Awesome Stuff: Maps Aren't Just An App On Your Phone

from the where-to-go? dept

• We'll start with a cool idea: making Risk-like boards that highlight certain regions. So, rather than the "world" map you see in regular Risk, you can play a Risk-like game in your home city. Of course, as it is they have a limited number of places right now -- but they include San Francisco, New York and a variety of other places as well. Of course, there's an IP angle here too. The folks who made this don't own the rights to Risk. They're trying to deal with this by (1) being clear that they're obviously building off of Risk (not trying to hide it) and (2) making the game unplayable unless you have an official copy to go along with it and (I think...) use the pieces from the official game. With this project getting greater attention, hopefully Hasbro realizes that it actually helps their brand, rather than hurts it. ,
• Next up, we've got Bucketlistmap: Putting the Awesome Back in Maps -- which clearly fits in with our theme here. If you like old maps and their great design, you'll probably really like this one. These guys are trying to take the beautiful design and style of really old maps and update them for a modern era. They've already done really cool world maps for skiing, surfing and football (soccer for us uncultured Americans) and now they want to do a "bucketlistmap," which will be the same sort of thing, but highlighting "the world's most awesome sights, smells, sounds and eats." Definitely click through on this one to check out the pictures. They've already met their goals on this one though, there's still a single $10,000 option available, in which they'll throw a dart at a map (they don't say if it will be one of their own) and send you to wherever the dart lands on an all-expenses paid trip. I would imagine that might be a bit tricky if it lands in the middle of the ocean somewhere -- or if it ends up in a place where "all expenses" exceed $10,000. Still, I think this one is more for the amusement factor anyway.
• Finally, we've got some guys trying to put together Grant Rising: First in a New Series of Civil War Map Books. It's an "atlas" of maps that try to tell the story of Civil War general and one-time US President Ulysses S. Grant. It's an interesting idea. I'd never thought of telling someone's life story through maps. This one hasn't yet matched its goal, and is still below 50%. I'm guessing that the topic is so specific that it might have a limited audience. You'd need to be interested both in maps and the life of Ulysses S. Grant, and I'm not sure how big the overlapping populations really are. Still, I think it's neat to think about someone's life in the form of a collection of maps.

Filed Under: awesome stuff, maps

Awesome Stuff: Print Stuff, Make Stuff

from the make-stuff-in-your-home dept

• 3D Print on the cheap: The interestingly named Buccaneer 3D printer from the also interestingly named Pirate3D Inc. is one of the cheapest 3D printers around these days, running a bit less than $400. And I remember when people were excited that such printers finally got under $2,000! There are a few other 3D printers around a similar price out there, but it's nice to see that the Buccaneer is focused on both ease of use of the 3D printer, while also trying to make the device itself look nicer than many other 3D printers. Cheaper, easier, nicer looking? Those are things that help 3D printing go mainstream. It's worth noting that there are some concerns about the claims made by the company, and at that price, the quality you're going to get is absolutely going to be limited. But, we're on the cusp of something amazing in 3D printers, and I imagine that it won't be long before we see more cheap 3D printers as the quality increases. But if you want to get in early... The Buccaneer shot past its targeted $100,000 very quickly and is looking like it will go a lot higher by the time it's all done.
• 3D print without 3D printed parts: Honestly, I just found this project more amusing for the fact that it's a 3D printer where the makers spend a lot of time mocking 3D printer output. It's the OpenBeam Kossel Pro, a 3D printer without any parts manufactured by a 3D printer. As the creators point out, 3D printing is great for rapid prototyping, but sometimes good old fashioned mass produced injected molded parts are the right tool for the job, and can make things cheaper on a mass scale. So they've made a 3D printer that is too elitist for its own parts. As I wrote this, it was right about its goal, so by the time you read this, there's a decent chance it'll have surpassed the goal already.
• Make by cutting down, not building up 3D printing is great for building stuff, but sometimes you have to work in the other direction. The folks at Otherlab in San Francisco have built the Othermill, a small, relatively inexpensive CNC mill device so that you can build stuff, such as electrical parts/circuit boards etc. This project's about to close way over its target goal, so if you want one, get in fast.
• Print on stuff: Okay, so the first items above are all about building stuff, but what do you do with that stuff once it's built? Well, you might want to label it, and that's where Tag On That has you covered. It's a printer that lets you label, well, pretty much anything. They claim that it takes the same technology that puts labels on things like phones, computers and keyboards, and puts that into the hands of the everyday consumer. I have to admit, the first time I saw the "print head" template "squash" into the item it was printing on it, it made me smile. I had no idea that's how you do that. Watching the video, you suddenly realize just how much you might possibly be able to "tag." Of course, Portlandia fans already know exactly what to do with such a printer ("put a bird on it!"). Unfortunately, it looks like it's still a bit expensive for everyday use, especially since you'll need to pay a few hundred more if you want to be able to make your own templates for printing (cheaper models come with just one template). Still, the project is more than halfway funded with nearly a month left, which tends to bode well for making it over the goal.
• Print money. Oh, and finally, just because it's funny, we'll link to Regular Everyday Normal Guy Jon Lajoie planning out his Kickstarter campaign to make himself super rich rather than just pretty damn rich. Videos possibly NSFW depending on where you work. Satire is fun.

