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Indiegogo's new service lets you quickly raise funds for personal causes (updated)
Crowdfunding sites are typically meant for companies with bright ideas, but they don't work so well for personal fundraising -- there's a lot of setup involved, and the fees you'll pay could be better spent on the cause in question. Indiegogo wants to make those personal campaigns relatively painless with its new Indiegogo Life site. The service is designed to get you raising funds for medical bills, school and similar causes in a matter of minutes. There also aren't any platform fees, so the money you collect is typically what you'll keep.
The ZX Spectrum returns as a plug-and-play console
The popular ZX Spectrum series of microcomputers has resurfaced as a crowdfunded plug-and-play console produced in a collaboration between Sinclair Research founder Clive Sinclair and tech startup Retro Computers. The ZX Spectrum was a low-cost home computer that proved especially popular among game developers and hobbyists in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s. The Indiegogo-funded Sinclair Spectrum Vega includes over 1,000 built-in games, and additional titles will debut as free downloads following the console's launch next year. Users can also add their own games to the Vega's library via an included SD card slot. Backers who pledge £100 or more will receive one of the first 1,000 Sinclair Spectrum Vega consoles to enter production. Shipments are scheduled to begin in April, 2015. [Video: Retro Computers]
Indiegogo's crowdfunding insurance pays you back if projects go bust
If you've poured a lot of money into crowdfunding, you've probably backed a project that either missed its release date or was an out-and-out fraud -- and since there are rarely recourses in these cases, that often means that you've wasted your money. For Indiegogo, this is enough of a concern that it's now testing crowdfunding insurance that compensates you if a campaign goes belly-up. All you do is pay extra on top of your pledge; if the promised goods arrive more than three months late or don't show up at all, you get your money back. Indiegogo is only trialing insurance with one campaign, Olive's anti-stress wristband, but it might expand the offering if the dry run proves successful.
Brewie's smartphone-controlled system makes homemade beer easier
We've seen connected gadgets for homebrewing (and serving) beer before, and now there's another gadget looking to do the heavy lifting for you. This is Brewie: a self-contained brewhouse that will have your next batch started in minutes. For the novice beer maker, pre-portioned kits and an RFID card sorts all the settings and measurements -- all you have to do is toss in the ingredients, scan the recipe card and hit start. Of course, the machine also allows for more advanced tweaking, serving up 23 separate parameters (water levels, boiling temps, hop additions, etc.) for further fine-tuning. Once you've dialed in that Double IPA, Brewie saves the settings to produce the same results for the next batch. Looking for something new? There's 200 recipes programmed already, should that need arise.
Omnipresenz lets armchair explorers control real human avatars
Traveling has gotten increasingly accessible thanks to budget airlines and services like Airbnb or Couchsurfing. But, if you'd still rather do some armchair exploration, and you've already seen most of what Street View can offer, then this Indiegogo campaign might tickle your virtual wanderlust. The Barcelona-based project -- called Omnipresenz -- wants to give you the power to control a human avatar. With a camera-equipped helmet, your avatar feeds you real-time video and audio as they walk around town. You can also instruct them to complete tasks as they go, through the interface you can see below the fold. If you're feeling benevolent, you can ask them to do something nice for others -- such as buy food for a stray dog, or give a stranger some flowers. Before that happens though, the service's users will have to vote on it first and raise funds to get it done.
This pocket-sized gesture controller aims to replace your mouse
If a new Indiegogo project has its way, you could soon be waving goodbye to that old, beloved mouse of yours. Meet Flow, a small gadget that pairs with your desktop or laptop and can be programmed with shortcuts to your most frequently used actions. At launch, Flow is said to offer support for more than 30 applications, including popular ones like Final Cut Pro X, Photoshop, Premiere, SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube. With Spotify, for example, you could set up Flow to skip tracks by simply making a swipe gesture over the device, among other things. Right now, most of Flow's information points to the peripheral being used with desktops or laptops, but the company does note that there could be support for mobile applications in the future. The Flow Indiegogo page appears to be doing really well thus far, so be sure to check out the crowdfunding page if you want to see this get made.
Smart wallet puts an end to lost cash and dead phones
So long as you still need physical ID cards and cash, you'll need something to carry them -- but that doesn't mean that you're stuck with a low-tech purse or wallet. StreetSmart is crowdfunding the SmartWallet, a money holder with both a Bluetooth-connected GPS locator and a 1,000mAh battery to charge your phone. It's not nearly as world-changing as the company's (rather hyperbolic) promo video suggests, but it's potentially handy if you tend to forget your cash or phone when you head out the door. Leave the wallet behind and you'll get a heads-up through an Android or iOS app that will help you find it, including directions within 50 to 150 feet; lose your phone and a button on the wallet will make your mobile device ring.
