Author Topic: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?  (Read 482244 times)

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Offline MacAttak

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #325 on: May 24, 2013, 03:51:40 pm »
I would be very surprised if they weren't already keeping tabs on this thread. It's been linked multiple times in the backer comments area.

With the open hostility though, they would have to be crazy to agree to an interview.
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #326 on: May 24, 2013, 04:17:10 pm »
Better to be thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and prove it !  ;D
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Offline jancumps

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #327 on: May 24, 2013, 04:17:41 pm »
...
With the open hostility though, they would have to be crazy to agree to an interview.
Why? Lots of businessmen that stand behind their product do that and walk away with head high. How believable are you when you only talk to likeminded reporters?
 

Offline Corporate666

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #328 on: May 24, 2013, 06:07:22 pm »
I would be very surprised if they weren't already keeping tabs on this thread. It's been linked multiple times in the backer comments area.

With the open hostility though, they would have to be crazy to agree to an interview.

From my POV, the "hostility" is directed only at bullshit claims, not at the Mu guys themselves, or the device itself.  And the simple truth is that if the Mu guys have answers to reasonable questions, then they have nothing to worry about.

If you read the comments thread on IGG, the Mu guys selectively answer questions that they have easy answers for.  They do not answer *any* questions that commit them to disclosing any details about the project, even those that only ask about logistical issues or project timeline issues and do not ever broach the technical aspects.  For example, one guy asked them to explain why they previously said they had a case and now say they are working on a case.  Another asked for details on how many revisions of the PCB they have gone through and if they had infact ordered PCB's.  When the legitimacy of the project is seriously undermined, those are very reasonable questions - and they are questions the Mu guys refuse to answer.  Answering them cannot betray any confidential or competitive information, so there must be an alternative reason they have refused to answer.

So yes, I think if they went on Amp Hour and refused to answer basic questions, they would not look very good to the audience.  Which is why they are refusing to be questioned (through refusal to answer) - because the answers will make them look bad.
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Offline MacAttak

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #329 on: May 24, 2013, 08:59:22 pm »
That's exactly my point. They would be tarred and feathered in an interview, because we are all quite confident that they don't really have anything of substance at this point. It's easy to dodge backer questions by ignoring them - but much harder to dodge an interviewer's questions.

The only way they could gain anything from it would be to pull a rabbit out of their arse and demo a functional prototype to an independent interviewer. (yeah, right)

So if you have nothing to gain from doing something, then there is no point in doing it. And that's why I say they would have to be crazy to do it. It's just not in their best interest.

I suppose it would be a little entertaining though.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #330 on: May 27, 2013, 02:46:57 am »
After 13 pages of conjecture, how about contacting them and interviewing them on the Amp Hour?

I doubt they would agree, but more than that I doubt they would have anything useful to say about electronics, which based on their updates, it seems they have little experience in.
Also, why would they say anything on the show that they haven't already said. They have stated they won't release information until they are able or willing to do so.
So asking them on the show would be pointless.
 

Offline firewalker

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #331 on: May 27, 2013, 09:25:09 am »
Send Chris with a camera to sneak in to their headquarters!  :-DD

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Offline Rasz

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #332 on: May 27, 2013, 10:21:23 am »
Send Chris with a camera to sneak in to their headquarters!  :-DD

you mean that rented set? or owners house?
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Offline firewalker

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #333 on: May 27, 2013, 10:59:25 am »
Send Chris with a camera to sneak in to their headquarters!  :-DD

you mean that rented set? or owners house?

Good point!

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Offline Towger

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #334 on: May 27, 2013, 11:20:40 am »
It would have to be Chris doing the interview, diplomacy does not appear to be Dave's strong point.  ;)

A quick Google shows they operate from: http://www.rethinkstudios.tv/contact/
 

Offline Guppzor

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Re: Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #335 on: May 27, 2013, 01:06:50 pm »
It would have to be Chris doing the interview, diplomacy does not appear to be Dave's strong point.  ;)
Nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade especially when this lot have not really given any good reason to be diplomatic. I think many people tried that approach at the start of all this but it appears that it only resulted in more wishy washy updates.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2013, 01:09:02 pm by Guppzor »
 

Offline Rasz

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #336 on: May 27, 2013, 02:20:18 pm »
A quick Google shows they operate from: http://www.rethinkstudios.tv/contact/

Streetview shows big garbage container at the spot they marked.
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Offline CanadianAvenger

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #337 on: May 29, 2013, 03:06:31 am »
Streetview shows big garbage container at the spot they marked.

Perhaps I'm missing some sarcasm here. They didn't mark anywhere... The marker is just Googles plotting of their address. Street view simply locks in at the closest image anchor point to the address... The default orientation is looking down the street, not at the address. If you turn to the right you will see the entrance to their office. [The dumpster is across the street] 
 

Offline Recyclojunk64Topic starter

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #338 on: June 01, 2013, 02:15:13 am »
Another update. I think it goes without saying that they're exaggerating how far they are with getting it finished.

