Schedule Update

Well, here I am again with another delay!  I still can't say the schedule's locked down.  I was hoping to receive the boards for the next prototype today, but it looks like it will be Monday again.  Last Monday I assembled the most recent prototype (seen on the right in the photo below) and it was almost perfect.  Unfortunately almost doesn't quite cut it when I'm preparing to make 1400 of them...  So I'm back again to making another prototype.  This will be the third since I thought I had it all figured out.  With each one it's something like 5 steps forward and one step backward.  This new one just needs one fix, though -- a pull-up resistor.  So, I'm very hopeful I've got it, but then again, that's nothing new, so I'll be careful what I say. :)  I guess entrepreneurs are known for optimism.  One thing I can promise, though, is that I'll keep you informed all along the way.

Backer Portal - Important Notes

Link: http://backers.timelapseplus.com

Surveys are closed:  I forgot to mention this earlier, but it's important to know that the backer portal now replaces the kickstarter surveys.  This means that if you haven't yet completed the survey; don't -- use the backer portal instead.  This way I don't have to deal with merging new survey data with the database and risk errors.  So the kickstarter surveys are now closed.

Confirmation required:  The backer portal will be my source for printing the shipping labels and packing the right things with your order, and since it's been so long since the kickstarter project, I'd like everyone to confirm their address before I ship.  If there are no changes to be made, just click the box saying you've reviewed everything and then click "Save".

Payments: Note that if you make changes that require additional payment, you'll need to click "Save" before the system will update the payment link.  Also, the backer portal won't register the payment until it is approved by Amazon, which usually is immediately, but occasionally can take as long as 24 hours.  So if you don't see it update, don't pay again -- wait until it either updates or you get a message from Amazon saying it failed.  If you think you've overpaid, let me know and I'll be happy to send you a refund. 

Two Devices:  If you pledged for the reward with two Timelapse+ devices, you have the option to get a different adaptor cable for each one (two cables are included).  I recently updated the code to make this more clear in the backer portal.

Stats: So far, we've had over 500 people update their info (thanks!) and almost 40 upgrades to Bluetooth -- this leaves only 3 more available as of this posting!  Since a couple bugs at the beginning, the backer portal has been running smoothly.  Let me know if you have any trouble.

Other Development

Well, despite the delays, I'm must say I'm very happy with the product overall, and development is going well.  All the prototype iterations are letting me test everything very thoroughly.

One exciting new feature is that I made a small improvement to the firmware that allows it to have internal millisecond resolution for the timing.  I think this will be important for bulb ramping, which I will be implementing as soon as the hardware is sent to production.

In the picture you see the latest two prototypes with the newest on the right.  The rubber bands around the screen are just to hold the battery on to make it more easy for me to handle and test.

Again, I'll keep you updated.  I'm very sorry about the delays, but I'd be much more sorry about a bug in the final product, so this is the best that can be done.  Thanks for hanging in there with me!