Hasta La Gadget!

As a federal agency, NASA can’t run commercials — a problem both for rallying broader public support and fostering the next generation of astronauts. The Aerospace Industries Association has both cultural and very practical reasons for improving that public awareness, so it’s taking the unusual step of crowdfunding an ad purchase to get the American space program in front of as many eyes as possible. The project would cut a 30-second version of NASA’s We Are the Explorers promo (after the break), minus the administration’s official endorsement, and run it in at least 50 major movie theaters for eight weeks following the launch of Star Trek Into Darkness on May 17th. The crowdfunding is ostensibly to demonstrate our collective love of space, and would directly translate any money raised beyond the $33,000 goal into ads for more theaters. A cynical industry move? Maybe — but we won’t build starships without a public that’s interested in seeing them beyond movie screens, which makes the ad a noble enough cause in our minds.

Filed under: Transportation, Science, Alt

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Via: SlashGear

Source: Indiegogo

A little while back, we featured an unusual little interactive gadget called the iKazoo. This wireless device can be paired with iOS or Android gadgets, and can be used as a touch, voice or breath controller. At the time iKazoo was simply a concept, but now you can get in on the first pre-order, thanks to the iKazoo’s crowdfunding campaign.

This unique Bluetooth device can be used as a musical instrument, as well as a controller for games and other interactive applications. It’s got built into it touch, breath and optical sensors, all of which can be accessed via an open source SDK.

Early adopters of the iKazoo can get one of the controllers for $79(USD), but you’ll have to pledge $135 or more if you want the version with the optional motion control “Smart Writer Cap”, which also lets your iKazoo double as a stylus for your tablet. Find out more about the iKazoo fundraising campaign over on Indiegogo.

So, here’s a situation: you’d love to your iPhone or iPad to control your UAV collection, and you’re pretty obsessed with collecting as many of these UAVs as possible. Aside from undoubtedly landing yourself on an FBI watch list, you’ll probably also be interested in helping the folks at Fighting Walrus Radio turn their dreams into reality. In a nutshell, the project seeks to fund an iOS hardware peripheral that operates with both Lightning and Dock Connector-equipped products — turning ’em into “a mobile ground station for your personal unmanned aerial vehicle.” It’s built to report your UAV’s critical flight systems and log flight data within a one mile range, and it’s compatible with all MAVLink drones as well as the Parrot AR.Drone. Also, it’s called the Fighting Walrus Radio. For those that need a bit more convincing, there’s a demo video just after the break, while to-be customers can hit up the read link.

Filed under: Robots

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Source: Indiegogo

No, Ph.D does not mean Permanent Head Damage, although there are some folks who think that this is the case, and more often than not, it would be those Ph.Ds who churn out inventions and discoveries that make life a whole lot better. In fact, a Ph.D student in Wales was the one behind what is deemed to be the world’s first ever Digital Lo-Fi Fisheye camera, and the entire shebang is smaller than your palm, making it the perfect gizmo to tote around wherever you go. Too bad said student is short of £35,000 in order to get his project off the ground, hence resorting to the tried and tested model of crowdfunding.

You know what they say – if you want something done, you have got to do it yourself. This is exactly what Greg Dash did after running into plenty of dead ends looking for a lens that he had created. Basically, the Digital Lo-Fi Fisheye camera is a point-and-shoot fisheye camera that boasts of a time-lapse feature, not to mention having the option to record High Definition videos. So far, he has managed to raise half the amount, so if you want to help him out there, why not drop by the Indiegogo page?

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Alcohol and driving do not mix, and they are always explosive when they go hand-in-hand, placing not only the driver’s life in danger, but also everyone else on the road. Over the years, there has been campaigns held to educate the general populace not to drink and drive, or at least travel with a designated driver or take the public transport (read: cab) once you are done partying. For those who absolutely need to know just how much they have drunk, how about an iPhone accessory to go along with your smartphone? Yes sir, this is where the Breathometer comes in handy, where it has already picked up approval from the folks over at the FDA.

The Breathometer works by plugging into the headphone jack of an Android or iOS-powered device, where it will give you a warning should your blood’s alcohol level exceeds the legal limit. It is nice to see the wonders of miniaturization at work here, as the Breathometer is small enough to fit onto a keychain without missing a beat, and there are also plans in the pipeline to allow users to hail a cab from the native app itself. It needs $25,000 to achieve its goal, and you can contribute from as little as $20 a pop.

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