Search
  • Videos
  • Windows 10
  • 5G
  • Best VPNs
  • Cloud
  • Security
  • AI
  • more
    • TR Premium
    • Working from Home
    • Innovation
    • Best Web Hosting
    • ZDNet Recommends
    • Tonya Hall Show
    • Executive Guides
    • ZDNet Academy
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
  • Newsletters
  • All Writers
    • Preferences
    • Community
    • Newsletters
    • Log Out
  • Menu
    • Videos
    • Windows 10
    • 5G
    • Best VPNs
    • Cloud
    • Security
    • AI
    • TR Premium
    • Working from Home
    • Innovation
    • Best Web Hosting
    • ZDNet Recommends
    • Tonya Hall Show
    • Executive Guides
    • ZDNet Academy
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
      • Preferences
      • Community
      • Newsletters
      • Log Out
  • us
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • India
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    • ZDNet around the globe:
    • ZDNet France
    • ZDNet Germany
    • ZDNet Korea
    • ZDNet Japan

Crowdfunding projects that left backers jilted at the altar

8 of 9 NEXT PREV
  • SuperScreen

    SuperScreen

    The idea behind SuperScreen was to create a tablet-sized device that could act as a surrogate for your smartphone. The advantage to this approach versus simply purchasing a tablet was easier access to the apps, data, and connectivity already on your smartphone. The device was to be compatible with both Android and iOS but the company finally gave up in October 2018 after launching the project a year and a half earlier.

    Also: Gallery: Top 10 detachable tablets

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • Agent smartwatch

    Agent smartwatch

    Following the meteoric ascent of the Pebble watch on Kickstarter, the Agent smartwatch was a collaboration between Secret Labs, a company with electronics expertise, and a fashion brand called the House of Horology that had a boutique in New York's SoHo district. The watch leveraged Microsoft .Net development technologies and was early to have such tech as wireless charging. After raising a million dollars and protracted delays that devolved into finger pointing between the partners, the effort dissolved

    Also: Moto's G7 Plus, Play, Power debut

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • Keyboard Mod for Moto Z

    Keyboard Mod for Moto Z

    The Keyboard Mod was designed to enable the Moto Z to have access to a full set of thumb-friendly physical keys. It would have allowed use of the phone in a traditional side-slider configuration on the go or in a sort of mini-laptop angle. Alas, despite being one of the successfully funded mods in a contest that Lenovo ran with Indiegogo, the physics proved too daunting and the creator cancelled the product, giving backers the option of a refund or first dibs on its new project FxTec 1, a side-sliding keyboard-equipped smartphone built from scratch.

    Also: Coolest keyboards to give or receive

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • mPrinter

    mPrinter

    Essentially a connected thermal printer, the mPrinter would allow the printing of quick bits of info. Think shopping or to-do lists or perhaps the most impersonal love notes ever. The project creator kept up the effort for nearly three years after the 2012 launch, leaving many of the 708 backers who paid up to $125 for one in the lurch.

    Also: DIY-IT Project: 3D printing discovery series 

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • Nextpaper e-ink tablet

    Nextpaper e-ink tablet

    With recently crowdfunded products like MobiScribe and NotEReader joining products such as the reMarkable tablet and Sony Digital Paper, more companies have been trying their hand at e-writers. But before them, Australian collective Companion Ink promised to deliver the Android-based nextPaper. The so-called offspring of an iPad and paper would never  come to be. While nextPaper raised only one percent of its campaign goal, it was a flexible funding campaign, which means the creator was still obligated to fulfill rewards. But no updates have surfaced from down under and, while the company's website remains, its support forums are unavailable.

    Also: 9 devices with e-ink displays

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • Titan Note

    Titan Note

    Imagine ia conference table for which the centerpiece is a small cylinder that records everything being said and transcribes it in real time. Now keep imagining it because the Titan Note is not to be. Accused of being a scam by those questioning the limits of multio-party speech, the device hopped across a few different crowdfunding networks before disappearing.

    Also: Alas, poor Lotus/IBM Notes, we knew ye well

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • Phree

    Phree

    Phree is a pen-like input device that uses no ink and can write on any surface, enabling you to scribble out notes just about anywhere and have the input show up in an app, a capability that attracted over $1 million on Kickstarter. The company, which is now out of funds, promises to continue on to manufacturing or offer refunds once it can secure funding. It last updated backers just this month.

