Over the past decade, I’ve built Timeframe, a family e-paper dashboard system that combines calendar, weather, and smart home data. Starting with a Magic Mirror prototype using an LCD display in a medicine cabinet, I experimented with various jailbroken Kindle devices before settling on e-paper technology.

My early prototypes used Ruby on Rails to fetch data from Google Calendar and Dark Sky, rendering PNGs via IMGKit. The Kindles updated every 30 minutes but required constant tinkering. I eventually upgraded to Visionect displays in multiple sizes, which could run for months on a single charge. The 32-inch screen proved impractical due to outdated panel technology, while smaller sizes offered better contrast and resolution.

After our home was destroyed in the Marshall Fire, I redesigned the system around a 25.3-inch Boox Mira Pro display that updates in real-time. This required a complete backend overhaul, migrating from image generation to direct URL rendering and shifting most data sources to Home Assistant. The new system displays household status indicators like open doors and laundry completion, creating a “healthy home” dashboard that only shows relevant information when needed.