Flipper Zero – Tamagochi for Hackers

Flipper Zero – Tamagochi for Hackers(kickstarter.com)

157 points by oxapentane 5 years ago | 53 comments

TeaDude 5 years ago |

This thing is basically JC Denton's multikey mixed with his electric multitool thing.

Yes, I am channelling my inner Sheldon Cooper for needless pop culture references but this device is totally sweet and a perfect tool to assert dominance over you co-workers as "king nerd".

I really like it's Y2k aesthetic and this thing is totally feature packed! You've got yourself a backer @zhovner!

neilv 5 years ago | |

Sigh. And another backer here. :) I figured I'll inevitably need one of the radio features in the near future, and would kick myself for not having a Flipper or other convenient radio multi-tool at hand.

g666 5 years ago |

I was wondering what's the real duration of the battery.

Here on the diagram it's saying 30 days (which is awesome) - https://flipperzero.one/zero

But on the same diagram on kickstater it's saying 7 days only... -https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flipper-devices/flipper...

I'm really into this device but the https://flipperzero.one/one looks so more promising and having a raspberry inside open a whole new world of possibilities, mainly on wifi.

TeaDude 5 years ago | |

Dang they should've added one options to the kickstarter.

Well, I assume the reason they didn't is because the one model will require more R&D time. Presumably the zero was intended to be a cut down model they could easily bring to market to gauge interest (Which isn't so easy now that we're getting bluetooth and NFC!)

zhovner 5 years ago |

Hi, founder here. I'm glad you liked it.

thway15269037 5 years ago | |

May I ask you how you are going to declare them in shipment notification? Will it be "Flipper Zero" or "Hacker multitool", for example.

I'm worried to order one myself due to possible questions from authorities.

zhovner 5 years ago | | |

It will be something like "Electronic toy Flipper". This name we will try to use for certification.

aspenmayer 5 years ago | |

Thank you. I will buy Flipper Zero, and I will buy the Flipper One, probably multiple of the Flipper One. You're doing great work here. It was a little hairy there with the delay in approval for the Kickstarter, but you persevered. You really are doing the hard hack. You're an inspiration to me, and you deserve all the success you have so rightly earned!

randomcarbloke 5 years ago | |

I feel for you man, now you have to do the NFC...I'm looking forward to playing with it though!

andygmb 5 years ago | |

Congrats on hitting your goal! What's it like watching the number go up?

zhovner 5 years ago | | |

Never see so much money, haha. But this just a beginning. Next challenge is to produce it and deliver. Also I'm afraid of NFC goal, because this is a HUGE part of new code. But I will do my best to get this project done.

breather 5 years ago | |

Super cool! I have a rule for tools in my lab - only open source hardware. Will you consider releasing schematics?

Tade0 5 years ago |

My latest obsession is to decipher any Japanese text I encounter, so for anyone curious フリッパー reads as "Furippā" - Flipper.

andygmb 5 years ago |

The people involved in this are great, I don't have an interest in that kind of tech but I sent over a small amount.

Support people doing hackerspaces!

sschueller 5 years ago |

Already at $130k, at this rate it will get bluetooth and NFC as well.

codetrotter 5 years ago | |

Yes, not bad at all. I would back it too, if I could afford to.

What I wonder is, did they have a following from before, and that is how they were able to reach enough people to get to 200% of their goal in so short time? Or did it simply spread organically because of how awesome it is? The video was really good and convincing. I just always wonder this because I would like to do a Kickstarter for a project of my own some day maybe, but don’t have any following so I think my project would not receive enough backers. But if it is possible to get backing without a pre-existing big group of followers then that is very encouraging.

Edit: Also, what’s the name of the chiptune at the end of the video again? I’ve listened to that one many times before but can’t remember what it was called.

whywhywhywhy 5 years ago | | |

The branding/art direction definitely makes it more interesting and sharable.

Makes a difference when you nail those things.

oxapentane 5 years ago | | |

The folks behind the project did a lot of posts on design/development for the past year. Unfortunately mostly in Russian.

Here's reddit post in english from a while back: https://www.reddit.com/r/TechNewsToday/comments/g4vkqf/flipp...

And here's pre-kickstarter post in russian, that kinda sums up everything that was posted before: https://habr.com/ru/post/513074/

Edit: and even here: https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=flipperzero.one

coderobe 5 years ago | | |

The main creator of this has been posting about his progress for months, personally I've been following its development ever since I first saw it. It's such a neat project that I can totally believe this being entirely organic growth.

f311a 5 years ago | | |

The project was discussed multiple times on hacker news and other platforms. People signed up for special price long time ago.

Izkata 5 years ago | | |

> how they were able to reach enough people to get to 200% of their goal in so short time?

6 hours later, that $130k is now $437k. And it was up for a bit before GP posted their comment - 30 to 50 minutes, I think, so a good chunk of that 200% may well be from here as well.

kiba 5 years ago |

Very well done marketing pitch. I am convinced.

Honestly, my biggest worry is that the gadget will stay in a drawer after a day or two.

