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Wüdskin is a Kickstarter-sponsored bamboo and aluminum iPad case
We've talked about Kickstarter here before -- it's a site that allows people to try and raise money for ideas or projects that they're working on. And there's an iPad-related project that's being funded right now. The Wüdskin is a protective iPad case made out of bamboo and aluminum that's a little bulky, but pretty striking anyway. It definitely looks sturdy. There's a hinge on it that also works as a stand, and the hinge is the same that's used in some laptop screens, so it's both durable and well-designed. I like it -- I wouldn't necessarily use it around the house, but if I was bringing the iPad on a trip, I would definitely use it for protection. You have to contribute at least US$150 to the Kickstarter project to pick up an actual case yourself, but if you do so, not only do you get the "discount" (no word on how much it will cost once it's finished), but you'll get a t-shirt, an engraved bamboo plaque, and you'll also be mentioned on the website as a supporter. Unfortunately, the project has only raised about 1/10 of the $10,000 it's trying to put together by next month, so it may not get funded at all. But if you're interested in the Wüdskin, you can make a donation right now. [via CrunchGear]
'8-bit Funding' is crowdsourcing for game funding
Do you appreciate all aspects of Kickstarter except that it can be used to raise money for things that aren't video games? Geoff Gibson has the perfect alternative: 8-bit Funding, a crowdsourcing site just for video games and video game-related projects. It works a lot like Kickstarter: creators set a goal amount, and then offer tiered "perks" to those who donate. Seven projects are currently up on the site, including Excruciating Guitar Voyage 2, DreamCasters Duel, and Kung-Fu Kingdom. Should any of these first projects achieve significant funding, the site will be cemented as a viable option for raising money for indie games -- which, in turn, is good news for anyone trying to raise money for an indie game.
Spiral Game Studios seeks fan funding for Orion: Prelude
Spiral Game Studios is a developer with a simple dream: to make a game with dinosaurs and jetpacks in it. To help it achieve this beautiful goal, the developer has opened a Kickstarter page, seeking funding for the completion of its PC/XBLA/PSN first-person shooter Orion: Prelude. The funding will help Spiral work on a multiplayer beta, get a build ready for GDC and, most importantly, add more people to the team. For your pledge, you'll get a gift from Spiral Game Studios, such as concept art, a T-shirt, a soundtrack, or, for the few who part with $1,000 or more, an Achievement in your name plus exclusive weapons and armor. Most importantly, you get to play the completed game.
Zeboyd seeking funds for PC port of Cthulhu Saves the World
Feeling a little altruistic? Here's a great cause that's worth supporting: The great and terrible destruction of existence at the hands of Cthulhu, who reigns high on his obsidian throne in the dark, nightmarish dwellings of R'lyeh. Oh, wait -- the money you're donating is actually going to Zeboyd Games, who needs funds to help bring its game, Cthulhu Saves the World, from the Xbox Live Indie Games platform to the PC. Yeah, that makes way more sense. The fundraising is taking place on Kickstarter, which is offering quite a few savory prizes for any and all big spenders. For instance, folks who donate $750 or more can end up as townsfolk in the charming indie RPG. That's a small price to pay for virtual immortality, isn't it?
OpenVizsla USB sniffer meets its funding goal, and then some
It's not iPad nano watch money -- seriously, what is? -- but with hours to go before the final bell, USB sniffer OpenVizsla has exceeded its initial funding goal by more than 400 percent. That's over $70,000 as of this writing, with about 510 backers including Stephen Fry, who was pretty vocal about his support (that must help). If you'll recall, the project -- from iPhone dev team and Twiizers virtuosos pytey and bushing -- aims to make a cheap USB analyzer that can help decode proprietary devices, the popular anecdote being it's the same concept used in the Kinect hack how-to. It's not too late to pledge, of course, and doing so will get you some special goodies. Need more convincing? We're gonna embed Alma the dog's video debut after the break.
iPod nano watch kits nab almost $1 million on Kickstarter
Does anyone out there want to go into business with me with a design for an iPod nano watch kit? MINIMAL is a design house that decided to fund the development of a line of iPod nano 6G watch kits through Kickstarter. If you're not familiar with that site, it's where you can send your pet project up the proverbial flagpole and see if anyone salutes it with a pledge of funding. Apparently MINIMAL founder and designer Scott Wilson has captured some attention with his TikTok and LunaTik iPod nano watch kits, since he raised US$941,558 in funding on Kickstarter. Considering he needed a mere $15,000 to go into production, this would be a case of overkill. Wilson's stated goal is to hopefully get these kits into Apple Stores, and with the publicity he's garnered through this highly-successful funding round, he may just get his wish. For the time being, you can now pre-order the kits (iPod nano not included). The TikTok will sell for $34.95, while the snazzier LunaTik will pull down a cool $69.95. If you were one of the backers of the project, you'll be getting a significant discount. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check out the video after the break.
Minimal Studios iPod nano watch kits raise a million dollars on Kickstarter, yes, a million dollars
Well that didn't take long. Less than a month after we reported on the TikTok and LunaTik concept iPod nano watches hitting Kickstarter the company behind them, Minimal Studios, has met its goal -- and then some. Way then some. The project has clocked in nearly $1,000,000 in funding, helped in large part by a $25 pledge getting you first in line for a $35 MSRP TikTok watch kit, while $50 scored you the metallic LunaTik, which will go for $70. If you missed your chance to pile on the money you can now pre-order officially, with an expected shipment date in January. Again we're not particularly keen on the whole nano as a watch thing, but obviously ya'll have your own ideas, and we say more power to you -- and to Minimal Studios founder Scott Wilson.
