Advertisement

This Arduino-powered business card looks like a Game Boy and runs Tetris (video)

Off-white business cards with Silian Rail lettering are so passé -- these days; it's all about creativity. This Game Boy look-alike, for instance, demonstrates its creator's skills in one fell swoop: It doesn't just display a résumé, it's also a simple gaming handheld that can play Tetris. The device was made by Oregon programmer Kevin Bates, who calls it the Arduboy, because it uses a barebones Arduino board (the tiny computer also found inside Kegbot and Fish on Wheels) connected to an OLED screen. To make the hand-held gaming experience as authentic as possible, he also equipped the card with capacitive touch buttons, a speaker and a replaceable battery that lasts up to nine hours.

Thanks to all the feedback he's received since demonstrating the card on YouTube, Bates is now planning to launch a Kickstarter project in the coming weeks, specifically for DIY enthusiasts. He aims to sell Arduboy kits for at least $30 per card and promises to make assembly as beginner-friendly as possible through video instructions. Not exactly fond of Tetris? Don't worry, Bates is also developing another version that runs Pokemon.