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Crowdfunded Project News: The best of Kickstarter, Indiegogo and the rest
Every week, TUAW provides readers with an update on what new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects are 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. Note that we're not covering those "projects" on Indiegogo where people are trying to get someone else to cough up money for a new computer or tablet... From Kickstarter: Everydisk from Avatron is at 63 percent of its funding goal with only three days to go -- so close, but yet so far! If you'd like a nice, encrypted personal cloud storage solution from a trusted name in the app world, get behind this project. MaxStone is a wireless remote for your DSLR that's controlled by an app on your iPhone. This one took off like a rocket and is now at a whopping 219 percent funded with 29 days to go in the campaign. Kloqe is quite a classy iPhone case made entirely of aluminum. If you're concerned about it affecting the reception of your iPhone, don't be -- the company has tested the case throughout development and figured out how to combat that problem. It comes in all of the colors you'd love -- champagne, space gray, white and aluminum. All this beauty can only be yours if the project reaches its funding goal. At this point, it's 31 percent funded with 32 days to go. wobL answers the question "Where's the (#&(#$) snooze button on my iPhone screen?" by pairing a rocking (or wobbling) iPhone stand with an iOS 7 alarm app. When the alarm goes off and you need that extra 10 minutes of snooze, just reach out blindly and hit the wobL to make it... wobble... and you're set for dreamland. The Portland-based 3P Studio design firm needs your help to make it happen, as it's at 13 percent funding with 37 days to go. AboutFacePad is an interesting project -- an inexpensive iPad wall mount and stand made out of recycled cardboard. Oddly enough, it's not as bizarre as it sounds. But with 10 days to go, it's only received US$646 of its $10,000 goal. Sad face... On the other hand, the VERSI Docker Stand is well over its modest funding goal and still has 23 days left to go. It's an adjustable universal dock that works with tablets and smartphones, with or without cases. It personally looks a bit industrial to me, but hey, some people like industrial chic. From Indiegogo: Keepod Unite isn't an Apple-oriented project, but it is a fascinating idea. A $7 "bootable PC in a flash drive" that is affordable to almost anyone on the planet. Plug it into a recycled PC at a community center or a shared PC at a school, boot it up and your own private environment is there. Pull it out, and your PC goes with you. Only about 24 percent funded with 24 days left to go. Fin is a thumb-ring with a purpose -- to turn your entire palm and fingers into a touch interface for your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Apparently not too many people are enthralled with the idea, as it's reached just over 6 percent funding with 32 days to go. QardioArm is a take on the "connected self," providing an easily pocketable wireless blood pressure-measurement device that talks to your smartphone. The idea is that you're more likely to monitor your blood pressure when you can take your device with you everywhere. It's over 55 percent funded with 14 days left. Otto Petcare Systems has an idea -- a way to let you keep an eye on your dog's or cat's activity levels, view it on a smartphone via a webcam, feed your pet remotely through an app and compare your animal's nutritional and activity levels to others of the same type and breed. This project's getting close, at 84 percent funding with just 10 days left. 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.
