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

[WN1X]

The shitstorm nears... I'll get out my special popcorn.

The suspense is killing me 

[Galenbo]

...
And that's if the product even works reliably and fits, which they have had problems on the prototype units with.

This will be a long list.
Unable to put in, unable to get out, folded and broken, isolation got off, fire, uncompatible DCDC-DCDC converters,...

[rich]

I just watched their recent IGG promo video and think they could get a miniaturisation patent application accepted as the PCB on this latest version is so incredibly thin that it has turned transparent and can't be detected by the camera

The sleeves read Batteroo now so this may side-step the trademark issue. Bobby's hiding this fact with his fingers when showing the sleeve to camera but it can be seen in other shots. And then there are the shots showing it fitted backwards, perhaps marketing was confused by the transparent PCB.

[Godzil]

Where does this pics come from?

[rich]

They are screen grabs from the video at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/batteriser-extend-battery-life-by-up-to-8x#/

[Godzil]

Oh ok they are basically just some old prototypes we already saw in the previous version of the video, nothing new there

[rich]

Ah ok. I read further up this was a new campaign video and hadn't seen the Batteroo sleeves before, so assumed they were new too. I should've guessed old footage would be recycled 8x.

[g.lewarne]

I'm going to need more popcorn!

None of their promotional photos (including the weird upside-down on the ceiling one) of their new red sleeves contain any detectable PCB either.  Its almost like they don't actually have any.......

[Fungus]

None of their promotional photos (including the weird upside-down on the ceiling one) of their new red sleeves contain any detectable PCB either.  Its almost like they don't actually have any.......

They've done the "Apple Keyboard" demo live. Somebody's seen one.

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

(Although they couldn't get it to work when they tried it themselves and I'm not personally convinced the keyboard demo isn't done via a remote control in Bob's pocket).

[PA0PBZ]

There's indeed not much electronics going on there:

[g.lewarne]

None of their promotional photos (including the weird upside-down on the ceiling one) of their new red sleeves contain any detectable PCB either.  Its almost like they don't actually have any.......

They've done the "Apple Keyboard" demo live. Somebody's seen one.

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

(Although they couldn't get it to work when they tried it themselves and I'm not personally convinced the keyboard demo isn't done via a remote control in Bob's pocket).

no I meant their promo photos of the RED sleeves, the ones used in the apple video are their prototype silver ones.  Take a good look at all the new design red sleeve photos - no PCBs as far as I can see?


EDIT: ahhh ok, I stand corrected, they have at least 2 red ones with a PCB

EDIT2: looking carefully at the photos and screengrabs of the silver ones, it looks like the PCB slides into two plastic, slotted mounts on either side of the + end, perhaps they have many sleeves but only 2 or 3 actual PCBs that they use in various photos, videos and whatnot

[Kalvin]

There's indeed not much electronics going on there:

It works better without electronics. It is like the powerbalance

[rrinker]

 Has anyone gone back and pulled the battery out of the Apple keyboard and verified it was the same, 'dead' one that they took out in the beginning? Some fairly basic sleight of hand and they could just be plugging in a fresh battery.

[Fungus]

Has anyone gone back and pulled the battery out of the Apple keyboard and verified it was the same, 'dead' one that they took out in the beginning? Some fairly basic sleight of hand and they could just be plugging in a fresh battery.

The entire PCB could be a fake. It seems very suspicious that Yahoo Makers couldn't get the Batteriser to work at all.

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.

How hard could it be to make it work? Why didn't Bob offer to help?

[rrinker]

 Because he knew it was all a sham and there was nothing to demonstrate or make work.

Have they actually demonstrated it with something OTHER than the Apple keyboard? And isn't it they who are supplying this Apple keyboard each time?

[Fungus]

Have they actually demonstrated it with something OTHER than the Apple keyboard? And isn't it they who are supplying this Apple keyboard each time?

Not as far as we know.

(Hence my suspicion...)

A small 3V battery wouldn't be hard to hide in a keyboard. It could be as simple as: Take dead batteries out, slip insulating Batteriser sleeves over them, reinsert them, remember to flip the secret switch while you're handling the keyboard.

Would they really go as far as completely faking it? I don't know.

There's some big-name ex-CEOs on their board of directors these days. Surely not all of them are as lacking in morals as the Batteroo Brothers. Maybe none of them has ever bothered to ask questions, they just take Bob's word for it (over lunch). 

[McBryce]

You're thinking way to complicated. It would take 2 minutes to make a full screen powerpoint slide with a screenshot of the desktop with the battery display at 100%. No hacking required.

McBryce.

