Introducing the CastleHUB powered by CastleOS, now on Kickstarter!

[wkearney99]

I LOVE the micro PC revolution that is happening. Good for business, good for the environment, and good for users. 

 
Agreed, I've had an Intel NUC grinding away acting as a Plex and print server for the past year and it's been fantastically trouble-free. Not that Intel's firmware/video driver issues are without complications, but I didn't buy it for that so it's not been a problem.  Low power, no noise, set-and-forget... AND CHEAP!  Gotta love that trend.

 

[ChrisCicc]

Low power, no noise, set-and-forget... AND CHEAP!  Gotta love that trend.

 
Solid state is an eagerly awaited future of all computing.. if I never have to hear another fan running in my HTPC again it will be too soon

 

[nicholass817]

The CastleHUB is not designed for you, the DIYer. It's designed for the mass market consumer who probably doesn't even have a PC anymore. For some reason that greatly offends you. 

The CastleOS software is available as a standalone product for DIYers and custom integrators. 

 
That doesn't offend me. I just want people to be aware of what they are getting.  And again...the CastleHub was not designed by you or anyone else you know...you designed the software it runs.  By selling this on kickstarter there is an implication that you have designed it through and through.  Not just purchased and rebranded.  
 
 

Great, where can you buy one? 

 
 
Given a couple days and a couple thou, I'm almost certain anyone can order a lot of them.  

 

[ChrisCicc]

Given a couple days and a couple thou, I'm almost certain anyone can order a lot of them.  

 
The lead time is a little longer than that, but yes white label manufacturing is not a new concept. (Since you have so many personal issues with it I hope you grow all your own food since all the food brands don't tell you what they manufacture and what they purchase from white label manufacturers.)

Everything the CastleHUB does wrt automation is designed and built by us. Software is everything. Who built the chipset it runs on is quite frankly irrelevant. 

 

[nicholass817]

But again, it's not so much that you purchased from zotac, it's that your marketing on KS (and otherwise) intentionally hid that fact, and tried to make it appear as though you were 100% responsible for all aspects.
 
It has taken way too much effort to get sincere, open, honest response from you, and it still hasn't come.  No need to insult, attempt to belittle, or even speculate on my purchasing habits...just answer all the questions posed on this forum in a clear and truly honest manner.  

 

[ChrisCicc]

But again, it's not so much that you purchased from zotac, it's that your marketing on KS (and otherwise) intentionally hid that fact, and tried to make it appear as though you were 100% responsible for all aspects.
 
It has taken way too much effort to get sincere, open, honest response from you, and it still hasn't come. 

 
Sigh. I guess I need to say it again: at no point has I or anyone from CastleOS lied or misled our customers about what CastleOS is. ALL of the automation and voice control functionality is provided by CastleOS and backed by our proprietary IP. Zotac is only involved as a contract manufacturer, CastleOS is responsible for product support and warranty claims.

It is beyond my comprehension how you can you make the accusations you have. It's easy to hide behind random screen name, isn't it?

 

[elvisimprsntr]

For the record, Apple did issue one DMCA request to GitHub against a GIST documenting reverse engineered HAP protocol, which a lot of the repos are based on.https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2014-11-04-Apple.md

Correct - they DMCA'd the initial research, but not any of the subsequent practical implementations of that research. They certainly had ample time to do so in the last six months, so it's very telling.

Because Apple likely has no legal grounds to do so. If those repos were based on sample code only available to registered MFi developers that would be a different matter.

 

[nicholass817]

Nice, a clear and honest answer from you...but followed by a jab about the anonymity that these forays into public discussion were designed to partially protect.  I'm not that hard to find.  
 
From your website - "When we set out to design the CastleHUB"...Just in the first paragraph you impy total responsibility.  That's how I can make the accusations that I have....a whole lot of easy to find deceptions on your part.  If you chose I can pick apart the remainder of what you have said here and elsewhere, but I really don't think you will like the results.  
 
Good luck Chris, and please let this thread finally die.  

 

[ChrisCicc]

Because Apple likely has no legal grounds to do so. If those repos were based on sample code only available to registered MFi developers that would be a different matter.

 
Exactly. But you shouldn't listen to me, according to some people on this thread I have no idea what I'm talking about  

In all seriousness though, Apple may have a claim based on copyright over the API design (thanks to a very poor ruling last year). Since they haven't tried to formally make that claim, either they don't, it's weak, or they don't care. 

 

[ChrisCicc]

"When we set out to design the CastleHUB"...Just in the first paragraph you impy total responsibility

 
Why shouldn't we? We have total responsibility, legally and otherwise, over the product. You want to take issue with the fact that we licensed IP from others, that's your right, but it doesn't make you right. We've done nothing wrong and have never lied to or mislead customers, period. 

