Crowd funding has a darker side

Mentioned several times on these pages, Kickstarter has achieved some remarkable things.

Kickstarter is only the best-known example of a relatively new phenomenon: crowd funding. Although, it bears great promise, there is a darker side:

Kickstarter Areal scam is back with STALKER Apocalypse on shady new crowd funding site
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2014/12/12/kickstarter-areal-scam-is-back-with-stalker-apocalypse-on-shady-new-crowdfunding-site/

Mashable
http://mashable.com/2013/06/21/kickstarter-scam/

Epiphany onE Puck
http://kickscammed.com/project/epiphany-one-puck-by-epiphany-labs2/

Check out the comments on the Epiphany onE Puck Kickstarter project
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/epiphanylabs/epiphany-one-puck/comments

How the “Biggest Scam in Kickstarter History” almost worked
http://mashable.com/2013/06/21/kickstarter-scam/

Indiegogo is not immune — After Pando shows clear evidence of fraud, Indiegogo responds by … deleting anti-fraud guarantee
http://pando.com/2014/04/03/after-pando-shows-clear-evidence-of-fraud-on-indiegogo-company-responds-by-deleting-anti-fraud-guarantee/

Crowd funding fraud: how big is the threat?
http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2014/03/34255-crowdfunding-fraud-big-threat/

A couple of sites dedicated to the problems of crowd funding

KickScammed
http://kickscammed.com/

DropKicker
http://drop-kicker.com/

List of crowd funding websites
http://crowdfundingwebsites.net/

And a place for your review
http://crowdfundingwebsites.net/indiegogo-review/ / crowdfunding finance crowd funding crowdfunding research development design designer develop engineer engineering fraud scam con lie lies scamming funding campaign Kobe Red Japanese beer fed jerky creator creator’s names sloppy sideshow generic stock images photos footage project founders didn’t sound right sounded weird /

Unsubscriber app to clean up your inbox

Credit: 410 Labs/Apple

Too many email subscriptions to manage?

If you have an iOS device & the subscriptions are coming to a Gmail account, there is help at hand. Just install Unsubscriber for Gmail, & log in to the Gmail account. Unsubscriber will identify all of your subscriptions & present you with a list. Swipe left to unsubscribe (as shown in the image above) or right to keep.

Easy.

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2015/01/16/unsubscriber-app-helps-clean-inbox/

Unsubscriber for Gmail from 410 Labs — get the app here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unsubscriber-for-gmail/id921627282?mt=8 / spam inbox subcribe subscription subscribed mail list newsletter unsubcribing app store Unsubscriber iOS Gmail login log in Gmail account parse inbox list newsletters mailing lists subscribed just swipe left unsubscribe right subscription install download Unsunscriber for iOS /

Original Macintosh — meet MacBook Air

Credit: Curved/Funky Space Monkey

Lines of the original Macintosh brought right up-to-date. Looks great, but despite what the linked articles say, I have to wonder if this thing actually exists anywhere other than as cgi.

Either way, don't expect to see one for sale any time soon.

http://www.funkyspacemonkey.com/imac-concept-original-macintosh-meets-ipad-air-video#more-47939

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/slick-macintosh-design-inspired-first-mac-time/ / Mac Macintosh iPad iOS Apple art concept 128k Apple would reinvent iconic Macintosh up-to-date specs specifications contemporary design Curved result iMac concept slick design homage iMac compact desktop computer fantasy design work German tech site Curved/labs curved labs conceptual Mac 2015 homage first Macintosh Apple lovechild stout boxiness MacBook Air touchscreen mouse touch mode components 2014 MacBook Air modified throwback design bent aluminum iPad stand SSD flash memory 128 gigabytes Gb storage built in 4 8 gigabytes memory CPU i7 chip Intel high quality aluminum clever nod Apple’s design past touchscreen mouse keyboard interfaces industry standard thinner sleek aesthetics kickstart /

Declutter now!

Does clutter reduce your efficiency? Or do you just need some ideas for getting organized?

