What ever happened to the Vertex Cerebra?

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Cyricdark

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Hahaha, ya, like that went into the equation. You guys crack me up.
Aw, that hurts my feelings I thought for sure since I'm an avid watcher of let's talk Reef that you had my back and was making sure I wasn't going to lose that bet
 

Blue Lip

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It was announced that the Cerebra would be shipped first week of May. Today is May 10th and nothing had been shipped. The fact is Vertex has been saying we are so close for so long it’s a joke! Look at the date of an email from Vertex.
 

Blue Lip

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It was announced that the Cerebra would be shipped first week of May. Today is May 10th and nothing had been shipped. The fact is Vertex has been saying we are so close for so long it’s a joke! Look at the date of an email from Vertex.
Oh yeah, we never got that discount either.
 

bkelley02

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When we were told about this discount, didn't they basically put a 25% discount on everything that we as beta testers could apply it agaist and made it available to everyone?
 
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Cyricdark

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Oh yeah, we never got that discount either.
At this point assuming they ever even ship it they ought to just give all of you like a $500 additional credit to use on any other vertex gear you want. It really amazes me that there are still people standing behind them on this at all. I understand some of them are friends with the owner but to be honest if I was friends with the owner after this Fiasco I wouldn't be any more lol. On the bright side I think there's a reasonable chance that they might get this launched before the new 2020 Apex comes out in 2021. [emoji41]
 

FirstContact

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When we were told about this discount, didn't they basically put a 25% discount on everything that we as beta testers could apply it agaist and made it available to everyone?
It was never made available. Now they’re writing the discount will be after the Cerebra ships and not when it ships. What a joke. They could have honored the discount anytime in the last 3 years.
 

FirstContact

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This was a kickstarter con job and Vertex and the companies that sold this product should be ashamed. There’s no way Vertex didn’t know they were taking the money and dumping the hardware just a few months after the program started. A Vertex employee posted that he/she knew this a long time before the dump was announced. This is a fail, and Jason the CEO of Vertex should be ashamed of what he did to those that bought into the lies about what state this product was at and what it could do. BRS sold it as a beta. It wasn’t a beta. Aquarium Specialty sold this as a functioning unit for early adopters. The hardware was guaranteed as finished. Claims were made about cloud functionality; there was none. Most people’s units couldn’t even function with the basics.
 
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Cyricdark

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This was a kickstarter con job and Vertex and the companies that sold this product should be ashamed. There’s no way Vertex didn’t know they were taking the money and dumping the hardware just a few months after the program started. A Vertex employee posted that he/she knew this a long time before the dump was announced. This is a fail, and Jason the CEO of Vertex should be ashamed of what he did to those that bought into the lies about what state this product was at and what it could do. BRS sold it as a beta. It wasn’t a beta. Aquarium Specialty sold this as a functioning unit for early adopters. The hardware was guaranteed as finished. Claims were made about cloud functionality; there was none. Most people’s units couldn’t even function with the basics.
Yeah and even though BRS sold it as a beta so people really shouldn't be mad at them for any reason I bet you it still will keep them from ever carrying EKoral, Fishbit, Reefangel, etc. Till they've been out a few years until they've been out a few years and have an established track record. Which is going to lessen the chances that one of them will actually make it a few years and get an established track record.
 

Reefcowboy

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LOL, Terence releasing Trident just to beat Vertex Cerebra to market is hilarious ;Troll;Troll;Troll

Mega troll job :rolleyes:
As much as I would like this to be true, I really doubt it, lol.
The fight among controllers is between Neptune and GHL. GHL released info the Ion Director, which measures Ca and Mg, that im sure pushed Neptune’s release to a point.

The Cerebra has lost any of its credibility with this fiasco, and although I think it will come out after years of fooling everyone harmed in the process, it will measure basics of controlling for years to come, which is old news in 2019.

Competition is what we all hope for, after all this makes things better for us, but this Cerebra proved to be a big flag how companies can screw you selling something short of what it promised, keep you money and fold you for years like its no big deal.
 

rushbattle

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Hahaha, ya, like that went into the equation. You guys crack me up.

As much as I would like this to be true, I really doubt it, lol.
The fight among controllers is between Neptune and GHL. GHL released info the Ion Director, which measures Ca and Mg, that im sure pushed Neptune’s release to a point.

The Cerebra has lost any of its credibility with this fiasco, and although I think it will come out after years of fooling everyone harmed in the process, it will measure basics of controlling for years to come, which is old news in 2019.

Competition is what we all hope for, after all this makes things better for us, but this Cerebra proved to be a big flag how companies can screw you selling something short of what it promised, keep you money and fold you for years like its no big deal.

