story.
Sphero spin-off's Misty II robot is now available for pre-order
Sphero spin-off Misty Robotics has officially announced the mass-produced version of the robot helper it showed off at CES this year. The cute little machine, officially called Misty II, still resembles Wall-E like its predecessor, but it can actually do things unlike Misty I. Thanks to developers' work on the original robot, it now comes with a set of capabilities and has a bunch of downloadable skills to choose from. It can move autonomously and respond to its environment, create a 3D map of its surroundings, recognize faces, respond to commands, charge itself and talk.
'Underworld Ascendant' teaser reveals a reborn dungeon crawler
Ever since veteran developers successfully crowdfunded their spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld, there's been a looming question: how would the prototypical 3D action RPG translate to the 21st century? You now have an idea. OtherSide and 505 Games have released a teaser trailer for Underworld Ascendant that illustrates how the reborn dungeon crawler will work. More than anything, it's clear that this isn't just a hack-and-slash. You'll be rewarded for ingenuity and stealth, such as building bridges from magic-laced barrels, or using a water arrow to shoot out a light Thief-style. There's even some wall running for Mirror's Edge fans.
Twitch will stream five short films and a Q&A by Neill Blomkamp
Neill Blomkamp, director of dystopian sci-fi epics District 9, Elysium and Chappie, will be live on Twitch tomorrow, April 11, showcasing five independent films made by his film studio, Oats Studios. After each of the short films -- Rakka, God, Zygote, Kapture and Firebase -- Blomkamp, his art director Rich Simpson and his VFX supervisor Chris Harvey will do a Q&A, where fans will have the opportunity to ask the team about its inspiration and, pertinent to the types of movies Blomkamp is known for, its logistics.
Gnarbox's mobile video editing drive now comes in an SSD version
Gnarbox broke new ground in portable storage with its first drive, which let pros start editing photos and videos before they've reached a PC. But what if you still want something more powerful? Don't worry, you're covered: the company is crowdfunding Gnarbox 2.0, an updated version with an NVMe-based solid-state drive (instead of the previous model's basic flash storage) as its centerpiece. Hook up a camera through USB-C and you can back up your photos and videos at a rapid 450MB/s, which might set your mind at ease if you have a ton of footage to save. You'll also find a faster processor (an unnamed 2.4GHz quad-core Intel chip) and an OLED that lets you perform some backups without even needing your phone.
A posture trainer works, if you want it to
In our line of work, everywhere is an office. Particularly at trade shows and other big events, you can find Engadget editors writing stories in hotel lobbies, the back of cabs or anywhere there's a power outlet. I'm no more consistent at home. Sometimes I stare at my laptop from the comfort of the couch or sit on the floor if my desk isn't proving to be an inspiring location. I hadn't given it much thought until an Upright Go posture tracker arrived on my doorstep. Had a complete disregard for ergonomics made its mark on my spine? Well, I'm still not quite sure.
Kickstarter Patron aims to generate larger pledges for creators
Kickstarter is piloting a program that will match up companies, organizations and institutions with projects that need more substantial funding, TechCrunch reports. It's called Kickstarter Patrons and the nonprofit and for-profit groups selected to take part will be required to provide multiple pledges each worth $1,000 or more. Kickstarter will select the Patrons and direct them towards projects that align with their interests. "While the program is simple, the opportunity to help independent creators hit their funding goals while building relationships with major institutions that can continue to follow and support their career is profound," Kickstarter said.
PowerUp releases its phone-controlled paper airplane
PowerUp first previewed its smartphone-controlled paper airplane back in 2014, but now it's finally available to everyone. The startup has announced that a retail version of its Dart aircraft will ship in February, and is running a pre-order campaign for barebones (just the propeller module and two templates) and standard (wheels and Japanese aerobatic papers) kits that start at $29 and $37 respectively. Higher-priced packs offer additional modules and stands for your aeronautics-minded friends.
Atari wants your help to make 'RollerCoaster Tycoon' for Switch
How badly do you want a version of RollerCoaster Tycoon for the Nintendo Switch? Bad enough that you'd be willing to claim a direct stake in the game's success? If so, Atari has a sales pitch for you. The company's Game Partners division (tasked with making money from classic franchises) has launched a crowd investment campaign to raise money for a Switch port of the theme park construction title. Pour at least $250 into the project and you get a pro rata (proportionate) share of 50 percent of profits until you recoup 120 percent of your investment, and then a pro rata 25 percent share of profits for the 18 months following the game's worldwide launch. Ideally, you'd actually make money from backing the game's release.
