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Very nice, but probably a bit too expensive to just hand out. I knew a chap that had a similar hardware business card (I don't remember exactly what it did, bu
by ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
Very nice, but probably a bit too expensive to just hand out.
I knew a chap that had a similar hardware business card (I don't remember exactly what it did, but it wasn't as cool as this one).
I remember that his card was pretty scuffed up, and he insisted I give it back, after he handed it to me. Bit weird.
- Cthulhu_ 1y agoHow much does it cost? The guest passes for hacker conferences are full-on computers these days, if this is in the same price bracket it would be a great idea for those.
- 4gotunameagain 1y agoThere's a BOM, you can find out. Plus some peanuts for the PCB :) Now whether you get it populated or not.. https://github.com/Nicholas-L-Johnson/flip-card/blob/main/kicad-pcb/Production%20files/flip-card_BOM_purchase.csv https://github.com/Nicholas-L-Johnson/flip-card/blob/main/ki...
- unwind 1y agoJust as a point of interest perhaps for folks who are not familiar with PCB design and modern electronics: the "huge" matrix of 21x21=441 LEDs would, with the specified LED from the bill of materials (BOM) cost all of $6. That is based on the price for low quantity (1-500 pieces) though; if you were to build more than one board you would buy more LEDs, pushing the per-LED price (way) down. You can get 4,000 LEDs for $30.' Edit: here is the LED in question, from the BOM [1]. [1]: https://jlcpcb.com/partdetail/C497920 https://jlcpcb.com/partdetail/C497920
- whartung 1y agoI don't know, I struggle with a light switch, but that doesn't look like board someone took home with a box of parts and a soldering iron to make at home. Are there services that you can send the BOM and board files too, and not only do you get the PC board back, but it's populated? Will they do that for a onesy-twosy thing like this? Then all you have to do is supply the battery and download the firmware (however that is done).
- bkettle 1y agoYes, I’ve done it for a batch of 10 with https://jlcpcb.com/smt-assembly https://jlcpcb.com/smt-assembly for around $10/board including the PCB
- nilamo 1y ago>$10 per business card is extremely high, though.
- vFunct 1y agoNot if you're at a trade show in an industry where a single deal can net millions of dollars, and a small booth might cost $15k just for the space for a few days. There's definitely an entire business available for expensive trade show merchandise, including electronic business cards. People routinely give away shirts and other merchandise that cost far more than $10..
- mritchie712 1y ago[flagged]
- messe 1y ago[flagged]
- Imustaskforhelp 1y agoYeah but I guess they wanted to add something in the value for everyone of us while they didn't have ofc the whole knowledge to do so. their heart might be in the right place tbh. But that's my 2 cents.
- phatskat 1y agoChatGPT actually puts your comment’s value at about 3 cents - darn inflation!
- Imustaskforhelp 1y agoLoved it! Oh I am more than ready to sell it for 3 cents if you want to buy. Cash or card or heck, even klarna lol ?
- Wojtkie 1y ago>But that's my 2 cents. Or is it really ChatGPTs 2 cents? Copy-pasting LLM responses is as useful as posting a "let me google that for you" link. It's a lazy response at a minimum.
- homefree 1y agoIt’s better than that because it includes the content - more akin to searching and putting the result you find in the comments as a guess. The anti AI HN comments are the new anti Bitcoin - your replies are much worse than someone sharing the gpt output.
- hypercube33 1y agoI half expected this to have a button/mode to show custom QR codes...
- mcdonje 1y agoThat's a good idea!
- phirks 1y agoI tried, that's why it's 21x21. Still haven't managed to get it to read.
- hturan 1y agoI might be wrong, but you might need need (at least) a 23x23 LED matrix to have a white border around the outside to give it the contrast needed (the "quiet zone", since QR data is black).
- phirks 1y agoThis is why my first prototype had a white border around it. The LEDs were red back then, so I don't know exactly what I was thinking, but I was aware of the problem. https://github.com/Nicholas-L-Johnson/flip-card/blob/main/media/IMG_20250809_134121077_AE.jpg https://github.com/Nicholas-L-Johnson/flip-card/blob/main/me...
- nine_k 1y agoCould as well display the name and/or email, if rotated just so.
- chamomeal 1y agoMaybe you wouldn’t give em to just anybody, but anybody who gets one is guaranteed to remember you! I’d probably even keep it in my desk to play with. After a few weeks I’d accidentally have this guy’s email/linkedin memorized for eternity
- ChrisMarshallNY 1y agoThis is true. I remember a story linked from here, recently, where a designer submitted a CV that was a custom-made widget of some kind. He got the job.
- physix 1y agoIn the way back days when we submitted our CVs on paper, I always cut mine to a smaller size than letter, in a branded folder. People tend to stack things with the smaller items on top. I don't know if mine actually was on top of the stack, but I can say that I basically always got the contract.
- ASalazarMX 1y agoI used to subtly watermark mine with nerdy silly diagrams, in the hopes that someone noticed the hints of color and gave them a second look. I even ran a plain vs watermark experiment, and the watermark had almost double the response. Another trick was adding a "Valid until <YEAR> in the cover". It seems counterintuitive that a CV expires, but it made a few companies approach me for an updated CV.
- xp84 1y agoI believe Sears famously used that same move (probably close to 100 years ago) to cause their catalogs to be stacked right on top of the Montgomery Ward one!
- xp84 1y agoI'm just imagining interviewing a candidate for a job involving embedded systems and this dude pulls this out at the end and says "If you have any other questions, my email's right on there." What an absolute baller this guy is.
- DonHopkins 1y agoI'd include a sad tomagotchi that after a week or so guilt tripped you into giving it back, its heart broken, missing its original owner.
- bee_rider 1y agoThat’s a funny way to try and get people to get back in touch with you, haha.
- CGMthrowaway 1y agoFeed your animal by calling me once a month to check in (and get the monthly "food code")
- Aurornis 1y ago> but probably a bit too expensive to just hand out. These are generally done as portfolio projects. It’s driving a lot of traffic to the website. Producing a small number to hand out to potential freelance clients or job prospects is also common.
- eitally 1y agoI wouldn't even necessarily give one to anybody. If you're looking for a job just point to this block post in your resume/site and that's equally impressive.
- akoboldfrying 1y agoOr give out a regular paper business card with a QR code on it pointing to your resume website... snicker
- Tempest1981 1y agoGiving the actual card though leaves a feeling of guilt... sort of like those old surveys you would receive in the mail, with a $1 bill included. A hyperlink is forgettable.
- SkyMarshal 1y agoJust put a QR code on the front that transmits a vCard. Or a way to make the LEDs on the back display a QR code. Then you can still show people your digital business card, even let them hold it and play with it, but it's still obvious the idea is for them to scan the QR code and hand it back.
- nosignono 1y agoIf you ask for it to be handed back, it's not a business card. It's a toy.
- saretup 1y agoExactly my thought. Just make it a desk toy.
- mytailorisrich 1y agoYou don't hand out business cards to everyone, only to those who deserve one.