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AVG is crowdfunding a router, but wait for its privacy policy
Antivirus company AVG is taking to Indiegogo to crowdfund a router called Chime that it believes will fix your home's WiFi issues. Solitarily, a Chime is a fairly simple 802.11ac dual-band router. Used together, multiple Chimes can instantly band together and blanket your house in a strong signal by utilizing the same Mesh WiFi systems you'll find in office buildings, malls and airports. It's not the first company to offer Mesh WiFi to consumers -- San Francisco startup Eero's boxes ostensibly do exactly the same thing -- but AVG believes the additional security features offered by Chime will be enough to persuade users to jump aboard.
Indiegogo and Brookstone want to deliver crowdfunded products faster
One of this biggest issues facing crowdfunded products is the amount of time between backing a project and when you actually receive the goods. Indiegogo is looking to do something about that with the help of the tech-minded retail store Brookstone. Aspiring startups and makers can submit ideas to a specific page of Indiegogo's site where the retailer will offer design, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, sales and customer support to selected projects. As you might expect, Brookstone won't just back any ol' idea, as the store is looking for items that fit its reputation for technology, wellness, home and travel wares. There will also be a "Funded with Indiegogo" section of the company's retails stores that'll include products like the Fizzics beer dispenser and Axents's Cat Ear Headphones. The partnership seems like a win for both companies as Indiegogo's inventors have the opportunity to tap into an established product chain and Brookstone can use the crowdfunded projects to stock its shelves with new items. [Image credit: LA Times via Getty Images]
The Alpha 2 robot will dance its way into your house and your heart
The field of human-like household robots got a little more crowded today as Ubtech Robotics launched a crowdfunding campaign for its new Alpha 2 humanoid companion-bot. This diminutive domestic drone is designed on the same premise as today's smartphones -- that is, it offers a responsive, intuitive and attractive platform on which to build intelligent and useful functionality. As such, the Alpha 2 is fully programmable, operates on an open-source OS and offers cutting-edge sensory inputs including ultrasonic, touch and pressure sensors. And unlike Pepper and Buddy, Alpha 2 actually has legs. In fact, with more than 20 servos packed into its joints, this robot is surprisingly spry.
Dongle 'fixes' your PC's security by killing your USB port
We've seen some questionable crowdfunding campaigns in our time, but this one might take the cake. A Russian outfit is raising money for USB Killer, a $99 dongle that thwarts data thieves by... electrocuting your USB port. Yes, you're paying money to damage your computer. There's even a disclaimer that this could wreck your motherboard, turning the whole PC into a paperweight. It's supposed to help in case of "emergencies" like break-ins, but something tells us that you'd have a lot more to worry about with someone so close to physically raiding your data.
3RDi is the camera-enabled headband you didn't ask for
So it turns out someone has developed a piece of wearable tech that manages to make Google Glass look understated and elegant. Introducing 3RDi -- as the name suggests, this camera is supposed to act as a third eye so you never miss a photographable moment. You tap the side to take a photo or slide to record a video, and that's it. Honestly, that's all the garish headpiece does. The concept is justified but the execution is ridiculous and has an incredibly high Indiegogo goal of $250,000. It's still in the development stages and company promises to expand on the very few features the 3RDi currently sports. If you decide to be an early adopter but feel too self-conscious to wear it around others, just save it as an accessory for your Halloween costume next year. You can either go as a futuristic princess or a terrible idea.
'Robotic fingers' make your dumb appliances smarter
Naran, a South Korean startup, has developed a series novel devices that transforms analog, push-button devices into internet-connected tools for your smart home. The devices, dubbed "Microbot Push" are low-power Bluetooth gadgets that pull commands from an internet hub and physically push analog buttons on, say, your old blender or the toaster oven. That's a radically different functionality than conventional "wall wart" IoT-enablers -- like the Brio or Nyrius -- which simply control the electrical circuits that power your appliances. Additionally, the Microbots can either be manually activated through the associated smartphone app or be automated in much the same way that IFTTT works. Naran plans to launch an Indiegogo campaign for the devices on November 9th.