Lots of useful hints, including those old favourites:
Do I love it?
Do I use it?
Will I ever need it?
at:
http://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Ways-Declutter-2015-36514459 / improve organize your life tips what you declutter your home office space organizing organize kick the New Year resolutions kicking kick clutter habit passing pass the item along find a new home be ruthlessly honest answer each query no but decluttering clutter disorganised disorganized organise organize letting it find a new home be ruthlessly honest answer each query Target one area at a time feel overwhelmed sheer volume declutter live happily with less achievement dive diving right in burn burning out quickly focus one area your home office positive reinforcement start easiest areas first area chest of drawers hall closet kitchen cupboard drawer in your desk use momentum make a list clutter hot spots need attention check each one off calm the chaos Get rid of one item per day taming tame clutter impossible task start slowly single item per day be determined relentless extra elbow room your efforts build on your success accelerating the clutter busting schedule one-in-one-out rule achieve maintain clutter-free home office zero-accumulation habit new item one item goes donate sell usable items four-box method donate sell trash recycling keep relocate process filing system sort organizing empty the boxes label start over space limit possessions expands to fit the available space combat slow creep of clutter problem areas accumulate kitchen utensils fit into a single drawer finite physical space limit go digital digitized stored in the cloud easy retrieval easy digital cloud-based storage scan scanning documents photos storing digitally service Microsoft OneDrive Google Drive Evernote Dropbox scanner photographing photograph documents digitize less stuff sharper focus perseverance biggest step is the first step /

Apple faces lawsuit over storage space on iPhones & iPads

When you buy a phone, or storage device, its capacity, in use, is always less than was claimed on the box, due to a range of factors.

iOS 8 consumes significantly more of the advertised storage capacity of Apple devices than previous versions of the OS, & two users have had enough, claiming in a complaint filed in the northern district of California that:

“In reality, nothing close to the advertised capacity of the devices is available to end users. Indeed, the discrepancy between advertised and available capacity is substantial and beyond any possible reasonable expectation. For the devices, the shortfall ranges from 18.1-23.1%.

They also claim that Apple compounds this by failing to provide for storage expansion with microSD cards as other device manufacturers do. Further, they claim that Apple's pop-up adds for paid-for iCloud storage when space on the device runs low, amounts to, "sharp practice".

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/02/apple-lawsuit-storage-space-iphones-ipad-ios8-software-advertised-capacity / OS operating system complaints large amount storage Apple Apple’s latest software iOS8 iPhones iPads US tech firm alleged misrepresentation storage capacity devices plaintiffs claim advertising fully represent total amount storage available users iOS 8 made it worse taking up a larger amount of space without informing those upgrading defendant fails to disclose consumers 23.1% advertised storage capacity unavailable for consumers consumers purchase devices iOS 8 installed Jonas P Mann US law firm Audet & Partners complaint filed northern district of California suit brought on behalf of two Miami residents Paul Orshan Christopher Endara claim bought iPhone iPads advertised with 16GB of storage providing less to the user pair complaint class action seeking $5m £3.3 damages trial by jury reality nothing close to the advertised capacity of the devices is available to end users discrepancy between advertised available capacity substantial beyond any possible reasonable expectation devices shortfall ranges range 18.1-23.1% gigabyte storage shortchanges shortchange customers approximately 400-500 high-resolution photographs standard practice consumer electronics manufacturers advertise total storage capacity their devices without disclosing amount taken up pre-loaded software plaintiffs claim Apple preventing customers adding additional memory via microSD cards pay-for cloud storage service storage device full rival manufacturers allow additional memory via microSD iCloud cloud storage sharp business tactics defendant less storage capacity advertised offer sell record take photos latest operating system update reduced total amount of space available lawsuit /

popSLATE — a case for your iPhone that adds a second screen

Credit: popSLATE/Wired

popSLATE adds a second screen to your iPhone 5 or 6. iPhones already have screens that critics rave about — why add another?

By using an E-Ink display, popSLATE brings a different set of characteristics that lend themselves to different uses:
● ultra low power
● only consumes power when the display changes
● monochrome
● produces no light itself
● clearest in direct sunlight

Different uses, such as:
● decorative — protective phone cases often have a decorative image — popSLATE can have one that can be changed as often as desired, & the display only consumes power when it changes
● any other display which is required for an extended period — speaking notes, lists, directions, e-reader — can be displayed without the battery drain of the main screen
● any display which must be viewed in direct sunlight



More:

