PC Tech World: Kickstarter

Showing posts with label Kickstarter. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Bartendro cocktail mixing robot lands on Kickstarter, wields Raspberry Pi (video)

If you prefer robot bartenders to lack limbs that could be used against you in the impending robopocalypse, Bartendro might be your kind of bot. After two years of building and tweaking, the folks at Party Robotics have finally polished their Raspberry Pi-powered cocktail-making rig and have posted it to Kickstarter. Born from a need to re-create mixed drinks in perfect proportion, Bartendro uses food-grade tubing, pumps and custom-built electronics to pipe liquids out with a measurement accuracy of a milliliter. According to the projects' site, however, it can't quite handle carbonated beverages in its current state. By using a device connected to the contraption's own WiFi network, thirsty folks will be able to select drinks from a web-based interface. Mixologists, on the other hand, can leverage the control panel to customize cocktail recipes, manage dispensers and even read reports of what drinks were made and how much of which ingredients were used.

Both the hardware and the software that make up Bartendro are open source, and the team behind it even wants to create an online drink compendium that's free as in freedom and beer. The hope is that intrepid enthusiasts can hack together mods ranging from breathalyzers to a stirring or shaking mechanism. Early supporters can snatch a ShotBot with one dispenser for $249, a Bartendro with three for $375, a model toting seven for $1,199 and a fourth version carrying a whopping 15 for $2,499. However, crafty DIYers can roll their own system by pledging coin for individual dispensers and the Linux boxes that power them. The group has currently raised over $20,000, but it's aiming for $135,000 to push the bot into production. Click the bordering source link if you're inclined to chip in or hit the jump for Party Robotic's pitch video.

Via: CNET

Source: Kickstarter

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

3Doodler is a $75 3D-printing pen eagerly awaiting your Kickstarter funding (hands-on)

In April of last year, former MakerBot COO Samuel Cervantes launched the Solidoodle, a $500 3D printer. We were a bit taken aback by the price point -- after all, his former company's product had seemingly set the standard for consumer-facing 3D-printer pricing at around $2,000. We're hoping you've got both hands firmly clutching your hat when we tell you that the 3Doodler, a 3D-printing pen from the crew over at Wobbleworks, is going to run a whopping $75 at launch -- and heck, if you get in early on the company's recently launched Kickstarter, you'll be able to snag one for $50.

Before we go any further, however, let's get some things out of the way. For starters, it's best to take the 3D printer thing with a grain or two of salt. Calling the 3Doodler a 3D pen is a bit like calling a high-end ink pen a 2D printer. The device is actually quite simple, but pretty brilliant. It essentially takes the heated extrusion head off a 3D printer and incorporates it into a standalone device. A single piece of plastic (ABS or PLA, for the more environmentally minded out there) is threaded through the back, fed through the pen and comes out melted through the tip. Yes, like its 3D printer brethren, it works a bit like a hot glue gun.3Doodler is a $75 3D printing pen eagerly awaiting your Kickstarter fundingSee all photoswhen.eng("eng.galleries.init")

You can draw flat on a piece of paper or follow along with stencils, if you're not all that artistically inclined. The real trick, however, is writing upward, essentially drawing in the air. There are two buttons on the front of the device, which let you control the speed of the extrusion. The higher speed works just fine on paper, but if you want to hit that third dimension, it's best to slow things down, allowing the plastic to solidify as you build up. It's also possible to create three-dimensional structures by printing out 2D sides and essentially welding them together afterward with a bit of plastic, as the company did with its rather impressive Eiffel Tower model.

The Wobbleworks guys let us take the pen for a spin for a bit. It's easy enough to use, but actually drawing a three-dimensional object takes a good deal of trial and error. We're sad to say that we hadn't quite mastered the thing by the time we had to give it back. There's also the fact that if you're not an artist, this thing isn't going to magically teach you how to draw. We're told, however, that the company's going to put a few of these in the hands of some Etsy users, so we should be seeing some pretty cool one-off results -- some of which will go toward rewarding Kickstarter donators.

3Doodler is a $75 3D printing pen eagerly awaiting your Kickstarter funding handson

The first-gen unit needs to be plugged in, though the company tells us it's working on a battery-powered version. No telling how long that would actually run, given the extruder and the big onboard fan. It's also looking at the possibility of a more kid-friendly version (the main problem being that hot tip), and when I suggested a Thingiverse-like database for stencils, company reps nodded their heads knowingly. It should be pointed out that what you're looking at here is a prototype (there's an even older version in the gallery). The final version will be roughly the same size, with a different body. The company is looking for $30,000 in funding, in all. You can get in on that action by clicking on the source link.

Source

By: Unknown On 7:17 PM

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Ouya will come to stores for $99 in June after Kickstarter, online pre-orders ship

Whether you missed out on the Ouya console's initial Kickstarter frenzy, (and still open pre-order window) or are just waiting around to see what kind of games are available on the Android box this spring, it should still be easy to find one very soon. The company has announced that it will be available at retailers including Amazon, GameStop, Target and Best Buy for $99.99 this June, with pre-orders opening up later today. CEO Julie Uhrman informed the Wall Street Journal's Digits blog that additional controllers would be priced at $49.99 alongside the consoles at its official launch in June, with a "large suite" of gaming titles. She declined to reveal the exact number of systems already ordered, but proudly pointed to the Ouya as a box that will inventive and creative content that has never before been seen on television.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Lynx A 3D camera hits Kickstarter, ready to motion capture your donations

Every time we write up a 3D printer, we get a deluge of folks asking just how easy it is to render a 3D model. The answer is, unless you're well-versed CAD, not very. Austin-based Lynx Laboratories is working to help bring the learning curve for 3D rendering down a bit, with the Lynx A, a "point-and-shoot 3D camera" it claims is even easier to use than many standard digital cameras. The list of things the tablet-shaped device can do is impressive, indeed, including digital measure, architectural rending, object modeling and motion capture -- the latter of which has some interesting applications in the movie and gaming spaces. The project's Kickstarter is now open, steadily heading toward its $50,000 goal, with 44 days to go. A starting pledge of $1,799 will get you one of the 14-inch devices to call your own. Not convinced? Perhaps the video after the break will put you over the 3D edge.

