Home News

Hoverpen – Notable crowdfunding campaign


CROWDFUNDING NEWS – We sure do like our pens here on the Gadgeteer. Just do a quick search on “pen review” and you’ll see a bunch of them. But guess what? I don’t think we’ve ever reviewed a pen that hovers like the Hoverpen.

What is it?

The Hoverpen is a pen that… well… hovers! Well, that’s not exactly true. It doesn’t hang in mid-air as much as it stands on its tip without falling over. Here, watch the campaign video to see what I mean.

The Hoverpen is a pen that is made of aluminum or titanium with a steel cap and comes with a special stand that keeps the pen from falling over. It’s like magic if magnets are magic, which I think we can agree that they are.

Why do I like it?

What’s not to like? It’s a pen. We like pens. It’s a magic pen that doesn’t fall over. We like magic. Is there really any downside here?

Seriously though, they sent me a pre-production Hoverpen to try out and by itself, it’s a nice enough pen. It’s made of lightweight titanium and it has a steel cap. But then when you add the zinc alloy magnetic base and it really kicks my interest up a notch.

Placing and removing the pen from the magnetic base takes a little practice, mainly the placing part. Removing it is easy. But placing it back in/on the base requires a little finesse as the base wants to push the end of the pen towards one of the magnetic posts. You have to fight the pull of the magnets to poke the pen right into the center. Use the Force Luke!

Once the pen is freestanding/hovering in the base, you can wobble it back and forth and you can also spin it in place like a fidget toy while it defies gravity.

Things to consider before pledging

The magnetic cap can not post on the back of the Hoverpen which means it’s a prime candidate for loss unless you “stick” the cap to the magnetic base.

The Hoverpen also uses Cross brand refill cartridges which is something to consider if that isn’t your favorite type of refill.

Where can I find more info?

The Hoverpen campaign ends on 5/26/19 they are working towards their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a Hoverpen starting at $59. After the Hoverpen campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Hoverpen – Notable crowdfunding campaign originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 16, 2019 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Dirty dog got you down? Try Dexas Mudbuster.

NEWS –April showers bring May flowers … plus, a whole lot of dirty pawprints.

Thanks to my Lefant robot vacuum, my floors are cleaner than ever. But with a muddy yard and white floors, I’m constantly battling puppy prints. Sure, I keep a towel by the back door and wipe off Maya’s little feet. But that never seems to do a good enough job.

Enter the Dexas Mudbuster.

This little cuplike device with silicone bristles claims to quickly, easily and effectively clean up your canine friend. With more than 1,200 reviews and a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, customers seem pretty pleased with the results.

My pup hates getting her nails clipped, and really doesn’t like anyone touching her paws, yet the Mudbuster claims to be very gentle. The instructions say to just add a little water, insert the muddy paw, twist and you’re done, just dab them dry.

The Mudbuster comes in three sizes, depending on your pooch’s paw size.  It retails for $14.99 (small), $18.30 (medium) and $21.89 (large) on Amazon.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Dirty dog got you down? Try Dexas Mudbuster. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 16, 2019 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Slow, low-res images with Etch-A-Snap concept

NEWS – Ever wanted to take a detailed, beautiful photograph and scale it down to a 1-bit black and white 244 x 144 pixel low-resolution image?  Me neither. But someone did and created Etch-A-Snap.

Etch-A-Snap is controlled by a Raspberry Pi processor.  It takes a regular image and then downscales it to one-bit black and white.  The processor then converts the image into plotter control commands that are fed to gears used to drive the knobs on a small Etch-A-Sketch.  Images are definitely low-resolution, but the tech behind it all is pretty cool. All this takes time – 15 minutes up to an hour – to get results.  Still, as the inventor says, it’s faster than film!

Here is a video showing how it works.

It isn’t for sale and is just a concept project for the moment. For more information and additional sample image videos, visit the Etch-A-Snap project page here.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Slow, low-res images with Etch-A-Snap concept originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 16, 2019 at 8:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Man Arrested For Spreading “Shame-Driven” Ransomware

When it was first exposed to the public, ransomware was a deadly new attack vector that threatened to lock your PC away for good unless you paid the demanded sum. Over time, however, the security companies have adapted to the new wave of attacks and supplied the public with ways to get around it. For example, the world was once rocked by the threat that was WannaCry. It brought down businesses and hospitals as the malware spread around the world. After a while, however, security companies unraveled its code and discovered it was actually pretty poorly programmed. Someone infected with WannaCry could talk to a… Read more

Get totally immersive with Feelreal

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Dive deeper into your gaming and movie experiences with Feelreal VR headset add-on.

The patented design attaches to your existing VR headset and can simulate smell, rain, wind, vibration, punches and more. Weighing in at only seven ounces, the unit magnetically attaches to your headset.  It can generate up to 255 different scents to enhance your gaming and movie experience.

Feelreal is compatible with a wide range of headsets.

Scents are generated by combining up to nine different aroma capsules. Heat and cold come from micro heating and cooling units. An ultrasonic ionizer produces mist and rain. Small vibration motors simulate bumps, punches, and general motion. It can run for up to four hours on a charge.

Beyond entertainment, the developers also have created operation modes for aromatherapy and meditation.

Several VR games are supported with more on the way.  YouTube VR is also supported. You can also edit your own movies, adding scent and sensory tracks on your own.

Funded in under an hour on Kickstarter, Feelreal is just shy of $100,000 on a $20,000 initial funding goal.  Funding ends on May 10 at 3am EDT with initial shipments slated for August 2019.  Packages start at $199. For more information, visit their campaign on Kickstarter.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Get totally immersive with Feelreal originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 14, 2019 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.