London-based creator Annike Tan, 22, introduced her custom-built cyberdeck in March, sparking a surge of interest on TikTok for personalized, handmade computers. Her "mermaid laptop," crafted from a clamshell purse, has garnered over 32 million views, as reported by Wired. Tan says these unique devices offer a tangible rejection of the predictable, minimalist aesthetic dominating modern technology.
Annike Tan's bedroom, typically strewn with souvenirs from recent travel, now features a gleaming cyberdeck. The 22-year-old, known as Ube Boobey on social media, constructed her first device within a clamshell purse. It is an ornate creation, adorned with swirling gold accents and pearls, with makeup and fake moss nestled beneath its small keyboard.
Tan, who has modeled, intended it to resemble a fantastical mermaid's laptop, recently washed ashore. Her initial TikTok video, partially captioned "fuck it. cunty cyberdeck," premiered in March. It documented the hardware assembly and showcased intricate details, including a custom mouse covered in gold jump rings.
Since that initial post, her videos detailing DIY tech projects have accumulated more than 32 million views. This figure highlights a growing engagement with cyberdecks, particularly among women sharing their creations online. These homemade devices represent more than a fleeting social media trend.
They embody a direct challenge to the current technology landscape, which increasingly favors the flat interfaces of generative AI and the sleek simplicity of mass-produced gadgets. Tan articulated this stance in a TikTok video that drew nearly 4 million views. "What we should do with cyberdecks is gatekeep them from AI and megacorp," she stated, emphasizing a desire to preserve human creativity and craft. The concept of a cyberdeck dates back decades.
Its origins are firmly rooted in an anti-establishment ethos. William Gibson's influential 1984 science fiction novel, *Neuromancer*, introduced a data thief who used his brain-interfacing deck to infiltrate large corporations. Gibson described the protagonist operating "on an almost permanent adrenaline high, a byproduct of youth and proficiency, jacked into a custom cyberspace deck that projected his disembodied consciousness into the consensual hallucination that was the matrix." This vision cemented the cyberdeck as a tool for digital rebellion.
In the years following the book's release, a community of hobbyists, predominantly male, began experimenting with wires and screens to build their own portable devices. These early homebrew creations were often intended for hacking or on-the-go coding. Historically, these decks resembled heavy-duty laptops, typically featuring a screen and a small keyboard.
They were often sleek, utilitarian, and encased in rugged enclosures like Pelican briefcases, designed to withstand imagined apocalyptic scenarios. One niche ham radio YouTuber, over a year ago, titled a tutorial video "DIY Doomsday Cyberdeck EMAIL/TEXT without INTERNET," explicitly including the "prepper" hashtag. What differentiates Tan's cyberdeck is its aesthetic.
Inside her refurbished clamshell purse, the hardware is fairly standard: a Raspberry Pi single-board computer, a small keyboard, and a screen. It is the device's overtly feminine shell and crafty details that defy expectations. "I've not seen anyone do a hyper-femme one before," Tan observed. While she appreciated the tactical aesthetic established by the earlier cyberdeck community, she wanted to create a version that genuinely reflected her personal style. "I've always been very anti-minimalist," she affirmed. "In my life, I want color, and I want everything that I own to convey that it's me."
To lessen her mermaid cyberdeck's reliance on internet access, Tan transferred extensive files from her personal computer directly onto the device. This includes songs, books, maps, Wikipedia articles, and even photographs of her cats. With the custom mouse connected, the device can even run classic video games like Doom.
Beyond her initial mermaid-inspired build, Tan also shared the construction of a solar-powered deck on TikTok, further demonstrating the versatility of her approach. Tan noted that approximately three-fourths of the audience for her widely viewed TikToks are women. "A lot of people had the response, ‘Oh, I didn't know you could make a computer like this. I thought it had to be a gray box, like every other Mac or Dell or whatever,’" said Ling Lu, a 28-year-old product designer and illustrator living in New York City.
Lu found inspiration in Tan's videos and decided to build her own whimsical gadget, which she named the "cyberduck" audio journal—an avian-shaped recording device for personal use. Another New York City-based TikTok creator, Brianna, known online as CocoasAesthetic, also felt drawn to the ephemeral style of these new cyberdecks. The 25-year-old software engineer discovered an unlikely container for her project: a small, pink box her mother had received from a Dunkin' promotional campaign, originally designed to hold a single Wedding Cake Munchkin.
