Dear Backers

Last month we told you about the results of the beta testing programme thanks to the help of our excellent beta testers. The team has made good progress on many aspects that had been brought before you and fixed a lot of the key issues. We’re sure you’ll be glad to hear that we are on track with our adjusted schedule regarding the necessary fixes (see: Full Beta Overview), and we will provide a more detailed update on the resolutions to the engineering solutions that we implemented (particularly the connector) once they are all finalised and verified. Furthermore, we expect to have a full production schedule to share with you in the coming weeks.

In addition to the usual technical information about the project, we also wanted to take the opportunity to improve our transparency when it comes to our internal operations in this update.

1. Core-only Delivery

Before getting into the details about the business, we would like to share with you an idea suggested to us by Patrick Petersen, who is one of our backers.

After our last update, he suggested an alternative to shipping both modules and core together. That is, shipping the core first with a stand alone strap (free of charge) and shipping modules out at a later date once the new connectors are complete.

This is a smart idea because it allows us to get at least a working smartwatch to each of you as fast as possible, which would hopefully make you happier to wait for the modules separately and give you the chance to use BLOCKS as a *regular* smartwatch in the meantime.

We would like to garner your feedback to see whether or not this alternative is a popular option. This way we will have a good amount of data to support our internal discussion.

Given the opportunity to collect data from each of you, we have also included a question about which apps you would most like to see added to the BLOCKS Core (Android Wear, other smartwatch Apps), so that we can focus our resources towards making these available.

Let us know what you think via this link: Core Only + App Survey

Please note: This survey is only for the use of Kickstarter Backers; the Core Only option, if pursued, may not be available for pre-order customers. Dear Backers, your vote here is for data gathering purposes only and does not commit BLOCKS or you, the backer, to the choice you have made.

Below, we have divided up sections to hopefully answer some of your questions and provide some details as to what we’ve been working on and over the past months.

2. Low Level Software FAQ

As you may be aware from previous updates, there were a number of lower level software components of the system which had to be fixed. These had an impact on module detection and reliability, power usage, and system responsiveness amongst other things.

Some of you had more questions about the source code access, Cronologics OS, Linux GPL and status of Kernel development. We will give an update here explaining more of the specifics.

Q: Didn’t you say Cronologics already gave you their source code?

A: Yes, they did. The OS as a whole is composed of lots of different components from various software partners. Cronologics were responsible for the Android system layer, and we have full access to all the source we need there.

Q: Isn’t Linux licensed under GPL? They are obliged to give you the source!

A: Correct, however we are still a relatively small startup compared to some of the giants we are working with, and so when they simply refuse there is not much we can do about it.

Q: What is the status on kernel (re)development?

A: Due to the source code access issues that we had encountered (see point 2. above) we had to re-write a whole lot of code from scratch. However, we didn’t delay and already started to work on this with a new software partner a few months ago. We do have a working kernel which can more-or-less support the device correctly, however there are some parts we haven’t worked on just yet (e.g. patches for the charging driver, interface from kernel space to user space for module access, etc.).

Q: What is the status on module firmware?

A: We are working with an excellent French company called BayLibre. These guys were actually involved with writing firmware for Project Ara, are big contributors to Linux and are extremely transparent with us. We’re in very safe hands here!

In fact, they have been covertly writing about this project for a little while. In case you’re interested, we have included a link to the article here.

3. High Level Software Improvements

Recently we also had dedicated some team effort to work on the higher level improvements to the system (the ones which users, like yourselves, will actually see).

For example, there will soon be a software update rolling out to beta test users with some brand new watch faces:

In addition, we have also been working hard on extending the functionality of our “demo apps” which the device will ship with. These will be available to all backers ‘out of the box’.

Please check out the mock-up of our ‘health app’ below.

We are also working on adding a feature that will track how many calories you burn when running, cycling, swimming, weight lifting etc. The mock-up above shows the app’s ‘basic’ workflow to give you an idea of what to expect. Users can select their activity (which will in future be used to allow the app to calculate calories burned), they can then select whether they are indoors or outdoors (which will trigger/not trigger the GPS); after this you can set a goal, based on time or distance. Finally, you will be able to track your average heart rate and average speed to make sure that you’re hitting your target training zone. This will be your BLOCKS fitness app with integrated sensor data which will provide additional insights to your performance. The best part is, that it will constantly be updated to include data from any new modules that we release, so that you can take your workouts to the next level.

 4. Platform Partners

BLOCKS mission is to be the platform for cutting-edge wearable technology. The platform will be unique and challenge the status quo of smartwatches and wearables alike. Our on-going discussions with numerous technology partners make us eager to question what is possible. Please let us know which partner excites you most through filling in the survey here.

A number of us have been active in discussion with various potential platform partners to start to form the basis for collaboration. Whilst we have already mentioned some of these potential partners in previous updates, here are a few more:

Flicktek

At BLOCKS, we believe that wearables offer the perfect platform to unlock the potential of gesture control. Flicktek appear to agree and are doing exactly this, with a dedicated device that offers the most accurate gesture recognition currently available for wearables. Switching apps, initiating commands and navigating through menus on a smartwatch could be much more intuitive than it is today, and companies such as Flicktek are helping us move in the right direction.

