The uBeam FAQ

[sdpkom]

Just before closing this 2011 tab, I decided to read it.

Perry has no background in electrical engineering. She is self-taught by reading online, mostly Wikipedia.
'A Guppy Navigating A Shark Tank'
In the business world, she's like a guppy navigating a shark tank. Fortune 500 companies already called to issue veiled threats, telling Perry she ought to license her technology to them.
https://www.npr.org/2011/08/23/139854129/young-entrepreneur-has-a-better-idea-now-what

Trying to figure out her next venture, here is a partial list of other subjects she has no background in:
Medicine, Nuclear fusion, especially cold fusion, Aviation (not including space travel) , Telekinesis, Mind reading.

She does, now, have a background in Biology, astrobiology (what's that anyway), ultrasound, electrical engineering, management, and fundraising so she better not work in any of those areas anymore, as she has now became those linear thinkers you aught to avoid.

[sdpkom]

http://theweeklyobserver.com/nasa-sends-clowns-to-mars/65952/

Clowns needed for a NASA mars mission
Engineering background not required
500dB ultrasound is completely safe in space

[andy o]

Over the last 10 years or so i went to clinics (not just family doctors) with  pains and weird heart behaviour. None of the existing science could find the reasons for it, let alone cure it. So much to us "understanding our biology".

What is the point of this anecdote, especially in the context of the posts you're responding to? To suggest that we don't know anything about biology? Or that medical professionals don't know everything, therefore an "alternative" to scientific medicine/biology is to be sought after? And what would that alternative look like, if it's not within the purview of science?

[PaulReynolds]

Every TED Talk Ever. Genius.

https://liesandstartuppr.blogspot.com/2019/02/every-ted-talk-ever.html

[Buriedcode]

Reminds me a lot of this (although this is more, the formula for a TED talk)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZBKX-6Gz6A&feature=youtu.be

[Fungus]

what would that alternative look like, if it's not within the purview of science?

Theranos?

(which has to be what our heroine has been eyeing up as her next scam)

[Cyberdragon]

what would that alternative look like, if it's not within the purview of science?

Theranos?

(which has to be what our heroine has been eyeing up as her next scam)

the death of Steve Jobs

[EEVblog]

Thanking her biggest investor and supporters for a tweet (of presumably support), and then having said person pull their tweet, priceless 





Probably worth following her on Twitter to get an idea what she is interested in lately:

[Howardlong]

Suster claims to clean out his tweets every six months or so. He's never stated why, only that he does. Without an explanation forthcoming, one can of course draw one's own conclusions.

I mean, it's like he doesn't do a bit of convenient necro-deletion on his blog posts, like this one for example:

If for any reason we fall short of expectations we have set in the market, I will be the first person in line to admit it and then to immediately fund Meredith’s next company.

[PaulReynolds]

Thanking her biggest investor and supporters for a tweet (of presumably support), and then having said person pull their tweet, priceless 

Probably worth following her on Twitter to get an idea what she is interested in lately:

Unfortunately there are already multiple folding bike helmets available, such as this one:

https://www.park-and-diamond.com/

As a now-expert in engineering and innovation, it seems Perry has succumbed to linear thinking and forgotten to do the basics and Google for 10 seconds.

I have to say though, I am slightly concerned about where the swimming pool full of blood is heading...

[PaulReynolds]

Suster claims to clean out his tweets every six months or so. He's never stated why, only that he does. Without an explanation forthcoming, one can of course draw one's own conclusions.

I mean, it's like he doesn't do a bit of convenient necro-deletion on his blog posts, like this one for example:

If for any reason we fall short of expectations we have set in the market, I will be the first person in line to admit it and then to immediately fund Meredith’s next company.

Do you have a link for where he claims to do that? As far as I know, that "mega purge" on Oct 1st last year (shortly after Perry's publicized departure from uBeam), was the first time he'd done that. If the first reference to his deletions is then or later, then something smells. While I've no evidence any which way, so purely speculation, whenever I see someone retroactively change and mass delete, I always think "Something in there made them legally vulnerable, and so they've mass deleted to both cover for what it is, and avoid further liability. Reputationally liable they'd selectively delete."

[StillTrying]

There are a few twitter mentions of purge.
https://twitter.com/gtryan/status/851395718778671104
https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&q=msuster%20purge&src=typd

[langwadt]

Suster claims to clean out his tweets every six months or so. He's never stated why, only that he does. Without an explanation forthcoming, one can of course draw one's own conclusions.

I mean, it's like he doesn't do a bit of convenient necro-deletion on his blog posts, like this one for example:

If for any reason we fall short of expectations we have set in the market, I will be the first person in line to admit it and then to immediately fund Meredith’s next company.

