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Fusion Garage's website goes dark -- has it bitten the dust? (update: it's back?)

Joe Pollicino — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:37:00 EST

Perhaps it's the comeback that wasn't meant to be -- Fusion Garage has apparently silenced its radios for over a week on Twitter, and more than a month on Facebook. Potentially worse, its website is now unreachable, displaying only a "Database connection error." Although its Grid10 tablet was set for a delayed October 1st release, some folks over at The JooJoo Forum and on Fusion Garage's Facebook page are reporting that they've yet to receive their tabs, weeks after placing orders.

We've fielded more than a few concerned tips saying the same, and sadly, that's just the tip of this iceberg, as there's also been mention of slow correspondence from the company, with wishy-washy responses about what's going on. One forum poster mentions eventually hearing back from its public relations agency -- this after contacting FG for order details -- with an indication that a refund is on the way.

We've reached out for an official comment but received nothing but silence. That said, we're hearing we aren't the only ones having a hard time getting in contact with Fusion Garage's executives, leaving us with a sinking suspicion that there will be no third go 'round for the house that Chandra built. Ordered a Grid10 yourself, or still waiting on your free JooJoo replacement? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.

Update: We have a comment from Fusion Garage's PR agency:

Unfortunately, none of our efforts have resulted in any communication from the company to the customers. Given all of this, we don't have any other choice but to cease working with FG effective tomorrow.

Update 9:50AM ET (12/18): Thanks to Josh in the comments who has noticed that Fusion Garage's website is live again, albeit barely breathing. It's devoid of anything other than scattered pictures and text, and notably, its "Store" is all but unreachable. Rest assured, we'll let you know if we hear any new developments from the parties involved.

Update 10:57PM ET (12/18): Fusion Garage's store is back up, but orders aren't exactly open. Clicking through to any given product's page shows the message "We are running out of stock. Thank you." [Thanks, Liam]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Fusion Garage's website goes dark -- has it bitten the dust? (update: it's back?) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joojoo lawsuit shocker! Court rules Fusion Garage and TechCrunch were business partners, tosses most everything else

Nilay Patel — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:27:00 EST

It's been a few blissful months since we've thought about or had to interact with the Joojoo, but the court case Michael Arrington and TechCrunch filed against Fusion Garage just reached a significant milestone: the judge threw out several of Arrington's claims while importantly holding that TechCrunch and Fusion Garage were in fact business partners with legal obligations to each other. Here's the basic timeline so far: since there was (unbelievably) never a contract between TechCrunch and Fusion Garage to develop the CrunchPad / Joojoo, TechCrunch had to rely on a variety of alternative arguments in its initial complaint, which reached a zenith of optimistic fabrication in something called "misappropriation of business ideas." (We ran down the whole list way back in December, and also broke down Fusion Garage's subsequent motion to dismiss in February.)

The court didn't buy most of those arguments and dismissed everything but the breach of fiduciary duty claim in this latest ruling, which is both a significant loss and a significant win for TechCrunch: breach of fiduciary duty has always struck us as TechCrunch's strongest argument, and the court's now effectively ruled that Fusion Garage and TechCrunch were indeed involved in a joint business venture with legal obligations to protect each others' interests. That's not a bad position from which to proceed -- although TechCrunch now has to prove that Fusion Garage actually violated its duty by releasing the Joojoo on its own, which is a whole new fight. (The court also gave TechCrunch 20 days to try and amend some of its other claims, but "misappropriation of business ideas" was basically thrown out the window entirely.) So what's next? We're guessing another few months of cheerfully hostile motions accusing the opposing party of thwarting discovery and some firecracker depositions, all culminating in a matched pair of snippy motions for summary judgment. The suits, they dine well tonight.

P.S.- How or why either company continues to pay for all these legal bills is beyond us, but we've actually heard rumors of a Joojoo 2, so things could get even crazier. And potentially even less responsive to touch-based events.