 Biowatch

Biowatch is developing a clasp that allows you to use your unique vein pattern as a security key. The Biowatch adjustable clasp could be used to replace the current adjustable clasp, adding additional functionality such as biometric security, automotive access control, building access control, companion device and computer login and NFC payments without taking up any space on the wrist!

 TapDo

In our last update, we mentioned TapDo’s Kickstarter Project. After further discussion with TapDo, we’d both love to hear what you guys think of a potential TapDo module. It's easy to get lost on the countless applications of TapDo! A simple, little button that lets you access anything, at the tap of a finger. Users set up TapDo by pairing specific commands/apps to different touch points along their fingers, providing extensive quick launch and speed navigation options. Put simply, TapDo is BLOCKS programmable button on steroids.

If you want to know more, you can also check out their Kickstarter page here and/or check out the image and video below!

MicroGen

We already talked about MicroGen here on Kickstarter, and if you remember, MicroGen’s sensory technology harvests energy from vibrations. BLOCKS and MicroGen are currently working together to integrate an energy harvesting power system into a BLOCKS module. Our current estimates suggest that this module could generate as much as 5760 joules of energy in an average day's’ usage. We will have more accurate figures as the prototyping phase progresses.

HeptaSense

Heptasense is a Lisbon-based company that specialise in developing software for gesture recognition and motion analysis. As you can see from the video below, their technology is able to detect muscle signals and use them to trigger specific responses, with no hardware or calibration required. Yeah, we were freaking out when we watched it too.

We envision to use Heptasense software to provide a more natural way to interact with BLOCKS, especially in scenarios in which users are limited to using one hand.

 QSun

QSun (formerly QTemp) is a sun safety wearable that tracks sun exposure and notifies users when it's the time to seek sun protection. The QSun team had a successful Kickstarter campaign and delivered the product to their customers in November 2016. Currently, they are developing the second generation of the device and BLOCKS are discussing the possibility of embedding their technology into a BLOCKS module to monitor users' sun exposure throughout the day and help them to prevent sunburn using the QSun app.

what3words

The invention of the GPS has been a great advancement for humankind. Almost instantaneously identifying a specific location anywhere in the world is no easy task. Even then, remembering and communicating coordinates is difficult and it's very easy to make a mistake. Based on a global grid of 3m x 3m squares, what3words converts GPS coordinates into 3 simple words; each 3 word address univocally identifies one 3X3 meter square in the world. That's it.

We are proud to collaborate with this team to bring this powerful idea to our devices, and we would love to hear your opinion about this brilliant idea.

Nydeum

Imagine you're travelling on a busy commute, or you're at school, or in a conference room, where you cannot (or it is hard to) communicate with speech. If often happens that you want to throw someone a line in privacy in the most public of places. With the Nydeum system you can easily write and move around in the menu of your watch. Nydeum uses an intuitive constrained track that leads your finger so that you always input the correct letter without errors. Nydeum also offers a software writing support system that helps to master this input method quickly and easily.

5. Community Developers

From the beta testers to the community developers, it is great to see people getting creative with their BLOCKS devices. In addition to their own personal projects, their efforts also help us improve our own code!

Apps in Idea Phase

LH, one of our developer beta testers has been testing out some interesting ideas. He is looking to develop an app that presents nearby mountain data such as name, peak height, terrain, etc. He is also interested in developing a Password Manager and the infamous Snake game for the device. We will keep you posted on his progress!

Dan, another of our awesome developer beta testers is looking to create an app that provides live score updates (similar to the ESPN app on Pebble), presumably using RSS feeds. If you’re like me (Thomas) and enjoy casual sports betting on the weekends, I’m sure you’ll be as excited as I am about this app. Dan is also sizing up a few other ideas including a Pedometer game, where you can earn prizes or points for hitting your step targets (think Sweatcoin) as well as integrating custom vibration patterns (it’s not what you think I swear).

Further, Pascal, also a developer beta tester, is working on developing new Watchfaces that change with your geographical location, as well as a 3D watch face. Pascal is also looking to develop a Locate your Phone app (similar to the Apple Watch app).

The work of our beta testers so far has made us super excited about getting even more of you onboard and we can’t wait to hear how they get on with their projects.

Apps in Experimentation Phase

Stijn Smits, a member of our developer community has been experimenting with his Phillips Hue app (See Phillips hue lightbulb). Soon enough, (we hope) users will be able to control their smart home lighting straight from their wrist! If that doesn’t impress your friends then we really don’t know what will.

6. Costs Overview

We would like to shine some light to how the project had spent its funds to date. It is important to note here that the total amount of funds that had been spent up to this point is more than double of what BLOCKS had raised in pledges during its Kickstarter campaign. The project is backed by a group of seasoned investors who continue to add tremendous value to the company by bringing strategic advice and operational experience to help with such a complex project.

