Perhaps you haven’t heard, but there is a nifty website called Kickstarter where people can pledge to support projects that they’re interested in. Little things – like Android game consoles, eInk watches, and high-budget video games.
Each Kickstarter is its own drama representing the hopes and dreams of at least one person. Will it succeed? Will it fail? Will it become a media sensation? It’s impossible to know before the money starts flooding in – or doesn’t  So pop some popcorn and grab your mouse. We’ve got some Kickstarters to watch.

The Up-And-Comers

Drive With Lynk

Modern cars have a lot of electronics in them. This includes an on-board computer that monitors how the vehicle is driven and the state of the engine; RPMs, fuel consumption, pedal position, etc. With the correct device, this data can be harnessed to create an in-depth profile of driving habits, and Lynk wants to give consumers an easy way to access that information.
I think it’s a great idea, and the project does a good job of explaining the project – but the catch is a huge $750,000 goal. Can Lynk make it?

Infinity Cell Kinect Charger

I recently wrote an article about how to charge a smartphone in an emergency. One reader responded that the methods, though they worked, usually relied on some external power source like a battery or solar panel. Infinity aims to solve that problem with a kinetic charger that can provide power to a smartphone by shaking it, or by walking with the charger attached to your waist.

The project launched just a few days ago and has a goal of $155,000. I hope they make it, because there’s certainly a need for this kind of device.

Lightpack

A few years ago HDTV manufacturer began to sell televisions with a featured called Ambilight which projected light behind a television’s display, effectively framing it. The goal of this feature was to reduce eye strain and improve perceived contrast; most reviewers were impressed, if not blown away. Now Lightpack wants to bring the same idea to every home theater or office with a small box that can be used with a television, PC or Mac.
The project’s creators say that Lightpack will reduce eye strain and increase perceived display size. Though just launched, the project has already made over $100,000 of its $261,962 goal.

The Competitors

Camelot Unchained

After a very successful early blitz that put the project past $1.2 million, Camelot unchained – a massively multiplayer game developed with Mark Jacobs at the head – has hit a bit of a roadblock. Revenue now sits at just over $1.4 million of the $2 million dollar goal and there is, at time of this writing, only a few days left.
The situation for this PVP-MMO and spiritual successor to Dark Age of Camelot seems dire, but some large projects have seen a huge up-tick in pledges near their end and most projects that get past the halfway point fund.

Flowstorm

Flowstorm’s developers have done everything right. They have a great concept, have been covered at major media outlets, and have even provided a playable demo that lets anyone enjoy a few introductory levels for free. Yet, in spite of all this, the project sits at less than $5,000 of its modest $50,000 funding goal.
That’s a real shame – and once again demonstrates that new game ideas have a hard time competing against Kickstarters rooted in an established and beloved franchise.

Skydog

This project is about a router. Seems boring, right? What makes Skydog different is that it’s built from the ground up to work with a smartphone or tablet app that can monitor usage, change settings and more. The idea is similar to another project, called Guardian, that didn’t make its goal – but that project also asked for stratospheric $358,000.
Skydog wants a far more modest $75,000 and is extremely close with 19 days to go. It may even be funded by the time you read this.

The Losers

DUO

DUO is a high-performance 3D sensor that’s aimed at the do-it-yourself crowd. If you’re thinking of Kinect, you’re not far off, but DUO is designed specifically to work with a wide range of hardware and provide better input quality than the Kinect can currently handle. The project seemed on track the last time we checked on it, but it lost momentum and came in at just $62,529; far below the $110,000 goal.
A lack of updates may have been the problem, as the projects creators added just two, and one of those is a sad farewell written when it became clear the project wouldn’t fund.

Guardian

If you want to know what not to do when creating a Kickstarter, check out Guardian. The idea is identical to Skydog, which is near its funding goal, but Guardian never broken $50,000. Why? The project’s duration was too long, the funding goal too high, and updates too infrequent. The project page went for a month and half – yep, a month and a half – without update after the final update on March 9th.
That’s not how you get people to fork over $350,000.

Picsu

Thunk. That’s the sound of Picsu making $1,577 over the course of a month. That’s, um, not a lot – and the project, which aimed to create a power supply for hobbyists that could be installed in a computer’s 5.25” bay, only wanted $5,200. Picsu’s failure to make its goal may have been due to the creator’s misunderstanding about what the target market wants. Several commenters on the project’s page pointed out features they’d like to see that weren’t included.

The Winners

Sorry, folks – no winners this time around, though Skydog is so close that it may be funded by the time you read this.