Someone turned their reTerminal Sticky into a sleek e-ink Apple TV remote
The most stylish way to change what you're watching.
The humble remote control has evolved significantly over time, transitioning from a bulky brick with physical buttons to a versatile tool controlled by our smartphones. However, what if you could have the best of both worlds - a dedicated device for adjusting your media, complete with a touchscreen? A user on the eInk subreddit named frankynov has successfully created an Apple TV remote featuring an eInk display, which they believe is just what it needs.
On the eInk subreddit, frankynov showcased their recent project using a Seeed Studio reTerminal Sticky. Intrigued by the device's potential, they decided to convert it into a practical remote to control their media: "I wanted to experiment with it, even though I am not a professional developer. I wanted to create a nice Apple TV remote with controls of my lights using partial refresh."
Frankynov's project relies on Home Assistant, and they built a firmware, simulator, and flash interface for the device, with assistance from Claude. This is a first experiment, and frankynov recognizes that further adjustments and issue-fixing will be necessary. Nevertheless, for a first prototype, frankynov is impressed with the results.
The sleek design and eInk display make it an excellent screen-based remote, and its energy efficiency is a notable advantage, as it won't drain batteries quickly. If you have a Seeed Studio reTerminal Sticky lying around, you can visit frankynov's website to flash it to your own device. Additionally, there's a demo available for those who don't want to go through the flashing process.
Written by urgent.news from XDA Developers's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
