USB Signs Are Ready, Action Required
almost 7 years ago – Fri, Jul 07, 2017 at 12:07:20 AM

Hi everyone!

We’ve got some exciting news! We’ve finalized everything for the USB version of the Wired In signs. That means, we’ve got the final base, diffuser, acrylics, circuit boards, and firmware that allows you to turn the signs on and off, and choose the color you want to display, and we have early versions of the controlling software for iOS, macOS, and Windows. 

We’re very close to nailing down a shipping date for the USB signs. But before we can narrow that down, we need to know two things:

1. How many bases to order for each color. (Remember, we announced a new black version in our last update.)

2. How many USB circuit boards to order.

Because the USB signs are final, and the wireless signs are not, we’re allowing all of you to change your order to a USB sign that will be shipping soon.

We plan to finish and begin selling the USB signs to help fund ongoing development for the wireless models. We do not have a timeframe to announce for the wireless models.

Action Required

Fill out this survey to choose the color and model for your sign. We plan to submit orders with manufacturers in two weeks, so the survey will be open for the next 10 days.

We're excited to hear back from you and get these bases and electronics officially ordered. 

FAQ

If I ordered a wireless sign and want to change my order to a USB sign in order to receive it earler, what do I need to do?

Fill out the survey above, and be sure to note that you _do_ want your order updated to receive the USB sign.

Will there be any refunds if I choose to change my order?

No. We have used all of the money we raised from the Kickstarter campaign, as well as additional money from friends, family, and each of us to get to this point. Changing your order means you’ll get your Wired In sign earlier.

What if I do not want the USB sign, and am willing to wait until the wireless signs are ready?

No problem. Fill out the survey above, and be sure to note that you _do not_ want your order updated to receive the USB sign. We do not have any timeline for the wireless signs at this time. The wireless signs still need additional development that will be funded by sales of the USB sign which is ready to go.

Finalized Diffuser and An Exciting New Extra
about 7 years ago – Thu, Apr 06, 2017 at 10:34:26 PM

Hey everyone! Caleb here, and I've got a few updates to share with you all, including an exciting extra that we’re happy to offer to everyone. But first, I wanted to note that it's been nearly two years since we started this venture here on Kickstarter, and get a little personal for a minute.

We didn't know then what it'd take to get this project across the finish line. As most of you know, this is not a full time venture for any of us. Even though we all knew hardware was hard, we couldn't have known then what would change for each of us since we launched the project.

All three of us have had children, Joshua was promoted to a big management job, Andrew and I both work for new companies, and I moved to California. Through all of these life changes, we've continued to chip away on Wired In in evenings and weekends.

Joshua has continued to work with our friends at Phone Soap on manufacturing details, and Andrew has built and debugged prototypes using who-knows-how-many different parts. They've both met with 3D printing shops, manufacturers, and people who specialize in selling a thousand types of plastic tubing to find the perfect parts to build the signs we set out to build.

On behalf of all three of us, I apologize for the delays and lack of updates. We've backed Kickstarter projects, we know it can be frustrating. So thank you for sticking around, even these two years later. We're still making this happen.

Diffuser Updates

OK, on to the product updates. We've finalized the diffuser, which sounds simple, but is a big deal. We've found the perfect tubing that will hold your acrylic exactly in place, even though the depth of acrylic is wildly inconsistent. We have an exciting update to the base we think you’re going to love. So... here are the details:

In our last update, we told you that the diffuser needed more tinkering. At first glance, you'd think the diffuser would be really simple. Diffuse the light from the LED strip so that it lights up the acrylic evenly and call it a day!

Well, the diffuser is a little more than that. It is actually made out of two separate pieces of plastic which fit together and form a channel that holds rubber tubing that grips the acrylic in place.

In the last version, the channel wasn't deep enough. So when we put the acrylic into the base, the tubing was pinched downward, making it hard to get a good feel and hold on the acrylic. Needless to say, it was not pleasant and it wasn't what we wanted to deliver.

We couldn't just make the channel deeper, because that would affect the integrity of the two pieces that make up the diffuser. Basically, it'd be easier to break. No good.

After a couple of iterations, we updated the join locations on the two plastic pieces, we tried six different opacities, and we replaced the tubing we were using. We're really happy with where we've landed on this, and we think you will be too.

