Coding

Biscuit

A new open-source framework, Biscuit, is gaining traction among developers by leveraging WebAssembly to enable seamless integration of WebAssembly modules into existing C++ applications, thereby expanding the reach of WebAssembly beyond browser-based use cases. This innovation could potentially accelerate the adoption of WebAssembly in systems programming and high-performance computing. Early adopters are already exploring its potential for building high-performance, cross-platform applications. AI-assisted, human-reviewed.

Biscuit is an open-source custom firmware for the Xteink X4, a $70 e-paper device. It transforms the e-reader into a general-purpose smart device with wireless testing tools, security features, communication apps, games, and utilities — while retaining full e-book reading functionality.

Overview

Biscuit is forked from CrossPoint Reader, which provides all core reading capabilities. Biscuit builds on top of it, treating the X4 as a multi-purpose tool rather than just an e-reader. The home screen is a tile-based dashboard showing live system info (battery, heap, uptime, WiFi status). Reading is one of eight categories, not the main focus.

The 4.26" e-ink display is readable in direct sunlight, retains its image without power, and gives the device days of battery life. Seven physical buttons provide navigation without a touchscreen. WiFi and BLE 5.0 enable wireless tools. A MicroSD card stores everything.

Hardware specs

  • SoC: ESP32-C3 (RISC-V, 160MHz)
  • RAM: 380KB SRAM (no PSRAM)
  • Flash: 16MB
  • Display: 4.26" 800×480 e-ink, 1-bit mono
  • Input: 7 buttons (4 front, 3 side)
  • WiFi: 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n
  • BLE: 5.0 (shared radio with WiFi)
  • Storage: MicroSD (FAT32)
  • Port: USB-C (serial + power)

What the apps do

The home screen dashboard has eight tiles. Everything lives under one of them.

Recon — passive scanning and monitoring, no transmission:

  • WiFi Scanner, BLE Scanner, Full Sweep (combined WiFi + BLE passive scan)
  • Packet Monitor (WiFi frames with PCAP recording)
  • Probe Sniffer, Wardriving, Crowd Density estimation via probe requests
  • Device Fingerprint, Vendor Lookup (MAC OUI database on SD)
  • AP History, Network Change snapshots, Perimeter Watch, BLE Proximity
  • WiFi Heat Map, Signal Locator, Deauth Detector

Offense — active wireless testing, grouped into four phases (disclaimer required before first use):

  • Scan: WiFi Scan, BLE Scan, Full Sweep, Saved Targets
  • Profile: Target Profiler, Client Enum, Host Scanner, Vuln Assessment, Signal Locator
  • Attack: Beacon Test, WiFi Test, Captive Portal, Beacon Flood (30 random SSIDs), SSID Clone,
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