EEVblog #751 - How To Debunk A Product (The Batteriser)

[Fungus]

More deliberately vague weasel words:
"ship out for the New Year"

If they actually had the units ready to ship you can bet your bottom dollar Bob would be crowing about on Idiegogo, show photos etc.
But no, just a vaguely worded update on Facebook.

That's the thing. They can't ship anything. Even if they have them ready to go. As soon as they ship them the game is over.

...and if they don't ship them the game will soon be over, too. Batteriser has publicly claimed that retail devices will be available before New Year. They can't keep up the "first samples will be here next week" type bullshit any longer. They could maybe have one more manufacturing glitch that "forced them to switch supplier" but that's it.

Meanwhile: This is exactly the wrong time of year to be looking for a big contract from somebody like Walmart. Walmart won't be looking for any new product lines until February-March. The clock is ticking, Bob, the clock is ticking.

[EEVblog]

Meanwhile: This is exactly the wrong time of year to be looking for a big contract from somebody like Walmart. Walmart won't be looking for any new product lines until February-March. The clock is ticking, Bob, the clock is ticking.

The battery in the clock has run out. Quick, better pop in a Batteriser! Oh, that's right, they don't have them yet, not even ones to send to the media 

[AmmoJammo]

I'd be interested in some of the 500ma versions to look at.

I mean, they won't work in high current devices, even though they claimed they'd seen the greatest gains in high current devices, but it would be interesting to see if they even exist! 

[g.lewarne]

I'd be interested in some of the 500ma versions to look at.

I mean, they won't work in high current devices, even though they claimed they'd seen the greatest gains in high current devices, but it would be interesting to see if they even exist! 

Well, since we have never seen an actual, real, batteriser up close and tested, (the keyboard and gps vids could be "props") perhaps they ran out of the same cardboard they used on the C/D "mockup"

Or, maybe they only made 2 or 3 of them and used those for the videos and marketing fluff

[EEVblog]

I'd be interested in some of the 500ma versions to look at.
I mean, they won't work in high current devices, even though they claimed they'd seen the greatest gains in high current devices, but it would be interesting to see if they even exist! 

All of their claims, including the ones of high current devices have all come before:
a) They acknowledged they needed a high current version
and
b) By their own admission couldn't have had (and still don't) even have the high current version to test anything with.

All we know for certain is that their prototypes exist, which they have now admitted have the "low current" 500mA chip in it. And those prototypes were physically and/or electrically flaky as witnessed when some media actually played with them and they wouldn't work.
No one has ever seen a production version, nor have they proudly shown them off. Even when they were supposedly ready to ship, before this recent ASIC high current re-spin delay.

[EEVblog]

Or, maybe they only made 2 or 3 of them and used those for the videos and marketing fluff

That seems to be the case.
They definitely shows prototypes to Yahoo who couldn't get it working:
https://www.yahoo.com/makers/breakthrough-battery-gadget-answers-critics-125063020800.html

Trouble With Our Test
Yahoo Makers was only able to try out the Batteriser briefly in our offices.
After Roohparvar successfully demonstrated the Batteriser prototype in his Apple keyboard, we tried it out in a regular flashlight and in a Bluetooth mouse. This time, though, it failed to make contact and power the devices. Roohparvar thought the positive tip wasn’t quite lined up where it needed to be and said the production version would be much more resilient. He offered to give Yahoo Makers another unit to test soon.

And wow, 427 comments on that article!

[FrankBuss]

They definitely shows prototypes to Yahoo who couldn't get it working:
https://www.yahoo.com/makers/breakthrough-battery-gadget-answers-critics-125063020800.html

The article is from July 2015. They were developing this since 2010 and didn't manage to get the sleeve right for the Yahoo test, and later discovered that there are battery powered devices which need more than 500 mA. Based on this track record, a usuable product might be ready in 2020

[quad]

We are getting closer to shipment and optimistic about our progress. You can expect your Batterisers this January.

[Fungus]

We are getting closer to shipment and optimistic about our progress. You can expect your Batterisers this January.