Overall, more than half (56%) of our total expenditures are directly related to Research and Development (R&D) which includes all external engineering work required to design, implement and mass produce the watch. Typical expenditures include:

The costs of creating prototypes (e.g. testing water resistance before going into full production). At low volumes, this process can be very expensive but it is of course a necessary part of any R&D process.

The cost of tooling - “tooling” refers to the process of building various specialised parts to allow the product to be produced at scale. For example, a mold to shape a plastic component, or a die used for forging metal.

3rd party development and manufacturing costs - a lot of the development work that had been done requires very specific expertise that can only be done effectively with companies that have more many years of experience in their particular field. Although it is expensive, it is definitely worth it to ensure a well built product in the end.

Further 25% were spent on engineers who had worked with BLOCKS since the inception of the project. The first developments took place well before the Kickstarter campaign, in the beginning of 2014. Dozens of concepts were assessed and many prototypes were built to get to Kickstarter alone. Overall, we had previously counted more than 40 people that had been engaged with BLOCKS over the last few years in all sorts of engineering and product design tasks. The next section are General & Administrative expenses that include office rent, legal, freight and postage, and all other expenses related to operation but not directly to the production.

Lastly, 9% of our expenditure were spent towards “marketing” activities. For most part of it, it does not mean money spent on advertisements, but rather salaries of all business development and support staff that had been working tirelessly to engage with backers, partners, press and other external parties that helped us to keep the project moving forward.

To help you understand the components of R&D spending a little bit more, here is a further breakdown of this spending:

As the base of our smartwatch, the core development took more than half (52%) the R&D expenditure. Meanwhile 25% was used for modules research and developments. Also 15% was used to prepare and apply for patents that were granted to protect our unique technologies. Testing Blocks took 8% of the total R&D cost, as it is a very important to make sure to watch is safe and up to standards.

7. Shipping update

The BLOCKS team would like to confirm that, despite the challenging path ahead, we are on-track to begin shipment in early Q3. This time around, however, we intend to release a detailed timeline to keep you fully up to date as we approach the final steps, on a week by week basis. We are excited to share this and are just waiting for a couple of approvals before this could be released.

Working hard on building your future smartwatch,

The BLOCKS Team

Dear Backer,

As you will all be aware our beta testing programme has been under way for the duration of Q1 2017 and we want to take this opportunity to provide a comprehensive overview of the performance of the BLOCKS watch.

We shipped a small amount of units to beta users to help us test a wide range of real world use case scenarios. The proprietary mechanical connector for connecting modules together has been working well, and we are yet to receive any reports of modules breaking. Connecting and disconnecting modules has been as straightforward and streamlined as we had hoped it would be, with a single action and a satisfying ‘click’. The BLOCKS release buttons have tested encouragingly, demonstrating that they are able to withstand thousands of cycle presses.

The stainless steel core has endured numerous drops and bumps without being damaged and has maintained its sleek and sturdy exterior. BLOCKS modules, engineered with premium polycarbonate, have performed as hoped, resisting damage from sweat and a variety of chemicals, and have shown no allergic reactions of any kind thanks to their strict non-allergenic properties.

BLOCKS has performed consistently across a variety of climates with hot and cold temperatures as well as at differing levels of humidity. Although you should not submerge your device under water, it is built to withstand water splashes from washing your hands or from heavy rain and thus far no water damage has been reported by any of our users.

The beta programme has also allowed us to identify certain aspects of the product that have not consistently performed to expectations. We suspect that most issues that we have pinned down are likely to be specific to the most recent batch that was produced as they were not identified during internal testing of earlier prototypes, while other issues require certain refinements to the final design. 

The connector

One of the most critical aspects of BLOCKS is the connector design, which must go through thousands of bending and pull cycles over a lifetime of use. Thus far, our connector design has performed flawlessly in terms of mechanics, however, we had identified some issues with the electrical contacts.

The electrical component of our connector didn’t perform as well as we’d hoped at large scale production, which can sometimes be the case for hardware products when shifting from laboratory tested ‘golden samples’ to dozens of usage reports undergoing real world testing.

Some of our beta testers have reported that after continuous real world usage, eventually the electrical contacts inconsistently detect modules. It seems that, in this production batch at least, after repeated bending and straining cycles on the flexible part of our connector, the copper traces that transmit the power and data between the modules and the core can become damaged. This disrupts communication with the between the module and the core and can cause other modules on the bus (the data and power ‘lines’) to “panic” and reset themselves into an ‘emergency mode’.

Our software team were able to address the disruption to other modules and revive the ‘panicked’ modules through a reset mechanism. However, the electrical component of the disruptive modules’ connectors were still getting damaged, at much lower bending cycles than what we had tested them to internally.

We suspect that this may just be a batch-issue, and so we have sent engineers over to our partner company in China to investigate. Simultaneously, we have been working diligently to modify the connector design in order to strengthen the electrical contacts and protect them from any damage that could cause connection issues.

To help you understand the problem we are trying to solve, we will share with you some technical details about the composition of our connector.

The module connector consists of two rigid plastic ends, connected together with a flexible printed circuit (FPC). This assembly is then overmolded with rubber for the purposes of protecting the FPC and waterproofing.

