Developed by Otherfab, the Othermill is a portable computer-controlled 3-axis mill that will allow you to cut custom circuit boards. And since it’s capable of cutting metal, wood, wax and plastic, you can also start working on your own jewelry, molds and more.

You can make beautiful jewelry from materials such as brass and birch as the Othermill can accommodate any tool with a 1/8” shank.

According to Otherfab:

“The Othermill was designed with PCBs in mind, and they were the very first thing we tested when we had a working machine. The precision and accuracy of the Othermill allows you to reliably cut 10 mil trace and space on FR-1 PCB stock. You can create custom circuits that fit into odd 3D printed parts, seamlessly integrate electronics into your clothing, and free up your Arduinos for other applications”.

The Othermill is a kickstarter project and it seems they have reached their goal of $50,000 within less than 24 hours since it began. Check out the video below to know more about their project.

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The main problem faced by all HP Touchpad users is the scarcity of apps, but of course dual booting into Android is a good way to access apps that are unavailable. If all goes as it should, a better solution could arrive in just a few months, provided you are willing to help Phoenix International Communications in their attempt to resurrect OpenMobile’s ACL for webOS.

In case you are new to ACL, it’s Application Compatibility Layer, and it allows running of Android apps on non-Android devices. The webOS ACL will allow users to run Android apps alongside native webOS applications, and its alpha version appear to be working fine on a Touchpad as you will see in the video below.

Since OpenMobile worked on the project earlier, Phoenix is promising that the final build will be available for purchase and download by July. It’s a Kickstarter project and they have, at the time of writing this, managed $5,991 of the $35,000 goal with 24 days to go.

They are offering various gifts including a copy of the ACL software, their LED flashlight keychain, and even the developer’s Touchpad depending on how much you pledge.

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The Ouya has got many fans alright but there is one more Kickstarter-backed Android-running game console out there that is turning heads. The GameStick from PlayJam is different in form factor and specs from the Ouya, and the guys over at Engadget got a chance to play with a prototype of the device at the Game Developers Conference.

The GameStick comes equipped with a dual-core Amlogic processor, which is obviously weaker than the Ouya’s Tegra 3. It is roughly the size of a USB drive and fits right into a wireless controller, though the dev units do not house the GameStick inside. You can connect it to your TV’S HDMI port or if you do not like that idea there will be a dock that’ll be available with the GameStick’s retail version.

According to Engadget, the controller feels comfortable in the hands. It’s coming with appropriately springy buttons and the analog sticks feel responsive, but shoulder buttons and the d-pad did not feel right. PlayJam apparently has promised to improve the d-pad, but nothing on the shoulder buttons.

Its UI has a left rail holding games, media, a profile page, and settings. You will find a popular games section and an all games section in the games section, a Netflix app and XMBC in the media section, and the profile page shows stuff such as your profile (as you might have guessed), in-game achievements and more.

Improvements will certainly happen to the console before the retail version arrives sometime in the future, but the important thing will be content. Currently the games available are not that thrilling, but that will change, hopefully.

What do you think of the GameStick, interested or will the Ouya stomp all over this one?

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The post PlayJam GameStick Hands-On (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Kenneth Huff and his team have been researching and building prototypes of their helicopter for a while now. Their aim is to claim the Sikorsky prize of $250,000 for the “first successful controlled flight of a human-powered helicopter”, but funding is their problem.

What Huff and his team have been doing for the past two years was improving rotor efficiency and they claim that they have developed one of the most efficient rotors out there. Due to a lack of funds they are unable to build a final version of their helicopter. Huff then turned to Kickstarter.

Currently, they have managed just $379 of the $20,000 goal with 6 days to go. If you are willing to help them various rewards including framed posters, a 48-page book or a brass S1223 airfoil cutout are waiting for you. If you have a giant heart and a big wallet, a pledge of $10,000 or more will get you a fully functional, full-scale replica of the final product.

Check out the video to know more about their research and leave your thoughts below. Do you want your own human powered helicopter?

The post Human Powered Helicopter Hits Kickstarter (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The MiiPC, an Android running mini PC, has managed to attract many fans over at Kickstarter, already collecting $48,955 of the $50,000 goal within just a few hours after which the project was launched. One of the best things about this sleek compact device is that it costs just $100 ($90 for early birds).

It can be used straight out of the box. Just connect it to your computer monitor and then start surfing the web, play games, and run Android apps. Running the Jelly Bean 4.2 OS, the MiiPC is coming equipped with a Marvell New Armada dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB RAM, and 4GB of expandable internal flash storage.

HDMI allows you to connect the device to a TV and then you can make use of Netflix or other popular apps. Speaker and microphone inputs are there, along with Ethernet, and 2 USB ports for attaching mouse and keyboard. Even more interestingly, it features the Miracast Receiver technology, so you can wirelessly display video from a smartphone or tablet. There will also be an app available for iPhones and Android phones, which will allow you to block websites and apps, enable real-time monitoring, and provide stats on usage.

There are plenty of existing Android media players and sticks that can be used as a PC alternative, so what makes this one so special? Honestly, besides the unique looking ‘tower’ it comes in, the biggest difference is that this one is aimed at teenagers and children as a workstation and gaming device that can replace a traditional PC while including tools that make it easy to block and monitor online usage.

What do you think, interested in such a device or not?

