I don't see anybody doing anything cool with it though. I wouldn't mind just forcing it to always display a webpage to display blood glucose levels with nightscout. I'd give them to all my diabetic relatives.
I have one of the gen one and wanted to love it. But so many things just weren't right.
Doesn't show my Google calendar reminders
Getting it to play a morning routine failed, and when it worked the volume levels were all over the place - sometimes the news it played me would be super loud, sometimes I couldn't here the radio or music it played next.
It can't play a youtube video
It didn't have loads of basic controls when listening to podcasts (speed, skip back 30 seconds etc)
Can't display a custom home screen, I'd love to see more weather detail, or a tide chart, or local traffic news.
As I say, really wanted to like it, but never found a use for it yet.
Yup, basically that idea, but a bit higher spec (Linux-capable CPU instead of a microcontroller, larger and higher-resolution touchscreen). But it's definitely on the right track! Ideally we'd have something in line spec-wise with the Amazon Echo Show 5.
That does kind of describe the modern "cheap" android infrastructure. (caveat the battery, which after a bunch of years is useless anyway :-)) The other "modern" alternative to this is an HDMI display with a Raspberry Pi mounted to the back[1].
One could 3D print a different frame in order to mount speakers and a web camera, but that isn't really off the shelf any more at that point.
Or just hackable. The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 is a 4 inch touchscreen Google Home clock, microphone, decent little speakers, for $20.
Apparently it is hackable and fully rooted: https://github.com/untocodes/lenovo-cube-hacking
I don't see anybody doing anything cool with it though. I wouldn't mind just forcing it to always display a webpage to display blood glucose levels with nightscout. I'd give them to all my diabetic relatives.
($20 clock https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/smart-devices/smart-home/smar...)