Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

youtube.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 238 posts

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#91

Post by izzydata »

vanderZwan wrote: post #17
Venkatesh10 wrote: post #3

Looks good. But how will it perform over the years to come?

Arguably it would be better than current solutions because you can upgrade the modules that need upgrading while keeping the stuff that works, instead of throwing out everything and starting over.

Unless you want it to have a better computer. The computer doesn't seem modular to me. You can't quickly add additional or better memory. You can't replace the processor with a better one. The computer itself is a single entity that in many ways is less modular than a traditional desktop computer.

Wouldn't a desktop with 100 USB ports be a modular computer in the same sense as this thing?

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#92

Post by orbifold »

tjchear wrote: post #80
punnerud wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would that be different from NodeRed? https://nodered.org/

What I have in mind is rather different. Imagine your phone simulating a Pockit experience, except the sensor modules are what your phone already provides (e.g geolocation, gyroscope, accelerometer, etc), the I/O are simulated buttons/sliders and screens. That's what I'm thinking.

That is a cool idea :)

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#93

Post by bee_rider »

izzydata wrote: post #89

Maybe I am being over critical, but this is not what I imagine when I think of a modular computer. It's cool being able to swap in and out all kinds of peripherals like that in any position and orientation, but the computer itself does not seem modular. Unless you could connect multiples of them together and increase their performance and space for more peripherals without causing additional overhead.

He has a TPU tile.

Automagically plugging in more compute would, I guess, require OS or application level support.

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#94

Post by bee_rider »

afarviral wrote: post #13

So cool. Anyone criticizing the real utility of one of these (e.g. calling it a toy) is not thinking long term. Over time a single unit could be repurposed for any number of distinct and serious usecases (home automation being the most natural fit, but many others), and this and its software are important steps toward a more robust and useful devices and less waste. Minitirized, waterproofed, secure and many more mod…

I kind of would like to call this a toy, but by that I mean -- wow, on top of any other application he can think of, this would be an amazing educational toy for a kid who isn't quite ready for Arduino or Raspberry Pi (or who might never be, not everybody interested in STEM wants to do circuits).

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#95

Post by scoot »

papandada wrote: post #50
vishkk wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whatever it was — a lie, the truth, or, most likely, their mix­ture — that caused me to make such a decision, I am im­mensely grateful to it for what appears to have been my first free act. It was an instinctive act, a walkout. Reason had very little to do with it. I know that, because I've been walk­ing out ever since, with increasing frequency. And not necessarily on account of boredom or of feeling a trap gaping;…

I'm not very well read but this writing seemed extraordinary. Turns out he won a Nobel prize for literature.

Meanwhile I have no idea what he's talking about. Perhaps it's lack of context, or perhaps the writing is so "extraordinary" that it is unapproachable to mere mortals.

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#96

Post by Uptrenda »

What a truly beautiful and elegant design. This is so reminiscent of the hacker ethos in how it captures the potential and love of technology. How can a project this creative not be more famous? I have seen many of these kinds of 'small, powerful computer projects' before and I've never felt inspired by any of them. But this project really captures the imagination with the potential of modularity / expanding capabilities.

This is honestly so creative. It makes me filled with that childish sense of wonder I initially had with coding. What things could you make if you had a whole box of snap-ins and a few Pockits? This is frigging insane. If you're an angel investor consider throwing this guy a bone!

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#97

Post by scoot »

XorNot wrote: post #40
afarviral wrote: post #13

So cool. Anyone criticizing the real utility of one of these (e.g. calling it a toy) is not thinking long term. Over time a single unit could be repurposed for any number of distinct and serious usecases (home automation being the most natural fit, but many others), and this and its software are important steps toward a more robust and useful devices and less waste. Minitirized, waterproofed, secure and many more mod…

The problem with this idea is that it assumes we have to make trade offs: case in point, remember pre-smartphone? I had a PDA which didn't have a camera, didn't have wifi - just a hardwired connection. Now I have sitting next to me a smartphone which has 5 cameras, GPS, wifi, bluetooth, NFC, 128GB of storage and 4G. Basically on a mass production scale it is always going to be cheaper just to put every feature in one…

> have them remotely control relays so I could remap everything

No need for relays – you can replace the bulbs with smart lightbulbs that can be controlled via Zigbee. Ikea smart bulbs are high quality and good value.

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#99

Post by cs702 »

Wow. I've rarely come a cross a demo in which things keep getting better and better and better and better.

I find it hard to believe that one individual plus a small community of hackers have built all of it. Amazing, amazing work.

The one question I kept asking myself as I was watching the demo:

Is there a mass market for such a beautiful, elegant, modular computing device?

Re: Pockit: A tiny, powerful, modular computer [video]

#100

Post by antattack »

dusted wrote: post #84

it's super cool, but I have some difficulty finding a "not just playing around" use case for it, not because it's useless, but because I can't come up with a use case that would be dynamic.. I'd not want to pay for the modularity overhead for using them as, for instance, light switches around the house.. Anyone got some cool ideas for what to do with them?

Learning programming will be much more fun since input and output are more then just keyboard and monitor.
Post reply on HN