The post MiiPC Hits Kickstarter, Offers Android PC Experience For $100 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The idea behind this tiny remote-controlled craft, as designed by aerospace engineer Larry Friese, is similar to what we see with hovercraft or with the “air boats” that are used to transverse certain waters in the southern United States. Instead of having part of the boat below the surface of the water and having a propeller spin away to push you forward, you have an airplane-style propeller above the water that effectively pushes the air and thrusts your craft forward. Meanwhile, the entirety of your waterbound vehicle stays above the surface of the water.

The FrankenDrone USV works in much the same way. It has that propeller out the back and then its flotation pontoons sit on the surface of the water, allowing it to skim across even the shallowest of ponds. Steering is done by swiveling the propeller to either side. The USV could then be used for any number of purposes, attaching cameras, microphones, lights or whatever else.

The project is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter with a goal of $25,000. Check out the video to see the FrankenDrone in action.

[Source]

The post Video: Remote-Control FrankenDrone Raft Skims Across Shallow Waters appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Fancy a pair of Google Glasses but don’t fancy spending $1500? Then Italian based start-up Glass UP many have something for you.

Costing just $299, the Glass Up glasses promise to bring users of iOS, Android and even Windows Phone 8 operating systems similar features as Google’s devices but in a much less stylish package.

The geeky specs pack a 320 x 240 pico-projector to display images, Bluetooth connectivity for communication to your phone, accelerometer, light sensor, altimeter, touch sensitive frames and even battery life to last the whole day.

The project is currently on Kickstarter and the Glass Up team hopes to have their device on sale by April. Of course this isn’t nearly as cool or functional as Google’s glasses, but it is still interesting nonetheless. What do you think?

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You are miles away from your home and suddenly you get the feeling that you left the door unlocked or the lights on. Of course you can call a relative or your best friend with a spare key, but you won’t have to do that if you have the Prizm Manager mobile app in your smartphone or tablet.

What you see above is Prizm, a 5-inch touchscreen controller, which utilizes the Z-Wave wireless system to help you communicate with your home appliances. With this gadget and your app, you can turn light switches on and off, lock and unlock doors, control shades, and the tech even notifies you when a door or window is opened, so you will know when someone is trying to leave or enter your house.

Prizm’s makers have apparently developed a cloud platform that will allow you to “stay connected to your home from anywhere in the world”.

Prizm is a kickstarter project and its creators are looking for help to enter production. So far, they have raised $12,311 with a $200,000 goal and 27 days to go. Check out the video below to know more about Prizm and tell us what you think about it.

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The post Smartphone App To Manage Your Entire Home (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It seems that the backers of the Death Star petition have no intention of giving up on their wishes. After receiving a comedic response titled “This Isn’t the Petition Response You’re Looking For“, the Death Star enthusiasts took their efforts to Kickstarter. With an initial funding goal of £20,000,000 ($30,000,000), more detailed plans can be made. As you can see in the picture below, their current plans are far from sufficient.

Before I let you get too wrapped up in all of this, I want to assure you that this is a joke and the campaign coincidentally ends of April 1st (April Fool’s Day). However, the Kickstarter page notes that the final Death Star would require £543,000,000,000,000,00 ($850,000,000,000,000,000) in funding.

The main reason behind the White House turning down the Death Star is the cost and obviously we have little need for destroying our neighboring planets. At $850 Quintillion, this project would increase the deficit astronomically. But, Paul Shawcross was sure to make his response nice and funny for the Star Wars fans.

Want to make a pledge to the Death Star’s Kickstarter campaign? Click here and get your your name etched onto the underneath of one of the MSE-6-series repair droids used on the finished station.

Would you prefer a Death Star over a boring International Space Station? How do you think that it would contribute to science and technology (if at all)? Let us know in the comments below.

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The post Death Star Kickstarter Campaign Creators Ask for $850 Quintillion for Construction appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As great as gaming may have become on the iPad and the iPhone, it’s just not the same playing with touchscreen controls. We’ve seen some different physical contraptions that counter this, but the new Audojo Gaming Case for iPad could be one of the more creative solutions to date.

It basically snaps onto either side of the iPad with each half providing a speaker, an analog stick and a trigger button. This is quite different from some other cases and controllers that provide console-style face buttons and the analog sticks themselves remind me of the analog sliders you find on the PSP series from Sony. The dual analog stick configuration, along with the trigger buttons, makes the Audojo case a good solution for first-person shooters, flight sims and certain action games. I imagine this would be great if they ported Smash TV to iOS for this purpose.

Another thing that makes the Audojo gaming case different is that it doesn’t sync up with your iPad via Bluetooth. Instead, it plugs straight into the headphone jack of your tablet; this is supposed to provide minimal latency and extended battery life. If you still want to use headphones, there is a headphone jack on the case too. In terms of game compatibility  which is very important for all these mobile gaming peripherals, Audojo is working with the Unity standard. And yes, you can use AirPlay for the big screen experience too.

Audojo is currently seeking funding through their Kickstarter campaign, which runs until February 21. They have a goal of raising $240,000. The estimated retail price for the gaming case will be “$99 or more,” but you can secure one now with a minimum pledge of $65 with free shipping in the US.

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The post Audojo Gaming Case for iPad Adds Dual Analog Sticks (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.