;):):):)
 

FirstContact

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Yeah and even though BRS sold it as a beta so people really shouldn't be mad at them for any reason I bet you it still will keep them from ever carrying EKoral, Fishbit, Reefangel, etc. Till they've been out a few years until they've been out a few years and have an established track record. Which is going to lessen the chances that one of them will actually make it a few years and get an established track record.

Yeah BRS does such a great job, and their motto seems to be we carry only trusted products we’ve used. Just seems for whatever reason this product had no vetting from BRS for whatever reason. BRS definitely seemed to back away from the product. But even as the beta it was sold as hardware complete. The fact that the product failed isn’t most of my problem. The anger comes from the fact that Vertex lied about this product while it was being sold. That’s one. But the really big one is that they continuously lied to everyone on the Cerebra forums that bought this product and in their marketing to the public. Not just once, but over and over and over for years. You just can’t believe anything they write. Why would people not be critical of them? Or trust them? Or want to use their products? Or purchase them? There was this huge thing in the forums where Jason sent a message and couldn’t even post it himself. It was supposed to be a quasi apology that wasn’t really an apology. It basically said what we are trying to do is difficult. Why all the lies and umpteen false release dates. Just tell the truth for once. They should have said in 2016 we messed up it will be a few years. They set all the communication and lack of communication . When the forum gets upset, Jason just fires the front man or the front man leaves. They’re down to a skeleton staff and went back to lying and pulled a 3 year promise of a 25% discount on all Vertex items when Cerebra ships. Now that discount is pushed forward to a “future” date. Nobody is on the forums. And nobody seems to have any kind of expectations for this product even if something is delivered.
 

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From the Vertex Forums

“ My understanding from my most recent conversations (where I’ve suggested they address the forum as it was getting rather negative again) is that trying to appease anyone here seems to not help with certain active/vocal members so they’ve elected to focus on getting the Cerebras/completed and shipped. I believe their assumption is that those that are remaining silent understand that they are working as quickly as they can to get things done, and the rest are inconsolable so they’ve elected not to waste any more energy or time at this point. Can’t say I blame them. And I didn’t push for anything else.
We’’ll get them when they are ready and will get updates as they have time and see benefit of doing so.
I know - was feeling pretty demoralized. I told her not to let it get her down and that trying to reverse the PR tide on this forum at this time has finally proven to be futile and to focus on where she can actually make a difference with her time.
As for the 25% discount thing, it is my understanding that that was a distraction that Jason actually went along with reluctantly. Logistically it would be nightmarish and set people up for further disappointment and as a PR move it was a colossal failure. They are trying to do a little damage control with that by offering it to us later after the Cerebras start shipping.

It’s actually kind of a relief as I feel my job here is done. I tried to keep it positive and constructive and try to get Vertex to keep the communication flowing and I guess here and there I may have helped. But here we are.”

“You can’t blame the forum or customers for being hostile when Vertex has done nothing but lie about the product from market availability to everything posted in the forums. The product clearly wasn’t a beta or a finished product offered at a special introductory price. It didn’t function as advertised in 2016. It clearly wasn’t ready in 2017 & 2018, but Jason said they were shipping. What did they really want to accomplish? Nothing more than have everyone sign a form saying they have destroyed V1 and received a replacement. Now the push in May 2019 to deliver the product didn’t happen. The product “isn’t fully assembled.” Why would you say you are shipping? Clearly Jason wanted something else. He wanted all the V1s he could get back/destroyed and nothing more. Now there’s no 25% discount because according to your inner conversations with Vertex which mean nothing, poor Jason never wanted the beta testers to have the discount in the first place. What shipping nightmare? Nothing has shipped. You just put stuff in a box with other boxes and bubble wrap. So your excuse and Jason’s excuse is that all the lies Jason told have made the forum angry and it’s not worth Jason’s time to start to communicate honestly or lie to us anymore. If Jason wasn’t lying, the forum wouldn’t be angry. Ergo stop lying. I don’t see a dreamer that failed. I see a Trumpian figure and con artist who took advantage of the public and their money to fund a kickstarter V7. The dream sold to the public was based on a product that was a lie and the lying has continued ever since. Jason has never shown a thought for anyone but himself. If your job is done here that means Jason doesn’t need you anymore. My conclusion is that if Jason isn’t going to communicate with the forum anymore, it means one of two things: we’re not getting a V7 or maybe he’s selling out to someone else.”
 
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FirstContact

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Dear Aquarium Enthusiasts,
04-08-2019, 07:20 PM
Thank you for your patience prior to this highly anticipated update. Our team has been collaborating over the last month to prepare for this announcement and I think I speak for the entire team here when I say we are very excited to share the big news! Please see below for steps on how to move forward with the Cerebra exchange:

1. Eligible Candidate for receiving the Cerebra VII
If you purchased a Cerebra V1, then you are eligible for the Cerebra Exchange Program. (Beta testers who received their unit for free, please contact us directly for additional information)

2. Registration Process
Your exchange unit was registered upon receipt of your questionnaire that included your name and serial number(s). We will be sending each tester an RMA number this Friday to further accommodate organization of returning your unit.

