Axio returns as Melon, an EEG headband that'll help you learn to focus

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Insert Coin meet Melon, a headband that'll help you learn to focus" data-src-height="347" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/melon.png" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The quantified self movement's gaining steam, with companies creating all sorts of gadgets to track our activity levels, sleeping habits and even what's going on inside our heads. Melon's an EEG headband that taps into your brain's inner workings to show you how well you maintain mental focus. We actually saw Melon's prototype predecessor last year when it was called Axio, and while this new band packs largely the same components, the design's been refined to a much thinner profile. As before, its got a trio of electrodes for sensing brainwaves, a NeuroSky chip for filtering out extraneous electrical noise and Bluetooth 4.0 for offloading data wirelessly. It sends data to iPhones (Android's in development) running the Melon app, which translates that info into a focus graph -- generally speaking, the higher the neural activity in your pre-frontal cortex, the higher your level of focus. Users then input contextual data tags like time of day, type of activity and the surrounding environmental conditions to allow them to track variables that may affect their focus. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> In addition to helping users learn what affects their focus levels, the app also provides tips for improving focus and a game to help you increase your mental powers. The game is simple: you start with a plain image of a piece of paper, and as you focus on that image, it folds itself into an origami shape. While the official app is all the Melon software currently available, the company has plans to launch a free SDK to allow devs to build their own apps for the platform. Additionally, the goal is to have Melon be compatible with other biometric platforms like Nike+ and Fitbit. For now, the app is iOS only, but an Android version is scheduled to launch in a couple months.</div></div>

Axio returns as Melon, an EEG headband that'll help you learn to focus

The quantified self movement's gaining steam, with companies creating all sorts of gadgets to track our activity levels, sleeping habit...

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Insert Coin: Dash charts your car data live, with gauges and a dashcam

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <em>In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please<span> </span>send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.</em></div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Insert Coin Drive with Dash charts car data live, with gauges and dashcams video" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/insert-coin-drive-with-dash-2.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> We've seen a few stabs at smartphone-enhanced car diagnostics as of late, but many good solutions like Automatic Link and Delphi's Vehicle Diagnostics are primarily useful after you've parked. The upcoming Dash OBD-II adapter is certainly up to that side of the job, telling a Bluetooth-connected iOS device (and eventually, Android) about your car's problems and estimating fuel costs based on the gas tank's levels. Where it stands out is its usefulness while on the road: the custom app offers custom live gauges, including a Green-Meter for ideal fuel economy that you won't usually find in a real instrument cluster. There's even a dashcam mode that overlays travel details on captured video, whether it's to support insurance claims or just to immortalize a drive through the back country.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> If the Dash approach sounds intriguing, you'll be glad to hear that the contribution tiers are simple. Drivers who want their own Dash can pledge $69 if they live in the US, or $20 more if they're in Canada; adding another $51 to either pledge bundles a second model for two-car households. Both the mobile app and a web-based logging service will be free. Those who donate should get their units in October if Dash makes its $750,000 goal, although eager adopters willing to spend $150 on a beta tester's tier should get a not-quite-finished example in July. Hit the source link if you'd like your car's data to be more of a constant companion.</div></div>

Insert Coin: Dash charts your car data live, with gauges and a dashcam

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a ...

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Insert Coin: MiiPC promises a kid-safe Android PC that allows surfing, gaming for $99 (video)

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i>In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.</i></div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Insert Coin MiiPC promises a parentmonitored PC that lets your kids surf for $100" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/miipc-3-25-13-01.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">If there's one thing that smartphones have taught us, it's that small devices can surf the internet and play games just fine, thank you. With that philosophy in mind, the brains behind eMachines have launched the $99 MiiPC on Kickstarter with the goal of giving kids their own mini PC to surf the web, play games or videos, and, yes, do homework. To keep costs down, the tiny device is packing Android 4.2, a Marvell 1.2GHZ dual core CPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB upgradeable storage, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, ethernet and 1080p HDMI output to a monitor or TV. The backers say it's "designed for large screen connectivity and optimized to provide a true keyboard and mouse experience" so that each family member can run Android apps from their own accounts. For worried parents, the device brings an interesting twist: there's also a mobile iOS or Android companion app to monitor your offspring in real-time from any locale. That'll let you steer them away from verboten websites and stave off dreaded internet addiction, according to the outfit -- bearing in mind, of course, that kids can be pretty clever. The campaign's just kicked off, and MiiPC's seeking $50,000 with a $99 pledge ($89 for the first 200 backers) netting you your own device -- <i>sans</i> keyboard, mouse and screen, of course. Check the video or PR after the break for more.</div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RrIT4EWTXrA?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

Insert Coin: MiiPC promises a kid-safe Android PC that allows surfing, gaming for $99 (video)

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a p...

