1,110
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$145,034
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Funding period
May 1, 2011 -
Jun 6, 2011
- First created · 9 backed
- Jordan McRae 496 friends
- Website: octo23.com
Pledge $15 or more
44 backers
SOLAR SUPPORTER. This is a pre-order of the Solar-Square with microsuction material surface. (Add an additional $5 to your pledge for shipping)
Pledge $50 or more
359 backers
B-GINNER'S KIT. This is a pre-order of a B-Squares B-ginner's kit containing 3 Squares: (1) Solar-Square, (1) Battery-Square, and (1) LED-Square. (Add $25 to add an iPhone-Square to this pledge). Price includes international shipping.
Pledge $100 or more
404 backers
DEVELOPER'S KIT. This is a pre-order of B-Squares Developer's kit containing 5 Squares: (1) Solar-Square, (1) Battery-Square, (1) LED-Square, (1) Arduino-Square. (including 3.3V Arduino Pro) and (1) Proto-Square. (Add $25 to add an iPhone-Square to this pledge). Price includes international shipping.
Pledge $250 or more
261 backers
SUPER RECIPE SET. This is a pre-order of the B-Squares Recipes Kit, allowing small groups and individuals to build any of the recipes shown in the video and much more. The kit contains a total of 15 Squares: (5) Solar-Squares, (2) Battery-Square, (2) LED-Square, (2) Arduino-Squares (including 3.3V Arduino Pro), and (4) Proto-Squares. (Add $25 to add an iPhone-Square to this pledge). Price includes international shipping.
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Show older commentsCreator Noah on November 2, 2012
Bumps Steven and Joshua. I'm not a circuit bender, so I don't have the tools to measure connective flow and so forth. The four AAA's never seemed to receive a charge from the solar square, and the recommended extra purchase of an additional battery square from which to charge the phone in sequence didn't make it work either. My Android registers that a cord's plugged into the charging port, but the battery doesn't move.
If anyone on this likely dead thread's got a solution, I'd call it a boon.
Creator Joshua Braun on July 30, 2012
great concept and product arrived as expected. but the overall quality was lacking and I agree with Steven never able to hold a charge or charge the iphone.... as a result it say in my office untouched for several months now. anyone do anything cool with this recently?
Creator Steven Kalz on May 2, 2012
I haven't been abel to charge my iphone since I first got the B-squares. I paid and extra 25 dollars and it did absoulty nothing.. I've tried charging the battery in the sunlight a whole day, with that I even added a solar pannel on the side of the charger with the battery with no results. I don't even hold a charge enought to power the light. it only worked for a week and the light broke or the solar pannel broke. I'm gonig to swing with the solar pannel .. is there a chance I might be able to get a replacment on the solar panel?
Creator Jordan McRae on April 4, 2012
@Noah - shoot us an e-mail at info[at]b-squares.com and we'll see if we can help you debug!
Creator Noah on April 4, 2012
Still curious, though I'm betting this is a dead forum, has anyone been able to charge an Android phone? I broke down and purchased another battery square, which theoretically ensures that the output (working in sequence with two) is powerful enough to charge my phone's battery. Still no luck on that end though.
Creator Crystal Peacock on February 4, 2012
Anyone else still waiting for theirs?
Creator Jordan McRae on January 23, 2012
@Steven - send a message to info [at] b-squares.com and let us know what issues you're having and we'll see if we can help!
Creator Steven Kalz on January 23, 2012
Felipe, I've installed my own AAA batteries and I wasn't able to even use the light. I think my solar square is broken aswell since I can't even get the light to come on in the day. Is there a way I can get a replacement?
Creator Ellie on January 19, 2012
I'm pretty disappointed with B-Squares. Beautiful packaging for a very flimsy product. Other than cheap construction, the iPhone charger does not work. I've contacted Jordan a few times and have not received a solution. It disappoints me that there is no protection from Kickstarter for bum products. I'm definitely more skeptical about funding any more projects on Kickstarter.
Creator felipe on January 7, 2012
Hey Steve... Try to replace the old battery pack by the new one with better quality...
Creator Steven Kalz on January 6, 2012
So I cannot charge the battery pack with my solar square. Yes I did take off the plastic wrap around it aswell. Any help?
Creator felipe on January 6, 2012
Hey, I got my kit some time ago. This week I realized that the original battery pack is garbage (sorry to say that... but is true :) and replace for a better ones. BUT... I got the following message: "Charging is not supported with this accessory." Frustrating... Any clue to solve this? Best regards.
Creator Noah on December 28, 2011
Sorry for hijacking, but I wondered if anyone was able to charge their Android phone with one solar and one battery square.
If not, do I need to by one more solar, one more battery, or both?
Thanks.
