I turned my RSS feeds into an e-ink newspaper to stop reading on my phone

I cherish personal blogs, reading them for entertainment, learning, and staying updated on software engineering trends. I prefer horizontal reading positions, such as on a couch or deckchair outside. Consequently, I rarely read blogs on my computer and always on my phone, which tires my eyes. This didn't prompt me to take action until I discovered the X4 e-reader from Xteink.

At just 4.3 inches, the device fits perfectly in my hand, featuring no touchscreen, backlight, or preinstalled bookstore. Despite its unconventional features, a dedicated community formed around it, developing an open-source firmware named Crosspoint. Intrigued, I ordered one, which arrived in Germany without issues. Initially, the stock firmware offered little to no impression, but I quickly uninstalled it and installed Crosspoint in seconds.

After purchasing a DRM-free e-book, transferring it to the X4, and reading it, I realized the device's potential. My desire was to read my blog posts on the X4 instead of my phone. To achieve this, I converted my blog posts into e-pub format and loaded them onto the X4 using AI, which took only a few minutes. I employ Feedbin, an RSS reader with an API, to fetch my unread posts, mark them as read, and create an e-pub.

I filter out certain feeds, like YouTube channels and link-only newsletters, as they don't suit e-ink reading. The project, named feedpaper, is available on GitHub and can be installed via Homebrew. With a printed feedpaper on my X4 and my phone at home, I visited an outdoor café and enjoyed a leisurely read with a latte. If anyone creates their own feedpaper, I'd be delighted to see a picture of it. Crosspoint supports not only the X4 but also other ESP32C3-based devices.