Ever wish you could have a smart assistant without the prying eyes of Big Tech? Meet Ubo Pod, an open-source AI assistant that lets you tweak, customize, and run it privately! With the rise of smart assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri, we've enjoyed the convenience of voice-driven technology. But at what cost? The concern over constant surveillance and data misuse has left many feeling uneasy about their personal information being stored on corporate servers.

Introducing Ubo Pod, a game-changer in the realm of AI assistants, designed with privacy and user control at its core. Led by the visionary Mehrdad Majzoobi and a talented team of open-source developers, Ubo Pod combines cutting-edge technology with a commitment to privacy.

So, what exactly is Ubo Pod? This compact, hackable AI assistant is built on open-source hardware and software, making it perfect for hobbyists, developers, and those who prioritize their privacy. It operates on the Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 and can run local AI models like VOSK for speech recognition and Piper for text-to-speech. If you're feeling adventurous, optional cloud-based models from Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini are also available!

Measuring just 5.1 x 3.9 x 2 inches and weighing about 0.75 lbs, the Ubo Pod is designed for easy assembly and upgrades. Its sleek front panel features a 1.54-inch TFT IPS display and a seven-button soft-touch keypad. Plus, with privacy features like a physical camera curtain and microphone disconnect switch, you can control what your assistant hears and sees. And yes, it comes equipped with dual microphones and stereo speakers for voice interactions!

The Ubo Pod's software is just as impressive as its hardware. Featuring a modular and event-driven architecture, it boasts a centralized state management system and a user-friendly graphical interface accessible through both a physical keypad and a web browser. Developers can get creative with a low-code approach using a gRPC API for remote interactions, allowing for third-party Dockerized applications.

If you're interested in getting your hands on this innovative device, the Ubo Pod is currently live on Kickstarter! Don't forget to check the Updates tab for the latest news, and explore the open-source software and hardware repositories to customize or replicate your own Ubo Pod. It may remind you of Mycroft, another remarkable project that faced challenges but paved the way for innovations like this one.