Midway through 2025 and glide only Alpha 2.0?

This is the email I got from them on 30th April:

For those who had planned to join our Gliders Monthly Zoom call today, we are deeply sorry to share that we have had an unexpected and last-minute technical issue, and will have to reschedule.

We will be working on a new time as soon as possible, and are truly sorry for this unexpected change. We know your time is incredibly valuable, and are sincerely grateful for your patience and understanding.

We will be sending out a new link and time as soon as we can confirm for either later this week or next week!

Not had a follow-up yet but no doubt it will be scheduled again soon. My guess is that they are out and about doing demonstrations and probably had some internet connectivity issues.

Personally I give them the benefit of the doubt - I'm sure they have a lot of spinning plates right now.

I got the email from glidance last week. It was to reschedule the webinar. Here is a snippet from that email:
5/7/25
Date & Time (New) May 7, 2025 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
If you don't have it, perhaps email them?
I would also like to say that people have been getting very angry with you on this thread. I think it's a good thing that you're asking these questions. If you do join the zoom tomorrow, I'd love to see you asking these live to them.
To everyone else, yes, we must have the negatives and hard questions as well. We all want the same thing, after all and glidance can't sail through with a cloud of positivity and rainbows. I believe they would agree with such a statement.

bingo, for one, is on Team Ash Rein here!

My humble apologies Binggo. I suppose what I meant to say was:
to everyone who has given Ash Rein a little stick for the opinion expressed against glidance.
@Everyone else was somewhat lazy on my part I think.

Bingo and his big wallet flex is my favorite part of this thread.

I'm excited, though am happier to pay full price for a known quantity. I really hope it is outstanding, I'm just sorry all you backers have to wait so long, and thank you for funding it so cowards like me can benefit from your faith.

The weird thing is that as I paid for this in July of last year I've kind of forgot about the money side. So, if it doesn't come out this year it wouldn't be such a big hassle as it might of been. Think that makes sense in some way. To Ash don't forget two BBC reporters tried this out at the CSUN event and they were overall impressed with the potential. So assuming the BBC are impartial which maybe up for debate they are possibly the highest profile people I know who have tried it.So as people have said lets wait and see. They have already lowered expectations by telling us that the mapping ability will not be released at launched but in a future update so they are being transparent with our needs I believe.

Otherwise known as the Biased Broadcasting Corpporation? The same BBC that has had to issue an alarming number of apologies over partial coverage in the last year or so? Stick to giving us unrivaled coverage of the County Championship including Middlesex's fantastic chase of 365 against Kent yesterday, and Bingo will continue to acqiesce in paying his licence fee.

But to be serious with you, I'd be wary of mainstream outlets' conclusions about how amazing such tech as this actually is. Quite often, said outlets set the bar rather low and are therefore amazed rather easily, especially if their reporters don't actually have to use the tech themselves. True, the BBC's a bit better at this than other outlets thanks to the input of the likes of peter White, but I'd still be cautious.

Agree Bingo. However, both reporters are blind so think it more likely they would be telling the truth. Oh and that is a good 4th innings chase.

They replied to me today.

They did tell me that they'd prefer I keep the email to myself but they said that they sent out a email explaining that something went wrong but then sent out another email a couple of hours later explaining it in more detail.

All I'll say on that end is that someone on the team got some bad news and leave it at that.

They did say that ash is more than welcome to email, and they don't know why you didn't get the emails as your signed up to the list.

I explained that I didn't get the email about the alpha 2 build either so asked if they could check their mailbox.

If I get any updates from them about anything to do with the mailbox, i'll post it here.

@ash rein, sorry for being snappy, I'm going through my own stuff at the moment but shouldn't take it out on you.

I love the BBC, channel 4 on constantly but, when it comes to critiquing such things as developments in the disability space, its a little lack luster. I suspect there is a reluctance to appear ungrateful which is a wider issue in society. Be grateful whilst blind is the drill even if that's a fiction. The truth, bursting into tears every time someone asks who you are, or beating the heck out of an iMac with a cricket bat because of SNR, doesn't support the advocacy for the team we never signed up for.

Sorry, went off on one there...

Further apologies...