Brianna saw potential. She removed the box's orange interior to install inexpensive hardware. As a software engineer who enjoys DIY projects in her free time, Brianna programmed a video game directly into the revamped Dunkin' box.
In the game, players act as a barista, completing mini-games to serve virtual lattes. This personalized approach to technology reflects a growing desire for individual expression. These makers are not driven by a need to design devices that could survive a nuclear event, nor do they intend for these creations to replace smartphones or laptops. "I am a hypocrite, because I use my phone every day.
I wouldn't reach for my cyberdeck over my phone," Tan admitted. She does own customized seashell headphones that complement her deck, perfect for listening to music and enjoying the aesthetic. What this actually means for your family is a shift in perspective, where technology becomes a canvas for personal identity, not just a utilitarian tool.
Regardless of whether these builds actually displace their primary devices, these hobbyist creations offer a welcome escape into a universe of homemade tech. It is a joyful, imaginative pursuit, even if only for a few hours each week. The policy says one thing—that technology should be sleek, efficient, and mass-produced.
The reality says another, that people crave connection to the objects they use daily. It is becoming clear, just four years into the generative AI era, that this technology risks further alienating people from the tangible process of creating things. Why compose a wedding speech when a bot can draft it and fine-tune it for maximum emotional impact?
These artificial intelligence tools, when adopted as everyday utilities, can contribute to a broad homogenizing effect on culture. With her cyberdeck, Tan asserts she is actively resisting the "AI-ification" of culture, prioritizing personal expression and the value of elbow grease. "Everything that we use and interact with on a daily basis, we're so disconnected from the process of how it's made, where did it come from, and what are the inner workings," Tan explained. This disconnect can leave many feeling like passive consumers rather than active participants in their technological world.
Both sides claim victory: corporations tout efficiency, while creators champion individuality. Here are the numbers: millions are watching these unique builds, suggesting a genuine appetite for change. Cyberdecks, in this new iteration, offer an accessible entry point into greater tech literacy.
By engaging directly with hardware and software, individuals can demystify the complex systems that power their digital lives. This hands-on approach builds a foundational understanding often lost in a world of sealed devices and abstract cloud services. It empowers users to understand, and perhaps even modify, the tools they use every day.
For working families, this trend underscores a broader lesson: you don't always need to buy the latest, most expensive gadget to engage with technology meaningfully. Sometimes, the most valuable tech is what you create yourself. It represents a shift from passive consumption to active creation, fostering skills and a sense of ownership. - The resurgence of cyberdecks emphasizes personal expression over mass-produced, minimalist technology. - Young women are leading this DIY movement, sharing unique, aesthetically driven builds on platforms like TikTok. - These custom devices offer a tangible rejection of generative AI's homogenizing influence on culture. - Makers are leveraging accessible components like Raspberry Pi to create functional, personalized computers.
Why It Matters: This emerging trend challenges the dominant narrative that technology must be uniformly sleek, mass-produced, and increasingly driven by artificial intelligence. It highlights a powerful human need for personal expression and tangible creation in an increasingly digital and abstract world. For individuals, particularly those new to tech, it offers an accessible, empowering pathway to understand and customize the tools that shape their daily lives, moving from passive consumption to active, creative engagement.
It's about reclaiming agency in a tech landscape often dictated by large corporations. As the visibility of these unique cyberdecks grows, watch for how mainstream tech manufacturers might respond to this demand for personalization and creative expression. Will major companies incorporate more customization options, or will this remain a vibrant, independent subculture?
The continued engagement of millions on social media suggests this desire for bespoke technology is not a fleeting phenomenon. Expect to see more diverse, imaginative builds emerge, pushing the boundaries of what a personal computer can be and what it represents for its owner. The conversation about who controls technology, and how it reflects us, is only just beginning.
Key Takeaways
— - The resurgence of cyberdecks emphasizes personal expression over mass-produced, minimalist technology.
— - Young women are leading this DIY movement, sharing unique, aesthetically driven builds on platforms like TikTok.
— - These custom devices offer a tangible rejection of generative AI's homogenizing influence on culture.
— - Makers are leveraging accessible components like Raspberry Pi to create functional, personalized computers.
Source: Wired
