Qi Hardware

{{Infobox company

| name = Qi Hardware Inc.

| logo = 125px

| type = Public

| location_city = San Francisco, California

| location_country = U.S.

| locations = San Francisco, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei

| area_served = Worldwide

| industry = {{plainlist|

• Computer hardware
• Computer software
• Consumer electronics
• Digital distribution

}}

| products = {{plainlist|

• Ben Nanonote
• Milkymist

}}

}}

Qi Hardware is an organization which produces copyleft hardware and software, in an attempt to apply the Free Software Foundation's GNU GPL concept of copylefting software to the hardware layer by using the CC BY-SA license for schematics, bill of materials and PCB layout data. The project has been both a community of popular open hardware websites and a company, founded by Steve Mosher, Jon Phillips, Wolfgang Spraul and Yi Zhang, that makes hardware products.{{cite web | url = https://linuxdevices.org/hackable-linux-clamshell-goes-on-sale-for-99/ | title = Hackable Linux clamshell goes on sale for $99 | author = Eric Brown | date = Mar 16, 2010 | access-date = Feb 17, 2022 | publisher = Linux Devices | archive-date = February 18, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220218023649/https://linuxdevices.org/hackable-linux-clamshell-goes-on-sale-for-99/ | url-status = live }}{{cite web | url = https://www.linux.com/news/openmoko-layoffs-lead-new-open-hardware-venture/ | title = Openomoko Layoffs Lead to New Open Hardware Venture | publisher = linux.com | date = 2009-07-01 | author = Pam Derringer | access-date = 2022-02-17 | archive-date = 2022-02-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220218023649/https://www.linux.com/news/openmoko-layoffs-lead-new-open-hardware-venture/ | url-status = live }}{{cite web | url = http://en.qi-hardware.com/wiki/News_Release:_Milkymist_One_video_synthesizer_shown_at_6th_Libre_Graphics_Meeting_in_Montreal | title = Milkymist One video synthesizer shown at 6th Libre Graphics Meeting in Montreal | date = May 13, 2011 | access-date = May 19, 2023 | publisher = Qi Hardware| archive-date = June 23, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110623154934/http://en.qi-hardware.com/wiki/News_Release:_Milkymist_One_video_synthesizer_shown_at_6th_Libre_Graphics_Meeting_in_Montreal | url-status = live }} Formed from the now defunct Openmoko project, key members went on to form Qi Hardware Inc. and Sharism At Work Ltd. Thus far, the project has released the Ben Nanonote,{{cite web|author=Gareth Halfacree|date=2010-03-16|title=Qi Hardware launches NanoNote|url=http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2010/03/16/qi-hardware-launches-nanonote/1|url-status=live|access-date=2011-07-18|publisher=Bit-tech|archive-date=2012-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320022408/http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2010/03/16/qi-hardware-launches-nanonote/1}}{{cite web|author=Donald Melanson|date=2010-03-15|title=Qi Hardware's tiny, hackable Ben NanoNote now shipping|url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/03/15/qi-hardwares-tiny-hackable-ben-nanonote-now-shipping/|url-status=live|access-date=2011-07-18|publisher=Bit-tech|archive-date=2011-08-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822202248/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/15/qi-hardwares-tiny-hackable-ben-nanonote-now-shipping}}{{cite web|author=David Murphy|date=2010-06-05|title=Qi Hardware Launches Open-Source Computer|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2364710,00.asp|url-status=live|access-date=2011-07-18|publisher=PCMag|archive-date=2011-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921153802/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2364710,00.asp}}{{cite web|author=rg|date=2010-03-17|title=Qi Hardware Ben NanoNote|url=http://www.linux-netbook.com/qi-hardware-ben-nanonote|url-status=live|access-date=2011-07-18|publisher=linux.com|archive-date=2011-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830001642/http://www.linux-netbook.com/qi-hardware-ben-nanonote}} the Milkymist One,{{cite web|last1=Ray|first1=Bill|title=Open-source hardware group puts out vid system-on-a-chip|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/28/milkymist/|url-status=live|access-date=23 June 2017|website=The Register|archive-date=10 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810172842/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/28/milkymist/}} and the Ben WPAN wireless project{{cite web|author=Terrence O'Brien|date=2011-06-17|title=Qi-Hardware debuts free, open source wireless solution, not a threat to WiFi|url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/qi-hardware-debuts-free-open-source-wireless-solution-not-a-th/|url-status=live|access-date=2011-07-18|publisher=Engadget|archive-date=2011-06-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110620092539/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/qi-hardware-debuts-free-open-source-wireless-solution-not-a-th}}{{cite web|author=Jake|date=2011-06-16|title=Phillips: Qi Hardware Releases Free Wireless Hardware|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/448048/|url-status=live|access-date=2011-07-18|publisher=LWN.net|archive-date=2011-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110621035906/http://lwn.net/Articles/448048/}} to create a copyleft wireless platform. The examples of Qi hardware projects are the Ben NanoNote pocket computer, Elphel 353 video camera and Milkymist One video synthesizer.