@giorodriguez Computer hardware startups — again — are poised for major investment. Why Puerto Rican companies might have an edge
Jonathan
It’s Thursday night, and I’m looking at an email from the co-founder of a small Puerto Rican startup called Kytelabs. The company is scheduled to run its first Kickstarter campaign – the first for a hardware startup based in Puerto Rico — and they are eager for some coverage. I eventually connect with them on Saturday morning, but it’s clear they don’t really need my help any longer. That morning, they had already reached 75% of their goal ($15,000). By Sunday — just 52 hours after launch — they met their goal and kept signing up supporters. Last I checked, a few minutes ago, they’ve cleared more than 20K with 415 backers, and have 25 days to go.
Ramon
Those stats, of course, are interesting. But here’s another: the campaign last weekend was not just an “aw, how cute” Kickstarter debut for a Puerto Rican startup. It was in fact the fastest-growing hardware campaign in all of Kickstarter this weekend. Speaking with the Kytelabs team this week, I got the strong sense that Puerto Rican hardware startups may get lots of support in the coming years, despite the very real challenges (lack of support for startups, a business ecosystem that favors larger companies, a business culture averse to risk taking). Kytelabs founder Jonathan Gonzalez told me about the “hardware renaissance” that’s ignited the technology accelerator community in the mainland US. For several reasons, Puerto Rican startups might have an edge in the new hardware economy.
Costs
Angel
This is not the strongest differentiator, for there are other regions — including other parts of Latin America — where the cost of living can stretch the value of any investment. But the Kytelabs crew — Jonathan Gonzalez, Ramon Gonzalez (no relation), and Angel Viera — have spent only $1,500 of their own money since their launch in January this year. On the mainland US, we call that “ramen money” — just enough, maybe, to eat and survive. Actually, it’s less than ramen money (or mofongo money). It’s a big reminder of how much you can do in Puerto Rico for so little. And it’s not like the crew didn’t have other options. Jonathan and Ramon each had six-figure offers to work for large companies. Angel left college early (Peter Thiel should be smiling) to work for Kytelabs. So when you think of the 20K that they’ve cleared so far from their little weekend project, the economics of starting something on the island look quite appealing. The investment will help the company order enough units to return a profit on this first product (a computer board for devices that can be a controlled via bluetooth).
Talent
But here’s where Puerto Rico may have an even greater edge. Jonathan, Ramon, and Angel all hail from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, a school that turns out scores of computer engineers every year with an unusually strong orientation toward hardware. Problem is, there are almost no jobs for hardware engineers in Puerto Rico, so graduates must either change direction or seek work on the US mainland (or elsewhere). Those six-figure jobs I mentioned in the last paragraph? Yes, they were in the US. But the Kytelabs crew is betting that new hardware ecosystem that is emerging globally can help create jobs on the Puerto Rican archipelago. One way that Kytelabs expects to continue reducing costs is by leveraging its connections to the new open-source communities that are driving the development of the hardware renaissance. With the “open design” movement, engineers everywhere are sharing formats and templates that reduce the time to manufacture products and bring them to market. Add to this new mix a steady supply of hardware engineers and Puerto Rico begins to look like a really smart place to invest in computer hardware.
Community
But what about those challenges we looked at a little while ago — the cultural barriers to doing the startup thing in Puerto Rico. Jonathan, Ramon and Angel were often discouraged. Friends and family thought they were crazy for turning down big jobs (and in Angel’s case, leaving school). Leaders in business, government and other sectors in the Puerto Rican economy didn’t get the vision or understand the support they needed. But what they couldn’t get locally they were able to get virtually through the open source communities that were emerging in the hardware world outsidePuerto Rico. And ultimately, they found common cause with other engineers in Puerto Rico — through groups like Startups of Puerto Rico – who similarly were coming of age by virtue of their membership in the global community. My friend and colleague Marcos Polanco and I recently wrote about this emerging class of Puerto Rican professional who is Island-bound yet a citizen of the world. We call it the “Fifth Floor,” a new addition to the house of Puerto Rico. Understanding the profound role that computer hardware has played in other regions — think Silicon Valley — investors everywhere should take a close look at the potential that Puerto Rico has to jumpstart (kickstart) the redevelopment of that house with a focus on hardware. Already they have. When I looked at the stats this weekend for the Kytelabs Kickstarter campaign I was surprised to see the geographic spread: 40% of the investment came from Puerto Ricans, while 60% percent came from peopleoutside Puerto Rico. Note to self (and Marcos): the Fifth Floor of Puerto Rico already has global reach, and that reach is already powering a small enterprise. Stay tuned. I think this is just the beginning.