Filed Under: 3d printing, awesome stuff, cnc, crowdfunding, home production, innovation, milling

Awesome Stuff: Cool Product Designs

from the design-matters dept

• I don't know about you, but I've had a few too many experiencing having to try to inflate an air mattress of some kind or another, and realizing what a freaking total pain it is using regular valves (not to mention the inevitable annoying emptying process as well). So I have to say that the Windcatcher project definitely piqued my curiosity. I don't understand the mechanism behind it, but it certainly looks like an air mattress that you can fill with 4 or 5 breaths -- and all without having to put your mouth on anything. It looks kind of like magic, so check out the video. These guys still have a bit of a way to go on the funding front, having raised only about a quarter of the $50,000 they're seeking, but the product definitely has that neat design factor going for it.
• There's been something of a hipster revival in pinhole cameras lately, it seems, but the ONDU Pinhole cameras are definitely the nicest design I've ever seen. A nice wooden box with no exposed screws. A backplate that's held on by magnets. It just looks cool. Also, bonus points for the cool music in the video (apparently this is the musician. This project has already surged past its goals, so it's definitely going to get funded, and with another 25 days to go, it'll likely end up much, much higher.
• Finally, there are times when someone designs something and you wonder why no one else has done it before -- or even why such things aren't common. That was the feeling I got after seeing the Nuplug, which is basically an extension cord/surge protector/outlet that attaches to furniture. So, rather than having your outlets on the wall and behind furniture, you can connect them in a more convenient way. Given how much stuff folks are charging all the time these days, I could definitely see how this could be handy for many people. The one thing holding me back on this one, frankly, is that it's a bit on the ugly side -- in that it really stands out. Seems like something a little more subtle would be cooler. Maybe future iterations. This one also has a pretty ambitious $75,000 goal, and they're only a little past halfway there with 18 days to go.

