Firefox OS-powered Matchstick streaming stick has reached the end of its Kickstarter campaign, and the result is quite impressive.
Matchstick is Mozilla's answer to the increasing numbers of streaming stick such as the Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire Stick, and it relies on open hardware and software.
The gadget started its Kickstarter journey last month, seeking to raise $100,000 initially. It achieved that goal in no time, and went on to raise funds even past that pledge. The project made it clear to backers that they will facilitate constant communication and feedback regarding Matchstick, and the campaign has now closed with over 17,000 backers and $470,287 in funding - nearly five times its initial pledge.
"Matchstick is a small, WiFi-connected HDMI stick that plugs into your HDTV or HD Monitor that lets you stream and interact with your favorite stuff from the Internet - movies, TV, music, games, and more! You can even use it in a conference room to get presentations or other media from your laptop to an HDTV," reads the gadget's description on Kickstarter.
"Seen this before? Well, we approached the Matchstick project with the mindset 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 an entirely new product category for Mozilla, and we can't wait to bring it to you!"
"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. It's what Chromecast WANTED to be."
The Firefox OS Matchstick will also come with Ad Hoc network support, which has been among the top requested features. This will allow the gadget to work even in hotel rooms, college dorms, or other locations, which is a great plus for consumers.
With Google, Amazon, and now Mozilla joining this market, competition will be fierce when it comes to low-cost streaming gadgets. Mozilla may be a bit late to the party, but its Matchstick already seems to have a substantial fan base judging by the response it got on Kickstarter. It remains to be seen just when the device will be ready to hit the market and how successful it will be once it does, but for now it all sounds very promising.
