Tag Archives: Kickstarter

Heads Up

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Image: Hudway

Here’s a sneak preview of what you might be looking at in the future. A glass company called Hudway, Marina Del Rey, California, hopes to be marketing a piece of glass that will turn your smartphone into a heads-up display on the front of your car. Let’s  hope you have a flat surface.

The reason why this is getting so much attention is because the display is placed exactly where your eyes actually meet the road. Common sense tell us that this is a much safer alternative than looking down to see your cell phone when driving.

The Hudway Kickstarter campaign explains that the device “beams information from your phone to a thin layer of curved glass mounted to the front of any dashboard for turn-by-turn navigation and phone message.” 

Hudway’s phone app supposedly lets you do things like text, tweet and even watch videos while behind the wheel. Yikes, videos? Please don’t do that

Hudway is trying to launch at $49. Hudway has raised almost $500,000 so it’s well on its way to becoming a reality. Click here to see the campaign. 

Kickstarter Must Have Gotten A Kick In The You Know What…..

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image: Adi Studio

 
Call me “cynical,” I don’t care. I don’t buy the sudden altruistic business model Kickstarter is suddenly adopting. In the last day or two, the company has issued statements saying it’s now a Benefit Corporation, BC.

 What the heck is that?  It’s a company that shoots for profits, but its focus is on the betterment of society. For years, most tech companies just tried to please shareholders. 

Kickstarter said they want to be more socially responsible so they have legally defined goals to achieve the Benefit Corporation status. 

 While this is all very commendable, I haven’t seen one newspaper or tech site carefully questioning why Kickstarter has all of a sudden become so humble. I smell a larger story. Other companies that have joined the ranks of BC’s are: Patagonia and This American Life. 

As a new BC company, Kickstarter has pledged to donate 5% of annual post-tax profits to arts education and organizations fighting inequality. Kickstarter now goes from Kickstarter Inc., to Kickstarter BC.

Just as a recap, the Crowdfunding company reports that 92,733 Kickstarter projects have been funded by more than 9.4 million people. The Pebble Time smartwatch is still the most lucratively funded project on Kickstarter with more than 78,000 backers pledging $20.3 million. 

I know I am sounding a little negative, but I’m anxious to know how and why Kickstarter became a BC company. Kickstarter is a genius idea and we can all learn from its evolution.

Read about Kickstarter on CNET and the New YorkTimes.

The Remnants Of A Lovely Meal

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When I moved into my Miami Beach condo 13 years ago, my mother was convinced I got cheated because my unit didn’t come with a garbage disposal in the sink. She was sure that the builder included that feature in each apartment and mine was overlooked.

I told her right there and then that l lived without a garbage disposal all of my life and I didn’t want one. I had the most horrible thoughts about that contraption cutting off some of my fingers. A good old manual sink strainer was just perfect for me.

I remembered that story well when I saw a post from my girlfriend Leslie on Facebook about a new type of strainer that allows you to remove the the collected waste without touching it. Called the Tweak strainer, the invention is made from a flexible polymer and comes in a variety of colors.

The Israeli company that invented it said on its Facebook page that, “It works by simply applying pressure to a bump on the edge which then bends the strainer so that you can carry whatever refuse that it has collected to the garbage without touching any of it.” There are two sizes, one for the kitchen and a larger one for bath tub. Price is around $12 for both.

Tweak was started by Nitzan Shafat and Aviv Rozenfeld. They successfully crowdfunded the company on Kickstarter.com. They received $78,642 in funding from almost 3,000 investors. Their goal was only $14,000.

Tweak just started distributing this unique strainer to donors and then it will be available to the general public.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who’s That Looking Back At Me?

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I taped this from my TV today. It doesn’t really demonstrate what I am talking about but I wanted you to see Bette.
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Walter Winchell
Image from Britannica.com

When Bette Midler appeared on Live With Kelly and Michael today I felt like they treated her like a grandma. She was there to promote her 25th album, “It’s the Girls,” and they patronized her like any respectable grandchildren would do. “0h, you are so cute, grandma.”

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Okay, call me paranoid but I feel that Kelly and Michael see Bette as a senior citizen while we (the DigiDame reader) see superstar. I don’t know why I am bringing this up. I guess I feel like our age group is rapidly becoming more about yesterday and less about today.