    Also: Samsung S Pen reflections: A differentiator 

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • PUP Scan

    PUP Scan

    Nowadays, we all have pretty capable document scanners in our pockets but the makers of PUP Scan saw an opportunity to optimize scanning on the go using laser guidance, automating cloud saving, and enhancing results. Unfortunately, the company couldn't raise funds to produce the backer rewards and shut down after trying to build a business selling to professionals in order to raise investor confidence.

    Also: How to scan and fax from your iPhone 

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

  • Neptune Suite

    Neptune Suite

    One of the most audacious projects ever put forth for the future of computing, the Neptune Suite began with the Hub, an Android-based smart cuff that included the brains of the family of devices. Using a 60GHz wireless standard that has evolved into 802.11ay, apps and data on the phone could be accessed via a battery-touchscreen combo that acted as a smartphone or a larger such device that acted as a tablet. The tablet, of course, would also dock into a keyboard to approximate a laptop, which, again, all used the processing on the watch. Even the earbuds were placed into service as a charging cable that could be used to power one device from another. The suite raised over $1 million in 2015 when it promised to run on the now archaic Android Lollipop, but has still not shipped. Neptune says it is still committed to it seeing the light of day.

    Also: LG shows off 77-inch transparent flexible display

    Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

    Caption by: Ross Rubin

8 of 9 NEXT PREV
Ross Rubin

By Ross Rubin | February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST) | Topic: Hardware

  • SuperScreen
  • Agent smartwatch
  • Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
  • mPrinter
  • Nextpaper e-ink tablet
  • Titan Note
  • Phree
  • PUP Scan
  • Neptune Suite

Crowdfunding offers products such as smartwatches, smartphone accessories, and smart printers. Backing them, however, may not always be a smart move. Whether it be to malice, or incompetence on the part of creators, gadget lust is simply sometimes unrequited.

Read More Read Less

PUP Scan

Nowadays, we all have pretty capable document scanners in our pockets but the makers of PUP Scan saw an opportunity to optimize scanning on the go using laser guidance, automating cloud saving, and enhancing results. Unfortunately, the company couldn't raise funds to produce the backer rewards and shut down after trying to build a business selling to professionals in order to raise investor confidence.

Also: How to scan and fax from your iPhone 

Published: February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST)

Caption by: Ross Rubin

8 of 9 NEXT PREV

Related Topics:

PCs Servers Storage Networking Data Centers
Ross Rubin

By Ross Rubin | February 7, 2019 -- 13:00 GMT (05:00 PST) | Topic: Hardware

Show Comments
LOG IN TO COMMENT
  • My Profile
  • Log Out
| Community Guidelines

Join Discussion

Add Your Comment
Add Your Comment

Related Galleries

  • 1 of 3
  • First look: Apple's 'Spring Loaded' event [pictures]

    Here's a peek at the products making an appearance at Apple's first big launch event of 2021.

  • Jelly crimps

    They're dead easy to use. You cut the cable, poke the ends in all the way (no need to strip the insulation), and squeeze the button to snap them down and bite through the cable. ...

  • LinkOn 112W high-power USB-C car charger

    In total, this car charger -- which fits easily into the palm of your hand -- can output a total of 112.5W.

  • Tex Energy Infinite Air portable wind turbine

    This tiny package can output that at 5V at 1.5-2 amps, which is enough to charge things lime smartphones, action cameras, and even drone batteries.

  • OnePlus 9 Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro, HP ZBook Create G7, and more: ZDNet's reviews roundup

    From the latest OnePlus phones to a slew of laptops and a neat portable speaker, here's the hardware our reviewers tested during March.

  • Dangerous extension cords

    Extension cords seem like a safe place to save a few dollars by buying something cheaper. Don't!

  • When phone brands meet photo brands

    The combinations of companies known for imaging excellence and those known for covering every base in a smartphone can be a picture perfect match or ruined exposure. ...

ZDNet
Connect with us

© 2021 ZDNET, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Privacy Policy | Cookie Settings | Advertise | Terms of Use

  • Topics
  • Galleries
  • Videos
  • Sponsored Narratives
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About ZDNet
  • Meet The Team
  • All Authors
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Reprint Policy
  • Manage | Log Out
  • Join | Log In
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Site Assistance
  • ZDNet Academy
  • TechRepublic Forums