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Show HN: Low-power Kindle-based dashboard

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Re: Show HN: Low-power Kindle-based dashboard

#71
post #48
post #18

This code does not render the dashboard itself. It's expected that what to display on the screen is rendered elsewhere and can be fetchd via HTTP(s). This is both more power efficient and allows you to use any tool you like to produce the dashboard image. I love these “under engineered” solutions. I’d be tempted to do everything in the Kindle itself, but he achieved what he needed with much less effort and higher fle…

I think this has been the standard approach for all e-ink displays that have been floating around (both homemade and commercial). So, yeah, I appreciate it but it's not specifically innovative in this regard.

Sometimes you need to tune down innovation and just finish your project

Re: Show HN: Low-power Kindle-based dashboard

#72
post #33

It's a pity there isn't more action in the e ink application/device world. Seems like there's so much potential. I'd love a kindle-like laptop for writing. I guess it's just extremely hard to compete for a beachhead against an incumbent (mobile touch displays) that's more general and mass produced.

My understanding is that it’s heavily controlled by E-Ink (the company). When only 1 company can make the displays and they charge quite a bit of money for them, adoption will always be difficult. Once the patent expires I expect these to be used everywhere.

> When only 1 company can make the displays

It sounds true but it is inaccurate. E-Ink doesn't even make the displays. They just make the material used in the displays. The actual displays are made by sandwiching the material on TFT and other parts. The displays are made by a whole bunch of different Taiwanese vendors like AU Optronics, and others and then there's a large ecosystem over laminating them with touchscreens, different types of protective hydrobarriers and other things. The reason the panels cost more than LCDs is because the volume is not high. Go ahead, make an order for 10 million panels and specify the price like apple does, and you'll find all these manufacturers jumping to increase their production scale in order to meet your target price.

> Once the patent expires I expect these to be used everywhere.

Again, this keeps getting repeated everywhere but it is totally wrong. There's a simple question you can ask. Which patent needs to expire? The lazy answer you'll get is all 700 patents. But in reality it is not a patent that is blocking things. It is simple. Money. Would you invest hundreds of millions needed in trying to scale, improve or invent a new display technology? Or would you invest in a hot new AI/ML startup? There's your answer. For further proof, google all the dead display startup companies, to show what's really blocking the world from having a great new display technology.

Re: Show HN: Low-power Kindle-based dashboard

#73
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is that it’s heavily controlled by E-Ink (the company). When only 1 company can make the displays and they charge quite a bit of money for them, adoption will always be difficult. Once the patent expires I expect these to be used everywhere.

> When only 1 company can make the displays It sounds true but it is inaccurate. E-Ink doesn't even make the displays. They just make the material used in the displays. The actual displays are made by sandwiching the material on TFT and other parts. The displays are made by a whole bunch of different Taiwanese vendors like AU Optronics, and others and then there's a large ecosystem over laminating them with touchscre…

Interesting. I guess we can blame the lack of e-ink devices on the display technologies which are being developed (oled, microled, ips, tn, etc). E-ink has a limited purpose while color/fast updating displays have more use potential in various industries and products. Don’t get me wrong, I love e-ink. It’s just that even in the case of displays, winner takes all.

Re: Show HN: Low-power Kindle-based dashboard

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am thinking about this (e-paper) but drive it from an ESP (preferably 01) and connect it to a battery where it could last say months/years that would be nice. I was able to do a hardware mod someone posted where you can put it into a self-wake deep sleep if that makes sense for power saving. Otherwise I currently do desktop notifications/speech text. I have a basic Kindle too (paper?) And it's amazing the battery l…

I saw this recently https://m5stack.com/products/m5paper-esp32-development-kit-9... The company M5 makes incredible gear for this. Their ESP32-Pico Atom chips are all I use.

What is special about those particular chips? Haven’t been on the embedded scene in a few years
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