ReedJessen 5 years ago |

It's looks like a video game so that you can show it to police/your targets and they won't "get" what it is.

arc-in-space 5 years ago |

This seems way too cool, and I'm not even particularly interested in these kinds of hacking areas, but I'll be sure to follow this project and I'll consider backing.

jbob2000 5 years ago |

> Out of the box, Flipper Zero can emulate remotes for popular garage doors and barriers. You can keep hundreds of remotes in Flipper's memory as well as create a blank remote for the new wireless gate.

I'm struggling to find an honest use for this.

august125 5 years ago | |

Easy. I'm already envisioning all the ways this device could make my life easier. I would no longer have to juggle RFID keys to multiple clients' premises. I can lock and unlock my 1994 BMW that uses a long obsolete RF keyless entry system that is difficult to obtain replacement keys for. I can adjust my RF controlled lighting system at home without having to dig for the remote. So much of the world runs on RF that having a device that can speak to everything is invaluable.

sschueller 5 years ago | |

Having all your tags in one device is great. Also having a backup.

oxapentane 5 years ago | |

> I'm struggling to find an honest use for this.

Physical security pentesting?

auraham 5 years ago |

There are so many things I like about this little device:

  - The promotional video is funny, it shows all the potential of the device.
  - The character is adorable, I really like that angry dolphin (am I a joke to you?).
  - The device is clearly inspired in those old 90s-ish electronics.
  - It is open source and expansible.

However, it is a bit pricey. Do not get me wrong. Although it could seem like a toy, there is a lot of work behind this tiny device. Congratulations to the team behind the project, from graphical designers that created a wonderful and funny dolphin to developers that created a great device for hacking.

GeertJohan 5 years ago |

Amazing launch, congratz to Pavel and the team!

I really like that it's extensible, has a battery and contains so much features for a compact device. Great multi-tool for me as a maker / hardware/software developer.

minxomat 5 years ago | |

If you want to build something similar, this seems like a good place to start: https://hackaday.io/project/169103-low-power-esp32-handheld

GeertJohan 5 years ago | | |

That's pretty cool! I also backed Flipper Zero so hopefully will have the device in feb 2021 :D

fancy_pantser 5 years ago |

The LCD is orange [lit] in the mockups but is that a design requirement? Some of the technical images show it as the default "LCD green-grayish" color.

KMnO4 5 years ago | |

Looks to be the Sharp “Memory” LCDs. They’re highly reflective so don’t require backlights like traditional LCDs. Think e-ink. So any colour LED can be used as embellishment, including orange.

1MachineElf 5 years ago |

My major takeaway from Johnny Mnemonic was the efficacy of cybernetic hacker dolphins, so I can tell this is going to be successful.

jefurii 5 years ago |

Does this device have any security features? It opens garage doors, acts as a 2FA key, etc, etc. I wouldn't put any of my own data on this thing unless I could lock it somehow, but it doesn't look like it's designed for that.

Other than that it looks really fun!

LibertyBeta 5 years ago |

So, why buy this v. s. building a pwnagatchi? Am I just missing the use case. difference?

m12k 5 years ago | |

From the page:

Flipper was inspired by the pwnagotchi project. However, unlike all the other DIY boards for hackers, it's designed with the convenience of everyday usage in mind. Flipper has a robust case, handy buttons and shape, and none of these dirty PCBs and scratchy pins.

omgtehlion 5 years ago | | |

> ...and scratchy pins.

mmmm, scratchy pins... Though there's nothing like a DIP-16 chip biting into your heel...

Maybe that's why I prefer QFN chips nowadays ))

metaphor 5 years ago | |

I was sold on:

> Flipper is made by makers who got tired of all these rough PCBs and bulky external modules.

omgtehlion 5 years ago | | |

I'm a maker and I DO love rough PCBs and bulky modules. And tangled wires and etc.

But I ordered (backed) a flipper on kickstarter instantly. Godspeed, guys!

Edit: the reason for me was a nice design and not spending time researching which chips to buy and reading through all the manuals. It is interesting to build it yourself, but once in a while I just want everything sorted out for me.

lozaning 5 years ago | |

Pwnagachi does not include any non 2.4Ghz wifi radios. This does 300Mhz-900Mhz.

trdtaylor1 5 years ago |

Please don't be fake. Please don't be fake.

Deciding between 1, 2, or 3... Really it depends if I can use these with the new garage door openers made in the past 5 years.

coolspot 5 years ago | |

I was following the founder on the Telegram for last year – definitely not fake.

https://t.me/zhovner_hub

hevelvarik 5 years ago |

Well I think this will be my first kickstarter participation. The novelty of changing channels on a public set is alone worth the price for entry.

metaphor 5 years ago |

What's the story behind the R25 stack?

Roadmap says DFM was last month, so hazarding a guess that this won't find its way into v3 release?

rtkaratekid 5 years ago |

My allowance I give myself is spent, but if this comes to market I will definitely be buying when I get my allowance back haha

andres99x 5 years ago |

Loved the concept and the promotional video is amazing! Now i just want it to arrive. Backed!

fsewe20 5 years ago |

This looks great fun! As a child I loved my red tamogotchi and carried it everywhere. Backed!

jpetrucc 5 years ago |

This looks awesome! Just backed - very excited for February!

- The promotional video is funny, it shows all the potential of the device. - The character is adorable, I really like that angry dolphin (am I a joke to you?). - The device is clearly inspired in those old 90s-ish electronics. - It is open source and expansible.