Joojoo lawsuit shocker! Court rules Fusion Garage and TechCrunch were business partners, tosses most everything else originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modder installs Windows 7 onto JooJoo tablet, gets touch working (video)

Darren Murph — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 23:58:00 EST

Yeah, we had a few issues with the Linux build installed on Fusion Garage's JooJoo tablet, but were things really so bad that we needed to shoehorn Windows 7 onto the thing? Nah, but who wouldn't enjoy that challenge? One darkdavy has somehow been able to install a fresh copy of Win7 onto his JooJoo, and while he notes that it's currently running a wee bit warm, the touch panel is working and the battery is lasting around four hours on a full charge. Utilizing the stock hardware (a 4GB SSD and 1GB of RAM), he's experiencing "flawless" 720p movie playback, and various other members are mentioning successful installs of both Windows Embedded Compact 7 (via MSDN) and Windows 7 Home. The only major hang-ups are the lack of accelerometer support and the inability to use 3G, but we're pretty confident that both of those issues will be sorted in short order. Don't believe us? Head on past the break and mash play, and then hit the source link to get in on the fun yourself.

[Thanks, Mark]

Continue reading Modder installs Windows 7 onto JooJoo tablet, gets touch working (video)

Modder installs Windows 7 onto JooJoo tablet, gets touch working (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JooJoo now available in Europe and Canada, new firmware promised 'shortly'

Darren Murph — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:35:00 EST

Who says down necessarily means out? Despite our qualms with the JooJoo tablet, it looks as if the startup is pushing forward with plans to expand availability beyond US borders, as the Fusion Garage order page now clearly states that orders are being accepted from those with addresses in Europe and the Great White North. There's no exact ship date listed for either of those nations (we're guessing it'll depart within 24 to 48 business hours), but pricing is pegged at $499 CAD with free shipping for our northerly neighbors, while those in Europe are being asked to pay €359 ($473) plus €13 ($17) in shipping fees. As to those user experience shortcomings, Chandra Rathakrishnan promises us a "robust software update" in short order that will apparently eliminate many of the widely reported problems with the device. You'll be justified in retaining your reservations, but some hope is better than none, we suppose.

JooJoo now available in Europe and Canada, new firmware promised 'shortly' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More bad juju for JooJoo: shipping delays, pre-sale questions

Nilay Patel — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:31:00 EST

Monday, March 29 was supposed to be a happy day for Fusion Garage -- that's when the first JooJoo tablet pre-orders were scheduled to greet customers. Unfortunately, it's looking like Tuesday, March 30 will instead go down as yet another day full of unresolved questions for the fledgling company: not only did the 29th come and go without a peep, a new document from the TechCrunch lawsuit sent to Gizmodo suggests that only 90 total pre-orders were made as of February 11, and that 15 of those orders were canceled. Uh-oh. Now, Fusion Garage tells us that JooJoo units are actually in Los Angeles, where they've just been released from a paperwork-related customs delay, and that the "absolute worst case" is that they'll arrive to customers via overnight shipping on April 2nd, although FG is hoping for the 1st. We're also told that the 90 preorder number is low ~~and the court documents are inaccurate because the company's relationship with PayPal was terminated over those~~ ~~issues with the terms of sale~~ ~~-- but the JooJoo website still lists PayPal as the only payment option.~~ Right. See what we meant about questions?

Oh, and just in case this whole saga wasn't sordid enough already, the "leaked document" making all these waves today is actually a statement by TechCrunch's lawyer made in support of a motion to enjoin Fusion Garage from selling the JooJoo, and it's been publicly available since February 22, when it was first filed -- you can check the whole thing in the PDF below. How or why it's being dredged up now is somewhat curious, if you're into that sort of conspiracy vibe, but we'd say the more interesting question is whether Fusion Garage actually gets the JooJoo to customers -- and whether or not it's good enough to erase the uniquely contentious circumstances of its birth.

Update: Fusion Garage just called us to clarify their earlier comments: while the relationship with PayPal is ending in favor of a more traditional payment processor, it's still in place -- so that 90 number certainly seems more meaningful, although it is still over a month old. As for the shipment delays, we were also given a screenshot of the DHL manifest showing the customs delay -- check it after the break.

Continue reading More bad juju for JooJoo: shipping delays, pre-sale questions

More bad juju for JooJoo: shipping delays, pre-sale questions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JooJoo finally shipping?

Thomas Ricker — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:08:00 EST

Do our eyes deceive us? Can it be that JooJoo -- the CrunchPad that wasn't -- has progressed from pre-order status to shipping? Sure seems that way. Two days ahead of the revised March 25th launch date we see that the JooJoo is now taking proper orders for their Ion-based $499 Atom tablet with 12.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, in the US anyway. So, did anyone get a revised delivery status?

[Thanks, Marquel G.]

