Allison interviews Jeffrey Michalsky about Cyber Fidget, a programmable, handheld device designed to provide tactile stimulation and stress relief through interactive motion and feedback. With smooth rotation, buttons, and moving parts in a durable, modern design, it fits comfortably in the hand and is easy to use anywhere, helping users reduce anxiety and improve focus.
Unlike simple fidget toys, Cyber Fidget combines multiple interaction elements in a single device, keeping the experience engaging and less repetitive. It functions as both a practical stress-management tool and an enjoyable gadget that stands out through its hands-on, interactive design.
Cyber Fidget’s open-source design allows developers and enthusiasts to create and share new interactive “games” that change how the device behaves and responds. This community-driven approach turns Cyber Fidget into a customizable platform that evolves over time, offering users an expanding range of tactile experiences beyond its original features.
Learn more at https://www.cyberfidget.com/
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Transcript of Interview
Allison: We’ll need fidget toys. And Jeffrey Michalsky here has a a small fidget toy that’s a would you call it a digital fidget toy?
Jeffrey: Yeah. Yeah, so we call it a digital fidget toy. It’s the Cyber Fidget. So it’s a premium feeling product that has buttons, it’s got a digital display, it’s got built-in games, it’s an animation.
Allison: Think of the size of like a Chiclets box but thicker, right? And it’s it Tic Tacs. Tic Tacs. That’s what I’m saying. I’m doing this for the audio audiences as well. But it’s it’s metal, but it’s got cute little buttons and we got a display going on.
Jeffrey: Yeah, it’s got buttons, it’s got a slider, it’s got built-in LEDs. It’s built off the ESP32 platform. So just about anything you could want on a circuit board, it’s got built-in. And then it’s just something you can keep in your pocket and play with. Or if you want, you can fully develop for it.
Allison: So it’s an open source platform?
Jeffrey: Yes, so all the software is open source, the design is open source. It ships to you as a kit that you assemble on cyberfidget.com. There’s a full build guide of exactly how you do it step by step. So it’s really easy and really fun.
Allison: You know, everything here is really, really cool and I’ve done lots of stuff. This is the one thing I bet my audience is actually going to go, “Hey, I need this. I need this.” So we’re looking over here, they’ve got circuit boards out and screwdrivers and stuff. And so you’ve got I said it’s an open source platform. What we’ve been looking at on the screen is I’ve been watching. Somebody keeps dying. I keep seeing RIP in a graveyard.
Jeffrey: Yeah, so if that’s actually one of our animations that was built on the website. Here we go for the video audience. So they actually drew it out on the website, they flashed it to the device. You don’t need to download any software to do that sort of drawing. It’s all built in and you’re able to do it pretty easily.
Allison: So this has no value other than to make you happy.
Jeffrey: Yes.
Allison: Right? That’s the goal, isn’t it? Right, right. No, but I mean, that’s awesome. That’s awesome. This is not going to improve your life other than making you smile and enjoy your day. So that’s that’s super fun.
Jeffrey: Yeah, absolutely. And the goal here is it’s all open source. If, you know, for some reason the company goes away, you own this. It’s all yours. There’s no cloud-based stuff that would keep it from operating. It’s good to go forever.
Allison: And you didn’t even say AI.
Jeffrey: I did not, but you know, if you want to use AI to develop on it, absolutely can.
Allison: That’s cool. All right, so where would we find the oh yeah, how much is it?
Jeffrey: Yeah, so retail price is $179. On Kickstarter, if you’re an early backer, it’s $139 for the aluminum housing. If you go to the 3D printed housing, it’s $79. And then to find us, it’s cyberfidget.com.
Allison: Oh, I know Mr. Ed is going to get one of these. Maybe we should get one for him because he does a lot of stuff for us. He would love this. This is great. Thank you very much, Jeffrey. This is awesome.
Jeffrey: Thank you so much. Have a good one.