Last month, we covered the Kickstarter posting for the Zendock MacBook Pro docking station. As we profiled in April, the docking solution takes over your MacBook Pro’s ports in order to free up clutter on your workspace:
The XiStera accessory for iPhone 5 is an interesting new Kickstarter project that includes several functions in a small, affordable package. The XiStera works as an iPhone 5 camera lens, tripod adapter, viewing stand, bottle opener, stylus, earphone holder, LED light system, and keychain.
Just launched on Kickstarter today, RHP Multimedia is hoping to bring an iPad version of its MirrorCase originally launched for iPhone that allows users to shoot hands free photos and video while continuing to use the iPad. Normally iPad users would be forced to hold up the tablet in a vertical position in order to capture photos and video using the device’s main, rear camera. MirrorCase offers a hands-free solution by integrating “a high-quality first surface mirror to reflect back any image that is in front of the device”, allowing you to keep the iPad in a horizontal position ideal for taking notes or multitasking while shooting video.
The key is the MirrorCase companion app that the company is attempting to fund through its Kickstarter campaign. The app will include, for instance, the ability to take notes or make annotations while viewing a live, resizable preview of the video you’re shooting, PDF and Dropbox integration, and adjustable video resolution and frame rates.
You can preorder a MirrorCase for iPad now for $50 with shipments expected to start in August.
Pebble, the E-Ink smart-watch for iPhones and Android devices which raised over 10 million dollars on Kickstarter is about to get a lot of new features. Today, Pebble announced that the watch SDK is being released today. The SDK will allow developers to create custom watch faces, alerts and new apps.
At the moment, there’s less than 10 available watch faces and only one app, but expect those numbers to grow dramatically now that developers can get their hands on a public SDK.
You can grab the SDK from Pebble’s website right here.
If your desk looks anything like mine, seen above, then you probably know the joys of constantly connecting and disconnecting a handful of cables every time you need to move your MacBook away from your desk or put it back. In my case, I have to fiddle with these cables every few hours when I take my MacBook downstairs to work in the living room or bring it back upstairs to plug it into my monitor. I hate it.
The ZenDock, which hit Kickstarter today, promises to help eliminate most of this problem for me, and from the looks of it, the folks at ZenBoxx might just be on to something. The ZenDock comes in two varieties: Pro and Retina. As you might imagine, the names correspond to the MacBook model that the dock is designed to work with.
Going up for sale as a Kickstarter campaign later this week, ex-Apple engineer Addison Shelton is launching the Swiss Army knife of iPhone cases with a new product called “TaskOne.” Made of sturdy aircraft aluminum and polycarbonate, the TaskOne’s enclosure houses 16 tools including a 2.5″ knife, saw, screwdrivers, and 11 other tools such as a bottle opener, kickstand, pliers, wire cutters, wire strippers, 6 allen wrenches, and a ruler.
By diligently sticking to his design goals of combining the best features of a multi-tool with the protection and slim fit of a well-designed case, Task One bridges the gap between an iPhone case and a multi-tool. “I utilized advanced materials and manufacturing to create a slim multi-tool case that can stand up to heavy use, keep your phone safe and be so slim it adds little more bulk than other common cases,” says Shelton. It can be used in any situation requiring a multi-tool, from a camping trip to a home repair – the tools are robust and always stored in the phone case for near instant access. Sliders on the back of the phone make for easy access to the tools, and integrated spring and detents assemblies lock the tools in place both when in use and during storage.
There are a few products for iPhone that build in some of these tools, but by all accounts this looks to be the ultimate multi-tool actually made and tested for real world use. Shelton explained the product in a video posted to the company’s Facebook page.
The Kickstarter project for TaskOne will officially go live at noon on Wednesday and we’ll update this post with links when it does.
Update: It’s live on Indiegogo and close to meeting its funding goal.
Oh, Kickstarter. It is a primary place where tech lovers’ dreams have an opportunity to become reality; it not only promotes some of the most innovative ideas, but it also makes those of us in the real world more anxious for a gadget-filled tomorrow. Enter LIFX.
LIFX’s, well, life on Kickstarter is only nearing the 48-hour mark, but the reinvented light bulb already surpassed its set goal and hit $402,707 (as of press time) worth of pledges. In a nutshell: LIFX is a “Wi-Fi-enabled, multi-color, energy efficient LED light bulb that you control with your iPhone or Android.”