We are remodelling the connector in computer aided engineering (CAE) software under the more severe loading conditions which were made apparent after external user testing. The preliminary assessment shows that we may need to strengthen the structure either by forming a slightly bigger cross sectional area or by introducing a change to the material composition of the connector and its forming processes. Simply put, this means that we are tweaking the material and design ever so slightly in order to achieve higher levels of protection and prevent damage to the electrical contacts of the connectors. At the same time, we have prepared several ‘Plan B’ options in case bigger changes are necessary and have already begun deploying tests in parallel. We aim to complete the assessment and produce the final refined design (if changes are applicable) in the next 3 weeks.

Backers have also reported to us issues with the rigid plastic ends of our connectors fracturing. Whilst this doesn’t actually cause any communications issues with the modules, it is obviously not acceptable for final release devices. 

It is assumed that these issues are occurring due to the plastic material being too brittle to frequently facilitate module connections and disconnections. We are aiming to replace it with stronger material, and potentially increase the wall thicknesses to make the connector more resilient.

 An isolated single case of module overheating was also reported to us.

We had verified that this is related to the connector traces breaking in very particular circumstances. We are now re-examining our protection circuitry, as well as refining our connector to ensure that shorts do not occur.

The dock

We have had some issues with the dock connector pins becoming stuck, disrupting the device connection when on charge. This is a simple issue to resolve, as we have identified that the pins are simply too high for this application. We have an alternate design prepared and tested with shorter pins which eliminate this problem. 

Hardware

The internal components of the device have mostly met our expectations thus far. The modular communication, which consists of an array of microcontrollers that talk to each other, has worked very well and no hardware issues were detected for data transfer. Sensors and features such as the microphone, vibrator, accelerometer (step tracker) and magnetometer (compass) have all worked flawlessly. The AMOLED screen has received many justified compliments from beta testers for its vibrant color range and visual quality.

There is currently only one potential hardware issue which should be easily fixed by some rework. It has been reported that the sensor values can be inaccurate in the adventure module. Through our internal testing, we have identified that these issues aren’t as prevalent if the watch is off vs. on the wrist, and so we suspect that the issue might be that body heat is skewing the readings. We are currently investigating the impact of employing of an additional small ceramic plate between the back of the module and the temperature sensor in order to avoid this issue.

Further calibrations are required on some other sensors, such as the heart rate monitor, but these are not related to hardware. Improving the software algorithms that are used to process and interpret the final values for these modules (and Core features) will remove the inconsistencies. We are confident in this process and have already begun to make progress. 

Software

There have been a few issues on the software side as well. However, we made sure to allocate substantial resources towards our over the air (OTA) update infrastructure before we shipped, and so fixing these is unlikely to cause delays. Software bugs are fixed through OTA updates (similar to ones you receive on your other electrical devices) and require only that your BLOCKS is connected to the internet via WiFi or Bluetooth tethering.

As mentioned earlier, due to the issue with the electrical contacts in the connector, some testers have reported that suddenly module detection becomes erratic and can cause the system to fail to detect modules, or detects them more than once. When this problem is occurring, it causes a significant power drain on the system.

We have already been able to put in some measures to reduce the impact of the problem. What is happening is as follows:

• One of the modules in the system experiences a connector defect in the electrical contact
• The defect causes the other modules to ‘panic’ and go into an emergency mode where they wait for an update 

When modules are in emergency mode, they only have basic functionality. For example, they only run a simple version of the communications protocol solely to register for an OTA update, and therefore don’t work well with other modules on the bus. When in emergency mode modules do not utilise any power saving features causing rapid battery drain. This mode is designed to be used by repair technicians and is not meant to be triggered by user. 

Our engineers have already implemented a ‘quick fix’ to prevent this issue from causing problems for beta testers.

Firstly, we made sure our beta testers know to stop using modules if they find a defect, and secondly we added a recovery procedure to our apps to bring the modules out of emergency mode.

Long term, our plan to prevent this issue is:

• Resolve the connector issue (electrical contacts)
• Make emergency update mode much harder to trigger through the use a software trigger instead of a hardware one
• Ensure that if put into recovery mode, modules are optimised for power consumption.

We have also received numerous reports about power consumption. Whilst some backers have reported the watch lasting for their whole day, others have only had a few hours of battery life.

The choice of companion phone appears to impact the power usage of the device. We cannot confirm which specific models yet, and are conducting more testing in-house to ensure that every companion phone communicates with the core efficiently and that there are no inconsistencies in user experience.

We have been careful to ensure that there is a wide range of companion devices involved in beta testing, however, due to the scale of our programme, we cannot yet guarantee the performance of all devices. For some companion devices, the Bluetooth connection has proven unstable, which has hindered the notification function. We have prioritised this as a key area of improvement and are confident that resolving this will improve the power consumption and user experience significantly.

An option we are considering is to use the services of Bluetooth device “farms” which are able to test on a much larger scale, as they have a large number of phones and can run automated tests. We are still looking into potential partners and if any backers have experience with these kinds of companies please get in touch.