JooJoo finally shipping? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JooJoo revamps interface ahead of launch, adds local video playback -- and changes color

Nilay Patel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:13:00 EST

The JooJoo tablet's launch date might have been pushed back a month while Fusion Garage sorts out issues with the capacitive touchscreen, but it looks like the extra time has given the company a chance to tweak the interface and add in some features. Obviously the most noticable change is the revised homescreen, which has gone from line art on a garish solid color background to a nicely rendered icon grid over a high-res customizable wallpaper, but Fusion Garage has also ditched the confusing pinch-to-go-back gesture and replaced it with a vertical swipe that brings down a status bar containing the home button, status indicators, browser navigation controls, and a combination address bar / search field. Scroll behavior has been revised as well, with two separate behaviors: a two-finger scroll that works like a scroll wheel, and a single finger "pan" that works like a mouse arrow. That's so you can move around sites like Google Maps, which have different interface elements mapped to each control -- CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan pointed out to us that devices like the iPhone avoid the issue by using dedicated apps, but Fusion Garage wants to deliver the "full web experience." It's an interesting solution and a clever spin on things, but we're waiting to try it out for real before we pass any judgment.

What else? The text-entry situation has been improved: there's now both a smaller keyboard designed for one-handed operation that can be moved around the screen so it doesn't obscure content, and a full-screen multitouch keyboard that does chording so it recognizes more than one key at a time. There's no auto-correction or prediction, though. Flash is now fully working, and YouTube videos can either be played back using Flash or the custom H.264 HD breakout player we've already seen; that player supports a range of codecs and can also be used to play videos stored on a USB thumb drive. And finally, and perhaps most oddly, the JooJoo has changed colors. Instead of black, the back casing is now a "champagne" color, a picture of which you can see below -- Chandra told us that unhappy preorder customers can just have their $499 refunded if they desperately wanted black instead. All we desperately want to do is get a review unit and tell you what the JooJoo is actually like to use -- if all of these promises hold up, it could be very intriguing indeed.

Gallery: JooJoo revamps interface ahead of launch, adds local video playback

Continue reading JooJoo revamps interface ahead of launch, adds local video playback -- and changes color

JooJoo revamps interface ahead of launch, adds local video playback -- and changes color originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JooJoo ship date pushed to March 25 due to manufacturing issues

Joanna Stern — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:51:00 EST

Well, that didn't take too long. Just a day after we pondered the shipping status of Fusion Garage's JooJoo tablet, the company's come clean and told us shipping will delayed to March 25 because of a manufacturing issue with the tablet's 12.1-inch capacitive screen. Yep, it looks like it's going to be at least 27 more days until you've got a JooJoo of your very own -- which means, of course, that Fusion Garage will now be trying to launch this thing during the same week Apple's scheduled to launch the iPad. Ouch. To its credit, Fusion Garage says it's not happy with the delay and has promised a free accessory to pre-order customers to make it better -- we're told it's likely to be the $30 stand. We'll see if that's enough to hold back the effects of Cupertino's coming media blitz, but either way we're quite excited about making a tablet sandwich at the end of March. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading JooJoo ship date pushed to March 25 due to manufacturing issues

JooJoo ship date pushed to March 25 due to manufacturing issues originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joojoo tablet now in production, will support full Flash at launch

Joanna Stern — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:31:00 EST

That other tablet that was announced just a week ago sure doesn't seem to be setting Fusion Garage's Joojoo off course. Not only did it see an increase in orders after the iPad announcement, but Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishna just told us that production of the 12-inch tablet has kicked off and that the product is on target to start shipping this month. And it doesn't sound like legal fees from fighting the TechCrunch lawsuit over the product are depleting Fusion Garage's bank account: Chandra told us it's teamed up with OEM CSL Group of Malaysia, which will be footing the bill for manufacturing in exchange for a "low single-digit" percentage of product revenue. We have our doubts about the math, but we'll see how happy everyone is if and when the Joojoo starts shipping. (We'll also see if James Cameron notices that Fusion Garage keeps using unlicensed Avatar images in its promo pictures.)

