Briefly: Pebble smartwatch designer Eric Migicovsky is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time with a brand new digital gadget that’s so minimalistic, it would not also have a case.
The Beepberry is a transportable e-paper computing system packing a low-power, excessive contract Sharp Reminiscence LCD display screen with a decision of 400 x 240. It s mated to a backlit keyboard + touchpad from a BlackBerry Traditional and may be ordered with a Raspberry Pi Zero W (or you’ll be able to provide your individual SBC).
A 2,000 mAh battery provides the juice, however you’ll need to 3D print your individual case for the gadget. In one of many demos, the system is proven with the battery held in place by a rubber band. There’s additionally a programmable RGB LED for notifications, a programmable aspect button, and a USB-C port for programming and charging. Additionally, you will want to provide a microSD card for storage.
The hand-held is supposed for use with Beeper, the common chat app that mixes 15 chat networks right into a single package deal. Migicovsky launched Beeper in early 2021 to assist make life simpler for those who make the most of a number of totally different chat platforms.
On Twitter, Migicovsky said he wished a “weekend” system that may let him keep in contact with family and friends with out the distractions of a full-fledged smartphone. In a separate weblog put up, the creator stated customers will should be familiar with Linux as a way to get any form of worth out of the system. “Do not anticipate one thing good,” he stated of the fundamental handheld.
The Beepberry is accessible to pre-order beginning at $79 for a barebones mannequin or $99 if you need a Raspberry Pi Zero W included. The product web page notes there are 50 items out there to ship instantly to builders and hackers though it’s not clear what number of are nonetheless in inventory as of this writing.