Tag: Crowdfunding

A Mobile Phone That You Can Build Yourself

We have all wished that we could build a phone ourselves. Well, the MakerPhone brings you a step closer to this dream. It is a fully functional mobile phone that you can build and code yourself. The kit contains parts and instructions to make the phone yourself. It is meant to be a fun learning experience for beginners who like to use tools and see how every technology functions. This is an interesting concept and the company is currently looking for support through a crowdfunding website.

What You Can Learn

You can learn what a resistor does and how it functions. Leaning about the basics of electronics is a great experience and can get you interested to make more things. You can learn how to solder which can be a great life lesson – something you can use for a lot of different purposes as well! It teaches how to code in Python and as well as the children’s coding application called Scratch. Arduino (which is based on C/C++) is also a part of the learning experience.

They previously have built another DIY gaming console called MAKERbuino and the company says that the DIY phone is different in more ways than one. The MAKERphone includes a color screen and a better micro-controller with their custom software. The phone also has Python programming language compatibility and Scratch programming language compatibility. Other significant changes are dedicated DAC and electronic volume controllers for sound regulation and mp3 playback , 8 individually programmable RGB LEDs and better PCB architecture for easier soldering. And it isn’t all just for show! It can now make calls, has a SIM card, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

One can also play games such as space invaders, pong, or snake on the phone once the assembly is complete. Apps such as a custom media player that only plays cat videos, programs in Arduino, lines of code in Python are some of it’s many attractions. According to the company, the DIY Kit is made for anyone above 11 years of age. The average build time is around 7 Hours.

What’s In The Kit

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S10 To Not Have The Iris Scanner

These are the items that the Kit will contain:

MAKERphone circuit board – the main board that connects all the components in a uniform device that can work as a mobile phone

MAKERphone casing – multiple sheets of acrylic cut with the power of lasers. They protect the innards and give MAKERphone this sleek look

128 x 160 full colour TFT LCD – for playing games, displaying phone numbers and everything in between

GSM module – a tiny module responsible for everything related to calling and texting other people

Main microcomputer module – a dual core processor with built-in Wi-Fi, BLE, and a charging circuit

Sound module – a board with a DAC (digital to analog converter) chip and a headphone jack for music playback (responsible for ringtones, alarms, game sound effects)

Amplifier module – makes loud buzzes, bleeps and bloops

Stick-on antenna – for superb phone signal (a.k.a. send text messages while in the bathroom)

A bag with other tiny electronic components such as pushbuttons and coloured button caps with a 128 MB SD card preloaded with games and apps included

November 5, 2018
Xiaomi Launches Kickstarter-Like Mi Crowdfunding In India

Xiaomi has launched a new service on it’s ongoing Mi Fan Festival 2018 called the Mi Crowdfunding. This is a similar platform to Kickstarter, where a set of users has to back a product. After reaching the required number (in this case 1000), the product will be shipped in the next 10 days.

These products are already available in China. For Xiaomi this could be a great platform to test the popularity of accessories, which will assist the company in actual launch of the product. So, some of these products might officially launch in India, after the funding period.

As of now, the company has announced two accessories. A Bluetooth receiver and a Tripod selfie Stick. These devices are available in 1000 numbers and one has to pay the amount upfront to back the product. The prices of these devices will be less than the usual price tag.

Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth Audio Receiver retails for Rs 999. It is based on Bluetooth 4.2 technology, which converts wired earphones and headphones into wireless headphones. Additionally, the device has a single button and just weights 10 grams. Xiaomi claims that it can play music up to 4-5 hours on a single charge and it can also convert your analogue Car music system into a wireless music system.

The Xiaomi Tripod Selfie retails at Rs 1,099. It is a nifty accessory for vloggers and selfie enthusiasts. The Tripod has a built-in Bluetooth support, which can control the camera of the connected smartphone. This supports a variety of Android and iOS devices. In fact, the accessory can fit in the Xiaomi Mi 5 or the bigger Xiaomi Mi MAX 2 without breaking a sweat.

Considering this as a new platform, we can expect to see more products in the future. However, the page isn’t clear about some of the facts like, what happens if a product doesn’t get funded 100% and the warranty claims.

April 5, 2018
Facebook To Start Their Own Crowdfunding Platform

Facebook is really trying to spread itself, in order to reach every corner of the Internet. It’s latest addition to the internet take-over is a new crowdfunding feature. The company released a new Fundraiser product that allows non-profit organizations to set up a campaign page to raise funds. They can share a video portraying their goals, they can collect the money and let people share News Feed posts with buttons so that their friends can contribute without clicking on a new page.

Facebook has been focused on non-profit organizations for some time now, starting with the introduction of their ‘Donate’ button in 2013 and then later on launched a ‘Buy’ button for shopping. However, Facebook could probably also use this same idea of catering to the non-profits and build on a profitable future. Crowdfunding does seem to be the new in-thing in the social media circle especially with Kickstarter and Indigogo rising. However, these companies rely mainly on the re-sharing statistics on sites like Facebook for their own social graphs.

Apart from the fact that they rely heavily on exterior websites for their popularity and reach, it is also a very time consuming process for the pledger to support or fund any particular project. One usually has to leave Facebook to visit the campaign’s page, maybe enter another exterior credit card and billing window, and then sharing the campaign back on Facebook. Therefore, Facebook is basically trying to save peoples’ time by creating their own crowdfunding platform.

The platform on Facebook will allow users to discover new projects, make payments all within the same platform. The Fundraiser feature also allows people who would like to show their support towards a project without having to make monetary payments via a “Join” button. This button will allow the supporter to receive updates about the project; they’ll also be able to post on the page and invite friends to join the campaign.

This project could also lure people into a more one-time set-up flow payment system and thereby attract more pledges. Apart from this advertisements for the website’s own pages could contribute to socializing and browsing within their own website, since these ads will only lead you to another page within the website.

Facebook seems to have really caught on to a major consumer attraction concept of how to save time. This new project does seem like it has a lot of potential and with Facebook’s already vast expanse, nothing seems impossible for the social networking website.

November 19, 2015