Launch
$29
Calcade Stick
The smallest one.
A tiny board in a printed shell that plugs straight into the calculator's USB port. Nothing to fit on the back.
- AI chat
- Games and websites from your computer
- Home screen
Waitlist open · first units in a few weeks · USA
Calcade
Your calculator, online.
A small Wi-Fi module that plugs into your own TI-84 Plus CE. It adds AI chat, a home screen, and games and websites streamed from your computer. No soldering. I build and test each one myself.
Free to join. I'll only email you about this, and you can unsubscribe any time. 13 or older, or ask a parent to sign up.
What it is
A tiny internet device that still looks like a calculator
You might know it from my video where a calculator runs Fortnite. Three million views later, the question I get most is "can you just make me one?" So I'm making them.
01 · AI chat
Ask it anything
Type a question on the calculator keys and the answer types itself onto the screen. It works on any 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, including a phone hotspot. No computer needed.
02 · Games and websites
Streamed from your computer
The game runs on your own computer at home and arrives on the calculator as pictures, with the calculator keys as the controller. About 5 pictures a second in gray on the small boards. Your computer has to be on.
03 · Home screen
Tiles, like a phone
A home screen with tiles for AI chat, a maths helper and your bookmarks. A bar at the top says Online or Offline. Quit it and the calculator is a normal calculator.
Launch line-up · being built now
Four models to start
Prices are set. The details can still change before these ship, and if they do I'll change this page first.
Launch
$39
Calcade Mini
Flat on the back.
Takes the place of the battery door (your battery stays in). A short flat cable runs up to the USB port. Same electronics as the Stick.
- Everything the Stick does
- Cable, adapter, quick-start card and stickers in the box
Launch
$69
Calcade Sound
It finally makes noise.
A thicker door module with a small speaker out the back and a headphone jack on the side, with a switch between them.
- Everything the Mini does
- Sound for games and videos
- A music player
Launch
$99
Calcade Camera
A calculator that takes photos.
A door module with a small camera that looks out the back.
- Everything the Mini does
- Take a photo and ask the AI about it
- Live viewfinder and saved photos
Every model does AI chat and the home screen, works on a phone hotspot and runs on the calculator's own power. The calculator is not included.
Coming later · planned prices, no dates yet
After the first four ship
Camera Band
$119
A bigger camera that rides on the slide-cover rails, with a memory-card slot.
Voice
$79
A microphone, so you can talk to the AI.
Everything
$149
Camera, sound and microphone in one module, with its own battery.
Pro
$179
My own custom circuit board with everything on it, and its own battery.
Inside
about $299
A whole TI-84 Plus CE with the module built in. Calculator included.
Accessories
small
Case colours, a memory-card add-on, spare cables.
Before you sign up
What you need
01
Your own TI-84 Plus CE
The colour-screen one. The CE Python edition counts. The older TI-84 Plus and Silver Edition will not work: they have a different processor.
02
A computer, once, for setup
About 10 minutes. The module arrives ready. You send the programs to the calculator one time with TI's free TI Connect CE app and the cable that came with the calculator. Calculators on newer software (OS 5.5 and up) need one extra free step first. I'm still testing that, and I'll say exactly which versions work before anyone pays.
03
Wi-Fi on 2.4 GHz
Home Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. AI chat works on either. On an iPhone hotspot, switch on "Maximize Compatibility".
04
For games and websites: a computer at home
They are streamed from your own computer, so it has to be switched on and on your Wi-Fi. AI chat doesn't need it.
Open source · MIT
Rather build your own? The source is public.
For people who like building things
Source code and a write-up on GitHub
The source code and a write-up of how I built the first one are public on GitHub if you want to build your own. It needs compiling, so expect a real project, not a quick install.
The modules on this page are for people who would rather have one built, tested and ready to plug in.
The fine print, in big print
Three promises
Not for tests or exams.
This is a maker gadget. Don't bring it to a test, a quiz or an exam, and ask your teacher before you use it in class.
30 days: refund or swap.
If it doesn't work for you, send it back within 30 days for your money back or a replacement. Every unit is tested on a real calculator before it ships.
Honest numbers.
About 5 pictures a second is what I measured on the small boards. If a number on this page changes, it's because I measured it again.
Quick answers
Questions people ask
When can I buy one?
The first batch is five units, in a few weeks. When they are built and tested, invites go out by email in the order people signed up. Then I build more.
Who is selling this?
I'm Ethan. I'm 15, and I design, build and test these myself. I'm under 18, so orders and payments go through a parent's account, the same way my App Store apps do.
Is it fast?
No. Games and websites arrive as pictures, about 5 a second in gray on the small boards. AI answers start typing after a few seconds. It's a calculator doing things a calculator was never meant to do.
Does the AI cost extra?
Each module comes with a starter allowance of AI questions. After that there will be a small monthly plan. The exact numbers will be on this page before anyone pays.
Does it change my calculator?
No soldering and nothing permanent. It plugs into the USB port, and the door models swap with your battery door. Take it off and delete the programs, and it's a stock calculator again.
Can I use it at school?
Ask your teacher. It is not for tests, quizzes or exams, ever.
Where do you ship?
The USA only for now.
What if I need help?
There will be a Discord server for setup help and updates. The link comes with your invite.
Waitlist
Get in line
Free. Invites go out in sign-up order when the first units are built and tested.
I'll only email you about this. Unsubscribe any time. 13 or older, or ask a parent to sign up.