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Insert Coin: New Challengers winner Ziphius backstage at Expand

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Insert Coin: New Challengers winner Ziphius backstage at Expand (video)" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/ziphius-1363569186.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Now that our Insert Coin: New Challengers contestants had duked it out and the judges have made their decision, we have a winner: Ziphius. Not only did the bot win $20,000 thanks to deliberation by our judges, but it came home with our $5,000 reader's choice prize too. Victorious and $25,000 richer, the brains behind the aquatic drone joined us backstage to chat about their project. For the full interview, check out our video after the break.</div></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="349" id="viddler-5c97c942" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="//www.viddler.com/embed/5c97c942/?f=1&offset=0&autoplay=0&secret=68906798&disablebranding=0&view_secret=68906798" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="545"></iframe></div>

Insert Coin: New Challengers winner Ziphius backstage at Expand

  Now that our Insert Coin: New Challengers contestants had duked it out and the judges have made their decision, we have a winner: Ziphius....

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Distro Issue 82: A closer look at the inaugural Insert Coin: New Challengers competition

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Distro Issue 82 A closer look at the finalists for Engadget's inaugural Insert Coin competition" data-src-height="436" data-src-width="448" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/031513announce.png" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">This weekend at Expand in San Francisco, a handful of emerging startups will compete for $25,000 and the proper Engadget review treatment. In the latest installment of our e-publication, we have a peek at the finalists of the first-ever Insert Coin: New Challengers crowdfunded battle royal. In addition to those gadget hopefuls, we but both the TiVo Mini and HTC One through their respective paces while we relive the week that was SXSW Interactive in a collection of snapshots. All of the usual features and columns are here as well, filled to the brim with goodness that awaits via your favorite weekly download link.</div></div>

Distro Issue 82: A closer look at the inaugural Insert Coin: New Challengers competition

  This weekend at Expand in San Francisco, a handful of emerging startups will compete for $25,000 and the proper Engadget review treatmen...

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Insert Coin semifinalist: Observos serves up the internet of places

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><hr dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" /><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Insert Coin semifinalist Observos serves up the internet of places" data-src-height="372" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/02/2-20-2013observos.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Internet of things? That's so 2012. 2013? Well maybe, just maybe, it'll be all about the internet of places. Hexagonal Research founders Loren Lang and Ronald Bynoe are betting that the next big thing will be environmentally aware computers. The pair have created Observos which combines an ATMEL microcontroller (with integrated wireless) with a host of on-board sensors. What began as a prototype built around a tower of Arduino shields is now a small first-run integrated board with spots for connecting XBee radio cards and a small LCD display. Right now the focus is on humidity, temperature and barometric pressure, though other environmental variables would be relatively trivial to tack on. While the Observos board is isn't quite ready for prime time, its already getting some serious field testing in a plant nursery and a potential partnership with the IEEE Humanitarian Technology Challenge could find the boards placed in health clinics in the Amazon. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">In addition to the small display, the board can be programmed to send text message or email alerts, and in the future could tie into venting or heating systems for completely automated control. There's even a rudimentary web interface for monitoring the various data coming in from the sensors.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i>Check out the full list of Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists here -- and don't forget to pick a winner!</i></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oKMY3jG1JBI?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

Insert Coin semifinalist: Observos serves up the internet of places

Internet of things? That's so 2012. 2013? Well maybe, just maybe, it'll be all about the internet of places. Hexagonal Research fo...

