DIY cyberdeck builders embrace privacy-focused, unconventional portable computers
By
Amanda Silberling
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
The article explores the growing DIY cyberdeck movement, where hobbyists build custom, unconventional portable computers that reject mainstream big tech surveillance and corporate control. It profiles CC, an "open source baddie" who built a seashell-shaped cyberdeck that functions as a Tamagotchi, e-reader, and networked device connected to her servers and local AI setup. Despite having no formal software engineering background, she represents a broader community of makers creating solar-powered game emulators, pocket-sized ereaders, and clamshell purse computers. The movement has exploded in popularity on social media as people embrace functional, personalized, and privacy-focused alternatives to mainstream devices.
Key quotes
· 2 pulledI'm just having so much fun.
It's a Tamagotchi. It's also an e-reader. It's networked to my vault and my servers, so it has access to all of my server data, which has all my PDFs, and books, and notes, and everything… It's also connected to my local AI setup at home.
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