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I’ve been visiting Kickstarter for a couple of years now, and it’s always interesting to peruse the various projects.

Kickstarter is a website that helps people get funding for an idea, project or product.  Anyone can choose to donate to the project, and each project establishes funding levels that can offer rewards that are fulfilled if the project reaches its goal.  I’ve backed a few projects in the last year or so, from a unique soap design, to a large tablet stylus and even a video game.   The funding levels I chose were enough to get me the product, but not enough to break the bank.  In most cases, the goal of the project is to get enough funding to bring the product to retail, so backers are often given the chance to get the product at a reduced price along with other possible rewards.

The last and most recently-funded project I have backed was for the Pebble Smartwatch, a wrist watch that connects to your smart phone via Bluetooth.  The phone can display incoming call alerts, text messages and other notifications.   This kind of thing comes in handy when I don’t have my phone nearby, or I can see who’s calling or texting me without having to find my phone.  The watch can also control the phone’s music player.  The Pebble also has customizable watch faces (like the one below) which can be loaded onto the watch from the smartphone.

Since it’s a brand new product, the Pebble isn’t completely finished, software-wise.  Some of the promised features haven’t yet been reazlied, but that should change once the software development kit is released in the next month or so.   So far, I’m really enjoying the Pebble, and I’m looking forward to improvements.

While I’ve had good luck with backing Kickstarter projects, not all of them meet their goals, and of the ones that do, not all of them are successful.  Kickstarter is a bit of a gamble.  The actual Kickstarter website does not guarantee that your investment will result in a reward.   The only guarantee is that if a project does not meet its financial goal in the established time, your money is never taken.  So there are projects that have turned out to be scams, and projects that have become bogged down in unexpected delays and challenges.

But despite the risks, Kickstarter is a pretty cool way to be involved in the development of a new project and see how the process of bringing a new idea to market works.

When Apple first announced the iPad, my first reaction was one I know many people had: “It’s just a big iPod Touch!”.   From a technical standpoint, that description is accurate.   The larger size and screen and addition of the 3G antenna are about the only real differences between the iPad and Apple’s latest iPod.   But I dismissed the iPad without actually trying it out, and that was a mistake.   I have found that for me, the increase in size relates to an exponential increase in usefulness.

My first priority when owning a piece of technology is to protect it from damage. These things can be expensive, and I really want a device to last a long as possible.   I tend to be very protective of stuff I buy for the most part, and so I put cases on everything.  My phone has a case; my iPod has a case.   I really like finding cheap and effective ways of protecting stuff that don’t interfere with the aesthetics or usability.    The iPad has an ultra-slim, sleek profile that really doesn’t want to be covered up.  So my priority was finding a way to protect the device without sacrificing portability or function.

There are hundreds of iPad cases for sale right now.  Some are merely protective, while others attempt to improve the ease of use of the iPad.    After days of research, I finally settled on the Cyber Acoustics IC-1000BK Leather iPad case/cover.

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I first heard about Miracle Fruit a couple of years ago, but haven’t been able to find any here in the US until now.

Thinkgeek.com sells Miracle Fruit tablets, but they’re currently sold out. I managed to get my order while they were still in stock.

Miracle Fruit, is the name given to the fruit of a small West African plant called Synsepalum dulcificum. The fruit itself is red and about the size of a coffee bean. The fruit’s flesh contains an active glycoprotein called “miraculin” that bonds to the taste buds on your tongue and, through currently unknown means, causes bitter and sour foods to taste sweet. This effect has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

I received my Miracle Fruit Tablets yesterday, and after dinner, I popped a half-tablet into my mouth and let it dissolve.

The first thing I tried was pure lemon juice — I only drank a small amount, since lemon juice has a high acid content — and it was like drinking lemonade.

Next, I tried a piece of frozen broccoli (mostly thawed). It was like eating fresh garden peas right from the pod.

Mustard, sour cream, cream cheese and vinegar all tasted sweet to some degree.

I’m going to have to experiment more with this stuff. The affect only lasts for about 45 minute to an hour for a half-tablet, which is nice for experimentation purposes; Since the taste of some foods can be negatively altered (so I’ve heard), prolonged affects would be kind of annoying.

In reading articles online about miracle fruit “parties”, I’ve noted various accounts of how different foods’ flavors are changed. I’m skeptical about some claims, incuding how Guiness tastes like chocolate milk, or a hamburger tastes like a doughnut. But I’m willing to experiment — all in the name of science, of course.

It’s an interesting phenomenon, for sure. And if it can make broccoli taste better, I’m sold.