The Noun Project: public domain pictograms for designers, the illiterate
OK, this might not be much to look at -- a page full of Dingbats, essentially -- but the premise behind the Noun Project is sound and, in this increasingly complex world, important: by creating a visual collection of downloadable public domain symbols representing things like escalators, fast food, and customs checkpoints, the website hopes to promote a visual language "that can be understood by all cultures and people." And since we're sticklers for good, clean design, projects like this are especially dear to us. Hit up the source link to see for yourself.
iPhone photographers, get your Glif on with new tripod mount
It's a local-boys-make-good story for the Internet age: two New Yorkers brainstorm an idea for the kind of iPhone 4 tripod mount/stand they'd want to buy. They put their design on Kickstarter with the intention of raising US$10,000 in ramp-up funding. With a snazzy prototype video and the attention of some traditional and not-so-traditional media outlets, they missed their funding estimate by more than 10x -- in the positive direction. Having collected almost $140,000 in preproduction pledges, the gobsmacked inventors have now moved on to full-scale production and are accepting orders for the final product on their website. You can pick one up for $20, and although they aren't promising holiday delivery they say they're doing everything possible to get the Glifs out the door in time to slide under the tree (with priority to their 5,000+ Kickstarter contributors, of course). [Commenter Ben points out that his company has a cheaper alternative to the Glif, called the Grippit.] [via Silicon Alley Insider]
TikTok and LunaTik iPod nano watch kits look awesome, despite Ke$ha naming convention
We know it seems like everyone and their mom is turning Apple's latest iPod nano into a watch, but the TikTok and LunaTik concepts by Scott Wilson of Minimal Studios are definitely the best looking "iWatch" accessories we've seen to date. We say concept, because technically the products are still pipe dreams flowing through the funding platform Kickstarter.com -- but seeing as it has already doubled its requested funding goal, there's a very good chance these concepts will actually ship out. The TikTok features a simple snap-in design for quick wrist-mounting and is tentatively priced at $35. The LunaTik, on the other hand, is marketed as a "premium conversion kit" that secures the Nano in a two-piece CNC-machined aluminum case held together with stainless steel bolts, and should ship for $70. As with many Kickstarter projects, pledging some funding to the cause can score you either model at a cheaper pre-order price. Now if only the iPod nano was actually a good watch... Video after the break.%Gallery-107739%
Power Laces 2.0 ditch the external servo and retro colors, look production-ready (video)
The self-lacing Power Laces shoes have made quite a stir since we caught sight of them back in July. Creator Blake Bevin launched a Kickstarter program to actually produce the things and, working to raise the $25k in funding needed to build 'em, Blake has created a video of version 2.0 of the shoes. This time the blue and pink are gone, as are the Nike logos (perhaps to avoid trademark and patent ramifications), replaced with a cleaner though taller silver and white design. The servo that handles the laces is now hidden in the heel, and a pressure sensor starts the lacing process as soon as you put your foot in. We like that idea, but we're not sure how comfortable walking on a servo would be. Pony up $50 to join the fund and you can be among the first to find out.
RU Sirius seeks contributors for Mondo 2000: An Open Source History
Before there was a blogosphere, in those heady days of dial-up, how did one get culture? There were a few possibilities, all of which sound pretty pathetic in the modern era. If you had a friend in college, you could borrow their VMS account to access Usenet. Or, if you were lucky, maybe there was a 2600 meeting in your town. Then again there was always Walden Books at the Millcreek Mall -- if one of your visits happened to coincide with the erratic publishing schedule of Mondo 2000, you were in luck! From virtual reality to hacking, smart drugs, science fiction, and more: before ubiquitous broadband, and before Wired, this magazine was like a textbook from the future. As far as we know, the whole story of this far-out publishing venture has yet to be told. That's why we're pleased as punch to hear that founding co-editor and all-around good guy R.U. Sirius is kickstarting a project called Mondo 2000: An Open Source History. The idea's pretty novel: everyone who was involved with the magazine is invited to collaborate on both a book and a website (including audio and video) that will trace the history of the magazine. And who knows? If things go well enough, some of the footage may be rolled into a documentary. So, what are you waiting for? Hit up the source link to get involved. While you're there, check out that podcast describing the project in detail. After that, remember to download Billy Idol's Cyberpunk album -- it's still as timeless and relevant as ever.
Be a big Hollywood producer by funding Indie Game: The Movie
What if we told you that you can join the ranks of the Hollywood Elite and knock out your positive karma requirement for the day in one fell swoop? It's true -- all you have to do is donate a bit of cash to help fund Indie Game: The Movie, a documentary from BlinkWorks Media about all the factors that go into making an independently developed video game. You probably pieced the premise together from the title. You can check out a clip from the film featuring Team Meat's Edmund McMillen on BlinkWorks' Kickstarter page before deciding whether it's worth supporting. A variety of gifts are available for contributors -- for instance, folks who donate $10 will get a mention in the Special Thanks portion of the film's credits. That's how one Mr. Bruckheimer got started, don't you know.
