A bottle top that promises to make the beginning of your night even more refreshing, more unexpected and more exciting. Scroll down to see how it came to be.Tumblr (3.0; @startcapuk)http://www.start-cap.com/<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2mr_WfVYLZo?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>We took the prototype to Budapest recently and rigged a whole bar with RFID sensors that would activate various surprises to get the night off to an unexpected start. Now we’re ready put the tech in your hands. What would you do with the StartCap? Tell us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/StrongbowGold/app_411066315613679">Facebook</a>. You never know, it could be the start of something…</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/35643603522http://www.start-cap.com/post/35643603522Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:55:31 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdfto20Zmw1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.start-cap.com/post/35643484290http://www.start-cap.com/post/35643484290Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:52:50 -0500<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Kp6JJKbOSeY?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>More films from the StartCap’s first live appearance at bars in Budapest and Rome to follow very soon…</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/32452255452http://www.start-cap.com/post/32452255452Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:27:00 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb22b5YaEx1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>ACTIVATING SURPRISES</p> <p>Here’s a look at one of the specially built rigs that power on the various surprises around the bar in Budapest. Each rig contains 6 network power boxes, each with 4 standard electric switches. When a bottle is opened, the nearest RFID reader recognises the bottle’s chip and triggers the central computer to activate the appropriate power switch.</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/32450974037http://www.start-cap.com/post/32450974037Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:25:00 -0400budapesttest<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mataz9l8mV1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.start-cap.com/post/32131675001http://www.start-cap.com/post/32131675001Sun, 23 Sep 2012 12:54:00 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maauxcqoss1reboxeo1_r1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><span></span><strong><span>A FRESHER START FOR BUDAPEST</span></strong><span></span></p> <p><span>After months of endless prototyping, testing, plotting and scheming, we managed to pull off our most ambitious implementation of StartCap to date.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>Last night we took over a crowded bar in Budapest and triggered a series of increasingly epic surprise events with StartCap enabled bottles of Strongbow Gold.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>Judging from the crowd’s reaction it was a big success.</span></p> <p><span>Many thanks to everyone in the crew who made the magic happen. </span><br/><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.17280450672842562"><span></span><br/><br/></strong></p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/31469148632http://www.start-cap.com/post/31469148632Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:51:00 -0400budapest<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maaunw3ifn1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><div class="post_content clearfix" id="post_content_31468520496"> <div class="caption"> <p>A FRESHER START FOR BUDAPEST <span></span></p> <p><span>StartCap kicked things off in spectacular fashion last night. Its first public appearance was a great success.</span></p> <p><span>A crew spent the day rigging the entire space of a bar in central Budapest with RFID readers, antennas and wires ready and waiting to trigger some fantastic surprises whenever a bottle of Strongbow Gold was opened. </span></p> <p><span>Technically, everything worked brilliantly although the sheer number of RFID tags around (particularly the one misplaced in a crew member’s pocket) meant a couple of activations were triggered accidentally. </span></p> <p><span>Lesson learned. </span></p> <p><span>Going forward each tag will have its own unique ID that can be discarded by the computer immediately once it’s been read.</span></p> <p><span>We’re currently editing the footage from the event and hope to share a film of the night with you on here and our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/StrongbowGold">Facebook page</a> very soon. </span></p> <div></div> </div> </div>http://www.start-cap.com/post/31468918443http://www.start-cap.com/post/31468918443Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:45:00 -0400budapest<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma83r3BYoi1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Preparation for this evening. </p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/31388041936http://www.start-cap.com/post/31388041936Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:09:02 -0400progressbudapest<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4FTXY0tIrD4?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>Tomorrow the StartCap makes its first public appearance. Be prepared Budapest.</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/31341494888http://www.start-cap.com/post/31341494888Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:06:00 -0400<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mqd643x_FvQ?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>Using StartCap & a glitter cannon, we create a bar celebration that’s 100% cleaner than popping champagne.</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/31268606194http://www.start-cap.com/post/31268606194Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:16:34 -0400test<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma4xgk5lWq1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><strong>Top secret plans to launch StartCap in Budapest this weekend…</strong></p> <p>This is all we can show you of our plans to transform a bar later this week. </p> <p>We’d tell you more, but that would completely undermine the epic surprise that’s taken months of our lives to orchestrate. And no one would want that, now would they?</p> <p>Don’t worry, we’ll post a video of the launch event within the next couple weeks so watch this space.</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/31268160141http://www.start-cap.com/post/31268160141Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:00:00 -0400progress<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XKaTUiOlUPM?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><strong>StartCap_TEST02.8 - [SPOTLIGHT]</strong></p> <p>In this experiment we use StartCap to activate a spotlight.</p> <p>We imagine this is how Commissioner Gordon tells Batman to meet him at the bar.</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/31060086998http://www.start-cap.com/post/31060086998Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:45:00 -0400test<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9Sb1bZBgAEE?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><div><strong><em><span id="internal-source-marker_0.32060273992829025"><span>TEST01.8 - [RECORD PLAYER]</span></span></em></strong></div> <div><span><span><br/></span></span></div> <div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.32060273992829025"><span>What if your soundtrack to the night started the instant you opened your first bottle of Strongbow Gold? </span><br/><span></span><br/><span>In this early experiment we tested StartCap’s RFID efficiency to remotely trigger a primitive analogue music device known as a ‘record player’. </span><span><br/></span></span></div></p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30804557509http://www.start-cap.com/post/30804557509Mon, 03 Sep 2012 12:28:46 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9q48vAtgi1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30722151313http://www.start-cap.com/post/30722151313Sun, 02 Sep 2012 09:02:54 -0400progress<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9q45aJ5Y81reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><em><strong>THE BACKEND</strong></em></p> <p>Antenna > Reader > Network box > Computer software > Network box > Power switch box > Activation (powering on a surprise - e.g Music, Lights, Fireworks etc etc)</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30722080491http://www.start-cap.com/post/30722080491Sun, 02 Sep 2012 09:00:00 -0400progress<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9q3yhSZmh1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Of course, the StartCap design itself means nothing without a good RFID reader to identify the moment a bottle is opened. We’ve upgraded the backend kit with a MetraTec UHF reader that can be fitted to a number of external antennas. </p> <p>A temperamental piece of kit but it does allow for customisation in any programming language. </p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30721942491http://www.start-cap.com/post/30721942491Sun, 02 Sep 2012 08:56:00 -0400progress<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9q09tom8v1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>StartCap logo</p>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30719680059http://www.start-cap.com/post/30719680059Sun, 02 Sep 2012 07:37:00 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9q7i1tsaF1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30724763096http://www.start-cap.com/post/30724763096Sun, 02 Sep 2012 07:36:00 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9n3ktgoQe1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30609405861http://www.start-cap.com/post/30609405861Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:55:41 -0400progress<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9mcljK0eL1reboxeo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><em><strong>PROTOTYPE_30.4</strong></em></p> <p><em>CONSTRUCTING STARTCAP1.0</em></p> <p>The key design elements in our most successful prototype:</p> <ul><li>Transparent paper covering the first RFID tag to avoid the loose tag catching on sticky foil.</li> </ul><ul><li>Perforation on one side of the foil to create a weak side on the StartCap. This weak side easily breaks when opened propelling the loose tag away.</li> </ul>http://www.start-cap.com/post/30582273797http://www.start-cap.com/post/30582273797Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:12:00 -0400progress