Pseudonymous maker “Ace,” of Ace Innovation Lab, desires to place a sensible Raspberry Pi Zero W-powered ePaper system in your wall or desk with the Inkycal v3 — the most recent in a line of low-power units designed to make use of the Python-based Inkycal dashboard.

“Inykcal is software program written in Python 3 for chosen ePaper shows,” Ace explains of the undertaking. “It converts particular ePaper shows into ePaper dashboards. It is open supply, free for private use, totally modular and user-friendly! Being modular, you may combine and match any modules you want and configure them with out coding over a webpage working on the Raspberry Pi.”

Whereas the Inkycal software program itself is open supply, below the reciprocal GNU Normal Public License 3, Ace additionally produces Inkcal-branded units which come pre-loaded with the software program and ready-to-run — and has unveiled the most recent technology model, the Inkycal v3, which brings with it a custom-built show driver board designed to enhance effectivity and a decreasing of the thickness from 12mm to 10mm (round 0.47″ to 0.39″).

Contained in the Inkcal v3’s black body is a 7.5″ electrophoretic ePaper show, designed for ease of readability in direct lighting — together with daylight — and finest recognized for the actual fact it requires energy solely when altering states, having the ability to present a static picture even when totally disconnected from the driving system and energy supply. That is related, by the brand new show driver board, to a Raspberry Pi Zero W which comes pre-loaded with Raspberry Pi OS and the Inkycal software program.

Mentioned software program is liable for what seems on-screen, which could be configured by the consumer from a listing of modules: calendar with synchronization to iCalendar sources; an agenda, which once more pulls knowledge from iCalendar sources; picture show, utilizing a file saved domestically or remotely; a slideshow for a number of photographs; RSS and ATOM feed reader; inventory ticker; climate forecast, linked to OpenWeatherMap; a to-do record powered by Todoist; and random jokes, pulled from icanhazdadjoke.com.

“Inkycal has grown rather a lot because it’s launch in 2018,” Ace claims of the undertaking. “Inkycal now has over 800 [GitHub] stars, 18 contributors and a rising variety of modules. With a rise in prices for electrical energy, ePaper-based merchandise are an awesome various as they use much less electrical energy in comparison with LCD or OLED.”

The Inkycal v3 is now out there to order on the Ace Innovation Lab Tindie retailer for $190, together with Raspberry Pi Zero and the customer’s selection of black-white-red or black-white-yellow three-color ePaper show; the software program is revealed to GitHub.