From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from tuna.sandelman.ca (unknown [IPv6:2607:f0b0:f:3:216:3eff:fe7c:d1f3]) by huchra.bufferbloat.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 07EBE201ACC for ; Fri, 3 May 2013 06:15:10 -0700 (PDT) Received: from sandelman.ca (obiwan.sandelman.ca [IPv6:2607:f0b0:f:2::247]) by tuna.sandelman.ca (Postfix) with ESMTP id AAE572016E for ; Fri, 3 May 2013 09:26:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: by sandelman.ca (Postfix, from userid 179) id 0663163A6C; Fri, 3 May 2013 09:14:36 -0400 (EDT) Received: from sandelman.ca (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by sandelman.ca (Postfix) with ESMTP id E5CC3638E8 for ; Fri, 3 May 2013 09:14:36 -0400 (EDT) From: Michael Richardson To: cerowrt-devel X-Mailer: MH-E 8.3; nmh 1.3-dev; XEmacs 21.4 (patch 22) X-Face: $\n1pF)h^`}$H>Hk{L"x@)JS7<%Az}5RyS@k9X%29-lHB$Ti.V>2bi.~ehC0; <'$9xN5Ub# z!G,p`nR&p7Fz@^UXIn156S8.~^@MJ*mMsD7=QFeq%AL4m Sender: mcr@sandelman.ca Subject: [Cerowrt-devel] Kickstarter: Project Update #12: Almond+ : 802.11ac Touchscreen WiFi Router + Smart home Hub by SECURIFI X-BeenThere: cerowrt-devel@lists.bufferbloat.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.13 Precedence: list List-Id: Development issues regarding the cerowrt test router project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 03 May 2013 13:15:10 -0000 Return-Path: Received: from tuna.sandelman.ca [2607:f0b0:f:3::184] by obiwan.sandelman.ca with IMAP (fetchmail-6.3.21) for (single-drop); 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Fri, 03 May 2013 01:29:39 -0500 (CST) Date: Fri, 03 May 2013 06:29:31 +0000 From: Kickstarter Reply-To: No Reply To: mcr@sandelman.ca Message-ID: <5183594bf375a_7dce4c203fe92122f@domU-12-31-38-02-30-61.mail> Subject: Project Update #12: Almond+ : 802.11ac Touchscreen WiFi Router + Smart home Hub by SECURIFI Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="--==_mimepart_5183594bac84c_7dce4c203fe920984"; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-SIG: 260ba7431acff92fd6e2db443b4d67f9c723466f X-SG-EID: wkBxkvUkeV73vjAU878dZG0U+4XYYoxkmue0yi6wy87xIG+ElStLva+B9Kq0iNmz9ql9DAtIQMixaUGWUGmeYZuw48PYt6mSwhsNeJrpnOMAWnMeKrzF42Am1YlHWQts DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha1; c=relaxed; d=e3.kickstarter.com; h=from :reply-to:to:subject:mime-version:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; s=smtpapi; bh=nvUcQ62sgSpzFGcdrT9v7Y fv2Ag=; b=COOq/+mwOU2L+6SQr2USzbwgsmPEGSVbcjBQHJ44iIKNeXBYH0uorx ymR1hjvs0tuAdFQI+tOJYC6WQqZArH62a3/QfLqLCHuYULkOT3UU1uaYb16c4KF/ MJJzeJdzGv0o1q7JQX6iwm+lkGX1WCPKcsUV4ISG8wwkU2UttRnZA= X-Bayes-Prob: 0.495 (Score 0, tokens from: @@RPTN, mcr, sandelman-ca:default, rp-customers:default, base:default) X-Spam-Score: 0.00 () [Hold at 5.00] HTML_MESSAGE:0.001,T_RP_MATCHES_RCVD:-0.01,SPF(pass:0),DKIM(pass:0) X-CanIt-Geo: ip=74.63.234.84; country=US; region=TX; city=Dallas; postalcode=75202; latitude=32.7791; longitude=-96.8028; metrocode=623; areacode=214; http://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.7791,-96.8028&z=6 X-CanItPRO-Stream: sandelman-ca:mcr (inherits from sandelman-ca:default,rp-customers:default,base:default) X-Canit-Stats-ID: 02JvitGod - 09fe99329467 - 20130503 X-Antispam-Training-Forget: https://antispam.roaringpenguin.com/canit/b.php?i=02JvitGod&m=09fe99329467&t=20130503&c=f X-Antispam-Training-Nonspam: https://antispam.roaringpenguin.com/canit/b.php?i=02JvitGod&m=09fe99329467&t=20130503&c=n X-Antispam-Training-Spam: https://antispam.roaringpenguin.com/canit/b.php?i=02JvitGod&m=09fe99329467&t=20130503&c=s X-CanIt-Archive-Cluster: irqpXI7aJGyo4Ewta7qVH399FOg X-Scanned-By: CanIt (www . roaringpenguin . com) on 174.142.115.36 ----==_mimepart_5183594bac84c_7dce4c203fe920984 Date: Fri, 03 May 2013 06:29:31 +0000 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-ID: <5183594bf2747_7dce4c203fe9210c4@domU-12-31-38-02-30-61.mail> The big update (For Backers Only) *Big changes to the Almond+ hardware* Well Kickstarter backers, today we have some very big news for you which we= expect to be meet by equal amounts of excitement and frustration.