As someone who’s always trying to find better ways to interact with technology, the TRMNL e-ink display I saw in a YouTube video, was really intriguing. There’s just something about the clean, paper-like look of e-ink that appeals to my minimalist side.
The idea behind the TRMNL is beautifully simple: make important information glanceable. Whether it’s your calendar, weather updates, or a daily motivational quote, this little device keeps you informed without being distracting. No notifications, no backlight, just passive and ever-present data that blends into your space.
Setting it up was a breeze for the most part. I did hit a small hiccup, but I reached out to their support team and honestly? It was the best tech support I’ve ever received. Fast, responsive, and clearly knowledgeable. They had me up and running in no time.
Now that it’s fully set up, I find myself glancing at the TRMNL throughout the day without even thinking. It’s become a quiet, indispensable part of my workspace.
Integrations
TRMNL supports a wide range of built-in integrations, from calendars to weather to task lists. The open-source platform makes it easy to tailor the display to your needs. And if something isn’t available out of the box, you can build your own custom integration.
Google Calendar
Since I primarily use Apple devices, I keep my calendar in iCloud because it offers better integration across the Apple ecosystem. However, the TRMNL iCloud calendar plugin has proven to be either buggy or less reliable compared to the Google Calendar plugin. To work around this, I’ve shared my iCloud calendar with Google Calendar and now use the Google plugin to display my schedule on the TRMNL display. It’s a simple workaround that ensures everything stays in sync and displays reliably.
Days Left this Year
A simple display of how many days you’ve used up — and how few are left in the year. Morbid? Maybe. Motivating? Definitely.
Japanese
Presents a Japanese word and its meaning to help build vocabulary, one word at a time.