Pager-Like Digital Notepad Pushes Distraction-Free Design to the Extreme

Tune out the noise and focus: it’s a mantra for anyone who’s tried to get things done with a smartphone buzzing away in their pocket. The rise of digital minimalism has seen many people return to paper, but what if you still want the perks of typed notes? Enter Eclair, a pint-sized DIY notepad that takes distraction avoidance to the extreme, channeling the spirit of old pagers and T9 keypads in one delightful gadget.

This little marvel is truly all about less. Eclair is a battery-powered, super-lightweight device designed for a single purpose: writing text. No notifications, no apps, and no temptation to scroll. It’s fully open source, so if you’re the tinkering sort, you can modify the hardware and software as you please. But at its heart, it’s a tool to help you stay focused and get your thoughts down, one tiny keypress at a time.

Designer: Mateusz Nowak

What makes Eclair stand out is its commitment to compactness and simplicity. It squeezes 14 tactile keys onto a slim case, giving just enough room for surprisingly intuitive text entry, at least for those of us old enough to remember. Typing is old-school: remember smashing out texts on a numeric keypad? You’ll press a key multiple times to get different letters or numbers, and use combo presses to delete characters. It’s a charming nod to the days of BlackBerry Pearls and Nokia’s clever QWERTY tricks.

The display might be small, just 0.91 inches with 128×32 yellow OLED pixels, but it’s easy on the eyes, even in low-light conditions. No flashy color screens or harsh backlights here, just a gentle glow that keeps your focus on your words. The reversible USB-C port makes it easy to charge or connect to your computer, turning Eclair into a tiny keyboard or emergency mouse if you ever need it.

Despite its simplicity, Eclair has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. The open-source design means it can moonlight as a macropad, TV remote, hardware authenticator, or even a basic signal generator. Its real strength, though, is keeping your notes short, sweet, and clear, a digital sticky note for your thoughts. The app is basic: you can jot down reminders, but don’t expect features like uppercase letters or fancy formatting.

Using Eclair isn’t always glamorous. Multi-tap typing is a throwback and may feel clunky at first, but it encourages you to type what matters and keep things brief. For distraction-free digital note-taking that fits in your palm, this DIY pocket notepad is a fun and slightly nostalgic project. And since it’s open source, who knows? It could inspire the next generation of minimalist, focus-first gadgets for makers and tech fans everywhere.