I MUST correct myself.
I am the first to admit I made an error.
Yes the kickstarter was indeed intended.

I am wrong and will most certainly retract my statement that it was not meant to be.

That does not mean that the moving full steam ahead after a year of update silence ...with immediate mention that a kickstarter is going to happen.. ...and as has been already mentioned ...under what circumstances is the kickstarter being done...because it is scheduled to be done ? or out of another necessity ..

Also ...stated in this update .... that there is still uncertainty over the projects ultimate successful completion.
After 4 years ...still no clue? really?
this also doesn't fill one with a greater sense of faith ...
asking people to donate half way through the game after a years silence ...saying we could still lose ...
is not a good way to restart a dust covered update .

As far as people mentioning the neo will be priceless...
why yes...
in 3 ways the term priceless applies...
one of a kind...
and un-affordable
and unobtainable .

At one point yes it could be considered one of a kind..."priceless"

But as has been mentioned...
with time...now.....halfway through 2017...
My garbage 2 1/2 year old android phone is on par with the estimated hard specs of the neo.

Also what was "priceless " in the one of a kind arena for the neo....
was...
1- its lack of proprietary blobs and backdoors..
2- the privacy issue is a muddy puddle of dispute..
3- that it would be a linux based device / phone
4- that it could run a cleaned up maemo as well.

But since 2013 ....
there is the pocket chip and the flavors of Pi that are doing remarkable things ...for under $50. ....and they aren't far away now from proper telephony....it is simply a small step away for them.
Linux is running on them...
Sure it may have proprietary bits..
But still.
at this point in the timeline of what is available ...
It looks very attractive...

So I must say at this late in the game ...
the term priceless in ref to the neo is more and more applying to the last two meanings for "priceless" ...than anything else...
Un- affordable ...
and unobtainable...