There has also been a bit of lag or “sluggishness” of the core. We have identified that the issue is in fact laggy touch events being sent to Android from the driver - in fact the UI underneath is running very smoothly. We are attacking this problem through improving the driver itself. We do not have access to the source code of the kernel our manufacturer provided us, and they are not able to share it with us. Due to this, we are working around the source code is to bring up an identical kernel internally. We have received great support from BLOCKS community developers who are experts in kernel work and are working with us to find a solution.

Beta hacking and custom bootloaders

Navigation app

We have also completed work on a great new navigation app which is almost ready to be pushed out to our beta testers in the next update. As well as using the location information from the GPS module, we have teamed up with a company called Skyhook who have written some extremely clever algorithms to help the watch determine its location even when no GPS signal is available (for example when you are between very tall buildings and there are no GPS satellites in view).

When Skyhook is combined with our existing W3W integrations, it makes for a powerful navigation device which will work well both in inner city situations as well as out in the wild. 

Shipping Update

We have worked with expert external consultants and our advisors to set out a realistic timeline for us to implement the fixes we have identified above. Due to this we regret to announce that we are amending our shipping estimate from Q2 2017 to early Q3 2017. If the connector tests require no drastic changes, which is highly likely, the final refined designs should be complete in 3 weeks time. Following this, BLOCKS will setup another factory run, termed Design Validation Testing (DVT) phase, to verify the entire product assembly inside the factory. This will be the fourth such test that we run, to be termed “DVT4”, which should take place in late May. Once complete, we hope to setup the factory for large scale manufacturing (i.e. Mass Production) in July.

If you would like to change to your order or shipping address, please contact support@chooseblocks.com

Working hard on building your future smartwatch,
The BLOCKS Team

Special Mention: TapDo Kickstarter 

Our friends at TapDo (https://tapdo.io) - the World’s Smallest Remote for Everything - have just launched their Kickstarter campaign.

Their team has agreed to offer an automatic upgrade to any Early Bird Reward backer (€100) to a Community Edition Reward (€149) for BLOCKS community. For more details about the project please visit the TapDo Kickstarter page.

Dear Backers

We hope you enjoyed our last update from 8 days ago about the BLOCKS Beta Programme. We have a few more details to share with you about that, as well as sharing with you some of our future plans to expand the platform.

Rest assured that our number one priority is still the delivery of your devices. This update does not include any delay announcements - and there has been no change on expected delivery since our last update.

Beta Programme - Testing Progress

Our beta testers are continuing to diligently test every aspect of our devices. We are coming across new bugs we hadn’t found ourselves, translation mistakes, and odd edge cases we didn’t even think of - and so this process is incredibly valuable to everyone involved.

Today, we will be pushing out the first ever software update to BLOCKS - which will be a test of all of our infrastructure and update mechanisms for the first time in a production context. This is quite a tense moment for us, and we will be sure to let you know how it goes! Once we are confident in our update delivery, we will be able to progress very quickly to implement fixes for all of the issues found so far.

Beta Programme - Next Batch

After completing some additional safety checks earlier this week, we are happy to confirm that the second beta batch is out for delivery.

This time we have targeted the release towards 40 enthusiastic backers who identified themselves to us as developers. Not only will they be continuing the beta testing programme with us, but they will also be working on app development and even fixing some of the bugs we have already found - which is a double benefit because it means we will have even more help in getting the software quality to a level that you will all be happy with.

Our team of community developers is ever growing and there is a lot that can be worked on even if you are not currently part of the beta programme. If you would like to get involved and be one of the first developers to work with BLOCKS, please send us an email at developers@chooseblocks.com.

Our Platform

One of the things that sets BLOCKS apart is the platform we are building. As a modular product, we are not just a platform for apps, but also for hardware. In order to make your experience the best it can be, we are committed to building up our module offering so that you can get the features you want and need.

Most of our team has been fully dedicated to working on getting the first devices into your hands, however we felt that it was also important for a small group to also look at expanding our module selection. We wanted to share some details about this with you so that you in the interests of transparency, and to reassure you all that we will be continuing to develop modules to enhance your smartwatch beyond our initial offering.

We have been incredibly fortunate to have had numerous companies with very exciting new technologies approaching us to investigate integrating their tech into our platform as a module.

We are still refining our methodology for working with potential partners, but essentially it comes down to technical compatibility and feasibility. As we grow as a company, the number of potential partners will grow as well, and so having a well defined process will allow us to develop new modules more efficiently. Our current process is as follows:

Step 1: Value Proposition 

The first step in the process is for our partners to introduce their technology to us, and discuss ways in which we could provide value to the end user by integrating it into a module.

Step 2: Technical Feasibility 

We then have to determine a way in which our technologies can work together on a technical level. But first, there are a number of checks we then have to make in order to decide if a module integrating this technology would even be feasible. For example:

• Hardware Integration / Compatibility
  Each of our modules houses its own MCU containing our communications logic which must be present on all modules.
  
