Press

Thanks for your interest in Portable Scores! We’d love for you to use us in your work, and we’re happy to help you with that. Here you’ll find some relevant facts, press-ready photos, and links to videos.

Description of DigiTally

  • 18″x10″x2″, 3lbs
  • 4 digits, 6″ tall, plus 4 indicators on the bottom for possession, quarter, etc.
  • Scratch and impact resistant clear face
  • Water resistant (good in rain, splashes, mud)
  • Buzzer for countdown timer, possession changes, interval training
  • Controlled with buttons on scoreboard, remote control, and smartphones that are Bluetooth Smart Ready (Bluetooth Low Energy)
  • Runs off AC power or battery pack (8 AA gives 3 hours of life, but 8 C batteries is over 8 hours)
  • Kickstand, standard tripod mount (for most camera tripods), and mount for wall or fence
  • Modes for time up, time countdown, 1 or 2 player score, ping pong, tennis, and smartphone apps for more complex scoring. Stores data for all at once, and can switch between score and time to keep track of both.

History Of Portable Scores

  • 2005: New Years Eve, ping pong in a garage.
  • 2007: New Years Eve, unveiling the first prototype in the same garage for the same game
  • 2011, January: Bob quits his full-time job to start a freelance company and develop the scoreboard part time
  • 2012, February 9: Portable Scores becomes a company and Bob starts working on the scoreboard full time
  • 2012, February 28-May-20: Bob takes part in HAXLR8R, the first hardware startup accelerator in Shenzhen China for 3 months
  • 2012, August: Perry joins the team as the business guy
  • 2012, August – December: Continuing to develop the product, sending beta test units out to volunteers and paying customers
  • 2013, January: First hire. Katie joins to work on marketing and communications.
  • 2013, March: We launch on Kickstarter!

Bios of Co-Founders

  • Bob Baddeley
    • Grew up in Great Falls, MT.
    • Honors Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering in 2004 from Oregon State University
    • Worked from 2004-2011 at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory doing hi tech government research.
    • Left to start WYZGYZ (Wise Guys) LLC in January 2011 to do freelance work and part time scoreboard development
    • Started Portable Scores in 2012 and worked on it full time since.
    • Plays Ultimate Frisbee, runs, hikes, skis, bikes, rock climbs, and skydives.

Potential angles, interesting topics

  • We’re trying to revolutionize the way people enjoy sports. Besides upping their game, the audience gets more involved, and people can share their games in real time on the web, keep more accurate statistics, and measure their activities better. Rather than be a small body device that measures an individual’s performance, this is meant to get people to socialize and measure a group’s performance.
  • Most of the development took place at Sector67, the Madison, WI hackerspace. We had build parties, we tested various manufacturing techniques, parts, and uses at Sector67. We have a hacked scoreboard prototype that we use at monthly meetings that lights up old police car lights when people talk too long.
  • From Feb-May Bob was in Shenzhen, China learning the manufacturing and logistics processes behind how most electronics are made today. He maintained a blog at http://engineerinshenzhen.com, which contains many stories, photos, and videos about his time over there and manufacturing and living in China. Despite the China connection, we’ve still decided to assemble our product in the United States.
  • Portable Scores is a Midwest hardware startup, so we have many challenges trying to bring in investors, getting access to startup resources, and developing a physical product that has many more demands than a software startup.

Relevant media presence

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