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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Shipping update


Things have been extremely busy since last Thursday. I have been swamped with orders, email inquiries, housing supplier and getting modules prepared for testing and shipping.

In advance, I would like to thank everyone for their continued patience. Please remain patient in the week(s) to come. I am working as hard as I can, and that is pretty much non-stop, except for eating and sleeping and the other necessary living habits :-)

I have not been able to meet the 10/22/2008 shipment date.

Here is why: I have been in touch every single day to get updates from the housing supplier. Unfortunately, nothing goes perfect the first time, and so with the housing. The quality of the housings and lenses were not up to par and things had to be redone. They actually had to do 5 sample runs for the black housing and three sample runs for the lenses. Hence the delay. Unfortunate, but this is out of my control. I hope you understand.

So now for the good news: I have talked with the housing manufacturer today and they told me all parts have been finished and quality checked and will be shipped today for Friday delivery. At last!

What you see in the above photo are the first 32 modules inside of their final housings (these are housing from the 5th sample set which were approved). These modules are waiting for their lenses. Every module is individually serialized and the little removable sticker you see on the top of the module is its serial number.

Considering tomorrow's news delivery date for the housings, I have set new shipping date for Monday 10/27/2008. At least the 32 modules above will ship on Monday and whatever else I get finished over the weekend.

Now, a repeat of some things, as I get emails about this every day:

  1. Orders will be handled according to your database entry number (assuming your order is PAID for). This is to be fair to everyone who signed up and to make sure that the people who signed up first, will get their units first. If you have pre-ordered but not paid, we will skip over your entry. Your database entry will only become active after you have paid for your module.

  2. The current expected ship date for the first iGPS360 modules is 10/27/2008 (there has been additional delay with the housing as explained above).

  3. Keep in mind that not all 1000 modules of the first production run will be ready by that date as they come out of production bit by bit. We expect having all 1000 modules back and shipped before the end of November. So we value your patience after you have placed your order.

  4. We will send you a confirmation email once your order is packed and ready to ship.

Some important notes that you should follow with respect to the online store. If you don't follow the instructions (like providing your database entry number and returning to the store after you paid with PayPal), it means much more work for me to fix up your order and order status and your order could get delayed:
  • Make sure to enter your database entry number during checkout of your order. If you omit to do so, your shipment maybe delayed. There is a comment box for this.

  • The online store has detailed product descriptions, so please take the time to read them as they might answer questions that you have. For remaining questions, please email support@orangegadgets.com.

  • Performance of the website will depend on the amount of traffic, so if things are a little slow while accessing the online store, please be patient for pages to complete loading.

  • Please report any website related problems you encounter to support@orangegadgets.com.

  • For questions with respect to the details of your placed order, please email orders@orangegadgets.com.

  • Please verify your order details online by logging into your account and viewing your order history.
    If you see anything that is incorrect, immediately send an email to orders@orangegadgets.com and provide your full order details, like name, shipping and billing address, order id and customer id.

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

WAAAAAAHOOOOOOO! X) yay tomorrow! thanx alot GPS for making and distibuting this awesome product i hope u make a great payoff and that u get some WELL deserved rest once u get a chance.... Congrats and can't wait to get mine
(paid for database 323)

Anonymous said...

Great news.. now i have to wait for the courier service guy to arrive.. that, i am assuming it will be shipped via courier services.. erm.. which shipping method and by whom will it be shipped via..?

Yes, i do hope that this business venture of yours is successful..

by the way, I think the first batch should be like limited edition, should be different from the rest, or added extra things to it.. hehehe.. then again, i am just being selfish, because i have a database no : 6.(Paid..!!)

ok.. can't wait till end of next week for the unit to arrive.
Software, software,.. i still need help then, to install the software to make sure things works out fine.. i hope we get some kind of quide to do this..

Thanks.. appreciate the great work you have put in this project.

J D said...

Super excited about this. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

HURRAH! CAN NOT WAIT! but please continue to eat and sleep.

Anonymous said...

delay again and again , from July till now, and no idea this time will meet the target or not as the same problem happen again.

Is there any other GPS solution except this one which is already ready ?

Anonymous said...

Can you ship via priority mail if I pay extra? like you can put my order on the top

Anonymous said...

hi .. err.. forget about my comment on Software.. hehehe.. just read the post on the previous.. blog entry.. sorry about that..

yes, the guide seems easy enough.. will have to wait for the unit to test things out..

just can't wait for it though..

as for the delay,.. its as expected being the first project.. my initial estimates of it being shipped in October before November.. just hope i am right.

Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Keep at it, much appreciated (entry #32).

GPS said...

@ericg, ian, jd, happyjam64: thanks for the support. Definitely welcomed.