Chandra still wouldn't budge on revealing what's powering the device, but he was more than happy to confirm that the tablet will support full Flash at launch, and HD Flash content once Flash 10.1 is officially released -- YouTube HD will play right now using a separate player plugin that takes advantage of GPU acceleration. "We have a bigger 'app store' than Apple because we have the full Internet," he told us. Nevertheless, Fusion plans to launch a "web store" that will allow people to find web applications on the Joojoo. Speaking of Apple, Chandra was quite blunt about the iPad: "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery." No really -- he told us everything from Steve Jobs calling the iPad a "magical product" to the couch being on stage during the keynote to the $499 price point was a nod to the Joojoo, since "juju" is an African word for "magical" and the Joojoo was positioned as a couch computer when it launched in November. Uh, sure. Trash talking aside, we're very excited to see what this thing can do -- a 16:9 720p tablet that can play Hulu sounds pretty interesting to us. Check the full press release after the break.

Continue reading Joojoo tablet now in production, will support full Flash at launch

Joojoo tablet now in production, will support full Flash at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Garage files to dismiss CrunchPad lawsuit

Nilay Patel — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:51:00 EST

It looks like Fusion Garage is out to remind people that there's more than one $499 tablet in the world today: CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan is talking up the Joojoo tablet's pre-orders, and the company's lawyers have filed a delightfully snippy motion to dismiss TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington's lawsuit over the device formerly known as CrunchPad, saying his claims are "legally barred, facially flawed, and fatally imprecise." As we predicted from the outset, the argument boils down to the fact that there was never any contract between Fusion Garage and Michael Arrington or TechCrunch -- and Fusion Garage also points out it can't have stolen an idea that Arrington posted "all over the Internet." Snap. It's a little more complicated than that, though -- we've broken it down after the break, grab the PDF and follow along.

Continue reading Fusion Garage files to dismiss CrunchPad lawsuit

Fusion Garage files to dismiss CrunchPad lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joojoo tablet gets its first batch of press shots, $30 dock accessory

Darren Murph — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:59:00 EST

Up until now, the only official shot of the Joojoo tablet was that seductive snippet of the corner. 'Course, you got a pretty good look of the thing if you bothered to watch our sit-down with Fusion Garage's Chandra Rathakrishnan, but it's still a pleasing sight to see the company push out a nice gallery of press shots to really tickle the senses. We aren't exactly sure if these guys have Cameron's approval to use Avatar screen shots to promote their product, but at this point, we wouldn't put anything regarding the Joojoo beyond the realm of feasibility. Oh, and if you were wondering how you'd eventually use this thing as an at-home movie viewer, the $29.99 dock accessory pictured above is the answer. One word of caution, however: given all the drama surrounding this thing, use that pre-order button at your own risk.

P.S. - Our good pal Chippy is suggesting that the only possible CPU / GPU tandem that could result in the claimed 1080p support and 5 hours of battery life is the Atom Z530 and the GMA500, both from Intel. Hopefully we'll hear something official in short order.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Gallery: Joojoo tablet gets its first batch of press shots, $30 dock accesory

Joojoo tablet gets its first batch of press shots, $30 dock accessory originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget talks Joojoo, Arrington, 3G, and more with Fusion Garage's Chandra Rathakrishnan

Joshua Topolsky — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:02:00 EST

We had a chance to sit down and talk with Chandra Rathakrishnan of Fusion Garage yesterday for a more in-depth discussion than our previous meeting provided, and we learned a few interesting tidbits about both the Joojoo, as well as the company's highly public troubles with Michael Arrington (before the latest move). Amongst the more juicy items discussed, we got further technical info on the Joojoo itself, including the fact that the system has 1GB of RAM, a separate GPU for graphics processing (which Rathakrishnan says is capable of at least iPhone level gaming), and an interesting slot along the side. Just what kind of slot, you ask? Well apparently there are plans for a 3G equipped version of the Joojoo on the horizon. Chandra says we won't see it in Q1 2010, but the second version will appear on the market during the next calendar year. Additionally, the company is supposedly in talks right now with media publishers -- an interesting note considering that the Joojoo looks surprisingly like those Time Inc. and Condé Nast digimag demos we've seen recently. Chandra also claims that the company is working on deals that could lead to subsidized versions of the tablet, even without the inclusion of 3G. Of course, given the current legal status of the device, you can add all this speculative talk to a growing list of question marks.

There's plenty more in the video, including some further insight into the confusing situation with Michael Arrington over the creation and ownership of the device, and more clarity on how exactly that rumored Atom CPU is handling 1080p playback without stuttering. It's pretty darned interesting, actually. Check out the full chat after the break!