Just watch the video above for the full effect. A few of the more notable integrated uses include changing indoor light color to match any mood, visualizing music, security measures for while away, or even just enabling couch potatoes. Those who pledge at least $69 will get a handy-dandy LIFX “smartbulb” to try, with an estimated delivery pegged around March 2013.
Check it out: LIFX: The Light Bulb Reinvented
Home-automation technology is a huge hit among startups, such as former Apple Senior Vice President Tony Fadell’s popular Nest Learning Thermostat, and even carriers are trying to get on board by developing services that streamline life and home processes.
AT&T, for instance, produced a consumer home automation and security suite of services that began trials earlier this summer. The services, which exist under the “AT&T Digital Life” naming umbrella, control home functions and implement security features. With Nest and others creating a buzz in the mobile home-automation space, expect to see LIFX flying off retailers’ shelves this time next year.
This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.
Update: While OnLive provided the same statement (below) to Kotaku as they did to Joystiq, a new report from Kotaku, citing a source inside OnLive, claimed the company is about to file for bankruptcy and layoff most of its employees:
The source says that everyone at the company knew things were tight. This morning, an all-hands meeting was called at 10 a.m. this morning where CEO Steve Perlman said that OnLive would be filing for ABC bankruptcy in the state of California—a status that affords them a level of protection from creditors. Perlman also said that the company as it stands now would cease to exist and that no one would be employed by OnLive. A subset of employees would be brought on to the company created from the remains of OnLive.
[tweet https://twitter.com/onlive/status/236537627526979584]
OnLive’s Director of Corporate Communications Brian Jaquet has shot down rumors that the game streaming service is closing its doors after several media outlets reported the story earlier today. A report from The Verge, citing video game developer Brian Fargo and emails from former OnLive staff members, claimed the game-streaming service would shut its doors and lay off staff immediately. Emails obtained by The Verge’s sister site, Polygon, claimed a new company would be formed. However, current OnLive employees would be let go for the time being:
“I wanted to send a note that by the end of the day today, OnLive as an entity will no longer exist,” reads an email forwarded to Polygon. “Unfortunately, my job and everyone else’s was included. A new company will be formed and the management of the company will be in contact with you about the current initiatives in place, including the titles that will remain on the service.”
Speaking with Joystiq, Jaquet confirmed OnLive is not shutting down:
“We don’t respond to rumors, but of course not… The exciting news is that the first VIZIO Co-Stars (Google TV stream players) with the OnLive app built-in have just arrived in customer homes,” he continued, “and our second of three ‘Indie Giveaway Weekends’ is going on now. OnLive users can get a free copy of the award-winning games Space Pirates and Zombies and SpaceChem.” So it sounds like OnLive is still open for business.
When asked about possible layoffs, Jaquet confirmed: “The OnLive service is not shutting down.”
There is a ton of interesting iPhone and iOS-related Kickstarter projects popping up, so we decided to compile a list of a few that caught our eye recently. All of these products will of course first need to reach their funding goals before shipping, but several on the list below already did.
Just launched on Kickstarter, the LeviSync iPad cradle arm for iMac is not the most elegant solution to have an iPad float next to your Mac’s display, but its industrial strength aluminium and steel design certainly looks made to last.
The LeviSync’s arm swings to position on either side of your of your iMac, builds in a four-port USB hub, and is compatible with every generation of iPad and iMacs starting from the late 2007 model. It also works in landscape or portrait mode and makes it easy to hook up to your iMac’s audio output source. Another great feature is the stand. It requires no screws or additional parts for installation and simply slides onto your iMac’s existing stand. This is perhaps most useful for those taking advantage of solutions such as AirDisplay for using iPad as a second monitor.
You will have to pledge at least $199 to get your hands on the LeviSync when it lands in production, but it will eventually retail for $249. The inventors will first have to reach their $60,000 funding goal…
Introducing LeviSync, the Missing iPad Dock for iMac
Pipestone, MN—May 10, 2012—LevTech, Inc is pleased to introduce LeviSync, a new way to sync and charge any iPad with an iMac. LeviSync, the only premium iPad accessory for your iMac, is an iPad docking arm that mounts on the back of an iMac computer. It doesn’t take up desk space and helps you to charge and sync your iPad with your iMac. LeviSync’s unique design supports iPads in a new way.
