List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects

[DJohn]

The Aten Kickstarter was cancelled, but they're still going on Indiegogo: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/aten-the-world-s-only-interstellar-space-vehicle-technology--2#/.  This time they only want $10,000 (flexible funding, of course).  That money isn't for the space vehicle, but for astronaut training.

Top of the list of risks and challenges is "NASA approval to conduct test flights".  I think they've got a few other challenges to overcome first.

It's worth reading the campaign.  They're planning to build a warp drive.  "Warping or distorting space-time is achieved by accessing and amplifying gravity waves, thus using zero-point energy as its propulsion system."  But these aren't ordinary gravity waves.  They're using the other kind of gravity, "also known as the 'strong force' in mainstream physics."  You know, "the gravity holding the protons and electrons to the nucleus of an atom."  That gravity.

[McBryce]

Top of the list of risks and challenges is "NASA approval to conduct test flights".  I think they've got a few other challenges to overcome first.

I don't think you need NASA approval if your device doesn't leave the ground
Gravity Type B will probably look after that.

McBryce.

[janoc]

Wow, and they're going to do all that with $25K !! (not enough to pay a small team of engineers for 24 hours). They've really thought this one through.

McBryce.

Well, if you read the project in detail, towards the end it says that the money was to spent on speakers and renting space, not for actually producing anything. One can only guess why ...

[Cyberdragon]

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cable-plus-the-next-generation-hi-fi-audio-cable-laptop-tablet#/

EDIT: I'll keep throwing whatever I find into this post until someone else posts or it gets too long.
Another one of these...
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/megamini-by-hifiman-battery#/
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/carbon-emissions-reduction-technology#/

[nwvlab]

Another complete bullshit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/819767230/xpump-turn-any-sound-source-into-a-home-theater-ex/description

I'm not saying they won't manage to actually produce this "thing". I'm saying that they are selling shit as gold... What they promise is just bullshit.

[Cyberdragon]

Another complete bullshit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/819767230/xpump-turn-any-sound-source-into-a-home-theater-ex/description

I'm not saying they won't manage to actually produce this "thing". I'm saying that they are selling shit as gold... What they promise is just bullshit.

What they will produce is a small inline amplifier thing. Whether it will be at least decent or full of chinese horse shit scam electronics is unknown. But their claims are absolute

Spherical Sound Feild Expansion Technology -

Dynamic Equalizer - um, that graph is (frequency vs time? )

Real-Time Detail Boosting - It is possible to amplify only certain frequencies to enhance sound, whether this will actually lead to any improvement depends on the source.

Psychoacoustic Bass Enhancement - Um...What?

[matseng]

Psychoacoustic Bass Enhancement - Um...What?

Sounds like mumbo-jumbo crap but it seems to be a "real" thing... Lot's of hits at google https://www.google.com/search?q=Psychoacoustic+Bass+Enhancement even a bunch of stuff from IEEE and such places. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Psychoacoustic+Bass+Enhancement

[nwvlab]

Another complete bullshit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/819767230/xpump-turn-any-sound-source-into-a-home-theater-ex/description

I'm not saying they won't manage to actually produce this "thing". I'm saying that they are selling shit as gold... What they promise is just bullshit.

What they will produce is a small inline amplifier thing. Whether it will be at least decent or full of chinese horse shit scam electronics is unknown. But their claims are absolute

Spherical Sound Feild Expansion Technology -

Dynamic Equalizer - um, that graph is (frequency vs time? )

Real-Time Detail Boosting - It is possible to amplify only certain frequencies to enhance sound, whether this will actually lead to any improvement depends on the source.

Psychoacoustic Bass Enhancement - Um...What?

By the way, from the comments of the authors, it seems to me that they want to migrate the project to indiegogo (despite it has been successfully funded) !

[jonovid]

What they will produce is a small inline amplifier thing. Whether it will be at least decent or full of chinese horse shit scam electronics is unknown. But their claims are absolute

adding depth to an audio signal =delayed audio data , so thats a TPA5050 + a Compandor . but why try to add too today's audio? its has good dynamic range,  not like old analog tape systems.

[Cyberdragon]

What they will produce is a small inline amplifier thing. Whether it will be at least decent or full of chinese horse shit scam electronics is unknown. But their claims are absolute

adding depth to an audio signal =delayed audio data , so thats a TPA5050 + a Compandor . but why try to add too today's audio? its has good dynamic range,  not like old analog tape systems.

They want to try to "revitalize" their shitty low resolution 128kbps MP3 files they are playing through small computer speakers they bought at Walmart, or worse...cardboard speaker donuts.

[ez24]

 

[slicendice]

I see the XPUMP project as similar to what Bose does to improve listening experience (which is awesome by the way when using proper speakers). A lot of complicated pragmatic algorithms involved in such tech. Nothing new tech though...

