An individual known only by their internet pseudonym Speedyg0nz has created an electronic calendar with an E Ink display at home. The person used a Rasberry Pi computer to build the E-Ink Magic Calendar. Speedyg0nz said that s/he was inspired by the Magic Calendar concept that was based on Android. The idea sparked a DIY project frenzy two years ago.
The E-Ink Magic Calendar is made up of three main components. These include a Raspberry Pi Zero WH computer, a Waveshare 12.48″ Tri-color E-Ink Display, and a PiSugar2 battery. All of the steps and the code can be found on Speedyg0nz’s Github. Thanks to the portable battery, the calendar is wireless and can be placed anywhere.
Interestingly, Speedyg0nz programmed the E-Ink Magic Calendar to sync with Google Calendar. This allows the e-paper calendar to retrieve your events from Google Calendar on its own, keeping it up to date. In order to save battery, the Calendar only does this once a day.
The E-Ink Magic Calendar has excellent battery life since it uses an e-ink display. The display freezes whatever content is to be shown and shuts down to save power. On average, Speedyg0nz reported that it lasts for three to four weeks. S/he also stated that the battery consumption can be made even more efficient if the code is optimized.
Discussing the cost of the entire project, Speedyg0nz commented that it was very expensive. According to Speedyg0nz, this was mainly because of the steep cost of the large E Ink display. As a device that is meant to have only one function, the cost is highly disproportionate.
Namerah is a Technology Journalist with experience at leading online publications like Android Central. She has a passion for all things tech and gaming, and has been an honorary Goodreads librarian since 2011. When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing stray cats and dogs in the streets of Dhaka or slaying dragons in the land of Skyrim. Email her at namerah@goodereader.com