“I was tired of my iPad just lying on the desktop when it wasn’t in use. I figured it needed its own place” said Ryan Christensen, President and Co-Founder of LevTech, Inc.
LeviSync connects seamlessly to all current iMac models. Simply slide LeviSync onto the back of an iMac, plug in the USB cables, and start enjoying the best iPad dock on the market. This will allow you to keep your desk free and clear of cables while keeping your iPad at eye level, charged, and synced.
Featuring an aluminum and steel design, zero configuration installation, zero footprint, built-in USB hub, and a secure elevated iPad dock connection, LeviSync is launching from kickstarter.com* now with an introductory price of $199.
Along with a sleek design, LeviSync provides four USB ports, allowing for even more accessories to be connected to your iMac. The iPad dock allows you to position the iPad on either the right or left side of the iMac to suit your preference. Best of all, LeviSync eliminates interaction with charge and sync cables.
Now you can enjoy a clutter free desk and simultaneously use your iPad all with an exceptional build quality and smooth user experience.
Recently launched as a Kickstarter project, Jon Fawcett and his new company [Fuse] Chicken invented a flexible gooseneck accessory with a built-in USB cable that doubles as a shapeable stand and dock for your iPhone.
The benefits of the Une Bobine (which is French for “A coil”) are obvious from the images above— the ability to adjust your iPhone to an appropriate position in various scenarios, such as charging, while still being able to place the device at eye-level. It also holds your device in landscape mode, as you can see in the images.
Although the Kickstarter project already surpassed its funding goal of $9,800, you can preorder yours now by pledging $25. The company planned to start shipping Une Bobine roughly 45 days after reaching its funding goal, and it appears to still be on schedule.
We told you earlier this month about the “NoteBook Case” for iPad—a bluetooth keyboard case that does a good job of turning an iPad into a MacBook-looking netbook. That case is now available in the United States and Europe through CPeel, but today we look at another impressive keyboard case currently on Kickstarter called “Brydge.”
Like the NoteBook Case, the Brydge iPad case gets much of its design cues from the MacBook Pro line. The differences include aerospace-grade aluminium, optional built-in speakers, and a patent-pending “click-in” hinge providing close to 180 degrees of positioning freedom. The hinge is made of “metal alloys and magnets, with a thermoplastic elastomer shell.” By all accounts, at first glance, this appears to be one of the better made keyboard cases we have come across.
The Kickstarter project is currently at just $2,855 in pledges from 16 backers, but it still has 39 days to reach its $90,000 funding goal. A $150 donation will get you the model without speakers, while a $180 donation earns a model with speakers. If the project reaches its funding goal, the company plans to ship the first units by October. A full gallery of close-ups and the different models is after the break.
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Only a few thousand away from its funding goal on Kickstarter, this origami-inspired iPad case from New Pencil “fluidly transitions between numerous standing positions” without even having to touch it. A $65 pledge or more will get you one of the cases when they ship in August.
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We told you in May 2011 that a new company called “Taposé” aimed to bring functionality from Microsoft’s dual-screen Courier tablet concept to the iPad. The iPad app was still early in development then, but has since reached its funding goal on Kickstarter. It also received backing from Microsoft’s J Allard who headed the Courier project at Microsoft, and now Apple finally approved it for the App Store:
Ever wished you could run your favorite iOS app on your Mac? What about your Windows machine or Android device? If creators of new Kickstarter project iEmu reach their funding goals, it may be possible sooner than you think.
iEmu is a new project based on the open-source QEMU emulator, currently accepting donations through Kickstarter, that aims to emulate the S5L8930 chipset used in iPhone 4 and first-gen iPads. It will support a number of platforms including “Linux, Windows, Mac, mobile platforms such as Android, and even on iOS itself”.
The goals of iEmu? Well the end goal is an emulator capable of running “most iPad/iPhone apps” that even supports peripherals like the compass, accelerometer, and GPS. It would also “be extended with plugins for custom iOS exploration” and able to be reflashed in iTunes.
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People have been prognosticating the iPod Nano as a watch since before it even debuted. Steve Jobs mentioned in the keynote that an Apple board member was wearing his (or her) nano as a watch and the Apple Store has started selling them. Is it mainstream yet?
Perhaps the biggest indication of the iWatch phenomenon to date is that Kickstarter funded TikTock has raised a million dollars to produce its LunaTik watch bands for the Nanos. WTF.
Well, it is a little more complicated than that.
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.
Still!