3. Return Process
Cerebra:
Please refer to the previous video posted for how to remove and ship back your Cerebra PCB. For every Cerebra PCB received, we will ship the following items:
  • Cerebra Head Unit & Mounting Bracket Set
  • Cerebra LCD & Mounting Bracket Set
  • Cerebra PowerBar & Mounting Bracket Set
  • Temperature Sensor
  • HDMI Cable
  • Micro USB to USB
  • USB A to B

PowerBar:
For those who had purchased a PowerBar, please follow the instructions below for how to remove the LED PCB. For every PowerBar PCB received, we will send an additional PowerBar.
  1. Disconnect from electricity and remove from environment.
  2. Place the PowerBar on a flat surface and ensure it is secure and will not move prior to disassembly.
  3. Position the PowerBar so that you can read the Outlet numbers on the PCB
  4. Using a hex key, proceed to remove the right end cap.
  5. Once the end cap has been removed, slide the top acrylic cover that is housing the outlets to the right. Continue doing so until the entire top PCB is exposed and no longer covered by the acrylic cover.
  6. Using a hex key, remove the top PCB containing the LED and outlet numbers. This is the only PCB we require for the return of your PowerBar PCB.
  7. Properly dispose of the remaining PowerBar items according to state and local laws and regulations.

MultiBar:
We will not be exchanging the MultiBar. DO NOT USE OR OPERATE THE MULTIBAR. Please disconnect from power and properly dispose of the MultiBar according to your state and local laws and regulations.

Please wear protective gear when disassembling your Cerebra, PowerBar and MultiBar. See the instructions for how to safely remove these items. Your safety is most important!

To return these items, please use USPS regular mail. Make sure the envelope includes your name and assigned RMA number. Do not ship your PCB before 4/15. We are shipping on a first come, first serve basis. On 4/19, we will begin notifying you of your place in line.

4. Ship Date
We will be shipping these units in batches to promote better organization and quality control of both product and processes. The first batch of 80 units will be shipped out the first week of May. Additional batches will be shipped thereafter. The shipping date of the second batch will be announced upon shipping the first batch.

I am sure you can all assume that the next few weeks will be extremely action packed. There will be further engagement including product information, technology and upcoming press releases in the next month. Jason is also working directly with our engineers here and in Germany to compile a list of novel and highly anticipate Cerebra functions and features that until now were unable to be disclosed. This will be posted in the next day or so.

Thanks again for all the support! It was your collaborative effort and contribution that has brought the Cerebra VII to life
 

FirstContact

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Hello everyone,
4 weeks ago
Below I have addressed some of the more popular questions that I have seen throughout the forum the last few days:

Credit Card Holds for users operating a VI:
We can do this, but this creates many challenges for account deposits, tracking the customer order and then refunding once we receive the PCB. If you must go about it this way, we would be happy to accommodate you, however we kindly ask that you try to stay away from this option if possible. This will help us get through this high action period much faster and easier way.

Shipping 25% Off Orders with Cerebra VII:
We have chatted with a few members here and everyone agreed it would be best to cancel all the existing orders at 25% for a couple of reasons:
  • Maintain a speedy momentum with processing the shipment for the exchange unit
  • Many people have cancelled and/or changed your order
That said, we will announce the sale about a week after all the units have shipped. It will be the same discount percentage and it will apply to all our products. This way everyone has time to figure out what they might need after receiving their unit and account for items that can be used with the Cerebra VII.

Multibar:
The number of individuals that purchased an additional Multibar during the beta campaign was less than 10 units. If you were one of the users who purchased an additional Multibar, please contact us directly for exchange instruction.

Shipping Method:
Our facility does not use FedEx; we use USPS and UPS. In the past we have had many negative experiences when things were sent to us via FedEx. Additionally, we are only a few blocks away from both UPS and USPS hubs in LA. Offering USPS and UPS was to simplify the process since we have scheduled pickups and drop offs 2 to 3 times throughout the day. If you must use FedEx, feel free to do so. Please note that since we do not work with them, they may not deliver within our business hours which could potentially cause problems
 

FirstContact

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Hello everyone,
5 days ago
As I mentioned yesterday, we will be releasing more information about the product and the platform after the units have shipped. It has been our goal to release Cerebra as a true modern IoT platform with all the benefits and capabilities that such devices hold.