=C2=A0 During the Kickstarter campaign many of you had input with regards to the h= ardware platform that the Almond+ was based on and quite a few mentioned th= at we should consider a faster processor, more memory, USB 3.0 connectivity= , 3x3 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi, bigger displays and many other things.=C2=A0 After much contemplation we=E2=80=99ve decided to do a big overhaul with re= gards to the hardware upon which the Almond+ will be built and we=E2=80=99l= l break down the changes in detail in this update and explain why we decide= d to such a major change to a platform we already said that we didn=E2=80= =99t want to make changes to. *Why* We've been busy testing the current Almond+ prototypes in our labs and it d= idn't=C2=A0live up to our own expectations with regards to the 802.11ac Wi-= Fi throughput and the overall processor performance. We felt that by the ti= me the Almond+ would reach you, it would still have been a good product, bu= t not a great product.=C2=A0As such we decided to look elsewhere for more s= uitable hardware for the Almond+ and we settled on a solution that we think= all of you will be very pleased with. *The SoC=C2=A0* One of the major changes that we decided to do was to move from a single co= re=C2=A0MIPS based SoC to a much more powerful dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 base= d SoC.=C2=A0 What does this mean in terms of processing power? Well, our new SoC solutio= n offers close to six times more computational power in comparison to the M= IPS based SoC we originally planned on using for the Almond+.=C2=A0 All that extra processing power will allow us to do things that simply wasn= =E2=80=99t possible with the MIPS based SoC and it will also allow for much= more interesting projects developed by you, since there are fewer limitati= ons on the hardware side.=C2=A0 In addition to the much more advanced CPU core, the new SoC also offers adv= anced features that you=E2=80=99d normally only find in enterprise level ro= uters. We don=E2=80=99t want to give away too much information at this poin= t in time, as we=E2=80=99re still busy working on optimizing things for the= new hardware and working out what we can do, but rest=C2=A0assure=C2=A0we= =E2=80=99ll be bringing more updates about the new ARM Cortex-A9 SoC as thi= ngs process.=C2=A0 *Memory* There was quite a lot of concern with regards to what some of you felt wasn= =E2=80=99t enough system memory in the Almond+. As the older MIPS based SoC= could only use DDR2 memory in combination with a hardware limitation, the = Almond+ couldn't be fitted with more than 128MB of RAM.=C2=A0 That limitation is now gone and we=E2=80=99re looking at upgrading the Almo= nd+ to 256MB of RAM. We will also be using faster DDR3 memory, as the ARM C= ortex-A9 SoC supports this faster type of memory.=C2=A0 We=E2=80=99re also upgrading the Flash memory (the built in storage) from 3= 2MB to 128MB, or in other words, you=E2=80=99re getting four times as much = storage as what was originally planned. Both of these changes will again help those that are interested in developi= ng for the Almond+ as there won=E2=80=99t be any memory constraints.=C2=A0 *USB 3.0 support* One of the most requested features has been USB 3.0 support and we=E2=80=99= re now happy to announce that we=E2=80=99ve decided to implement it in the = revised version of the Almond+. We=E2=80=99re still evaluating the differen= t solutions available to us.=C2=A0 *3x3 MIMO Wi-Fi* Some of you weren=E2=80=99t that happy to see 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi as pa= rt of the spec of the Almond+ and as such we=E2=80=99ve also been evaluatin= g a move to 3x3 MIMO 802.11ac and=C2=A0have decided that this a must have f= eature for the Almond+.