Here is my problem. As many of you know, I am working diligently to help a client raise funds on Kickstarter for a video game he wants to develop. I am a networker by nature, so I contacted a much younger friend who interned at HWH PR a number of years ago, and is working at Kickstarter.

Maybe he can help us with our campaign? I wanted him to tell us what we were doing right or wrong. The guy is brilliant and very personable. My hunch was right. He cut through the clutter immediately and connected us to all the right contacts who could guide us. I am forever grateful.

I love this guy, always have. I want to be relevant and important to his generation. Instead, I’m like Bette is to Kelly and Michael, an old reliable shoe. Read what he wrote to a colleague. I was copied on his email.

“Meet Lois. Lois runs a PR firm in NY where I interned many years ago. She’s an old school publicity maven and firebrand for her clients.”

Ugh!!! I’m an old school publicity maven? Excuse me while I put on my Walter Winchell hat with the little tag that says “press.” The truth is I can’t really get away from the way the world sees women my age. I can’t blame my friend. He’s conditioned. So is everyone else.

It doesn’t matter how hard I work, how much I accomplish, and what I do to stay fresh. The life lines on my face tell it the way it is. Hillary, on a much grander level, is going to face the same thing. It’s going to be very interesting to see how she handles it. Maybe, I still have a lot to learn.

Thank You For Your Help

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I just launched a Kickstarter campaign for a client. I am asking friends and family to donate $5 or more in order to stimulate the donations. My request is totally legit. Kickstarter explained that if I get those closest to me to donate quickly, it will bring other money in. I will be happy to reimburse the money to you. Just let me know that you did it. We really need you to do it today or tomorrow. Just click on the link below. Thank you. Lois

Here is the press release I issued.

View the Dust.Evolution Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dustevolution/dustevolution

Dust.Evolution To Become Spectacular Video Game Via Kickstarter Campaign

Paolo Parente’s Ultimate Alternate History WWII Science Fiction Game Moves From Playing Boards To Game Screens

Video Games, TV and Podcaster Personality Veronica Belmont Named Special Advisor To Dust.Evolution Team

MIAMI, FL, November 4, 2014 – History is the past and science fiction the future, but now both will become one through the remarkable new fantasy video game Dust.Evolution, which is launching through Kickstarter. The new game is the exciting “evolution” of the popular board game Dust-Tactics, whose story and challenges will now be extended deep into the digital realm through the current Kickstarter campaign.

Dust.Evolution is the next elevation from the astonishing imagination of Paolo Parente, creator of the wildly popular World of Dust and Dust Comics. Starting from just a handful of tables covered with maps and miniatures, the Dust community has grown to thousands of players from all around the world. Dust tournaments are a frequent feature at international comic and gaming conventions, where the best and brightest strategic minds battle on game tables for global Dust dominance.

Until now, these Dust conflicts have been limited to players who can actually meet in person. Now, through the upcoming Kickstarter campaign, the engaging gameplay of the Dust tabletop expands as a video game to the digital Dust universe; thus allowing anyone, anywhere to play together. Dust.Evolution will now become a truly global gaming experience.

To realize this exciting, new vision of Dust.Evolution, Dust Studio’s Parente is collaborating with Shane Samole, the executive producer of the Dust.Evolution project. Shane, the founder and creator of Excalibur Electronics, is a 30-year veteran in the game business and his family is responsible for having launched the first ever commercially available electronic chess game. He has hired an all-star team of creative talent beginning with expert developer and project director Dale Leary, alongside Pixelwarps Studios founder, Ariel Mendoza. Together they represent over 40 years of digital production experience.

The stunning look and feel of Dust.Evolution will be an extension of the detailed look and feel by the Dust Studio Art Director and Master Painter of the Dust universe, Vincent Fontaine. The original Dust.Evolution thrilling score and soundtrack will be composed by none other than the award-winning composer Jesper Kyd. Millions of gamers know Master Composer Kyd’s work through such hit games as the Assassin’s Creed series, Hitman, the Borderlands series and the soundtrack for the recently released Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Industry Veteran video game, tech and TV personality Veronica Belmont has been named game consultant for Dust.Evolution. Veronica is a TV host, podcaster and well-known writer based out of San Francisco. As an event host and emcee, Veronica has worked with clients including Sony, IBM, Disney, Intel, Chevy, AOL and many more.

