It’s easy to make a scrolling text ticker with an Arduino Uno and multiple MAX7219 8×8 LED matrix modules. Just 5 connections between the Arduino and the first module

My old “back up” phone, a Sony Xperia Arc LT18i, was rendered useless because of some annoying error. Every 2 seconds it would pop up on the screen:

PMR446 (“Personal Mobile Radio”) is a European standard for licence free wireless communications. Radios (usually “Walkie Talkies”) following this standard are usually very affordable and easy to find.