If innovations in 3D printing, and platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, are making it easier than ever for hardware startups to conceive and prototype new gadgets, then Flextronics, the San Jose-based manufacturer that works with Apple and many others on smartphones and more, is putting its hat in the ring to tap into hardware startups another way. It is launching a new accelerator,*Lab IX, based out of Milpitas (where the company also has an R&D center), which will award $500,000 to each selected company to grow their ideas.