PuzzlePhone wants you to fund its modular smartphone
If you're enamored with modular smartphones but aren't convinced that Project Ara will pan out, you can now pour your money into an alternative. PuzzlePhone has launched a crowdfunding campaign to get its namesake upgradable handset into your hands. Plunk down at least $333 and you'll get a complete Android phone divided into a Spine (the 5-inch LCD, frame and speakers), Brain (processor and camera) and Heart (battery and secondary tech), all of which you can replace without having to toss out the rest of the device.
'Salt' is a gun and pepper spray in one (update)
Salt's Indiegogo campaign says it "was designed around the belief that a gun does not have to take a life to protect a life." See, it might look like conventional handgun, but its bullets aren't made of lead. Instead, they're pellets that contain a proprietary mixture of powdered chemicals, including oleoresin capsicum: a ghost pepper extract used for pepper sprays. Since the pellets explode when they collide with a solid object, you don't even have to hit your target. Its creators said the powder mixture, which "exceeds the potency of those used by" Homeland Security and the military, causes temporary blindness, makes the lungs constrict and stings the human skin. Update (11/11/15): Salt is now available for pre-order from its official website. The company plans to ship the first 250 pieces out in 2016 and is currently selling the device at $50 less its official retail price ($350).
Indiegogo rebrands charity as Generosity(.com)
Indiegogo will rebrand Indiegogo Life, its service to raise money for good causes, as Generosity.com. Launching later today, the platform will charge no fees, set no deadline and use Indiegogo's backend to run each campaign, much as it has done for the past year. The site will (re)launch with four new high-profile initiatives that require your cash, including helping Syrian refugees start new lives and funding STEM education for girls. It's another high-profile break with rival crowdfunding site Kickstarter, which had to break its own rules to launch a campaign to help Syrian refugees. It's also interesting that Indiegogo has opted to take its name off the service, perhaps showing a degree of self-awareness that its online reputation isn't the best. Update: The site hasn't gone live yet, but we've been told that the site will be branded as "Generosity by Indiegogo," so ignore that line about it being aware of its own terrible reputation.
The Ora-X smart headphones include a flippable AR display
Google Glass was, by all accounts, a spectacular flop in the eyes of potential consumers. Now, another company hopes to succeed where Google has failed by incorporating an AR display into a device people are far more familiar with: over-ear headphones.
ICYMI: Latest grenade launcher, modular smart watch and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-332561{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-332561, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-332561{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-332561").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The U.S. Army is more interested than ever in blowing things up with precision, and that's why it's beginning acceptance testing on a smart grenade launcher that can detonate explosives mid-air. The rest of us can get our geek on with the Kickstarter for Blocks modular watch, which has different modules for all kinds of things: Advanced fitness tracking, mobile payments or GPS. And a Kickstarter to house jellyfish in the fanciest way possible is up for a hefty $1,500.
'Indivisible' is a hand-drawn JRPG that needs your help
The folks behind Skullgirls are at it again, and this time they're taking to crowdfunding platform IndieGoGo for a hand in creating a gorgeous hand-drawn role-playing game, Indivisible. As BoingBoing points out, perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of the whole deal here is how it's being funded. The game's total budget is $3.5 million, and if the IndieGoGo campaign reaches its $1.5 million goal, publisher 505 Games (Adr1ft, Abzu) will kick in the balance. If you're hesitant about throwing money down, there's a demo prototype available that you can download for Windows.
The Tempescope ambient weather display is coming to Indiegogo
The team behind the Tempescope has announced that they're launching an Indiegogo campaign for the device at the end of the month. The Tempescope is an "ambient weather display" that shows you tomorrow's weather with physical examples. That is, if it's going to be cloudy with light showers, the device itself will generate clouds and precipitation within its plexiglass cube. The current version of the device can recreate rain, clouds and lightning (though they're still working on getting it to snow). The team will be offering 2000 units at $200 a pop starting September 30th. Now if only there were a way to wire it up to your BloomSky.
