kickstarter

I don't generally consider gaming to be a relaxing activity. If I'm taking out zombies in Resident Evil, I'm on the edge of my seat. But it doesn't have to be that way. The PIP biosensor on Kickstarter wants gaming to be the road to relaxation.

There are two parts to this system. The first is the bionsensor that you hold between your thumb and forefinger. It communicates via Bluetooth to your Android or iOS device. A suite of game apps is available that works with the bionsensor.

Relax & Race, for example, lets you control … Read more

You know what the iPad really needs? Storage.

I don't mean more memory, though obviously there's never enough of that. No, the iPad needs a place to store your keys, stylus, sync cable, earbuds, and all the other detritus that typically clutters up your pocket, purse, or carry-on.

While we're waiting for Apple to invent the iDrawer, check out Kickstarter project Smart Cargo for iPad. This clever storage bin integrates with a Smart Cover or Smart Case to keep all your important stuff close at hand.

Created by Dotan Saguy, who invented the Smarter Stand for iPad, … Read more

How are your surgery skills, and how do you feel about using them on a creepy crawly cockroach? If your answers are between "excellent" and "I'm willing to find out," there's now a way to create your very own, smartphone-controlled cyborg insect.

RoboRoach, from Backyard Brains -- the same science-minded folks who played Cypress Hill to a squid -- is not for the squeamish. Like many of the group's experiments and projects, it requires at least some vivisection. … Read more

Isn't it strange that we still use household power outlets that were popularized about a century ago? How much longer do we have to put up with this antiquated, multi-prong mess of spaghetti wires?

Well, 120-volt AC power outlets aren't going away anytime soon, but here's an idea that can make them less ugly -- and less dangerous for young children.

Inlet by LivingPlug is a sleek, customizable cover for the standard duplex electrical outlet. It's part of a $25,000 Kickstarter campaign that winds up next week. … Read more

There are heaps of RPG miniatures available. It's easy to find muscled warrior dudes, cloaked wizard guys, armor-clad knights, and masculine beasts. It's less easy to find the ladies, especially ones wielding mighty weapons.

The RPG miniature options for women players (or anyone playing with a woman character) are about to explode with the overwhelming funding response to the Raging Heroes: The Toughest Girls of the Galaxy Kickstarter project. The miniatures come from an experienced French company and are geared for science fiction war game scenarios.… Read more

"The destruction of music through YouTube is enormous."

That's what pianist Krystian Zimerman told an audience in Germany when he stopped his performance to demand a fan stop recording it with a smartphone.

But if you think the ubiquity of phone cameras is more than a little annoying, get ready for one that goes around your neck and can record automatically. … Read more

You can already buy an infrared camera, but only if you have hundreds of dollars to sink into the purchase. An inexpensive infrared-modified camera, originally developed by Public Lab to monitor damage to wetlands after the BP oil spill, is now available through Kickstarter.

The Infragram project has already handily topped its $30,000 goal and gives you several different options for obtaining a cheap infrared camera. You can do it yourself and modify your own camera for $10, buy a pre-modified bare-bones Webcam for $35, or buy a ready-to-use point-and-shoot camera for $95.… Read more

Do you need an app to help you think straight? How about a dorky bit of wearable tech that promises to improve your life?

Melon is an electroencephalography (EEG) headband that supposedly helps you focus your thoughts. If you usually need caffeine for that, it could be worth a look.

The subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign that has more than doubled its $100,000 goal, this wireless headband and app "was built to be worn while engaging in a variety of activities -- from working, to studying, playing sports, dancing, practicing an instrument, programming, painting, or doing yoga." … Read more

Logitech, a company focused on selling tech accessories, has acquired a company that got its start on Kickstarter.

TT Design Labs was founded a little under two years ago by Derek Tarnow and Zahra Tashakorinia. The company's first product was an iPhone accessory, known as TidyTilt, that doubled as both a stand for easier viewing of the iPhone, as well as a case protector. The TidyTilt could also handle the wrapping of earbud cords to keep everything, well, tidy.

To get off the ground, TT Design Labs brought the concept to Kickstarter, where it raised more than 2,000 … Read more