Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Another positive article @t3n german it-professionals magazine from yesterday.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...whjfbbevta.jpg

Our Model Design has almost finished. This is the structure of our final device.

Start from next week we will start hand making those components, and work with Motorola for that PCB connects with the phone (This has to be licenced by them)

You may think this is just a sliding keyboard but it's a lot complicated than we thought, for the structure. Plus we have a hinge and includes a battery. It's the same work as building a slider phone...:D

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

I hope the above pic can explain why the upfront cost is so high. I expect it to be quite a lot but it is still beyond my expectations.

However, the good part is, now I'm much more confident of building an all in one slider phone, and a much better understand of the cost.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Just to share some real pictures from 3D model

Start from next week we will hand build the components.

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...ih1olccp5x.png

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...jemwsucibc.png

Note 1: Key Travel
Note 2: The additional charging Type C connector on the side :D

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...iam6upvrep.png

Websites that reported this campaign, in few few google pages. Thank you for all who helped reaching media! I am trying to approach more! :)

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

The 10 finalists for the Moto competition were announced, not surprisingly, Chen's was chosen. Also, I see that your idea for the keyboard has the most money raised out of any mod.

https://www.indiegogo.com/campaign_c...one-challenge?

Between the Moto Z with your Mod and the Sony with Sailfish, it looks like things are looking up for once with regard to alternative devices.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Any news about Sailfish port to Moto Z ???

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Ah, you are on TMO also, missed that...

I would LOVE it if you would actually pull it off, really! I just have my doubts about asking money on IGG while showing up with only renders. (Usually this is at #1 on the red-flag check list.)

Having renders and 1 salvaged hinge from a galagy s3 bluetooth keyboard does not inspire confidence. I used the same hinge in tohkbd1 and having a flatflexcable between the parts that will have any lifetime is impossible. This is a big concern for me and just showing a picture of a hinge lying on a table does not resolve it.

The required parts you need from moto are really pricey, the obligatory microcontroller that does the pairing is 4E+ (in large quantities) to start with. Let alone the connectors, reset monitors magnets etc. Having a reeeeaaaaally competive price-point while having no proto - which means you have no BOM - will induce a really large risk you will not be able to deliver because the funding will not cover BOM, R&D, wages, molding/tooling. #2 on red-flag check list.

Again, it would be really cool if you succeed! It would really be impressive! But show a working prototype. No problem if it is a mockup on one side and working keyboard with dev-package casing. I would hate for the project to fail and leave hundreds of people angry because it will ruin the -at this point already- miniscule market for smartphones that are not completely boring.

Make and show a working proto before you take peoples money. Don't think that is a lot to ask for. Prove me wrong and I will join your volunteer marketing army.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

chenliangchen, afaik moto z doesn't have a jack port. Does your "other half" feature one?

And there's no working port of SFOS for Moto Z yet, is it?

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Moto Z Play has a headphone jack and for me its much better than flagship model, It lasts longer on the battery and doesn't heat up too much. And of course its compatible with moto mods ;)

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Thank you for all the info! :)

I launched IGG compaign before showing prototype only because Moto/Indiegogo has a deadline of March 6th to take part in their official "Transform the Smartphone" challenge - with the selected winner has oppotunity to travel to Chicago and discuss potential investment and selling channels. They will also offer engineering support.

I did asked Moto/IGG if it is OK we start crowdfunding without prototype first, and they are perfectly happy and in fact, they encouraged doing so, and they are also happy to offer future engineering support, which I don't need at this stage.

Further more this is a fixed amount, I am not just taking money for nothing.

