Kickstarter Roundup: Doug Jones and other treats

This week there are some great things on kickstarter, but these three made the cut easy enough: a short movie starring Doug Jones, a really well made gadget for your camera, and a book that will teach your kids to code. 

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Maxtone: iPhone your camera

A wireless remote that lets you control your DSLR camera through your iPhone (smartphone) + much more! Let's iPhone your Camera!

What is it?

This little gadget uses infra-red to control your camera. Just place it on your camera in front of the infra-red sensor and grab you iPhone. You can now take images and do many other things remotely.

The MaxStone uses low energy Bluetooth 4.0 to connect with your iPhone. When connected, the MaxStone allows you to use the intuitive and beautiful screen of the iPhone to take images from your camera. At the moment the MaxStone can do the following:

• Time-lapse Parameters: time interval between shutters [1 second to 24 hours], maximum number of pictures [9999], exposure time [1 second to 99 seconds; keep one duration or change gradually].
• Long power duration: can work for 6 to 12 months with one battery, emitting commands for more than 10 thousands times. You can use MaxStone to create works with long time span.
• Bulb: MaxStone offers bulb with two modes: automatically timed and hand operating.
• Remote controller for micro-video: used as remote controller for micro-video, MaxStone can work for Canon 5D, Sony NEX, and other widely used cameras. 
• Control the iPhone camera: use MacStone to shoot through the iPhone. Press the central button of MaxSoneto take photo, start or stop a video recording.
• Switch Mode: between taking photo and taking video (conducting in APP)
• Switch Cameras: switch between the two cameras on your mobile devices (e.g.: cameras in the front and back of iPhone, also conducting in APP)
• Control Flash: switch between different modes of the flashbulb (conducting in APP)
• Adjust focus: (conducting in APP)
• Alerting at any time: if the distance between your iPhone and MaxStone is long, your iPhone will tweet to remind you. 
• Finding your MaxStone: the “Radar” in APP can identify the distance between your iPhone and MaxStone; press the “TWEET” in APP, you can follow the sound by MaxStone and find it.
• Finding your iPhone: press the central button of MaxStone to command your iPhone to tweet, you can find you iPhone, following the sound. 
• Record the last position: If the alert by MaxStone is missed, the APP will record the last time and position of your belongings, which makes it more easily for you to find them.

Why do I like it?

I am not a professional photographer, but I love taking photos. I use the iPhone a lot to do it, but I also have my Sony a77 with me most of the times. At the moment, I the TriggerTrap solution which is great, but wired and this is where MaxStone got my attention: wireless control of my camera means I can do so many things and not be limited by the cable's length. 

From what I read, and the answers the team gave, it looks like the app is going to give the users a lot of power over their cameras. The fact that the team also added so many other features like finding your phone, or the MaxStone (that can be attached to your keys so two birds one ...maxstone, you get it) is something I appreciate because it's elegant. The Pledge stands on $115,659 at the moment (the goal was $50k) so this is going to happen with or without you. It will be a shame to miss on the rewards so go check it out.

Hello Ruby

Hello Ruby is a children’s book that teaches programming fundamentals through stories and kid-friendly activities.

What is it?

Linda Liukas created Ruby to teach herself coding and turned this into a project on kickstarter. the ideas is to create a story that through it (with the help of a workbook), your kids can learn a lot about coding and about coding culture. 

The project will help to fund the book and workbook with stretch goals that will add more tools for parents to help their kids, and learn about coding themselves.

The activity book teaches kids early programming skills. It’s designed to be enjoyed by a kid alone, but can also be worked through with an adult. And best of all - the workbook is designed to be doodled, wrecked and drawn all over. 

• The foundational knowledge structures, like sequences, variables, patterns, loops, lists, conditionals, operators and events. Taught through exercises of dot-to-dot, pairs, odd-one-out, all from Ruby's world.
  
• A sprinkle of software culture, by teaching them to abstract and modularise, work iteratively and incrementally as well as encouraging them to reuse and remix work.
  
• Creativity and DIY attitude. Tons of doodles, logic puzzles and even a foldable miniature laptop that allows the kid to peek inside a computer. 

Why do I like it?

I feel as if this is self evident. Coding is part of our culture today. Applications are the major tools we use. Knowing how to code, and understand programming logic is a basic component, in my view, of being a citizen of the future.

there are many new, cool tools to teach coding. There are tons of great games out there, Like lightbot, that do it well. A book, especially a children book in a mother, great way to reach children and work with them. I also feel that this book and workbook will help adults to learn about these topics as well.

Kiss the Devil in the Dark

The new film from the creators of "An Evening with My Comatose Mother," starring Doug Jones, Dameon Clarke and Amrita Acharia.

What is it?

