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.

Happy birthday Mac

This ad is still relevant. 

I'm not interested in the haters "witty" insights as to how Apple users are the one being brainwashed

30 years, and Apple had changed the world again and again. Creating new products and new categories. Other companies followed with good and not so good products for those categories, but you would not have Android with out iOS, you would not have Galaxy, and Nexus without iPhone. You would bot see modern tablets without the iPad, and to this day there never was a better music player than the iPod.

The brainwashing is not about "following" a company. It's about using what there is instead of looking at what could be. 

That is why we need Apple, because they break the barriers again and again. Because they create new playgrounds for others to play in. Playgrounds that others did not bother to try and create or didn't even imagine possible.

Apple put out a video to celebrate the event, and created a great page for it with great stories about the people who used the various versions. It's very Apple to talk about the people, to talk about the why. 

Happy birthday Mac, getting you into my life was one of the best gifts I ever got.

Happy birthday Apple. Glad you're still here. 

Prepare to not be able to use the English language

Yesterday we learned that the word Candy is now, basically, owned by king.com.

The idea is absurd, but given the fact that many companies had set out to copy Candy Crush does explain why king.com would want to own the word, or at least do what ever they can to protect their brand and game. Now pay attention, I said I understand why king.com would like to do that, I have no idea why on earth were they granted the trademark. Rock Paper Shotgun has a good article about the candy affair that you should read as well.

But, we didn't have enough time to think about the implications of this issue when suddenly we learned that king.com also thinks that the word Saga is theirs and that people who are using that word are set on infringing on king.com's trademarks, IPs and fortune. Now, you would say "well, ok, we can understand why they would like to do that" BUT how can their lawyers file a Notice of Opposition against the game Banner Saga?

Now let's take a little look here

Image: King.com

This is Candy Crush, a bejeweled game (remember bejeweled? the original game king.com is using here ofr their own brand and game, while trying to make people believe they invented it?) with a very sweet and eye-hurting game for the masses. Match 3 candies, and see them pop.

Image: Stoic Studio

This is Banner Saga, a kickstarter funded game with VIKINGS and north mythological theme that uses a NEW battle mechanic for their heavily STRATEGICAL game in which players set their team of VIKINGS and GIANTS against a new evil that has risen in the land.

Do you see the problem?

And what exactly does king.com wants? for Stoic to NOT be able to trademark their GAME'S name (not a word, but the whole name) and in effect, force the studio to change their names.

A lot has been said about the huge problem with patents today, This American Life made an in depth review of the situation in their really well made show about patents. We see everyday how patent trolls use the broken law to kill off young and promising companies, or annoying large companies, in effect negating the reasons the patent laws were created for. However, this new trademark sagas that were just launched are even more ridiculous.

I hope the court slaps king.com with a warning, or a fine for wasting their time. On what planet, in what universe can ANYONE believe that a person can accidentally mix the beautiful, smart, engaging and challenging Banner Saga game, with Candy Crush?

Patents are important, Trademarks are important, but PEOPLE, this is not what they were made for.  

Kickstarter roundup, Jan. 17th more Zombies

Just when I thought it was quite time at kickstarter, tons of fantastic projects blipped all over my radar, As I do every week, I chose the three that appealed to me most.

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Zombie 15'

Experience frantic 15-minute game sessions as you play a group of 2 to 4 teenagers running for their lives, while trying to discover the truth about the sudden outbreak that turned their parents, teachers and all of the other grown-ups into gruesome brain-eating monsters!

What is it?
This is another Zombie board game that uses scenarios as part of the game dynamics. 
Two interesting things that this game does are:  

• Real time game session - players got 15 minutes to play the game
• A developing story - according to the project description, the story of what has happened to the world unfolds through the scenarios the players play

The second thing makes me wonder how replyable in fact is the game. I mean, if a few of us play the game and move from scenario to scenario and we learn the story, why would we play again?

The answer, as far as I can tell, is that while the story is an important part of the game, the scenarios are good enough to be played again and again (taking into account that there are several different characters to play, over a 100 cards that represent things the players can use/ encounter, etc). On top of that, there are talks about a "story generator" that will be made available as  a stretch goal (and according to kicktraq, any and all stretch goals will be unlocked, their goal was $35,000 and the pledge at the moment is $74,454).

The main attraction of the game (and what gave it its name) is the fact that players got 15 to play, giving them little to no time to think.  Unlike other games in the genre (Zombicide, and Zpocalypse) that are scenario based and give a great atmosphere, Zombie 15 is all about the action and less about the planing. This turns the board game into a fast paced action game which is a nice touch and really differentiates it from other games in a segment that is getting more and more crowded (thanks to the kickstarter community who seems to love Zombie board games).

Why do I like it?
The game was developed by IELLO, a company that already published several games. The development was done and the whole thing is ready for production.
The idea is fresh, the execution looks well though out, and the production value looks fantastic.
Judging by the videos already out there this looks like a game that board game players will want to own and will play for a very long time.

JUMP:  smarphone charger that charges itself

The simplest ideas are the best: Cable + Battery + Intelligent Circuitry = JUMP. The first charging solution that fits your lifestyle.

What is it?
Ok, I have a problem, I admit. 
This is the 3rd charger I'm backing, BUT I HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE.
The first charger I backed was BOLT. I loved its form factor and the idea that the charger is also the brick to plug to the wall. That project was ran really well and the product is fantastic. I use it all the time.
The second charger I backed is the Legion; this one is suppose to be a really smart charger with bells and whistles. The product was not shipped yet so I can't say how good it is, but the guys that run it are pros.

JUMP brings with it something else that the other chargers don't: Jump is a charger that is integrated with a cable (MFI certified for iPhone lightning, if that is your weapon of choice. It also comes with a mini USB if you're on Android). I know, we already have cables, and chargers, but JUMP gives you both in a nice package, and it packs a battery that gives you about 30% of your phone charge. JUMP is also smart enough to charge itself and your phone at the same time (more or less).

Why do I like it?
I love the design and the way this cable is tucked into the battery, which makes it easy to carry (like the BOLT). 
I also like the fact that these guys are very focused on what they can and cannot do with the funds and their stretch goals are very realistic (even if not plausible. I
m not sure they will be able to reach the 300k they marked as the next goal).
I feel that JUMP will become my main choice when bolting out of the house.

Death Walk

One night a shopping centre is attacked by a sinister force, those inside fight to survive while an outside world parties. Nothing is quite what it seems, nothing is straightforward, relationships are forged, trust is broken, and something truly evil and unexpected takes an upper hand. The ultimate battle of good and evil has begun... Death Walks.

What is it?
This project needs the money so its creators can work on getting the movie out into the world. 
This is a horror movie that comes from the UK and brings a new twist to the zombie genre.
 According to the project page, everything was already shot, and everyone donated their time to make this happen. 

Why do I like it?
I like the fact that these guys already done the hard lifting of making a film. They are calling on the community to help them give birth to this project by moving it to the next stage: festivals. 
 

The project's goal is £2,500, and the pledge is £2,635. they have lest than 2 days before the project ends. That is enough time for more of you to go there and pledge to help.

iPad Air ad, channels The Dead Poets Society

We've decided to watch The Dead Poets Society when we were very young. Too young. It was a hard experience. It was a wonderful. 

I can understand why Apple decided to use this. Not sure it works, some of the images are strangely juxtaposition with the sound. But it is beautiful. 

I can understand why Apple decided to use this. Not sure it works completely, some of the images are juxtaposition strangely with the sound.

But it is beautiful.