I do welcome you to join once prototype is out there. And by the time if you have any suggestions/ideas/criticism about product or engineering, you are always welcomed! :)

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Engineering idea/suggestion: make a working prototype

https://i.giphy.com/JzOyy8vKMCwvK.gif

Haha classic. You mean end up like a succesfull campaign with working proto followed by an actual working product delivered to every backer. I don't think you are actually making something, you are just -as we say in Holland- making people happy with a dead bird. Make a working prototype.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Don't lie to yourself. You had success in the media but your product did not meet your announced and self set standard of "Delivering the ultimate tactile KBD"...
Please have the decency to wait with throwing dirt gifs until something actually fails now.
And even then, think back to the point in time when the community did not send your imperfect 100$ KBD collectively back to your door just because no one had the intention to ruin you but forgivingly accepted that it was fun while it lasted
You really think you delivered a product?
No, you where paid for your makerspace entertainment show with physical memorabilia attached.
I hoped you realized the situation back then but now it looks like you still have to.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

That sounds like a matter of opinion and how crowdfunding works, "delivering mid-range quality" is not in the title of any campaign. Luckily I had a working product before the campaign, with pictures and videos so people knew exactly what they were paying for.

So throwing dirt about imaginary product being better is cool?

Jeez, well thanks. Sure it was a cute project with a very prototypy end product. Still, people knew exactly what they were getting and they got it.

I'll take your advice and wait. I hope chenliangchen makes a cool prototype thats works, stirs a lot of media, gets his campaign funded and delivers.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Ultimate tactile keyboard with respect to what ?
Psion 5/5MX/7/Netbook ? Ok, Psion's mechanical keyboards are way better than any netbook/notebook typical computer.
Compared to N8x0/N900 ? The TOHKBD was better in some aspects, worse in others.

TOHKBD works well with my Jolla 1 for some years, no problems until now.
Yes, the TOHKBD team delivered a product (hardware and software).

By the way, I hope Moto Z hardware keyboard project has 1000% success.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Puuuh, great!
You did really really well and none of us could have gotten close to what you three accomplished because it was a unique and special momentum you created. It was a heartwarming story more than a product. (To correct my false "no product" statement!)

It is a great achievement of yours and i will show off TOHKBD2 and tell its great story for years to come.
Chen does a slightly different thing.
His momentum train is the moto-mod campaign and starting without a prototype is rooted in those circumstances.
I ask nothing more than giving chen the same advantage of a doubt than everyone gave to you ;)

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

@Mosen: Thanks for the encouragement, you know what happened :)

@all: Regarding prototype: It was facing an unexpected issue - We first used Motos dev board for prototype, but the top part thickness I think we can still improve - so we re-made the PCB layout, to move the components to the sides and empty the middle to fit the sliding frame, and to reduce thickness. The new layout was facing software issue and we were working with Moto to get the main connection work again, which has been solved. The proto is still under test and assembling, just don't want to show a half baked product before it's ready. Attached is some components. We are also performing test and validation for the sliding structure.

@Dirk: I know you had a prototype before campaign, but that did not mean any other campaign need to start with a product. In fact nearly all the Moto Mod related campaigns has no prototype.

I don't want to publish any unfinished work before product get finalised. As mentioned above, we are trying to make this product world class standard (That differs from yours) it just take this amount of time to get the SW and structure correct.

We will get this project funded out of IGG and in a much bigger scale. (In real world big players never doubt about our ability of making this product in industrial standard) Which makes "proof of early prototype" or anything which differs from final product less important now on IGG.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Dirk, in plaats van de hele tijd zo pisnijdig te reageren op iemand anders die TOHKBD maar dan beter gaat maken kan je ook gewoon grappige geitenfilmpjes kijken op YouTube, dan ben je snel van je frustraties verlost.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Oh wow, you actually made some parts, cool! Flex connector between the parts is going to be 'challenging' to say the least. Well, this is a big step up, good luck!

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Here is some pictures of early prototype that I will show to Moto and Lenovo:

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...ka6zc3locr.jpg

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...o1let5rzkm.jpg

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...0nreawub1e.jpg

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...jyjhvkv6om.jpg

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...nmblrnfwex.jpg

https://c1.iggcdn.com/indiegogo-medi...jytwjdbe2f.jpg

This is not the final version yet. But enough to show as a pre-production engineering prototype. (The final version will have a much better finish.)

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

English please, that's the language most understand, I won't delete this post, some complained & provided a translation for me.
What you said I don't think warrants being deleted or infractions...
Just express what you want to say in English, then more people can understand what you're saying, & express if they agree/disagree/don't-care.