Do you have a link for where he claims to do that? As far as I know, that "mega purge" on Oct 1st last year (shortly after Perry's publicized departure from uBeam), was the first time he'd done that. If the first reference to his deletions is then or later, then something smells. While I've no evidence any which way, so purely speculation, whenever I see someone retroactively change and mass delete, I always think "Something in there made them legally vulnerable, and so they've mass deleted to both cover for what it is, and avoid further liability. Reputationally liable they'd selectively delete."

it hard to say what could become a liability a year from now, people end up in a shit storm for using the wrong word in
a tweet years ago

[drussell]

While I've no evidence any which way, so purely speculation, whenever I see someone retroactively change and mass delete, I always think "Something in there made them legally vulnerable, and so they've mass deleted to both cover for what it is, and avoid further liability. Reputationally liable they'd selectively delete."

Other than the fact that the internet doesn't forget...  Even when you "delete" a tweet. 

[EEVblog]

Suster claims to clean out his tweets every six months or so. He's never stated why, only that he does. Without an explanation forthcoming, one can of course draw one's own conclusions.

It's because he wants the social currency that goes along with having a high profile twitter account, but doesn't want the long term accountability.

I mean, it's like he doesn't do a bit of convenient necro-deletion on his blog posts, like this one for example:

If for any reason we fall short of expectations we have set in the market, I will be the first person in line to admit it and then to immediately fund Meredith’s next company.

That one was a very deliberate doozy

[EEVblog]

it hard to say what could become a liability a year from now, people end up in a shit storm for using the wrong word in a tweet years ago

Only if they are dumb enough to apologise for it or try to hide it.

[StillTrying]

We can't wait to see the incredible tech of @ubeam, @SurgicalTheater, @techsee_me, @magisto, Nanomedic and Tevel next Thursday, March 7th, at #OCSummit19's Demo Theater!

OurCrowd, creating junk-tech so you don't have to.  https://twitter.com/OurCrowd/status/1100000625931227141

uBeam to Release & Demonstrate Customer Development Kits
"We are delighted to showcase our new Customer Development Kits at these two important forums," said Simon McElrea, uBeam CEO. "These kits include all of the critical hardware and software elements required to enable contracted customers to seamlessly integrate uBeam's ultrasonic Wireless Energy technology into their end products."

The Development Kits (or reference designs) have been created based on feedback from initial engagements with customers in the consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive and IoT sectors, and are designed to be scalable in size and power-output based on customer need, as well as to allow for simple next-generation transducer and ASIC upgrades.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ubeam-to-release--demonstrate-customer-development-kits-at-upcoming-march-events-300805683.html

[PaulReynolds]

uBeam to Release & Demonstrate Customer Development Kits
"We are delighted to showcase our new Customer Development Kits at these two important forums," said Simon McElrea, uBeam CEO. "These kits include all of the critical hardware and software elements required to enable contracted customers to seamlessly integrate uBeam's ultrasonic Wireless Energy technology into their end products."

I think the important word in the first part is "showcase". Will anyone outside the company get their hands on them to actually evaluate? Data sheets? Pricing? (Rhetorical questions)

[Fungus]

uBeam to Release & Demonstrate Customer Development Kits
"We are delighted to showcase our new Customer Development Kits at these two important forums," said Simon McElrea, uBeam CEO. "These kits include all of the critical hardware and software elements required to enable contracted customers to seamlessly integrate uBeam's ultrasonic Wireless Energy technology into their end products."

I think the important word in the first part is "showcase". Will anyone outside the company get their hands on them to actually evaluate? Data sheets? Pricing? (Rhetorical questions)

Of course not.

At this stage they know it doesn't work so they're willfully lying in order to maintain the illusion and to take people's money under false pretenses.

[Bud]

Over the last 10 years or so i went to clinics (not just family doctors) with  pains and weird heart behaviour. None of the existing science could find the reasons for it, let alone cure it. So much to us "understanding our biology".

What is the point of this anecdote, especially in the context of the posts you're responding to? To suggest that we don't know anything about biology? Or that medical professionals don't know everything, therefore an "alternative" to scientific medicine/biology is to be sought after? And what would that alternative look like, if it's not within the purview of science?

I was responding to someone's comment that we know very little about our biology. I basically said that is true, with all of the seemingly advanced science   we still know very little about our body .  To you this may be an anecdot, to me it is not knowing if i will wake up tomorrow.

[EEVblog]

uBeam to Release & Demonstrate Customer Development Kits
"We are delighted to showcase our new Customer Development Kits at these two important forums," said Simon McElrea, uBeam CEO. "These kits include all of the critical hardware and software elements required to enable contracted customers to seamlessly integrate uBeam's ultrasonic Wireless Energy technology into their end products."

