Earlier this week, San Jose-based startup Matchstick launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise $100,000 for its self-titled streaming stick that was built on Firefox OS. Not only has it surpassed the initial goal within the first day, the project is currently sitting at $278,828 thanks to nearly $11,000 backers.
Much like its competitor, Google Chrome’s Chromecast, Matchstick is described as a small, Firefox OS-based WiFi-connected HDMI stick that plugs into your HDTV or HD monitor. It lets you stream and interact with your favorite items on the Internet such as movies, TV, music, games and so on. You can even use it in a conference room for presentations or other media from any laptop to an HDTV. Certain apps will be available at launch and include: Netflix, HBO Go, Pandora, ESPN, ABC, and many more.
Sharing details about the project, the Matchstick team noted,”We approached the Matchstick project with the mindset to to build a completely OPEN hardware and software platform, so we moved forward with Mozilla to create the first streaming stick built and certified for Firefox OS. Matchstick is a entirely new product category for Mozilla, and we can’t wait to bring it to you!”
It was also revealed that Firefox OS is completely open and adaptable. Using Firefox means less cost in production, smaller installs, and more personalized apps. The team added,”Working with Mozilla has been exciting and their amazing support has allowed us to make it this far! Our goal was to make a streaming stick that was low cost, high design, and extremely adaptable without the walled garden for app developers that tends to slow progress. We also approached the hardware as a break even, open reference design, creating an app ecosystem where the app developers drive the economy.”
Matchstick hardware includes:
- 1 GB Micron DDR3 SDRAM
- CPU: Dual-Core RK3066 Coretex-A9
- PMIC: TPS659102, PBQFN
- WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
The team shared, “We selected the dual-core Rockchip 3066 processor, increased the onboard storage to 4GB, and dropped in 1GB of DDR3 memory. The bigger processor and increased memory gives you a much better video playback cache and increased performance for whatever games and custom overlays you might dream up.”
Not only will the Matchstick have the same capabilities as Chromecast, it will also be less expensive. Although it will be retailed for $25, Kickstarter backers will be able to receive it for $18 with an expected delivery date for February 2015.
Matchstick’s crowdfunding campaign is set to close on October 30th.
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