  In this step, we have to determine what the best way to integrate the hardware into a module would be, and how best our MCU can communicate with it. There are normally a number of different ways to do this, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
  
• Software Integration / Compatibility
  Similarly to hardware, we must also consider how our software is going to interact with the new technology. We must consider vendor APIs and communications protocols, to determine if our MCU is capable of working with that hardware.
  
• Hardware / Component sizes
  This one should be quite obvious; if it can’t fit into a module it is pretty much a non-starter. Once hardware integration has been worked out, we then need to check if it will physically fit into a module.
  
  We have developed guidelines on how far the geometry of a module can be modified to integrate a sensor or feature. This will ensure that modules are uniform and the product fits together in a cohesive manner, no matter what combination of modules you are using.

Step 3: Prototype

The next step is then to specify a simple proof-of-concept prototype, and then let our engineers get their hands dirty integrating it. We have already reached this stage for a few partners, and our developers are already hacking with their development boards to see if we can make something work. Obviously we’re bound by confidentiality agreements in every single case, but we hope to share more information about this with you soon.

Step 4: Production Module

Once the prototype has been demonstrated and we can clearly see the benefit of the module, we are then ready to put it into production.

As we already mentioned, this process is still being refined and there is always room for improvement. If there is any part which you would like to offer advice to us on, please send us an email or contact us on social media, we would love to hear from you!

Partner Selection

When selecting our first partner companies, we placed greatest emphasis on three factors:

• The modules that our community wanted to see on their devices first (based on survey results)
  
• The features that would add the most value to your devices and that cannot be found on other wearables
  
• The technologies we could bring to you in the shortest amount of time possible.

We have already signed agreements with numerous partners, and whilst we can’t reveal to you who exactly they are just yet (sorry!) we can outline the technology we are currently investigating together to bring to your devices. 

Please note that the following collaborations are still at their very earliest stages, and are currently only undergoing feasibility studies! 

Energy Harvesting

A kinetic energy module, or one that could actually convert your motion into electricity, was the top choice from our backers when we first surveyed our community. At first, we weren't entirely sure how we would pull this off, especially when considering the power requirements of our device and how much energy could actually be generated by such a module. But then we were approached by a company that wanted to build an energy harvesting module for our device; one that not just captures energy from motion, but also from the sun through solar cells, and potentially even from your body heat! Combined with some novel power management solutions, it is now a new module that we are getting very close to prototyping.

Physical Control Interface

This module will be forming another potential input method for your device and the connected world around you. It's a patented technology with a very streamlined method for allowing you to physically interact with your device, even down to typing on it!

Air Quality

A company recently reached out to us with an amazingly tiny sensor for measuring air quality and pollution levels, and that could even be used for detecting gas leaks and fires! We didn't think such a technology actually existed at that scale, and are excited to be able to potentially provide it as one more new module.

Gesture Recognition

The ability to control your device and the connected world around you with gestures has been the most sought after feature for most of the BLOCKS team as well as our community! Gestures can be recognised by an accelerometer, which the core of each of your watches houses, while more precise gestures require dedicated modules that house EMG or MMG sensors; essentially these are sensors that can pick up electrical or mechanical signals from your muscles. We are currently developing these sensors into a module, while also working with an existing software platform for managing and implementing gesture controls.

That's all, folks!

That’s everything we have for you this time around. Thank you all for your continued patience and we will reiterate: We are doing everything we can to get the devices to you as soon as we can. Nothing is being intentionally delayed, it really is our top priority to get the device to you! 

Working hard on building your future smartwatch,

The Blocks Team

P.S. BLOCKS with pets! (Beta testers, PLEASE send us more of these, we love it!)

Hello again!

Our Beta Programme has been progressing encouragingly, with our first batch of testers doing a fantastic job of regularly using their devices and providing feedback on their experiences so far; we are now getting ready to ship off our second batch (which will be going to our community developers).

We have had the best time working with the our beta testers so far, and we are so happy and excited to finally see BLOCKS on other people's wrists as well! They have been playing, testing, and even hacking the device, doing things that we would have never dreamed of.

We have a lot of pictures to share with you, all taken by our Beta testers.

Disclaimer: The images below were produced by Beta Testers. The applications displayed in these images have not been made available by BLOCKS nor will they be available on your BLOCKS device when shipped for the time being. These applications have been sourced and installed by Beta Testers.

We can’t thank our Beta testers enough, they have been awesome! Massive shout out to all the work they’ve done to improve the devices and how patient they have been with our team. 

• There are currently beta devices being tested in 6 countries.
• The highest concentration of beta devices is in the US with approximately 50% of active beta devices being tested there.
• There are currently 12 different models of companion phones actively being tested, made by 8 different smartphone companies.
• Approximately 2/3 of beta testers' companion devices are running Android whilst 1/3 are running iOS

So, how’s the testing going so far?

We’ve included a summary of the feedback from our testers broken down by component below, and also outline how we plan on resolving some of the issues identified so far.

Core

• Feels very solid, durable, premium

• Design stands out, is highly complimented and compares very favourably when placed side by side with other smartwatches

• It's currenty too large for smaller wrists

The last point is quite subjective and will come down to personal taste; see the image below of BLOCKS on a smaller female wrist.

