1. Automatic Payment We are currently working on the payment back-end, and we might begin the design process next week as well.
2. BTCT closing BTCT told us that they will release the database for us to merge on October 10.
3. Sales/Opportunity Update We haven't heard from the previously mentioned potential chip buyer. We met with two other groups making 65/55nm in China interested in collaboration, but we hadn't solid cooperation conclusions yet.
4. Franchising We have created partnerships with two new franchises.
5. Cooling Update We hope to share a good video or exhibition materials by the end of the month.
6.Advertising Update During the next wave of hardware sales, we will increase our advertising efforts.
7. Research & Development We had tried several different really intricate and speculative designs for 2014, based on the assumption being competitive in a fully saturated market (average return rate getting close to normal business' single digits per year). but originally with a limited channel/staff, it can be very difficult to fully explore them. So, we conducted interviews, and recently identified several exceptional people.
We will be spreading design risk by working on several designs simultaneously and having all other designs' info/simulation results fed back to the main design process. Our designs changed aggressively and the expected successful rate (on a working mask) drops compared to the standard flow so it has to be fully (wave-level) simulated before fabrication.
8. Financial Report The next official ASICMINER Financial Report is scheduled to be released on October 20s. We had been in the process of accumulating reserves for a two-year-based small lab (all salaries) and a full mask cost for 40nm for one month. Additional income may be reserved for other chip advancements.
9. Hardware Solutions ASICMINER is exploring and considering several alternative hardware manufacturing roles aside from mining-related products.