Kickstarter is Better than Indiegogo For Video Games - http://clapway.com/2016/01/21/kickstarter-is-better-than-indiegogo-for-video-games-123/

John Smedley, ex-chief of Sony Online Entertainment, announced that he’s launching a Kickstarter campaign for an RPG by PixelImage Games. Kickstarter has often been selected over Indiegogo for films, video games and other visual art projects.

Hero’s Song Will be Funded on Kickstarter, Not Indiegogo

The game will use 2D pixel art animation, and will have the look and feel of the classic RPGs we know and love. This game will be developed by Smedley’s brand new company, PixelImage Games, as well as Bill Trost and Patrick Rothfuss.

According to the campaign, the game is set in a ‘dynamic world’ where the backstory changes every time gamers start a new game. Depending on which gods player’s choose, the entire narrative can change. The pantheon of gods chosen can have an effect on the game’s terrain, the races of the characters and their histories. Even their family trees can change. Gamers can host their own servers, too.

A Combination of Dwarf Fortress, Diablo III and Ultima Online

Some of the inspiration for this game comes from Dwarf Fortress, made by Tarn and Zach Adams in 2006. The gameplay for Hero’s Song is expected to be just as intricate and budding. According to Smedley, the game is a combination of Dwarf Fortress, Diablo III and Ultima Online. Now that’s a killer mix.

The team behind the game have declared that they’re very focused on gameplay and not so much on graphics. Smedley has a lot of experience with online MMO’s, having developed games like PlanetSide 2, and he’s deeply devoted to pixel graphics.

The Kickstarter Campaign is A Popularity Test

Launched in 2015, PixelImage is Smedley’s own game developing company. He joined as CEO right after leaving Daybreak Games, which was responsible for titles like EverQuest, H1Z1 and Landmark.

Currently, the game as $1 million worth of funds that came in through private donations. The Kickstarter project is aiming for $800,000. Not only will this help finalize development and fine tune details, but it’ll be a test to see if it can become a hit with gamers from around the world.

Smedley admitted that the last time he’d crowdfunded was for EverQuest, but the trend has grown to galactical proportions since then. Indiegogo and Kickstarter have become go-to’s for many startups since people are now more motivated to donate to causes than they ever were before.

Kickstarter is Better than Indiegogo For Video Games

Modern-day “design nerds,” Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth, are reintroducing #NASA"s beloved #manual and making it available to the public via #Kickstarter. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/04/nasa-space-manual123/

NASA’s retired “worm” logo has left a lasting legacy that still conjures up images of deep space exploration to this day. Its “smooth, soaring” typeface and characteristic uncrossed A’s, featured on the NASA Graphics Standard Manual, was designed by Richard Danne and Bruce Blackburn roughly four decades ago in 1974. Now, modern-day “design nerds,” Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth, are reintroducing the beloved manual and making it available to the public via a Kickstarter campaign.

NASA Graphics Standard Manual Kickstarter Campaign

The manual, originally put out as a ringed binder, was first issued in 1975 and discontinued in 1992, when NASA decided to revert back to the famous “meatball” logo, which is still used today. The switch was made in an attempt to boost employee morale, as some NASA veterans never took to the worm, according to Wired.

With any change, however, comes a wave of criticism, as demonstrated by British design critic Alice Rawsthorn in a New York Times article: “Everything about the worm is seductively new, optimistic and futuristic, declaring that NASA is leading us toward a brighter, bolder future.”

Blackburn and Smyth seem to agree with the sentiment. Their Kickstarter page states, “Where the meatball feels cartoon-like and old fashioned; the worm feels sleek, futuristic, forward-thinking. All good things for a space agency at the bleeding-edge of science and exploration.”

The New York design firm behind the project will reproduce the manual as a hardcover book, which space-enthusiasts can purchase and display on their coffee tables for $80.00 USD.