I mention a violent act toward an apple product in previous post. My intent was to verbalise frustrations we all face but also understand that language needs to be inclusive and without spice to avoid offence.

Standards of language vary across cultures and maybe, here in the UK, language that is considered mild is not considered mild in the US.

Thank you to Michael and the team for flagging this.

Hi,
Sometimes difficult questions need to be asked. I wouldn't put a deposit down just because it's too much money for me to justify. £800 is a lot of money. But this product certainly interests me. At Ash, got no problem with you asking difficult questions, but inferring this might be a scam is going too far. But I get it, you care, so do I, I'm following this space very closely, and I'm the first one to be sceptical about the vast majority of blindness products. I won't even use or follow the development of the vast majority of blindness products. They're overpriced, don't work in the way I want or have the features I want, and for me personally, mainstream products can do what I want just as well if not better. But Glide is different. I could actually see myself using something like this, especially if it had turn-by-turn directions. Glide has been going around demoing it a lot. Would I go to a demo and try it? Maybe. I'd certainly want to actually demo the thing before putting a deposit down. Being able to move around obstacles in a very specific controlled environment is only part of it. Can it handle busy streets? Can it avoid someone just about to kick it out of the way? The thing that gives me hope for this is that Amos, the CEO is blind, and I'm much more willing to believe that a blind person at the helm is going to make sure this product is relevant and can actually cope in real life scenarios. I'd be far more sceptical if there were no blind people involved in the development, and it was just some sighted people who had a great idea on the surface, but hadn't thought through the finer details because, let's face it, they'll never need to use this. Amos from Glide is apparently using this around his local area. That says a lot. At Travis, yes, totally agree. Blind people should have as many good quality, affordable and possibly subsidised if necessary, choices.

I don't like blindness products and prefer to use mainstream stuff as much as possible but this? I can see this device making a huge change.

I invested in this exactly because I want to see how turn by turn directions will work on this thing, I think they'll work great with the way glide follows the line.

The more I read about this, the more I want to try it out. I'll have to start looking out for demo days available where I can get to relatively easily.

Go for it, I don't think you'll be disappointed at all.

I know, I know - you're gonna read this comment and think: will the bleeder ever be satisfied? The problem with demos is that, at least in my experience, they're sometimes very carefully choreographed to showcase the equipment in superoptimal conditions. I use the word superoptimal advisedly there. My mind is cast back to a braille Sense demo done for me in 2005 where I was given no chance to ask questions to the rather aggressive lady who ran it, then a demo of the KNFB Reader (the original hand-held one) where the sighted representative insisted on taking the picture to be scanned...what the bleedin' good was that?
Such demos are certainly better than nothing, but I keep going back to the point ash Rein made earlier about the flaws. I want to hear from these chaps about the limitations as well as the positive stuff. now, to be fair to them, it's quite possible that they don't know as much about limitations yet and that such data will only emerge as folk road test it. I'll be keeping an eye on it and I hope that data is shared.

Sight Village in Birmingham might be quite a good environment to put Glide through its paces. How will it navigate the 26,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish in the streets?

I must say the way people have described the Glide demos, they don't sound all that choreographed. I mean, people were walking with the device on their own. Yes, the environment itself was controlled, but at least people were able to walk on their own and move round obstacles. But yes, I want to hear about the flaws too. But surely not being able to go up and down stairs without having to lift the device is a flaw. It sounds like a flaw to me. But yes, more flaws would be useful to know about. I must say, if people were either agressive, didn't give me a chance to ask questions, or operated parts of the product for me, that would automatically put me off the device anyway, and especially buying from that particular company! But I get what you're saying, demos can be staged.

I haven't said aught about stairs! Or perhaps you meant someone else? anyway, just to be clear, Bingo OS 43.0 has a number of flaws. I daresay some of 'em have crept in since version 20.0 which was probably when the OS was most efficient in terms of resources and most adventurous in terms of its feature set. Those were the days when one could enjoy 13 glasses of wine and then write one's tutorial essay, or come straight back from giving the students at Lincoln's Inn a good thrashing in a mock trial with attendant refreshments and somehow pass for knowing what one was talking about in a legal philosophy tutorial. Such capabilities have, alas, sailed off into the Oxonian sunset. Luckily, going up and down steps, stairs, ramps or hills, with or without a device akin to the glide or, indeed, the Glide itself, is not a currently identified Flaw in bingo OS 43.0, nor do I anticipate it in July's 44.0 release, though I imagine these days I'd draw the line at mountains. anyway, back to work...