=C2=A0 If that wasn=E2=80=99t enough, we=E2=80=99re also moving the 802.11n part t= o 3x3 MIMO and you can now look forward to speeds of up to 450Mbps on the 2= .4GHz band. In other words, the Almond+ will now offer 1300Mbps 802.11ac pl= us 450Mbps 802.11n which equals to 1750Mbps in total! *An improved cooling design* Even before we made the decision to move to a new SoC, we were working on a= redesigned cooling solution for the Almond+. What this means is that the p= roduct will run cooler, it=E2=80=99ll be more stable and it=E2=80=99ll be a= ble to handle hotter climates better. Unlike traditional routers, the Almond+ has its heatsink exposed at the rea= r, just below the ports. This has been done to allow for natural convection= to further enhance the cooling of the Almond+, rather than closing up the = heatsink inside the chassis of the router. This means that there will be mi= nimal buildup of heat inside the Almond+, unlike what you see in our compet= itor=E2=80=99s products.=C2=A0 We=E2=80=99ve also improved the ventilation design on the enclosure and as = you can see from the new render that we=E2=80=99ve provided. This minor cha= nge in the aesthetic design of the Almond+ will also help improve the airfl= ow inside the router and will again help the Almond+ to run cooler. *Decision time* So what is the impact of all of these changes to you, our backers? Well, as= we=E2=80=99re sure you=E2=80=99ve all understood by now, adding all these = new features will take time. We need to re-design the PCB for the Almond+, = we need to do additional testing and we need to re-certify the Almond+.=C2= =A0 As such we=E2=80=99re looking at a 3-4 month delay to our original shipping= date. Many of you mentioned in the comments prior to the Almond+ being suc= cessfully backed that you=E2=80=99d happily wait a bit longer to get a bett= er product. We=E2=80=99re sure that you can see from today=E2=80=99s update= that the improved Almond+ will be one of the best routers in the market wh= en it launches and it=E2=80=99ll be a product with a very long lifespan. In= combination with our SDK, the opportunities here are close to endless when= it comes to third party development and we=E2=80=99re really excited to se= e what kind of project will be developed for the Almond+. *Beta testers and Developers* We'll be posting a=C2=A0separate=C2=A0update with regards to=C2=A0availabil= ity=C2=A0of units for those of you that pledged to be a beta tester or deve= loper. *Refunds* However, we also understand that some of you won=E2=80=99t be willing to wa= it the extra time and as such we=E2=80=99ll be offering refunds to anyone w= ho requests one. Please keep in mind that we only have until the the 7th of= May to issue the refunds due to the way Kickstarter works. As such, we=E2= =80=99d ask anyone that would like a refund to request one as soon as possi= ble so we can process the refunds before we run out of time. It=E2=80=99s only fair to mention that with the all these hardware changes,= the final retail product will have a much higher MSRP than the original Al= mond+ which means that you=E2=80=99re getting an even better deal if you de= cide to stay on as a backer. We won=E2=80=99t be announcing the estimated r= etail pricing today, as we still need to finalize a few more things, but re= st assure that you=E2=80=99ve invested in a product that you won=E2=80=99t = be disappointed with when it arrives. Thank you all for your support and please tell us in the comments below wha= t you think about this major overhaul.=C2=A0 The Almond+ Team -------------------- View this update: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2037429657/almond-80211ac-touchscreen-w= ifi-router-smart-home/posts/470675?ref=3Demail&show_token=3Db10497c9c6b8218e =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2= =80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80= =94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94= =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2= =80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94 Unsubscribe from this project's updates with one click: http://www.kickstarter.com/unsubscribe/BAh7B0kiCHVpZAY6BkVGaQN2cxJJIgtleHBp= cnkGOwBGSSIYMjAxMy0wNi0wMyAwNjoyOTozMQY7AEY%3D--d9e48fdd9a2987f01839286a038= a6310ea31aa75/7130542?ref=3Demail ----==_mimepart_5183594bac84c_7dce4c203fe920984 Date: Fri, 03 May 2013 06:29:31 +0000 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-ID: <5183594bf304e_7dce4c203fe921167@domU-12-31-38-02-30-61.mail>

