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Lilbits: Intel’s new (and upcoming) low-power chips, Lenovo’s new handhelds, and a wireless mouse dongle that’s also a tiny USB-C dock
A growing number of mini PC makers are starting to ship entry-level systems with cheap, low-power Intel N150 Twin Lake processors rather than the Intel N100 Alder Lake-N chips that have been popular for the past two years. On paper the new processor is basically what you get if you take an Intel N100 and increase the maximum CPU and GPU speeds by 200 MHz and 250 MHz, respectively. But in terms of real-world performance? So far it looks like there may not be much… at least based on some of the first benchmarks we’ve seen.
But it looks like Intel may have a true next-gen chip for inexpensive, energy-efficient computers on the way. While Alder Lake-N and Twin Lake chips are 6 to 15 watt processors with between 4 and 8 Efficiency cores, the upcoming Intel Wildcat Lake processor is expected to be a mobile chip with 2 Performance cores and 6 Low Power Efficiency cores. Rumor has it that this will eventually replace Alder Lake-N, although it could be an entry-level Core or Core Ultra chip instead.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
Intel Wildcat Lake could be a next-gen chip for cheap, low-power PCs [Tom’s Hardware]
Intel WildCat Lake processor details leaked, pointing to an upcoming budget processor for low-power devices, possibly set to replace Alder Lake-N with a new 6-core chip combining 2 P-cores and 4 LPE-cores.
Not What You Think – Beelink EQ14 Review [Robtech / YouTube]
One of the first reviews of a mini PC with an Intel N150 processor shows a slight improvement in single-core CPU performance, but no noteworthy increase in multi-core or GPU performance. Keep in mind that there are dozens (maybe hundreds) of mini PCs with N100 chips though, and so far only a few models with N150 processors. So it’s possible that we could see better performance on some models in the future as more models hit the streets. But it seems safe to say that you shouldn’t expect any MAJOR improvements from what is, at most, a minor spec bump.
Wireless mouse receiver is a mini dock with HDMI output and USB Type-C [Tom’s Hardware]
This wireless mouse comes with a wireless transmitter that plugs into a USB-C port. Nothing strange there. But the transmitter is ALSO a tiny dock with an HDMI port and another USB-C port so you don’t lose one when using the dongle.
Valve will be Lenovo’s ‘special guest’ at just-announced gaming handheld event [The Verge]
Following several recent leaks suggesting that new handheld gaming PCs are on the way, including at least one that could run Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS rather than Windows, Lenovo and Valve has pretty much confirmed that they’re working together on something.
The companies have been emailing tech journalists about a January 7th event that will be a “cocktail reception hosted by Lenovo Legion and AMD gaming leaders, with special guests Valve and other gaming industry giants,” where the company will be showing off “our latest Lenovo Legion Go innovations advanced by AMD.”
Interestingly, Microsoft Xbox division will also be represented at the event. While some Lenovo handhelds are still expected to run Windows, I’m guessing this is more about support for streaming games to Lenovo handhelds rather than the operating system itself.
Toybrick TB-RK3576D is a single-board PC with a Rockchip RK3576 quad-core processor, a 6 TOPS NPU, up to 8GB RAM, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and an M.2 PCIe 2.0 slot.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#alderLakeN #ces2025 #chips #intel #intelN150 #leaks #legionGo #lenovo #lenovoLegionGo #lilbits #rk3576 #sanwa #sbc #toybrick #tpybrickTbRk3576d #twinLake #Valve #wildcatLake
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Lilbits: Fedora 41 for Apple Silicon, NVIDIA’s new $249 AI dev kit, and Android 16 DP2
NVIDIA’s latest Jetson platform for AI development is more powerful than its predecessor, but costs half as much. Radxa has launched a new motherboard for folks that want a powerful ARM-based processor in a mini ITX form-factor. There’s a new build of Fedora available for Macs with Apple Silicon. And Google has released another developer preview of the next version of Android.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer KitNVIDIA Unveils Its Most Affordable Generative AI Supercomputer [NVIDIA]
The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super is a $249 dev kit (module + carrier board) with up to 67 TOPS AI performance. It’s half the prices of the previous-gen model, while offering 70% more AI performance and 50% more memory bandwidth.
