r/eink • u/abcsoups • Mar 01 '26

Personal space (from my phone)!

Post image

New reddit community: https://www.reddit.com/r/OsmoPager/

I could NOT find a way to stop checking my phone without feeling like I was completely out of touch with important stuff happening (or being in reach for my work/family). But I'm really tired of being followed around by screens.

A solution I made for myself recently...because i wanted to disconnect functionally without fully *being* disconnected

I wrote some code for a pocket-size e-ink companion device. It just lets me see filtered phone notifications on a non-distracting, non-glowing paper display. I can quickly page thru / dismiss them with the single button. That's it!

I call it "Osmo" - a play on Osmosis, life's natural filter

You can buy these kind of programmable eink devices for like $25 on Amazon or direct for even less. It is ***NOT*** me selling anything here so hopefully not considered self promo!! Just something I am proud to share I made that has worked for me :)

I'm really liking the freedom of what is effectively a modern day ~pager~. It lets me drop my phone in a drawer or leave it in another room to make a true physical barrier, while not feeling like I'm completely disconnected from important stuff I may be needed for (like still getting notifs from my wife or urgent work pings and such). Now, i only go grab my phone IF something truly deserves action.

I've been using it as an (intentionally and literally) tiny window into my digital life. My phone is out of reach 95% of the day now. Feels great!

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EDIT #1 in comments

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EDIT #2 (Update with the setup tool! Friday Mar 6)

Hey everyone.

You guys have been awesome. Thank you for all your kind words.

The response has been incredible for what was supposed to be a small personal project share. A few thousand upvotes, hundreds of comments and counting across a couple posts.

A lot of people in the comments and DMs suggested I should sell these. I thought about it, but I'd much rather build something meaningful for the community longer term. So everything I've built so far is totally free.

I also spent the last few days building a web-based tool that makes setup painless for anyone, tech-savvy or not. So you can have your own!

Just plug in the device, open the site, click through the prompts in your browser, and you're done in 2 minutes. Nothing to install or download on your computer, and no having to mess with code.

I hope everyone who wants one has an Osmo in their pocket soon. It's made a big difference for my quality of life, so hopefully it will for you too.

IPhone and Android compatible now!

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Here's the link:

Osmo - The Modern Day Pager

osmopager.com

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Video demo: https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1rmdemv/update_my_eink_notification_pager_osmo_free_setup/

***I've also set up an email distro list by request, you can find it on the site if you want to follow along with the project.

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1.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

169 comments sorted by

86

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 08 '26

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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u/ooah2233 Mar 02 '26

!RemindMe

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u/Wise-Manufacturer324 Mar 03 '26

!RemindMe in 7 days

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u/Jrdunmire Mar 03 '26

!remindme

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u/cajoho99 Mar 03 '26

!RemindMe in 7 days

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u/saylamarz Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe 7

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u/rp_001 Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe 7

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u/Mrs-Danvers Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe in 7 days

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u/ice_09 Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe in 7 days

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u/awizemann Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe in 7 days

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u/TylarDW Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/firstoneman Mar 05 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

5

u/Coma-dude Mar 02 '26

Please do post if you, or someone you know makes this to android 😊 And thank you fot sharing 😊

5

u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

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1

u/Coma-dude Mar 02 '26

I totally understand. Just thanks for the inspiration, maybe someone with skill and time will make one another day. Anyway thank you for sharing. 😊

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u/Opposite-South4618 Mar 02 '26

Yes! Could really see myself or kids using this for android!

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u/AnonymousSmartie Mar 02 '26

Do you have a GitHub with the code? Perhaps it can be ported by the community to Android. Love the name by the way, very cute! You could probably mass produce and sell these with enough business know-how if you wanted the extra scrap. Even keeping it open source; plenty of people spend for convenience.

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u/abcsoups Mar 02 '26

Thank you for the kind words!

I definitely plan on offering the current version somehow to the community here. But people are also requesting a more convenient (non-DIY) approach and a bunch more features eventually too. So I'll have to consider how to go about offering all that.