Thank-you.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Looking good mate! You have just made me buy a moto z and donate in the hope that this reaches production

This really is as close as we are going to get to the n900 in 2017...and I think Im fine with that :D

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Thank you! At this stage I can only guarantee that I will make this keyboard HW as good as I can. I can't do any help on SW yet as someone has to do a port of Moto Mod platform to make it useful in other OSes.

But hopefully with your and others' support to make project like this successful we might be able to create products even more closer to N900 in the coming future. ;)

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Is full Moto Mod platform actually needed to support the keyboard? This was brought up before, but if you use HID interface, it's implemented by Greybus HID kernel driver, so it should work with SFOS as-is as long as no additional Android-size initialization is required to enable mods.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Our product was chosen as Moto accelerator program.

http://blog.motorola.com/2017/04/20/...es-innovation/

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Good work mate, what does this mean in terms of your indigogo campaign, us donaters and the overall project in general?

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Through this program Moto will help delivering product to their regions which will boost quatity of sales. And they will help on other aspects if needed.

Lenovo will support this project to keep it alive regardless of Indiegogo.

However I will do my best to fulfill IGG amount, probably I will put personal fundings in it. I really want to deliver to the contributors first.

P.S : This is actually the best outcome, if with investment then this company will be tied up with Moto Mods and I can't do with the next product I planned. At least IGG funds is still a small amount and being independant is also important.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

That's good to hear man. You deserve their support regardless of the campaigns success/failure but i agree would be good to see those that believed in the product at the igg stage be rewarded for their support....Plus i haven't had much luck on the products i have believed in through crowd funding (although feeling like I dodged a bullet with the Ubuntu edge these days) so would be nice to see one actually reach completion. Would donate more if i could man and good to see someone with the skills and knowledge still hanging about the talk.maemo forums and trying to give back a bit of techy goodness...Keep up the good work

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Moto Z spotted for only 249€ at german Saturn stores.
Almost 40% cheaper than on any price-searchengine!
Black is gone already thou

EDIT completely sold out by now, sorry.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Already no more it seems.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

That was quick. I did not want a white one...
But it is a good tendency, will keep my eyes open.
Maybe used Motos will also get cheaper if new ones are offered that cheap.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

English, please.

They were probably bought by friggin scalpers.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Also i was not very fast this time.
I just realized the offer already started yesterday evening. My bad.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Hi. Maybe already mentioned but as there are a few versions of the Moto Z, will this keyboard attach/work on the Moto Z Force? Thanks!

EDIT: Probably does but may be moot point as no significant development on this version. Bootloader is locked... This version seems to have a 21MP camera that takes nice sharp pictures in low light.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

for those who are not keeping an eye on the campaign, its almost fully funded.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/k...r-the-moto-z#/

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

It's 100% now, yay!

Just checked, Saturn store seems to have another Moto Z color version for 249, if I understood right.

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

For anyone interested, can only be delivered in Germany "Saturn online bietet keinen Versand außerhalb Deutschlands an. Eine Auslieferung Ihrer Bestellung kann auschließlich an eine Adresse in Deutschland erfolgen. "

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Thanks for all the support. It's not easy hitting this target, but we managed.

The next step is building a great product. We are already in the process of the second slimmer prototype, as soon as they finish, and crowdfund money comes, will start injection moulding.

I'm impressed by the amount of demand and interest, Moto Z as a general product line isn't very popular outside of USA and not everyone will back a crowdfunding campaign. We managed to find 900 contributors who owns or willing to purchase a Moto Z (Play), AND interested in HW keyboard, AND knows how to use IGG... It's amazing!

As sliders has disappeared for years, it's not easy to find a reliable and sliding frame provider nowadays. But we did found a high quality and expensive moulding provider and we will deliver a high quality product.

This is just a beginning, as we get more experience with this product, in terms of engineering, and all the other bits, maybe in a time hopefully not to far away, we could revive the spirit of Lauta in a modern specs, who knows ;)

Re: [IGG Live][Slider Keyboard] Keyboard Mod for Moto Z
 

Congrats!!!!!
Even if I couldn't back it, Im very excited to see the final production of it.
I'm proud of you guys!