 Dock

• Easy to use, unique look

• Pins getting damaged, need to ensure extra care when handling

The design of the dock is currently being refined to prevent damage to the pins, and we are also reviewing the quality standards of the pin supplier.

Screen

• Looks sharp, vibrant and great overall

• With the correct brightness,  It definitely looks very premium and stands out among other smartwatches

• Auto-brightness is not bright enough in daylight conditions

• Has trouble registering touches, especially for some watch faces

The auto brightness issue can be fixed very easily by adjusting some parameters in software which we will be able to push out in over the air (OTA) updates. We suspect the touch screen issues are caused by the touch screen driver. We are currently digging around in the kernel to see if we can identify the issue, but in the meantime we can simply define larger touch regions on the watch faces as a workaround.

Adjustable Clasp

• Secure fit has withstood runs, bumpy cycle rides. Feel is not uncomfortable.

• Very durable.

• A bit difficult to get used to

• User sometimes accidentally has the strap covering the heart rate module

The design of the clasp is currently being reviewed to simplify its use.

Connectors

• Sturdy, unique, simple to engage

• Able to withstand a lot of force

• Very user friendly with an intuitive design

Overall Design

• Very scratch resistant. The strong build gives you confidence that it won’t break easily so you don’t have to worry about it

• Module casing texture is really good, so good it almost feels soft

Heart Rate Module

• Generally accurate

• Would be good to store data for different days, periods, to compare heart rate in different circumstances

• There should be a limit to how long it measures as if forgotten, drains the battery really fast if left on

The reason the heart rate module is staying on is because of a small bug in the software that causes the module to crash. We will push out an update to address this soon. We are actively working on feature development for a health app - and as noted in previous updates, the current apps are for demo purposes and so don’t have features like this yet.

Extra Battery Module

• Fulfills its duty to provide extra battery capacity for the watch, but is often buggy

• Watch randomly powers off, even with sufficient power on EBM

We are investigating power usage as a whole given some of the reported battery life issues - we will address this problem at the same time.

Adventure Module

• Active sensing works well

• Pressure reading could be made more useful with altitude display

• There should be a limit to how long it measures as, if forgotten, really drains the better really fast

The adventure module does support the calculation of relative altitude using its data - this will be implemented in a software update. Additional measurement features and options will be added to make the app more user friendly.

Programmable Button Module

• Takes excessive force to use

This is an issue on beta calibration in the factory - we will attempt to push out new calibration data for beta testers but this won’t be an issue in production.

GPS Module

• Takes a long time to get connection

• Would be more useful if data from runs could be stored (with average pace, distances, etc, like traditional GPS watches)

This is again due to the fact that the beta devices ship with demo apps. We are working on useful apps for the GPS module right now.

Flashlight Module

• Very handy at work

• Watchface container is unstable - sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t

This is caused by instabilities in module firmware - we are currently rewriting a key part of the communications for modules in order to make this much more stable.

We asked our Beta Testers what their favorite things about BLOCKS was so far. See what they said below:

“Clever design with containers, modularity”

“The style and fit of the device along with the potential of modularity”

“Potential for rapid and cheap expansion of functionality”

“Build quality and the OS (when it works, i.e. containers)”

“The modular platform has incredible potential”

“All the features”

“I like the quality feel of the watch and the connectors work very well. The OS itself is also very good. I’m very excited to see how it’s going to be when its refined”

“Modularity or notifications on my wrist...I can’t decide”

“Its potential”

“Hardware build quality is excellent”

“The look of the watch on my wrist, access to environmental information and notifications”

“I like the screen display”

“The look and feel of the watch is perfect”

“The core and the speed of the OS”

“The modularity, the OS, the feeling of being part of a technological revolution”

Improvements? Comments?

“Let the world know that I'm very happy with my BLOCKS (even with the mentioned issues we see) and I'm sure we will see the improvements based on our feedback. Tell them that I believe it is worth to wait some more time - they will get a great product.”

“Battery improvements and containers working all the time.”

“Improvements on battery life and OS functionality.”

“The battery bug fixed, the EBM problem solved or at least figured out. And about the standby power usage improved”

“Battery life improvement. Health app integration.”

“Configurable step counter, OS improvements, app drawer navigation improvements.

“Better Bluetooth connectivity, optimized battery performance, more watchfaces, ability to add more apps”

“More apps”

“The ability to use music controls with Google Play, and bug fixes of course”

“Improve the voice control”

Following this feedback and the super helpful hard work of our beta testers, we’ve identified several bugs which we are already hard at work fixing. Our first OTA software update will include improvements in power usage and battery duration, optimising applications and the operating system further, correcting the calibration and accuracy of the numerous sensors and the touch panel of the device, fixing any inconsistencies in Bluetooth connections and containers, and of course building on the existing features and applications.

As mentioned in our previous update, our software team are also working on an awesome turn by turn application to provide directions through utilising the What3Words platform. Users can add their favorite locations using What3Words and access directions straight from their wrist. The app also has a point of interest feature so that users can browse nearby shops, restaurants, cafes etc.

Check out the demo below!