Project Update #12: The big update

3D"Backer_white" For backers only,  Posted by SECUR= IFI 3D"Like"

Big changes to the Almond+ hardware

Well Kickstarter backers, today we have some very big news for y= ou which we expect to be meet by equal amounts of excitement and frustratio= n.=C2=A0

During the Kickstarter campaign many of you had input with r= egards to the hardware platform that the Almond+ was based on and quite a f= ew mentioned that we should consider a faster processor, more memory, USB 3= .0 connectivity, 3x3 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi, bigger displays and many other th= ings.=C2=A0

After much contemplation we=E2=80=99ve decided to do a bi= g overhaul with regards to the hardware upon which the Almond+ will be buil= t and we=E2=80=99ll break down the changes in detail in this update and exp= lain why we decided to such a major change to a platform we already said th= at we didn=E2=80=99t want to make changes to.

Why

We've been busy testing the current Almond+ prototypes in our labs a= nd it didn't=C2=A0live up to our own expectations with regards to the 802.1= 1ac Wi-Fi throughput and the overall processor performance. We felt that by= the time the Almond+ would reach you, it would still have been a good prod= uct, but not a great product.=C2=A0As such we decided to look elsewhere for= more suitable hardware for the Almond+ and we settled on a solution that w= e think all of you will be very pleased with.

The SoC=C2=A0

One of the major changes that we decided to do was to move from a singl= e core=C2=A0MIPS based SoC to a much more powerful dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 = based SoC.=C2=A0

What does this mean in terms of processing power? We= ll, our new SoC solution offers close to six times more computational power= in comparison to the MIPS based SoC we originally planned on using for the= Almond+.=C2=A0

All that extra processing power will allow us to do t= hings that simply wasn=E2=80=99t possible with the MIPS based SoC and it wi= ll also allow for much more interesting projects developed by you, since th= ere are fewer limitations on the hardware side.=C2=A0

In addition to = the much more advanced CPU core, the new SoC also offers advanced features = that you=E2=80=99d normally only find in enterprise level routers. We don= =E2=80=99t want to give away too much information at this point in time, as= we=E2=80=99re still busy working on optimizing things for the new hardware= and working out what we can do, but rest=C2=A0assure=C2=A0we=E2=80=99ll be= bringing more updates about the new ARM Cortex-A9 SoC as things process.= =C2=A0

Memory

There was quite a lot of concern with rega= rds to what some of you felt wasn=E2=80=99t enough system memory in the Alm= ond+. As the older MIPS based SoC could only use DDR2 memory in combination= with a hardware limitation, the Almond+ couldn't be fitted with more than = 128MB of RAM.=C2=A0

That limitation is now gone and we=E2=80=99re loo= king at upgrading the Almond+ to 256MB of RAM. We will also be using faster DDR3 memory, as the ARM Cortex-A9 SoC supports= this faster type of memory.=C2=A0

We=E2=80=99re also upgrading the F= lash memory (the built in storage) from 32MB to 128MB, or in other words, y= ou=E2=80=99re getting four times as much storage as what was originally pla= nned.

