C.H.I.P. Does Computer Things!!! (aka Debian on C.H.I.P.)

With December deadlines in sight, it’s about time C.H.I.P. does computer things!

Debian means we are go for GUI (graphical user interface).  GUI means we are go for computer things!  (and super slick projects like C.H.I.P.py Ruxpin too)

Wynter shows off C.H.I.P. GUI which is an excess of acronyms.

Our Software Doges, Alex, Wynter and Andrew, have been hacking away to flash Debian to our tiny little 9 dollar computers. And now it’s here, in all its flashable glory!

Calling all Kernel Hackers and CHIP-SDKers! Start your adventures with Debian on C.H.I.P. at 42.nextthing.co or GitHub.

Love release notes? Check out the Debian release notes here!

Alex and Wynter both love flashing and talking about flashing

NAME YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM!!!

What’s in a name? A C.H.I.P. OS by any other name would boot just as sweet…right?  We say why the heck shouldn’t we give it a sweet name?!

We’re calling on you C.H.I.P.sters!  What should we call your Debian on C.H.I.P.?  Tweet us your suggestions at @nextthingco using #CHIPDebian! (there may be a super secret prize for the winner…)

The software team, an important part of the jury, waiting to be impressed.

THE C.H.I.P. COMMUNITY

They Live!  The forums are frothing with knowledge, know-how and nonsense (of the kind most fun!).  Shout out to our SuperHackers renzo, mrIowaIowa,soderstrom & nbastin, who collectively and successfully hacked Debian onto C.H.I.P. before our flashing tools were available!  Join them and the growing conversation at bbs.nextthing.co!

For documentation, including new Debian tutorials, visit 42.nextthing.co.

Stalk us on Twitter!  We love sharing C.H.I.P. progress and showering tweeters with GIFs.  We’re @nextthingco and we love hearing about your C.H.I.P. plans(and your suggested C.H.I.P. OS names!)

A sample NTC tweet, full of encouragement.

SHIPPING UPDATES 

Currently, we’ve only shipped Alpha C.H.I.P.s to those who backed at the kernel hacker reward level (we call them KHBs – Kernel Hacker Backers). Stand alone C.H.I.P. pledges begin shipping in December (soon. very soon) and continue through March with PocketC.H.I.P.s and display adapters shipping by May of 2016.  We are still on track to meet our estimated shipping timelines!

If you’re curious when your reward is estimated to ship, check your pledge on Kickstarter. 

Moved recently? Moving soon? Update your address anytime atchip.backerkit.com. Forgetful? No worries! We’ll send an address confirmation email 2-3 days before we ship your C.H.I.P.(s).

Jonesing for another C.H.I.P.? Sign up for the preorder announcement atnextthing.co!

mmmtc (much much more to come)

(⌐■_■) – everyone at NTC (especially Alex)

Alex flashing C.H.I.P.s, as he is all out of bubblegum.

 

 

Alpha C.H.I.P.s 2: The New Batch!

Alpha C.H.I.P. Batch 2 is flashed and en route to our Kernel Hacker Backers! What adventures would befall Gus in China this time?  Find out below!

THE C.H.I.P. COMMUNITY

It’s Alive!!!  Alpha C.H.I.P.s in the wild has been a lightning strike on the NTC forum. Join the growing conversation at bbs.nextthing.co!

For documentation and answers to all things NTC, head to 42.nextthing.co.

Follow along on the twitter! We’re @nextthingco. What are your C.H.I.P. plans? Let us know!

A sample NTC tweet. Vault Boy tested, Vader approved.

SHIPPING UPDATES

Currently, we’re only shipping Alpha C.H.I.P.s to those who backed at the kernel hacker reward level (we call them KHBs – Kernel Hacker Backers). Stand alone C.H.I.P. pledges begin shipping in December and continue through March with PocketC.H.I.P.s and display adapters shipping by May of 2016.  We’re on track to meet our estimated shipping timelines!

If you’re curious when your reward is estimated to ship, check your pledge on Kickstarter.

Moved recently? Moving soon? Update your address anytime atchip.backerkit.com. Forgetful? No worries! We’ll send an address confirmation email 2-3 before we ship your C.H.I.P.(s).