Filed Under: air mattress, awesome stuff, design, outlets, pinhole cameras

Awesome Stuff: Time To Rethink Your Keyring

from the that-old-thing? dept

• First up is the Keyprop, a simple kickstand for your smartphone, that is shaped like a key and fits on your keyring. My current phone is an HTC Evo, which has a built in kickstand, and it's amazing how frequently I use it. I'd been dreading the eventual new phone without a kickstand, but there are a bunch of products on the market to make it easy to add a kickstand to your phone, including the keyprop -- which is a bit unique in that it uses the fact that you regularly carry your keys with you to its advantage. The design itself is fairly clever as well, as it uses either the headphone jack or the power port as the place where the keyprop hooks on, and then lets you use your other keys to help position the angle. The one downside: if you're using the headphone jack, you wouldn't be able to use the stand and your headphones at the same time. The price feels a little on the high side for what it is -- and it kind of feels like the kind of thing that someone could make for themselves with a nice 3D printer. But still, the general idea is pretty cool. There are about three weeks left in the project, and it's only raised a little over a third of its goal, so it's probably right on the bubble of whether or not it will be able to hit its goal. In fact, Kicktraq's prediction is that it will just squeak by.
• Next up we've got the Smartkey, which really does aim to reinvent the keychain by making it act more like a pocketknife. You connect your keys to the various posts on either side and can fold them in. Your keys then fit nicely together, with no more jingling or poking and whatnot. If you carry a lot of keys it seems like it could be pretty handy, though not sure it would be that helpful with bulky car keys -- and these days, that's really the only key I carry around. While it might not be what I need, clearly over 2,000 people feel otherwise. The project shot way, way, way, way past its goal of $6,000 and will probably wrack up at least a couple of hundred thousand by the time the project ends.
• Okay, how about we take a step back from all of this futuristic high tech stuff, and get back to basics. What kind of keychain would you want during the zombie apocalypse? Probably something like El Jefe -- the Boss of Keychains. It seems like a no nonsense keychain that will hook to your belt buckle and has a bottle opener but that's nothing special. Lots of stuff has that. This one also has a ferrocerium rod built in, with a "fire scraper" so that you can start a fire very quickly. As they note, survivalists have pointed out that when society collapses and you need to survive, the most important skill will be able to set a fire. This keychain makes it easy. Can you say that about your keychain? Oh yeah, it also has a knife sharpener, because if you're in need of instant fire, you're probably also carrying around a knife, and you probably want it sharp. My favorite part, though, is that they compare this to a smartphone and call this a "smart keychain." I'm not sure they're really quite analogous, but they've got a fun video: Not much time left to get in on this. It's already more than 3x its initial goal of $5,000, so El Jeffe is definitely getting funded. If you want one (or its smaller brother El Nino, with no belt loop hook) apparently now's your chance. And, if you get one, and civilization collapses, let me know, because I'll be sure to hang out with you, since my own fire starting skills are minimal.

Filed Under: awesome stuff, keyring, keys

Awesome Stuff: Refining The Wheel

from the how-we-roll dept

Even up here in Toronto, winter is starting to give way to spring. Among other things, that means getting around is becoming a lot easier — and a lot more fun. It's the time of year that cities start to fill up with people on bikes, boards and blades, all of which are things that people keep on tinkering with, coming up with new improvements and twists on old ideas. Whatever your manual wheels of choice, here are three innovative new ideas that could change the way you roll:

Wheels In Your Pocket: The ABGO
Sometimes, circumstances preclude you from bringing your chosen ride along somewhere. It can be downright infuriating, as you realize how woefully slow your legs are without some mechanical assistance. Enter the ABGO, a short-distance quick-fix that fits in your pocket.

I'm sure some people will have the reaction that this is pointless, and ultimately it's hard to pass judgement on something like this without getting to try one out — but as a cyclist, the sight of this immediately spoke to all my memories of crossing a distance without my bike and wanting nothing more than to roll. There have been various attempts at wheeled shoes over the years, but none that are very compelling. If it works even reasonably well (and the video suggests it does once you get the knack of it) it could actually fill a nice little gap: a wheeled device that isn't bulky like a skateboard or hard to get on and off like rollerblades.

Wheels Where You Want Them: The Beercan Board
About 10 years ago, I worked in a skateboard store for a couple of years. I was never very good at the sport itself, but I sure got lots of practice putting them together, and at convincing skeptical parents to stomach the price tag. Two things I noticed about skateboards was that there is very little variety in their configuration, and also that they all break — often quickly. The Beercan Board changes both those things.

It's not the first aluminum longboard, but it's a great design, and its central feature is pretty innovative: sliding mounts for the trucks, so the wheelbase can be easily adjusted. Judging from the video, it looks like it's accomplished with a combination bolt that allows quick changes without removing the whole assembly (and of course without drilling new holes, which is the only option on most boards). Neat.

Wheels That Work Better: Loopwheels
Folding bikes and other compact cycling options have been around for a long time, and they can be excellent for certain uses — but there's just no denying that the riding experience is much more frustrating and tiresome on those little 20" wheels. The Loopwheel is a shot at alleviating that problem.

