Hasta La Gadget!

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

Father and son team Nick and Larry Braun want to build a portable zip line system for cameras. Problem is, predictably, design and manufacturing cost a lot of money. So, the two have turned to Kickstarter and are asking for a little help in getting their LineCam project off the ground. The duo are actually building two different models: the simple, gravity-powered Glide and the motorized Flow. Both are wheeled carts that attach to a cable and have mounts for various cameras, including standard tripod mounts for shuttling DSLRs through the air. The Glide is capable of using smaller gauge line and has a simpler rigging assembly, which helps keep cost and weight down. The remote controlled Flow, on the other hand, requires a much more robust setup.

The Flow is definitely the more interesting of the two products. Rather than simply riding the cable under the the influence of physics, it features an RF remote with speed control and the ability to run in reverse. And the 10,900mAh battery is charged in part by a regenerative breaking system packed into the shuttle. Having all this machined aluminum made here in the US isn’t cheap however. The Glide platform alone (that includes none of the rigging or cabling) will require a pledge of $510. The Flow? A jaw dropping $4,535. And if you want all the necessary equipment to film your exploits from the air you’ll have to offer support totally $5,600. Still, if you’re serious about your photography and video, it might not seem like that absurd a price. Heck, the GoPro guys seem to like it. Check out the video pitch for the LineCam after the break.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Via: GizMag

Source: Kickstarter

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

Between the Kinect and Leap Motion, gesture control’s on just about everyone’s minds these days. There’s still a ways to go, certainly, before such devices become a mainstream method for interfacing with our PCs, but they’ve already become a ripe source of inspiration for the DIY community. Duo’s hoping to further bridge the gap between the two, with a “the world’s first 3d motion sensor that anyone can build.” The desktop sensor features two PS3 Eye cameras that can track hands and objects for a more natural interface with one’s computer. Duo’s unsurprisingly looking to crowdfund its efforts. A pledge of $10 or more will get you early access to the company’s SDK. For $40 you’ll get the case and instruction. Add $30 to that number, and you’ve got yourself the kit, which includes everything but the camera ($110 will get you all that). Check out the company’s plea after the break, and if you’re so inclined you can pledge at the source link below.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: Kickstarter

Now that our Insert Coin: New Challengers contestants had duked it out and the judges have made their decision, we have a winner: Ziphius. Not only did the bot win $20,000 thanks to deliberation by our judges, but it came home with our $5,000 reader’s choice prize too. Victorious and $25,000 richer, the brains behind the aquatic drone joined us backstage to chat about their project. For the full interview, check out our video after the break.

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Filed under: Robots

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You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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The Smart Knob promises a smarter, more secure deadbolt lock that lets us issue time-limited unlock codes or give trusted visitors a way in. Thanks to some hands-on time here at Engadget Expand, we’ve learned that it’s even more clever than we thought. The PIN-verified, phone-based code generation system cycles through a seemingly “infinite” range before it hands out a number; someone overstaying their welcome isn’t likely to stumble across the new code by accident. And while some might be disappointed that there’s no built-in Bluetooth or WiFi to get codes, that actually works to its advantage, according to the project’s Clark Li and Merrick Lackner. As Smart Knob doesn’t need an internet connection, it could be useful even out in the woods.

As for the lock itself? Having had a look first-hand, we’re more inclined to believe claims that it’s easy to install. At least from what we’ve seen in the prototype, it really is just a keypad resting on top of the existing deadbolt. There isn’t anything special that goes behind or through the door. To us, that makes it easier to justify the $99 price the Smart Knob team is targeting for the base hardware — it’s something you could put on your front door at home, not just at the office. The only added costs would be for ongoing notifications and similar services that would require a more extensive effort. We should know how well the Smart Knob works when it launches closer to the end of the year.

Zach Lutz contributed to this report.

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Filed under: Household

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