Do you really need another rectangular screen in your life? Probably not. Do you want another rectangular screen in your life? Probably, since we can’t seem to get enough of them. That’s why I have no doubt you’ll find plenty of use for something like the Displio, a tiny WiFi-enabled e-paper display that you can use to show a variety of widgets for whatever purpose it might serve you.
A standalone digital dashboard, it serves as a dedicated display for keeping a close eye on any information you want to keep constant tabs on. Want to know every time an email from a contact tagged important comes in? Not a problem. How about a list of your daily agenda? Yes, it’s good for that. Want to see analytics stats for the Facebook campaign you’re running in real-time? It might take a little scripting, but it can work for that, too.
The Displio is a tiny box measuring 2.48 x 3.23 x 1.1 inches, with a 2.7-inch black and white E-Ink panel as its primary display. It doesn’t come with any buttons, with all controls coming by way of gestures via the on-board accelerometer. To refresh the screen, simply tap the case; to load the next widget in the queue, just stand it on a different edge. Features include a WiFi radio for hooking up to your wireless network, built-in speaker for audio notifications, and an onboard battery for tether-free operation (estimated to last a month under normal use).
Dozens of widgets will be available on launch, including standard items like weather, stocks, email, calendar and traffic, as well as ones for specific services like Facebook, Twitter, Paypal, FitBit, and Basecamp. More will come, of course, with a developer API available, in case you have a specific need the existing widgets don’t quite cover.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for Displio. Pledges to reserve a unit starts at $99.