[Android Head-Units] Tuatara:
Quality ...

Software? Ok ... but you've got XDA. As for hardware? That's not the case. I think Newsmy have done good.

The USB plug which came off? granted - that should have been soldered on better/properly (and tested) - it worked on the production line testing jigs, but it was (potentially) weak - so is that a 0.1% failure rate for this issue? (i.e. 1 in 1000 sold?)

And, in my case of the reset button coming off? How many people would actually ever use the reset button? Especially as often as I did, in order to get into bootloader mode? Very, very few ... if any. Again ... 0.1% failure rate.

Add up all of those other hardware isolated issues? It's probably well below 5%, right?

To put this into perspective for you, that's far, FAR better than Apple.

Apple Watch manufacturer experiencing extremely low defect-free rate - 30% defective!

Apple Watch: Only 30 percent of units reportedly are free of defects

Would you buy from Apple?

We have had a number of display flickering issues in the forum. From [MENTION=5903015]alaninsitges[/MENTION] experience (he started this thread!), and all of my testing (my unit flickers too), we've found that this isn't due to loose connections, or issues with the LCD - the flickering is predominantly due to 3G and WiFi interference (noise) in the communications lines to the head-unit and within the Android box. The THine chip sends the (effectively HDMI) signals over the Firewire cable, and these high-frequency signals are susceptible to the strong interference from these digital broadcast signals. Simple answer is to shield everything, and/or move the noise further away. You know what happens with your cellphone right next to your radio? All that buzzing? Put that on a video signal. Yup. You get flickering.

This is (more of) a design issue than an actual manufacturing problem. The head unit needs the android box to be further away. It does come with a 1m cable, right? To get rid of flicker, try turning off your WiFi. Did it stop?

It's either doing that, or Newsmy will need to add shielding within the head unit and android box (every head unit/box == $$$ == consumer cost) - and then do this just for those people who insist on putting the Android Box right next to the head unit. Yeah, they have skimped on the WiFi antenna - PCB patch - and it IS too close to the board and induces noise. Unfortunately, this susceptibility to noise IS a design problem ... fixable? Yes. But it has a cost. My solution - move it away. To help out, I'll take out my unit (within the next week or two), photograph it, and put together info on what to do to externalize the antenna, and get rid of this issue entirely.

Believe me ... building stuff for consumer manufacturing is really $%#$@!!! hard. I over-engineered my designs to be robust for manufacturing. On the flip-side, I've spent far too many hours fixing other people's issues/assumptions and errors - trying to get the defect rate on production lines to fall below 10%. It's nightmarish with some fundamentally flawed designs. My job used to be to come in and fix things (engineering/hardware/firmware - not the production line setup) - often when the manufacturer has already sunk so much money into the product, they are unable to spend any more to get it right ... but spend they must, since it's either sink or swim at that point. Unfortunately, often corners get cut. Money gets saved. The problem is, the product reviews then tell the real story. With the Apple Watch ... Apple is is serious trouble. Thankfully, I don't do that anymore. I've had to walk away from 3 contracts where I wasn't allowed to fix the products. I don't want that stress and poor quality products on my conscience.

As for Newsmy and their product and production quality control? One USB port, and one reset button pressed very often? Nope ... well below 5% failure rate within this forum, based on all failures. In my opinion, that's pretty damn good. The design flaw ... well ... we need to mitigate that one. Give Newsmy the info, and for the next units they should (will!!!) be testing for that. :)

I'm very happy with the product. Personally, I would have done a few things differently in the design, and physical placements/parts but overall - the component choices, the board design and layout, the methodology ... it's sound. I believe Newsmy have done well with the entire range. Everything is "Beta" (even Google) ... so software? Yeah, Bononvo could be doing more, and the quality/design/updates could be more frequent in addressing the issues. Commercial pressures however dictate working across a number of products - which is why the software has so many 'legacy' features in it (WinCE functions??? Really???) - but engineering ... if it works - don't mess with it. Messing with it - that's our job now. :D

---------- Post added at 01:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:30 PM ----------

Hey wacko ...

Oh I'm still active ... I wish I had more time to be truly active though. But that time will come. For now though ... I think it will still be a bit of the "mad scientist mode" for me. ;)

Ahem. *cough* ... Yes. Unstoppable. :D