@simon: sorry to hear that. I apologize for the delay. I guess this is the real world. If you have ever worked for a high-tech engineering company, this is how things go. Nothing goes right the first time. Most people don't realize how much sweat and tears have flowed before a final product is on the shelf. Honestly, comparing to my previous work experience, things have not been going too badly. Consider that I have started full time on this product in July, not even four months have passed. That is actually very fast for an electronic product.
If you find something else on the market that suits your needs better, feel free to go for that. If you have already placed an order, I'd be happy to refund your money.
I personally haven't seen anything this small with this performance and AGPS built in, let alone a direct plug-in for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The device actually performs better in TTFF (open and clear sky) than the Holux 1200 that I have.

@anonymous: we can ship however you like assuming you will pay the charges :-). Drop an email at orders@orangegadgets.com with what you want.
The prices in the online store are for first class mail (US shipping addresses have delivery confirmation). Uninsured first class international mail does not have tracking and takes 6-10 days (you are responsible for the package after we drop it at the carrier; see the terms and conditions on the website).
Priority mail won't make much difference if you are in the US, sometimes first class is even faster.
If you are outside of the US, if you choose the insured option, you will get express/priority mail and tracking (typical 5/6-10 days delivery) and you don't have to worry if the package gets lost/stolen.

Anonymous said...

Order #518 (paid)
Yeah I paid for mine as soon as I saw there was a solution for the iphone that I could brag and show off to the idiots who have the 3g just cause of the gps capabilities. Eat your heart out punks!

koRnolio said...

"If you are outside of the US, if you choose the insured option, you will get express/priority mail and tracking (typical 5/6-10 days delivery) and you don't have to worry if the package gets lost/stolen."

I asked this question (about international shipping insurance) before buying the module and you stated there was no tracking number for an insured international shipping... that's why I choose not to insure my package. This is what you answered me:
"The cheapest way to ship is by USPS. The no-insurance option does not provide a tracking number and all risk of transport lies with the buyer. The only way to get avoid this risk is by buying insurance through internation priority mail, but the price is runs around $25-$35 depending on destination worldwide. This still doesn't have tracking information, but at least your package is insured in case it gets lost or not delivered for some reason."

Now, my question is, if you provide a tracking number for international insured orders, could I change my shipping method on the website?
I have this "Order #403 (Processing)" number.

Thanks for your time and your support!!
I'm sure a lot of people is quite happy with this little module you've developed.

Greetings from Argentina.

GPS said...

@korneli: sorry for the confusion. I was a little unclear in the previous post. The website prices (insured) are for priority mail (which does not have tracking but is insured). If you need tracking on top of that, I can send it express mail which is insured and has tracking but is a little more expensive than insured priority mail. I will send you an email with instructions on how to upgrade shipping a little later.

Anonymous said...

Thanks mate for your great efforts.

Anonymous said...

By the way, what about the icontrolpad?

DNKROZ said...

Please, can you email me the instructions on how to upgrade shipping also?.

I really don't want my package to be lost in the mail, and if insurance adds only a few bucks I think is worth it.

My db number is #148 and my order is: Order #307 (Processing)

Regards ;)

Anonymous said...

I'm intrigued by this product but something confuses me.
I want to use this for the ipod touch.
If I have a jailbroken touch and installed iphone's version of google maps on it, do i still need wifi to get the map data?
what i mean is...
does iphone's version of google maps + igps360 + jailbroken ipod touch - wifi = gps functionality similar to say garmin?
thanks

Anonymous said...

hmm.. for shipping.. i am a bit concern about it..
the insured option is just too expensive..
I have bought books from Amazon.com before and their shipping charges is about the same with what you have here.. in fact its a cheaper, then again,.. its because they have contracts and large shipments.. but their packages seems to arrive intact and ontime.. on UPS courier service as well..

I do hope the package will arrive safely to me...

Anonymous said...

Yeah good question Evan. Can you download maps and use them offline if you have an iPod Touch?

This would be VERY useful!

Alban said...

@Ian : Yes. Once you have installed the software and downloaded the maps from the area where you want to use the GPS around,you will not have any need for a connection.

I'm currently using xGPs with a cable (sic) and a GPS module named Hollux M1200. I use the offline mode almost all the time and this is working great.

My maps are : Paris and suburbs. And several towns arounds where friends live and for work. The total of my downloaded maps is around 80Mb. Pretty neat :P

Can't wait to get my modules and get rid of the Hollux and the cable ! :)

Alban said...

Sorry for the previous post, it was for Even instead.

@Simon : Only 4 monthes dude ... I've been following the project since the earliest stages and EVERY SINGLE OTHERS projects are still ... in the limbos !

You have the chance with this module to see what have been made, is beeing made and will be made to bring GPS functionality for iPhone and iPod Touch. Don't look elsewhere ... You'll find nothing :) I've tried hard to get a good GPS for my phone and until now this one is the only one that have both functionalities and small form factor.

And as the builder said : This is real world. I prefer delays instead to get a semi working GPS or a GPS module that fail due to a misconception.

