Author Topic: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?  (Read 482355 times)

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Offline Bored@Work

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #800 on: February 12, 2014, 06:18:02 am »
Who going to guess what the next update will be?

My money is on some part shortage, a supplier let them down, a mysterious software bug, or someone caught the flue.
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Offline firewalker

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #801 on: February 12, 2014, 06:36:48 am »
A solar flare took don their facilities.

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Offline andtfoot

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #802 on: February 12, 2014, 07:00:55 am »
They just found an exciting new source of thermal sensors and need to redesign from scratch... starting with a new prototype of the user interface (or other such irrelevant aspect).
 

Offline pickle9000

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #803 on: February 12, 2014, 07:03:33 am »
I'm thinking it will be hamster related.

- My pet hamster died and I am in mourning.
- There was a massive hamster attack in the lab 4 techs dead.
- The production facility was overrun by radioactive hamsters
 

Offline Corporate666

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #804 on: February 12, 2014, 07:36:30 am »
You guys are nuts. >:D :-DD

They won't even address the fact that 4 weeks ago, they said they would have their new cases and be virtually done. ::)

The update will say how they continue to work on the electronics, and they have the interface almost done, and that very soon they will be happy to share the latest progress with backers, but they just can't give away quite all the details just yet. ::)

They will the proceed to ignore any and all feedback.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2014, 07:58:40 am by Corporate666 »
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Offline mrflibble

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #805 on: February 12, 2014, 07:49:35 am »
They will the proceed to ignore any and all feedback.
In which case it's about time they get overrun by radioactive hamsters.

But I think you're probably right, same rehash. Oh but you forget to mention that they will be "really excited" about something or other. You have to be really excited in the update about something, otherwise it's too blatantly obvious that you are just playing for time. Maybe  really excited about some new breakthrough in the field of hamster research. And because of that research now they need a new prototype. Or a new case, because the new hamsters are too big for the old case.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #806 on: February 12, 2014, 08:28:53 am »
My money is on some part shortage, a supplier let them down, a mysterious software bug, or someone caught the flue.

Hey, you can't have 4 sucks of the sav!
 

Offline sleemanj

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #807 on: February 12, 2014, 08:39:47 am »
My prediction;

"Hey everybody, really exciting news this month, we took our prototypes [not shown] to some [insert occupation] people and got some great feedback, they really loved it and gave us some excellent suggestions [none will be listed].  As a a result of those discussions we are making a few [unspecified] changes to our case design [they seem to really like cases, as in the carrying case] to make it more [insert adjective] and [another adjective].  We should have those complete in the next few weeks and we will then get new prototypes made!"
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Offline Fraser

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #808 on: February 12, 2014, 12:38:46 pm »
Hey guys give Mu a break....it takes time to re-case a FLIR One and change the splash screen to 'Mu Optics' you know  :-DD
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Offline Bored@Work

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #809 on: February 12, 2014, 04:26:44 pm »
Hey, you can't have 4 sucks of the sav!

Of course I can. It is just like buying four lottery tickets instead of one. And let me get a fifth ticket: Fire in the lab when they heated something up to test the imager prototype.
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Offline EEVblog

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #810 on: March 04, 2014, 10:57:31 pm »
Sounds like many of the remaining faithful are abandoning ship. Well past the date the date they said they'd be shipping final prototype to their unnamed distributors.
 

Offline firewalker

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #811 on: March 05, 2014, 01:16:42 pm »
Not even an update.  :'( :'( :'(

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Offline EEVblog

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #812 on: March 06, 2014, 11:43:50 am »
Not even an update.  :'( :'( :'(

I miss the updates, they were fun :-(
 

Offline London Lad

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #813 on: March 06, 2014, 04:06:41 pm »
Yes my moneys on hamsters too  :palm:
 

Online Kean

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #814 on: March 06, 2014, 06:25:45 pm »
I know things aren't looking good.  So it appears that I (and my money) am a lemming to the end!   |O

But I just don't understand the lack of updates from these guys  :-//
 

Offline mrflibble

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #815 on: March 06, 2014, 07:00:49 pm »
But I just don't understand the lack of updates from these guys  :-//
You seriously mean that? I am guessing the hamsters escaped the lab, so they are now trying to catch them before they can make a relevant update.

If you still have money in there best ask for a refund pronto. If there's still any refunding to be done that is.
 

Offline AndyC_772

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #816 on: March 06, 2014, 07:09:47 pm »
But I just don't understand the lack of updates from these guys  :-//
Often the simplest explanation is the correct one.

I would speculate that the Mu team are just not capable of developing this product. They simply lack the technical or commercial skills to do it.

