Blink(1) mk2

BLINK(1), THE WORLD'S BEST INDICATOR LIGHT

blink(1) mk2 is an updated version of the blink(1) super status light. The original blink(1) made it easy to connect any data source in the cloud or on your computer to a full-color RGB LED so you can know what's happening without checking any windows, going to any websites or typing any commands. blink(1) mk2 maintains backward-compatibility while adding better functionality and great new features.

blink(1) is a super status light: it packs three dimensions of information (color, brightness and pattern) into a single tiny package that fits into any USB port on nearly every device. It makes it incredibly easy to connect any data source in the cloud or on your computer to a full-color RGB LED so you can know what's happening without checking any windows, going to any websites or typing any commands.

We designed blink(1) in the spirit of our favorite old school Unix tools and we tried hard to make it simple, flexible, and robust.

With our Blink1Control application, you can have blink(1) flash when packages are delivered, when you get new mail, when a meeting is about to happen, or anything else that IFTTT can do.

With our command-line tools and APIs in just about any computer language you like, you can hook up blink(1) to flash on server status, patch updates, disk usage, or anything else that can be monitored. Multiple blink(1)s can be used on a single computer, letting you assign each one to a specific bit of information.

BLINK(1) AT HOME

Get things done without having your face buried in the computer. If you're expecting a call and don't want to make noise, blink(1) can help.

BLINK(1) ON THE GO

Monitor network speed when you're in the cafe, so you know when the guy in the corner is seeding on BitTorrent and it's time to go elsewhere.

Ever wanted a physical "Busy" indicator for your cubicle or office? With blink(1) and a USB extension cable, you can let your coworkers know when you really can't be interrupted.

And because blink(1) is physically unobtrusive and requires no drivers to confound the OS, it makes a great multi-modal notification light for rack-mounted servers, alerting to task updates or system alerts.

blink(1) is a USB HID device, so no special drivers are needed, just applications. We provide apps for Mac OS X, Windows, GNU/Linux, and embedded Linuxes like those used on Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Arduino Yun, and OpenWrt.

WHAT'S WITH THE NAME?

The name "blink(1)" is a play on the Unix help system ("man pages") where command's help pages are given by their name and section.

OPEN SOURCE

Not only are the blink(1) tools and apps open source, so is its entire design. Feel free to hack it to make it do cool new things. blink(1) is open source hardware.

Part List:

• blink(1) mk2 unit X1
• 5ft USB extension cable X1

Getting Started

Downloads

Github

Blog

Technology Sketches

If you have any questions, feel free to send us an email to service.