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---
title: A Super Cheap Desk Toy Becomes A Hackable Desktop Notifier
description: The GeekMagic SmallTV is a cheap AliExpress desktop notifier with a small screen, available in ESP8266 and ESP32-C2 variants. A developer named Giovi321...
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og:description: The GeekMagic SmallTV is a cheap AliExpress desktop notifier with a small screen, available in ESP8266 and ESP32-C2 variants. A developer named Giovi321...
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# A Super Cheap Desk Toy Becomes A Hackable Desktop Notifier

**[Hackaday](https://daily.dev/sources/hackaday)** · 2 min read · 13 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

The GeekMagic SmallTV is a cheap AliExpress desktop notifier with a small screen, available in ESP8266 and ESP32-C2 variants. A developer named Giovi321 created custom firmware for it that adds stock and crypto tickers, an ADS-B tracker, and a Claude AI token usage gauge. The firmware supports OTA WiFi updates and is structured so that individual display functions are modular, making it easy to point the device at any custom data source.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://hackaday.com/2026/07/10/a-super-cheap-desk-toy-becomes-a-hackable-desktop-notifier>

## Questions this post answers

### Can the GeekMagic SmallTV desk toy run custom firmware?

Yes, a community firmware package by developer Giovi321 lets you reflash the device over WiFi. It supports both the ESP8266-based and ESP32-C2-based versions of the device, and includes modules for stock and crypto tickers, an ADS-B flight tracker, and a Claude AI token usage gauge, with code structured so new data sources can be added easily.

_Makers customizing small displays like this track new firmware projects and hacks on daily.dev._

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---

Tags: [#iot](https://daily.dev/tags/iot), [#firmware](https://daily.dev/tags/firmware)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/a-super-cheap-desk-toy-becomes-a-hackable-desktop-notifier-huphwfs8o)

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