Mycroft’s privacy-first, crowdfunded smart speaker will ship, but not to backers

Enlarge (credit: Mycroft)

Open source voice assistant software-maker Mycroft disappointed thousands when it announced Friday it will not be sending its Linux-based smart speaker to any more people who backed the product on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Remaining inventory of the privacy-focused Amazon Echo alternative will go to those who buy the Mark II from Mycroft's website for 171 percent more than early backers pledged.

Mycroft says its open source software can run on anything, from a computer to a car to a Raspberry Pi. The company promotes flexible customization for user and business needs and says it doesn't collect data unless a user opts in. Opt-in data is published publicly for open source development. The technically savvy could also customize Mycroft to their will and use it to run their own server or work offline, and the software shows potential for broader use cases, like Linux phones. Open source voice assistants like Mycroft have won the attention of smart home enthusiasts, but their complexity has prevented them from becoming mainstream solutions over Big-Tech voice assistants packaged into neat hardware.

That's what made Mycroft's Mark II seem like a good idea; and while privacy-first, open source smart hardware still is, Mycroft has upset a lot of its early supporters.

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