As the project page admits upfront, this is nothing less than an attempt to reinvent the wheel. Using springs instead of spokes could open up a whole new level of suspension for compact bike designs that aim to keep size, weight, and bits-that-stick-out to a minimum. The creators claim a distinct advantage over suspension forks, the current solution for compact suspension: Loopwheels offer tangential suspension that cushions impacts from all directions. Again, it's hard to say how big the difference is without trying it, but that assertion makes sense based on the design, and in the video the wheels appear to be quite effective. Nothing could make small wheels as luxurious to ride on as big ones, but any innovation that succeeds in making folding bikes more pleasant is bound to be a hit.

That's all for this week's awesome stuff — thanks for coming along for the ride.

Filed Under: awesome stuff, bicycle, skateboard, transportation, wheel, wheels

Awesome Stuff: Ferrofluid

from the make-it-dance dept

• First up is the well-named Ferrocious, which not only shows you ferrofluid in action, but it also responds to music and dances around within the device. I've gone back and forth on whether or not I really like this project. The device is cool... but it seems a bit bulky, considering how small the space is where the ferrofluid is. It has that mad scientist vibe, but at over $100, seems a bit steep. They're also selling a simpler version that is just a more standard ferrofluid display with a magnet, rather than the whole "bounces to music" thing. The project is ways past its rather low goal, but it also hasn't taken the Kickstarter community by wildfire yet either.
• The second one is also a ferrofluid display, but the NeoDrop interactive display definitely has a much more polished look to it, even though it (like the simplified Ferrocious device) relies on hand held magnets to make the liquid do its thing. This device is also way overfunded based on a modest initial target. It's worth noting that this device seems a lot cooler looking if you're going for that modernist aesthetic -- plus it's a lot cheaper than the Ferrocious device. Either way, lots of people seem to be snapping up the devices to great fanfare.

Filed Under: awesome stuff, ferrofluid, innovation

Awesome Stuff: Lasers, Infrared And Photons

from the beam-it dept

• Lasertag has been around for a while but a bunch of students (high school?) have tried reinventing it for the modern era, using infrared devices that are more stealthy and have some advantages over the old game. First, they have a system of LEDs that will light up and show how many hit points you have left when hit, and second is that pretty much any IR device can act as a "gun." I'll be honest that I was never a huge lasertag guy, but a project that involves students building something cool seems pretty awesome. Of course, lasertag has always been misnamed, since I'm pretty sure it's always been IR devices rather than lasers, but it's cool to see how it's being reimagined by some students. The project is definitely still a work in progress and looks fairly crude at the moment, but many of the rewards involve sending you the schematics to build your own out of various household items.
• Okay, you say that's unfair and you want real lasers? How about the Blue Laser Lamp. While they talk about its use for home theaters and outdoors, it really does seem most likely to be useful as a nightlight of some sort. It also has a vibe that suggests that this could be the next lava lamp. Something that stoned college kids think looks awesome, but has little functional practicality. Still, it's a unique design, and I figured some folks out there might appreciate it. The early bird pricing ($35) sold out quickly, and the project has gained a huge amount of support pretty quickly, though it still has a ways to go before reaching its goal. Given the time left, however, I doubt it will have much trouble getting there.
• Finally, perhaps something a bit more useful. The first time I ever got to "play" with a 3D scanner was in 1997 when I took a class with Donald Greenberg (who I later went on to work for and consult with), one of the pioneers in 3D computer graphics and the Director of Cornell's Program for Computer Graphics. He had a massive 3D scanner in his lab, and I got to be the guinea pig in our class, getting my head scanned. Even though I recognize standard technology trends in which products get cheaper as they get much better, it still seemed ridiculous to think that there'd be a day not that far in the future where personal home 3D scanners were possible and reasonably priced. There's been plenty of talk about 3D printers, but less attention has been paid to the scanning side. So it's cool to see the Photon 3D Scanner, which is an attempt to make an affordable home 3D scanner. The early birds sold out at $349 and $399, but everyone else can jump in at the $449 level if you feel the desperate need to scan things in 3D in your home any time soon.

Filed Under: 3d scanning, awesome stuff, infrared, lasers, lasertag, photons