docs(hardware): file pendant research + NLnet GenAI policy; reconcile roadmap
Two new docs in docs/hardware/: - pendant-research-2026-04-27.md — buildable plan for a Corbie-paired open-hardware audio capture device. Nordic nRF5340 silicon (LE Audio is effectively a Nordic monopoly outside Apple/Samsung), Raytac MDBT53-1M pre-cert module to dodge GBP 8-15k EMC chamber bill, drop Wi-Fi for USB-MSC sync, single Knowles SPH0645 mic, microSD disguised as cassette spool, hardware-locked LED in series with mic V_DD, Sifam analogue VU meter, Sony WM-D6C / Nagra E / Playdate / TP-7 aesthetic. ~GBP 107 BOM at qty 100. Funding sequence: NLnet first (deadline 2026/06/01), Corbie waitlist soft pre-orders second, Crowd Supply third. 22-month timeline, ~GBP 1,200 founder personal capital exposure. - nlnet-genai-policy.md — verbatim NLnet GenAI policy v1.1 with TL;DR and a Corbie-specific compliance plan. Read before drafting any NLnet application or doing GenAI-assisted work on a funded milestone. Roadmap entry under "Post-v0.1 ideas -> Hardware companion" rewritten to match the compass research. The earlier off-the-cuff Tier-A/Tier-B sketch (Hailo, Wi-Fi 6, three-mic array) is wrong on most decisions and is superseded. Hard discipline: hardware never ships before Corbie software hits GBP 2k MRR.
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@@ -341,6 +341,56 @@ Ideas worth keeping warm once the v0.1 release is out. Not tracked as phases unt
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- **Calendar integration.** Read-only first pass could parse a local ICS file (Thunderbird / Evolution export) and surface day events alongside the tasks list — stays local-first. A cloud-sync pass (Google / iCloud / CalDAV) is a v0.2+ conversation because it re-opens credential handling and refresh-token plumbing that v0.1 deliberately avoids.
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- **Right-click highlighted text → capture as task.** Two flavours: (a) *In-Corbie* — context menu on a selected transcript range or viewer segment, routes to `create_task_cmd` with the selection as text. Small — lives naturally in Phase 9 polish or a bolt-on. (b) *System-wide* — highlight anywhere (browser, Slack, IDE) and call Corbie. Platform-painful: macOS Services API, Windows shell-extension, Linux desktop-env-specific context menus. Scope as a separate post-v0.1 phase.
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### Pocket-inspired features (2026/04/27 competitive review)
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Captured after a feature scrape of heypocket.com. Pocket is the closest direct competitor in the AI transcription space. Some of its features map cleanly onto Corbie's local-first principles, others conflict and are flagged below. None scheduled into v0.1; these sit alongside the calendar and right-click ideas above as post-v0.1 candidates.
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- **Multiple summary styles.** A named library of cleanup templates. Realistic target is 6 to 10 well-chosen presets: action items, narrative, decisions made, meeting minutes, SOAP (clinical), brain-dump tidy-up, daily standup. Slots into the existing `kon-llm` cleanup pipeline; each style is a system prompt plus light GBNF grammar where structure matters. Per-profile default style. Effort: 1 to 2 days. Already half-built (the cleanup prompt does this for one style today).
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- **Mind maps from transcripts.** Visual topic clusters generated from a transcript. Local LLM extracts nodes and edges (GBNF-constrained), Svelte renders with Cytoscape or vis-network. Screenshot-shareable, strong marketing surface, runs entirely on-device. Differentiating, not common in this space. Marketing asset for the Innovate UK pitch (visible artefact of "on-device intelligence"). Effort: 3 to 5 days for a usable v1, mostly in the rendering and interaction layer.
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- **Bulk export format expansion.** Phase 9 shipped single-transcript markdown export and bulk select. Pocket ships JSON, plain text, SRT subtitles, and audio bundle. Adding format options to the existing dialog is mechanical. Effort: half day.
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- **Local webhooks.** HTTP POST to a user-configured local URL on `transcript-finalised`, `task-created`, `task-completed` events. Stays local-first (no cloud relay). Powers Obsidian plugins, Hermit integration, home automation, n8n flows. Doesn't break any design principle; composability is principle 3. Effort: 1 day. Small Tauri command, settings UI, retry-with-backoff.
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- **Language picker UX.** Whisper already supports 120+ languages; Corbie's UI defaults to English with no per-profile picker. Pure UX gap. Per-profile language default plus a language picker on the dictation page. No model work needed. Effort: half day.