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2015/01/11/add-a-smart-cover-with-a-second-screen-to-your-iphone-6/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGadgeteer+%28The+Gadgeteer%29&_m=3n.002i.793.bg0ao004ub.128b

http://www.wired.com/2012/11/popslate-e-ink-phone-case/

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Add-a-second-screen-on-the-back-of-iPhone-6-with-this-popSlate-case-and-save-on-battery_id64706

Indiegogo page: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/popslate-second-screen-case-for-your-smart-phone

popSLATE’s Indiegogo campaign has ended, but you can still pre-order one at: http://www.popslate.com/ / E-Ink eink screen back your smart phone case smartphone smart-phone low power low-power always on always-on customizable integration popSLATE roadmap iPhone 5 case low-power always on readable direct sunlight customizable images share cool stuff favorite app functionality snap a picture grab images screenshots slideshow screen keeps turning view something meeting ultra-low-power very ultra low power always on possibilities urgent notifications sports scores maps notes calendar talking points Micro E-Reader ereader Kindle LCD screen open API build always-on applications new ways for people to interact with the phone ruggedized E-Ink screen protects nearly indestructible power when the image changes negligible power lightning connector power data exchange shortcut navigation tactile interface accelerometer double tap back cycle through images app take pictures camera browse image gallery manage library connect users send receive images messages screen ruggedized 4” 4 inch diagonal
/

GM 200-mile-range electric vehicle (update)

General Motors has shown off a concept version of its long-promised 200-mile-range electric vehicle (EV) at the Detroit Auto Show.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/gm-readies-electric-rival-to-tesla-1420859986

Bolt is the name of the new GM vehicle. John Voelker of Green Car Reports believes he has a privileged perspective on the likely confusion arising from the similarity in the names Bolt & Volt:
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096166_why-bolt-is-a-really-terrible-name-for-chevys-electric-car

In fact, there is little new here. GM’s 200-mile-range EV & its 2016 release, has been widely reported previously. All that has been shown is a concept. A production vehicle won’t be available until 2016, & may bear little similarity to the vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show. Take a look at Volt concept versions.

Despite the fact that there is little new in the GM announcement, it has led Seeking Alpha to predict the end of the line for Tesla in an article headed: “GM's 200-Mile Electric Car For $30,000: RIP Tesla”
http://seekingalpha.com/article/2811785-gms-200-mile-electric-car-for-30000-rip-tesla

Update: What is new: Green Car Reports indicates that the price will actually be $37,500 & the launch date, "... during 2017, likely as a 2018 model." http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096238_chevrolet-bolt-concept-200-mile-30000-electric-car-concept-live-video-photos

What has been missed in the discussion so far, is that those unfamiliar with EVs have two major concerns:
1. range anxiety — range less than 100 miles won’t be enough for day-to-day use & will leave them stranded — in practice this goes away within a few weeks of ownership
2. cross country driving — relatively short range, combined with slow charge times¹ mean cross country travel will be slower than buyers accustomed to a range of hundreds of miles & five minute refuelling want to accept

Obviously, the 200-mile-range of the Bolt answers question 1., but no apparent answer for question 2.

Where does all of the above leave Tesla?
● Tesla’s Model III EV with 200-mile-range is scheduled for release in a similar time frame, & at a similar price to the GM vehicle
● Tesla’s Supercharger network with its promise of practical, free, cross-country travel remains a strong drawcard
● Elon Musk has hinted that the Model III will have good performance —
Tesla dropped the 40 kWh Model S because it was "sluggish" & "didn't feel like a Tesla". He has also criticised the performance of other EVs & has said that he wants to release a Model III that, “doesn’t suck”.
● if Tesla never sells a single Model III, in the Model S, they have: a luxury sports sedan — the best car Consumer Reports has ever tested — with an extremely loyal following — a waiting list for every car produced — cheap to run — & continues to be developed

Tesla has thrown open its patents. Elon Musk has said that he is prepared to negotiate with other vehicle manufacturers for use of the Supercharger network. He has also made it clear that other manufacturers would have to cover costs.

Elon Musk — where would the failure of Tesla leave him? Certainly not poor. He has made a great deal of money, but he has consistently claimed that the money is secondary. What he set out the achieve with Tesla, was to create a sustainable system of personal transport. And he has already done that.
__________
¹ Wayne Cunningham: “Slow, fast, & faster: Where to charge electric cars”, Cnet, http://www.cnet.com/news/slow-fast-and-faster-where-to-charge-electric-cars/