Lynx A Camera

It's the world's first point-and-shoot 3D camera. It's not a conventional camera, but it's like a camera - particularly when it comes to learning curve and ease of use. If you can use a point-and-shoot Nikon, you'll find the Lynx even easier to use. Instead of outputting 2D images, it produces 3D models of whatever you point it at.

It's a light, plastic device shaped like a tablet. It has specialized, front-mounted optics including a 640x480 color camera and a 3D sensor. On the front, there's a large, 14" color LCD screen for an instant and accurate view of imaging results. You can navigate your captured models using joysticks, just like a videogame controller. The device has a powerful graphics card for capture/render and high-capacity storage. The battery is good for four hours. It fixes the annoying stuff (bad battery life, small screens, costly storage) of conventional cameras.

Capturing with the device is really cool. From the startup screen, you can select from three features: scene modeling, object modeling, and motion capture. Each starts instantly and has a simple start/stop interface. 

Scene modeling is more like a paintbrush. Scan surfaces around you and watch the 3D model get painted in the viewfinder. Scene modeling is more appropriate for large scenes because it stores the models in an extremely efficient manner.

Object modeling is like sculpting with a chisel. You walk around the object of interest and it slowly carves out a watertight 3D model of the object. 

Motion capture is like having a motion volume in front of your camera. Point the camera at an actor, press record, and just have the actor start moving around. When you press pause, the results are instantly ready.

With all 3 of these features, you can immediately output the files into the formats you currently use in your workflow including PLY, OBJ, STL, XYZ, JPS, BVH, and more.

One of the most disruptive features of the device is the price. If you cobbled together all the hardware and software you would need to accomplish these tasks, you'd end up dishing out a couple hundred grand. That's not accessible at all. The Lynx device sells for about the same price as a full-framed DSLR, making it a serious value for small outfits and innovators trying to break into these technologies.

[Source: Kickstarter]

Monkey Kit: Flexible Tablet Positioning System

The ultimate evolution of the tablet stand. Enjoy hands-free comfort, and use your iPad or tablet in an infinite number of positions.

 Imagine using your tablet hands-free in bed. Whether you're watching a movie or reading a book, your tablet will float effortless in front of you. Then, imagine taking your tablet to the couch and comfortably typing. The Monkey Kit works in bed, on a couch, in the kitchen, on an exercise machine, and in the car. Octa's instruction booklet shows you how to wrap, tuck and stand your Monkey Kit in a wide variety of places.

Most stands simply prop your tablet on a small ledge. For extreme use, Octa wanted to create a stand that literally affixed to your iPad. We started studying vacuum suction handles, which is the technology construction workers use to lift heavy plate glass high into the air. Then we developed our own patent-pending twist. Using innovative chambers and seals, we reduced the size of our Vacuum Dock to fit in your palm, while increasing the amount of air displaced by each pump of its button. We did all this work so that you could affix your Vacuum Dock to your tablet with five easy pumps. (The original system required as many as thirty!) Unlike a suction cup, the Vacuum Dock literally pumps the air out from between its sealing surface and your tablet, creating an incredibly strong and durable connection. The Monkey Kit will adhere to your tablet for days!

[Source: KickStarter]

GameStick Kickstarter adds new indie dev-targeted tier, trades $250 for six months of 100% revenue

The PlayJam folks are taking another cue from the Android-powered Ouya with their own GameStick, today adding a dev-focused $250 tier to the already successful Kickstarter campaign. The twist with GameStick's dev tier is its aimed at indies, and it offers a six month window of 100 percent revenue on any games released before July 2013 (in addition to a GameStick bundle, of course). The dev version costs quite a bit more than the usual $79 asking price, but guaranteeing full revenue near launch may be a worthy tradeoff for developers looking to cash-in on early adopters (the industry standard is a 70 / 30 split, with game devs taking the larger share). Sadly, you won't get the unit any earlier than the general public; PlayJam's putting an April window on launch. The deal's only available to 250 developers -- or at least the first 250 people to buy in -- so interested parties may want to act quickly.

[Source: Engadget]

Stunning 0.8mm e-Ink Watch Is A Lean, Mean Kickstarted Machine

Wearable tech is one of the buzziest buzz phrases going these days. So in a world where major multinational companies are investing heavily in glasses, bracelets and other gadgets, you’ve got to give credit to a little shop that manages to grab a ton of attention.