This 170 x 170mm (6.7″ x 6.7″) board features a Qualcomm 8cs Gen 3 processor four 2.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 CPU cores, four more at 2.4 GHz, and four 1.8GHz Cortex-A520 cores. The Orion 06 board also has Immortalis-G720 graphics and a 30 TOPS AI accelerator, up to 64GB of RAM, two 5 Gb Ethernet ports, a PCIe 4.0 x4 connector for storage, a PCIe x16 slot, and an M.2 E-Key for a wireless card, among other things. The board is available from ARACE or AliExpress for about $200 and up.
The Second Developer Preview of Android 16 [Android Developers Blog]
Android 16 Developer Preview 2 is now available, with performance and battery life improvements as well as new developer APIs. It’s available for Google Pixel 6 and later devices.
Google picks a MediaTek modem for the Pixel 10 series [Android Authority]
Google’s recent smartphones ship with Tensor processors designed in-house by Google, but they use modems designed by Samsung. It looks like next year’s Pixel 10 could ship with a MediaTek T900 modem instead.
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 is now available [Fedora Magazine]
The latest release brings Fedora 41 to Macs with Apple Silicon. It includes support for x86-64 emulation and Vulkan 1.4 graphics, making it possible to play some games on Apple Silicon. Keep in mind that not all hardware is supported yet – microphone support is still a work in progress on all Macs with M series processors, a bunch of features aren’t working on systems with M3 chips yet, and M4 isn’t fully supporter yet either.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#ai #android #android16 #appleSilicon #asahi #fedoraAsahiRemix #jetson #jetsonOrinNano #lilbits #linux #mediatek #miniItx #nvidia #nvidiaJetsonOrinNanoSuperDeveloperKit #pixel10 #radxa #radxaOrion06
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Lilbits: Fedora 41 for Apple Silicon, NVIDIA’s new $249 AI dev kit, and Android 16 DP2
NVIDIA’s latest Jetson platform for AI development is more powerful than its predecessor, but costs half as much. Radxa has launched a new motherboard for folks that want a powerful ARM-based processor in a mini ITX form-factor. There’s a new build of Fedora available for Macs with Apple Silicon. And Google has released another developer preview of the next version of Android.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer KitNVIDIA Unveils Its Most Affordable Generative AI Supercomputer [NVIDIA]
The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super is a $249 dev kit (module + carrier board) with up to 67 TOPS AI performance. It’s half the prices of the previous-gen model, while offering 70% more AI performance and 50% more memory bandwidth.
This 170 x 170mm (6.7″ x 6.7″) board features a Qualcomm 8cs Gen 3 processor four 2.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 CPU cores, four more at 2.4 GHz, and four 1.8GHz Cortex-A520 cores. The Orion 06 board also has Immortalis-G720 graphics and a 30 TOPS AI accelerator, up to 64GB of RAM, two 5 Gb Ethernet ports, a PCIe 4.0 x4 connector for storage, a PCIe x16 slot, and an M.2 E-Key for a wireless card, among other things. The board is available from ARACE or AliExpress for about $200 and up.
The Second Developer Preview of Android 16 [Android Developers Blog]
Android 16 Developer Preview 2 is now available, with performance and battery life improvements as well as new developer APIs. It’s available for Google Pixel 6 and later devices.
Google picks a MediaTek modem for the Pixel 10 series [Android Authority]
Google’s recent smartphones ship with Tensor processors designed in-house by Google, but they use modems designed by Samsung. It looks like next year’s Pixel 10 could ship with a MediaTek T900 modem instead.
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 is now available [Fedora Magazine]
The latest release brings Fedora 41 to Macs with Apple Silicon. It includes support for x86-64 emulation and Vulkan 1.4 graphics, making it possible to play some games on Apple Silicon. Keep in mind that not all hardware is supported yet – microphone support is still a work in progress on all Macs with M series processors, a bunch of features aren’t working on systems with M3 chips yet, and M4 isn’t fully supporter yet either.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#ai #android #android16 #appleSilicon #asahi #fedoraAsahiRemix #jetson #jetsonOrinNano #lilbits #linux #mediatek #miniItx #nvidia #nvidiaJetsonOrinNanoSuperDeveloperKit #pixel10 #radxa #radxaOrion06
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Lilbits: Fedora 41 for Apple Silicon, NVIDIA’s new $249 AI dev kit, and Android 16 DP2
NVIDIA’s latest Jetson platform for AI development is more powerful than its predecessor, but costs half as much. Radxa has launched a new motherboard for folks that want a powerful ARM-based processor in a mini ITX form-factor. There’s a new build of Fedora available for Macs with Apple Silicon. And Google has released another developer preview of the next version of Android.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer KitNVIDIA Unveils Its Most Affordable Generative AI Supercomputer [NVIDIA]
The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super is a $249 dev kit (module + carrier board) with up to 67 TOPS AI performance. It’s half the prices of the previous-gen model, while offering 70% more AI performance and 50% more memory bandwidth.
