Ask HN: Most interesting tech you built for just yourself?

I created a todo thermal printer so that I can write messages whenever I remember something. For example when I'm lying in bed and I remember that I have to do something or reading a book and think that's a great thought that I should look more into someday.

Basically I have a mobile app that I can send a message to a api. Sometimes it's just a note, sometimes it is a todo item.

Then I have a raspberry pi that polls the api for new messages and prints them onto a receipt/thermal printer on my desk. Then every morning I usually look and see if there is a todo item, or more long term item.

I haven't exactly thought of how to store the messages, but basically when the "receipt" gets to CVS level, I rip it off and store it in in a document shelf organizer. Every few months I'll go through the receipt for any long term touch items.

This sounds awesome, would love to see some pics of this. Or even a video of it in action

Love that! I want to setup a little thermal printer connected to an endpoint too. Any tips on how to do this the easiest way? are there any prebuilt solutions, or kits?

Interesting project. What's the advantage of this over, say, an inbox folder in a todo app like Todoist or a note in Keep?

Some people do much better with physical representations of information than digital.

True but in this case he's still using a mobile app. So I assume there's some value in having the tasks individually printed in comparison with just writing them manually and that's what I'm curious about.

Some Star Micronics printers have a built in server that polls an endpoint that can point to any url.

They have different names for similar services. I think the one you want may be called CloudPRNT. I tried it a few years ago and it worked OK (had some issues with reconnecting when it lost the internet connection)

What printer do you use?

In my case, I like the physical representation, but sometimes I only have my phone on me when I think of something. And sometimes at night I don't want to turn on a light to write something down.

edit: Also, my handwriting is horrible.

I have a really cheap ebay receipt printer called "Thermal Receipt Printer" model POS58W

I just wrote a go program to directly write to the usb via gousb. I wrote the model of receipt printer that I used, but it's a very generic ebay receipt printer. https://github.com/moosilauke18/printodo-worker

I don't have any pictures, but I did upload the source code:

Android App: https://github.com/moosilauke18/PrintTodo API: https://github.com/moosilauke18/printodo-api Worker on PI: https://github.com/moosilauke18/printodo-worker

Thermal paper is nasty stuff. Just sharing it forward.

Hmm interesting. Just looked it up. Seems to be that BPA/BPS is the problem with it. It seems like phenol free thermal paper is the answer to that issue, although there isn't a lot of information on what is used instead.

https://www.possupply.com/blog-the-phenol-paper-rundown

Thanks :)