Creator Lois Dirkes on December 25, 2011
Hey Guys,
Looks like a cool gadget. However, I just received 6 of the b square modules as a xmas gift but no instructions on how to use. Have looked at a few of the web pages etc...for help but no instructions found, just fun things to do with the squares. I figured they would be fairly self evident but have left the solar unit out for several hours but still no functions work.
Where can I go to get instructions, which btw, should come with each and every unit.
Thanks!
Jeff
Creator Christopher Gora on December 12, 2011
My B-Squares never worked with the iPhone dock, which is totally disappointing. The Battery Square is said to have a "resettable" fuse but nowhere can I find information on how to reset it. So now the battery square doesn't even work with the Light Square. All in all, I'm disappointed. All I have are hunks of plastic that I can't use. Not very environmentally friendly if you ask me.
Creator Jordan McRae on November 14, 2011
@Jess Z - You should check the status at the USPS website using the same tracking code ASAP to make sure the package does not get returned to sender.
Creator Jess Zimbabwe on November 12, 2011
Still waiting for my package in Washington, DC. Hong Kong post's only update is that it left there on 10/22. Should I worry?
Creator eggdropsoap on November 8, 2011
Just got my package! Very pleased overall, but I wanted to document more printer errors and one non-critical but confusing manufacturing error.
I notice that the LED/Battery instructions printing error was noticed in the comments. Further, though, the Arduino has the Arduino picture and the Dock's instructions (and vice versa), the proto-square has the proto picture and the solar instructions, and then there's LED/Solar mixup already noted. The only sheet that the printer got right was the solar square's.
The small manufacturing issue I noticed is that the Dock's switch/usb faceplate is printed the same as the battery's switch/usb faceplate: the USB input port is labelled "OUTPUT", and the switch is labelled with the on/off filled/empty circle markings instead of the markings that the instructions say it should ("USB" and the magnetic toes symbol). Fortunately, the Dock picture sheet shows which way the switch should be set to select the right input (toward the port for USB power, away for toes power).
Creator Maarten Broekman on November 8, 2011
I received mine. A tutorial is definitely needed. Also, the battery square needs better packaging. I needed pliers to make both of my battery squares usable because the contacts had been smashed all the way to the sides and needed to be straightened.
Also, one thing I noticed on the LED squares was that the blue LED was turned on but the green and red LEDs were totally dark. I had to turn them up with a small screwdriver.
Creator Andrew Howat on November 8, 2011
Haven't received mine, despite them being shipped on 20th Oct. Have mailed seeedstudio... Anyone else in the UK still waiting for theirs?
Creator Robert Staehlin on November 5, 2011
got mine yesterday....awesome stuff! now just need to figure out what to do with the prototype boards and what to program the arduinos with
thanks much guys for the awesome product!
Creator Larry Lam on November 3, 2011
I've been trying to make the dock square charge my phone but it keeps saying it's not supported no matter how many times I try. I have an iphone 3GS by the way.
Creator Paul Curtis on November 3, 2011
Received my squares today. Excellent. However, it seems a tutorial is required, telling people to remove the film on the solar square and remove the wrapping from the batteries. The batteries were obvious, the solar square less so...
Creator berbel on November 3, 2011
Nice, got it. Any idea what to do with the proto square? =) Howeve, big thanks!
Creator jcip on November 2, 2011
hahaha
one of my bsquare box has a chinese name written inside the box opening
wonder whose name that belongs to...=p
Creator Oliver Brupbacher on November 2, 2011
got mine yesterday! great packaging, only i just feel a little lost, it is very clear how it works but at the first try according to the pictures on your website i could not make any thing go... some first directions would help, does the battery need to be charged and how long does it take, do i have to remove the wrinkled plastic on the solar square? and how? first steps to make the led's lid :-) ...
Creator REXROAD on November 1, 2011
Hats off to you,
great product both idea & design.
Hope there's more to come. Best thing I've invested in on kickstarter.
Creator Jack on November 1, 2011
Just received mine in essex england!
Creator Mahmud on November 1, 2011
Received. Wonderfully done. Thanks. Again saying Battery Square may have a power level indicator in four steps (low cost). May be in the next version of B-Squares. Thanks again from Bangladesh.
Creator Rick Blaiklock on October 31, 2011
Just got mine - nice job on the packaging and the 'warning' :)
Creator Jordan McRae on October 31, 2011
Hey everyone, I made a small edit to the latest Update to indicate that the set of "stickers" that have come with the Solar-Square are indeed the micro-suction material. We added them separately in case people wanted to stick them on a different Square other than the Solar-Square.
Creator David Elliott on October 29, 2011
I got my package yesterday. Thanks, guys!
