Articles about Crowd Funding

Bomaker has announced that it will soon launch a 4K ultra-short-throw laser projector on Indiegogo, and early birds can grab a substantial discount on the device when it goes live for crowdfunding.

Bomaker, which manufactures sound bars as well as projectors, has revealed the specs of the Polaris 4K Laser TV, which the firm promises delivers much better results than rival projectors (DLP or laser).

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https://youtu.be/o0mPLtmOfKQ

No matter how great a computer is, if you have a bad mouse and/or keyboard, you are going to have a bad time. In the past, I have purchased cheap mice that offer phantom clicks and low-quality keyboards that don't register key-presses, and holy cow, it is extremely frustrating. I learned my lesson, and now only buy quality input devices.

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Whether you brighten up your home with photos of your family, or works of art, the chances are those pictures have a few things in common -- they don’t move, they don’t change, and you probably never really notice them much now either. Joto’s creators want to change that.

Joto is a robotic whiteboard -- described as a modern day 'etch-a-sketch'. It's controlled via an app and draws with a pen, live on request, everything from works of art to personal messages.

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Keeping your garden free from weeds can be a tiresome and back-breaking job. Thankfully, Joe Jones, the creator of iRobot’s Roomba, has a solution -- a solar-powered robot that lives in home gardens and weeds every day so you don’t need to.

I spoke with Joe about his new creation Tertill which, after two years development, is set to finally graduate from prototype to product this month.

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The Banana Phone is a device that was clearly conceived during an evening in which far too many alcoholic beverages were consumed.

It is, essentially, a phone shaped like a banana. So you can call friends and family members on what appears to be a piece of yellow fruit. It’s an amusing idea made real. But it’s also a device with a big problem.

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A year ago, I wrote about popSLATE 2, a crowdfunded case for iPhone that looked amazing. The proposed product put a second shatterproof E-Ink screen on the back of the phone, and doubled as a battery pack.

I was so impressed with it, I immediately backed the campaign. There’s always a risk when funding products on the likes of Indiegogo (which this was) and Kickstarter, especially when it comes to technology devices, and sadly despite raising over $1.1 million (1371 percent of its funding goal), popSLATE has announced that the company has gone bust, meaning that backers won’t receive the new product and there will be no refunds.

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As great as the Raspberry Pi is -- and let's be honest, all of the devices in that family are excellent, especially for the money -- it’s not the only such device available to buy, and some of the rival systems are arguably better as they come with Wi-Fi built-in, and other tricks, such as the ability to double as a wireless router, run Android, or display on-board scrolling messages.

While there are plenty of pricier (and therefore more powerful) options available, I’ve focused on the more affordable choices here -- ones that match, or better, the Raspberry Pi for value and will do everything you'd expect from them, and more.

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Raspberry Pi has taken the world by storm, and inevitably there are now lots of similar, rival computers vying for attention, often offering something different in order to stand out from the crowd. Omega2, for example, is a $5 Raspberry Pi rival, with built-in Wi-Fi and storage.

VoCore2’s unique selling points are size -- it can fit on a coin -- and versatility. It can be used as a Linux-based computer with Wi-Fi, or as a fully functional wireless router. It’s incredibly affordable too.

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The iPhone 7 is undeniably an attractive smartphone. The Jet Black model is particularly beautiful -- I should know, I own one. However, the high gloss finish of the Jet Black model is prone to scratches, and what Apple refers to as "fine micro-abrasions" caused by everyday use.

Apple suggests that if you want to keep your phone in pristine condition you should use one of the many available cases to protect it. But then people won’t see the beauty of the new device, which is a shame. This is where Naked Cases come in.

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If you have a phone running Windows 10 Mobile, you can use it as a mini PC, connecting it to a TV or monitor. However, this functionality -- Continuum for phones -- is only available on certain devices.

If you want a more powerful pocket PC, then Ockel Sirius A is a promising solution. It’s a full Windows 10 PC in a tiny, mobile-sized device that will fit comfortably in your pocket.

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The Raspberry Pi is a fantastic low-cost computer, available in a choice of versions. The Raspberry Pi Zero is the cheapest of the bunch, priced at just $5, plus all the extra bits and pieces you need to get it up and running.

Omega2 is an identically priced Linux computer designed for building connected hardware applications, but unlike the Zero it has integrated Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and on-board flash storage. No need to add a Wi-Fi dongle or SD card.

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When I moved from Android to iPhone last year, I never regretted it. Apple's smartphone keeps me totally satisfied, with no plans of ever leaving. The one feature I miss, however, is wireless charging. Not only can many Android phones do this, but Windows Phones too. My Nokia Lumia could charge wirelessly, but not my cutting-edge iPhone 6s Plus? Dang.

Today, a new product, called FLI Charge, delivers wireless charging to both iPhone and Android -- anything that charges using USB, really -- in an elegant way. That is not the only notable aspect of the product, however. You see, it not only promises to juice up your devices wirelessly, but at the same speed as a wired charger. Whoa.

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Having a conversation with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you can be difficult and often embarrassing. You may be able to bridge the gap with some rephrasing and lots of mime, but it will likely take a lot of time to communicate even the simplest of sentences.

Enter the Pilot from Waverly Labs. These smart earbuds allow real-time translations in French, Spanish, Italian, and English, with more languages to follow.

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If you’re looking for an uncased maker board for a project, then the Raspberry Pi is usually the first choice, not least because it’s inexpensive, and powerful enough for most purposes.

However, if you need something with a lot more muscle, then the UDOO X86 certainly fits the bill. Based around an Intel X86 64-bit Quad Core processor, coupled with an onboard Intel Curie Arduino 101-compatible micro-controller, it’s got enough oomph to drive three 4K screens at the same time.

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You probably know that you can use a potato as a battery and power clocks and small light bulbs from it. You don’t have to use a potato either -- certain other vegetables and fruits work just as well.

Arkyne Technologies claims that plants can also be used as a power source, and has produced a product called Bioo Lite which is able to use leafy green flora to charge devices, like smartphones and tablets. The company is currently seeking finance for its invention on Indiegogo where it has already hit 112 percent of its funding goal with a month to go.

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