# Pocket Assistant ## Why? I'm becoming disenchanted with what modern smartphones offer. Granted, I'm only really familiar with iPhone. I have an Android tablet, but I basically only use it for e-reading. There is a very vague idea of something better out there, but I don't know what it is. Is it a full linux terminal in my pocket? Is it a cell phone I made myself? Maybe something like the [minimal phone](https://liliputing.com/the-minimal-phone-pairs-an-e-ink-screen-with-a-qwerty-keyboard-and-android-crowdfunding/) but the touchscreen is the full size of the device. Or perhaps a monochrome touchscreen the size of a credit card, with a small stylus for input. ## Hardware options ### Beepy [This computer](https://beepy.sqfmi.com/) I bought as a devkit type thing, but fully assembled. It has a Pi Zero 2 W, a Sharp Memory display and a Blackberry keyboard. - I could cobble together the Beeper app, an email client, etc. - I want to design a better enclosure, and one that can hold a bigger battery. - I want to put a larger antenna on it. - [ ] #3dp New Beepy Case - No screws on the front. - Bigger battery. - Order low profile socket screws. - Cover the pi power port. - Cover the power led (thin). - Round the usbc hole a little. - Relieve the power switch hole. - Protect the side button. - Better chamfers. - Cover the board edges to protect from fall damage? - Antenna? ### Precursor I haven't bit the bullet on a [Precursor](https://www.crowdsupply.com/sutajio-kosagi/precursor) yet, mainly because I don't get very excited about RISC-V or FPGA. I did buy some parts from them: the screen is a 336x536 pixel, _backlit_ Sharp Memory Display. I also picked up a couple keyboard PCBs and overlays, in case that type of design appeals to whatever I end up building for this project. ### ShaRPiKeebo I actually have [one of these](https://www.crowdsupply.com/morpheans/sharpikeebo) on the way, supposedly. In the meantime I've also used their guides and software for connecting other [[SHARP-Memory-Displays|Sharp Memory displays]] to Raspberry Pis. ### more - [uConsole](https://www.clockworkpi.com/uconsole) - [PicoCalc](https://www.clockworkpi.com/picocalc) - [LILYGO T-deck Pro](https://liliputing.com/lilygo-t-deck-pro-is-a-mobile-dev-kit-with-an-epaper-display-qwerty-keyboard-4g-and/) ## Custom Ideas ### Palm? A Sharp Memory display makes up the front face. It has a resistive touchscreen on top, and a backlight behind. If I can't find a touchscreen that's the correct size, I may put some kind of LED strip next to the screen, to act as a tab bar or scroll bar. The top edge will have a power switch and status LED. The right edge has a rotary encoder with button, and maybe some other buttons if it needs them. The left edge will have a stylus dock, and maybe some backlight controls. The bottom will have a USB-C port for charging and syncing files, as well as a DC port for solar charging. The enclosure should have a no-fastener compartment lid for accessing the processor board, for flashing and development (this device will need more active software development than other projects I've done). If I use the 2.7" sharp memory display, I found a resistive touchscreen about the right size: a 2.8" panel from MikroElektronika (via [digikey](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/mikroelektronika/MIKROE-241/4495523)). It's the right length, but has more width than necessary, but I could fit an LED bar graph under it to fill that up? I'm more inclined to use the 4.7" display though. Haven't sourced a touchscreen for that yet (maybe [this one](https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/orient-display/CTP050B0/22531912)?) ### Does it have a cool clock display on the side? - https://hackaday.com/2012/12/05/the-beginnings-of-a-geeky-wristwatch/ - https://hackaday.com/2024/08/27/nice-retro-displays-set-this-watch-on-edge/ ### is it based on RP2350? https://lectronz.com/stores/solderparty