Based in London Beaters is known for its Zero Pinball Gadgetused by hackers and DIYers to access different radios with Bluetooth, RFID, NFC and a transceiver below 1 GHz. The company has now taken a different direction and launched a productivity-focused gadget called Busy Bar, which helps you set timers, block apps, and display personalized messages and widgets on an LED screen.
Flipper Devices announced the device last year and is now putting it on sale next month. The Busy Bar looks like a table clock with many knobs and buttons. On the front, it has a 72×16 LED matrix display with up to 400 nits of brightness, supports 16 million colors and a sensor to automatically adjust the brightness.
On the back, there is a monochrome screen to display status, timer, battery and connectivity indicators. This allows you to view the information if the screen is facing the other side. Additionally, there is a small speaker on the side for playing custom sounds and notifications.
On the top, there is a mode dial, on/off button, indicator and scroll wheel for navigating menus and setting the time. The device has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB connection options.
The Busy Bar has a 3,250 mAh battery, which can last up to eight hours in active mode and up to two weeks in standby mode. The company said that with a 15W adapter, users can fully charge the device in an hour.
The idea behind the device is that you can set a message to let others (and yourself) know when you’re completing a task. This is useful in a work-from-home setup where you might have other people at home. You can also set Pomodoro-style timers for productivity blocks so you can focus on finishing tasks.
Flipper Devices releases apps for iOS, Android, and macOS, with support planned for a Windows app. Users can block certain apps with different types of timers on iOS and Android. Additionally, there’s mic integration with macOS, where the device displays a “call” status on the screen and mutes notifications when you join meetings or start recording or streaming.
The Busy Bar is also Matter Certified, meaning it can work with your existing smart home setup across Amazon, Apple, and Google-based smart home ecosystems. This means that users can trigger smart home automation based on the status of the bar.
The company has made the device developer-friendly to customize it with open firmware. They can use the open HTTP API, MQTT, and the official Python and TypeScript libraries to create widgets and components. Users can also control the Busy Bar on the internet thanks to its cloud API.
The first 3,000 users will be able to purchase the device for $199. All other users will have to shell out $249 for the device. Shipping and sales will begin on July 14 in the US, EU, UK, and Canada. The company also plans to release accessories including wall mounts, screen protectors, and custom switches.
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Ivan covers global consumer technology developments at TechCrunch. He is based in India and has previously worked for publications such as the Huffington Post and The Next Web.
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