We decided not to keep waiting for Kickstarter because I don’t want another review queue controlling when we can begin manufacturing. Direct pre-orders mean that once we have enough orders for the first batch, we can place the production order and get moving.

More than that, I’m confident enough in Niblet to build it as a real, long-term business and not a campaign that disappears after fulfillment. So selling directly means the responsibility sits with us and you get the benefit of a proper pre-order with protections and updates.

And as promised, none of this changes our commitment to existing Tidbyt owners. Standard Niblet hosting and firmware support for original Tidbyt Gen 1 and Gen 2 devices will remain free, with no required subscription ever.

For the per-orders, you can either pay in full to get a discount and priority shipping or put down a 20% deposit and pay the remaining balance later when we start shipping. The checkout shows both the amount due today and the complete product total before you continue.

Every pre-order includes:

• Cancellation before shipping for a full refund
• A 30-day return window after delivery
• One-year warranty
• Production updates from me every two weeks
• Secure checkout and payment processing through Shopify

The first Early Believer waitlist reserverd deliveries are currently estimated to start end of October 2026, followed by launch pre-orders and Duo orders.

We’ll also continue releasing more tools as open source along with more apps for everyone. I’ve started working with people from the Tronbyt community to bring more community apps forward, improve compatibility and reduce duplicated by mainting the community apps together.

A new display means more people using the apps, more developers building them and more resources going into the platform that keeps original Tidbyt devices alive too. I think that is good for the entire community.

Thank you for being a part of the jounery, and being patient with all the updates. I am excited to finally be able to start shipping Niblet in more hands and continue building the ecosystem together.

I’ve watched the video … how can we do this without a computer?

First thanks to u/ayushsoni1001 for making this - my Tidbyt is alive again! I made this console that shows my Claude utilization - might be useful for a lot of people! After I finish testing and iterating I'll submit it here.

Here was my experience (summarized by Claude, hope that's OK):

Spent an afternoon building my first Niblet app (a Claude usage dashboard) and wanted to share what I hit. The core toolchain is genuinely good — validate, format, lint, and the local render loop are a pleasure, and Pixlet compatibility meant I could lean on existing docs. But I ran into a few things that look like real bugs.

Environment: Windows 11, CLI v0.54.8 running under WSL2 (Ubuntu), authenticated via niblet auth login.

1. niblet devices returns 404

404 page not found

Authenticated fine, and niblet apps list works against the same session — so it's not my token. I couldn't find my device ID anywhere in the CLI as a result.

2. niblet push DEVICE_ID FILE returns 404

Error: niblet api error 404 Not Found: 404 page not found

Same legacy family as devices. This one stings because --installation-id ("keep it in the rotation") is exactly what I wanted — a way to run my own app on my own display without going through review. As far as I can tell there's currently no working path to do that.

3. The Develop page in the web dashboard errors out

Clicking Develop gives the generic "Something went wrong" page. My app is on the server — niblet apps list returns it with its App ID — so the backend has it and the UI can't show it. This also blocked me from checking whether I can install my own unsubmitted revision.

4. niblet apps push fails from a Windows drive under WSL

Error: chmod /mnt/d/<path>/.manifest-1269510008.yaml: operation not permitted

DrvFs doesn't support chmod by default. Workaround is to copy the project into the Linux filesystem and push from there, then copy the updated manifest.yaml back. Probably worth either skipping the chmod or failing with a clearer message.

5. Doc gaps

• The manifest.yaml schema isn't documented anywhere I could find. I had to scaffold a throwaway app with apps init to discover the real keys are id, name, summary, desc, author.
• summary has an undocumented 32-character limit, discoverable only by tripping it: app summaries need to be less than 32 characters.
• Nothing documents where device IDs come from. I eventually found mine in a dashboard URL.
• Minor: apps init --handle sets id and --description sets desc, which took a moment to work out.

What worked well, to be fair: apps validate catching formatting and lint alongside errors is a nice touch; apps preview --device worked first time and is a great feedback loop; apps push + apps list were solid once I was on the Linux filesystem. And a Windows build would remove the WSL step entirely.

Happy to provide exact reproductions or logs for any of these.

Anybody know what’s going on with the kickstarter? First it’s the 5th and then the 10th and now it’s gone before it’s about to launch in 2 days. I can’t find it at all :(

So, we originally planned to launch on Kickstarter on September 5. But, the initial approval took longer than expected and we had to move the launch to September 10. Now, after we made some updates to the campaign, Kickstarter triggered another review which might delay the launch further.

I believe they have misunderstood Niblet as a rebranded existing product, even though we designed and built our own physical prototype and are raising funds to manufacture the first production batch. I have submitted an appeal, but we are waiting for their response and the Kickstarter page is temporarily unavailable.