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- **"Ask the transcript" Q&A — scope expansion, requires explicit decision.** Pocket's "Ask Pocket" is RAG over the user's recording history. Corbie's design principle 4 says "LLM scope is narrow ... not a chat UI". Adding this is a deliberate doctrine change, not a feature add. If it ships, scope tight: single-transcript Q&A only (not cross-history initially), local Qwen3, no chat history retained, output renders as a one-shot answer not a conversation thread. Effort: 2 to 3 days if scoped tight, open-ended otherwise. Decision required from Jake before scheduling.
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### Hardware companion (Corbie Pendant) — separate track
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Long-horizon hardware play surfaced by the Pocket review. Not a phase of the desktop roadmap; tracked as its own programme.
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**Authoritative spec:** `docs/hardware/pendant-research-2026-04-27.md`. Read that before any hardware planning conversation. The earlier Tier-A / Tier-B / Hailo / Wi-Fi-6 / three-mic sketch in this section's previous draft was off-the-cuff and is superseded.
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**Headline decisions (from the research):**
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- **Silicon:** Nordic nRF5340 only. Espressif have closed LE Audio support as Won't Do; TI/Ambiq have no shipping LC3 stack. Use the Raytac MDBT53-1M pre-certified module to inherit FCC / IC / CE / UKCA, dodging an £8k to £15k EMC chamber bill.
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- **Connectivity:** drop Wi-Fi entirely. Sync via USB-C Mass Storage Class. The microSD card mounts as a thumb drive when plugged in. Simpler firmware, no Wi-Fi cert headache, more honest UX.
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- **Mic:** single Knowles SPH0645LM4H-1 PDM digital MEMS mic, ~£1.20 qty 100. AirPods Pro 1 used a single mic; that's the right precedent. No beamforming on v1.
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- **No DSP.** Software Opus encoding on the nRF5340 application core. xMOS XU316 draws ~120mA vs ~5mA software penalty; not worth it for v1.
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- **Storage:** microSD in a Hirose push-push socket, disguised as a cassette spool window inside the enclosure. Cassette aesthetic becomes literal storage.
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- **Battery:** single 18650 Molicel M35A from Fogstar UK (Bromsgrove), Keystone 1042 surface-mount holder. Replaceable, vape-shop-commodity supply, right-to-repair story.
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- **Hardware-locked LED:** in series with the mic preamp V_DD rail. Firmware physically cannot record without forward-biasing the LED. Tampering requires solder paste, not firmware compromise.
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- **DPDT mute switch:** cuts mic power directly, not a soft signal to the MCU.
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- **Aesthetic:** Sony WM-D6C × Nagra E × Playdate × TP-7. RAL 7035 or 9002 body, PMS Orange 021 C accent reserved for record button and recording indicator only. Sifam Tinsley analogue VU meter (Bracknell, custom dial MOQ 50+).
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- **UK suppliers:** 3DPrintUK SLS body, JLCCNC anodised faceplate, JLCPCB Economic 4-layer SMT for prototypes, JJS Manufacturing in Lutterworth (35 minutes from Northampton) for production. Tusting in Northampton for leather strap.
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**BOM and pricing.** ~£107 all-in at qty 100 before packaging. Supports £249 retail at 55% margin or £299 Founders Edition at 63%.
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**Funding sequence (the research's strongest finding):**
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1. **NLnet NGI Zero Commons Fund first** — €5k to €50k, 4 to 8 hour application, two-month decision, mandatory FLOS licence on outputs (CERN-OHL-S, GPL, CC BY-SA all fine), commercial use permitted, 0% equity. Audio-hardware precedents (Tiliqua, MILAN). **Deadline 1 June 2026.** GenAI compliance details in `docs/hardware/nlnet-genai-policy.md`.
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2. **Soft pre-orders to Corbie waitlist second** — Stripe payment_intent, conservative delivery promise, capped at 100 units to stay under the £90k VAT threshold. Requires Ltd company first.
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3. **Crowd Supply third** — only credible crowdfunding platform whose operating model handles solo-founder fulfilment via Mouser. 12% campaign fee, >90% campaign success, 100% historical delivery rate. Apply once 10 prototypes exist plus 50-100 validated pre-orders.
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**Total elapsed timeline:** 22 months from 2026/04/27 to first units shipped.
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**Total founder personal capital exposure:** ~£1,200 across dev hardware, Ltd company setup, T&Cs review, PCB iterations beyond what NLnet covers, and contingency.
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**Hard discipline:** hardware never ships before Corbie software hits £2k MRR. No hardware work in any week where Corbie software has not shipped a meaningful change.
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**Why it fits Corbie's positioning.** Plays directly to the local-first moat; Pocket cannot match because their stack is cloud-routed. The pendant's marketing line writes itself: "your audio never leaves your machine."
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## Anchors
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- Spec: [docs/brief/feature-set.md](docs/brief/feature-set.md) + [docs/brief/design-principles.md](docs/brief/design-principles.md)
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