Cobalt is an open-source app platform for Kobo e-readers: a launcher, a signed App Store, a Rust SDK, and a capability-isolated runtime. One USB install; every app after that arrives over Wi-Fi.
I wanted to break free from watching my laptop screen for long Claude sessions partially due to degrading eyesight and have a sidekick for approvals streamed to the Kobo. I ended up building that, a SDK and full app store for Kobo.
Introducing Cobalt - an Android like platform for Kobo to develop apps and enable reading more things than books.
We read a lot more things than books daily: forums, long form articles, research papers, Coding agents logs etc.
If you really need these, usually the way is to search, download, convert elsewhere like a laptop and then sideload on the eInk display. Cobalt makes it much easier.
Some of the apps we have added to Cobalt app store:
1. A RSS discovery & reader 2. An audiobook generator using deep research and ElevenLabs API all running on it. 3. An arXiv browser and reader for people doing research 4. Gutenberg browser and reader 5. Offline games for your flight 6. A Claude Code / Codex controller 7. A terminal
We now support Libra Color, Libra 2, Clara BW, Elipsa 2E, Clara HD, Clara Color and a lot more apps are in the pipeline. You can build your own favorite app too.
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Cobalt
Hi!
I wanted to break free from watching my laptop screen for long Claude sessions partially due to degrading eyesight and have a sidekick for approvals streamed to the Kobo. I ended up building that, a SDK and full app store for Kobo.
Introducing Cobalt - an Android like platform for Kobo to develop apps and enable reading more things than books.
We read a lot more things than books daily: forums, long form articles, research papers, Coding agents logs etc.
If you really need these, usually the way is to search, download, convert elsewhere like a laptop and then sideload on the eInk display. Cobalt makes it much easier.
Some of the apps we have added to Cobalt app store:
1. A RSS discovery & reader
2. An audiobook generator using deep research and ElevenLabs API all running on it.
3. An arXiv browser and reader for people doing research
4. Gutenberg browser and reader
5. Offline games for your flight
6. A Claude Code / Codex controller
7. A terminal
We now support Libra Color, Libra 2, Clara BW, Elipsa 2E, Clara HD, Clara Color and a lot more apps are in the pipeline. You can build your own favorite app too.
We were recently #1 on hackernews with 650+ votes, https://news.ycombinator.com/ite...
Hope you are as amazed by your $100 device as I was!