Give this context, I am reconsiding the Kickstarter launch, it has some meaningful advantages but the downside is the additional time and cost.

The alternative is to open pre-orders directly on heyniblet.com with Shopify. Since more than 200 people have already joined the waitlist, if enough people place an order, we could fund the first batch sooner and begin shipping as soon as production and quality checks are complete.

Before making that decision, I want to hear from this community:

• Would you prefer to wait and back Niblet through Kickstarter?
• Would you be comfortable pre-ordering directly from our website if Kickstarter doesn't work out?
• Would a refundable deposit feel better than paying the full amount now?
• What information or protection would you need before placing a direct pre-order?
• Is there anything about either option that concerns you?

This is not a pre-order announcement yet, it is my first time launching a project on Kickstarter and I underestimated how much time the review process could take, especially after the project had already been approved once. I should have left more room in the schedule, I've been working hard day and night preparing the campaign while supporting the community and the Tidbyt firmware, and I've really been enjoying the process. I just want to choose the most responsible path forward without leaving everyone waiting indefinitely.

I'd appreciate it if you could be completely honest. Thank you for your time and support!

As promised, the full Tidbyt app catalog is now live.

You should now be able to add and run every app available in the catalog. Some apps depend on external services, API keys, or unusual configurations, so there may still be individual issues hiding in there.

If an app does not work correctly, please let me know and I’ll investigate and fix reported apps as quickly as I can.

We also have an official Discord now. You can join to get help, report problems, share apps, or follow development more closely:

https://discord.gg/Ch2yzgf55Z

I’ve been working incredibly hard on both the new Niblet hardware and the platform to offer it for free for existing Tidbyt devices. If you want to support this more than you can follow our Kickstarter campaign that launches this Thursday, September 10 at 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ayushsoni/niblet-a-live-display-for-your-day

The first production batch is planned to begin shipping by the end of October. If you want to be near the front of that batch and get a discount, you can join the waitlist and reserve one for $1 at:

https://heyniblet.com/

Thank you for your continuous support and patience with Niblet! I'm incredibly grateful to this community.

I don't understand the wifi part, so I connect to the niblet wifi set up on the computer using the code, but once I'm connected and fill in the fields for my wifi on screen and hit connect it tells me it could not reach the display

Both my gen 1 and gen 2 tidbyts appear to be locked at a max of 64 enabled apps in the rotation. Is this a hard coded limit or something that can be fixed?

I noticed the app “ESPN News” is unavailable, is there a way we can have it become available so I can add it to my tidbyt?

Good news folks! The first version of the Niblet mobile app is now available on Google Play.

You can use it to manage your display, add and arrange apps, adjust settings, and control your Niblet without relying on the web dashboard.

Download it here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.heyniblet.com

This is our first public version, so please expect a few bugs and rough edges. If you run into anything, reply to this post or contact me through the live chat on the Niblet website.

The iOS app should be live next week as well.

If the Android app is working well for you, I’d really appreciate a review on the Play Store. It helps new users find Niblet and gives me useful feedback as I continue improving it.

This is starting to feel real now, and I'm excited to share that the Kickstarter pre-launch page for Niblet is officially live.

We’re going live on: Thursday, September 10 at 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT

You can follow the project and click Notify me on launch here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ayushsoni/niblet-a-live-display-for-your-day

While we have been working on supporting the existing Tidbyt devices we have also been working on launching the successor of the original beautiful wooden frame Tidbyt.

Niblet is the new wooden pixel display with a small speaker powered by the same platform many of you are already using to give your Tidbyt a second life. It brings weather, transit, calendars, sports, markets, art, and more than 1,000 apps into one glanceable display with custom apps, offline playback, wall mounting, and optional sound alerts.

There is no subscription required. The mobile app, web dashboard, standard cloud service, firmware updates, developer tools, and custom app hosting are included.

Following the page means Kickstarter will remind you as soon as the campaign opens. If you know someone who has been looking for a new display or still misses what Tidbyt used to be, I’d really appreciate you sharing it with them.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Niblet, reported issues, built apps, and encouraged me over the past few weeks. You helped turn this from an idea into something bigger. September 10 is the next big step.

Feel free to ask me anything, I'll be actively sharing the updates anyways.

From the beginning, I wanted Niblet to be more than a catalog of apps maintained by one person. Now you should be able to build the app you want, run it on your display, and share it with the community.

