Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the radio silence over the last 6 weeks! We have been busy working really hard on getting Adaptalux ready for launch.
The photographs embedded in this update are closeup shots of olive oil on water, using Adaptalux. All photos utilise the finished Lighting Arms, Colour Filters, Diffusers and Alpha unit of the pod. We have also thrown in a video too!
Control Pod
The last Adaptalux product to come together now is the Control Pod, or more specifically the PCB. We are now back assembling the Lighting Arms, as we had a few weeks away from this whilst we organised final packaging graphic designs, instruction manuals and other important jobs that are required to launch Adaptalux such as Bluetooth SIG registration and patent region expansion.
The electronic PCB design for the Adaptalux Control Pod is now fully working and complete. Today it was sent to our supplier for quotation, so we expect production to begin within the next week or two for the pod PCB. We are also in the process of getting the micro controllers mass programmed before been sent to our PCB supplier. We should have working PCB samples by the end of April, which we can use to assemble the BETA pack Control Pods. We expect to begin shipping the rest of the awards during the second half of May, in the order we specified in our last update. This will be an ongoing process during May and June.
We now have final samples of the textured Control Pod. Below are final pictures of the latest prototype. This is what the Control Pod will look like when you receive it. What do you think?
The Adaptalux App
The Adaptalux App is now almost finished for iOS. We are now in the process of removing bugs and other minor glitches. As mentioned in the previous update, an Android release will follow after launch. Reasons for developing on iOS first are as follows:-
Our decision to develop on iOS first is because that is the platform our app developer works on everyday. Therefore, it suits our financial and skill resources much better to develop the app on iOS first. Developing on Android would take more time, more money (which we don’t have at the moment) and it would not allow us to focus on getting the app right on one platform first.
Furthermore, the app is now much more useful than it was ever going to be. In the original Kickstarter campaign, we didn’t even have wireless control via bluetooth. This was added as a stretch goal later on in the campaign via a external module. Please see update on April 15th 2015. We did not reach this stretch goal, but because we are awesome, we have worked really hard on maximising funds to incorporate bluetooth into the actual Control Pod from launch. This is something we did not have to do, and it would have probably avoided the delays… BUT we feel this added functionality expands the functions and usability of the product and app massively, and therefore will be well worth it. Adaptalux is completely usable without the app, it can be controlled manually (as the original KS campaign showed) or now wirelessly through the app.
Packaging:-
Graphics for the packaging are now finalised. Due to the Easter period, our packaging supplier has had to focus on other projects, so we still have not had our packaging printed. We are confident we will have the packaging by the end of April, ready for shipping though.
Instructions for the packaging have now been finalised and will be printed next week. A big thank you to the individuals who gave us feedback on the instructions manual last week. The instructions will be available on our website in multiple languages, and a printed edition will be supplied with every pack. We have designed the instructions to be universal, therefore it mostly consists of diagrams rather than words.
The safety & warranty booklets are also going to be printed next week. All barcode labels have been printed and are ready to be applied to the packaging for stock and inventory purposes.
We have also designed “subject cards”, which will be randomly distributed in every pack. These give you colourful subject ideas to try using Adaptalux.
Updates should start coming thicker and faster now, as we finish more products, booklets, packaging etc. This is an exciting time for Adaptalux, we hope you can see we are working incredibly hard with the limited resources we have to make this product amazing.
To finish with, here is an image of Adaptalux finished products (apart from electronics in the pod). This is what you can expect to receive with your packs!
Many thanks,
The Team!
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