Just a word of caution though: NASA’s Graphics Standard Manual is, well, just that…a manual. According to CNET, it’s not just a casual Sunday-afternoon read. Rather, “hard-core space buffs” and “lovers of graphic design” can enjoy flipping through its various pages that features drawings and text explaining how to place type onto all-things NASA related (space shuttles stationary, etc.).

For more information about the NASA Graphics Standard Manual Kickstarter, click here. Since its launch, the campaign has raised over $350,000 in support from over 3,500 backers.

Images courtesy of NASA Graphics Standard Manual Kickstarter page.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcU4nKKV2E

Designers Bring Back Retired NASA Space Manual

The WalkCar Is Basically the Segway 2.0 - http://clapway.com/2015/08/09/the-walkcar-is-basically-the-segway-2-012/

The Segway never revolutionized personal transportation the way that its creator might have hoped it would, but one Japanese inventor is looking to take another crack at it with the WalkCar.

It Doesn’t Get More Literal than the WalkCar

The name implies almost everything you need to really know about the purpose of the WalkCar. The device has a very portable design — it’s about as large as a typical laptop — which allows it to be carried with the user just about anywhere. Just throw it in your bag and you’re well on your way. “I thought, ‘what if we could just carry our transportation in our bags, wouldn’t that mean we’d always have our transportation with us to ride on?” said WalkCar creator Kuniako Saito in a recent report from Reuters.

The WalkCar is More Than Capable

The $800 mobile device is surprising in more ways than one. The WalkCar is composed of aluminum and only weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of four to six pounds. Even with its lightweight body, the device can still support a person weighing up to 265 pounds. Riding on the WalkCar is interesting, and it’s best thought of like a skateboard. The device activates and goes when the rider stands on it. To guide the board the user just shifts their weight, similar to a skateboard. The max speed of the WalkCar is around 6.2 miles, which is just about on par with a brisk walking speed. To make the device stop, the user just needs to step off the vehicle. So far the device seems to work largely as expected. The biggest complaint users have had so far has revolved around how loud the motor can be while riding around.

So When Can We Get One?

The good news is that people interested in the project will be able to reserve one sometime this fall when Saito says the Kickstarter page will go live. As stated previously, fans will be able to pick one up for right around $800. The current launch date is set in Spring of 2016. So what do you guys think? Will the WalkCar be able to accomplish what the Segway couldn’t?

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The WalkCar Is Basically the Segway 2.0

Patrick Stewart and The Whales Need Your Help - http://clapway.com/2015/07/25/patrick-stewart-and-the-whales-need-your-help567/

Patrick Stewart believes there have been too many snot-nosed whales a-skimping the seas for too long, that is, without scientific study. But, for some reason, scientists working with Ocean Alliance are having trouble raising funds for their snot-bot drone to continue collecting the necessary samples. So naturally, they’ve turned to Patrick Stewart in the creation of a video to kickstart their Kickstarter, and he couldn’t refuse.

WHY DOES PATRICK STEWART LIKE SNOT BOTS?

Snot Bots are little drones guided through the spray of fluids ejected from whales’ blowholes at the surface of water to collect vital samples of mucus and other biological material. The whales are physically unharmed, however, they excel at acoustics (and brains), so any pursuing entities, even the harmless curiosity of scientists, subjects them to a good deal of psychological stress, which throws the data sample into disarray.

FOR HUMAN ANALOGY:

Consider that of Ocean Alliance CEO Iain Kerr who explained that, “if all your doctor knew about your health was from chasing you around the examination room, blasting an airhorn and jabbing you with a needle,” no one would blame you for being a little on edge. And, though this writer cannot speak for the reader’s psychology, whales are generally unperturbed.

HOW DID THIS COME TO BE?

This project is the result of a joint partnership between Ocean Alliance and the Olin College of Engineering, who came together to engineer Snot Bots. These unique devices take a very high level of precision to design because they must actually hover directly above a live freaking whale long enough to collect enough samples without freaking the whale out.

WHAT COULD WE POSSIBLY LEARN FROM WHALE MUCUS?

