True to the essence of their business model and following past successes with open source crowdsourcing for advancing technology and design products, Facebook has publicly released a 360-dgree camera made from off-the-shelf hardware. At the moment the Surround360 is a camera for professionals and serious hobbyists, but because the device is open source Facebook hopes that camera makers will grab bits and pieces from the company’s design in an effort to improve and streamline design for broader use. Although similar to competitor 360-degree cameras already in market, Facebook designed the hardware and the software in the Surround360 as a single system that performs a single task. The user can treat the camera just like a standard camera today: plug it in, record, and enjoy seamless video without extensive post-production. Let the games begin.
To differentiate their offering from the plethora of free online review options, Angie’s List has released a new integrated campaign to humorously showcase that their service goes beyond the standard crowdsourced review site and provides everything a consumer seeking service providers and contractors would need. The company is also revising its membership model in favor of a tiered subscription plan to further address competition from rivals such as Amazon and Yelp. See how Angie’s List is communicating their added value.
The Opal Nugget Ice Maker machine had all the usual hallmarks of a crowdfunded hit. Engineers from FirstBuild, the project’s creator, posted videos of their design prototype, filmed inside a tool-strewn workshop, and talked openly about the remaining technical challenges before their machine would be ready for delivery in mid-2016. It looked like a typical invention dreamed up by a scrappy team seeking cash for manufacturing — except that FirstBuild is a subsidiary of General Electric. Crowdfunding and corporate giants
In an attempt to promote #mynutella, customers were given the ability to customize their very own Nutella jars online. What could go wrong? The idea was that customers could put their names on the jars, or something sweet like “Mom.” But the Internet is a terrible place, and when customers began adding labels like “diabetes” or “deez nuts,” Nutella took a stand and elected to not reward the Twitter troublemakers with a jar of hazelnut goodness. “Given the power to make their own content, people's minds will dive into the gutter.”
The transportation service has become a global brand, an economic force, and a cultural lightning rod. Its founder? Probably the latter. If you want to get your head around Uber’s wild growth, and its even wilder potential, you have to get to know its wildly ambitious, ever-restless CEO. A look at Travis Kalanick, Uber’s polarizing founder
Imagine a collaborative social network for doctors, who can help each other diagnose and treat patients worldwide. Well, that’s what Figure 1 was created to do. The app unites the collective intelligence of the medical community with photos and a collaborative environment. “Once you have the trust of doctors, you can do all sorts of things. Sharing images is just the start.”
ICYMI, two guys set the Internet on fire when they decided to revive and sell NASA’s long-lost Graphics Standards Manual for $79 a piece on Kickstarter. Now, NASA has just released a PDF of the document for free. While the Kickstarter reproduction will undoubtedly be of higher quality, NASA’s rerelease will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand the signature elements that unify NASA’s visual brand. Click for a free link to the design manual
In preparation for the release of the latest installment in the Star Wars series, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" on December 18th and the upcoming retail event, Force Friday on September 4th, Target has partnered with Lucasfilm to create the Share the Force website. Share the Force is a user generated content galaxy that encourages Star Wars fans of all ages to share their favorite memories and explore nostalgic memories that others have uploaded to each key character’s galaxy. The website is just one part of a marketing plan that goes back to conversations from before the film’s announcement in 2012. May the force be with you
With more than 5 million hours of news video watched on YouTube every day, eyewitness accounts have never been more vital to the newsgathering process. Yesterday, YouTube announced three new major initiatives to boost the discovery and verification of eyewitness news video on YouTube. The YouTube Newswire will provide a curated feed of news and eyewitness video around major events. The First Draft Coalition will create resources to help verify eyewitness accounts before incorporating them into news reporting, creating case studies and ethics training around the biggest news stories of the moment. Finally, the WITNESS Media Lab will produce projects that focus on human rights struggles, as seen from the perspective of those who experience them. YouTube is about a lot more than cat videos these days
Starting today, Etsy sellers will have a new way to raise money without leaving the site. It's called Fund For Etsy, a pilot crowdfunding platform that will let Etsy sellers raise money through Kickstarter-style preorders. The fund will help sellers grow businesses faster within the site while helping buyers and sellers connect more meaningfully. How crowdfunding can help the Etsy community
