Editor’s Note: This week we’re running a three part series by Steven Isaac, a programmer with an amazing resume including stints at Sun, Microsoft, and even a hardware start-up that brought the first (non-portable) tablets. For years he’s dreamed of an easy-to-use device with a full keyboard that slides out when needed and, together with a designer, he built the Touchfire, a fully funded Kickstarter project that has only 10 days to go before production begins.
We asked him to create a series of short posts about his experience with the Kickstarter process and offer you, the hardware hackers out there, some advice and best practices. The entire series appears here.
Brad and I are sitting in his office, waiting for the FedEx guy to arrive with our B39 prototype. The fate of our company lies in the balance. FedEx comes at last, and we rip open the package.
Jubilation! Not just one but several B39 keys had the required behavior. They also feel really good to type on. Is that a tear I see in Brad’s eye? He did it, TouchFire lives! Every key design we have made since descends from one of those B39 keys. → Read More
Editor’s Note: This week we’re running a three part series by Steven Isaac, a programmer with an amazing resume including stints at Sun, Microsoft, and even a hardware start-up that brought the first (non-portable) tablets. For years he’s dreamed of an easy-to-use device with a full keyboard that slides out when needed and, together with a designer, he built the Touchfire, a fully funded Kickstarter project that has only 10 days to go before production begins.
We asked him to create a series of short posts about his experience with the Kickstarter process and offer you, the hardware hackers out there, some advice and best practices. Read part one here. The entire series will appear here.
I knew what I wanted – a soft, rollable keyboard for tablets – but I didn’t have an inkling how to get my keyboard idea made. That’s when I met Brad.
Brad is both a mechanical engineer and an industrial designer, a rare but extremely useful combination. He started his career at HP, and then went to the legendary design firm IDEO. In a strange twist of fate, Brad had done the mechanical design of the EO tablet while at IDEO. But our paths never crossed. → Read More
This week we’re running a three part series by Steven Isaac, a programmer with an amazing resume including stints at Sun, Microsoft, and even a hardware start-up that brought the first (non-portable) tablets. For years he’s dreamed of an easy-to-use device with a full keyboard that slides out when needed and, together with a designer, he built the Touchfire, a fully funded Kickstarter project that has only 10 days to go before production begins.
I asked him to create a series of short posts about his experience with the Kickstarter process and offer you, the hardware hackers out there, some advice and best practices.
My love affair with tablet computers began in 1988, when I became the seventh employee at a secretive startup called GO. I came from Sun Microsystems, where I led the team that made Sun’s Network File System (NFS) an industry standard. We succeeded beyond all expectations, and I had become restless. A new, scrappy startup like GO seemed like the perfect antidote. → Read More
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