Snot Bots are the newest and most humane way to collect whale DNA, hormones, and data on the bacterial or viral content of whales, in addition to a veritable compendium of data to help us understand the whales’ in their natural habitat.

HOW DID THEY WRANGLE PATRICK STEWART?

Apparently Patrick Stewart is an old friend and outspoken supporter of Ocean Alliance. He actually funded the construction of one of the Snot Bot drones in toto, and named it Sunny, after his wife, Sunny Ozell.

PATRICK STEWART AND THE WHALES

Ocean Alliance’s goal is $225,000. We may not be able to go to warp speed with him, but what better way to be in cahoots with Patrick Stewart and the whales simultaneously is there?

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Patrick Stewart and The Whales Need Your Help

#46YearsAgo #Apollo11 landed on the #moon and #NeilArmstrong made a legend. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/20/neil-armstrong-first-man-to-walk-on-moon-46-years-ago-233/

Today marks the 46th anniversary of Apollo 11.

Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969, along with fellow astronauts, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Lt. Col. Michael Collins, accompanied Armstrong.

In 1961, during the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy addressed Congress to share his vision of space exploration for the United States. At that point the Soviet Union had outperformed U.S. in this category.

Neil Armstrong Step, One Small Step for ManKind

1 billion people watched from 251,000 miles away as Neil Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

In October of 1968 the U.S. deployed the first manned spaceflight, Apollo 11. Apollo 11 orbited the Earth and tested the mechanisms necessary to deliver a successful moon landing.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin photographed the moon’s terrain, conducted tests, and planted a U.S. flag. They also left a plaque that read “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon — July 1969 A.D. — We came in peace for all mankind.”

During their mission, Armstrong and Aldrin spoke to President Nixon through their Houston base. They returned via the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.

The Apollo Program

In total more than 400,000 engineers worked on the Apollo program. It cost $24 billion to complete, equal to $100 billion today. The Apollo program was responsible for landing 6 missions on the moon and providing 400 kilograms of lunar samples. According to NASA the goal of the Apollo program was to establish the technology to meet national space interests and establish man’s ability to work in the lunar environment.

Smithsonian Attempts to Preserve Apollo 11’s History

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has started a campaign to conserve the spacesuit Neil Armstrong wore on the moon. The suit was created for short-term use so the materials are expected to break down over time.

The Smithsonian hopes to build a climate-controlled case for Neil Armstrong’s suit that will protect it in addition to allowing the public to view it. The campaign is currently live on Kickstarter with a goal of $500,000.

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A space adventure awaits you in Space Scouts. Check out our review on Clapway Trends:

Neil Armstrong, First Man to Walk on Moon 46 Years Ago

ROTO is your answer to #proteinshake woes!ROTO is your answer to #proteinshake woes! - http://clapway.com/2015/07/06/roto-helping-you-on-your-fitness-journey-234/

Taking care of your body is important. Exercising, eating right, monitoring your alcohol intake as well as sugar; these things matter in keeping yourself healthy. However, any fitness nut can tell you that you sometimes need a little extra help. Protein shakes are a lifesaver for competitors and people who take their routine seriously, although often times you get clumps of the powdery substance in your drink from it not being mixed very well. ROTO can fix that problem!

What Is ROTO and How Does It Work?

 

ROTO is a lightweight mixer with an electric motor that will perfectly mix your shakes and keep them mixed with no clumping or gathering at the bottom. With simply the push of a button, you only have to wait mere seconds to get the perfectly smooth shake.

ROTO holds up to 680 ML (23 ounces) and is rechargeable by USB. The bottle weights around .43 lbs. and is BPA-Free. It’s the perfect way to get a flawless shake. It’s ergonomic shape gives you the perfect grip when you’re on the run, and it’s leak proof base gives you one less thing to worry about when storing it in your gym bag!

ROTO’s creative team is based out of the Netherlands and had the first inklings of this idea in August 2014. They have spent their time since then researching and designing the perfect model for this innovative shaker.