The Dust.Evolution Kickstarter campaign has set a funding goal of $650,000. The finished game will be first made available through the Steam platform for PC. If the project reaches its stretch goals, additional versions are planned for the Nintendo Wii U, Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4 and other digital platforms.

Picking up where its successful board game predecessor left off, the upcoming Dust.Evolution is conceived as the ultimate alternative-history gaming experience. The scene is 1947, World War II hasn’t ended, and the world is in chaos, as three powerful global political factions vie for military supremacy. Players who lead these factions battle each other over a powerful new alien energy source that has been discovered near the South Pole.

View the Dust.Evolution Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dustevolution/dustevolution

Get updates and progress on the Dust.Evolution game and the World of Dust and at:

http://www.Facebook.com/DustEvolutionGame
https://www.facebook.com/groups/303941853917/
http://www.DustGame.com
http://www.dustevolution.com
http://www.Twitter.com/DustEvolution
http://www.Twitter.com/ThePaoloParente

Hard Butter Challenge

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I feel so relieved. One of life’s greatest challenges may shortly be solved. There is going to be a way to spread hard butter evenly on a piece of bread. No more tearing your bread when trying to get that even look. Or having to settle for clumps of butter in just a few places.

Seriously, biting into a piece of bread with evenly spread butter may not be your biggest concern, but it certainly got the attention of 14,000 backers who contributed over $320,000 on Kickstarter to make sure ButterUp comes to life.

The ButterUp knife features a grater to aerate and soften the butter. Its grater shape does the trick. Watch the above video.

ButterUp will cost around $12. Delivery is next March. You still have time to join the campaign.

This Is Not Hot Air

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I want to be sure that you are aware of what is happening on Kickstarter, the Crowdfunding site. If you have a creative idea that you want to raise money for, don’t waste too much of your time thinking it through.

Just post it on Kickstsrter as fast as you can and see if it has any traction. There is no secret formula why one project makes it and another fails. Very recently an entrepreneur wanted to raise money for making potato salad. He received $55,492 from 6,911 contributors.

That’s nothing compared to the money Bunch o Balloons raised over the last few days. This is a system to help you blow up a hundred water balloons in one minute. Pretty phenomenal. Sit down. This project raised $882,309 representing 20,770 contributors.

A Video Camera That Goes Around And Around

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I’m about to show you the first video camera that creates 360-degree panoramic views with 4K resolution. If you thought the still cameras that feature 360-degrees shots were awesome, wait till you see this. You feel like you are totally in the driver’s seat.

Click here to see a video demonstration.

Called Centr, the camera was developed by a group of former iPhone camera engineers. Now they are raising money on Kickstarter to bring their invention to market.

Look how small and cute it is. It fits in the palm of your hands. It is slated to retail at $400 but you could get it for $299 on Kickstarter if you act fast.

A Bicycle Built For A Smartphone

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As strange as it may seem, 32,000 cyclists passed by our apartment building this morning as they participated in the annual Five Boro Bike Tour. My building is a few doors down from the entrance to the 59th Street bridge. Bikers started nearby as they rode through all five boroughs –Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, totally free of traffic.

Very few people know about this, but next year this tour might be totally different. There is a new Kickstarter project now underway that is trying to bring bike riding into the age of smartphones. Vanhawks, the bike’s manufacturer, wants to raise a little over $100,000 to fund Valour, a bike that can track your rides, give you directions, and even alert you to passing cars or bumps in the road.

Bike riding just went from being a sport where you were basically on your own, to one of being totally connected. Participants in New York City’s Bike Tour next year will be a lot more knowledgable about the path they are exploring if they decide to buy a “Valour.”

The “Valour” should be ready this October from $999.00 to $1,200.00, depending on various upgrades.

I Don’t Know Why It’s Called Situ But It’s Good For You

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Smart scale weighs food and counts calories. It will also tell you nutritional value.

This is the scale you have been always looking for. It’s a smart scale that calculates the nutritional value of the food you’re about to eat. A companion app lets you keep track of calories, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Place an item on the scale, connect your iPad over Bluetooth and tell the companion app what the food is. Situ will tell you everything you need to know about what’s inside. Engadget, a tech site, was one of the first to write about it.

There are no more excuses for not living a healthier life. Consider the scale called Situ a life coach. It was developed by an ex Apple employee who lost 100 pounds. He needs your help to bring Situ to market. It is currently on Kickstarter. Click here to read all about it. Don’t miss the video when you click. It is fascinating.