Ai Pin returns from the dead, no thanks to printer maker HP

What happens when a couple of ex-Apple executives try to compete with the iPhone? Ink and toner dealer HP buys the IP and bricks the hardware.

Despite Humane unceremoniously pulling the plug on the backend service that powered its hardware, Ai Pin believers have breathed new life into the several-hundred-dollar paperweight. The open-source project could easily result in a more capable Ai Pin now that development isn’t stuck in a time capsule.

Ai Pin is dead, long live the OpenPin. Same great hardware with none of the hubris. Check out the open-source project at openpin.org if you have a bricked Ai Pin just collecting dust — or if you’re now more interested in owning one than ever like us.

Hands down the best way to remind yourself to replace the ink in your printer before you run out.