@GPS : I know : Busy busy busy :)
Take some rest from time to time :P

Anonymous said...

how would you download the map though?
like i want to use it in seoul,south korea-do i just make sure i get a wifi connection first in seoul, use google maps, get location [which will dl the map i presume] and then use xgps right after and offline? or is there another way in downloading?
thanks
the product sounds more and more enticing

Anonymous said...

alban,

I have found another project call IGPSD , and it was selling a GPS cable that make use of Holux GPS and it only selling at 16USD only.

http://store.igpsd.com/

They were selling this solution since July, and I just missed it... I have a Holux 1000b already for my windows mobile, so I only have to pay 16USD for this solution.

but igps360 is still very good as its size is smaller. So I may just keep my order and let my wife to use it.

Hope Orange Gadgets can release their GPS soon.

Alban said...

Hi Simon,

I have the M1200 and the cable from iGPSD. But the GPS module and the cable are just hideous ... I have a "tail" to my beloved iPhone !

This is not a solution that meet my needs :)

Anonymous said...

Dear alban,

actually it is just depend on your needs, if use inside a car, then I would prefer the IGPSD cable solution as I can put the GPS close to the windows to have better signal, and the GPS itself have battery, so no need to draw the power from iPhone, as we all know the iPhone itself is battery killer.

Also, the cable itself can use as the sync/charge cable, so 16 USD would be just cheap to do what I want.

But for my wife just use the iPhone for fun and show off, then I think the smaller in size would be better.

Anonymous said...

alban,

and I just email IGPSD team to see if they have similar product like igps360 , and they replied that they will have similar product coming soon with even cheaper price. And they tell me that they have managed a method to use their new solution on official SDK program, but it is under development so cannot disclose more information.

More people develop in iPhone always a good thing, at least benefit users like you and me, right ?

Anonymous said...

whats with all the stealth marketing crap..?

ericg said...

hey GPS i know i may be prying a bit but exactly how many have you hold ISH i was just wondering i hope this ordeal paysoff big for you and im sure most of us if not all of us appreciate this solution thanks lots

Anonymous said...

i've just used the new tool xgps came out with, and it works great! it allows you to download the maps on a computer then move them to the iphone, it's good, because you can choose the zoom level and many more things.

Anonymous said...

What about this software?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdyOIxrUFe0

Unknown said...

That software seems to be only available for Israel. I don't know if it is from the same makers as xGPS, but it does appear on their blog though.

They now have a new tool, still in alpha version, that lets you download a region from google maps. When you are finished with downloading, you can then transfer the map to your iphone, but it's not very userfriendly yet.

Anonymous said...

yeah, I agree, it takes some time to get used to, but overall, it's much better than the included tool in the xgps app. Now I really can't wait for the igps360!

J D said...

This is fantastic. My module shipped today!!!

Color me thrilled :D

Anonymous said...

YEAH..!!

I have just received an email from Orange Gadgets that says my order has been shipped..!!!

now.. i just hope that it arrives in 1 piece and i didn't blow the $80/= that i spend on this GPS..

(Keeping my finger and toes crossed)

Alban said...

Got the mail yesterday :) The modules should be on the way pretty soon !

One module to rule them all and in the darkness bind them !

*thrilled*

Unknown said...

Lucky you. I've been checking my mail every hour, but still no confirmation. But my DB entry number was about 160, so it could take a while longer.

I have just used the tool from Xwaves to download a map of Belgium on the 3rd most detailed zoomlevel. That takes about 450Mb. At max zoomlevel, it would have been about 7.5Gb. That's quite a lot, considering Belgium is only a tiny country.

What would be nice, is that someone made an application that converts the google tiles to a gigantic vector image. This takes up less space, and can zoom well. Only problem is to display it on the iphone :)

Anonymous said...

Add this to the map mix!! Google Earth for the iphone has just been released on itunes store I've been told. WOW!! That's what I'm talkin' about.

Alban said...

@Tom : Well ... I have the detailled maps of the whole Paris, and everythings in a radius of 20Kms plus a couple of towns I use to navigate in. All downloaded maps are at max zoom and it's only takes 80Mb ...

What I do is to download only the maps I'll be sure to use and not everythings :)

Using vector graphics would be great but I'm happy with xGPS already so. I'm just waiting for the modules.

Be patient, your time will come :)

Alban said...

Just a quick note for those who are using xGPS.

When you download a map, use it and then download another map, both will merge. And then you will be able to use them offline.

Ex. : I had Paris and too few towns around and some maps where missing when I was navigating offline. My Edge connection is not enought when travalling @ around 100Km/h so I just downloaded the few part that were missing and now I've all the maps I need.

Unknown said...

Yeah Alban, I get your point. I'll download a smaller but more detailed area later on.

A colleague of mine just installed the new TomTom navigation software on his HTC Touch, and for the BENLUX, it was only 110Mb.

So the iphone software still has a long way to go ;)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
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