Flic is a 'smart button' that tells your iPhone to STFU
As far as smart gadgets go, Flic is about as simple as it gets. It's a tiny magnetic button that can be programmed to control various functions of your phone, from silencing an alarm to snapping a photo. Each button can be programmed with three different functions -- initiated by either a single tap, double tap, or push and hold -- and at US$27 they're relatively cheap. If this sounds like something you'd love to get your hands on, you're not alone, and the Flic campaign on Indiegogo has raised over $117,000 in just the first two day, with 46 more to go. Flic's original goal was $80,000. The potential uses for a Flic button seem to be pretty much endless, and the promo video shows it being used as a one-button activator for phone-based smart home automation features, an emergency alert button that sends a text or GPS coordinates if danger strikes, and a pre-programmed phone shortcut that can call someone with a tap. Perhaps its most astounding feature is that it has a battery life of up to five years. You can pre-order a single Flic button for the $27 standard price ($23 if you manage to snag one before the 500 discounted units run out), and you can save cash if you order more than one. Personally, I'd order one just to use as a snooze button, but that's probably just me.
Jolla wants you to fund and develop its new tablet (update: funded!)
Yesterday, Jolla teased "something big" and has just revealed what that is: the Jolla Tablet with Sailfish 2.0. There's just one caveat, however -- you'll have to design and fund it yourself. It's now up on Indiegogo with a $380,000 target, and Jolla has said that it's taking suggestions from users for features, with the best ideas up-voted to make the cut, Reddit-style. Those features will likely be software tweaks or other details, as all of the main specs appear to be locked down. It'll have a 7.85-inch, 2,048 x 1,536 screen, 64-bit Intel quad-core CPU, 32GB of upgradeable memory, a 5-megapixel camera and a 4,300 mAh battery. The price will start at $189.
Touch-free smartphone lets you text and play games with head gestures
In the Arabian Nights story, whenever Ali Baba shouts "Open Sesame," the door to the den of the Forty Thieves opens. But for the 10 beta testers of the Sesame phone, uttering that phrase means unlocking their smartphones without the use of their hands. Once the touch-free phone is active, users merely have to move their heads to control the cursor on screen. And yes, they can do anything a smartphone's capable of, including sending messages and emails, taking/making calls and downloading apps. They can even play games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush by using head gestures. Once they're done, they simply have to say "Close Sesame" to lock their phones again.
GoPro-ready Ghost drone touts easy tilt control and auto-follow mode
As a recent South Park episode suggests, Parrot and DJI are the two most recognizable names in the consumer drone market right now, but they are about to face a new contender. Merely three months ago, we met Ehang who showed off its heavy-duty hexacopter at TechCrunch Beijing; and now, the Chinese company is also pushing its more affordable Ghost quadcopter onto Indiegogo. While said drone has been seeded to select e-tailers since April, Ehang co-founder Derrick Xiong said the latest offering is no longer a "beta version," but rather a retail-ready package aimed at the Western market. Most interestingly, the starting price is now just $375 -- a steal when compared to the $679 DJI Phantom 2 with similar specs.
Kickstarter 'fraudster' finds second home on Indiegogo, as per usual
What do you do when you've been outed as a fraud and your Kickstarter was pulled? You go to Indiegogo, of course. Anonabox was a $45 device that promised to route your home's internet connection through (privacy-focused network) Tor without any fiddling in the same way that PORTAL works. In the current climate, it was no surprise to see the project earn $600,000 in pledges in just the first few days. Slowly, however, people began to ask questions about creator August Germar after the hardware was found to be an off-the-shelf unit made by a Chinese OEM and the software turned out to be about as secure as a slice of Emmental.
