bobblywobbles

I'm comfortable in programming, but have very little experience in the hardware-side of things; I'm looking to create an eink display that updates once a day with text. I have the capacity to learn what I need to understand in order to finish this hobby-project, but wanted to ask here in order to save time/headaches of those who have accomplished projects like this in the past (eInk newspaper/trading cards/etc.). I bought a RPi Zero 2 W, but I think I need to do this project on a microcontroller in order to reach the battery life goals I desire.

(I am also considering offering payment for guidance if that is allowed on HN- I did not see that it was disallowed!)

My main questions are:

- Raspberry Pi Pico or Arduino Nano? I feel both can accomplish my goals

- I see eInk displays for sale on Alibaba. What is the prerequisite knowledge needed in order to connect one of the displays to a microcontroller? Do these eInk displays come with drivers? How do I physically connect the display to a microcontroller?

- I desire that this device be battery powered that can also be recharged. I see different options in the market, but I'm struggling with understanding power requirements or what is physically possible to connect to a microcontroller (ie. aren't some batteries too strong and would fry the microcontroller?)

- I don't require any internet connectivity, but I know these components need to be physically connected. I've watched some introductory videos on soldering, but are there gotchas?

I'm looking for some advice; I'd like to make collapsible steps in order to more easily enter my attic space. I'm looking for a tool that I can use where I can lay out 2x4s, and place hinges or other screws/nails in the wood and see how the steps might lay/collapse before I actually attempt such a build. Are there tools out there that would allow me to tinker with the design?

Do you want a housing calculator that:

- Is completely client-side - Is easy and straightforward to fill out - Is comprehensive; we include fields such as expenses you budget for which many calculators do not include - Is open source

Look no further, because I have a solution for you. I've compiled the formulas that I am using to vet whether or not particular houses are within my means into a webpage that's easily accessible and understandable (and, a little more accurate than ones I've seen online).

https://rezach.github.io/house-affordability-calculator/

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I post this somewhat in jest - it is fairly trivial to build something like this, but I hope to share it in case others would like to use it or build upon it for their needs.

I'm having a small itch to contribute to the community again with a project that others find useful. Is there a software/project/framework/template/tooling that you have been looking for or desiring recently that isn't out there today? Is this project an idea that you'd donate to if it existed (ie. Github sponsors)?

Companies such as AllRecipes, BigOven and Yummly have millions of combined recipes saved within their systems. BigOven, for example, has a clipper tool (https://www.bigoven.com/clipper) that allows users to copy recipes from other sites and save them in BigOven. Based on Copyright Law, lists of ingredients are not copyrightable, but creative works (ie. ingredients + instructions + images) are. Under this understanding, recipes that are copied beyond the ingredient list into BigOven (or other recipe database) would be breaking copyright law.

Are there reputable sources (attorneys) in Copyright law that I can contact - if it's within legal means, I desire to compile a list of recipes (name of food & list of ingredients only) and sell this collection to users who are interested.