What day in January?

What happened to "for new Year"?

[AmmoJammo]

We are getting closer to shipment and optimistic about our progress. You can expect your Batterisers this January.

What day in January?

What happened to "for new Year"?

When they said "for", they meant "in"

Mind you, to expect the butterisers this January, they'd have to start shipping, well, right now actually...

Which would of course mean they'd have to already be built........

Which if this was the case, Bob would have told us by now......................................................................dotdotdotDOT!

edit: 7,390 backers, I think thats about 15 down from when the campaign ended? that could be 15 "backers" all with the same IP address...

[SL4P]

My gag thread for the day...
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/capacitors-batteriser-and-static-charges/msg824552/#msg824552

Also a bit worried that.Bob is only 'optimistic' about their progress...

[ez24]

My suggestion is for manufactures include a compartment in their battery equipped stuff and include a Batteriser in the compartment for emergency power of the device.

I think Dave should make a compartment in his MM for a Batteriser and use this as a selling point, first MM with emergency power backup.

I bet if the Batteriser works, someday you will see stuff with compartments for them.

[SL4P]

Bob already has a compartment for spare batteries...

[McBryce]

I bet if the Batteriser works, someday you will see stuff with compartments for them.

If it worked (which it won't) they'd just include the batteriser circuitry on the devices circuit board! Massively cheaper than making compartments for them.

Oh, wait.... they already do include circuitry to make the most of the battery.

McBryce.

[AmmoJammo]

Ah, so its a "newer", "more accessible" version of the butteriser they've chosen to go with.

The one that hasn't been designed, prototyped, built, or tested 

Much more accessible!

[SL4P]

More accessible than what?
The existing one?
Give me a break...

[AmmoJammo]

I don't think they quite understand the concept of "stocking stuffers".... and thanking someone... 

[Wytnucls]

Bob says deliveries in January now. Eternal optimist.
More accessible could mean they gave up on their own IC and went shopping on DigiKey. Good luck with 1.5A or even 500mA from a AAA battery then.

[Brumby]

"more accessible" .... ?

What the bloody hell does that mean?

[dr.diesel]

"more accessible" .... ?

What the bloody hell does that mean?

Something more accessible that took longer, LMAO.   

[madires]

Bob says deliveries in January now. Eternal optimist.
More accessible could mean they gave up on their own IC and went shopping on DigiKey. Good luck with 1.5A or even 500mA from a AAA battery then.

Own IC?  After showing so much competence I'd think they fell victim to some start-up in a garage with the same business plan.

[EEVblog]

The article is from July 2015. They were developing this since 2010 and didn't manage to get the sleeve right for the Yahoo test, and later discovered that there are battery powered devices which need more than 500 mA. Based on this track record, a usuable product might be ready in 2020

Doesn't instill a lot of confidence does it 

[EEVblog]

Who's actually writing the Batteriser Facebook posts I wonder?
The cognitive dissonance is strong with this one.

[Godzil]

Yes it's likely the Facebook is not managed by the same persons

[Fungus]

"more accessible" .... ?

What the bloody hell does that mean?

According to this article, normal human beings aren't able to get the old one onto a battery:

https://www.yahoo.com/makers/breakthrough-battery-gadget-answers-critics-125063020800.html

"Yahoo Makers was only able to try out the Batteriser briefly in our offices.

After Roohparvar successfully demonstrated the Batteriser prototype in his Apple keyboard, we tried it out in a regular flashlight and in a Bluetooth mouse. This time, though, it failed to make contact and power the devices. Roohparvar thought the positive tip wasn’t quite lined up where it needed to be and said the production version would be much more resilient. He offered to give Yahoo Makers another unit to test soon."

Maybe "more accessible" means that they've fixed that.

Or maybe the entire thing is a lie and the "Apple Keyboard test" is done with a hacked keyboard and remote control in Bob's pocket.

It's the only demo that's ever been done outside of Batteriser, the only time anybody has seen one.