First, and foremost time has gone by way too quickly. We’re at one year publicly working on CORE which puts some of us at two years total in planning and development. Feels like a week. 
I’ve got some news. I apologize for the silence. We’re experiencing huge delays in CORE. Chip shortages are affecting us to the point that we’ve decided to redesign several parts of the system to align with available chips and components. This also requires a bit of programming, but not something that will be out of our reach. But, the positive in this is that we’re improving the hardware and adding features in this redesign. There’s even more cool stuff being added.
We also had a 7lb 13oz delivery last week. Our very own @spelcheck and his family were blessed with a beautiful baby. As expected, he has been taking time away from all that is Oh-La to be there for his wonderful wife and family during this time. We expect him back, but we’re giving him his space and time as needed. It’s a special time for them. He’s graciously given me permission to announce this, but I’m not going to steal his thunder. You’ll have to get the deets from him. I can say that baby and momma are doing fine and baby is absolutely precious.
We’re getting ready to release the Thorny Devil. This is a multi use smart kit that doesn’t have one purpose. Some possibilities are bed sensors, changing table sensor (Created for @spelcheck) , garage door opener, car presence, water mains monitoring, Your only limitation is your imagination and what you plug into the RJ11’s. We’re currently working on some rules, flows, and documentation that we can provide along with these kits.
Currently on the breadboard (no pun intended) we’re working on a managed smart USB hub with built-in UPS and Bluetooth. This board has 5 ports that are controllable and monitored. It has a built-in micro controller. This will allow you to toggle power to the USB ports. CORE, RPi4 or whatever is plugged in. This will also have a DC output. Obviously it’s not on a breadboard. It’s a beautifully packaged PCB with a touch of awesomeness. The power is regulated, so this prevents weird voltage drops and other annoying issues. Possible uses for this kit are, but not limited to: The hub can act as a power regulation asset when power is unstable. It would be an add-on to CORE, your RPi4, or any other open 5 volt home automation controller. You would be able to remotely cut power to any device connected to the hub if you need. If your controller becomes unresponsive, this hub will activate Wi-Fi and allow you to reboot your controller remotely. The software running on the microcontroller of this hub will be open source. Neat stuff.
But, I don’t want to give away too many details on that right away. I’m preparing an official release with photos on both kits and intended specs based on availability next week. In the meantime, keep @spelcheck in your thoughts. I hear sleep is hard to come by.