Cerebra 7’ hardware architecture has been designed in a modular fashion to utilize a single board computer (Raspberry Pi 3B). This makes production much easier and the product more affordable to the public. However, it also brings a few minor challenges to the table. It is possible to remove and change the raspberry Pi from our unit to an off-shelf one, but the Cerebra image will not be encrypted without the presence of Vertex proprietary hardware. On the other hand, an international service location will also be able to gather parts from various returned units and refurbish new ones. In today’s electronic industry, shipping or selling refurbished items for the purpose of service, repair, replacement or even new purchase has become the norm. We want to be sure that any Cerebra that goes into our customers hands is a genuine Vertex product and was not assembled with used components. That said, we will inject epoxy above the screws to guarantee that once the device has shipped out of our facility, it is either in use, recycled, or returned to Vertex. The same design philosophy has been applied to the PowerBar as well as all other Cerebra components. The PowerBar in particular is a product that is in compliance UL standards and guidelines enforced by OSHA and even if the sticker is removed from the fuse, we will not be able to send you a new sticker to replace!

The epoxy process began today. Each of the seven screws is injected with epoxy and left to dry 12 hours after each side is done. This is the last stage of the production process before we start packing them away!
 

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03-14-2018, 03:48 PM
Dear Beta – Testers,

The time is here. We appreciate your continued support and are excited to announce the long-awaited Cerebra Exchange. From day one, we realized the main challenge of the exchange campaign would be the swap. Since the original hardware manufacturer has decided to abandon the project, the cost of returning the old units would be a no value-added cost incurred.

That said, to participate in the exchange program, we only require that you return the following items via regular USPS mail:
  1. Cerebra Plastic End-Cap / Left (One for each Serial Number claimed)
  2. PowerBar Plastic End-Cap / Right (end away from the cord)(One for each Serial Number claimed)
Please mail these items to the following address:
C/O Cerebra VII
Vertex Technologies Inc.
5445 Oceanus Drive, Suite 107
Huntington Beach, CA – 92649



Originally posted by Ben.Vertex View Post
All that considered and from a few suggestions here we have some internal ideas. As of right now no one is required to send their END CAPS back in.
We are creating a date base, individual invoice and tracking system for every position, getting random items back with no tracking in place would only further maker this difficult for everyone.
AGAIN PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANYTHING IN PRIOR TO BEING INSTRUCTED TO DO SO VIA A TELEPHONE CALL FROM VERTEX.
To participate in this exchange, please email us at [email protected] to receive your email package. Since the old units are not being physically returned, we require the serial numbers of all items being replaced as well as your signature to be filled out on the questionnaire you will receive. Once the required parts have been sent, we request that you responsibly dispose of these electronic items according to your local, state and federal applicable laws of recycling.

To further express our gratitude, you have been enrolled in our exclusive “Private Client Program” where you will be given first access to product debuts and product release discounts that are not available to public or on other Vertex distribution channels.

In fact, your EXCLUSIVE benefits start today! As promised, you will be given a one-time 25% discount on all products we offer to be shipped with your new Cerebra VII. To take advantage of this offer, please fill out and return the forms sent with your email package. These forms include your questionnaire, order form and a complete price list of all our products.

Exchanges will be fulfilled on a first come first serve basis. Once we receive your completed forms, we will issue you a draft invoice for your final approval. Approved drafts will receive a place in line to be fulfilled sequentially according to invoice number. To expedite the process, we are shipping out units as we produce. We anticipate the first Cerebra will ship in 3 weeks or so. That being said, we will contact you once your order is positioned to ship and notify you of the ship date, details and any additional charges should you choose to take advantage of your discount. Your package will then be shipped for free!

We would like to thank you one more time for all your contributions; without you none of this would have been possible. We are truly blessed to be able to use the input for an industry first; “Designed by the Hobbyist for the Hobbyist”!
 

DarkSky

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There is a lot of hostility on the Cerebra beta forums (some of which is probably deserved) so communication from Vertex and the beta testers is sparse and infrequent.

I think the main reason for a lot of it is the seemingly endless amount of "we're almost there" posts and updates - we either read into what they say and assume it'll be done soon or they tell us as much and then the next update is about epoxying screws and missing hardware from China.

From the pictures we've seen, I honestly believe they're almost done. But it feels like they won't ship out the units until they're absolutely sure that it is going to launch smoothly. Nothing worse than taking all this time and releasing a flawed product once again - I can understand the fear but they're painting themselves into a corner so this kind of feels like a Half Life 3 situation.
 

Blue Lip

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I don’t believe they have a working controller yet. Vertex has done nothing but lie. Remember when all we were waiting for was housing? Remember they have all the parts but later they are still waiting on parts? Remember Vertex had people take apart their Cerebra and send them parts and in return were supposed to receive a new Cerebra first week of May? All tracking cancelled. If the Cerebra was really ready to ship then why cancel shipping. Turns out Vertex created shipping labels and after not shipping the carrier was going to have a fee so that lie was going to have a cost to maintain the facade and Vertex dropped it.
 
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