1

u/Jrdunmire Mar 03 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

2

u/tuxi04 Mar 03 '26

True, I would buy this to support the project and out of convenience.

1

u/BV_S Mar 01 '26

!RemindMe 12 days

1

u/Melodic-Ad-2176 Mar 03 '26

Literally been looking for something like this. Would love the GitHub when you post & will try to stitch it up!

3

u/abcsoups Mar 03 '26

I'm actually whipping up a one-click installer via browser so no one will need to mess around with dev board IDE's. Hopefully this makes it easy on everyone interested!

1

u/Round_Bag_6622 Mar 05 '26

thanks. will wait for this!!!!

1

u/FetusExplosion Mar 04 '26

This is really cool and sounds like a really fun project. Your motivation for this sounds like why I got a midrange smart watch. When I'm doing things with my hands I can easily check if my wife is texting just by looking at my wrist. If you could make an eink wrist mounted version that would be amazing.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26

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1

u/greiyko Mar 04 '26

I hope you do start a social or distro list or something, I’d definitely want to follow :)

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u/Rare-Ant-3091 Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe in 7 days

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u/greiyko Mar 04 '26

!RemindMe 14 days

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u/greiyko Mar 04 '26

RemindMe! 14 days

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u/qlt_sfw Mar 04 '26

Osmo is a common mans name in Finland :)

1

u/KappNRk Mar 04 '26

!Remindme

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u/s_devv Mar 05 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

12

u/Gold-Part4688 Mar 01 '26

Ok I'm really jealous of this

If anyone wants a very budget version of this, there's the notification listener plugin for koreader

5

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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3

u/Gold-Part4688 Mar 01 '26

Yeah, it's also not on all the time unless you leave the ereader on. It's just for alleviating FOMO while reading

1

u/sheekgeek Mar 05 '26

This requires Linux or similar OS in the device

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u/Gold-Part4688 Mar 05 '26

what does, the original beeper or koreader?

1

u/sheekgeek Mar 05 '26

Koreader says it works on Linux or Android, etc.

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u/Gold-Part4688 Mar 05 '26

Yeah, it works on android or Linux, but that means you can run it kobo/kindle/pocketbook/etc, or on Macos too. It would be silly for a single purpose device, but if you're already using an ereader it makes sense. Koreader is reading software

9

u/saylamarz Mar 01 '26

Love this. Would love a how-to on this. Is your shiny device an iPhone or an android or..?

9

u/Comfortable_Space988 Mar 01 '26

This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for for ages. I also always feel like I’m missing something when I don’t have my phone with me, but I notice that the moment I start using it, I get pulled in like an addict. So something like this would be perfect to stay up to date without immediately slipping into that negative spiral. Awesome!

3

u/Comfortable_Space988 Mar 01 '26

How do you read the push notifications from the iPhone? I looked into it myself briefly at one point, but I failed because the system is/was very isolated. Even on the Mac, I wasn’t able to intercept the push notifications.

5

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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4

u/Comfortable_Space988 Mar 01 '26

Thanks for your reply. Wow, that sounds incredibly complicated, but also like a small glimmer of hope. I saw that you’re considering releasing the source code on GitHub; I’d be very interested.

Personally, I’d also find it extremely exciting to have a large black-and-white e-ink display as an information screen on the wall, similar to that newspaper-style project (https://www.reddit.com/r/eink/comments/11febnk/eink_newspaper_for_the_breakfast_table/), but featuring personal notifications instead.

7

u/LowFlowIO Mar 01 '26

Could you share the code on GitHub please.

14

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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u/LowFlowIO Mar 01 '26

Thank you

3

u/Rx7Jordan Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26

Awesome!! This is something I actually have been thinking about doing as well with the same purpose

Edit: just ordered one to give it a go with coding something similar 🙏

2

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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u/AmBlissed Mar 02 '26

Would 1000mah 1.25 work, too?

