Fri Oct 11 '19 Announcement
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Oct 11, 2019 at 06:50:10 AM
Hi backers,
First of all, we would like to apologize for our long silence; the only reason for this was that we were looking for solutions to the issues we have been getting along the way. We did not send you this update before because we were trying to gather as much information as possible in order to be transparent with you, and most importantly, communicate our current situation in as much detail as possible.
As you know, all this time we have been working very hard to get the production going, dealing with all the issues we ran into along the way. However, a few weeks ago we received a phone call that literally left us paralyzed and is way beyond our control. Due to the current crisis situation in Hong Kong, relations between the engineering department (located in Hong Kong) and the factory (located in Shenzhen - China) that is assembling our Glassy Zone have been cut. The owner of the factory we work with, whose factories are in China, faced a high level of risk due to riots and strikes affecting Hong Kong's economy and thus the small businesses and startups operating there. For this reason he decided to dissolve our agreements. To us, this implies a complete halt in production.
On our last trip to China, the situation was still calm and normal, and we believed we would be able to finish the project without any problems; however, this situation radically changed immediately after. For this reason, we would like to emphasize that we have always been transparent and that we never expected this situation that is now out of our control.
WHAT OPTIONS HAVE WE BEEN STUDYING ALL THIS TIME?
*OPTION 1_Having engineering handle the assembly: We consider this option unfeasible due to the infrastructure they have and the low production rate at which they would be able to assemble.
*OPTION 2_Finding another factory: This could mean a period of six months to one year, since it involves a long process of searching, negotiating and putting a team together. Big companies like Apple are moving their production facilities to Vietnam because of the trade war between China and the USA. If we did the same we could avoid the situation between China and Hong Kong, but we would have the same problems with time and resources. We have ruled out this option due to its high complexity and the delay it would entail.
THEN, WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?
After considering the possible solutions, and given our serious situation, these are the options:
* SOLUTION 1_Selling Glassy: We are considering the possibility of selling Glassy in order to be able to cover expenses and for investors to recover their investments.
* SOLUTION 2_New investment: We are having talks with various investors interested in Glassy before next Christmas; but we also need a solution for manufacturing, as this is our main issue.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY GLASSY ZONE. WILL YOU SEND IT TO ME?
We know that the situation is very tense in this regard and we want you to know that yes, of course there will be a solution for all of you who contributed to the project and have not yet received your reward. After studying all the possible scenarios in great detail we have decided to return the money to the backers that participated in the crowdfunding campaign once we execute one of the two solutions outlined above, and within a period not exceeding four months.
SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION
The situation at this time is complicated for Glassy and, of course for their backers, but we have a four-month period to find a solution and the doors are still fully open. These are certainly not the news we would have liked to give you, and we hope that, although part of you will respond with upset (we perfectly understand), another part will understand the difficulty of the situation and our commitment to constantly seek a solution.
We will have more news soon. Thank you, once again.
Glassy
Thu Aug 1 '19 Announcement
over 6 years ago
– Thu, Aug 01, 2019 at 02:23:24 AM
Hello Backers,
We know that you were waiting for this update as much as we are. If we have been delayed in this communication, it is because we were trying to get all the information from our suppliers to explain to you the situation. We are as eager as you to finish this production, and we can assure you that we will fulfill our commitment until the end.
Even so, there were certain inconveniences that arise along the way and do not depend on us. We thought that we would be able to send all the units, as we told you in the previous update (mid-July), but, after sending the first units (that you’re already enjoying), there were some inconveniences and we had to stop the process and take steps backward.
We had the first batch assembled, but when we found these problems with the pending second batch, we had to stop the assembly until everything was solved. We know that this is a difficult situation to understand for you that have been waiting for so long and trusting in our word. In the most sincere way, we tell you that the difficulty is even bigger, if it is possible, for us, trying to finish the production while reading your messages of distrust.
Here, we are going to list in the more accurate way the 2 main problems that made us stuck in the process:
- We found a problem in the LED-assembling and it makes that a low percentage of the units fail. We are supposed to have solved it but we are waiting for getting the confirmation.
- We also found a problem with the battery charger in some of the units already finished. That’s why we need to double-check the assembling process, and we’ve been asked by our suppliers for a few more days to ensure the quality.
We are waiting for the information from the manufacturer in terms of new dates and we’ll send you a new update as soon as we receive the information. For that reason, we didn’t want to spend more time without a conversation with you. We do also want to inform you that the new inconveniences found don’t affect the GZ already manufactured and shipped, as they were tested correctly.
Once again, and working harder than ever, thank you.
If you need more information, you can reach us at [email protected].
Fri Jun 21 '19 Announcement
almost 7 years ago
– Fri, Jun 21, 2019 at 04:39:41 AM
Hello Backers,
These days, the whole Glassy team is working intensely so that you can enjoy your GZ this summer. As we have informed many of you, the production is finished and the first units have already been delivered to the backers, who we want to thank very much for the feedback we are receiving and for the valuable sessions that you are giving us.
We have always been transparent with you since you are all part of this project, so we must tell you that we have had a small inconvenience with the logistics provider, which has forced us to put the shipping on hold and find a new alternative. This has led to new negotiations of the terms and a small delay while we implement the service (hence, the delay for this update). But, do not panic. We already confirmed the dates and ALL the missing units will be shipped to their destination in mid-July. So we are sure that we will be in time for you to include it in your holiday luggage.
We understand the desire you have to be able to have the product, and we understand some of the messages expressing discontent. We appreciate the patience you have and our Customer Happiness team is working hard to assist you individually and in detail answer to all your questions. We are a small company that, despite the adversities, has never stopped working to achieve the best product. For that reason, and once again, we thank you for being part of this project, because with you, each obstacle becomes a learning experience.
