Author Topic: The uBeam FAQ  (Read 651797 times)

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Offline StillTrying

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1400 on: January 07, 2019, 01:36:33 pm »
I can't stop thinking of the demonstrations in their 'downstairs lab' as a “no electromagnetic field zones” area.

How many “no electromagnetic field zone” IoT devices are there going to be.

At least the new management seem to be on the ball - for more comedy!
 :horse:
« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 01:38:17 pm by StillTrying »
.  That took much longer than I thought it would.
 

Offline sdpkom

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1401 on: January 07, 2019, 01:46:59 pm »
They seem to have a new CEO

The former HR is no longer the interim CEO, she's now the interim CFO.
There is a Simon McElrea there (former VP @ Energous).
http://ubeam.com/team/
« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 03:36:17 pm by sdpkom »
 

Offline PaulReynolds

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1402 on: January 07, 2019, 05:53:31 pm »
They seem to have a new CEO

The former HR is no longer the interim CEO, she's now the interim CFO.
There is a Simon McElrea there (former VP @ Energous).
http://ubeam.com/team/

Ex-Energous? You couldn't make this up, it would be too unbelievable.

Actually a good choice if they're going to try to squeeze any money out of the limited IP they have.

Also clear they are going the IoT route, as seemingly do all wireless at distance companies. The "no EM zone" thing is weird.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 06:03:38 pm by PaulReynolds »
 

Offline StillTrying

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1403 on: January 07, 2019, 07:07:47 pm »
It's official. :horse:
.  That took much longer than I thought it would.
 

Offline sdpkom

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1404 on: January 07, 2019, 07:20:52 pm »
I almost believed Meredith left without revealing the twitter password.
 

Offline drussell

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1405 on: January 07, 2019, 08:46:20 pm »
How many areas can there possibly be that must be electromagnetically "silent" yet can also tolerate ultrasonic energy blasted at "deafeningly" high levels?

This is what they have now?  Wow!   :palm:
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1406 on: January 07, 2019, 09:13:31 pm »
It's official. :horse:


The "vision" was the charge a mobile phone, hows that going I wonder?  ::)
 

Offline StillTrying

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1407 on: January 08, 2019, 01:00:08 am »
I'm still waiting for the cordless TVs and the stick on light bulbs.

I wonder what the new CEO thinks he's going to be doing at uDream, shuffling the deck chairs?

Going by the times I'm often the first/only to read a uDream article, I don't think there's anyone going to see them at CES tomorrow. :horse:
.  That took much longer than I thought it would.
 

Offline PaulReynolds

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1408 on: January 08, 2019, 08:31:46 am »
I'm still waiting for the cordless TVs and the stick on light bulbs.

I wonder what the new CEO thinks he's going to be doing at uDream, shuffling the deck chairs?

Going by the times I'm often the first/only to read a uDream article, I don't think there's anyone going to see them at CES tomorrow. :horse:

My best guess is he thinks he can tie a pretty bow on this thing and sell it off for enough to get the investors their money back and himself a fat bonus, in less than a year to 18 months. The previous COO was the last guy brought in to do that, but he had to work with Perry as well and IMO to expect two miracles from anyone is a bit much.

I would think the CES "demo" will show they can charge at the mW level, with large, inefficient, (if you dig) expensive devices, and not selling a large scale cost-effective production method, just the IP licence, the price down bit is someone else's problem. Thing is, Powercast basically already sell that, with all FCC licenses except small and cheap(ish). I expect it's why they are banging the "electrosensitive" drum because it's the only thing they have that's 'better' than an existing product.

And yes, there's a diminishing interest in my uBeam blog articles, and people I speak to are "Isn't that dead yet?"
« Last Edit: January 08, 2019, 06:29:58 pm by PaulReynolds »
 
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Offline sdpkom

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1409 on: January 08, 2019, 09:21:44 am »
And yes, there's a diminishing interest in my uBeam blog articles, and people I speak to are "Isn't that dead yet?"

We still read your posts, thanks.
Personally, I'm waiting for the sophisticated private investors of OurCrowd's second round to decide if they think OurCrowd had a conflict of interests when it promoted the second deal.
 
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Online Fungus

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1410 on: January 08, 2019, 04:08:37 pm »
I wonder what the new CEO thinks he's going to be doing at uDream, shuffling the deck chairs?

I can't imagine he's thought that far ahead. He's just looking at how much money is in their bank account.
 

Offline StillTrying

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1411 on: January 09, 2019, 11:53:52 pm »
Everything is going fine in the uDream world.  :horse:

"Over the past 18 months, our team of 30 engineers has been singularly focused on the miniaturization of the technology, to enable us in 2019 to provide reference design kits to our manufacturing partners and customers so that they can integrate it into their diverse range of products," said McElrea. "By developing the complete turn-key solution, from industry-leading transducers, to custom ASICs, control electronics, hardware and software, we have created an end-to-end solution, as well as the associated IP, which currently totals over 100 patents and applications."

https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2019/01/08/ubeam-names-new-ceo.html

30 Engineers.  :o
« Last Edit: January 09, 2019, 11:56:33 pm by StillTrying »
.  That took much longer than I thought it would.
 