Alpha Packaging for Alpha C.H.I.P.s

Jonesing for another C.H.I.P.? Sign up for the preorder announcement at nextthing.co!

mmmtc (much much more to come)

\(•◡•)/Everyone at NTC (especially Gus)

Alpha C.H.I.P. 2: The New Batch. No bright light. Do not get it wet. Do not feed after midnight.

 

International C.H.I.P.ping: Much Fun Wow!

Dearest Kernel Hackers (and others interested in international shipping logistics),

Two weeks ago, we proudly announced that we shipped our first batch of Alpha C.H.I.P.s. Over 900 units to 57 countries in one fell swoop. C.H.I.P.s are in kernel hacker’s hands. Our forums are filling with tons of feedback and ideas.  But the fact remains…

We still have over 100,000 discrete units to deliver to almost 40,000 people in 97 countries over the next seven months. A dress rehearsal was essential.  

HOW C.H.I.P. SHIPS

C.H.I.P. will touch many hands before it gets to yours.  Our factory in Shenzhen to our shipper in Hong Kong through customs in your country to your national mail carrier to regional shipping centers to final last mile delivery. Let’s take a breath and take a look at some early results.

HOW WE DID…

C.H.I.P.s arrived.

C.H.I.P.s were flashed. 

But we were not without hiccups. 

Our logistics partner promised an average of 7-9 days transit time for delivery. Some Alpha C.H.I.P.s arrived before that. Some arrived within that estimate. Some arrived later. A handful have yet to arrive.

1) Our shipper prioritized batches with shorter journeys, which resulted in a much wider range of delivery dates.

2) Shipping integration tests resulted in tracking data becoming available later than promised.  This meant no individual shipping notifications were sent to backers and tracking data was sent to NTC instead.

WHAT WE’RE DOING

We’ve been working closely with our shipping partner to get rid of these hiccups. Tracking issues have been sorted and every KHB has been sent a tracking number, regardless of whether or not you have received your Alpha C.H.I.P.

For most of KHBs, it will confirm the obvious: you have your C.H.I.P. For others, it will estimate the arrival of your C.H.I.P. If there is still confusion, shoot us an email at ahoyahoy@nextthing.co.

GETTING BETTER!

We can get better. We need to get better. Fortunately, we are getting better. Lucky us, we have a chance to prove it. Alpha C.H.I.P., batch 2 is heading your way early next week. What’s changing? Check out this list…

  • Better communication between NTC and our shipping partner.  We’ll be receiving updates at each step of the way. Like GI Joe used to say, “Knowing is half the battle.”
  • Better communication between NTC and you!  Now that we’ve been through this once, we’ll be able to update with accurate shipping estimates.
  • Improved communication between NTC and you!  Now that we’re better linked to our shipper, we can send tracking numbers much sooner, eventually automatically, upon shipment.
  • Even better improved communication between NTC and you! We’re here for you across our support channels: bbs.nextthing.co, ahoyahoy@nextthing.co, @nextthingco. (we also still have a close eye on the kickstarter comments and messages)  We’re always trying to break our response time records.

So that’s our shipping situation, in a bit more than a nutshell.  This first shipment was meant for feedback between NTC and our shipping partnersAND our backers and NTC.  Feedback is crucial to us getting this right by December. Don’t hesitate to give us your two cents at ahoyahoy@nextthing.co.

SO MUCH BUSINESS TALK…LET’S GET EXCITED!

The 9 dollar computer is a thing that is happening!

Tweet us your C.H.I.P. progress @nextthingco!. Watching you flash, hack and experiment is legitimately awesome.  Your excitement is why we’re pushing this giant rock up this giant mountain. So keep it up!

Thanks for your patience. You are, in fact, the best.

M.M.M.T.C. (much much more to come)

hearts – Everyone at NTC (especially Ari)

Ari. Maven of International Logistics.

 

Our Friend, C.H.I.P.py Ruxpin! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Yep. We went there.

Alpha C.H.I.P.s arriving means C.H.I.P. powered projects!  With a love for reviving 80s animatronics, Andrew (newest member of the NTC team!) hacked the world’s first animated storytelling bear with the world’s first nine dollar computer.

