Why it caught my attention
Whenever I look at new miner gear from TinyChipHub or anyone else, I try to ask myself one simple question: would I actually use this?
With WatchDog, I genuinely like the idea. It is cool looking, minimal, and easy to picture on my desk. It has that conversation-starter quality because it is different. It does not look like anything else on my desk, and it gives me something I can glance at without turning it into another screen I am going to sit there staring at for hours.
Floating prism display
The hardware itself is what makes it stand out. WatchDog uses a TFT-LCD display with a 30mm × 30mm × 30mm cube prism to create a refracted transparent display effect where the stats appear floating inside the cube.
TinyChipHub describes it as a 3D holographic-style display. Based on the preview material, the setup includes an inclined TFT module, base stand, USB power, plug-and-play operation, and a DIY-friendly modular design.
WatchDog also has a built-in touch sensor, so the floating cube is not just a passive display. TinyChipHub has not shared the full feature set yet, but between the touch controls and OTA updates, it sounds like this should evolve over time.
Visually, it looks more like a little floating desk object than another generic screen.
Without having it in hand, it is hard to say for sure, but if this holds up in person, I really dig the idea of a small “floating” cube on my desk showing my miner stats. Realistically, I think this has to be priced moderately. If it is, I can see it being a nice addition to my desk, sitting somewhere between some photos, a coffee cup full of pens, and my small army of Post-it notes. Yes, I still use Post-its.
WatchDog features
- Floating display effect
- Refracted transparent display
- 3D holographic-style appearance
- Built-in touch sensor
- Interactive capabilities
- OTA updates for future features
- Plug and play setup
- USB powered operation
- DIY-friendly modular design
- Real-time monitoring
- Multiple miner data visualization
Displayed data
- hashrate
- power usage
- share count
- reject count
- best share
- block status
- multiple miner monitoring
Firmware and customization
From what I have been told, the WatchDog firmware should be available through TinyChipHub’s GitHub and support OTA updates.
Between the open firmware direction and the built-in touch sensor, there should be room for TinyChipHub to keep adding features while also giving users a path to tweak layouts, customize screens, and build their own display setups if they want to mess with it.
Zyber Blanc connection
WatchDog is designed to pair well with the upcoming Zyber Blanc, TinyChipHub’s latest addition to the Zyber lineup. Blanc is a single BM1373 chip miner, and since it is screenless, WatchDog makes sense as the matching external display. It is not limited to Blanc, though.
If future Zyber releases follow the same screenless design, WatchDog becomes a more important part of the setup for managing these next-generation chip devices.
If I read into the branding a little, I’m expecting the new Zyber lineup to be mountain themed. I do not have anything backing that up, but my guess is we eventually see multi-chip devices named after larger mountains.
If that is where this is going, hurry up and release Everest and take my money.
Pre-release note
At the time I am writing this, WatchDog is still pre-release, so specs, firmware, visuals, and supported features could change before launch.