Tinsel Blog
Learn more about Tinsel's products, team and vision.
Viewing entries tagged
Audio necklace
We're packing our bags for China, y'all.
Team Tinsel is gearing up for a trip to our factory this week. We got the pilot run of samples a few weeks back, much to our excitement. You’ll be happy to know that we are still on schedule for an October ship, despite some snags that have tried to kill our vibe.
After sharing a pretty lengthy and serious update with y'all last time, we've decided to keep this one as short and sweet as our (CEB) Chief Executive Baby.
We're happy to report that everything is still on track with our latest Dipper production timeline. In fact, the factory just completed a small sample run of the CNC'ed Dippers, which will be arriving to Tinsel HQ next week.
“Hardware is hard.” People love to throw that phrase around in Silicon Valley. I bet that if I had a nickel for every time someone said that phrase to me since starting Tinsel, we wouldn’t need to fundraise ever again. The hardware life is full of ups, downs and turnarounds, but Team Tinsel is a resourceful and determined group.
Tinsel founders Aniyia Williams and Monia Santinello are in Shenzhen, China right now, crossing T's and dotting I's before The Dipper goes into full production. This week, they've been brushing up on their technical Chinese with The Dipper's factory teams, discussing everything from final assembly to product packaging - including a few surprises!
One of the weird things about being a company that celebrates both fashion AND tech is forgetting that these spaces don’t normally cross paths for most people. We’re talking electroacoustics with fashion bloggers, discussing chain links with audio engineers, and expecting everyone to be on the same page. This can have its problems.
In the spirit of keeping things clear for Tinsel fans of all walks, we figured it’s time for a TwT vocabulary lesson. This time, we’re Tinkering with Tinsel terminology. Specifically, the production terms “prototyping” and “tooling,” which we use often, but haven’t quite defined for the less production-savvy.
Ladies and gents, we are so very close to getting our next samples. As we mentioned last time, we're waiting for T2s (our 2nd off-tool samples) to come from the factory but we hit a snag that's causing delays.
Summary: there are issues with getting the plating to look just right on our aluminum pieces. The factory has been working around the clock to fix this and hopes to have it nailed in the next few days. This has pushed our schedule back by another 2 weeks. Oy.
We the people of 2016, in order to form more perfect lives, generally carry our tech wherever we go. That elevates our gadgets to a new level. Rather than just "tools," our tech accessories are companions who help us out throughout the day. In the spirit of the season, Tinsel reimagined two of the accessories and gadgets women wear today as boyfriends and checked out how they stack up against our own Dipper Audio Necklace.
With Valentine's Day around the corner, single women are either getting expectations of self-pity or an all out barrage of self-affirmation, complete with the same gaudy luxuries people hate about V-Day in the first place. Team Tinsel breaks down what it means to really celebrate self-love for the holiday - whether you're taken, single, or any place in between. Put the chocolate down; it's time to learn to shine.
There are only two good reasons to ever be last-minute gift shopping for a tech lover. 1) You’ve been racking your brain for ideas but drawing a complete blank, so now you’re buggin’ out or 2) You forgot to purchase something, and you’ve just realized it, so you need a gift, and you need it now. Whichever reason brings you here, one thing is for sure: we’ve got you. These three approaches are sure to keep you out of the present-giving dog house.
This. Is. It. 2016 will be the year that Tinsel’s first product, the Dipper audio necklace, ships. Our brand and story will finally have a tangible place in women’s lives, and we couldn’t be more excited to see the process unfold. It’s hard to believe it, but Tinsel was founded just barely a year ago. That means that in just over 365 days, we’ve managed to ideate, fund, and create a company, product, and the entire ecosystem that comprises the Tinsel brand. As we take our own advice and leave 2015 in the dust, we’d like to look back at the amazing year it was and forward to our shining 2016.