This 170 x 170mm (6.7″ x 6.7″) board features a Qualcomm 8cs Gen 3 processor four 2.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 CPU cores, four more at 2.4 GHz, and four 1.8GHz Cortex-A520 cores. The Orion 06 board also has Immortalis-G720 graphics and a 30 TOPS AI accelerator, up to 64GB of RAM, two 5 Gb Ethernet ports, a PCIe 4.0 x4 connector for storage, a PCIe x16 slot, and an M.2 E-Key for a wireless card, among other things. The board is available from ARACE or AliExpress for about $200 and up.
The Second Developer Preview of Android 16 [Android Developers Blog]
Android 16 Developer Preview 2 is now available, with performance and battery life improvements as well as new developer APIs. It’s available for Google Pixel 6 and later devices.
Google picks a MediaTek modem for the Pixel 10 series [Android Authority]
Google’s recent smartphones ship with Tensor processors designed in-house by Google, but they use modems designed by Samsung. It looks like next year’s Pixel 10 could ship with a MediaTek T900 modem instead.
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 is now available [Fedora Magazine]
The latest release brings Fedora 41 to Macs with Apple Silicon. It includes support for x86-64 emulation and Vulkan 1.4 graphics, making it possible to play some games on Apple Silicon. Keep in mind that not all hardware is supported yet – microphone support is still a work in progress on all Macs with M series processors, a bunch of features aren’t working on systems with M3 chips yet, and M4 isn’t fully supporter yet either.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#ai #android #android16 #appleSilicon #asahi #fedoraAsahiRemix #jetson #jetsonOrinNano #lilbits #linux #mediatek #miniItx #nvidia #nvidiaJetsonOrinNanoSuperDeveloperKit #pixel10 #radxa #radxaOrion06
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Lilbits: Fedora 41 for Apple Silicon, NVIDIA’s new $249 AI dev kit, and Android 16 DP2
NVIDIA’s latest Jetson platform for AI development is more powerful than its predecessor, but costs half as much. Radxa has launched a new motherboard for folks that want a powerful ARM-based processor in a mini ITX form-factor. There’s a new build of Fedora available for Macs with Apple Silicon. And Google has released another developer preview of the next version of Android.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer KitNVIDIA Unveils Its Most Affordable Generative AI Supercomputer [NVIDIA]
The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super is a $249 dev kit (module + carrier board) with up to 67 TOPS AI performance. It’s half the prices of the previous-gen model, while offering 70% more AI performance and 50% more memory bandwidth.
This 170 x 170mm (6.7″ x 6.7″) board features a Qualcomm 8cs Gen 3 processor four 2.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 CPU cores, four more at 2.4 GHz, and four 1.8GHz Cortex-A520 cores. The Orion 06 board also has Immortalis-G720 graphics and a 30 TOPS AI accelerator, up to 64GB of RAM, two 5 Gb Ethernet ports, a PCIe 4.0 x4 connector for storage, a PCIe x16 slot, and an M.2 E-Key for a wireless card, among other things. The board is available from ARACE or AliExpress for about $200 and up.
The Second Developer Preview of Android 16 [Android Developers Blog]
Android 16 Developer Preview 2 is now available, with performance and battery life improvements as well as new developer APIs. It’s available for Google Pixel 6 and later devices.
Google picks a MediaTek modem for the Pixel 10 series [Android Authority]
Google’s recent smartphones ship with Tensor processors designed in-house by Google, but they use modems designed by Samsung. It looks like next year’s Pixel 10 could ship with a MediaTek T900 modem instead.