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Authorities in Puerto Rico are investigating claims that police shot and killed a 22-year-old mother during a confrontation with three men in the island's central region.
The director of a special investigations unit says police apparently fired shots at the scene where Carla Michelle Aviles died. Director Brenda Leon says they are awaiting evidence to determine who is responsible for her death.
The officers involved have been placed on leave.
Family members told reporters that Aviles was riding in a car with the men Sunday because she needed a ride to her own car. It is unclear what led to the confrontation between the men and police.
Relatives held a vigil for Aviles on Tuesday.
- Whistleblower's whereabouts finally confirmed after days of speculation
- Snowden remains in the transit area of the airport
- Putin: 'The sooner he leaves, the better for him and Russia'
- U.S. government officials faced questions over whether they had botched the effort to extradite Snowden from Hong Kong
- White House spokesman Jay Carney said diplomats and Justice Department officials are engaged in discussions with Russia
PUBLISHED: 22:55 EST, 24 June 2013 | UPDATED: 11:09 EST, 25 June 2013
Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Edward Snowden has arrived in Moscow Airport, where he remains in the transit area.
As the whistleblower's whereabouts are finally confirmed after days of speculation, Putin added that his arrival at Sheremetyevo International Airport was unexpected but that he will not be extradited.
'It really came as a surprise for us,' Putin told reporters in Finland on Tuesday.
'He arrived as a transit passenger, and didn't need a [Russian] visa, or any other documents. As a transit passenger he is entitled to buy a ticket and fly to wherever he wants.'
Putin said that there is no extradition treaty between Russia and the U.S, adding: 'Snowden is a free person. The sooner he chooses his final destination, the better it is for him and Russia.
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Found! Edward Snowden, whose whereabouts have been unknown since he leaked top surveillance secrets, has arrived at Moscow Airport, according to President Vladimir Putin
'I hope this won't affect the cordial nature of our relations with the US. I hope our partners will understand this.'
It comes after Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, bluntly rejected U.S. demands to extradite Snowden, insisting that Russia has nothing to do with the whistleblower or his travel plans.
Lavrov lashed out angrily at Washington for demanding the extradition and warning of negative consequences if Moscow fails to comply.
China has also hit back at U.S. accusations that it facilitated the departure of Snowden from Hong Kong saying they were 'groundless and unacceptable'.
A foreign ministry spokeswoman said the Hong Kong government had handled the former US intelligence officer's case in accordance with the law.
Revelation: Speaking to reporters in Finland on Tuesday, President Putin said Snowden can now buy a ticket to any place he wishes to fly. He added that the 'sooner he leaves, the better for us and him'
Arrival: Putin said the whistleblower remains in the transit area of the airport but he will not be extradited
A REAL-LIFE 'TERMINAL': COULD SNOWDEN STAY AT THE AIRPORT?
Tom Hanks, The Terminal
Edward Snowden remains in the transit area of the Moscow airport and can now fly to the next destination of his choice, President Vladimir Putin said.
The image of Snowden waiting in the terminal conjures comparisons with the Tom Hanks 2004 film The Terminal, in which his character is forced to camp out at JFK airport after he is not allowed to return to his own country following the outbreak of a civil war.
Snowden is also allowed to remain in the airport without intervention from authorities; the country has no extradition treaty with the U.S. and Snowden has not committed a crime in Russia to warrant his arrest.
If he did wish to leave the airport, he would need at least a tourist visa to be able to leave the airport; as he remains in the transit area, he does not need this, Putin said.
But unlike the film, there are limits on how long Snowden could stay in the transit area before authorities intervene. The airport's website notes that passengers only have 24 hours to make their next flight without a visa and should already have tickets for the rest of the journey.
If passengers wish to stay for more than 24 hours at the airport, they must obtain a transit visa from the airport by presenting their ID and flight tickets.
'He chose his itinerary on his own. We learnt about it ... from the media,' Mr Lavrov told a joint news conference with Algeria's foreign minister in Moscow.
'We consider the attempts to accuse the Russian side of violating U.S. laws, and practically of involvement in a plot, to be absolutely groundless and unacceptable.'
Lavrov's comments were the first by a senior Russian official since Snowden reportedly left Hong Kong on Sunday, starting a cat-and-mouse chase that has frayed ties between Washington and Beijing and threatened U.S.-Russian relations.