Ready to track the immeasurable?
For any further question, send an email to [email protected].
Fri Apr 12 '19 Announcement
almost 7 years ago
– Fri, Apr 12, 2019 at 10:34:01 AM
Hello backers,
The final moment which both you and we have been waiting for has arrived, after delivering our first batch of Glassy Zone, which many of you are already enjoying and sending us great feedback about. The delivery of the second lot and with it, the end of our Crowdfunding campaign.
We want to thank you for the support that many of you have given us, despite the delays and inconveniences that we have had. We have required extra time to introduce improvements in the product and, thanks to the feedback received from the first testers, we have turned Glassy Zone into one of the best wearables in the market.
Furthermore, we want our Glassy App to be the best addition to your Glassy Zone. For that reason, we are uploading new updates almost every week, along with our brand's firmware updates.
Our final dates:
This is the end of a great trip, and these are the last dates you should write down:
-The assembly date of L / XL sizes in three colors, which will be the first and second week of May.
-The assembly date of S / M sizes in three colors, which will be the last week of May.
We know that this means a 2-week delay, but this is due to us having improved nine assembly processes, which will reduce defects in the product, as well as the scrap rate.
Therefore, the shipping dates will be:
-End of May L / XL-size orders.
-Beginning of June for S/M-size orders.
*Our team traveled to the factory to take care of the production details.
The new SYNC designs:
Although we have designed our Glassy Zone in the most intuitive possible way, your feedback has helped us make improvements in the pairing process designs, in which we have been working the last weeks so that they are much more user-friendly and so that they are available very soon, along with the following updates.
Customer Happiness Help Center:
We want to be as close as possible to you and because of that, we have created a new customer service team that we have called Customer Happiness Team, along with the launch of a platform (www.glassy.pro/help-center). It contains all the information about Glassy Zone and Glassy App so that you can learn how they work and solve all your questions. In addition, you can comment on the articles, start a new conversation or help other users.
And, since we know that an image is worth one thousand words, we will also present you our new How-to videos platform (https://www.glassy.pro/how-to/), which we will expand and in which we have included videos with the main features of Glassy Zone.
The Community of free people feeling the ocean as their own home, @glassypro:
You guys are our inspiration. For this reason, our Instagram account has become a space for the Glassy community to share your adventures, trips, and sessions. Surf, travel, wellness, Zero Waste... Are you not part of it yet? You can follow us on www.instagram.com/glassypro to not miss anything. Also, tag your photos with #GlassyPro and you will be part of our featured stories reserved for the Glassy Squad.
We want to thank you all once again for all the support you have given us and we will begin a new stage with you. We hope to have solved your questions regarding this new update. Even then, if you need more information, you can send us an email to [email protected] and our Customer Happiness Team will be dedicated to helping you.
See you in the next wave!
Glassy Team
Fri Feb 15 '19 Announcement
about 7 years ago
– Fri, Feb 15, 2019 at 01:36:43 AM
Hi everyone!
Now that some of you are already receiving the Glassy Zone, we are going to explain some things about the device.
User's Manual, Quick Guide, and Catalog
In these links, you can download the quick guide, the user's manual and the catalog. We have changed a couple of things in the GZ functioning, so next week we'll upload a new version of the manual. The change is that now at the end of the surf sessions you only have to synchronize the GZ with the app, this way you avoid losing the GPS in the water by sudden movements or by mistake.
We do not want to include any paper guide in the packaging, taking into account that it can be downloaded and that it'll be able to be accessed from the Settings in the app in a new version that we're releasing today. But if you think we should include it on paper too, do not hesitate to write to us at [email protected].
Packaging
When it comes to the packaging, we have decided to create something simple and 100% recyclable, it gets the job done and it's environmentally friendly, we're waiting for your opinion on this as well.
Charging cable
When it comes to the charging cable, someone has commented that it's short. It is designed to be charged with a laptop or in a wall plug. It has never been a problem for us. It is in line with other similar products for other activities, but if we see that it can be a problem we can include a longer cable in future versions, the impact on the cost is imperceptible. We'll make a decision with the feedback received.
Silicone band
The silicone band is interchangeable, so if there are any breaks by cuts or any other reason, or you want to change the color, it can be done instantly. The initial design was with the band glued to it, but we see more advantages in it being interchangeable.
Tapping
About the tapping, the functioning is explained in the guide. There is an upper tapping to access the mode and a side tapping to change the mode, that's all. Tapping can have a small learning curve, which is common in these types of systems. We are going to produce a series of explanatory videos anyway. Tapping is the best way to achieve ATM10 in a smart band, there can be other ways, but doubling the size of the current one.
Battery life
About the duration of the battery, we've managed to keep it active for up to two weeks without the GPS, and between 5 to 7 hours with it, more than enough for a Surf session.
Apps
We are going to launch an update every few days with everything we see, so if the apps give you any problem, report it and we'll upload an update soon.
Testing
As we discussed in the previous update, we're very interested in this:
- First synchronization between the app and the Glassy Zone.
- Operation of Bluetooth, many times it will not depend on us but on the Bluetooth technology itself, although we will know how to solve it.
- Firmware update. Times, possible crashes during the update, etc.
- The accuracy of the algorithm. Although the current one is quite precise, the enormous amount of data that we are going to receive will make it possible to improve it continuously.
- Tapping system. Here we have worked several ways to interact with the Glassy Zone, and we would like to hear your opinion as well.
We'll come back with a new update in a few days
Thank you!