Their campaign begins this year on July 23rd so be sure to watch for them on Kickstarter! You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram to see their progress and show your support.

Protein shakes can be a vital part of the muscle defining process. They give your body extra protein, nutrients and vitamins your body needs to create the muscle tone and definition that you are striving so hard to achieve when you lift those weights. Thanks to ROTO, you won’t have to worry about that gritty feeling between your teeth when you discover powder that hasn’t been properly mixed. Let ROTO be your shake saver!

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These water bottles might make the perfect pair for the fitness junkies! Visit Clapway Trends for the latest in technology news:

ROTO: Helping You on Your Fitness Journey

Waking up to the Smell of Bacon Will Soon Be a Reality– Introducing Sensorwake - http://clapway.com/2015/06/25/waking-up-to-the-smell-of-bacon-will-soon-be-a-reality-introducing-sensorwake987/

Mornings can be tough, and there is often very little that can persuade you from moving from the comforts of your bed and fully waking up to face the trials and tribulations of a new day. Okay, maybe there are some exceptions. The smell of freshly brewed coffee, money, or sizzling bacon could certainly be a motivational reminder of the wonders of being awake. Luckily for all of us allergic to the morning sunrise, this is soon to become a possibility thanks to Sensorwake, the world’s first olfactory alarm clock.

The brainchild of Guilaume Rolland, an 18-year-old French engineering student and entrepreneur, Sensorwake is one of the current Kickstarter projects. With 1,349 backers, this product is set to become a reality by November 2015.

Waking up to Your Favourite Scent

We all have a smell that will put us in a happy place and send nostalgic shivers down our spines. Be it a fully cooked American breakfast, the ocean, or freshly cut grass, so many scents can be set on the Sensorwake to slowly soothe you out of bed. The device is as simple as using an espresso machine, minus the trouble of having to clean it up afterwards. By simply placing a scent capsule into the alarm clock, it will defuse your favourite smell at the time you set for your awakening. What’s better is that the capsules are 100% recyclable and can be used up to 60 times.

Can a Scent Really Wake You?

Waking up to your favourite scent would surely make you even more settled in your duvet cocoon, right? Wrong. Guilaume and his team have proved that in 99% of cases, using Sensorwake as your alarm clock will get you out of bed in less than 2 minutes. If the power of the scent isn’t enough to entice you out of bed, then an additional alarm clock will get you moving after three minutes.

Have A Peaceful Day

Sensorwake is designed for the purpose of not only waking up, but waking up feeling happy and refreshed, giving you a positive start to your working day.

To find out more about Sensorwake and how you can get your hands and nose on this revolutionary gadget, check out their official website.

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Here’s our review of the Sensorwake alarm clock:

Waking up to the Smell of Bacon Will Soon Be a Reality– Introducing Sensorwake

The LED icons on the watch face, alert you when you receive a call, an email or a message on social media. - http://clapway.com/2015/06/24/cogito-fit-the-connected-watch-you-dont-need-to-recharge-234/

With the motto “Not a Smartwatch, but a watch with some smart!”, Seattle-based Connect Device has come up with COGITO FIT: a gadget tailored to the needs of today’s tech-savvy consumer.

This modern smart watch doubles as a fitness tracker and connects to your iOS and Android smartphone, allowing you to receive notifications, visible at a glance, on your wrist.

WITH COGITO FIT YOU CAN STOP WORRYING ABOUT RECHARGING

The competitive advantage of this gadget is that you never have to worry about recharging. It’s basically a traditional watch armed with extra connectivity. Another bonus is that COGITO uses Bluetooth Smart thus lowering the drain on your phone’s battery. A win-win solution!

“Need to charge your smartwatch every day as you do for your smartphone so that it has power? We’d rather not! So, we designed the COGITO FIT connected watch with you in mind,” the company explained.

‘LESS IS MORE’ IN THE SMART WATCH WORLD

What COGITO FIT doesn’t want to do is replace your smartphone or be the equivalent of your ‘portable computer’. With a ‘less is more’ approach, this gadget has been engineered to follow active users in every situation, without overloading them with notifications.

