Ryan McDonough
Founder, Sometime Artist
CFO and co-founder @Accompany, acquired by @Cisco. Turnaround CFO @Ning, sold to Glam Media. Former seed VC. McKinsey trained. @Wharton School and @Haas School of Business.
The Pact is clear. All terminal activity is monitored.
I removed the original viewing components and installed a 7-inch, 800 × 600 display powered by a Raspberry Pi 4B. The original enclosure was practically begging to become a retro-futuristic computer, and the relatively low-resolution screen only added to the illusion.
Rather than simply turning it into another tiny television, I built a custom Silo-inspired interface using Lovable. The result is a fictional underground information system, complete with resident archives, mechanical status reports, judicial notices, outside environmental monitoring, and intercepted news transmissions.
The interface uses muted phosphor-green typography, near-black backgrounds, and subtle CRT effects to make the modern hardware feel decades old. A custom desktop wallpaper and matching application icons extend the aesthetic beyond the main interface, while a keyboard-triggered standby mode leaves the terminal quietly glowing in the dark.
Of course, underneath the dystopian facade, it’s still a fully functional Raspberry Pi. YouTube, Spotify, Disney+, and other entertainment applications are just a few clicks away. Apparently, even residents of the Silo need something to watch.
One of my favorite details is that I retained the original movable film-reel arms. I’m exploring ways to repurpose them as an intercom, speaker mount, or holder for fictional maintenance notices and confiscated relics.
The best part? The original Baia Ultraviewer nameplate is still intact. Sometimes the most convincing science-fiction props are the ones that started life as something entirely different.