Source: Kickstarter

By: Unknown On 8:19 PM

Friday, February 1, 2013

GameStick wraps up successful Kickstarter run with nearly $650K

GAMESTICK KICKSTARTER CLOSES AT 648% FUNDED

The Most Portable TV Games Console Proves To Be One of
The Most Successful Kickstarter Technology Projects

London & San Francisco; February 1st, 2013; The team behind GameStick today raised a glass and let out a cheer as one of the most successful technology Kickstarter projects closed at $648K.

"We are overwhelmed, excited, grateful, thrilled and everything in between." says Anthony Johnson, CMO, PlayJam."The campaign has been an incredible success with support from thousands of backers worldwide but this is just the beginning.The feedback from the Kickstarter community has been invaluable in shaping the final product and we will continue to seek input from those that supported us to ensure continued innovation ahead of a global retail launch."

The campaign to fund the production of GameStick, which is set to ship in April 2013, closed today at 07.36 PST with pledges coming in right up to the last second finishing at 648% of the original target. Those that missed out on the Kickstarter campaign will be able to pre-order via the GameStick website at www.gamestick.tv.

GameStick is a small yet powerful, dedicated games console that plugs directly into a TV´s HDMI slot and comes with a fully featured Bluetooth controller - ready to go right out of the box. When on the move, the two combine into a single unit, putting big screen gaming right into the pocket. The device will be compatible with other Bluetooth controllers enabling true multi-player functionality.

GameStick´s purpose-built game store will be powered by PlayJam´s built-for-TV technology enabling users to browse, download content and interact with the wider GameStick community.

Throughout the campaign the team responded to thousands of comments and suggestions from Kickstarter backers that saw the product evolve in real-time as the team scrambled to incorporate a number of requested features from additional memory capacity to support for peripheral hardware via a docking station.

GameStick, described as 'The Most Portable TV games Console Ever Created' has been hailed by many supporters as the console to disrupt the games industry, has gathered high profile supporters throughout the campaign such as; Jason Kingsley, (Founder of Rebellion), Jason Bradbury (Gadget Show host) Jermaine Dupri (Record producer) and Shaquille O'Neal (Basketball Legend).

To visit the GameStick website for more information or to apply for an SDK please go to: www.gamestick.tv

To continue to follow GameStick news, join the conversation and give your opinion on Facebook or Twitter please go: www.facebook.com/GameStickNews and www.twitter.com/Game_Stick / @Game_Stick

To see new videos published on YouTube please subscribe to: www.youtube.com/GameStickVideos

#ENDS#

Sourse

By: Dilusha On 9:19 PM

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Kickstarter project integrates game controller into Bluetooth iPhone case

Bluetooth solar-powered gaming case his Kickstarter (credit: John C.)

An iPhone case which transforms into to a video game controller has hit the popular crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter this weekend.

The concept case is only 3mm thin, but contains the traditional directional pad and button configurations seen on many classic handheld games consoles.

To the naked eye, it looks like a regular iPhone case, but snapping it from the centre reveals the controls and alters the shape of the case to make it easier to grip for gamers.

The case connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth 4.0 and is charged by Solar power and indoor light sources.

The creator Justice Frangipane has been working on the controller for over a year and has now teamed up with the iDevices company to help make the project a reality.

Most importantly, Frangipane says the project also has Apple's support.

He said: "iDevices contacted Apple on my behalf and we are happy to announce that Apple is not only going to support us, but willing to devote a team to making sure that this controller works perfectly with Apple iOS devices!"

The project requires a $135,000 (UK£83,490, AUD$129,772) bounty to officially go ahead and you can see the latest prototype in the video below.

Via TechCrunch

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Killjoy Apple sinks Kickstarter project, forces $140,000 donation refund

A victim of Apple

It's a story of David vs Goliath, but in this version Goliath has rather cruelly crushed little David.

Apple has closed down a Kickstarter project by refusing to licence its Lightning charger. So now the POP portable charging station won't see the light of day, and the technology and design lab behind it has to return the $139,170 in funding it received on the crowd-sourcing website.

The POP was going to be a portable charger that let you juice up your Apple device, among other phones and tablets. Apple, not happy with its iPhones and iPads sharing the stage with rivals, didn't licence its Lightning dock, and so the team have had to abandon the project.

The team at Edison Junior, the company behind the POP, are understandably annoyed, and aren't shy about letting it be known. "We are pissed," CEO Jamie Siminoff told VentureBeat. "I think they are being a bunch of assholes, and I think they're hurting they're customers."

Edison Junior will have to foot the fees from credit cards as well as the Kickstarter charges. In total, that amounts to more than $11,000.

"We would have loved to have made the product," Siminoff said. "At the same time I feel like we're making the correct decision… I'm not willing to compromise on the product."

He guaranteed all backers would get their donations back in full.

And he had a word of warning for Apple over its business practices. "When you do things that are bad for the customer… I think it will be bad for them," he said.

Via VentureBeat