This $48 e-paper display can be whatever you want it to be
After registering your kit’s MAC address with trmnl.com, you’ll receive what the service calls a “friendly code,” a much shorter identifier that’s easier to remember than an entire MAC address. From there, you can install plugins to display content on a schedule throughout the day.
The options are vast. The marketplace contains standard fare like Google Calendar, weather, and stock quotes, alongside more niche offerings like rotating factoids about the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition in Star Trek.
The TRMNL cloud plugin marketplace.
The TRMNL cloud plugin marketplace.
If you’re looking for a hassle-free solution that “just works,” it’s hard to fault the package trmnl.com has put together. I’m a fan of any service that offers a one-time license fee over yet another forever subscription, and I think $50 is a fair price for the people behind the platform to be compensated for their work. After all, it handles all the rendering; the device simply displays information pulled from the APIs.
We need an Ars plugin!
We need an Ars plugin!
SenseCraft
On the Seeed side, there’s SenseCraft, a similar marketplace to trmnl.com’s but without the license fee. The website offers a browser-based flashing tool that promises to “flash official firmware from the browser. No coding. No terminal. Just clicks.”
The process was as simple as promised—once I figured out that I needed a USB-C to USB-C cable. I connected the board to my PC via the onboard USB-C port, opened the website in a Chromium-based browser (sorry, Firefox), selected my device from a drop-down menu, and clicked “Flash.” Once the device rebooted, setup followed essentially the same process as it did with TRMNL, minus the credit card. The tradeoff for free access is that Seeed is based in China and operates under its own privacy policy. Your call, but it’s certainly nice to have options.
Source: arstechnica.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.