Claude Desktop Buddy
Role: Developer, Hardware Integrator Technologies: Claude API, Lua, Custom Firmware, E-Ink Display, USB Serial Focus Areas: Embedded AI, Portable Computing, Hardware Integration, Custom Firmware
Project Overview
A project to run Claude sessions on the X4 Xteink e-ink reader — combining custom firmware, Lua apps, and hardware modifications to create a portable, always-on AI companion that lives in your pocket on a low-power e-paper display.
The goal: a device that’s readable in sunlight, draws minimal power, has physical buttons, and runs Claude. Less laptop, more dedicated tool.
What It Does
Claude sessions run natively on the device. The firmware manages state between apps — tracking whether a Claude session is active, coordinating with the charging clock and Pomodoro timer so they don’t step on each other on the single e-ink screen.
The Pomodoro HUD required a specific fix: when the device was plugged in via USB-C for serial debugging, the charging clock condition (_onUsb = true && RTC synced && no sessions) would activate and draw over the entire lower half of the screen, silently overwriting the Pomodoro countdown before it could render. The guard && !pom.active ensures the clock only takes over when no other app has the screen.
Hardware + Apps Stack
- X4 Xteink — $70 e-ink reader, reflashed with custom firmware
- Lua Pomodoro — Focus timer with donut-ring progress, session tracking, and flash alarm
- Charging Clock — Full-screen clock when idle and plugged in
- WiFi Scanner — SSIDs displayed on e-paper via Biscuit firmware
- Claude Sessions — Native AI conversation on e-ink
Why E-Ink for AI
Most AI interaction happens on backlit glass. E-ink is readable in sun, comfortable for long sessions, and has a physicality that glass doesn’t. A dedicated device for Claude — with hardware buttons and a paper-like screen — changes how you interact with it. It’s closer to a notebook than a phone.
Related
This project is part of the broader X4 Xteink firmware hacking work.