Continue reading Engadget talks Joojoo, Arrington, 3G, and more with Fusion Garage's Chandra Rathakrishnan

Engadget talks Joojoo, Arrington, 3G, and more with Fusion Garage's Chandra Rathakrishnan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TechCrunch sues Fusion Garage over the Joojoo -- we break it down

Nilay Patel — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:28:00 EST

Okay, well here we go. Michael Arrington says he filed a lawsuit yesterday against Fusion Garage over the CrunchPad / Joojoo situation, and he's helpfully provided a copy of the complaint, which alleges false advertising, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of business ideas, fraud, and unlawful business practices. You'll notice that list doesn't include any breach of contract or intellectual property claims -- a fair departure from what Michael said he'd be suing over, but not entirely surprising since it doesn't seem like there was any contract here at all. Let's take a quick skim through the rest of the complaint, shall we?

Continue reading TechCrunch sues Fusion Garage over the Joojoo -- we break it down

TechCrunch sues Fusion Garage over the Joojoo -- we break it down originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: Lessons from the CrunchPad

Michael Gartenberg — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:25:00 EST

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

Last weekend, Nilay Patel did a great overview of the murky legal issues surrounding the mysterious CrunchPad -- now coming to market direct from developer Fusion Garage as the $499 Joojoo. While I won't get into the swirling controversy, I think there's a few important lessons to be learned from this great gadget debacle.

First, smart vendors under-promise and over-deliver. The hype and buzz around the CrunchPad were off the charts from day one. Everything from the delivery schedule to the initial price points were unrealistic, made moreso by continued promises to publicly show the prototype and targeted price points that kept rising with each announcement. Keep it low-key and simple -- then surprise and delight your customers with early ship dates and lower than expected prices. Too much promise with no delivery is the classic recipe for having a product get tagged vaporware. Always good to remember, "Whom gods destroy, they first make humble."

Continue reading Entelligence: Lessons from the CrunchPad

Entelligence: Lessons from the CrunchPad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joojoo tablet hands-on (video)

Ross Miller — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:10:00 EST

Marked more by its story than its design, the Joojoo tablet is somewhat of a mythical (and controversial) beast. So when we got a phone call to see it for ourselves with Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan, we jumped at the opportunity. Turns out it's quite a capable little device, and chief among its feats so far seems to be smooth 1080p YouTube playback. Seriously, we were quite impressed with just how crisp and lag-free it was, at least for the Avatar trailer we tested. Throw in a Webkit-based browser with Silverlight and Flash support (why hello there, Hulu), and yeah, we're pretty pumped. Read on for more impressions.

Gallery: Joojoo tablet hands-on

Continue reading Joojoo tablet hands-on (video)

Joojoo tablet hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Garage Joojoo tablet rises from the ashes of the CrunchPad

Paul Miller — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:50:00 EST

Fusion Garage has finally come clean with its side of the story in regards to the CrunchPad debacle, and just unveiled its new Arrington-free version of the device: the Joojoo. The way Fusion Garage tells it, the device was already in the works at the time of the original TechCrunch post about the idea, and that Michael Arrington and co. made zero contributions to the development of the device -- and apparently don't have any sort of contract to prove otherwise. The device is much along the lines of what we'd been hearing: it runs a UNIX-based OS, boots straight to a web browser (otherwise no apps at all), weighs about 2.4 pounds and features a 12.1-inch capacitive touchscreen. There are no physical buttons on the slate outside of the on-off switch, which taps into a 9 second boot time. Under the hood there's a 4GB SSD, WiFi (no 3G), an accelerometer and about 5 hours of battery life. Pre-orders start on December 11th, with a dream-shattering $499 pricetag bringing this thing back into the realm of reality. We're supposed to see demos of the Joojoo in the wild this week, and another shot of the device can be found after the break.

Continue reading Fusion Garage Joojoo tablet rises from the ashes of the CrunchPad

Fusion Garage Joojoo tablet rises from the ashes of the CrunchPad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Garage CrunchPad video conference liveblog

Nilay Patel — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:24:00 EST

We're just getting settled in for Fusion Garage's CrunchPad webcast -- we've been promised CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan's version of the 12-inch tablet's bizarre saga, and we've certainly got quite a few questions of our own to ask. We'll start updating just as soon as it starts, so make sure you're up to speed on what went down over the weekend and get ready for some fireworks.

