Want to explain what the Pyra is?

[Kiga]

Ok, if you're that unsatisfied with the original plate, I hereby offer handmade logo plates for about 10€.
I got a lot of expensive tools for tiny wooden jewelry and traditional wooden mechanics anyway due to my job as an artisan.
Whether you want a batman logo, a penis or an apple without the missing bite, I'm your man.
What I always have in abundance is well dried cherry wood, a bit of walnut, american oak and ash tree, got a collection of other more expensive sorts too stashed away and could provide black POM too if enough people are interested (wood would actually be cheaper and easier though).

I'm willing to pay because I could end up disliking my Pyra if I see this plate everyday and I'm not sure that I can find a durable sticker. So it's a very welcomed proposition especially that wood is a lovely matter. I'm not sure if that will be feasible tho because first everything is glued and second the wood plate would have to be thin and enough durable.

 

[Klumpen]

I'm willing to pay because I could end up disliking my Pyra if I see this plate everyday and I'm not sure that I can find a durable sticker. So it's a very welcomed proposition especially that wood is a lovely matter. I'm not sure if that will be feasible tho because first everything is glued and second the wood plate would have to be thin and enough durable.

The thickness is a point to consider, but the replacement logo could also be attached from the outside, I guess, giving more possibilies when it comes to size and depth too.
I got a source for ultra thin plywood though and still some scraps left. I think the thinest available one was 1mm, but I also got 0.5mm veneer, maybe this could be stiffened enough with some clear varnish although it's a bit fiddly to work with of course.
Unfortunately although I have brass sheets, I can only shape, drill and engrave it, specially shaped holes need other tools for this material. I can imagine some copper with well placed holes and engravings in between could create some nice and shiny designs though.

 

[Djoga'Ro]

For cast iron, there is normaly a positive (ca. 3 to 5% larger because of shrinking during the cooling.)
This is normaly a hand made positive,
Then you have to make a lost mold.
The cast-iron part needs to be ground and / or milled to fitt in the cavity.

In the most cases you have to make more cast attempt to get a "good" part with the correct dimensions.

I didn't know that's that much efford. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Eight Bit]

I don't know what the fuzz is about... I don't like the metal plate in the render either but it's just a render. If the metal is the same color as the case it would look a whole lot better already, with a thin plane metal colored outline around the plate it would even look elegant perhaps.
I love the idea of the plate being replaceable too though, I don't know if it was intentional but it makes the case personizable (not correct English I think) and people love that. If I were ED I'd offer cheap-ish metal plates in assorted colors with different logo's in his shop. Micro transactions ftw

 

[rygD]

would be nice if we could get a 2nd spiced up version with maybe some catchy but "serious" chiptune?

I was thinking metal, just not sure what kind.

As for attaching custom plates, I have been thinking about using screws and bolts to hold one on. I like the look of screws, although others might think it looks tacky.

 

[Christoph.Krn]

I would prefer a flashlight instead of a Logo anyways.

Besides a camera it's the only function the Pyra doesn't have a smartphone does.
A bright flashlight.

I would also have preferred a flashlight and/or IrDA. A true-white flashlight could have provided good light, but could also have been abused as external RGB notification indicator if done properly. The current two-RGB-LED logo illumination I just find silly for Pyra (not a good kind of silly).

Are you going to do another hardware mod about this? PM me if you want...

 

[rygD]

If you want a flashlight you can put a hole on the side of the Pyra and have an LED there, with everything else inside and connected to USB. While you're at it you might as well add a switch. I don't like the using a smartphone or other device as a flashlight approach, as the battery will eventually be dead when I really need the light, or using it as a flashlight will kill the battery for whatever else I want/need to do. I just carry a AA or AAA flashlight (even when I don't carry any sort of communication device).

A true-white flashlight could have provided good light, but could also have been abused as external RGB notification indicator if done properly.

Please explain.

 

[tigerroast]

The video itself is realy good.
But the music gives me the "Kickstarter-/ Indigogo-scam" vibe.
I think the music alone scares of many potential buyer.
The music trigers the "get the the hell out of here" reflex within me.
Other people which seen the viedeos say the same.

To be 100% fair to ED and in defense of the music, a prototype for the Pyra, the means to mass-produce the Pyra, and a roadmap for the Pyra's future already exist. There are many ques within the video to deter flashbacks of pledges wasted on Kickbucket/IndieGoScam projects that were just like, "Hey, guys! We have this cool thing we wanna make! Give us money so we can start thinking about how to make it come to fruition!"

 

[benoitb]

What do you mean by possibilities? modding?