[EEVblog]

Have they actually demonstrated it with something OTHER than the Apple keyboard? And isn't it they who are supplying this Apple keyboard each time?

Not publicly, no, not to anyone's knowledge.
Yahoo Makers saw it briefly working on the (presumably supplied by Batteroo) keyboard, but it did not work on anything else they tried.
I'm pretty sure Batteroo have not rigged the keyboard test, as all they are demoing is that it goes from 10% to 100% figure, and that's of course what a DC-DC converter will do.
I think they thing is just physically fiddly and has problem making contact, something that Batteroo themselves suggested in the Yahoo interview.

[timofonic]

Have they actually demonstrated it with something OTHER than the Apple keyboard? And isn't it they who are supplying this Apple keyboard each time?

Not as far as we know.

(Hence my suspicion...)

A small 3V battery wouldn't be hard to hide in a keyboard. It could be as simple as: Take dead batteries out, slip insulating Batteriser sleeves over them, reinsert them, remember to flip the secret switch while you're handling the keyboard.

Would they really go as far as completely faking it? I don't know.

There's some big-name ex-CEOs on their board of directors these days. Surely not all of them are as lacking in morals as the Batteroo Brothers. Maybe none of them has ever bothered to ask questions, they just take Bob's word for it (over lunch). 

I think it's the other way around...

They were bastarda, but now they are too stigmatized. Now they want their last scam to have a great retire.

It's the same like Amiga, Inc. & Genesis.

Amiga Inc. Packed 3.1 with lots of third party patches and sold an alpha Os with prototype overpriced hardware. But the recent AmigaOS 3.1 + some of the OS4 is amazing!

The last one were at least worked with some skilled terrorists and had government. Bill Buck and Raquel Velasco, they always posted in the forums as bbrv. Bill looked even more ADHD than me and coke addict,  Raquel was a hot mature woman and probably the evil manipulative mind.

[EEVblog]

Would they really go as far as completely faking it? I don't know.

Of course not.
I don't know why these conspiracy theories keep doing the rounds, you don't need them to explain what's happening here.

It's not rocket science to make something like this, it's just a DC-DC converter on the end of a battery, it's just a minimisation problem.
They clearly have a real functioning prototype that admittedly seems to have some connection reliability/fit issues which would be expected.
This is simply a case of a novel idea by serial entrepreneurs/inventors that were hoping would make them a fortune, so they go blindly into development only to find that the practical reality is that it's only mildly useful. They likely had the best of intentions.
But they have to persist, because that's what these serial entrepreneurs/inventors do, especially when they have taken investors money.
They did not expect a big backlash from the technical community, they thought they could just flip a half-arsed product to Walmart etc and no one would care.
They don't release technical performance data because they know very well it will prove that the thing can't perform as claimed.

[timofonic]

Would they really go as far as completely faking it? I don't know.

Of course not.
I don't know why these conspiracy theories keep doing the rounds, you don't need them to explain what's happening here.

It's not rocket science to make something like this, it's just a DC-DC converter on the end of a battery, it's just a minimisation problem.
They clearly have a real functioning prototype that admittedly seems to have some connection reliability/fit issues which would be expected.
This is simply a case of a novel idea by serial entrepreneurs/inventors that were hoping would make them a fortune, so they go blindly into development only to find that the practical reality is that it's only mildly useful. They likely had the best of intentions.
But they have to persist, because that's what these serial entrepreneurs/inventors do, especially when they have taken investors money.
They did not expect a big backlash from the technical community, they thought they could just flip a half-arsed product to Walmart etc and no one would care.
They don't release technical performance data because they know very well it will prove that the thing can't perform as claimed.

You are very funny. Please don't lie to u anymore!

You have a dramatic arts degree and write humor scripts when you   aren't busy at electronics, your blondie or Sagan

[Delta]

Here's my pedantic conspiracy theory:

I have noticed that recently they are referring to "batteriser sleeves" rather than "batterisers" ("Your batteriser sleeves will be shipping ___________), the most recent images show only a sleeve, no PCB = they are planning to only deliver the SS sleeve! 

[MikeW]

They likely had the best of intentions.

they thought they could just flip a half-arsed product to Walmart etc and no one would care.

These two statements kinda contradict one another.

[ccs46]

The shitstorm nears... I'll get out my special popcorn.

Whats so special about it? Is the corn kernels grown by nude virgins in the fields? Special type of seasoning.


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[Mr.B]

The shitstorm nears... I'll get out my special popcorn.

Whats so special about it? Is the corn kernels grown by nude virgins in the fields? Special type of seasoning.

It's 800% better than other popcorn as tested and confirmed by a certified monkey.