Fighting game inspired by 'My Little Pony' needs cash to become reality
Them's Fightin' Herds started life as My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic, a fighting game created by My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fans and starring characters directly from the show. That project was shut down when Hasbro sent the developer, Mane6, a cease-and-desist order in February 2013 -- but it was reborn when Friendship is Magic producer Lauren Faust and Skullgirls studio Lab Zero Games hopped on board. Now, Them's Fightin' Herds is a serious fighting game starring a cast of original characters designed by Faust and running on Skullgirls' engine. This week, Mane6 launched a $436,000 Indiegogo campaign to fund 18 months of full-time development on Them's Fightin' Herds, and in two days it's raised more than $100,000. This time around, it looks like crowdfunding is magic.
Hasbro wants to crowdfund your party game ideas on Indiegogo
Hasbro is hoping you'd be willing to share your best party game idea ever(!) with the company and has launched a search for the "Next Great Game." The mechanics are simple: just go to the project website and submit an entry -- along the same lines as Monopoly, some variants of Trivial Pursuit and Funny or Die -- until September 30th, 2015. After that, sit back, cross your fingers and hope that you're among the five finalists announced on October 30th. Now, here's the twist: you're not getting any prize money even if you end up as one of the five. Instead, you'll be invited to launch an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for your concept.
Jolla's crowdsourced tablet is up for pre-order
The Jolla tablet started life with an interesting pitch: a crowdfunded slate with a novel, gesture-based OS, an Intel 64-bit quad-core CPU, a high resolution 7.85-inch screen and software features culled from the community's most popular suggestions. That was almost a year ago, and now the tablet is getting ready to ship. Didn't pitch in on the crowdfunding? Don't worry -- you can pre-order the tablet today for €267.
White House Demo Day focuses on diversity
When the White House hosts a Demo Day, tech entrepreneurs come out to play. The Obama administration kicked off its first ever showcase for startups today. It isn't your typical day of demonstrations and matchmaking that brings entrepreneurs closer to prospective funders. Instead, it's about pushing for much-needed diversity in the largely homogenous tech world. As such, the innovators showcasing their stories directly to POTUS come from diverse backgrounds. According to the site, "these stories exemplify how we can 'grow the pie' by including all Americans in our innovation economy."
Get ready to crowdfund a sequel to the original 'The Wicker Man'
The director of the seminal '70s horror film The Wicker Man is asking all of us to bankroll the final film in his Wicker trilogy. Robin Hardy has launched an Indiegogo campaign asking for film fans to chip in $210,000 to complete The Wrath of the Gods, finishing a series that began in 1973. The story involves a theme park that's based on Norse mythology that, perhaps unsurprisingly, begins to rapidly fall apart when supernatural forces get involved. If we were asked to guess, we'd imagine a sardonic riff on Jurassic Park that -- spoilers -- features someone getting slaughtered in some form of pagan ceremony.
Doomed Indiegogo campaign hopes to crowdfund Greece's debt relief
Can crowdfunding do something better than make a beer cooler with a built-in Bluetooth speaker? That's what Thom Feeney believes after setting up an Indiegogo campaign to pay Greece's $1.7 billion loan fee that it owes to the International Monetary Fund. The project is hoping to raise the cash by encouraging all of Europe's 503 million citizens to kick in a few bucks for a postcard, a Greek salad or vouchers for a bottle of Ouzo. The page has been up for just over two days and already the figure stands at €200,000 ($223,000), although that's still less than a tenth of a percent towards the final figure.
Get tailor-made headphone audio with this little device
Audio snobs may already be boasting their high-end audio equipment, be it portable headphone amps or a special chip inside their smartphones, but these are no good if your ears have slight hearing loss. Even if you deem your ears to be pitch perfect, chances are your left and right ears have different sensitivity to certain frequencies. The solution? A startup in Hong Kong has come up with a little device called Aumeo, which lets you fine-tune your headphones according to your ears' hearing sensitivity. This author has tried it, and the result was pleasantly surprising.