What could make it interesting is the price tag for the commercialized product. But we have to wait and see if it's going to be cheap or overpriced like Bose stuff is. :-)

[kalleboo]

Another complete bullshit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/819767230/xpump-turn-any-sound-source-into-a-home-theater-ex/description

I'm not saying they won't manage to actually produce this "thing". I'm saying that they are selling shit as gold... What they promise is just bullshit.

Reminds me of the good old https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Retrieval_System

[mikeselectricstuff]

Home Cinema.
Battery powered.
WTF

[FrankBuss]

The demos sound good. Certainly it is possible to enhance audio in some ways. But difficult to judge, because they didn't use the same sequence, one time without and one time with the effect, but turned on the effect in the middle of the movie

[slicendice]

Home Cinema.
Battery powered.
WTF

LOL! They want you to use it with your mobile too. It can be charged and I think it can be used while charger attached ( I hope ;-) ). Audio processing at low power levels does not consume much power if implemented properly. If it was an amplifier then it would be a completely different story. I like the idea, but in my opinion, the device is still too bulky to be portable.

[madires]

I see the XPUMP project as similar to what Bose does to improve listening experience (which is awesome by the way when using proper speakers). A lot of complicated pragmatic algorithms involved in such tech. Nothing new tech though...

Exactly! My old DSP equipped Yamaha amp does that for about 25 years now.

[TechnicalBen]

Anyone has seen this one?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1556758830/aten-the-worlds-first-interstellar-space-vehicle/

There is even the obligatory reference of all nutjobs there - Nicola Tesla! He apparently invented antigravity too, who knew!

You do know these are all laundering schemes? They are looking to fund their dirty sock washing business... if you catch my drift.

Another complete bullshit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/819767230/xpump-turn-any-sound-source-into-a-home-theater-ex/description

I'm not saying they won't manage to actually produce this "thing". I'm saying that they are selling shit as gold... What they promise is just bullshit.

Reminds me of the good old https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Retrieval_System

Companies like Sonos are currently using speaker+mic systems to adjust audio dependent on the room etc. Though I doubt that is what the device on the kickstarter is doing, plus I doubt all systems have the fidelity/range for such adjustments or that any changes would be noticed with or without room echo, plus they are probably better by default from the factory.

[carloscuev]

raboo SMART Charger: Enjoy Risk Free Charging with raboo SC

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabootec/raboo-smart-mobile-charger/comments

So now your charger needs and app to do what your phone already does: stop charging when battery is full. Brilliant!

[boffin]

Got a new one...



Looks like another "lets beam power through the air"

[wire67]

It's very sad that I have to add this one in the thread, it looked very promising, they said there is no risk as it was supposed to be ready for development. Seekios is a true GPS tracker without monthly fee (but ads).
https://www.facebook.com/seekios/

It was supposed to be delivered in November 2016.
Now they say they did manufacture the 3500 gadgets but it didn't get the approval from "the laboratory", fault to "external contractors".
They have to "redesign the hardware" and "it's going to take months", at least that last sentence is true.
They want to communicate "weekly" after almost nothing since September, just 1 bad news each month, and now they still don't give an exact reason or details.

So my Question to avoid doing the same mistake, what approval could that be? FCC15b?

If I use an already FCC certified BLE module, is there anything more than FCC15b (unintentional radiation) to be checked in a laboratory? (Not just self claimed like CE marking)

Thx

[FrankBuss]

It was supposed to be delivered in November 2016.
Now they say they did manufacture the 3500 gadgets but it didn't get the approval from "the laboratory", fault to "external contractors".
They have to "redesign the hardware" and "it's going to take months", at least that last sentence is true.

Not a good idea to manufacture 3500 devices, and then do the certification tests.

If I use an already FCC certified BLE module, is there anything more than FCC15b (unintentional radiation) to be checked in a laboratory? (Not just self claimed like CE marking)

It depends on your customers. For consumer devices, there are also safety regulations, to make sure your device doesn't burn down a house because you forgot a fuse etc. And using FCC certified components is a good start, but you still have to certify your whole device. There are less hard rules, if you create a device intended for use in labs only (at least in Europe).

[f4eru]

A good one also :
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1280803647/muzo-your-personal-zone-creator-with-noise-blockin

[Marco]

The Vega+ seems to be crashing and burning.

Hearing rumours that David Levy made out like a bandit in salary, glad I'm not British so I can repeat them

[Kilrah]

It's very sad that I have to add this one in the thread, it looked very promising, they said there is no risk as it was supposed to be ready for development. Seekios is a true GPS tracker without monthly fee (but ads).
https://www.facebook.com/seekios/

It was supposed to be delivered in November 2016.
Now they say they did manufacture the 3500 gadgets but it didn't get the approval from "the laboratory", fault to "external contractors".
They have to "redesign the hardware" and "it's going to take months", at least that last sentence is true.

It's weird because some were sold here in Switzerland last December, and customers have received them (http://www.qoqa.ch/fr/offer/12623, in French). Our requirements are CE just the same as for Europe... 

Lots of complaints about major bugs and most people seem to have returned them.

Maybe they tried to get rid of their batch while not being ready at all for it...