Hi Tara, Why a flaw? This weighs about 2.5KG or 8LB in old money so easy to pick up. A suitcase weighs more. Would be impossible to create something with wheels to go up and down stairs. Even guide dogs have to be careful with escallators. Of all the things I'd think of as a flaw this isn't one of them. Remember, once it has the line it picks up from where it left off so once you get to the top or bottom you just carry on walking.

I wonder what would happen, since it's motorized, if you pulled or dragged the contraption behind you when going up stairs, like with a small hand truck. Would it fight you?

No, I don't think it would, the wheels are a separate part from the machine. What I mean is that they're not motorised. It might put on its breaks or go into a free roming mode where the wwheels can spin without any AI stuff going on under the hood and then turn that feature on once it's at the top of the stairs.

I know 2.5kg isn't that heavy, but sometimes you have to go up several flights of stairs, and this doesn't sound like something you could just dangle from your closed fingers like a briefcase.

Oh no Bingo, I know you didn't mention stairs, sorry about that, I meant going up and down stairs have been mentioned in relation to the Glide in various topics here and other spaces. And Lee, I see what you mean, I don't really see it as a flaw, but others might.

I was going to say, I carry my cane up and down stairs, but it is useful knowing when we're at the top of a flight. I wonder if this might not leave us feeling a little exposed on the stairs? If I have to get out a cane to fill in areas the device can't cope, I'd probably be put off.

Who knows, there may be an interesting solution. It may be we can, in a way, use it to feel for risers.

It's a mystery!

There's demo days for glide, In the UK in London, it's May 28th and may 29th, and for Ireland it's June 7th.

In London they're trying something new, they're trying it in real world environments!

You'll have to be quick though as they're going fast.

UK London booking page: https://glidance.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=be9d4a3f45c4c8fbb12745e78&id=49eeeffc17&e=3bb5136640

Ireland booking page: https://glidance.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=be9d4a3f45c4c8fbb12745e78&id=7110fff39f&e=3bb5136640

Have fun, and of course; I'll be writing a write up as soon as I get home.

I believe it'll be happening a lot more now, there's talks of going to Paris and other places so I'd not be surprised if they try more train station like places in Europe.

Thanks for the info about the Glide demos. Unfortunately I won't even be in the country on the 28th and 29th May. London is the easiest place for me to get to though, so in the future when they come to London again, I'm definitely going. You've convinced me to give it a try.

This is super exciting.

Or I hope they come to London again, but I don't think it will be this year, unless you go to sight village,, they might be there.

If they're not there this year because of going all over the world; i'd be shocked if they weren't there next year.

blimey! How very lucky! My offices are very near Waterloo so I will take a stroll down there and see what this is all about. alas I'm meant to be sherking from home that day so will have to haul my arse into the office specially, donning a respectable whistle by reason thereof; but it's only a short jaunt down the Northern Line, charing Cross branch. I, too, will be pleased to do a write-up of my findings, focusing (specially for Tara et al) on steps. Until reading this thread, steps were the last thing on my mind, but I accept that some will want to know more so as to avoid tragedy, and as waterloo's only a heartbeat away from the office a demonstration so missed really would be one for sorrow. Goodness me - I did that without even thinking about it!

I don't think you've ever been to london have you? I had to laugh when I read that you don't want it tested in an empty streat, trust me; it won't be.

There'll be bikes, people, lamposts, pot wholes, this is London after all, all that.

Will it be as crouded as new york, probably not, but it will be crowded enough to get quite a bit of data.

I think the camra can see 360 around it so it should, hopefully, be able to guide us through people using the safest path possible.

As for a cain, I believe they're making a holder for it where you can put it in the side or something like that. One of the first things I'm going to tel them is it will, if posssible, need to have a lock of some kind, it's all well and good having a place for your cane but idiots might come along and try and steal it; so it needs to be safe.