Maybe they started out with the best intentions, but it's obvious that things started going wrong at an early stage and they didn't know how to handle it. Perhaps they were indeed strong-armed into signing a stupidly restrictive NDA, and lacked the ability to anticipate the problems it would cause, or the balls to stand up and say no.

But more likely, IMHO, is that they just plain don't know how to develop the product.

It wouldn't be all that surprising; designing an electronic device from scratch and getting it ready for mass production is *hard*. If it wasn't, any fool could do it, and I'd be out of a job.

Offline Fraser

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #817 on: March 06, 2014, 07:30:24 pm »
A discussion point at the beginning of this project was how they would be able to offer a thermal sensor and lens combination at the price point stated. The description of the sensor that came from Mu was that it was already commercially available and that they were just using it in a super secret innovative way. That one statement makes or breaks my belief in the Mu team. If they could demonstrate a commercially available, bargain priced sensor, that can do as they claimed they would be opening nup the world of cheap thermal cameras, and liklely make a fortune selling the rights to their innovative use of the sensor. The fact that no one has yet seen this sensor or even its specification leads me to believe they made a serious error in their technical planning and likely found out that their innovative use of the sensor didn't work. At that point they should have come clean with the backers. I remain to be convinced that Mu ever had such an affordable sensor working in any way like a thermal camera.

With the news of the FLIR ONE Mu may as well pack up their bags and find a new project anyway.

It was always destined to end as a car wreck as the naivety of the Mu team was evident from their initial claims and unit price point. Nice graphics, plenty of 'spin' and no substance. That just about sums up the Mu project. May it Rest In Peace.

For all the time that the project has taken, many investors could have saved the money to buy a real thermal camera such as the FLIR E4, and could have had 320x240 resolution and advanced menu's into the deal at no extra cost  ;)  No need for a damned iPhone either !!!!
« Last Edit: March 06, 2014, 07:34:28 pm by Aurora »
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Online Kean

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #818 on: March 06, 2014, 08:11:54 pm »
Oh, it is clear they deluded themselves from the start, and that they've also lied to their backers multiple times.  I still find it weird the way it has played out.  I'd have thought they'd have either lied a *lot* more, put more effort into stringing us out, or even have been honest.  This hasn't been one of the usual patterns I've seen.  I have to guess it is because they got outside funding, and that put more pressure on them that from the backers.

I admit I was suspicious right from the start simply because of the low cost and short time frame, but willing to take a risk not knowing a lot at the time about the internals of a TIC.  I think it was also one of my first IGG pledges.  But I also don't want to ask for a refund as it lets them off the hook - I want to see this to the end, even if it has to be from a distance.

So I wrote that money off a while ago (entertainment value), and it taught me a lesson re crowdfunding that I'll try not forget.  Now I know I can throw a lot less at projects for the entertainment - SmartyRing is going to be classic I think.
 

Offline Bored@Work

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #819 on: March 06, 2014, 08:45:20 pm »
But I also don't want to ask for a refund as it lets them off the hook - I want to see this to the end, even if it has to be from a distance.

That does not compute.

Watching them going down from a distance with your money back in your pocket, or
watching them going down from a distance with your money still in their pocket.

I know what I would prefer.

And in both cases they are off the hook. Off the hook as in no direct consequences for them other than a ruined reputation. If you want to hook them consider to contact the relevant authorities.
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Offline Corporate666

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #820 on: March 06, 2014, 09:08:32 pm »
But I just don't understand the lack of updates from these guys  :-//

...because if they had anything positive to share, they would.  There is no good news, so there are no updates.

I don't even believe they got outside investment... they just aren't working on the project anymore (or very, very little) so there is really nothing to say, hence a couple of paragraphs giving no detail every couple of months.

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Offline edavid

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #821 on: March 06, 2014, 09:17:53 pm »
But what is their end game?  Why not get the charade over with?
 

Online Kean

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #822 on: March 06, 2014, 09:52:18 pm »
That does not compute.
Actually, to me the fact they are offering refunds at all is the thing that doesn't compute.

If you want to hook them consider to contact the relevant authorities.
Well as I am in Australia, the relevant authorities are not really at my disposal.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #823 on: March 06, 2014, 09:58:31 pm »
But I just don't understand the lack of updates from these guys  :-//

It's simple, they don't have anything to show.
 

Offline Bored@Work

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Re: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake?
« Reply #824 on: March 06, 2014, 10:26:03 pm »
That does not compute.
Actually, to me the fact they are offering refunds at all is the thing that doesn't compute.

Keeping the unruly masses at bay.

Quote
If you want to hook them consider to contact the relevant authorities.
Well as I am in Australia, the relevant authorities are not really at my disposal.

They have that Internet thing up there in Chicago Illinois. It shouldn't take long to find interesting online stuff.
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