USB-C, Wireless Chargers, and Beta Update

November 15, 2019

Doppler backers,

We have a shorter update coming to you guys.

USB-C

In the last update (linked here), we discussed an issue we noticed with the USB-C boards. Well, we are happy to report that the issue has been fixed and the USB-C board design is now working as expected! We have released the design to China for manufacturing of the new updated (and working) design. Huzzah!

Since the production of the Dopplers has started (more on this later), we are going to be charging and locking orders in Backerkit next week, so make sure you log in and verify that everything looks right! If you want to change anything or there is a change in your address, don’t worry -- you can change that right up until shipping!

If you’d like to add USB-C ports to your Doppler, please make sure you go to your Backerkit link and change your order from USB-A to USB-C. To do this, you’ll want to go to this page and look up your Backerkit URL: https://sandman-doppler-the-worlds-best-alarm-clock.backerkit.com If you used Indiegogo, use this link instead: https://doppler-igg.backerkit.com/

To modify your order, use the following procedure:

To start, click the “Edit Your Order” Button in the top right of the screen.

Then click “Edit Your Pledge Question Responses"

If you want to order the USB-C add-on, make sure you scroll down because the USB-C choices are towards the bottom of the page. Once you have made your selection, be sure and click the “Update” button in the top right corner of the Pledge Response Question page! If you have any questions on how to do this or are having trouble figuring this out, feel free to contact us and we can change your order to a USB-C version from our end. You can send us an email at support@paloaltoinnovation.com

NOTE: If you select the USB-C models, your Doppler will ship with the USB-C upgrade ($25) pre-installed and ready to go, so there’s nothing else you need to worry about.

USB-C cables

Some more USB-C related news! We have added Sandman branded USB-C cables, which can be added to your order via Backerkit and will ship along with your Doppler. To order the USB Cables through Backerkit, you’ll want to go to the add on section and select your cable type -- as of right now, we have 4ft black USB-A to USB-C and a 4 ft black USB-C to USB-C cables. If any of the devices that you will be charging use a micro USB or Lightning connector we also have those in stock!

Lastly, wireless charging pads are also now on the Backerkit as an add on item. These QI wireless charging pads are very simple and work very well for every phone we have tested (iPhone and Android) along with a myriad of other wireless charging-enabled accessories. The wireless charging pad can sit nicely next to or in front of your Doppler to charge all the things!

Beta update

So what's the status of the Beta units, have they shipped out yet? As we mentioned in our last update, we have units in our warehouse waiting for a more reliable version of the software before we ship to customers. We are currently working on BLE (bluetooth low energy) connectivity issues with our App developer and hardware suppliers to identify and fix the problem. Without a rock-solid BLE connection we won’t be able to connect your Doppler to the internet or to Amazon for Alexa to work. With the help and assistance of our partners, we have discovered a very obscure bug deep in the operating system of the Doppler which we are confident is causing the issues we are seeing. Once we fix this issue we will be able to reflash the Beta units and ship them out to our Beta testers. We know it is frustrating to hear that the Beta units are here but not being shipped -- trust us, we want to get these units out as soon as we can too. Having units in our warehouse and not being able to ship them to customers is killing us.

Production update

In the meantime, in China, we are working on incoming quality control and getting all the parts in-house so we can start assembling the production build of Dopplers. We are dealing with some logistical problems with the LEDs at the moment which is the current slow down. Each Doppler has 104 LEDs and we are building 5,000 Dopplers so that's 520,000 LEDs we are shipping to our factory in Shenzhen. Dealing with this quantity of anything isn’t as easy logistically as buying it from Amazon, especially in China. So we are working on these issues with our LED supplier and Future Electronics (our distributor) to get the parts into our factory next week. Once that happens, we can start assembling the circuit boards just like we did for the Beta run, just 25X as big of a run! It’s so exciting! We are still doing everything we can to get everyone in the US their Dopplers before the end of the year. Realistically there just isn’t enough time for shipping internationally before the end of the year.

CES

The biggest trade show of the year is coming up, CES 2020! We will be exhibiting again this year with a huge and awesome booth filled with Dopplers! If you’ll be at the show, please make sure to stop by and say hello. If you’d like to go to the show, we have extra passes for the show, just email us and we will send you instructions on how to register for free.

Ok, back to work on BLE.

-PAI Team

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