Why make a bearmonster Frankenstein style?

Firstly, it’s FUN!  Secondly, it’s a wonderful way to test what C.H.I.P. can do!  Things like…

  • Search the internet and download files
  • Download, store, process, and playback files locally.
  • Control the motors in a bearmonster’s head in sync with audio.

Andrew’s C.H.I.P.py Ruxpin diagram. More documentation coming soon!

C.H.I.P.py Ruxpin is just a start and we can’t wait to see where our Kernel Hackers take us.

Kernel Hackers – Show us what you’re working on!

Excited about your C.H.I.P.?  Have an awesome C.H.I.P. project in the works?  Let us know! Tweet us at @NextThingCo! Use #MadeWithCHIP

Thanks for the C.H.I.P. flashing livetweet @futurejonesapps! Awesome to follow!

Want another C.H.I.P. (or PocketC.H.I.P.)?  Sign up for the pre-order announcement at nextthing.co.

Have a Kernel Hack? Submit a pull request on GitHub.

Join the community conversation on the NTC forum at bbs.nextthing.co.

For more tutorials, information and instructions, head to 42.nextthing.co, your home for all NTC official documentation.

Clarifying C.H.I.P. Shipping

First peek at packaging for Alpha C.H.I.P. round 2. Shipping Soon!

With C.H.I.P.s arriving into Kernel Hacker’s hands, we’re currently on track to meet our estimated shipping timelines from our Kickstarter campaign. 

December, January, February or March C.H.I.P.s are on schedule to arrive at your door by the respective month.  

PocketC.H.I.P.s, adapter boards, and batteries are estimated to ship by May 2016.

You can change your shipping address at any time by heading to chip.backerkit.com.We’ll also send an address confirmation email around 2-3 weeks prior to shipping for super final address accuracy.

 

Stay Tuned! M.M.M.T.C. (much much more to come)

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ – Everyone at @NextThingCo

 

 

 

Holy Ship! Alpha Ships Have C.H.I.P.ped!!!

THAT’S RIGHT…ALPHA C.H.I.P.s HAVE SHIPPED!!!

This, clearly, is Gus’ happy face.

Our Kernel Hacker Backers, our brave StarC.H.I.P. Troopers, should see theirAlpha C.H.I.P.s arrive in 7-9 days. Keep your eyes on those mailboxes! These things are coming in hot!

More what? Keep reading!

ALL KHBs WILL RECEIVE A SECOND ALPHA C.H.I.P.!

This is a great opportunity for a shipping dress rehearsal as we test our shipping integration.  There will be two different Alpha C.H.I.P. shipments.  The first shipment of Alpha C.H.I.P.s will be shipped unflashed to get our Kernel Hackers hacking immediately.   Don’t worry, we have plenty of documentation to get you started.

First Run Alpha C.H.I.P.s: Safety Tested and Ready to Go!

The second shipment of Alpha C.H.I.P.s (estimated to arrive by mid-October)will be factory flashed with our buildroot image.

Alex, Wynter, and our friend Peter have worked diligently to give everyone a clean and simple C.H.I.P. experience out of the box. Get started with the C.H.I.P. Flashing Tutorial!

If you are a Kernel Hacker Backer, and have not yet confirmed your address, get on it! Shoot us your shipping address at chip.backerkit.com and we’ll shoot your Alpha C.H.I.P.s right back!

Documentation & Sharing

For more tutorials, information and instructions, head to 42.nextthing.co, your new home for all NTC official documentation.

Submit all Kernel Hacks by submitting a pull request on GitHub.

Join the community conversation on the NTC forum at bbs.nextthing.co.

Tweet us what you’re working on!  Find us at @NextThingCo!

GET HACKING!

Shipping Alpha C.H.I.P.s in September is a huge milestone for us.  Just as Dave screamed in the Kickstarter video, we are so excited to see what you can do with a 9 dollar computer! Get Hacking! And don’t forget to write!

We looked so much younger four and half months ago…

\m/(>.<)\m/ – everyone @NextThingCo