3 fun crowdfunding campaigns, including a "Smart deodorant applicator"
I'm not doing my usual crowdfunding roundup for a few weeks, but thought I'd give you a few fun Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns to whet your appetite for being a backer. First, here's a project that I thought was a joke when I first heard about it. ClickStick is billed as "The World's First Smart Deodorant Applicator". That's right, the product you didn't know you needed! But if you want to have deodorant automatically reordered when you're getting low and get just the right amount of BO Juice applied to your armpits with every application, ClickStick is the project to back. It's currently over 50 percent funded with over a month to go. Next, the Internet of Things is getting a thumbs-up from Aria, which is a connected indoor air pollution and radon detector that comes - you guessed it - with an accompanying app. The idea is to give you a warning if radon or volatile organic components are in too high a quantity in your air supply. Aria is only 2 percent funded with over fifty days to go, but if you're interested in keeping your personal air supply safe, you might want to keep Aria in mind. Finally, Amiko is an interesting campaign for anyone who has to take prescription medications on a regular basis. To quote the Amiko team, "It's a fitbit for your medicine packs. It fits around your medicine packages (starting with inhalers), measures how you are taking the med, when you are taking and if you need more – and sends the info to your phone (or to the phone of caregivers). Amiko addresses a mega-problem known as medication adherence which kills 120,000 people a year and costs US$290B in healthcare costs." Amiko has only 6 percent funding with about five weeks left, but if you've ever had issues knowing whether you - or a loved one - has taken medication, Amiko can let you know what's up. Making sure that you or others have taken needed medication is a huge issue these days, and it's only going to get worse with an aging population. We'll be back next week with a full roundup of exciting, useful, and just plain weird crowedfunded projects. Until then, Happy Halloween!
The sad, frustrating story of crowdfunded products that never ship
When it comes to crowdfunded projects, I have to admit that I'm very lucky. Every project that I've backed -- five in all -- has eventually shipped product. Although some of those products failed to meet my expectations from the Kickstarter or Indiegogo hype, I felt that I paid a fair price for what I eventually received. But what about those projects that you drop your hard-earned bucks on that never make it to your doorstep or desktop? That's the subject of an Ars Technica post by Casey Johnston published yesterday. Johnston highlights some of the more notable crowdfunding disasters, which hopefully none of our astute readers fell victim to. There was MyIDkey (seen above), which nabbed US$473,333 on Kickstarter and a total of $3.5 million of funding. The idea was a USB dongle that stored and displayed login information on a small display. It was even designed to provide voice search for your logins. Instead, the few devices that shipped were buggy and poorly built, and mismanagement resulted in a waste of all $3.5 million of capital on ... nothing. Or how about the Indiegogo project for the Kreyos Smartwatch, a highly-hyped campaign that raised $1.5 million? This project was also a model of mismanagement, mixed with some highly questionable business decisions. A core team of four people was assigned to the project, most of which were part-timers. The company spent the nest egg on a manufacturing relationship with a Chinese company that kept delaying production despite having most of the funding money. The bitter end of the project resulted in a handful of devices actually shipping. Johnston notes that "In the end, the few Kreyos watches that shipped met few of the team's original goals: they were not at all waterproof, they batteries did not last the promised amount of time, and the firmware was buggy." The company ran out of money after a handful of refunds were made, leaving many backers with nothing for their investment. The road to success is littered with a number of ugly carcasses, and Johnston says that although there is no recourse available directly from the crowdfunding sites, the terms and conditions place the final onus on the project creators. Sadly, there are very few cases where disgruntled backers have been able to recoup money from failed projects. The bottom line? If you back a project, go into it with your eyes wide open and with the realization that you may never receive the promised product.
Seldon Crisis rebrands as Sudden Crisis
Seldon Crisis -- the name, at least -- is no more. The science-fiction sandbox has rebranded itself as Sudden Crisis following an IP dispute that left its Kickstarter campaign neutered. "We want to let everyone know that the project and game now has a new name: Sudden Crisis," the studio posted to Facebook. "Everything stays the same, this is the last change needed to separate us from one world and open a new one, one wholly created by us and you. You will shortly see the change take effect across our sites." Sudden Crisis is currently in the middle of an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the project.
Crowdfunding Roundup: Taking a break
Hey, crowdfunding fans. I just wanted to let you know that your weekly crowdfunded project list is on hiatus until November 6 due to a previously scheduled trip that I'm currently on. On November 6 I'll be back with another list of Kickstarter, Indiegogo and independently-run campaigns seeking funding for Apple-related projects. Until then, be sure to visit the crowdfunding site of your choice for a little browsing on your own.
Bluesmart wants to crowdfund the 'world's first' connected luggage
Losing your luggage is no fun, but while companies like Trakdot have been selling trackers for some time, a startup is taking to Indiegogo to create what it calls the "world's first smart, connected carry-on." Bluesmart is a small suitcase with a host of features that its makers believe frequent travelers can't live without. Priced at $235 (or as low as $195 for early adopters), it'll include proximity tracking to alert you if you walk away from your luggage, a TSA-approved lock that's controlled by your smartphone and a built-in battery to charge your gadgets. There's also a scale integrated into the handle that'll tell you how much your bag weighs just by lifting it off the ground, and a quick-access compartment for storing your laptop.