The LED icons on the watch face, alert you when you receive a call, an email or a message on social media. COGITO FIT also allows you to remotely trigger your phone camera, control your music, locate your phone and even mute incoming calls if you are in the middle of a meeting.

BALANCING STYLE WITH SMART TECHNOLOGY

To accommodate fashion-conscious consumers, COGITO FIT introduced interchangeable plug-ins on the watch bezel, enabling a “new level of customization”. Adapt, transform and create new looks for your watch. COGITO FIT effortlessly balances a fashionable traditional timepiece, with smart technology.

Available for both men and women, you can buy COGITO FIT on Kickstarter and get yourself the connected watch that helps you manage your days without the hassle of frequent charging.

COGITO FIT is now available for pre-order here through the Kickstarter website, at the exclusive price starting from $49 (shipping starts in July).

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For more technology-related news, please check out Rokit Boost SwageU Wireless Bluetooth Headphones and other reviews on Clapway Trends!:

COGITO FIT: The Connected Watch You Don"t Need to Recharge

Find out how you can get your own Star Wars-like hoverbike. - http://clapway.com/2015/06/23/the-u-s-army-is-developing-a-star-wars-like-hoverbike-245/

The military is currently developing a hoverbike reminiscent of the speeder bikes ridden by scout troopers in Star Wars.

KICKSTARTER BEGINNINGS

UK-based engineering firm Malloy Aeronautics launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in 2014 to raise money for the manufacturing of 1/3 scale remote-controlled drones, which originally served as the Hoverbike’s proof-of-concept. These little prototypes provide the public with a reasonable demonstration of the flight capabilities of the planned full-scale model. But they are also pretty cool drones on their own, with the ability to reach a speed of 45 m.p.h.

The campaign raised more than $100,000 dollars, enabling Malloy to move forward with the development of the full-sized Hoverbike.

Aside from the fact that it’s a freaking hoverbike, what makes this transportation method so special?

According to Malloy Aeronautics, compared to a helicopter, the Hoverbike is cheaper, more rugged, easier to use, and it “represents a whole new way to fly.”

MILITARY INTEREST

It didn’t take long for the military to develop an interest in the Hoverbike.

Malloy describes, “This project started out as a hobby, but quickly grew into a commercial enterprise, with interest from people and groups such as universities, farmers, search and rescue, private and military, with notable visits from the US Army. . .and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.”

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory signed a contract with Malloy Aeronautics to develop Hoverbikes, or, as the Department of Defense likes to call them, Tactical Reconnaissance Vehicles, for the U.S. military. The military sees a vehicle like this as having valuable reconnaissance applications, as is demonstrated by the Imperial military’s reconnaissance troops in Star Wars.

TAKING FLIGHT

A working, full-scale, manned Hoverbike is just around the corner.

“We are in the final construction stages of the latest manned prototype of the Hoverbike and in a few months we will start flight testing,” says Malloy. “After the successful completion of test flights, we will build a final engineering prototype for submission to aviation certification authorities.” The military is waiting for its Tactical Reconnaissance Vehicles. But if you want your own Hoverbike, the current estimated price tag is $51,000.

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For more technology of the future related news, check MUSIO out:

The U.S. Army Is Developing a Star Wars-Like Hoverbike

Bill Nye’s Crowd-Funded LightSail Has Lost Contact With Earth - http://clapway.com/2015/05/28/bill-nyes-crowd-funded-lightsail-has-lost-contact-with-earth123/

Bill Nye’s Kickstart-funded LightSail project has been temporarily halted, after the prototype satellite experienced a computer malfunction during its lower Earth orbit. The solar sail spacecraft launched just last week, and was backed by The Planetary Society, Nye’s organization. The mission for the spacecraft was to use energy solely from the sun to power its motion through space. Currently, communication between the LightSail and Earth has stopped.

