Update 10.2
over 2 years ago – Sun, Jan 07, 2024 at 12:28:26 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Update 10.1
over 2 years ago – Thu, Dec 07, 2023 at 11:33:34 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Shipping Takes Off On Black Friday
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 12:43:41 PM

Hi Bladers! 

Welcome to V10.0, as promised in our previous update, general shipping kicks off on Black Friday, November 24th, just one week from now. Initial shipments will be handled manually, with our shipping provider taking over in the first week of December. The long-awaited moment has arrived, and for those who haven't participated in the early beta-testers program, it's time to gear up for setting up your clusters.

The shipping schedule behind Team Cluster pledge levels will follow the same order as announced on Kickstarter. Starting on Black Friday, Team Cluster pledge levels will start, and in mid-December, Dev Batch 00 fulfillment will commence. This will be followed in early January by Batch 01 and 10-inch Rack Cluster fulfillment. At the end of January, 19-inch levels will be shipped out, and starting from beginning of February, all remaining orders will be fulfilled.

We're eagerly anticipating the exciting projects that will unfold on Discord. As many of you have likely seen on our Discord channel, Ivan has successfully validated the latest mass-production version of the smart fan-unit. Everything has been confirmed, which means the smart Fan unit under version V1.1 is already being produced in the first batch of 1,000 units.

With more universities, companies, and distributors joining the project, we're thrilled to announce that additional modules will be released next year, alongside the shared management software solution. If you haven't upgraded your fan unit to a smart fan unit yet, you can still do so through our backerkit pre-order store. It's entirely optional, but in response to numerous inquiries over the past week, we've reopened the pre-order store due to the availability of critical components.

Once you have your blades in hand, please continue to share your feedback on Discord and showcase your projects within the community. We can't wait to see what innovative creations and collaborations will emerge!

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Your Uptime Team

Update 9.9
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Nov 03, 2023 at 02:06:52 AM

Latest Shipping Updates

It's time for the next and last V9 update. Everyone is waiting for the 'shipment has started' message and the updated final schedule. We reserved the upcoming 10.0 update post for it! The very first team cluster shipments will go out manually on Black Friday. After that, the first test shipment from our 3PL provider will happen in the first week of December, following the order history. This week, we'll get the last fan-unit validation prototypes, check the cases, and confirm them for mass production. That will be finished within two weeks.

How many Blades are in Production?

About production, people on Discord asked about the number of blades to be made. The current production run includes a total of 12,000 blades. Of those, around 40% are Dev versions, 10% are TPM versions, and 50% are basic blades. These will be made in batches of about 4,000 pieces each. To cover Q1 early next year, we'll produce an additional 12,000 compute blades, fan units, and accessories.

The first production run includes Kickstarter orders, which will be given priority, along with "big orders" from companies and universities. The next production wave, starting early next year, will focus on B2B orders and distributors. We've chosen the first set of distributors in the EU (DE, CH, E), US (NY), and India. They'll announce details as per our agreement, so you'll need to wait for that info, and available on our website later this year.

Computeblade-Agent

Now, for the exciting part! Once you have your blades, we're working on updated documentation and tools to help you get started easily. This will give you access to all blade features, no matter your experience level. Matthias has done amazing work with developing the Computeblade-Agent. Please share your thoughts on Discord to make the onboarding process as smooth as possible. 

We'll keep you updated on the first shipments.

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Your Uptime Team

Update 9.8
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Oct 23, 2023 at 11:55:57 AM

Hello Bladers,

Addresses are now locked, and the countdown to our team cluster shipment is underway with our shipping providers standing by. We've received numerous inquiries about the production process, particularly concerning the fan units, cases, and general accessories. Rest assured, we haven't overlooked these aspects. We anticipate receiving new fan unit validation prototypes next week to confirm the recent changes regarding connector and component placement. There's no need to worry; the PCBs themselves were kicked-off on the same day as the blade PCBs and will arrive simultaneously. The only pending item to validate and confirm is the assembly and adjustment of the new blade connector. This means that next week, we'll be ready to finalize the remaining adjustments for all cases. We'll determine whether the issue of the 0.8mm shift has been resolved, which it should be. The case manufacturers are already at a stage where they can produce within the required timeframe to adhere to the shipment dates outlined in our previous update.

Furthermore, you may have already seen our design prototype for the Uptime Orchestrator tool on Discord. We would be thrilled if you could join the active conversation on Discord, where you can share your thoughts, ideas, and the features you'd like to see in the future. Your input will be invaluable in helping us release a targeted initial version of the Uptime Orchestrator tool, which will benefit all of you. This tool is designed for users of every experience level, from streamline onboarding to automate daily routines. Here's a list of the main features covered in this design prototype:

1. Network-Based OS Installation: Designed to handle installations and updates for multiple blades simultaneously, eliminating hassles in large setups.
    
2. Package Installations: Facilitate the installation of blades in predefined packages tailored to specific use cases, such as lab experiments, smart home setups, hosting environments, and file servers.
    
3. Integrated Command Line: Switch seamlessly between the UI and command line at any moment.
    
4. Kubernetes Cluster Management: Robust tools to create, manage, and monitor Kubernetes clusters, streamlining the deployment and operation of containerized applications across Compute Blades.
    
5. Module Compatibility: Works seamlessly with additional modules like TPM, RTC, Fan Units, and others, ensuring that the Compute Blades are equipped with the necessary tools for optimal operation.
    

So, as mentioned, please join the discussion on Discord if you haven't already. We want to build this tool for you! Additionally, we will keep you updated as soon as the fan unit prototypes are verified and the first blades of the team cluster level are packed.

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Your Uptime Team