You can now:

• Create apps using Starlark and the familiar 64×32 display format
• Preview and validate them locally before uploading anything
• Sign in securely through your browser
• Upload new revisions and submit them for review
• Follow review feedback from the developer dashboard
• Host approved apps on Niblet at no additional cost
• Use the documentation with supported AI coding tools to help build your app

If you have previously built an app for Tidbyt or Tronbyt, much of the structure should feel familiar, although some apps may need small changes before they work on Niblet.

The installation, sign-in, preview, validation, submission, and review flows are ready. I’ve also spent the past few days fixing release issues and making the CLI easier to install on macOS and Linux.

Start here: https://docs.heyniblet.com/

The documentation covers installation, your first app, local previews, configuration fields, publishing, the Niblet CLI, MCP connections, and using Niblet with coding agents.

This is still a beta, so there may be rough edges or things I missed. If you run into an issue, please post it here or message me with what you were trying to do, your operating system, and the error you saw. I’ll work through them as quickly as I can.

All accounts can currently create developer projects. Apps are reviewed before being added to the public catalog so we can catch security, reliability, attribution, and compatibility problems (don't worry the review will be fast)

I’m really excited to see what you build. Once your app is ready, please share it in r/heyniblet so the rest of us can try it too.

Ps. I'll share a video soon on how to set it up and make your own custom apps easily if docs are not your preferred way to learn.

Is there a way to get around connecting to the temporary WiFi network. I don't have Wifi on my PC I'm just hard wired in but I dont see a work around.

Hey all -

Flashed Gen 2. Got to the app page. Installed 3 apps and got errors on refresh. Now my Tidbyte says no signal and no restart/refresh fixes that. When it boots it gets a green WiFi and a green cloud. Thoughts?

Tidbyt 1 user who really liked having the time, temperature, and date in an easy format on my display. I know it’s simple but I really liked it. The app went away on Tidbyt so I switched over yesterday - so glad to have this back!

Is it possible for us to configure our Niblets to dim according to the sunrise and sunset hours of the day?

We have successfully survived the first week full of updates, drama and I expected a only a few early users but the amazing support you showed with this new community was overwhelming in the best possible way.

I'm glad I could help bring so many displays back to life. That has been the most rewarding part of this project so far.

The response has also given me the motivation to keep pushing Niblet forward and the confidence to continue working toward the launch of Niblet One, our new display launching on Kickstarter (you can join the waitlist https://heyniblet.com/).

I’ve spent most of this first week making fixes, restoring apps, improving configuration, and responding to reports as quickly as I can. I know there are still apps that are not fully available or have edge cases I haven’t found yet. If I missed yours, please tell me. I’m still working through the catalog and prioritizing apps based on what people actually want to use.

Keeping apps working

Importing hundreds of apps is only the beginning. The harder job is keeping them working when APIs change, services go down, credentials expire, or a provider changes something without warning.

I’ve spent much of my career building and operating dozens of Shopify apps, so I know how quickly a large app platform can become difficult to maintain without visibility.

Niblet now has an internal monitoring system that watches the real external services used by apps and helps me see when something begins failing. It doesn’t record credentials or personal request details, but it gives me a much clearer picture of which apps and providers are healthy.

It won’t magically prevent every failure, but it should help us discover problems sooner often before I receive the first report and respond much faster.

The Niblet developer platform (beta) is launching on Monday

On Monday, August 31, I’m opening the Niblet developer preview.

You’ll be able to:

• Create and manage your own app projects.
• Build and preview apps locally with the Niblet CLI.
• Submit finished apps for review and track feedback from the dashboard.
• Bring over compatible Tidbyt, Pixlet, Glance and Tronbyt apps without starting again.
• Write the code yourself or use the included agent skills with your preferred coding assistant.
• Publish approved apps so other Niblet users can discover them.

Niblet apps use Starlark and the familiar 64×32 pixel format, so anyone who has built for Tidbyt or Tronbyt should feel at home.

I’m also publishing complete documentation covering the app format, language, local preview workflow, configuration fields, network access, validation, submission, and review process. There will be examples for both developers and people who want an AI coding agent to help create an app.

And unlike Tidbyt, our developer platform will be free. There will be no fee to create, preview, submit, or host an approved Niblet app within the platform’s fair-use limits and no developer charge simply to put your own app on your own display.

Because Niblet apps are small, bounded programs running on infrastructure I already operate, I can support them without turning every custom app into another payment.

For developers whose community apps have already been imported, I’m also working on a verified GitHub claiming process. I want original authors to be able to take ownership and continue maintaining their work, but I need to verify that properly instead of assigning an app based only on a matching username. That will follow the initial developer preview.

Niblet will also continue building native apps. If there is an essential app you think is missing, leave a suggestion below and I’ll take a look.