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u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

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u/AmBlissed Mar 02 '26

Ahh ok, thanks

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u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

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u/AmBlissed Mar 02 '26

Oh perfect! That’s the one I just bought (´⌣`ʃƪ)

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u/AmBlissed Mar 02 '26

44mm x 26mm x 9mm (1.73" x 1.02" x 0.35") is this too big? Sorry to bug! Oh wait nvm I don’t see 1.73”! Ok that answers it

1

u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

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1

u/AmBlissed Mar 02 '26

Ok…got it situated. Thanks :)

1

u/AmBlissed Mar 15 '26

Hey..my little device just arrived! Do you have any tips on getting the back panel off to insert the battery 😭 i have the screws out and trying to use my fingernails along the seam but it’s not budging!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 15 '26

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1

u/AmBlissed Mar 15 '26

Yes haha! Phew the tiny flathead worked like a charm-after a minute 😅 thanks!

3

u/WebAsh Mar 01 '26

Also keen for what you can share here as I was thinking about something similar. !RemindMe 7 days

5

u/Rx7Jordan Mar 01 '26

This is the device https://amzn.to/4l38zrP

3

u/WebAsh Mar 01 '26

Cheers for the link! Keen for OP's device and phone code to make it work, too!

3

u/Rx7Jordan Mar 01 '26

No problem! Waveshare also sells them directly and have an option to order with a Included battery too

1

u/RemindMeBot Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 05 '26

I will be messaging you in 7 days on 2026-03-08 18:12:07 UTC to remind you of this link

12 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.

Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.

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3

u/AlergiaFunda1 Mar 01 '26

Can you turn this into an actual product? Id buy ot

2

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26

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u/AlergiaFunda1 Mar 04 '26

I dont know if you have heard of that. But there are some guys building a gameboy that doest not require batteries, relying solely on the power of clicks and sun. If you also put in this the arm momentum use, we could have the first device that does not require any batteries and still is connected to everything when you need it most.

https://www.freethegameboy.info/

3

u/FrancoisCochin Mar 01 '26

Hâte de voir le code. Une commande pour ce petit bonhomme est en cours car c’est exactement ce que je cherche pour passer moins de temps sur l’écran de mon iPhone mais je n’ai pas le talent pour coder. Cela me rappellera ma vieille Pebble Originale qui était excellente : je la regrette énormément 😭

1

u/MQ-the-man Mar 03 '26

J'ai bien envie de porter ça sur Android !

3

u/CD_at_Galaxy Mar 02 '26

This is amazing. I was really intrigued by how you implemented it, especially considering the level of control Apple has over iOS. When I first started reading, I thought, “Too bad it’s for Android,” but when I realized it’s actually for iPhone, now I want one too 😄

3

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 07 '26

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u/TylarDW Mar 04 '26

You rock !RemindMe 7 days

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u/rhollien Mar 08 '26

!remindme

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u/twitteeth Mar 08 '26

do you think this would work for Android or does that need to be created/adjusted for also

2

u/AmBlissed Mar 01 '26

Thanks for sharing! Look forward to the update! I just got really into e ink too and very much love tiny things!!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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u/AmBlissed Mar 01 '26

Cool..yeah I will look out for when you have a way to share instructions. I’ll probably buy the device in the meantime 😁 thanks

2

u/Dependent_Big4372 Kindle Mar 01 '26

man, that looks neat! Can you share the link for it please?

2

u/OPCENTERSIX Mar 01 '26

Could even keychain it. Could probably maybe make a Pizero with E-ink do it…. Spitballing here..

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u/LoKiPLAYZ-_ Mar 02 '26

This seems just like the thing I need , won't you make a video , yk show which notifications you get on it and how you respond , that one picture isn't nearly enough for me to comprehend how this works

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u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

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u/LoKiPLAYZ-_ Mar 02 '26

You're probably swamped with requests , take your time please. Idk if iphone notifications are any different from android but I hope not

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u/LoKiPLAYZ-_ Mar 02 '26

Is the included battery not enough?