Washington said on Monday that the U.S. believes Snowden was still in Moscow, despite reporters saying he had not been seen at Sheremetyevo airport.
The Moscow authorities previously said they could not respond to U.S. pressure to detain Snowden because he was still in transit, had committed no crime in Russia and technically had not entered their country. There was also no sign he had used the only available transit hotel at Sheremetyevo.
This may fuel U.S. concerns that he is under the direct protection of the Russian authorities in a secret location.
President Barack Obama's spokesman Jay Carney, was already on record as saying: 'It's safe to assume that information he has ... is already compromised. It's our understanding that Mr Snowden remains in Russia.'
With a virtual news blackout in the Russian media over the authorities' knowledge on Snowden, journalists were watching for today's 14.05 direct Aeroflot flight to Cuba - his most obvious route to Ecuador which has issued him with refugee travel documents pending a bid to seek political asylum in the South American country.
Upset: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov bluntly rejected U.S. demands to extradite Snowden
Mystery: An employee at the transit hotel in Moscow where NSA leaker Edward Snowden was understood to be staying has denied he ever checked in
Elusive: A female member of staff, named as Olga, said 'we are the only hotel within the transit zone but Mr Snowden never booked or stayed in our hotel
But doubts grew over Snowden's whereabouts after Olga, an employee of the 'capsule' transit hotel at Sheremetyevo Airport, denied he had been at the hotel on Sunday or Monday night.
'We are the only hotel within the transit zone but Mr Snowden never booked or stayed in our hotel,' she said.
The only direct flight from Russia to Iceland - which the fugitive had earlier identified as his bolt-hole of choice - left St Petersburg for Reykjavik this morning 13 minutes late at 09.53.
Asked if Snowden was on board, a spokeswoman at Icelandair declined to comment.
'We can't provide such information because of the law on protection of personal data,' she said.
Officials from Russian border guards and customs also refused to comment, while a spokesman at Iceland's embassy in Moscow said he had 'no information' on whether Snowden was on board.
Demands: White House press secretary Jay Carney gestures during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, on Monday, June 24, 2013
'The embassy in Moscow has not been involved in any way,' he said.
As boarding began on Tuesday's flight to Havana from Sheremetyevo, there were claims that journalists were denied access to the 'sterile' zone close to the departure gate.
Dozens of journalists checked in for the flight yesterday but Snowden's designated seat 17A was empty. Today, unlike yesterday, there was no sign of diplomatic cars at the airport.
The Obama administration yesterday issued a terse demand to Russia to hand over the NSA whistle-blower as it faced down accusations it bungled efforts to extradite him from Hong Kong.
On Monday, administration officials said they had done all they could to bring Snowden to justice. Chinese defiance, rather than bureaucratic bungling, had allowed the 30-year-old former contractor to slip out of Hong Kong as officials there weighed Washington's request for extradition, they said.
Not Aboard: The Aeroflot Airbus A330 plane that was to carry National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden on a flight to Havana, Cuba, taxies out at Sheremetyevo airport, Moscow, Monday, June 24, 2013
Empty: Fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden failed to make a flight from Moscow to Cuba on Monday and this picture showed the seat he was meant to be in as empty
'This was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive, despite a valid arrest warrant,' White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a briefing.
Secretary of State John Kerry urged Moscow to 'do the right thing' and turn over Snowden.
'We're following all the appropriate legal channels and working with various other countries to make sure that the rule of law is observed,' President Barack Obama told reporters when asked on Monday if he was confident that Russia would expel Snowden.
Mr Carney said it was Washington's assumption that Snowden was still in Russia and pressed Russia to use all options to expel him to the United States.
Offer: Ecuador's President Rafael Correa - The Ecuadorian government declared on Monday that national sovereignty and universal principles of human rights would govern their decision on granting asylum to Edward Snowden
The U.S. State Department said diplomats and Justice Department officials were engaged in discussions with Russia, suggesting they were looking for a deal to secure his return.
'Given our intensified cooperation working with Russia on law enforcement matters ... we hope that the Russian government will look at all available options to return Mr. Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged,' spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters.
Julian Assange, founder of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks which is assisting Snowden, said Snowden had fled to Moscow en route to Ecuador and was in good health in a 'safe place' but did not say where he was now.
