December 2023 Update Page

WhatsApp Notifications Update:   WhatsApp

Certain aspects of our system, such as delivering a 4-digit PIN for the Mobile App, require sending SMS messages. However, due to numerous complications faced with SMS messaging over the past year, we've made the decision to transition from SMS to WhatsApp. You can see here an real message from our system in WhatsApp. We are also very happy that we can name the contact SPACE, so you know the message originates from us and is not a spam message. 

 

Our decision was primarily driven by two factors: (A) WhatsApp provides enhanced security compared to SMS, addressing concerns about the protection of sensitive information often transmitted via SMS. (B) The challenges of sending SMS messages globally, each country having its own set of laws and requirements, prompted us to seek a more reliable solution. Over the past year, changes in various countries' laws have made compliance more challenging, leading to a significant number of crucial messages not reaching our customers.

 

Since our shift to WhatsApp last week, these issues are expected to be completely resolved.

 

We recognize that not everyone primarily uses WhatsApp, and we wanted to provide a clear and rational explanation as to why we made this decision, as some may have reservations about this decision. It's crucial to understand that this shift was a strategic decision aimed at ensuring overall security and reliability, benefiting nearly all of our clients.

 


 

OTA Integration Status:

Excitingly, the device is now successfully appearing on the OTA dashboard system – a significant improvement from previous challenges. Furthermore, data from the device is successfully transmitting to the dashboard. This is great news, marking positive progress in our efforts.

  

 

Current Challenge:

Regrettably, we are currently facing a hurdle where the OTA installation is successful only about 30% of the time. In instances of failure, the system enters recovery mode, resulting in a loss of data. You can see here a video of the failure.

 

 

Our Approach to Resolution:

To address this issue, we have dedicated internal teams actively working on a solution. In addition, we've sought external expertise by hiring a consultant and engaging another specialized team to assist in resolving the matter promptly.

 

Current Progress:

Despite timezone challenges affecting real-time communication with our team in China, significant strides have been made over the past two weeks in addressing the OTA issue. We daily try to get new logs of the devices to try and find out what is causing the issue the other 70% of the time. Everyone involved is optimistic that, with this momentum, we will successfully resolve the OTA challenge in the coming weeks.

 

Impact on Production:

Unfortunately, until we achieve a stable OTA solution, our trial production units remain in a temporary hold at the factory. We understand how frustrating this may be and apologize for the delay as we continue to work on the issue at hand.

 

 

We are all in this together, striving for the best outcome for everyone. We apologize for the ongoing delays and appreciate your continued support throughout this journey. There are thousands of units that have been ordered worldwide, and we are well aware of your anticipation. In our next email, we aim to provide you with a detailed updated timeline as we are working diligently to fulfill your orders and give you a great product.

 


TLDR - SUMMARY

  • WhatsApp messages are replacing all of our SMS messages.
  • OTA we are using is being changed and engineers have not yet finished
  • Trial production will not ship until OTA system is completed


Thanks for your support!