Continue reading Fusion Garage CrunchPad video conference liveblog

Fusion Garage CrunchPad video conference liveblog originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Arrington says CrunchPad litigation is 'imminent,' provides more details -- but where's the contract?

Nilay Patel — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:54:00 EST

The strange saga of the CrunchPad is getting even stranger: although Fusion Garage has a press conference scheduled for Monday, the company's apparently been hinting to some members of the press that the split with Michael Arrington was no surprise, and that TechCrunch didn't actually contribute anything of value to the CrunchPad. As you'd expect, that's got Arrington on the warpath. In a post titled "CrunchPad Litigation Imminent," he offers up an email from Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan and two letters dispatched from his lawyers to both Fusion Garage and would-be CrunchPad ODM Pegatron that paint a much different picture: Chandra calls the split "out of the blue," Pegatron won't produce anything without TechCrunch's "explicit approval," and there was apparently even talk of merger between Fusion Garage and Arrington's CrunchPad, Inc. That certainly puts the timeline into dispute, but Mike's various CrunchPad intellectual property claims are far less solid, and unexpectedly weak -- even if you completely accept Arrington's side of the story, his CrunchPad dealings don't reflect his reputation as a bulldog Silicon Valley attorney. Let's break 'em down:

Arrington claims he's the "outright owner of the CrunchPad trademark," but that's simply not true: the CrunchPad trademark was only applied for on November 17, the same day Arrington says Fusion Garage notified him of the split. Oops -- and even stranger because Arrington's said the CrunchPad was due to be launched on November 20. Why wasn't this sewn up months ago?
Assuming there isn't some secret CrunchPad patent application we don't know about, the only major IP rights we can see TechCrunch asserting to the CrunchPad device have to do with the copyright to the code , and that's a total mess. Since Arrington apparently didn't draw up a contract giving him sole copyright to the CrunchPad's code, he and his lawyers are arguing that TechCrunch and Fusion Garage are "joint owners" to any rights, and that's just about the weakest position Arrington can be in. Joint copyright owners are legally considered to have equal rights to the entire product, and unless there's a written agreement (see how that keeps coming up?) saying they both have to sign off, each joint owner is allowed to non-exclusively sell the entire thing without the other's approval. In our experience it's pretty rare for joint copyright ownership to be an ideal business arrangement, and we can't imagine how Arrington got to within three days of launching the CrunchPad without hammering out the details of who owned what.
In fact, the most notable thing about the letter from Arrington's lawyers to Fusion Garage is that it doesn't contain any contractual language whatsoever -- it only references emails and conversations between the two companies. That's particularly odd because the letter to Pegatron says TechCrunch will be suing for breach of contract, so you'd think Arrington's attorneys would be laser-focused on his contractual rights if he could assert them. Then again, you'd think Arrington would have known better than to start this project without doing the appropriate paperwork first, so really anything's possible.

Now, we could be totally wrong about all of this: we haven't heard anything directly from Fusion Garage, and there very well could be contracts we haven't seen. But for right now, we're absolutely mystified as to how Michael Arrington -- who, again, is an attorney -- found himself in this position, and we're still mildly convinced this is all some kind of stunt. We're sure there's more drama to come, stay tuned.

Gallery: Letter to Jason Cheng (Pegatron Corp)

Gallery: TC letter to Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan

Michael Arrington says CrunchPad litigation is 'imminent,' provides more details -- but where's the contract? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FusionGarage plans media event to tell its side of the CrunchPad story

Nilay Patel — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:47:00 EST

Michael Arrington may have declared the CrunchPad dead, but that's not stopping his former partners at FusionGarage, who've scheduled a video conference with CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan so he can "share his side of the story." Chandra will also be demonstrating the 12-inch capacitive web tablet -- which, somewhat amazingly, will be the first time we've ever seen proof that the elusive device actually even exists and functions. We're definitely curious to hear what Chandra has to say and how he rebuts Arrington's grandiose and melodramatic tale of woe, but let's be honest -- we're also at least mildly suspicious that this whole mess is just a calculated PR stunt. Stay tuned.