Indiegogo makes it easy to hop on the cryptocurrency bandwagon
There's a frenzy over cryptocurrency at the moment (helped in no small part by bitcoin's sky-high value), and Indiegogo is determined to milk the trend for all it's worth. The crowdfunding site has partnered with MicroVentures to enable investments in the initial coin offerings (ICOs) that are all the rage as of late. If you think a new digital cash format is going to be the next big thing, you now have a potentially easier way to pour money into it -- and you don't need to be an accredited investor, which limits the scope of many ICOs. The first offering on tap is the Fan-Controlled Football League, which is running a pre-sale for $5 million tokens for 10 days after this writing.
Apple buys the creator of a 'seamless' mixed reality headset
Those rumors of Apple making an augmented reality headset just got a little more fuel. TechCrunch sources say that Apple has acquired VRvana, a startup that crowdfunded (but hasn't shipped) a unique camera-based AR and VR headset, the Totem. Unlike Microsoft's Hololens and Windows Mixed Reality headsets, Totem promises a "seamless blend" between augmented and virtual worlds. It can display fully opaque images on its OLED display, letting it transition gracefully from AR to VR. Also, it eliminates the potentially disorienting lag that's characteristic with camera-based approaches to mixed reality -- prototypes have cut the delay down to just 3ms, as the company's Bertrand Nepveu explained in June.
MegaBots wants to crowdfund a tournament for 2018
Once upon a time (in 2015), a crew of enthusiasts built the robot concept Eagle Prime and did what you do with a 15-foot-tall metal beast: Challenge its Japanese equivalent, Kuratas, to a duel. Years later, the creations finally duked it out in an incredible brawl that seemed -- and then turned out to be -- heavily edited. The cold reality was heartbreaking, but the team behind Eagle Prime wants to make it right...by hosting a massive robot tournament at the end of 2018. They just have to raise $950,000 on Kickstarter to put it on.
Kickstarter's Drip takes on Patreon with subscription crowdfunding
Today, Kickstarter launches a new way to fund interesting projects. It's called Drip and rather than pledging a certain amount of money to one project, it lets you subscribe to a creator and give them monthly payments. Drip was a standalone subscription platform, but Kickstarter bought it last year just as it was set to shutdown. It has now been retooled by Kickstarter and though it's largely similar to other subscription crowdfunding sites, such as Patreon, Drip does have a couple of features that set it apart from the rest.
Battery-free toothbrush is powered with a twist
Battery-powered toothbrushes are convenient if you don't like brushing your teeth the old-fashioned way, but they have a catch: batteries. Typically, you either need to dock your brush (and remember to carry a charger with you on long trips) or toss disposables when they're done. There might be a better way soon, though: Goodwell Co. is crowdfunding Be, which it bills as the first battery-free powered toothbrush. Twist the base twice and a kinetic energy storage mechanism will vibrate the brush head for up to 2 minutes, or just long enough for that dentist-recommended cleaning. You don't have to connect to a charger, and you won't contribute to landfills by chucking out batteries (the bristles are even biodegradable).
'Social robot' Jibo reaches Indiegogo backers three years later
Three years after an astronomically successful crowdfunding campaign raised over $3.6 million, Jibo the robot is finally ready. The social bot is available to buy on its site for $900; Those who backed its Indiegogo have already started receiving their robots, while more recent preorders will start shipping on November 7th.
Patreon moves to restrict adult content on its crowdfunding site
NSFW Warning: This story may contain links to and descriptions or images of explicit sexual acts. Patreon is a crowdfunding platform that enables people to receive subscription payments for the work that they do. It's a way of connecting individuals and small businesses with paying audiences, from news websites and YouTube channels through to activists and educators.
Indiegogo's Marketplace sells successfully-funded projects
Indiegogo has become a viable alternative to Kickstarter for crowd-funding projects in the last few years. It's not just small projects, either — big names like IBM, Honeywell and Atari have used the site to pull in funding. Now the crowd-sourcing company is looking to help successfully-funded initiatives get attention after they launch, as well. The company has launched a new Marketplace page where you can find a ton of gadgets, devices and other products that you can purchase directly from the site.
Honeywell will crowdfund a DIY home security system
In the tech world, Honeywell is a long-established (century-old!) brand known for its appliances and devices, which are just now getting hooked up to Google Home. But its next venture is usually a move made by less-resourced companies and startups. Soon, Honeywell will launch an Indiegogo campaign and ask folks to crowdfund its new product, a home security system you can install yourself.
Tom DeLonge needs your help funding his next UFO obsession
Former Blink-182 singer and guitarist Tom DeLonge is taking his fascination with/conspiracy theories about UFOs to their logical conclusion point: He's partnering with former government officials on a public benefit corporation studying "exotic technologies" from Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) that the consortium says can "revolutionize the human experience."