Offline The_Next_Theranos

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1412 on: January 10, 2019, 01:32:02 pm »
https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2019/01/08/ubeam-names-new-ceo.html
"Over the past 18 months, our team of 30 engineers

Current head count seems to be 22 according to the latest team photo at https://ubeam.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/teamphotobw2019.jpg .



I kind of feel sorry for the remaining engineers... they probably they were just trying to do a good job but were put in an impossible situation by an ignorant CEO. I've been there too... when top management (in a technology company) doesn't really understand the core technology, things tend to blow up sooner or later.

https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2019/01/08/ubeam-names-new-ceo.html
"...By developing the complete turn-key solution, from industry-leading transducers, to custom ASICs, control electronics, hardware and software, we have created an end-to-end solution, as well as the associated IP, which currently totals over 100 patents and applications."

But can it charge my phone yet?
 

Online Howardlong

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1413 on: January 10, 2019, 07:09:54 pm »

But can it charge my phone yet?

Unless I’m very much mistaken, that photograph shows a lot of untrustworthy linear thinking engineers with binary approaches, perhaps several with Aspergers, and too many with letters after their name. Those people won’t think out of the box enough to come up with a practical solution to charge a phone.

Just a few hours on Google and $40m will easily provide the solution.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 09:07:44 pm by Howardlong »
 
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Offline StillTrying

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1414 on: January 10, 2019, 07:44:36 pm »
Is the new CEO telling porky pies already.

If they really have had 30 engineers working for eighteen months on the miniaturization of nothing, surely even the daftest investors can see that uDream is just a scam.  :horse:
.  That took much longer than I thought it would.
 

Offline StillTrying

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1415 on: January 13, 2019, 12:38:13 am »
Any news on the uDream CES2019 great  reveal!  I wonder if they had any visitor(s).  :horse:
« Last Edit: January 13, 2019, 12:40:36 am by StillTrying »
.  That took much longer than I thought it would.
 

Online Howardlong

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1416 on: January 13, 2019, 07:06:04 am »
Any news on the uDream CES2019 great  reveal!  I wonder if they had any visitor(s).  :horse:

It just seems all rather self-defeating to go to a show only to hide yourself away. That's one way to avoid all those difficult questions I suppose.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1417 on: January 13, 2019, 09:22:23 am »
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1418 on: January 13, 2019, 09:28:11 am »
Unless I’m very much mistaken, that photograph shows a lot of untrustworthy linear thinking engineers with binary approaches, perhaps several with Aspergers, and too many with letters after their name. Those people won’t think out of the box enough to come up with a practical solution to charge a phone.

Luckily they have no intention of charging a phone any more  ;D
They have pivoted to low power IoT which doesn't require any engi.... oh...
 

Offline Cyberdragon

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1419 on: January 13, 2019, 06:17:30 pm »
Quote
low power

Oh you mean what's left after you piss away 90%+ of it with pointless dreams...and a giant fridge looking box. :-DD
*BZZZZZZAAAAAP*
Voltamort strikes again!
Explodingus - someone who frequently causes accidental explosions
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1420 on: January 13, 2019, 10:34:56 pm »
The uBeam CES demo kit.
So this is 30 engineers for 18 months working on miniaturisation?
Looks more like a bunch of off-the-shelf transducers on a PCB
I presume the white square frames are their state-of-the-art location tracking system.

How is this in any way marketable technology for a small sensor IoT application which is their new target market?

Notice the LARGE SMPS which would be the TX, and the smaller energy harvesting board which would be the RX.
You could guestimate the efficiency based on those sizes. Hint, it's not large.



« Last Edit: January 13, 2019, 11:01:03 pm by EEVblog »
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1421 on: January 13, 2019, 11:13:18 pm »
Guess the efficiency!

 

Offline StillTrying

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1422 on: January 14, 2019, 12:16:26 am »
Are you sure that's really it, it can't be that bad surely, if it is even I'm shocked.  :o
Did they think if they made the transmitter smaller the beam would be smaller.  :-//
Efficiency ~0.3% ?  :horse:
.  That took much longer than I thought it would.
 

Offline PaulReynolds

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1423 on: January 14, 2019, 02:41:16 am »
Well that's interesting. I just did a post on this:

https://liesandstartuppr.blogspot.com/2019/01/ubeams-ces-2019.html

In summary - looks like Murata COTS parts are used in the demo, nothing visible there in that box that is proprietary, and still the "brick" cases for charging. As Dave points out, if you've got a 100W supply for mW out, that does not bode well for efficiency. The transducers in the bottom right don't look like Muratas, but they also don't look like the thin, small, powerful, and cheap ones they claimed to have back in the 2017 pitch.
 
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Offline EEVblog

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Re: The uBeam FAQ
« Reply #1424 on: January 14, 2019, 05:36:24 am »
Are you sure that's really it, it can't be that bad surely, if it is even I'm shocked.  :o

This is supposed to be the demo kit they are offering developers, so yep, that would be the best they have got.
Yes, the efficiency is that bad, it's not hard to calculate, and it's been backed up by numbers uBeam have published too.
 


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