Sorry but it isn't elegant, it looks like some cosmetics of bad taste. It is opposed to what Pyra is made of. It looks like you tried to makes something cool but failed and it's ridiculous. Ridiculous because you added something which may be cool in another environnement but is irrelevant in this, this is how I feel.
I'd like to know what other members think, maybe I'm crazy.

I agree, this is Apple wanabee in a device that's designed against every Apple principle. I don't really care however.

 

[Klumpen]

I agree, this is Apple wanabee in a device that's designed against every Apple principle. I don't really care however.

In combination with the music in the video, I think this may actually be the intention.
Maybe it's to get more pre-orders, no idea if that works since the average user probably won't be interested either way since it's neither cheap nor got the Apple brand.
But who knows? I'm no PR person and got a hard time understanding what makes people value things more or less anyway. If such insignificant things create more sales without affecting my usage, why not? I somehow doubt it though.

It's a technical swiss army knife which will sell itself once it's out in the open and people will start to realize, that you can do a lot of things with it (and in other ways) than on other devices and the major flaws have been ironed out. Price probably won't matter this much anymore at this point.
Cheap marketing tricks won't work because of the prize at the point where we are now, but you can sure try.

 

[Caine]

To be 100% fair to ED and in defense of the music, a prototype for the Pyra, the means to mass-produce the Pyra, and a roadmap for the Pyra's future already exist.

I kind of like how the music portrays a main-stream commercial and then directly followed by the absolute opposite in the phrasing of Michaels job description within the project. Instead of CEO of blablabla... it drops the casual label "the main guy behind.."

I agree, this is Apple wanabee in a device that's designed against every Apple principle.

The fact that it is an anti-Apple is one of its best features

 

[Klumpen]

So it's irony/humour.
Carry on then.

 

[Kiga]

I like the video with the music, because ED is talking about technichal stuff and the music plays down the serious/geeky feel that could have been here if there was no music or a geeky one. Plus I feel the music is well chosen and well mixed with ED voice.
So the video give all the main informations, condensed in 1:44 without scaring an average no techie user, whithout being ponderous despite the density.

 

[Askarus]

I would also have preferred a flashlight and/or IrDA. A true-white flashlight could have provided good light, but could also have been abused as external RGB notification indicator if done properly. The current two-RGB-LED logo illumination I just find silly for Pyra (not a good kind of silly).

Are you going to do another hardware mod about this? PM me if you want...

Maybe.
It might be working if I solder some wires from one LED I don't need to an external flashlight led...

But Pyra's hardware-design is not friendly for modding.
I'm sad that there are no solder points like the one on Pandora for the additional shoulder buttons.

I'm speaking of: 2nd HDMI, Camera and Flashlight.
Especially the missing possibility to add a second big screen is what I miss most.

 

[EvilDragon]

Music is always the hardest thing when doing a video, seriously.

I tried about 50 or 60 different pieces of music, and none really did seem to fit.
Regardless what music you choose, someone will always complain.
I doubt chiptunes would make things better, as it would bring the message "Ah, another emulation system for classic systems, just more expensive than the rest".

And without the music, it sounds boring, especially in the end when you're only showing pictures

No worries, all normal videos I make will stay the way they are, it's just that one video that should promote as well as inform newcomers a bit

If someone has a better music for me to use (I.e. CC), let me know and I'll replace it.

And about the logo:
The original logo was too complex for plastic. The small details would easily break, leaving you with a crippled logo... so simplifying the flames was the only solution.

The reason for the metal is similar: Moulded plastic has tolerances, and when the inlet and logo are made of plastic, the tolerances will be too high and it often won't fit properly.

The metal is lasercut, so it's a lot more accurate and the plastic part will seamlessly fit in.
The color of the metal is not yet decided, it should be something to match the case color.

That said, since you can open the top without having to open the base, you should be able to replace it with your own 3D printed logo (you wouldn't see the LEDs though, if your logo isn't transparent).

 

[Kiga]

@EvilDragon If the metal plate is black, it would look much better. Is it possible?

 

[EvilDragon]

@EvilDragon If the metal plate is black, it would look much better. Is it possible?

I don't know what colors exist here, but I think I've seen black dyed metal in some devices, so it should be possible.

Let's first get a sample of that metal frame though so we can see how it looks in reality.

 

[Bernd]

If the aluminium inlet is made of the correct material, most colors are possible.
But the darker the color, the better the anodizing result.

Anodized aluminium have a hard, glossy surface.

 

[Djoga'Ro]

Just to serve my curiosity: Would it have been feasible to have the mold with the logo cut out as previously planned, inject the plastic for the general case and then in a second step inject transparent plastic into the logo gap?

 

[Urben]