Seldon Crisis removes Asimov references following IP dispute
The sci-fi sandbox Seldon Crisis initially tried to draw attention to itself through copious amounts of name-dropping with revered author Isaac Asimov, although it turns out that this marketing plan may have backfired. Its Kickstarter campaign has been canceled, with page saying the game is "the subject of an intellectual property dispute." The team attempted to clarify the situation with a post earlier this week: "We were/are speaking with the Asimov estate regarding a partnership, but until those talks are concluded we were asked to not mention certain elements of his novels. This is completely understandable (copyright law demands holders actively protect their copyright or they can lose it). We have taken the necessary measures to fully comply with what has been stated." In the meantime, Seldon Crisis' fundraising efforts have moved over to Indiegogo, where the team is attempting to rake in £250,000 over the next month.
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.
Crowdfunding Roundup: A hybrid smartcam, a robot to play with your pets, and more
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. Webcams are great for watching what's going on at your home or office, but what if your Internet service goes out? Or what if you'd like to temporarily place a camera somewhere that doesn't have Wi-Fi handy? That's where link-U comes in, a hybrid smartcam that - when outfitted with a mobile data SIM - can use the cellular data network to send images. link-U also has an internal battery, so you can send video for up to 8 hours. This one just hit Indiegogo and has already raised 11 percent of its goal with over a month to go. Remember seeing those design concepts for a reversible USB charging cord a few months back? The idea is simple: make a USB cable that can be plugged in either way and still provide the connectivity and power that your connected device requires. Well, apparently a lot of people love the idea, as the BelayCords campaign on Kickstarter is currently 7,085 percent funded with 25 days to go! Have you ever wondered what you could do with a used iPhone? Rico is a whimsical smarthome device that turns your old phone into "the brains and eyes" of a security device. It's 32 percent funded with three weeks to go, so if you'd like to give your old iPhones a new career, back this campaign on Kickstarter. Most modern cars have a built-in Tire Pressure Management System, which is useful for validating that yes, you DO have a flat tire. FOBO Tire consists of valve stem caps that go on each of your tires, transmitting constant tire pressure information to your phone. It's a great idea, since most TPMS's won't tell you exactly what the pressure is in each tire, nor will they inform you as to which tire has just gone flat. Apparently a lot of people like this campaign, which is 535 percent funded with about a week to go. Playing with our furry kids while we're away is a popular crowdfunding theme, with the Kittyo remote cat toy/feeder/monitor killing it earlier this year with over 900 percent funding. Now here's a little robot that will keep your cat or dog amused. Pawly can be driven around your home, amusing your pet and letting you talk to them remotely from your smartphone. With three weeks to go, Pawly is 32 percent funded. What's more important than pets? Your kids. And when they get sick and are running a fever, it's often a good idea to monitor their temperature. Fever Smart is a reusable patch that you place into the armpit of a sick child, and it transmits your child's temperature to your iPhone. You get continuous readings in an app, plus alarms if a certain level is reached. The campaign is funded at 137 percent of goal with two weeks to go, but there's still time to be an early bird backer. You may have seen the TUAW review of the Desktop Chair by MOKU, a beautiful wood laminate stand for an iPad. Now MOKU has a campaign on Kickstarter for the Desktop Stool, which works with either your iPad or MacBook ... or even both at the same time. With three weeks to go, the campaign is currently 50 percent funded. If there's one thing that's annoying about external battery packs, it's that they usually take forever to recharge. Wouldn't it be great to have a battery pack that could get enough of a charge in five minutes to be able to fully recharge an iPhone 5? That's the idea behind Pronto, a fast-charge battery pack that can get enough juice in an hour to recharge that same iPhone 5 nine times! This is from Power Practical, the same geniuses behind the PowerPot. A lot of people want this product - it's already nearly 200 percent funded with a month to go. Sexual assault and other violent crimes are a problem worldwide, and the Whistl smartphone case is a possible solution. Combining a loud alarm and using the LED flash of your phone to deter a criminal, as well as providing ways to have others monitor your progress and even have an app notify the police if you don't respond, Whistl can be a literal lifesaver. At this time, the project is 21 percent funded with just under a month to go. Ambi Climate is a Nest-like smart thermostat that works with wall and window-mounted air conditioners with infrared remote controls to cut energy usage and make your life more comfortable. It's a popular campaign - with 35 days to go, the project is at about 240 percent of its funding goal. 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.