I don't intend on using my cane but it'll be nice to have a space for it, but now I'm a bit concerned that the device might see the cane and not be sure what to do, but i'll talk to the peple there and give my feedback in my write up.

I'm glad Bingo is going to write about stairs, I don't know if I'll focus on that as much but i'll try to.

I'm going to also make a recording so that I can ask my questions and get them recorded, I don't have the best memory.

@bingo, try to register if you can, it'll make things a bit easier on the peple instead of just turning up.

How unfortunate that my previous comments about steps (stairs if you're going to be a bleeder about it) was not taken in the humorous spirit in which it was intended. To my mind, it demonstrated a nice turn of phrase and icorporated some classic steps hits.

Not as crowded as New York? This is London we're talking about, not the anglo-Saxon Londonwik! I promise you, ash, London can match New York for crowds. I further warrant that Waterloo will be busy busy busy busy on that day. Four Tube lines intersect at waterloo (although the Waterloo and city Line doesn't really count, does it?) and there are all those jolly old trains off to Southampton, dorset, Reading and leafy surrey. Its patrons include those who live in South London and those who abide in Baker street, light in their head and dead on their feet. The politicians pile into a Jubilee Line train en route to westminster while the barristers and judges can get to legal London using the Southbound Bakerloo Line - although admittedly, those last need to change at embankment in order to get to the Temple. and the best bit? Loads and loads and loads of steps, or stairs if you're still going to be a bleeder about it! 20 steps in which to luxuriate up from the Northern Line platforms to the travellator level, for example. None of your 'this station has step-free access' nonsense. No, Sir, indeed not! The waterloo Road exit has no steps beyond the barriers but don't worry, take the South Bank exit instead and there are, I think, four more steps to enjoy. what a shame they appear to have got rid of the West Cornwall Pasty company, though.

brad, I'm not sure where I gave you the idea that I would not register. As it turns out your paragraph exhorting me to do so was a bit after the Lord Mayor's show, so to speak. I took your earlier advice and registered tout de suite. So bingo's on the list, yes Bingo's on the list, and the demo won't be missed, the demo won't be missed....unless an unavoidable professional commitment eventuates, I suppose.

Right ho, back to work...

Doubt it would have 360dg view. That would need a 2nd camera on the back. However, it probably would be about 160dg which is more than enough. Don't forget sighted people can't see through the back of their heads! Will pick up people coming in from the sides and that is all it needs to do. Your cane probably covers less angles than that. Yes it will be busy enough. Can't make it which as I purchased the thing is annoying but I'm not near London that week. One thought as this is not a controlled environment wonder how people will find them. In a fixed building you can be directed to a certain hall or room. Here people can enter the station from multiple entries so they need to somehow let people know where to go.

I've said this before, but I was pretty upset when a cyclist came out of nowhere and destroyed my graphite cane. That was almost £100 down the toilet. Now if that same thing had happened with a 1.5k Glide I would have been totally distraught. I suspect it might be worth looking at insurance options. I think that's something that they could possibly incorporate into the subscription, even if you pay a little more for it.

Regarding stairs - I seem to remember them saying that Glide would help you find where the handrail is. I'm not sure if that might just be enough for me. I suppose time will tell how big a deal it is.

You get the option to specify specially important or expensive items. Mrs Bingo's engagement ring, and the bingo wedding rings, for example, are so specified. I think I've shoved the brailliant on there as well, though can't be sure. Glide can go on there too. I suppose there's nothing stopping Glidance's partnering up with, erm, erm, Domestic and General to provide a bespoke insurance policy, a bit like Sky Protect for your SkyQ box. Waterloo is a paradigm uncontrolled environment.

Speaking of control, I heard some rascals have got hold of Thomas the Tank Engine and removed all references to the fat Controler. What's he called nowadays, then?

I shall remember for next time that if there's an obvious thing like, hey, I put a link on the page, that the posters will use it, will that please your lordship?

all joking aside, I get your point, I put a link there, it's kind of obvious you used it.

Oh and oh yeah, I forgot how busy the stations are going to be.... Hey, maybe next time they'll do the demos in victoria, that'll be a laugh. All those tunnels and peple rushing to and throw, tell me bingo old chap, is it going to be like that? I'm going to padington, I don't think it's as busy as waterloo, but it'll give the thing a good enough work out I imagine.