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 is now available [Fedora Magazine]
The latest release brings Fedora 41 to Macs with Apple Silicon. It includes support for x86-64 emulation and Vulkan 1.4 graphics, making it possible to play some games on Apple Silicon. Keep in mind that not all hardware is supported yet – microphone support is still a work in progress on all Macs with M series processors, a bunch of features aren’t working on systems with M3 chips yet, and M4 isn’t fully supporter yet either.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#ai #android #android16 #appleSilicon #asahi #fedoraAsahiRemix #jetson #jetsonOrinNano #lilbits #linux #mediatek #miniItx #nvidia #nvidiaJetsonOrinNanoSuperDeveloperKit #pixel10 #radxa #radxaOrion06
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Lilbits: Fedora 41 for Apple Silicon, NVIDIA’s new $249 AI dev kit, and Android 16 DP2
NVIDIA’s latest Jetson platform for AI development is more powerful than its predecessor, but costs half as much. Radxa has launched a new motherboard for folks that want a powerful ARM-based processor in a mini ITX form-factor. There’s a new build of Fedora available for Macs with Apple Silicon. And Google has released another developer preview of the next version of Android.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer KitNVIDIA Unveils Its Most Affordable Generative AI Supercomputer [NVIDIA]
The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super is a $249 dev kit (module + carrier board) with up to 67 TOPS AI performance. It’s half the prices of the previous-gen model, while offering 70% more AI performance and 50% more memory bandwidth.
This 170 x 170mm (6.7″ x 6.7″) board features a Qualcomm 8cs Gen 3 processor four 2.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A720 CPU cores, four more at 2.4 GHz, and four 1.8GHz Cortex-A520 cores. The Orion 06 board also has Immortalis-G720 graphics and a 30 TOPS AI accelerator, up to 64GB of RAM, two 5 Gb Ethernet ports, a PCIe 4.0 x4 connector for storage, a PCIe x16 slot, and an M.2 E-Key for a wireless card, among other things. The board is available from ARACE or AliExpress for about $200 and up.
The Second Developer Preview of Android 16 [Android Developers Blog]
Android 16 Developer Preview 2 is now available, with performance and battery life improvements as well as new developer APIs. It’s available for Google Pixel 6 and later devices.
Google picks a MediaTek modem for the Pixel 10 series [Android Authority]
Google’s recent smartphones ship with Tensor processors designed in-house by Google, but they use modems designed by Samsung. It looks like next year’s Pixel 10 could ship with a MediaTek T900 modem instead.
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 is now available [Fedora Magazine]
The latest release brings Fedora 41 to Macs with Apple Silicon. It includes support for x86-64 emulation and Vulkan 1.4 graphics, making it possible to play some games on Apple Silicon. Keep in mind that not all hardware is supported yet – microphone support is still a work in progress on all Macs with M series processors, a bunch of features aren’t working on systems with M3 chips yet, and M4 isn’t fully supporter yet either.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#ai #android #android16 #appleSilicon #asahi #fedoraAsahiRemix #jetson #jetsonOrinNano #lilbits #linux #mediatek #miniItx #nvidia #nvidiaJetsonOrinNanoSuperDeveloperKit #pixel10 #radxa #radxaOrion06
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Lilbits: More Pixel 9a details leaked, playing PS3 games on ARM PCs, and more
Google’s mid-range phones have earned a solid reputation as decent devices that offer many of the same features as the company’s flagships at lower price points. And the latest leaks suggest the Pixel 9a will be continue that tradition.
But with an expected starting price of $499 (which, to be fair, is the same as the list price for the Pixel 8a), I can’t help but wonder if this strategy makes sense for Google anymore. The company now offers 7 years of OS and security updates for its older phones, so why buy a Pixel 9a for $499 when you could have picked up a Pixel 8 for $449 on Black Friday and still get 6 major OS updates? Maybe Google should take a page out of Apple’s book moving forward and, instead of offering cheaper current-gen phones, just give older models a price cut after a year or two and keep selling them.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
Google Pixel 9a Specs leaked [Android Headlines]
Google’s upcoming Pixel 9a is said to be a $499 phone with a Tensor G4 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB (or 256GB) storage, a 6.3 inch display, 48MP primary camera and 13MP ultrawide and 5100 mAh battery.
@Onleaks & Android HeadlinesIntroducing RPCS3 for arm64 [RPCS3
PS3 emulator RPCS3 adds support for ARM64 architecture, now runs natively on Windows, Mac, and Linux devices including Macs with M1 or newer chips, Windows PCs, and even a Raspberry Pi 5 (at 272p resolution on models with 8GB of RAM).
Sharing files between your iPhone and Windows PC rolling out to Windows Insiders [Microsoft]
Microsoft is rolling out support for sharing files between an iPhone and PC. It’s coming first to Windows Insiders using the latest version of the Phone Link app, but could roll out more widely in the future.
MicrosoftThis is a new processor with some older, but not particularly bad, components including two ARM Cortex-A76 CPU cores and six Cortex-A55 cores. It also has a single E902 RISC-V real-time core, Imagination BXM-4-64 MC1 graphics, and optional support for a 3 TOPS NPU. It supports up to 16GB of RAM and will likely be used in mid-range Android tablets.