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Another video we wanted to share relates to the water ingress testing of BLOCKS. As we have stated previously, BLOCKS has been been rated as, and has been successfully tested to, the IP68 level of resistance to water and dust. The video below should give you an idea of what a test like this actually involves.

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But as you can imagine, when you actually use your watch, conditions will be different to what a IP68 test entails. This is why we recommend that you do not swim or submerge your watch underwater, but at the very least your device will be water and dust resistant, and will be able to withstand splashes from washing hands, the rain, etc.

We are currently readying our second batch shipment to community developers. Their enthusiasm to get started on developing on the BLOCKS platform has made our team super excited for what’s to come. We are looking forward to onboarding them this week and introducing them to our current team of community developers.

We’d like to reiterate the limited number of beta devices we have and really hope that all those who aren’t directly involved don’t feel upset!

As you can see from our initial feedback, there is a significant discrepancy between each individual user’s experience. This is because the devices we’ve sent out are classed as ‘Beta’ and thus are more prone to bugs and inconsistencies. There are also testers using different companion devices, doing their own hacking, using the device at different rates and with different modules and all of this too leads to diverse experiences. As we expand the beta programme, we will be able to gather a wider range of feedback data, which will provide a larger data pool to analyse and share with each of you moving forward.

Note: The estimated shipping period for the device is Q2 2017.

To finish off, we wanted to share an outstanding video made by one of our first batch Beta testers, Seth Marek.

Please support Seth and check out more of his fantastic work by subscribing to his channel here:

 Working hard on building your future smartwatch,

The Blocks Team

Dear Backers,

We wanted to start off by wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!

In this Year of the Rooster, we wish all our BLOCKS backers good luck and a prosperous year (新年快乐吉祥如意)!

So what’s happened during January?

BLOCKS have been at work developing new software, optimising the BLOCKS companion app (screenshots available below) and running around trying to compile a ridiculous amount of safety documents for our product, which caused the delivery of our initial batch of beta devices to be postponed. After weeks (literally 2 weeks) of back and forth with the parties involved in supplying/accepting these documents, we finally sent out our first batch of beta devices, and almost all of our testers now have tracking numbers. Also included were devices shipped out to our London offices, which just arrived today!

We aim to maintain our original timeline to complete the beta rollout by March through reducing time periods between batches.

We have more to share with you and will be releasing another update in 2 weeks time to show you what our beta testers and developers have been getting up to and to detail any major fixes we've made.

Exciting progress from the BLOCKS software team

The BLOCKS software team are hard at work expanding the functionality of the device and optimising the functionality of the companion app in preparation for beta testing and the main release. Check out some of the screenshots of the companion app below!

The software team are also currently working on a turn by turn navigation app which we hope to demo to you soon. It is still under development, but we have some work-in-progress images of the UI to give you an idea of what we’re aiming for.

We are looking to utilise speech recognition and frequent locations for quick/hands-free navigation access. Note: Prince Consort Rd. is where BLOCKS London office is located :)

The BLOCKS software team are also in the process of onboarding a group of approximately 40 new developers who we've been eager to welcome aboard the BLOCKS open platform. But our software developer community have already been building some out-of-the-box applications, like this VU meter (for measuring audio volume levels), built by one of our backers Eran Boudjnah; we absolutely love your enthusiasm! Here's a quick demo:

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We aim to develop a tuning app to accompany the VU meter for any on-the-go musicians, but there are many more exciting applications in the pipeline.

If we did not reach out to you regarding Beta testing but you are:

1. A software developer

2. A member of the BLOCKS Kickstarter community

3. Interested in joining Beta-testing programme and building Apps for the BLOCKS device

Please email developers@chooseblocks.com with a brief summary of your past experience and we will get back to you.

Shipping update

As we mentioned in our last update, we aim to confirm the shipping date for the main batch as soon as we have ensured that there are no major issues with the device, which we hope to confirm by completing the beta testing programme with the first 300 units. This is to ensure that the watches that you receive are the best that they can be. We would like to update the estimated shipping period to Q2 2017, with beta-testing and subsequent fixes to take place throughout Q1 2017.

Order/Address changes reminder

If you would like to change your order to correct any mistakes that you made in the final order survey, please contact team@chooseblocks.com with your desired change (order/address), the reason for the change (I accidently ordered 2 GPS modules) and your Kickstarter account information (email, original address, backer number). We should be able to facilitate all change requests and will send you a response to confirm.

Balancing additional purchases

In the final order survey (that all of you should have filled out, please let us know if you haven’t yet by sending an email to team@chooseblocks.com), each of you had the option to purchase a standalone watch strap or any additional modules. We will contact you directly to balance any outstanding payments once the order/address change window has been closed and all changes have been processed.

Beta testing moving forward

Please keep an eye out on your inboxes as we expand our batch size and Beta program. We will contact you directly via your Kickstarter email. Please also check your spam box. We have another 250 watches to rollout and will be contacting selected backers about it in the next 2-3 weeks. 

Stay tuned for another update soon as we start to hear back from our first beta testers :)

Working hard on building your future smartwatch,

The BLOCKS Team