FusionGarage plans media event to tell its side of the CrunchPad story originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The CrunchPad disappears in a puff of vapor

Nilay Patel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:46:00 EST

Michael Arrington's CrunchPad has never had a particularly firm basis in reality, and although we'd been promised that the ~~inexpensive~~ browser-based tablet would be launching soon, the sky's come crashing down: Mike says Fusion Garage, the company he hired to build the CrunchPad, has reneged on their deal, and that he's about to file "multiple lawsuits." What happened? Well, it's not exactly clear: according to Mike, the CrunchPad was ready to be launched on November 20, but on November 17 Fusion Garage decided to cut TechCrunch out of the deal and sell it directly. Oh, it's a sad tale, especially since Arrington claims a wide variety of industry heavyweights were lined up to support his tablet -- including development assistance from Intel complete with sweetheart pricing on Atom CPUs, a "major multi-billion dollar retailer" who offered to sell it at "zero margin," and even venture capital firms "waiting to invest in the company." Making matters worse, Mike's no longer buds with Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan, who he thought he'd be friends with "for the rest of our lives." Tear. Now, we're not sure we've heard the last of the CrunchPad -- if anything, Michael Arrington is irrepressible -- but we can't say we're surprised the first chapter has ended in such fantastic fashion. We're assuming several major Hollywood studios are already lining up to buy the rights, and we've heard unconfirmed reports that George Clooney has signed on to star for free because he believes in the project so deeply.

The CrunchPad disappears in a puff of vapor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrunchPad is 'steamrolling along,' will cost between $300 and $400

Paul Miller — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:57:00 EST

We're not super familiar with the term "steamrolling along" as it applies to device launches, but apparently it's good news for Michael Arrington's CrunchPad tablet. Mike dropped the news on a recent episode of Steve Gillmor's "Gillmor Gang" podcast (like "Gilmore Girls," but with less inter-generational drama), saying that he's not sure where the rumor of cost being too high came from, since costs continue to come down. The "$300 to $400" price range he's quoting is a bit higher than we'd heard previously, but it still sounds pretty good for a 12-inch touchscreen device. He also made mention of "soft revenue" and "sponsorships" on the device, akin to the revenue Firefox gets from its Google search box, and added that it won't impact the user experience. Outside of those tidbits Mike says they're working on making it "perfect," and that there should be some big news about the device coming shortly. Video is after the break, CrunchPad discussion starts at the 39 minute mark.

Continue reading CrunchPad is 'steamrolling along,' will cost between $300 and $400

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CrunchPad is 'steamrolling along,' will cost between $300 and $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Arrington's CrunchPad still not available, maybe never will be?

Tim Stevens — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:48:00 EST

Here's a report mixed with a cold hard fact and some wild speculation. We'll start with the factual bit: despite promises of an August unveil and November availability, and despite lots of leaks over the summertime, Michael Arrington's CrunchPad MID tablet thing still isn't upon us, and on top of that we haven't heard a thing about it in months. The wild speculation relates to the question of why, with Silicon Alley Insider conveying a string of possibilities ranging from the likely (wildly escalating hardware costs making the product unprofitable) to the somewhat less likely (it's waiting for Chrome OS). We wouldn't be the least surprised if the promised sub-$300 price-point just isn't feasible, but neither would it be a shock to learn that it's simply on hold until this whole economy thing finally picks up some steam. Or maybe it's the Illuminati; you never know just what they're up to.

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Michael Arrington's CrunchPad still not available, maybe never will be? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrunchPad coming in November with built-in 3G connectivity, says Straits Times

Ross Miller — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:22:00 EST

Last we heard, TechCrunch's Michael Arrington wasn't ready to talk about a timeframe for the release of his self-proclaimed "science project," the CrunchPad tablet. That's not the case for The Straits Times, however, who've published an article claiming that developer Fusion Garage is aiming to get the device out to the masses by November of this year, just in time for Christmas shopping. The Singapore newspaper got a sneak preview of the device, as well as some new specs. The tablet reportedly about 2.64 pounds, has a 1.6GH Intel Atom and 1GB RAM (which we knew), a USB port for keyboard and / or mouse, built-in WiFi and 3G connectivity, and a port for mobile broadband. Price is estimated around $400, a little bit more than the $300 he pegged in April, but it's still being filed in the "unconfirmed" category for now -- hopefully it comes out a little leaner when this thing goes official.