I was never good with those numbers but your guess sounds more right compared to what I wrote.

here is the paddington lay-out, from CHAT gpt i wonder what people will experience as walking with Glide?

Wonder if Glide is talking yet etc?

Paddington Station in London is a large and historic railway terminal with a somewhat open layout, but navigating it as a blind person involves understanding the spatial zones, sounds, surfaces, and tactile landmarks. Here’s a detailed description of its layout and features from a non-visual perspective:
 1. General Orientation • Main Entrance (Praed Street side): When entering from the main entrance on Praed Street, you’ll feel an echoey indoor environment with high, arched ceilings above and the rumble of trains ahead. The floor changes from pavement to smooth tiles. The space opens widely in front of you.
• Acoustic environment: It’s noisy, with echoing announcements, suitcase wheels rolling, and the distant rumble or hissing of idling trains. These help orient you toward the platforms.  2. Concourse (Central Hall) • Straight ahead from the entrance , you’ll be in the main concourse.
This is a wide-open area with high foot traffic and scattered obstacles like ticket machines, kiosks, and benches.
• Tactile features: The flooring may shift slightly in texture near kiosks or edges. Some tactile paving exists at platform edges, but internal guidance strips are limited.
• Left side of the concourse (facing in from the main entrance): This leads toward taxi ranks and some cafés. You’ll often hear the clatter of cups or people talking nearby.
• Right side: You’ll find more shops, escalators, and access to the Underground. The air here feels a little more enclosed.  3. Platforms • Directly ahead from the concourse are the platforms, numbered 1 to 12 (sometimes up to 14), arranged in parallel lines.
• Layout: Platforms are long, wide, and straight, with tactile paving near the edge. As you walk forward, you may feel a gentle gradient upward or a shift to ribbed warning tiles that signal the platform edge.
• Train location clues: You’ll hear train doors opening, automated announcements, and hissing brakes as trains prepare to depart. Staff often stand near the train doors, especially for long-distance services like those to the West Country or Heathrow Express.  4. Underground Station Access • On the right side of the main hall , there are escalators and lifts going down to the Bakerloo, Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City Lines.
• Key sensory indicators: A drop in temperature, stronger airflow, and increased tunnel acoustics mark the approach to the Underground. Escalators have warning beeps and ribbed entry points. Lifts have tactile buttons and audible floor announcements.  5. Assistance and Accessibility • Assistance point: Usually located to the left side of the main concourse, near the ticket office. Staff are typically present and can be approached for guided help.
• Tactile maps or apps: Paddington has limited tactile signage, but apps like Passenger Assistance or Waymap can provide audio navigation.  6. Landmarks and Orientation Tips • Sound cues: • Heathrow Express platforms (often 6 or 7) have specific pre-recorded announcements.
• Café sounds near entrances help distinguish zones.
• Tactile cues: • Changes in floor surface signal platform edges or the beginning of escalators.
• Benches and walls can be used for orientation in open spaces.  Would you like a mental map or step-by-step guidance for getting from a specific part (like from entrance to a platform or to the Underground)?

a second camera is present now for depth of view paddington going be very interesting

They're moving quite fast, I just hope the voice they use for AI stuff is alright to listen to.

Did we have, or are there plans, to have demos in Montreal? I am Indian so no problem going to Ontario as it's the unfortunately a modern hometown for us currently and have familly there so in theory I could have been there for the Toronto demos but was busy then.
I actually mentioned this to my o&m specialist and she was positively intrigued by it (an year ago) she told me that it looked like a vacuum cleaner of a sort and was wondering how would people react to it on the streat. I have no interest/need in it personally but love the tech and can appreciate somehow the hipe, this gave me better feeling than celest back then . Plus yeah, soundscape was great.

Yeah, it's a bit of an odd one, it's basicly like a square body, with a bumper on the front for resting on, there's two large wheels, one each side of the square body, and a stick at the top that can be ajusted with a handle.

At least that's what the last version looked like, I'll let you know if the design changes once I go to my demo day.

You could email them to ask, they got back to me in a day when I emailed them.

How did he lift the restaurant up? Did he have the Glide in the other hand?