Ecuador, like Cuba and Venezuela, is a member of the ALBA bloc, an alliance of leftist governments in Latin America that pride themselves on their 'anti-imperialist' credentials.
'The current status of Mr Snowden and Harrison is that both are healthy and safe and they are in contact with their legal teams,' Julian Assange said
The Quito government has been sheltering Assange at its London embassy for the past year.
Right hand woman: Sarah Harrison, who is believed to have been helping Snowden flee to South America, is pictured outside the embassy in London where her then-boyfriend Julian Assange is seeking asylum
While U.S. officials are clearly furious at the governments that have helped Snowden, analysts expect a restrained U.S. response.
Anthony Cordesman, a national security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Washington should avoid risking important alliances.
'Compared to all of the key issues between the United States, Russia and China, Snowden doesn't matter,' he said.
China, which itself has frequently been accused of hacking abroad, has sought the high ground, expressing 'grave concern' over Snowden's allegations that the United States had hacked Chinese computers. It said it had taken up the issue with Washington.
Other Russian officials said Moscow had no obligation to cooperate with Washington, citing legislation passed in the United States to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Russians accused of violating human rights.
The Russian news agency Interfax quoted an unnamed source as saying Moscow could not arrest or deport Snowden because he had not actually entered Russian territory - suggesting he had remained in the transit area at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
Putin has missed few chances to champion public figures who challenge Western governments and to portray Washington as an overzealous global policeman.
Departed: Snowden was believed to be booked on Flight CU 6150 from Moscow to Cuba
Where is he? Passengers queue to board a plane to Cuba at a terminal of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. But Snowden was nowhere to be seen
Sympathetic: Ecuador Ambassador to Russia Patrizio Alberto Chavez Savala, pictured left with Vladimir Putin, was waiting for Snowden in Moscow
Asylum: The pair were met by two cars, pictured, from the Ecuadorian embassy parked at Moscow's Sheremetevo airport today
WikiLeaks said Snowden was supplied with a refugee document of passage by Ecuador and that a British legal researcher working for the anti-secrecy group had accompanied him.
Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, said during a trip to Vietnam that Quito would take into account a U.S. request about Snowden and was in contact with Russia about him. He gave no details of the U.S. request.
Patino hailed Snowden on Monday as 'a man attempting to bring light and transparency to facts that affect everyone's fundamental liberties.'
The decision whether to grant Snowden the asylum he has requested is a choice between 'betraying the citizens of the world or betraying certain powerful elites in a specific country,' added Patino.
A high-ranking Ecuadorean official told The Associated Press that Russia and Ecuador were discussing where Snowden could go, and the process could take days.
He also said Ecuador's ambassador to Moscow had not seen or spoken to Snowden. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Ecuadoreans debated whether accepting Snowden would be a step too far for leftist President Rafael Correa, who has won wide popularity with oil-funded social and infrastructure programs while picking public fights with his country's main export market, the U.S.
A supporter of Edward Snowden holds a sign that reads "Thank You Ecuador", outside the Embassy of Ecuador in London June 24, 2013
Correa has expelled U.S. diplomats, shuttered an American military base and offered refuge at Ecuador's embassy in London to Julian Assange, praising the founder of Wikileaks for publishing reams of leaked secret U.S. documents. Assange has embraced Snowden and WikiLeaks experts are believed to be assisting him in arranging asylum.
With unprecedented international attention focused on Ecuador, many citizens said they felt giving asylum to Snowden would be courting trouble for no reason, particularly with a key U.S. trade agreement up for renewal in coming weeks.
'I think it's just being provocative," said Blanca Sanchez, 50, who sells cosmetics in the capital, Quito. 'He needs to take responsibility for himself. This isn't our problem.'
Snowden, who worked as a systems administrator at a U.S. National Security Agency facility in Hawaii for about three months, had been hiding in Hong Kong, since leaking details about secret U.S. surveillance programs to news media.
A plane believed to carry Edward Snowden, the former contractor for the U.S. National Security Agency, lands in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, June 23, 2013
He said in an interview published by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on Monday that he took a job at U.S. contractor Booz Allen Hamilton deliberately to gain access to details of the NSA's surveillance programs.
'My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA hacked,' Snowden said, according to the article.
Booz Allen Hamilton fired Snowden on June 10, a day after he went public about his role in revealing details of the NSA programs in a video posted by the Guardian newspaper in London. It had no comment about Snowden's latest comments.
Snowden has been charged with theft of federal government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person. The last two charges fall under the U.S. Espionage Act.
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