A New Color Option

OK, this is exciting. When new MacBooks and MacBook Pros were released in the darker space gray colors, some of you started asking about color options for your signs.

While we aren't able to announce a full line of colors, we are very happy to announce that we'll have a matte black option for the aluminum base!

It looks amazing. Here it is:

There is a bit of extra work and cost for building the black bases. When we release the signs to the public, we plan to charge an additional $10. But we're going to make that option available for free to all of you. It's not much, but we're excited to give you the option. We'll give you more details and get your choice when we get updated shipping information from each of you.

So when do you ship?

As you know, this is a hard question for us to answer. We've made a couple of goals, and we've missed them. All I can say is that we're still moving on this.

Thank you for your support,

Caleb, Andrew and Joshua

Our First Sample Parts From Our Mold
about 7 years ago – Mon, Apr 03, 2017 at 01:23:12 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Three Big Projects
over 7 years ago – Thu, Dec 15, 2016 at 09:01:16 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Bluetooth, Diffusers, Parts, and Timelines
almost 8 years ago – Fri, Jul 29, 2016 at 07:32:33 PM

Hey all of you wonderful backers, we've got some exciting news to share in today's update!

Bluetooth RF Transparency

One concern we've had while designing the Wired In signs was how well the Bluetooth signal from our board would work through the aluminum base. We are using thick machined aluminum that looks and feels great, but is basically a cage for radio signals. As Andrew has been working on the Bluetooth board design, we've been looking forward to testing Bluetooth signal strength and making adjustments as needed.

This exact problem is why the original iPhone had this black casing, why the iPhone 3G and 3Gs used plastic casing, and later, why Apple moved the antenna outside of the casing altogether on the iPhone 4 and all recent iPhone generations.

Our working theory was that with the plastic base, plastic on the side, and open diffuser on the top, that we could strategically place the Bluetooth board inside the base and still get 20-30ft of Bluetooth range.

Last week Andrew hooked up a prototype Bluetooth chip, closed the casing on the sign, and ran his first tests with the final version of the base. It passed! We'll give you more specific range numbers when we can test in a more controlled environment with final production parts. The strength of the signal was affected, but all of the Bluetooth signs will work great at a typical range.

Diffuser Difficulties

We use a little piece of plastic to diffuse the light from the LEDs into the acrylic for a nice even distribution of light. This piece of plastic is also in charge of holding the acrylic in place so you can lift the sign from the acrylic, or hang the sign upside down. Acrylic is difficult to measure consistently, so we need the tubing to support acrylic variance of a few milimeters to keep a tight grip.

We've gone back-and-forth with our manufacturer in China to fix a number of issues. To improve manufacturing costs, the manufacturer decided that the piece could be built as two separate pieces that are attached during manufacturing. We ran into a couple of issues with that design decision:

Andrew created that video to help us coordinate with the manufacturer. We did come to a resolution, and the tubing works exactly as designed:

The tubing holds the acrylics in, adjusting for variance, and we expect you'll be able to lift the sign by the acrylic or hang it upside down without any issues!

Ordering Parts

After settling the issues with the diffuser, we were ready to submit a final order for molds and bases. So we have! This was a crucial step and the biggest factor in determining a timetable for shipping your signs. We've been told to expect at least 4-6 weeks for tooling to get set up, and at least 3-4 weeks for production. With 1-2 weeks extra time for sample approval, we're between 8-12 weeks before parts arrive at our offices for final assembly.

Estimated Launch

As you know, we've hesitated to commit to another ship date, because the last thing we want to do is announce a date and miss it again. If we've learned one thing through this process, it's that estimates are almost always wrong and almost nothing goes 100% right the first time. This is an iterative process, and we are learning every step of the way.

There are still a few variables we need to lock down. We are still in discussions with electronics manufacturers, and we do not have a firm timeline with them. That said, we are nearing final designs for all electronics and Andrew is working on firmware for the Bluetooth boards as we speak. We are hopeful that we can align the electronics manufacturing closely with the other parts.

Our internal goal is to deliver your signs for the Holidays. We feel like that is a realistic timeline to resolve final issues, get parts and electronics manufactured and delivered, assemble the signs, and ship them out. However, please understand that things can change. We will keep you posted if they do.

We know more than anyone how frustrating it is to be so behind our original schedule. We are so grateful for your support and your understanding. We have had an amazing experience working on this project, and we are very excited to get your signs to you ASAP.