Creator Michael Stum on October 28, 2011
Received my shipment as well. Had trouble with the solar square film and misprinted leaflets (front/back don't match), but those are tiny issues that are to be expected from a first-run. The quality of the actual products and packaging is outstanding! Just one recommendation: maybe doing something to the packaging to make the magnet field not spill out would be an idea. No idea if that's even possible though, unless you use lead instead of cardboard :)
Creator Nadine Schaeffer on October 28, 2011
Just got my B-Squares. WOW. Well done folks - the packaging and quality of the squares is super impressive. I know you had a lot of challenges with the manufacturing, but it paid off. I am super impressed. Can't wait to get hacking on them tonight. All the best!
Creator Robert Clark on October 28, 2011
Received both of my shipments today. I love the packaging. As neat and as clean as the design of the squares themselves..
I would like to add that at least on my solar panel (x2) the film was rather difficult to get off.
Take some care when removing it so that you don't damage the square.
Creator Jordan McRae on October 28, 2011
@Galadrainn - The standard USB port was too big to fit into the Square and provide access through the side Inserts. The Dock-Square is able to contain one only because it's all internal.
Creator Jordan McRae on October 28, 2011
Hello all. We've just posted a new update that should answer most of the questions that have been posted here over the past few days.
If you have questions specifically for the B-Squares team, DO NOT post them here at the comments board as we may miss them. Instead, e-mail us at info[at]b-squares.com.
Creator Galadriann on October 28, 2011
Just a thought... for the iphone charger or even the battery charger ... why not put a "normal" USB port instead of a mini usb ? most of the devices are coming with a USB to mini-USB cable ... so we need a adapter in order to plug them in the mini-usb... you are already doing this inside the iphone square ... but again ... just a thought ..
Creator Darryl Law on October 28, 2011
Received mine today.
Creator Shaun on October 28, 2011
Do we need actual sunlight to charge it? It's winter in the UK and we may not get any for a while now? :(
Creator Bernd Mitterhauser on October 28, 2011
Can you provide some information how to open the squares?
Creator jcip on October 27, 2011
got a response, saying it's split into 2 packages
interesting
now i need to wait for the other package
Creator jcip on October 27, 2011
btw, i'm not going to open any of them yet, since this is NOT my full package
Creator jcip on October 27, 2011
i was so excited to receive my package, but when i opened it, it's not what i ordered
i sent an email already, hope i get the response
Creator Felipe on October 27, 2011
Just got my B-squares in and excited to play with them. Rainy day thou so I have to wait. I was wondering if the on/off switch for the battery has any effect on charging the batteries/
Creator Jim Beck on October 27, 2011
Just got my B-squares! I'm all set to use them except that this is the one day this week it decided to rain. The sun'll come out tomorrow and then I can start to experiment. Really pleased with them so far but I'll probably need more.
Creator Gabriel on October 26, 2011
So my iPad charger has an output rating of 5.1V and 2.1A. Am I right in saying I would need a minimum of 4 solar squares to properly charge and supply enough power? I'd probably go 5 just to over kill with a battery square.
I'm in charge of sales at a solar installation company and these things are gonna be a great crowd pleaser at our next home show.
Creator George P. Zies on October 26, 2011
I received my B-Ginner's Kit today. I'll play around with it this weekend. I noticed you're using a (C) instead of a TM or (R) next to your logo on the box. Have you registered a trademark in the US? I'm sure that whoever helped you with patenting your invention can help you with your trademarks as well. If not, I'd be happy to advise you.
G. Philip J. Zies, Registered Patent Attorney
Creator Jordan McRae on October 26, 2011
Hey all! A few quick comments/responses:
For some of the units that shipped out, the backside of the instruction sheet for the LED has been swapped with the Battery. This is a small error by your printing agent and unfortunately we didn't catch it before the units shipped out. Fortunately, everyone that received an LED-Square should also have a Battery-Square so all the information included in the instruction sheets should be available to you.
@Danel B. - If you open the transparent cover of the LED, you'll see three small potentiometers inside labeled Red, Blue, Green. You can change the mixture of color by using a small screwdriver to vary the output of these potentiometers.
@Nicklas W - The Battery Contacts should fit the batteries quite well. There's a chance that they got a little bent during the shipment. Try gently bending the contacts forward.
@Adrian B. - Yes, you should definitely remove the plastic cover from the Solar panel. Doing so will increase the performance of the panel. You should be able to remove the wrap by gently pressing down on the panel and trying to peel away the plastic cover from one of the corners. If necessary, you can remove the top half of the Solar-Square frame to get easy access to the solar panel. We designed the Squares so that a user should be able to open the frames without any tools. The two frames are held together internally by 8 clips, 2 at each of the corners.
@Henri - Merci mon ami!
@loomi - Awesome picture! We'd love to see everyone else's new creations!
Creator Daniel Bestmann on October 26, 2011
ok, just a question- how do I choose which colour the led is... It's white and Blue at the moment.