SiFive HiFive Premiere P550 RISC-V dev board can now run Ubuntu 24.04 LTS [Canonical]
The HiFive Premiere P550 features an ESWIN EIC77700X processor, up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory, a PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slot, a SATA 3 connector, and plenty of other odds and ends. It first started shipping in limited quantities in October.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#allwinnerA733 #arm64 #chips #emulation #fileSharing #google #googlePixel9a #iphone #leaks #lilbits #microsoft #pixel9a #ps3 #riscV #rpcs3 #sifive #sifiveHifivePremiereP550 #ubuntu
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Lilbits: More Pixel 9a details leaked, playing PS3 games on ARM PCs, and more
Google’s mid-range phones have earned a solid reputation as decent devices that offer many of the same features as the company’s flagships at lower price points. And the latest leaks suggest the Pixel 9a will be continue that tradition.
But with an expected starting price of $499 (which, to be fair, is the same as the list price for the Pixel 8a), I can’t help but wonder if this strategy makes sense for Google anymore. The company now offers 7 years of OS and security updates for its older phones, so why buy a Pixel 9a for $499 when you could have picked up a Pixel 8 for $449 on Black Friday and still get 6 major OS updates? Maybe Google should take a page out of Apple’s book moving forward and, instead of offering cheaper current-gen phones, just give older models a price cut after a year or two and keep selling them.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
Google Pixel 9a Specs leaked [Android Headlines]
Google’s upcoming Pixel 9a is said to be a $499 phone with a Tensor G4 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB (or 256GB) storage, a 6.3 inch display, 48MP primary camera and 13MP ultrawide and 5100 mAh battery.
@Onleaks & Android HeadlinesIntroducing RPCS3 for arm64 [RPCS3
PS3 emulator RPCS3 adds support for ARM64 architecture, now runs natively on Windows, Mac, and Linux devices including Macs with M1 or newer chips, Windows PCs, and even a Raspberry Pi 5 (at 272p resolution on models with 8GB of RAM).
Sharing files between your iPhone and Windows PC rolling out to Windows Insiders [Microsoft]
Microsoft is rolling out support for sharing files between an iPhone and PC. It’s coming first to Windows Insiders using the latest version of the Phone Link app, but could roll out more widely in the future.
MicrosoftThis is a new processor with some older, but not particularly bad, components including two ARM Cortex-A76 CPU cores and six Cortex-A55 cores. It also has a single E902 RISC-V real-time core, Imagination BXM-4-64 MC1 graphics, and optional support for a 3 TOPS NPU. It supports up to 16GB of RAM and will likely be used in mid-range Android tablets.
SiFive HiFive Premiere P550 RISC-V dev board can now run Ubuntu 24.04 LTS [Canonical]
The HiFive Premiere P550 features an ESWIN EIC77700X processor, up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory, a PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slot, a SATA 3 connector, and plenty of other odds and ends. It first started shipping in limited quantities in October.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#allwinnerA733 #arm64 #chips #emulation #fileSharing #google #googlePixel9a #iphone #leaks #lilbits #microsoft #pixel9a #ps3 #riscV #rpcs3 #sifive #sifiveHifivePremiereP550 #ubuntu
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Lilbits: GOG brings old games to new PCs, VMWare goes free(er), Apple smart screen leaked, and more
Game Platform GOG no longer goes by the name Good Old Games, since GOG now offers new titles as well. But GOG hasn’t exactly given up on its roots. Today the company announced the GOG Preservation Program, an initiative that helps ensure old games are compatible with current and future PCs.
In other tech news from around the web, VMWare Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro are now free for commercial use (they went free for personal use earlier this year), there’s a new build of Ubuntu Touch available, a Chinese company claims its ePaper display has a much higher refresh rate than E Ink color screens, Apple is said to be working on a six inch smart display designed to be wall mounted, an Xbox handheld may be in the works… and Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max is on sale for its lowest price to date.
The GOG Preservation Program Makes Games Live Forever [GOG]
Game platform GOG has announced a program where the company will “commit our own resources to maintaining” compatibility of classic games with “modern and future systems.” In other words, games with a GOG preserved program that were designed for older hardware and operating systems should not only run on a recent PC, but will also be updated to work with “future popular PC configurations.” Like all games available from GOG, preserved titles will be offered DRM-free, and there are offline installers so that you can install and run games even if GOG goes out of business. About 100 “preserved” games are available so far.
