eSIM Studios
The Onyx BOOX Poke 2 Color was one of the first eBook readers to ship with a color E Ink display. And while it's designed for reading eBooks, periodicals, and comics, it's basically a tablet with a sunlight readable display (with a slow refresh rate) and a relatively sluggish processor: but thanks to its Android-based operating system you can install plenty of third-party apps.
So why not add a physical keyboard and turn it into a mobile device that bears a more than passing resemblance to old-school phones like the Nokia N900 or UMPCs (Ultra Mobile PCs) like the OQO or Sony Vaio UX. That's what YouTuber 2Old4Toys did, by attaching a Bluetooth keyboard to the back of the phone with a mechanism that allows it to slide out and lock in place when you want to type, and slide back behind the screen when you want to read.
I haven't seen many details about the exact keyboard that's used here, or how it's attached to the back of the eReader. But it's an interesting concept that could theoretically be used to add keyboard functionality to a wide range of products. You can find a little more info in a reddit thread.
Here's a roundup of recent tech stories from around the web. (And yes, I know I spelled Sipeed wrong, but BlueSky is a little too Twitter-like in its lack of an edit button.)
This DIY UMPC combines an Onyx BOOX Poke 2 Color eReader with an E Ink display and Android-based software with a backlit Bluetooth keyboard that slides out from behind the screen when you need it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9969…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 27, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Siped Tang Console is an FPGA dev board that can also be used as a retro console with downloadable NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Amiga cores, among others. It sells for $69 and up ($99 and up for a higher-performance version). www.cnx-software.com/2025/05/27/s…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 27, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Unihertz Titan 2 smartphone with a physical keyboard is heading to Kickstarter in June. No word on the specs, but it looks a lot like a BlackBerry Passport clone with a square screen and a small, wide keyboard. www.notebookcheck.net/Unihertz-Tit…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 25, 2025 at 12:53 PM
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