[0ct4via]

From the creator:

"It’s not open source and you need the backend for it to work."

They alluded to open sourcing the software/API if the business ever goes under, but obviously that'd not guaranteed.

Such a shame, I'd be willing to pay more for a product that was actually open.

[drdaeman]

Thank you, this is exactly the information I was looking for.

If it would be a nicely built frame with a display and a microcontroller (flashable with a custom firmware, or with a simple and sane local API where I can upload a full bitmap via USB and/or WiFi, with no cloud requirements) I'd buy this in an instant.

I have a Waveshare 7.5" display for some Grafana dashboards, but I'm all thumbs when it comes to building a physical case for it, so the circuit board just dangles on a wire in an ugly cardboard box.

A shame, indeed. I have no use for a display that can't even show what I want (or needs a third-party service and Internet connectivity for this). I guess, it's most likely hackable if the case can be opened, but I'm not exactly willing to fight it for $150.

[vladxyz]

I have a 3D printer to supplement my thumbs for things like this. Let me know if you want some help upgrading that cardboard to plastic!