Cyber Fidget - Pocket-sized, programmable gadget

// 01 The Story Why we built it

"I wanted a crazy looking gadget that would be easy and fun like a Game Boy and feel like a Swiss watch, but I was tired of half-baked, disposable tech. "

The Cyber Fidget started as a literal napkin sketch: a fun, retro, cyber, fidget, gadget thing. It needed a screen with clicky buttons. It needed to look like a piece of 80s alien tech, something different from everything else. It had to play screensavers and simple games - and able to be opened, repaired, programmed, and keepable forever.

So we built it to be the last gadget you'll ever need, and the first developer kit you actually want to carry.

SS

Sam Steele

Dismo Industries · Ypsilanti, MI

The maker holding a machined-aluminum Cyber Fidget

// machined, assembled, and tested in Michigan

// 02 Why it exists A device to play with and learn from

Why

We wanted an electronic fidget toy that didn't exist, so we made one. And since the screen needs software to work, we also made it an approachable development board anyone can use out of the box.

Made in Michigan

The circuit board, buttons, and case were designed over dozens of iterations to be assembled by you and perfectly fit. Everything is designed and made in-house, minus printing and soldering the circuit board itself.

Premium feel

Cyber Fidget feels good in the hands and is always the first thing people notice after they pick one up. Dozens of button samples were prototyped, tested, and measured for the right click feel and sound. And it has a slider.

Easy to use

Don't be intimidated - you do not need to know how it works to enjoy. It arrives pre-loaded with software and it's up to you to explore, create, and learn at your own pace. Or just download stuff from The Archives.

Open and hackable

It's Open Source. The firmware and more are openly pubished. Design your own backplates. You can modify the software. You can openly contribute to the project and share apps.

Made for tinkerers

You put it together. It was designed to be easy to assemble and comes with all the tools. Re-color, polish, paint the engravings, or 3D print parts if you want to.

Teaching tool

Electronics and software shouldn't be intimidating. Cyber Fidget is a fun way to to make pixel art, invent a game mechanic, or learn about sensors and buttons. We're also building curriculum for schools and makerspaces.

Future updates

Follow us on GitHub, join the newsletter, and hang out in Discord.

// 03 What's Inside Specs that earned their place

Cyber Fidget face-on: screen, slider, six buttons, speaker grille

Display

Crisp pixels · 128 x 64

Slider

Smooth analog control

6 buttons

Clicky switches

Status lights

4 full-color LEDs

Speaker + mic

Plays and listens

USB-C

Charge + connect

// What's inside

MICROCONTROLLER	ESP32 / Arduino and MicroPython / Wi-Fi + Bluetooth built in
DISPLAY	Crisp OLED pixel display · 128 x 64
CONTROLS	6 clicky buttons + a slider
LIGHTS	4 bright RGB+White LEDs
SOUND	Speaker + microphone
MOTION	Senses tilt, shake, and taps
STORAGE	MicroSD card slot for extra memory
POWER	Replaceable LiPo battery · USB-C
CASE	As-Machined, anodized, or printed
SOURCE	Open source on GitHub

// specs may evolve as production refines -- Full specifications here

// 0.96 inches · 128 x 64 pixels

Your screensaver lives here

The Cyber Fidget ships with a library of screensavers, games, and tools. Draw your own in the Pixel Sandbox, then change how the screen glows with swappable physical color filters on the device.

WHITE

TEAL

BLUE

RED

AMBER

SUNSET.SCR

// 04 Finishes Raw and Anodized colorways

Each metal Cyber Fidget has a machined case, buttons, and slider with intentionally styled toolpaths. The original finish is raw aluminum, with anodized colorways offered in limited quantities - pick a finish, screw it together, and carry it. Or 3D print it in whatever you want.