A dark fantasy short film, starring Doug Jones (Abe from Hellboy, The various creatures in Pan's Labyrinth and more) and a cast of well known and loved actresses and actors.

From the project page:

KISS THE DEVIL IN THE DARK is a dark fantasy film set in a mythical Victorian-era world. This is a story of magic, demons, love, lust, friendship, betrayal and hell. Desperate to save his dying wife, the powerful sorcerer Marcus makes a deal with the demon Dagon to save her soul. Dagon, however, has more in mind for Marcus than just a simple exchanging of souls. With seemingly no other choice, Marcus accepts, thus catapulting him into a series of events that will reveal to all involved the very meaning of betrayal. 

The movie is ready, the money this project asks for is for the post production.

Why do I like it?

After two horror films I looked for something else to recommend, so I figured a fantasy movie would be cool. It's not my fault that it's a DARK fantasy movie.

I love it because it looks incredible and the production value looks really high. The actors previous body of works speaks volume for them. What's not to like? The goal here is 20k, the pledge stand at $8,011 and there are 28 days at the time of publishing this post.

Kickstarter weekly roundup, Sounds Great

Every week I try to bring you the best projects I find on Kickstarter. This week I'm having a real problem narrowing down the list. Kickstarter has high and low tides and we are entering a high one now.

Note: I don't back every project that I recommend. I wish I could, but I can't. maybe I should create a kickstarter to get funds so I'll be able to back more projects...

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HiddenRadio2

The simplest most advanced wireless Multi Speaker for iPhone, iPad + Android ever in compact form. Touch the cap to elevate your sound!

As the name suggests, this is the second version of this product. The first one was born on Kickstarter (Goal: $125k, Pledge $938,771) and received well enough reviews. Some backers complained about sound quality, charging issues and pairing issues, but overall it looks like these are not the majority.

We can deduce that people like this product because this new version was backed within 4.5 hours (Goal: $90k, Pledge so far $425,344), and they have 25 more days to go at the time of this post being written.

What is it?

A blutooth speaker that can pair with your mobile device (iOS and Android) and be used to listen to music, podcasts, movies, and also to take calls. The design is compact and beautiful and the mechanism that reveals the speakers looks like it works really nice.

Why do I like it?

Mobile speakers are not new obviously, but this one gives me a few things I'm looking for:

• Compact and great looking Design (in form and factor)
• High Sound Quality 
• Easy pairing with my iPhone
• The ability to sync it around the house while I move from room to room
• The ability to take it with me to lectures when I need to play Music/Videos
• additional smart functionalities (smart as in clever, not "connected to the web and thus called smart like every other device coming out from CES for the past 3 years")

Some other speakers give many of these functions but cost a lot, or they are cheap but give only some of the functionality. Anyways, I'm in and I think you should back it as well.

Push: Your wallet at a touch

The ultimate iPhone protective case with a secure and hidden wallet at the at the touch of a button. iPhone 5S, 5C, 5.

iPhone covers are a million, if not a billion, dollar industry and as the years progressed we saw companies trying to do more with those cases. Some just make the case more durable and protective (to the extent of making your phone look like a tank or a stealth bomber), others create a battery pack that also works as a cover (like the really well designed Mophies). Yet other try to add simpler functionalities, like adding a wallet to your iPhone.

What is it?

So Push is basically a smart and compact wallet that allow you to store your credit cards with your phone, and with a simple push, to take out the credit card that you need (or grab some cash).

Why I like it?

They really gave some thought to the way people use their phones and wallets. The whole design is great and looks like it was created to be used with a phone, while keeping the basic functionality of the wallet - protecting your money and make it easier to carry around.

Theu already blow through their goal ($15l, Pledge so far $46,287) and unlocked the Android stretch goal. In a nut shell:

• Looks and feels good
• really protects your cards
• Keeps your cards safe from prying eyes
• easy to use
• also, protects your phone (bonus?)

This party will end in 5 days, so if you are looking for something like this, go and grab it.

Murder Mill

Bloody, brutal, psychological terror is our goal. With your help, we can make "MURDER MILL" an unstoppable force of horror.

What is it?

Well, the synopsis reads: Four teens break into a local abandoned mill for a night of partying. They get more than they bargained for when they discover the truth behind the legend of "Murder Mill" and its connection to the recent town suicides.

Why I like it?

I love horror, and I love the short form. Kickstarter is a great place for ideas to come to fruition and these types of projects have good potential. I like the simplicity of the location and from what Im reading and seeing on the project page, these guys know what they are doing.

The goal ($1500) was past and (pledge $1,576 so far) and they do have 20 more days. They aren't asking for much and for that some you will probably get a good piece of content and also propel the idea of the "new patrons of the art". Kickstarter and sites like it are a situated correctly to reshape the way we look at and treat the arts.