I love TRMNL for this exact type of usecase! Only ~$150, and you can self-host if you want.
I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
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Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#102This is super cool, and I wish something like this existed at my place, as it enables information sharing without the need for phones/actual screens that shine in your face when the lights are low or tempt you to doomscroll. That said, the large primary display this uses is $2000. That's very hard to justify for any "normal" household, and that's without any mounts, backend, services etc.
I made this thing [1] for us, it uses a cheap 10" e-paper display off aliexpress, an ESP32 and a couple of I2C sensors. The case is 3D-printed. It runs on two 18650 batteries, and all in all it cost less than 100$. The OpenWeather API is free for personal use. [1] https://mjones-foui.no/img/wall_clock_1.png
Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#103This is really cool. With a newborn in the home I've been really thinking about projects like this recently. When you have a newborn things are so busy and hectic that it's easy to get overloaded and for things to slip through the cracks so I've been really wishing I had a dashboard like this somewhere to remind me that we need to take the dogs out or show how long it's been since the baby last ate or whatnot.
Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#104Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#105~3000€ to show information in some random places in the house even though the household members have a device with a screen called a smartphone next to them 24/7 ? Well, it's cool, but the usability of it all is below average. Declutter your life and don't install any more screens in your home ;)
Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#106Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can make smaller ones for much much less. I’ll post pics of mine a bit later but waveshare 7.5” display in a photo frame and almost any ESP32 dev board and you are set for less than $100 (along with suitable HomeAssistant and ESPhome infrastructure to support it). The original article is a very slick bit of work, so well done
You can also buy some for less than $100. I can vouch for the reTerminal: the build quality is excellent, and they come with a battery, sd card reader, and some sensors: https://www.seeedstudio.com/reTerminal-E1001-p-6534.html
I don't have easy access to a 3d printer, so I just have mine sitting on an extra phone stand I had lying around that can be had for a few bucks from Amazon.
I couldn't be happier with it and am thoroughly enjoying my complacent, lazy solution :)
Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
I made this thing [1] for us, it uses a cheap 10" e-paper display off aliexpress, an ESP32 and a couple of I2C sensors. The case is 3D-printed. It runs on two 18650 batteries, and all in all it cost less than 100$. The OpenWeather API is free for personal use. [1] https://mjones-foui.no/img/wall_clock_1.png
hi I've been interested in doing something like this for myself, what tools and software did you use?
Seems like the author has experimented with 2 kindles side by side.
Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#109I’m always surprised how much people seem to want to constantly know the weather.
Agreed. Especially the current weather conditions. That's mostly useless info. Knowing the weather forecast for tomorrow or this weekend is actually useful. It's strange that pretty much every weather widget assumes you want to know the current weather conditions and not the forecast.
Re: I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
Plenty of elderly people have the aptitude to use a smart phone. It's shockingly ageist to assume that old == inept.
No, it's ableist to ignore the fact that many people _do_ have such issues, and many people don't but start having problems as they age.