[Thanks, David]

Filed under: Handhelds

CrunchPad coming in November with built-in 3G connectivity, says Straits Times originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrunchPad unboxed, handled on video

Nilay Patel — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:32:00 EST

We heard earlier this month that the first official CrunchPad units would arrive soon, and it seems like Mike Arrington and company are making progress -- here's what looks to be semi-final hardware and packaging on video for the first time. Interestingly, the device is still plastic and somewhat chubby, not the 18mm-thick aluminum we'd heard earlier -- and whoever's in charge here won't boot it, so we've yet to see the custom Linux / WebKit OS in action. It's all due to drop in July, so we'll know what's what soon enough -- for now, check out the vid after the break.

Update: Looks like there is a short video of it in action, so we've stuck it after the break as well. It's certainly an interesting idea, but we noticed some glitches here and there -- we'll see how cleaned up things are at launch.

Update 2: Oh, Mike Arrington. The king of all whispered rumors isn't too happy that this video went out -- he says it's not "sanctioned or official," and that "it's certainly not the launch prototype... which doesn't actually exist yet." Of course it doesn't, Mike.

[Thanks G]

[Via jkOnTheRun]

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CrunchPad unboxed, handled on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First working CrunchPad prototypes a few weeks away

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:40:00 EST

Michael Arrington's little experiment with consumer electronics is about to get real. The image above is the "near-final industrial design" of the man's CrunchPad with "first working prototypes" expected in another few weeks. Changes include a display now flush with the bezel and an 18-mm overall thickness thanks to the switch from plastic to aluminum. Inside we've got a Linux-based OS that boots direct to a Webkit-based browser. Michael says that the next public appearance will be at a special press event in July. However, as a man (in)famous for leaking other people's details ahead of official announcements, we wouldn't be surprised to see his vision of the ultimate couch computer make its way to the Internets before the big unveiling.

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First working CrunchPad prototypes a few weeks away originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Arrington drops science on CrunchPad, still won't sell us one

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:15:00 EST

In case you missed it (we all have our off days, it's fine) we got our hands on a mess of leaked CrunchPad photos yesterday, and we have to say -- the device looks pretty damn good. Now that the cat's out of the bag, a certain Michael Arrington has shed a little light into what's going on over there at CrunchGear HQ. He says that the "significant step forward" for the device has been in regards to the software stack -- it's now entirely customized, including the (Linux) OS and browser. It also sports an Intel Atom chip; previously, the device has been running Ubuntu on a VIA chipset. "The total software footprint is around 100 MB," he writes, "which is a solid achievement." And last but not least, the industrial design and hardware for this bad boy is being done by an outfit in Singapore called Fusion Garage. It looks like the project is in good hands. But anything beyond that -- including, sadly, a timeframe -- is still anyone's guess.

Filed under: Handhelds

Michael Arrington drops science on CrunchPad, still won't sell us one originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked pics of the CrunchPad make it look dangerously close to availability

Joshua Topolsky — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:49:00 EST

Thanks to a slip of the fingers on Posterous (and Robert Scoble's serious Twitter addiction), new images of Michael Arrington's pet Internet-tablet project -- the CrunchPad -- have shown up looking very, very close to a finished product. As you can see in the gallery below, the (supposedly) $200, WiFi enabled pad has gotten dressed up in multiple colors and been shoved into some fairly handsome looking packaging. There's no telling if this means the device is any closer to a buy-able reality, but one thing is for sure: a microblog is no place for secrets.

Gallery: Leaked pics of the CrunchPad make it look dangerously close to availability

[Via Scoble's Twitterfeed, Arab Crunch]

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Leaked pics of the CrunchPad make it look dangerously close to availability originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TechCrunch's internet tablet gets a new prototype

Laura June — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:55:00 EST

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington has pulled together a squad to make this whole simple, cheap, internet tablet thing he started talking about in July, 2008 happen for real. Their goal is to make a tablet that browses and plays flash videos really well (pretty simple stuff) that costs around $200. Built by a team led by Louis Monier -- former CTO of Alta Vista -- "Prototype B" is a 12-inch touchscreener with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Internally, the "CrunchPad" has a Via Nano CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of flash memory, a 4-cell battery, and WiFi, plus a camera. In terms of software, the prototype runs a full install of Ubuntu with a custom browser. They estimate the total cost of the device at just over $200 to produce, and that a commercial model would realistically cost about $300. They don't seem to be heading toward production anytime soon, so don't cross your fingers, but you'll undoubtedly want to see if it's any good for yourself in the breathtaking video after the break.

[Via jkkmobile]

Continue reading TechCrunch's internet tablet gets a new prototype

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TechCrunch's internet tablet gets a new prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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