The LightSail’s original mission: an experiment for solar sails

Just last week, the LightSail was launched atop the Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral, in Florida. The solar sail aircraft included a CubeSat equipped with a 344-square-foot mylar sail, which served to detect invisible, accelerating particles expelled from the sun. The solar “wind” would theoretically and physically work like the wind at sea, where the boat’s sails are used to propel the ship forward. The solar sail would be “pushed” through space by the force of solar wind.

However, the primary goal of the mission was to see if the sails on the LightSail could successfully expand in space. The deployment of the sails was scheduled to happen much later, only after a series of data “chirps” were sent back consistently to Earth, indicating the position of the spacecraft and other important information. Flight controllers have received successful chirps for two consecutive days, but over the weekend, the satellite stopped sending signals.

What next for Bill Nye’s LightSail?

The scientists monitoring the solar sail’s behavior have deduced that the satellite’s Linux-based software system ultimately couldn’t contain the size of the data emitted by the chirps sent to Earth. The more beacons transferred via the chirps, the larger the file size would grow. When the file reaches a size of 32 megabytes, the flight system could have reached maximum capacity and crashed.

The team at the Planetary Society has to unfortunately put the LightSail mission on hold until they can fix this technical issue. Currently, scientists are hoping to reboot the system, by giving it commands every time the spacecraft passes a ground control station. They’re also hoping that charged particles in space will strike an electrical component on the LightSail and help “wake it up.” For the time being, it seems, the solar sail spacecraft remains frozen.

THROUGH SUNDAY: For readers with young children, check out the Space Scouts Summer Adventure program here! It’s an educational adventure centered on space, technology and science with unique weekly packages crafted to inspire your burgeoning future astronauts. Click for more information.

Bill Nye’s Crowd-Funded LightSail Has Lost Contact With Earth

Kickstarter-Funded #FutureofTravel #Space Exhibit To Open - http://clapway.com/2015/05/15/future-of-travel-space-exhibit123/

Science fiction lovers, rejoice! The heavy-hitting team behind the newly introduced Museum of Science Fiction in Washington, D.C. has built a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund their first exhibit, scheduled to open to the public starting July 7. This new four month-long exhibit, titled “The Future of Travel,” is hoping to premiere at the Reagan National Airport.

From Space Odyssey to interstellar passports, the Future of Travel will delight

Already, the exhibit sounds like it will bring a remarkably varied scope of interactive, futuristic-themed presentations. It will have a selection of retro-space travel posters by artist Steve Thomas, a large-scale recreation of the Orion III space plane from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and, most intriguingly, a mobile app that will allow visitors not only access to exhibit information, but also to an “interstellar passport,” with which they can select and customize their own “boarding pass to the future.”

The future of travel has long been a source of both pioneering discovery and contentious debate. With recent discoveries and innovations within the past decade such as the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, and the newfound potential of sustaining oxygen on Mars, we’re currently more at the forefront of space exploration than ever. To build on (and feed off of) the momentum motivated by the ongoing space race, the “Future of Travel” exhibit may prove to be more than entertaining.

As of today, the startup museum is still looking to crowdfund an additional $3,098 (to reach a target $7,500) for its exhibit. Most, if not all of these funds will go toward the shipping, storage and display costs of the “Future of Travel”’s articles.

Beyond the vision of science fiction artists: first step, virtual space travel

Visitors to the exhibit can do more than just plan a “visit” to the Moon, Mars or Alpha Centauri. To aid exhibit-goers in conjuring their imaginations, the artwork displayed will depict vivid detailing of destinations on planets and moons of the solar system (in particular, the “crimson canyons on Mars” and a flight “through the asteroid belt”).

After the impending success of the “Future of Travel” exhibit, the museum’s curators and directors are hoping to eventually open up a full-scale museum, one that will house up to seven galleries featuring all things science fiction: vehicles, aliens, computers, robots, technology and time travel concepts.

Kickstarter-Funded Future of Travel Space Exhibit To Open