Tech modder transformed phone into his own foldable, portable Cyberdeck with integrated keyboard, speakers, and USB hub — portable PC crammed inside 3D-printed case
Tech modder rolls his own foldable, portable Cyberdeck with integrated keyboard, speakers, and USB hub
(Image credit: High Tech Low Life)
Anyone who's watched more than a couple futuristic movies has probably witnessed a scene in which one of the characters pulls out a particularly compact computer so they can quickly hack into something. Youtuber High Tech Low Life (HTLL) saw them, too, and inspired by John Connor hacking an ATM with an Atari Portfolio in Terminator 2, he decided to roll his own cyberdeck.
A glance at the video frame below might make you think that HTLL just bought some fancy phone case and tweaked it. In reality, though, it wasn't as much of a project as it was a whole enterprise. He wanted to roll a computer, a decently-sized keyboard, a boombox, a huge battery, and an extension hub into his design, all with a carrying handle.
They don't make the laptop I want... so I made my own. [Cyberdeck] - YouTube ![They don't make the laptop I want... so I made my own. [Cyberdeck] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MvMCPjDIHx8/maxresdefault.jpg)
HTLL ended up going with a keyboard from Rii, but since that model only came with 2.4 GHz connectivity with a dongle, he was then compelled to add a USB hub. Next, he opted among different speaker sizes and chose the 2-inch as the Goldilocks one, as the smaller drivers didn't have the oomph he desired.
As any 3D printing enthusiast reading this will likely predict, designing the phone holder was one of the two hardest parts of the project. Despite having tons of hardware, he was ironically bereft of a 3D scanner. That made designing the holder a many-print affair, as finding the sweet spot between the holder being loose enough to fit the phone and tight enough to hold it in place was tricky. Figuring out just the right depth to fit the magnetic USB-C connector was a challenge, too.
The step of designing a competent hinge was equally tricky. 3D printing a hinge is easy enough, but HTLL wanted one that was both made of metal and was adjustable like laptop hinges are via a screw. He recommends ThinkPad hinges for your own DIY projects.
After some screws, washers, and foldable feet that turned out unnecessary, the project was complete. When folded, with the side carrying handle, the deck is reminiscent of 80s multi-cassette cases, except it's about half the volume. The next step could be adding a VR headset to it, and pretend you're Case from Neuromancer on his Ono-Sendai deck.
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Bruno Ferreira is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. He has decades of experience with PC hardware and assorted sundries, alongside a career as a developer. He's obsessed with detail and has a tendency to ramble on the topics he loves. When not doing that, he's usually playing games, or at live music shows and festivals.