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    10 Unlikely and Surprising Kickstarter Successes of 2012

    •January 3, 2013
    • <a target="_blank" href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Ai30i8TQVlZakKaRzSoluvcyfV5H;_ylu=X3oDMTFqaTNjbzlmBG1pdANBcnRpY2xlIEJvZHkEcG9zAzMEc2VjA01lZGlhQXJ0aWNsZUJvZHlBc3NlbWJseQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTNhcWhjYmpjBGludGwDY2EEbGFuZwNlbi1jYQRwc3RhaWQDMDcyMDg5NGItODA0YS0zMThjLTlhNTEtYWUwMjQxNjA2Mzc4BHBzdGNhdANob21lfG1hcnNjdXJpb3NpdHlyb3ZlcgRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=0/SIG=13s18ejda/EXP=1356470395/**http%3A//www.kickstarter.com/projects/1901380976/flipbookit-mechanical-flipbook-art-and-kit%3Fref=category">Flipbookits</a> are bringing old-fashioned art back to life. The Flipbookitis a rotating mechanical flip-book kit that can be loaded with either the provided ready-made animated art or custom-made art created by the owner. The Flipbookit holds 24 frames and can be used with black-and-white or color animation. With the help of more than 1,850 backers, the project raised $137,567 in just one month.
    • <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hickies/hickies-turn-your-kicks-into-slip-ons?ref=category">Hickies</a>
 replace traditional shoelaces with a system that lets users easily slip
 in and out of their shoes while keeping them snug and secure. It 
eliminates the worry or need to ever tie or untie shoes again by turning
 every shoe into a slip-on. They adjust to any size shoe and come in a 
wide variety of colors and styles. With the help of more than 3,300 
backers, Hickies raised nearly $160,000 in 45 days.
    • <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/limemouse/lifx-the-light-bulb-reinvented?ref=category">LIFX</a>
 is a Wi-Fi-enabled, multicolor, energy-efficient LED light bulb that 
can be controlled with most any smartphone. LIFX gives users 
unprecedented control of their lights, reduces energy costs and lasts up
 to 25 years. LIFX enables users to create colors to match any mood or 
décor and can be set to a security mode when no one is home. In less 
than two months, 9,236 backers helped LIFX raise more than $1.3 million.
    • Powerpot.
    • One of the most funded projects of the year, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android?ref=category">Pebble</a>
 is a customizable watch that lets users download new watch faces, use 
sports and fitness apps and get notifications from their smartphone. 
Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, 
alerting users with a silent vibration to incoming calls, emails and 
messages. If they choose, Pebble wearers can be alerted to a number of 
notifications, including Facebook messages, new tweets, weather updates 
and calendar alerts. The project raised more than $10 million from 
nearly 70,000 backers in less than six weeks.
    4 / 10

    10 Unlikely and Surprising Kickstarter Successes of 2012

    LIFX is a Wi-Fi-enabled, multicolor, energy-efficient LED light bulb that can be controlled with most any smartphone. LIFX gives users unprecedented control of their lights, reduces energy costs and lasts up to 25 years. LIFX enables users to create colors to match any mood or décor and can be set to a security mode when no one is home. In less than two months, 9,236 backers helped LIFX raise more than $1.3 million.

    If 2012 proved anything, it's that the country's entrepreneurial spirit

    is alive and well. No place can that spirit be better seen than on the

    online funding platform Kickstarter. The website has helped thousands of projects get off the ground.  Here are some of our favorites from the past year.


    This story originally appeared as a LiveScience article.


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