Tellspec

[CanadianAvenger]

Here's another one for the questionable category.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tellspec-what-s-in-your-food/x/1766499

Claims to be able to tell you what's in your food with a portable hand held spectrometer that uses reflected laser light data. [there are so many things wrong with this I don't even know where to start] While the creators appear to have legitimate credentials, the avenue, and technology seem suspicious. [Given one of the creators history in creating successful companies, she would have had ZERO problem in getting a surplus of funding from private investors]

Oh, did I mention it's flexible funding?

[Stonent]

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tellspec-what-s-in-your-food?c=pledges

Ethan Phillips
4 minutes ago

 $150  – EARLY BIRD SPECIAL

I guess it can help him find more sources of Leola Root?

[Tost]

What kind of sensor is commonly used for Raman-Spectroscopy? Some kind of diffraction grating with a linear thermopile array?
I assume they will have the need for an MIR-transparent lens. Are they available for cheap?

[andtfoot]

So you don't see the business end in any photos, and you don't actually see the "app" update the screen as a 'scan' happens... errrrrrrrrrr yup. Riiiiight.

I'm always amazed how much money these things generate; I can see why it would be tempting to pull one of these scams off.

Edit: I was curious and browsed back to the main IGG page. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of dodgy projects...
Like this; $230,000 and nothing to show that I can see except some 3D renders and a 3D printed plastic blob. Wow.

[Tost]

Well that product sounds some kind of futuristic, but it may work anyway. You can already buy such devices [1].

But it’s not a selective analytic instrument as it may seem. It’s more comparing and classification. The Raman spectrum is some kind of complex to interpret. But if the database contains the product, e.g. chocolate there is a chance to guess for example the sugar/fat ratio hence the specific calorific value.

[1] http://www.ahurascientific.com/material-verification/products/truscan/index.php

[CanadianAvenger]

Note that the Raman scanner you found works only with [homogeneous] raw materials, and ultimately would only be able to tell you the composition at the very surface of the material, at the point scanned.

Going back to the video for the Tellspec, they scan a chocolate truffle, and post it's composition.... how could the scanner possibly know the composition of the filling?

I believe these people have an idea, but I think they have failed to see the shortcomings of the technology, and will ultimately fail to deliver [or under-deliver] on the promises they are making. If they do indeed make a Raman scanner, at that price, it certainly is an interesting device, that may find other applications, just not the one they are marketing with.

[Stonent]

I want a job being a contract indiegogo mockup maker.  I could just make technical looking stuff to be used in indegogo videos.

Or just make a bunch of screen shots in a gallery where they show you a "program" then turn the phone away to "press a button" when they really just slide to the next photo.

[MrProsser]

My gf just showed me this and I am disappointed I am so late to the game. I am amazed that anyone can take this seriously, but after reading their website I am pretty shocked by how little effort was put into that. The quote they selected as testimonials are incredibly weak, many are something like "If this actually worked, I would want it" rather than anything actually talking about what it did. Also, the quotes are not really from scientists, some are doctors, but doctors are not scientists and I imagine few have any real knowledge of Raman spectroscopy. Anyway, it is just sad.

[CanadianAvenger]

And the shoe drops

http://pando.com/2014/07/08/tellspec-admits-it-cant-make-device-in-its-400k-indiegogo-project-months-after-denying-our-report/

[MacAttak]

They are doing it wrong. They need to go find and speak with Jim McGrath over at Mu to learn how to properly wind down a scam campaign during the endgame.