Kickstart

Bike riding is already a more environmentally conscious pursuit than driving around in a car, but you can really take it to the green extreme with a bike made from 100-percent-recycled aluminum. ReCycle is working at raising funds on Kickstarter to put its first full run of bikes into production.

There are some nice design tweaks that make the ReCycle bikes stand out. The usual seat tube support is gone. Two of the models have belts rather than chains. The eco-friendly aspects go beyond the use of recycled aluminum. The bikes also have saddles and grips made from cork. … Read more

Got an idea for a new product but haven't tracked down enough serious investors yet? Why not just ask the great multitude of strangers online to front you the dough? Sounds crazy, but this notion, better known as crowdfunding, took off like a rocket in 2012.

Kickstarter, the best known of the crowdfunding platforms, has been around for more than three years now, but this was the year projects like the Pebble smart watch and Ouya game console raised millions of dollars on the platform. In fact, the growing number of multimillion-dollar crowdfunding campaigns have all happened in 2012.… Read more

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On the second episode of Crave's newly resurrected weekly show, we ain't fraid of no Mr. Ghost iPhone EMF detector. Aaron Rasmussen, the creator of the ghost-hunting app, joins us via Skype to go over some of its cool features. Plus, we check out PopSlate, an iPhone case with an e-ink display on the back. Also, play our new game "Into It/Not Into It." … Read more

PARIS -- The Internet's global reach means it's a golden age for inventors trying to bring a new product to market -- at least until Kickstarter gives you the boot.

Kickstarter is a "crowdfunding" site that lets ordinary people back inventors, creators, and others with a new idea. On September 19, two of those inventors were Apigy co-founders Cameron Robertson and Paul Gerhardt, creators of the Lockitron Net-connected door lock.

That was the day the pair finished two years of work and began the process of promoting Lockitron on Kickstarter, Robertson recounted today at the LeWeb … Read more

There's a vehicle I often see in my neighborhood with "TAPS" written on it. That stands for "The Albuquerque Paranormal Society." TAPS is known around the area for ghost hunts and tracking paranormal activity, like a homegrown, less governmental version of "The X-Files."

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it takes a lot of equipment to look for them. Rather than invest in a ton of gear like an electric charge detector, full-spectrum camcorder, night vision goggles, and an EVP mic, you can get started with ghost hunting for a $20 Mr. Ghost pledge on Kickstarter.… Read more

The next time you hold a shell up to your ear, you may hear your boss talking rather than the sounds of the ocean. The Shellphone is exactly what it sounds like, a shell that's been fashioned into a loudspeaker for the iPhone.

There are no power adapters and no batteries, just the natural shape of the Whelk shell to amplify the iPhone's speaker. WAAM Industries is raising funds on Kickstarter to put Shellphones into production.… Read more

Let the gamers, Android nuts, and open-source geeks rejoice -- the Ouya is shipping on time!

Well, at least the developers' consoles are, that is. Ouya first garnered attention by raising more than $8.5 million on Kickstarter this summer to create an inexpensive, open-source, Android-based game system.

Early supporters of the crowdfunding campaign got first dibs on a finished Ouya for as little as $95, but those aren't scheduled to ship until March. However, the hundreds of folks who ponied up $699 or more for a first-run, rooted developers' system with early SDK access get to experience Christmas twice in the same week when their consoles ship on December 28.… Read more

If you want to steal Sparse bicycle lights, you're pretty much going to have to steal the whole bike. The Sparse headlight is called the Spacer Light, so named because it sits beneath the handlebar stem. It features a 3-watt white LED and can be set to on, off, or blink.

The 1-watt Sparse taillight slips onto the seat post. As with the Spacer Light, you would have to start removing parts of the bike in order to steal it. Both lights are made from die-cast aluminum to stand up to the elements and the jostling of biking.… Read more

Anyone who has ever worn a necklace or bracelet made of Buckyballs knows the potential of magnets as a force for fashion. Ian Stikeleather is taking it a step further by integrating magnets into his Affectation clothing line.

Affectation is up on Kickstarter, working to raise enough to put the magnetic fashion line into production. The biggest draw is the interchangeability of the clothes. For a $50 pledge, you can pick up the Duality Interchangeable Tie. It comes with an extra tail that can be exchanged and is held on by magnets. Click it together and you have a new look for your busy day in the cubicle farm.… Read more