Todo List Device

Features

• ☐ e ink display (around 3 inch)
• ☐ 3 buttons (up, down, enter)
• ☐ some contraption for a keyboard
• ☐ firmware should only include a todolist and maybe a calendar
  • (that syncs to google calendar -> but I want to make the device completely offline and idiotic => no distractions reason)

Hardware

• ☐ e ink display

• ☐ battery? > 3.7V LiPo battery

• ☐ microprocessor

• ☑ Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3

  • insanely small (like a coin)
  • USB-C onboard
  • battery charging built-in (huge win)
  • low power modes
  • enough power for UI + storage
  • optional Bluetooth

• ☐ Arduino Nano USB-C (ATmega328P)

  • no native battery charging
  • worse power efficiency
  • bigger

• ☐ ESP32-C3 Super Mini USB-C Board

  • no built in battery charging

Buttons

Main issue is I don’t want to add a keybaord to this. Why? it is ugly and makes the device big. The main purpose of this device is the visibility of todo list and a keyboard shifts the focus off of the main content. I already have enough distractions tbh.

Possible Approaches

Something that can be done we just have those three buttons and use software to fix this issue.

• Have a keyboard similar to feature phones where basically we just have all the alphabets in a row like so: A -> B -> C -> … -> Z

• And now you can just do up down and enter to add your tasks

Although the issue with this is it adds a lot more friction.

Another thought is to use uploads or a web based ui thingy or some sort of sync -> But well that involves another devices and adds a heck load of friction. Like why the hell would I not just use a todo app on my phone !!

Now an excellent suggestion was that we just have presets (home, school, work, homework, etc.) sync them once and forget it even exists.

Well that is a task although it lacks the idea of what I need to do.

so maybe we just combine the two ideas of scrollable keyboard and a bluetooth sync thingy, since we have bluetooth why not use it.

Implementation Strategy

so what we have in plan is just a finite state machine with just 3 buttons.

Everything revolves around :

- current screen
- input button
- updating display
- saving state