Quote
Hello All,

Sorry for the long silence. It’s been an incredibly busy week. New PCBs, new cases, new equipment. We will be sending out a new prototype run early next week if everything goes to plan, and then we will be assembling what should basically be the final product.

On another note, we’ve been getting hundreds of emails through our website from people wanting to pre-order cameras. So we’ve launched a new website with a pre-order form. The pre-order will be first come first serve, and anyone that is interested in getting the camera can reserve a spot in the queue. Our first production run will go to all of our IndieGoGo backers, and to a few large companies that have expressed interest in purchasing large volumes so that they can do an evaluation period. After that, as cameras become available, they will go to anyone that pre-ordered. Pre-ordering requires no payment, and does not represent an obligation to purchase a camera. So if you know someone who is interested in getting a camera. Send them to muoptics.com.

Cheers!
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #339 on: June 01, 2013, 02:58:35 am »
Quote
Sorry for the long silence. It’s been an incredibly busy week. New PCBs, new cases, new equipment. We will be sending out a new prototype run early next week if everything goes to plan, and then we will be assembling what should basically be the final product.

So they a final working prototype, a likely final PCB design, a likely final case design, and they still can't show an actual thermal image output?  :palm:
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #340 on: June 01, 2013, 04:26:46 am »
A commercial developer of thermal imaging cameras on Hack-a-Day says the project is BS:
http://hackaday.com/2013/03/06/a-real-thermal-imaging-camera-for-300/#comment-989466

 

Offline CanadianAvenger

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #341 on: June 01, 2013, 04:30:56 am »
How many fracking PCB spins are these guys going to go through? [Yes I know, they probably haven't made any... but they keep saying they're making yet another one]
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #342 on: June 01, 2013, 11:56:33 am »
Interesting to see pre-ordering offered. I know money isn't committed by pre-ordering but it can be a useful leverage with the bank and backers to have a pile of pre-orders to show !

Dave's link to another forums thread reflects comments that were made here many moons ago, so EEVBlog members are not alone in thinking that the maths does not add up and BS surrounds the claims of cheap COTS technology. I will be honest and say that I have become bored with the whole sorry story and only want to know when they actually show something to their backers or disappear with the money.....the updates from the company are just chaff to confuse and delay.
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Offline millerb

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #343 on: June 01, 2013, 12:11:28 pm »
Maybe I'm a sucker, but I'd bet they actually ship something. But the catch will be that the "something" will be ridiculously lame. Maybe a sensor with some IR sensitivity and a bunch of crap software pixel mangling to make it look like thermal imaging.
 

Offline Corporate666

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #344 on: June 03, 2013, 08:00:52 am »
I had to laugh at this line

" few large companies that have expressed interest in purchasing large volumes so that they can do an evaluation period"

Has anyone ever heard of any company, large or small, purchasing a "large volume" of a product *that hasn't even been made yet* for "evaluation"?  If I ever want to evaluate something, I don't buy a "large volume".  Unless they consider 5 or less units to be large volume.

Just another BS claim, most likely to try to gain credibility by claiming large companies are on board with the idea, as well as to instill some fear in backers that if they request a refund, they will go back to the end of a very long (and growing) line.

Honestly, I think the stuff they are saying transcends willful ignorance or doe-eyed naivete and is maybe entering the real of outright lying for personal gain.
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Offline Pentode

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #345 on: June 03, 2013, 08:37:41 am »
Really ::)
 

Online mikeselectricstuff

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #346 on: June 03, 2013, 08:43:38 am »
I had to laugh at this line

" few large companies that have expressed interest in purchasing large volumes so that they can do an evaluation period"


I suspect what this actually meant was "We are interested in purchasing large quantities, can we have a freebie to evaluate"
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Offline MFX

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #347 on: June 03, 2013, 01:03:44 pm »
Something just clicked about their choice of processor "Atmel SAM3X"   Wouldn't be anything to do with the Arduino Due using a Atmel SAM3X8E would it?  No pics of PCB's because all they've actually been doing to date is playing with an Arduino? Nothing wrong with using Arduino's for product development  in the early stages but you'd hope they'd be WAY beyond that by now. Of course this is all guesswork.

Martin.
 

Offline Corporate666

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #348 on: June 03, 2013, 02:51:56 pm »
I had to laugh at this line

" few large companies that have expressed interest in purchasing large volumes so that they can do an evaluation period"


I suspect what this actually meant was "We are interested in purchasing large quantities, can we have a freebie to evaluate"

You're right - I read it incorrectly the first time around.

I still have a hard time believing any company contacted them and expressed interest in a large volume purchase based on what has been shown so far.  When one contacts a large seller (either retailer or wholesaler), the answer is an almost universal "sure, send us a sample along with a spec sheet and pricing info and we will take a look", which the entrepreneur contorts in their head into "they want millions of them!". 

This project is like a gruseome car accident... you hate that it happened but you can't help but look  >:D
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Online mikeselectricstuff

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #349 on: June 03, 2013, 04:46:29 pm »
I still have a hard time believing any company contacted them and expressed interest in a large volume purchase based on what has been shown so far.

I'm sure there are plenty of Corporate Suits as clueless as the punters who've waseted their money on this.


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