Jorno
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Jorno inventor Scott Starrett talks to TUAW about Kickstarter and crowd-sourced funding
Scott Starrett is an inventor with a dream -- to manufacture a pocket-sized folding Bluetooth keyboard making it simple for anyone to have access to a "real" keyboard when using an iPhone, iPad or other mobile device. With about a day to go in his Kickstarter fundraising, Starrett still isn't assured of reaching his US$100,000 goal -- the Jorno project is currently about 90 percent funded. I talked with Starrett today to ask him about the Jorno project and crowd-sourced funding in general. TUAW: With a little over a day to go, I see that you're at close to 90 percent funding. Are you confident that you'll make it to your funding goal? Starrett: We don't take anything as a given, so we're doing everything we can to get to our funding goal. We are so grateful for the enthusiasm and support of all the donors to date. TUAW: How long have you been trying to get the Jorno concept funded (i.e., Did you try another source of funding prior to Kickstarter)? Starrett: We've been pursuing various funding options for about a year. TUAW: What made you want to try Kickstarter for funding rather than traditional methods (getting friendly with a VC with deep pockets, selling the idea to a manufacturer, etc...)? Starrett: Kickstarter was really the last resort. We pitched countless VC and "angel" investors, and despite a nice set of early orders and a great design, they all turned us down. Hardware is not considered a "hot" investment right now. Ironically every single VC guy told us he would buy a Jorno unit as soon as it's on the market. TUAW: If funding for Jorno doesn't make it through, will you try again with a lower goal? Starrett: Yes, we may go back to VC/Angels and see if they can close the gap and then we can try again with a lower goal. It is a great data point that we were able to capture $90K in hypothetical sales over the course of just one month. That is a testament to the need for Jorno and the solution that Jorno offers. TUAW: Would you consider redesigning Jorno with different components to achieve your design goal of a pocket-sized foldable keyboard, but with a lower cost of manufacturing and hopefully a lower funding requirement? Starrett: The funding requirement is really related to the fixed cost of plastic molds, not the per-unit-cost. So a lower cost of manufacturing wouldn't help us, since even a simpler design would still have significant tooling/mold costs. TUAW: Do you have any suggestions for other inventors who may be interested in using Kickstarter, Indiegogo or other crowd-sourced funding sites? Starrett: Just do everything you can to connect with possible donors. It's easy to get lost on the Kickstarter platform if there is nothing calling attention to your project. Working with the Max Borges Agency was extremely helpful to us in getting the word out. TUAW: Anything else you'd like to say to TUAW readers? Starrett: Would love their support if they want to check out our campaign! (http://kck.st/O8aYRn) Also, many of us would not have a chance if it were not for crowd-funding -- so thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm for our project and other crowd-funded projects. Many thanks to Starrett for agreeing to an interview at a stressful point and time, and best of luck to everyone involved in the Jorno project. Be sure to check out our previous Jorno post for a video of the pocketable keyboard in action.
Jorno Kickstarter project aims to put a folding Bluetooth keyboard in your pocket
Back in the days of Palm, I recall being thrilled about some of the folding keyboards that were developed for the iconic PDA. They connected to the Palm device via a mechanical connector and made it easy to type text into Palm applications. Now a California company, Jorno, is seeking funding for a pocket-sized folding Bluetooth keyboard to work with your iPhone, iPad or Android device. The project currently has reached almost 58 percent of its required funding with 15 days to go, and the company has provided some incentives to reach the necessary US$100,000 goal by October 17, 2012. Backers who pledge $99 or more to the project get special color options -- cobalt blue, fire engine red or lime green -- and anyone who pledges $79 at the "Preview" reward level gets one of the regular Jorno keyboards in black or white at $40 off the retail price of $119. When folded up, the Jorno is a little 3.5 x 3.5 x 1.2-inch box. Unfold it, and you have an 8.5-inch wide keyboard that's 3.5 inches deep and only 0.3 inches thick. The Jorno works for about a month on a single charge of its rechargeable lithium ion battery. For those of you who occasionally want to use a Bluetooth keyboard with an iPad, but don't want the extra bulk of an keyboard case, the Jorno looks like just the answer. Check out the video below for details.
Shocker! Jorno folding Bluetooth keyboard available for pre-order
Of all the Bluetooth keyboards that have been released for portable devices lately, this is certainly one of them. Cervantes Mobile's Jorno doesn't look particularly comfortable, but it does fold up into a tiny square, it's got a cradle that will fit most handsets, and it's compatible your favorite Bluetooth HID profile-enabled devices. It will be out early next year for $99, although if you pre-order it now you can get it for a smooth $79 -- which is probably the upper limits of what we'd pay for it. That is, if we were going on a modern day On The Road-type odyssey with nothing but a backpack and our dreams, and an iPad to keep a journal of our thoughts. Which we aren't. PR after the break.
Coming soon to a pocket near you: Jorno folding Bluetooth keyboard
Want a Bluetooth keyboard that you can use with your iDevice or Mac and slip into your pocket when it's not in use? Cervantes Mobile LLC today introduced their Jorno folding Bluetooth keyboard, which folds down to a tiny 3.5" x 3.5" x .9" box when not in use. When deployed, the keyboard is quite small -- 8.5" x 3.5" by just 0.3" -- but apparently quite usable. It's only 8.8 ounces in weight, too, so it won't bog you down. The Jorno keyboard uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery to provide about a month of use; it's charged with a Mini USB charging cable. It works with a variety of devices, so even if you don't have an Apple device, you can put one to good use. It also comes with a detachable cradle for holding a phone, iPad, or media player. Jorno will cost US$99 when it begins to ship later this fall, but you can preorder the keyboard for a special price of $79 through October 31, 2010.