I'm glad you want to see the thread die, since that means you won't be posting anymore. Now those who actually have interest, care, and respect, will have their voices drowned out by one less troll. I never did make that avatar for you, but let me know if you'd like one anytime

 

[pvrfan]

The ugly side of Kickstarter:
 

In January of 2013, a company called Central Standard Time launched a $200,000 Kickstarter campaign for CST-01, a sleek and minimal stainless steel wristwatch that is only 0.80 mm thick, making it the thinnest watch ever made. The watch (note: not a smartwatch) was an instant hit, and by campaign’s end, the creators had rounded up over $1 million in funding and more than 7,500 ecstatic backers.
It’s now been more than two years since the watches should’ve shipped, but backers are confused, skeptical, furious and above all, watch-less. Even the earliest supporters haven’t received theirs, yet the money is supposedly gone, and with it, the faith of the once incredibly loyal backers. ...

http://observer.com/2015/04/did-the-creators-of-a-1m-kickstarter-botch-production-or-blow-the-cash-on-mojitos/
 
Craig

 

[damage]

And again with an insulting response.  Google/Nest purchased them in October of last year, and their kickstarter campaign ended in June-ish.  I don't think starting a company in one year and selling it for a profit the same year would really be considered tanking.

 
revolv was founded may 12, 2012, not one year, but almost 2.5 years before google bought them for an undisclosed amount (AKA not material/really small). you make it sound like they are self funded by a kickstarter. however, they took $7.2M in funding so if anybody made a profit, it was the VCs.  the hub was pretty much a failure. google didn't want it. they wanted the people. after the VCs' liquidation preferences, the employees probably walked away with something in the area of tens of thousands of dollars for their 2.5 years of work (which when you factor in time & opportunity cost doesn't amount to a whole lot of "profit"), but at least they got a cushy retention package from google with sign on & retention bonuses, some RSUs and non-startup salaries.
 
https://gigaom.com/2014/10/24/nest-gobbles-up-revolv-for-the-engineers-not-the-hub/ 
 
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/revolv

 

[ChrisCicc]

The ugly side of Kickstarter:
 
http://observer.com/2015/04/did-the-creators-of-a-1m-kickstarter-botch-production-or-blow-the-cash-on-mojitos/
 
Craig

 
"With no argument left to make, the troll's natural response is to resort to posting SPAM to survive."
 

revolv was founded may 12, 2012, not one year, but almost 2.5 years before google bought them for an undisclosed amount (AKA not material/really small). you make it sound like they are self funded by a kickstarter. however, they took $7.2M in funding so if anybody made a profit, it was the VCs.  the hub was pretty much a failure. google didn't want it. they wanted the people. after the VCs' liquidation preferences, the employees probably walked away with something in the area of tens of thousands of dollars for their 2.5 years of work (which when you factor in time & opportunity cost doesn't amount to a whole lot of "profit"), but at least they got a cushy retention package from google with sign on & retention bonuses, some RSUs and non-startup salaries.
 
https://gigaom.com/2014/10/24/nest-gobbles-up-revolv-for-the-engineers-not-the-hub/ 
 
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/revolv

 
I don't want to comment much on them, but I will point out something that is very public: for all the VC money raised, the resources devoted to perfecting hardware at the cost of barely working software, and millions spent on a national marketing campaign, after 2.5 years Revolv had roughly only 5,000 customers, maybe a little less. 

 

[nicholass817]

Thanks for that damage. Good to have another insight into the revolv story.

Does make me think I can add Nest to the list of automation 'hubs' with unique hardware design and OS.

Chris, if it hasn't been clear enough, my gripe with you is that in multiple ways you imply a claim to the design of the device you are selling. By making that implication you are deceiving your potential customers. I had interest in your offerings, but again cannot and will not ever support someone that resorts to childish tactics to resolve issues instead of being constructive in any way in response to questions you don't want to answer. The next time HA comes up in conversation with clients, co workers, employees or friends, I will say nothing but bad things about CastleOS. And they will say nothing but bad things, and so on, and so on...I doubt I'll be the only one to do such either.

To pvrfan's point, buyer beware especially on half-baked KS campaigns. I hope you got a really good deal on those Zotacs. By my math your margins may be pretty small. I'll skew the raw numbers in your favor. ($35,000 x .92)/100 = $322 per unit for hardware, MS license, and all your software development costs. And it looks like the concensus on opportunity cost for your hub is somewhere between $300 and $350. There are other offerings at that cost that actually have HA antennas. Good luck with that.

Go ahead...stomp and scream and call me another name or lay down another insult.

 

[ChrisCicc]

I thought you wanted the thread to die? lol trolls will troll...
 

By my math your margins may be pretty small. I'll skew the raw numbers in your favor. ($35,000 x .92)/100 = $322 per unit for hardware, MS license, and all your software development costs.

 
By the way, your math isn't close. You're off by over $65 per unit. Considering it's publicly available on the Kickstarter page with a little addition and division, I guess you're too busy trolling to double check your math? But rest assured, even if your numbers had been correct, it is profitable.