And that’s exactly what Central Standard Timing has done on Kickstarter. Its CST-01 is a big hit, and not because it promises a ton of microscopic functionality on a teeny weeny screen. Quite the contrary. This super-sleek item features a huge e-ink display fronting what it claims is the world’s thinnest watch. Even more impressive is that all this interest is being showered on a singletasker.

That’s right, the CST-01 does only one thing — tell the time. But oh, how stylishly it does that.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Kickstarter Project Adds Canon L-Series Level Environment Protection To Any DSLR Lens

I’ve got a lot of Canon gear, but only one L-series lens of my very own, and that’s also the only one that features a rubber gasket where the lens mounts to the body to keep out dust and moisture. It’s a shame that it isn’t included in any other lenses (including some pricey Sigma glass I own), because it’s a relatively inexpensive component and one that can really help prolong the life of your body and lens. That’s why a new Kickstarter project called Dust Donut is such a great idea.

The project, from Joshua Tree, Calif.-based photographer Tyler Sterbentz, adds basic weather sealing to any Canon EF Mount lens (including third-party offerings from Sigma, Tamron and the like) starting at just $20 for a single unit pre-order pledge. That covers about 75 percent of the lenses available from Canon itself for EF-mount bodies, according to Sterbentz, and gets rid of the need for photographers to use lens covers and skins to achieve the same effect.

[Source: TechCrunch]

OUYA's Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.58 million raised, starts shipping in March (update: still going)

It's a wrap! Suffice it to say, it's a been a relatively short, yet astoundingly fruitful -- and initially record-breaking -- funding run for OUYA, the hackable, Android-based gaming console. With just 29 days to work with since being announced, the Yves Behar-designed system has raked in over $8.58 million thanks to just under 63,300 backers on Kickstarter as of its official 1AM ET funding deadline today. Those who opted for developer editions will be able to start tinkering with their own units around December, while the majority of backers should receive the console as early as March 2013. Missed the Kickstarter bandwagon? Don't fret, because OUYA plans to take pre-orders from the general public over the web soon, expecting those units to arrive at doorsteps near April.

The numbers are only part of the picture, of course. If you'll recall, OUYA swiftly acquired a slew of partnerships from companies like OnLive, Square Enix, XBMC, Vevo, and Robotoki -- and as if that wasn't enough, just yesterday Namco Bandai and Plex officially joined the content-providing party as well. What's more, we now know that each console will support up to four of those touchpad-equipped controllers for local multiplayer action. Even with all that, this story is far from over, as Joystiq points out that Julie Uhrman and company "promise" to have more updates before its official launch. Naturally, it still remains to be seen how OUYA's (literally) tiny, Tegra 3-powered footprint will fare against the big three in gaming, but we're cautiously optimistic.

So, while the final, mass-produced product is still months away, in the meantime you'll find a recap of all the highlights from OUYA in the nifty saga module below. You can also hit up our friends at Joystiq here for extra insight from the company about its successes so far.

Update: Despite the timer hitting zero, it appears that pledges are still being accepted past the 1AM deadline -- better be quick! We'll be sure to update the numbers again as soon pledging is officially halted.

[Source: Engadget]

Stompy gets off the ground with a Kickstarter: buy a ride on a 2-ton hexabot

In June we were promised a Kickstarter for Project Hexapod's 10-foot tall, two-ton Stompy. We're happy to report that Gui Cavalcanti and his cohorts (James Whong and Dan Cody) at the Artisan's Asylum weren't kidding. This morning the page went live and you can officially pledge your support for rideable six-legged robots. Now that the chassis is 80 percent through the design phase, the half-scale prototype leg (Gimpy) has proven its mettle, and the full-size prototype leg has been designed and the necessary parts ordered, it's time to start lining up funding for the final project. You know how it works: you pledge a certain amount of money and in return you receive a particular level of reward. Don't have much to offer? For just $5 the team will scale the White Mountains and shout your name from the top, while $10 will get you get you something a bit more tangible -- a bumper sticker that reads "my other car has six legs."

[Source: Engadget - Read the full story here]