I think the important word in the first part is "showcase". Will anyone outside the company get their hands on them to actually evaluate? Data sheets? Pricing? (Rhetorical questions)

I think the important word is contracted. They won't show it to anyone unless they are contracted or at least very serious about a contract to license the tech.
And because they have absolutely no consumer game left to play, they have to rely on big ticket companies to sign up and use the tech for some niche app, or just something to dispose of some cash on.
They are just buying time until they can sell the company for whatever they can get.

[sdpkom]

This is the highest res photo available

I talked to one of the people who got a private demo of the kit yesyerday.

They have two transmitters... the big one has an ir camera and looks like the one shown on their twitter feed.
It locates a receiver and sends power to it.
It can light some LEDs at ~6 ft with a reciever that is ~10cm x 15 cm x 3 cm.
They say it is safe and was tested by a secret 3rd party.
They dont discuss the components.
Say it can deliver 1w at ~2 feet, but did not show phone charging.
Transmission does not stop completly if the beam is blocked, they say its not needed.
If the receiver is moved... it finds it after a few seconds.

The kit consists of a smaller transmitter version.
The smaller transmitter sends constant high power sound forward. Does not locate receivers and does move the beam. Does not ever stop transmitting. If you place a receiver in front of it, it can turn on an LED at ~1 ft.  They say its all made out of commercially available components and is ready to go to market. The receiver can move an inch or two sideways and still works.

Will get more info tomorrow

[PaulReynolds]

I talked to one of the people who got a private demo of the kit yesyerday.
...
Will get more info tomorrow

With the caveat of basing my opinion here on what you've been told - even taking into account that I thought I'd be underwhelmed, I'm underwhelmed, and tbh shocked they'd go that route with the demo kit.

My first "wow" here is related to safety - the admission that they can't control random exposure for safety IMO kills this 'product' right here, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen (grating lobes always meant random exposure but this is the main lobe too). That it's been evaluated for safety by a "secret 3rd party" sets off a ton of alarm bells, if I were them and had such a conclusive report I'd be announcing it everywhere - if it's really definitive it would be impossible for people like me to poke holes in it, so release away. Press should not ever let them get away with that, and I doubt any sane manufacturer they are trying to license to will either (but, hey, Dialog paid Energous $25m).

I'm suspicious of "1 watt at 2 feet" - again if that could be done, it would be something I'd be publicizing as much as possible, an LED does not say "1 watt".

IMO A transmitter that sends power only forward, with no steering, and uses only commercially available components sounds like they soldered a bunch of Muratas to a board in parallel and used the natural focus of ultrasound to create a single point focus about 25/30cm out and a couple of inches across, which does not need $40m and several years to make. Their own Oct 2017 fundraising document described the amazing proprietary transducers they had as central to their commercial advantage, and they are instead using something you can overnight from Digikey for $3? What is the value proposition above plugging into a wire or placing on a Qi charge pad? How is this in any way better than what Powercast already sell? To see what a small transmitter such as described looks like, see this:

https://www.soundlazer.com/

This was a Kickstarter, and was built with around $125,000 through to commercialization with nice packaging.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/richardhaberkern/soundlazer

What is the IP moat that stops others? Why would you let anyone see that demo kit? IMO it just proves you have almost nothing. Just... wow.

[KL27x]

Unfortunately there are already multiple folding bike helmets available, such as this one:

https://www.park-and-diamond.com/

This is exactly what Meredith should work on. I wonder what kind of magic beans this is made out of to prevent concussions and split noggins "just as well as traditional helmets." The construction, military, police, and professional sports industries would like to know. If you put a battery and enough sensors and microcontrollers, memory metal, and tiny air bags, maybe she could pull it off (the fundraising part).

Dunno, maybe it's made out of depleted uranium, so your head just keeps going through whatever you hit.

[sdpkom]

Some more info,

They claim being able to transmit 1W at 1 meter, hunderds of mWs at 2m and 10s of mW at 5m, but when asking a bit more details, this was for an unspecified receiver size, unspecified transmitter model and unknown alignment.

When they demo the system, they hold the receiver with fingers blocking parts of the beam, but not the white square. I assume this means it's at least safe enough so that it does not hurt.

The receiver they demo is not delivering measurable power  (2 wires you can connect to a meter, or some USB you can connect to a phone)  instead it has an array of approximately 14x16 red LEDs which are not very bright to look at. When it's working, only about a 1/3 of the LEDs are lit. Assuming the LEDs are 5mW LEDs, this would be translated to about 350mW of usable power at short distance.
The demo kit includes a slightly smaller receiver, approximately half the size.

The kit includes the small transmitter, which does not lock on receivers but rather has a fixed focus and is always on.

During conversation they said that
All components of the kit are commercially available and ready to go to production.
Its completely safe, when asking about Israel (demo was in Israel) they avoided the question.
They said it's certified as safe by a 3rd party, they avoided answering who is the 3rd party.
They avoided all questions about dBs in either side (transmitter or receiver).