Both of these changes will again help those that are interested= in developing for the Almond+ as there won=E2=80=99t be any memory constra= ints.=C2=A0

USB 3.0 support

One of the most requested fe= atures has been USB 3.0 support and we=E2=80=99re now happy to announce tha= t we=E2=80=99ve decided to implement it in the revised version of the Almon= d+. We=E2=80=99re still evaluating the different solutions available to us.= =C2=A0

3x3 MIMO Wi-Fi

Some of you weren=E2=80=99t that h= appy to see 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi as part of the spec of the Almond+ and = as such we=E2=80=99ve also been evaluating a move to 3x3 MIMO 802.11ac and= =C2=A0have decided that this a must have feature for the Almond+.=C2=A0

=

If that wasn=E2=80=99t enough, we=E2=80=99re also moving the 802.11n par= t to 3x3 MIMO and you can now look forward to speeds of up to 450Mbps on th= e 2.4GHz band. In other words, the Almond+ will now offer 1300Mbps 802.11ac= plus 450Mbps 802.11n which equals to 1750Mbps in total!

An improved cooling design

Even before we made the decision to move to a new SoC, we were worki= ng on a redesigned cooling solution for the Almond+. What this means is tha= t the product will run cooler, it=E2=80=99ll be more stable and it=E2=80=99= ll be able to handle hotter climates better.

Unlike traditional route= rs, the Almond+ has its heatsink exposed at the rear, just below the ports.= This has been done to allow for natural convection to further enhance the = cooling of the Almond+, rather than closing up the heatsink inside the chas= sis of the router. This means that there will be minimal buildup of heat in= side the Almond+, unlike what you see in our competitor=E2=80=99s products.= =C2=A0

We=E2=80=99ve also improved the ventilation design on the encl= osure and as you can see from the new render that we=E2=80=99ve provided. T= his minor change in the aesthetic design of the Almond+ will also help impr= ove the airflow inside the router and will again help the Almond+ to run co= oler.

Decision time

So what is the impact of all of these cha= nges to you, our backers? Well, as we=E2=80=99re sure you=E2=80=99ve all un= derstood by now, adding all these new features will take time. We need to r= e-design the PCB for the Almond+, we need to do additional testing and we n= eed to re-certify the Almond+.=C2=A0

As such we=E2=80=99re looking at= a 3-4 month delay to our original shipping date. Many of you mentioned in = the comments prior to the Almond+ being successfully backed that you=E2=80= =99d happily wait a bit longer to get a better product. We=E2=80=99re sure = that you can see from today=E2=80=99s update that the improved Almond+ will= be one of the best routers in the market when it launches and it=E2=80=99l= l be a product with a very long lifespan. In combination with our SDK, the = opportunities here are close to endless when it comes to third party develo= pment and we=E2=80=99re really excited to see what kind of project will be = developed for the Almond+.

Beta testers and Developers

We'll be posting a=C2=A0sep= arate=C2=A0update with regards to=C2=A0availability=C2=A0of units for those= of you that pledged to be a beta tester or developer.

Refunds

However, we also understand that some of you won=E2=80=99t be willin= g to wait the extra time and as such we=E2=80=99ll be offering refunds to a= nyone who requests one. Please keep in mind that we only have until the the= 7th of May to issue the refunds due to the way Kickstarter works. As such,= we=E2=80=99d ask anyone that would like a refund to request one as soon as= possible so we can process the refunds before we run out of time.

It=E2=80=99s only fair to mention that with the all these hardware c= hanges, the final retail product will have a much higher MSRP than the orig= inal Almond+ which means that you=E2=80=99re getting an even better deal if= you decide to stay on as a backer. We won=E2=80=99t be announcing the esti= mated retail pricing today, as we still need to finalize a few more things,= but rest assure that you=E2=80=99ve invested in a product that you won=E2= =80=99t be disappointed with when it arrives.

Thank you all for your support and please tell us in the comments b= elow what you think about this major overhaul.=C2=A0

The Almond+ Team

<= /div>

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