Raw

Sunset

Hyper Violet

Cool Cyan

Amber

Toxic

Magenta

Initial colors - small batches

Pricing announced at the launch

Pick a colorway at checkout · Be first to know

Six Cyber Fidget cases in anodized colorways around the raw aluminum original

// 05 See It In Action Games · screensavers · tools

Overview TOUR

Filmed on real hardware

Particle Physics SCREENSAVER

Filmed on real hardware

Brick Break GAME

Filmed on real hardware

Browse The Archives

// 06 Open & Hackable Ways to get apps

01

The Archives

Download or remix apps and screensavers from the community.

02

Pixel Sandbox

Draw a screensaver frame by frame. No code. Send it to your device.

03

App Builder

Describe an idea in plain words and it writes the code with you. Watch it run in the emulator, then tweak anything.

04

Code Editor + C++

A full code editor in your browser with the emulator one tab away. No lock-in - program it your way in VS Code, too.

Open the Studio

~/cyberfidget_src/hello_world.cpp

// Yep, this is all real code
#include <globals.h>

void setup() {
  HAL::initEasyEverything();
}

void loop() {
  // Regularly poll hardware
  HAL::loopHardware();

  // Display a message & slider reading
  HAL::clearDisplay();
  HAL::drawString(0, 0, "HELLO, WORLD");
  HAL::drawString(0, 10, 
    "Slider: "
    + String(sliderPosition_Percentage_Inverted_Filtered)
    + "%"
  );
  HAL::updateDisplay();

  // Adjust the front-top RGB LED based on the slider
  int brightness = map(
    sliderPosition_Percentage_Inverted_Filtered, 0, 100, 0, 255
  );
  HAL::setRgbLed(pixel_Front_Top, brightness, 0, 0, 0);
}

// 07 In The Box Self-assembly · no soldering

The Cyber Fidget kit laid out: machined case parts, buttons, board, and battery

Open it. Build it. Open it again.

Open firmware, modular apps, and kit-quality assembly - no soldering required, just screw it together. You own your hardware: repair it, code it, and keep it forever.

1x Case front

1x Backplate

6x Buttons

1x Slider

1x Mainboard

1x Battery

1x Screen retainer

11x Screws

5x Color Filters

3x LED lenses

-- Tools

Read the Assembly Guide

// 08 What it isn't Not a Flipper. Not a watch. Not a phone.

We're not competing on features. The Cyber Fidget is fun first - games, animated screensavers, music over Bluetooth, whatever you can imagine. It's the developer kit you actually want to carry.

PLAY

Gadget first

Clicky buttons, a smooth slider, real weight in your hand. Daily carry it and dock it on your desk.

MAKE

Dev kit second

Drop into C++ with ready-to-go templates - or describe an app and build it with the App Builder.

KEEP

Forever third

Open hardware. Repair it. Code it. Hack it apart. It's yours, do what you want, even without us.

// 09 FAQ The basics

?

Do I have to know how to code?

No. Out of the box it ships with games, screensavers, and tools. The Pixel Sandbox lets you draw your own screensavers with no code, and the App Builder writes code with you from a plain-words description.

?

Do I have to solder?

No. The board ships assembled. You screw the case together around it - about 15 minutes with the included tools.

?

Can I program it the "real" way?

Yes. Under the shell it is compatible with popular maker board tools. Program it in C++ from the tools you already use, or right here in your browser. Our editor is a convenience, not a lock-in. MicroPython compatible, too.

?

Can I open it up later?

That is the whole point. Cases are screwed, not glued. The firmware and documentation are open on GitHub. The battery is swappable.

?

How long does the battery last?

Several hours of continuous use, depending on the apps you use. Standby time is in months. It charges over USB-C and uses a common, easily replacable battery.

?

How do I buy one?

We're launching online soon and currently have limited availability locally. Sign up for the newsletter to know when general orders open or contact us if you want to discuss something special.

Click it.

Code it.

Carry it.

Your screensaver lives here

Open it. Build it. Open it again.

Be there for the launch

Click it. Code it. Carry it.

Your screensaver lives here

Open it. Build it. Open it again.

Be there for the launch

Click it.

Code it.

Carry it.