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Insert Coin: HeatMeter wants to save your money and the planet (video)

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/02/heatmeter.jpg" width="640" /> </div><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"></div>Back in 2011, MIT discovered that the Fisker Karma's batteries only lost 10 percent of their battery life after 1,500 charges. Admittedly, the study didn't examine the EV's reliability, nor its tendency to spontaneously combust, but the MIT researchers did learn plenty about energy conservation in the process. Fast-forward to now, and YShape, a start-up spun off from that original research, is taking to Kickstarter to fund HeatMeter, a sensor that's designed to measure the efficiency of fuel-based boilers.<br />While electricity usage meters are ten-a-penny, it isn't so easy to find equivalents for gas, propane or oil-powered units. By measuring the vibrations in its casing, HeatMeter can tell you exactly how much energy has been used. Combine that data with your home size and average bill cost, and it'll work out what you're spending and how to use less. YShape, led by Radu Gogoana, needs $60,000 for the initial production run -- and will offer you a discounted unit if you kick in $129 -- or lifetime upgrades and support if you make it $149. Not convinced? Head on past the break for the video pitch.<br /><center> </center><b>Previous Project Update: </b>Securifi's Almond+ Touchscreen WiFi router smashed its original $250,000 target, and is now well beyond the $500,000 mark. With 18 days left to go, maybe this is another project destined to join the Million-dollar Kickstarter club.</div></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/474874800/heatmeter-stay-informed-save-energy/widget/video.html" width="480"> </iframe></div>

Insert Coin: HeatMeter wants to save your money and the planet (video)

  Back in 2011, MIT discovered that the Fisker Karma's batteries only lost 10 percent of their battery life after 1,500 charges. Admit...

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Insert Coin: Epiphany One Puck uses heat transfer to charge your phone

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><i>In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. </i></div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DNP Insert Coin Epiphany One Puck charges your phone using heat transfer" data-src-height="450" data-src-width="595" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/02/52bc8442a0c2ee76ac3bcbb157332573large-1360181681.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">It's the modern bar-goers worst nightmare. No, it's not that the pub is out of your favorite ale, nor is it that you're 0-for-6 with lame pickup lines. You've been texting, tweeting and checking in all night, and you're paying for it with that red sliver in the corner of the screen. So what do you do? Give up your primo spot at the bar and find an outlet somewhere in the corner? Not a chance -- it's time to pull out your coaster-sized Epiphany One Puck, set a cold brew upon it, and connect your phone for some juice. Who knows, the Puck might also help you break the ice.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The idea to use heat disparities for power is over two centuries old, and we've seen larger concepts make use of thermo-electrics. The One Puck brings mobility into play, providing up to one amp of current to any device that charges through a USB cable, including Android devices and iPhones. Just place a hot object (a mug of cocoa) on the red side or a cold object (iced coffee) on the blue, then plug in your phone.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The team at Epiphany Labs has loftier goals than simply charging cell phones, but all good ideas have to begin somewhere. The first prototype is ready and Epiphany is looking to Kickstarter to bring the project to fruition. An early pledge of $99 includes a One Puck expected to retail for $150, while a pledge of $135 adds some custom engraving, just in case you want to count out the possibility of a resale before you even take delivery. You can head past the break to watch the prototype in action, and check out the source link to peruse the project's funding page.</div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h_XzSnqo4Ps?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

Insert Coin: Epiphany One Puck uses heat transfer to charge your phone

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a p...

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Insert Coin: DeltaMaker fuses razzle-dazzle with 3D-printing

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.</i></div><div class="image-container" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Insert Coin DeltaMaker 3D printer " data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/deltamaker-3d-printer-ic-1-28-13-01.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Why should a 3D printer look like a microwave oven?" That's the question being posed by the DeltaMaker Kickstarter project team, which thinks it can put some showbiz into 3D printing using a so-called delta robot platform. That type of design uses three parallel arms to control the print head, enabling a device that's not only "fun to watch," according to the group, but that can also quickly print high resolution objects with a large 9-inch by 11-inch build envelope. The open-cage printer will work using "fused filament fabrication" with 1.75mm filament, and will also feature 100 micron layer resolution (0.1 millimeter), rigid aluminum construction, an open-source software tool chain and optional heated build platform. The company sees it putting on a 3D printing show in "living rooms, waiting rooms, and classrooms," with a current Kickstarter price between $1,400 and $1,600, depending on how soon you pony up. After five days, the project is nearly halfway to its $107k goal, with backers having already snapped up early deals as cheap as $500. Check the video after the break to see how it works, or hit the source to pledge.</div><div style="text-align: left;">[Thanks, Jake]</div></div>

Insert Coin: DeltaMaker fuses razzle-dazzle with 3D-printing

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a p...

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