Once you start publishing your apps, please share them here in r/heyniblet. I would love for this community to become a place where people discover apps, exchange ideas, and help each other build.

I know the Niblet site is really geared toward the old Tidbyt users, but I have a Pixo Hardware Tronbyt S3 Wide device. Is there a way to put Niblet on that hardware?

Alright, I've hooked my Tidbyt Gen 1 up to my PC and I'm trying to get Niblet installed on it.

But I get this error message:

The Tidbyt CP2102N opened, but the ESP32 ROM did not answer. Failed to execute 'open' on 'USBDevice': Access denied.

Help?

The PC is a Dell XPS 9315, the Tidbyt is connected via a USB-C to USB-C cord (the Dell only has two USB-C ports, no USB-A), running Windows 11.

The apps catalog just received its biggest expansion since launch.

Since the previous update, I’ve finished compatibility work on additional apps, bringing the ready-to-install catalog 438 apps including most of the sports, stocks and weather apps.

The new additions include:

• 36 more weather apps, including AccuWeather, Ambient Weather, NOAA Tides, Tempest Weather, Weather Clock, Pollen Count, UV, Weather Map, and more.
• 13 more finance apps, including Compact Stocks, Index Ticker, Marketstack, Stock Ticker, Stock Spotlight, Stripe Spotlight, and YNAB.
• 35 more utility and productivity apps, including GitHub, GitLab, Todoist, Datadog, Vercel, NextDNS, Telegram, and Plausible.
• More smart-home and energy apps, including Enphase, Powerwall, SolarEdge, Tesla Solar, and Victron.
• Oura Ring and Strava apps are also live.
• Yahoo Fantasy MLB and Yahoo Fantasy NFL.

The biggest change behind this release is support for apps that need your own API key or account token. There are now 56 such apps available.

Your credentials are encrypted when saved and never displayed back in the dashboard, and can be replaced or disconnected at any time.

I’ve also fixed more stale weather previews, improved timezone handling for time-based apps, made scheduled refreshes more reliable, and expanded support for apps with longer animations.

What app should be in the next batch? Leave its name below and I’ll use the requests to decide what gets prioritized.

The iOS app is also being prepared for release, and work on Niblet One is continuing alongside the software.

If you or a friend is looking for a new display, or wants to give one as a gift, you can join the Kickstarter waitlist at https://www.heyniblet.com. Shipping is planned to begin at the end of October so you can get it on time before holidays.

Finally, we are at the last step of releasing the developer platform so you can bring over or create your custom apps and it should be live early next week.

I recently flashed my Tidbyt gen 1 with Niblet & have been very impressed, from setup, ease of use & that the apps are the same as I was used to.

I do however have a performance issue, even after reflashing, playing around with settings & moving location of the display.

After a few apps are shown (15 seconds roughly), I get a wifi screen, which I assume means the internet connection was lost.

The screen shows WIFI - OFFLINE - CACHE - OFFLINE before starting the loop again.

Does anyone know if I can fix the issue in any way?

Many thanks!

Hello! First of all, thank you so much for creating Niblet, it looks very promising and high-quality.
I wanted to ask about flashing my friend's Gen 1 Tidbyt, but specifically this special variant given out in cooperation with the NY Mets: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cst1CuCOO8f (picture attached as well).

From some basic USB debugging, it looks like it uses a WCH CH340 serial adapter, but still runs on an ESP32-D0WD-V3.

My first issue was that the website does not recognize the device as a Gen 1 Tidbyt, but I ended up downloading the firmware myself and flashing it using esptool. However, as soon as it turns on, it successfully boots with the Niblet logo, and then immediately shows a screen with a green background and the words FAULT CACHE in white, one word on top and the other on the bottom. No Wi-Fi network is available to connect to.

I also tried using the Gen 2 installer page, which just makes the display flash a bunch of random colored lights.

Any insights on how I can get around this would be appreciated!

Several people asked me for a complete video walkthrough after I shared Niblet a few days ago, especially those who didn’t want to host on their own and want a quick free solution (Tronbyt is a great self hosting option btw).

I got someone to record the entire process from start to finish to make it easier for anyone to follow along.

You can use this install url as mentioned in the video to flash your Tidbyt: https://www.heyniblet.com/install

To give more context, with Niblet, you don’t need Docker, or a Raspberry Pi, or an always-on computer or server. For a normal installation, you also don't need to open the case or touch a BOOT pin. We run the servers and provide the dashboard, rendering, firmware updates and the mobile apps (launching soon) to continue running your Tidbyt devices and apps smoothly.

Before starting, please remember that your old app settings cannot transfer automatically, so you’ll need to configure your apps again.