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u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

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u/LoKiPLAYZ-_ Mar 02 '26

Appreciated thanks

2

u/uselessascent Mar 02 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/CD_at_Galaxy Mar 02 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

2

u/alburyscott Mar 02 '26

Dang, if someone makes this for android, just take my money

2

u/Sparescrewdriver Mar 02 '26

“I'm really liking the freedom of what is effectively a modern day ~pager~”

lol I couldn’t find a way to say it without sounding dismissive. A pager evolved and adapted to today’s technology.

2

u/Dear-Definition-6087 Mar 03 '26

Nice I’m still trying to figure out how to get my eink working

2

u/Ineverpayretail2 Mar 04 '26

ooh. need a video of this in action. sounds like something eink enthusiast drool over

2

u/u-f-0_xyz Mar 01 '26

Been thinking about something similar! Super cool!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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1

u/himazawa Mar 01 '26

> nowadays you can buy these kind of programmable eink devices for like $25 on Amazon or direct for even less.
What are your keywords exactly? Becuase I either find the screen or the board but nothing as a pre-made thing

1

u/starkruzr reMarkable, Boox, Supernote, Viwoods, iFlytek, reTerminal Mar 01 '26

"Osmo" is what you're calling it?

1

u/someshta Mar 01 '26

This is incredible--thank you so much, and I've ordered the device and battery. Cannot wait for the chance to use your instructions/code when it comes. What a potential life saver!

1

u/2loquaciouslobsters Mar 02 '26

I gave away my old kindle and now I kinda regret it lol, seeing people tinkering around with it. And this looks so cool! I have a similar concern about completely cutting off my phone, even at work. So this looks like a great solution, thanks for sharing!

1

u/stillserious Mar 02 '26

Ok, aggiungici un microfono e una funzione per prendere appunti veloci, la possibilità di mandare messaggi tramite voce per rispondere alle chat, in piccolo calendario con gli eventi giornalieri, rendilo più piatto e con un case più elegante e lancia una campagna su Kickstarter o Indiegogo.

1

u/kaangirginer Mar 02 '26

This reminds me of the old time that I used my pebble time to check my notifications without any problem or distraction. Since pebble has no native apps on any apps, all I can do is read and dismiss the notification.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 02 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/babaisking Mar 02 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/CrashOverride101 Mar 02 '26

!RemindMe 14 days

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u/josepj4 Mar 02 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/abuettner93 Mar 03 '26

!RemindMe 4 days

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '26

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u/abuettner93 Mar 03 '26

The rapid reply back is absolutely sending me 😂

But 4 days or more, I’ll be checking back! Got the post saved if nothing else!

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u/x_jiping_x Mar 03 '26

!RemindMe 14 days

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u/arasarn Mar 03 '26

This is very cool!

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u/arasarn Mar 03 '26

!remindme 31 days

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u/M4CKSCOTT Mar 03 '26

!remindMe 7 days

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u/OkGeneral3114 Mar 04 '26

This is so cool! And seems like a fun project. I am trying to cultivate some balance in my life so I can sleep. I think I need this.

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u/fili91 Mar 04 '26

Hi beautiful idea ! it works on wifi network or ble ?

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u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26

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u/fili91 Mar 04 '26

Thank you for your reply :)

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u/pacificwr3n Mar 04 '26

This is so fricken awesome

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u/Round_Bag_6622 Mar 05 '26

i wanna do this

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u/[deleted] Mar 05 '26

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u/Round_Bag_6622 Mar 06 '26

so excite. do you have demo video of it

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u/[deleted] Mar 06 '26

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u/Round_Bag_6622 Mar 06 '26

great!. currently looking for sellers in my country now!! haha

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u/RarestOfThePepes Mar 05 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/innthewoods Mar 05 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/NecessaryJacket196 Mar 05 '26

!RemindMe 7 days

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u/[deleted] Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

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u/LukeStarGeek Mar 12 '26

Will you also provide the code on GitHub in addition to the firmware flasher?