After announcing earlier this year that VMWare Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro virtualization apps were free for personal use, Broadcomm has now made those applications free for commercial use as well. Existing customers will continue to get enterprise support until their commercial contract expires, but moving forward it looks like the company will offer these apps are a free alternative to its premium, subscription-based cloud services that have seen recent price hikes.
Ubuntu Touch OTA-6 Focal Release [UBPorts]
Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-6 is now rolling out for supported phones and tablets with wireless display improvements, Fairphone 5 support, and more. But the anticipated VoLTE support has been postponed.
Guangzhou Aoyi launches ultra-fast color e-paper display [ITHome]
A Chinese company called Aoyi is showing off a color ePaper display that it says delivers higher refresh rates and better color gradient representation than E Ink. But a demo video shows that video still looks shaky, so it’s not quite an LCD/OLED replacement.
Apple’s Next Device Is an AI Wall Tablet for Home Control, Siri and Video Calls [Bloomberg]
Apple is apparently making another play for the smart home/smart speaker market with a new device that’s code-named J490. It’s expected to be a small display with an integrated camera, speakers, and battery. It supports touchscreen controls, but also voice interaction handled by Siri and Apple Intelligence.
An Xbox handheld is still at least a few years away [Bloomberg]
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spenser says the Xbox team is looking at developing a handheld, but it’s at least a few years away. Based on this article, I think it’s more reasonable to say Microsoft is in the exploratory phase than to say that the company is actively building an Xbox handheld though.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $33 [Amazon]
This is the lowest price to date for Amazon’s most powerful media streaming stick to date. While the entire Fire TV lineup is on sale right now, this is the only model in a stick form factor to support WiFi 6E.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#amazonFireTvStick4kMax #aoyi #apple #epaper #fireTvStick4kMax #gog #gogPreservationProgram #j490 #leaks #lilbits #microsoft #microsoftGaming #smartDisplay #smartScreen #ubuntuTouch #vmware #xbox #xboxHandheld
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Lilbits: Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4S now comes with up to 8GB RAM, modular laptop maker Framework to expand into new categories
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4S is a SODIMM-style version of the Compute Module 4. It has the same processor as the standard model, but the form factor restricts the I/O capabilities, so it’s not quite as versatile. And when it first launched in 2022, the Raspberry PI CM4S was only available with 1GB of RAM.
Now Raspberry Pi has announced that the CM4S can now be purchased with 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of LPDDR4-3200 memory onboard. But you’re probably not going to find them in stores anytime soon – they’re positioned as a commercial product and sold in boxes of 200 or more.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
New memory variants for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module family [Raspberry Pi]
Raspberry Pi notes that the goal was to make things easy for “industrial customers who are migrating from Compute Module 3 or Compute Module 3+” solutions by offering a version of the CM4 in the same form factor. But even with the new memory options, there are some downsides to the form factor: it lacks a PCIe interface, Ethernet connections top out at 350Mbit/s, and USB capabilities top out at USB 2.0, among other things.
ModelRaspberry Pi Compute Module 3+Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4SRaspberry Pi Compute Module 4ProcessorBroadcom BCM2837B0
4 x Cortex-A53 CPU cores @ 1.2 GHzBroadcom BCM2711
4 x Cortex-A72 CPU cores @ 1.5 GHzBroadcom BCM2711
4 x Cortex-A72 CPU cores @ 1.5 GHzRAM1GB LPDDR21GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR41GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4-3200StorageUp to 32GB eMMCUp to 32GB eMMC(Optional) 8GB, 16GB, 32GB eMMCUSBUSB 2.0USB 2.0USB 3.0WirelessN/AN/A(Optional) WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0EthernetUp to 350 Mbit/sUp to 350 Mbit/sGigabit Ethernet supportVideo I/O1 x HDMI 1.3a1 x HDMI 2.0a2 x HDMI interfaces (up to 4K)
2 x MIPI DSI display interfaces
2 x MIPI CSI-2 camera interfacesPCIeN/AN/APCI Express 2.0 interfaceConnector200-pin SODIMM200-pin SODIMM2 x 100-pin mezzanine connectorsRetail listings suggest that Google will soon begin offering the ability to buy a Pixel Tablet without the Speaker Charging Dock. New digital pen and Bluetooth keyboard accessories may also be on the way.
Here’s a first look at Bluetooth audio sharing in Android 15 [Android Authority]
First look at an upcoming Android 15 “share audio” feature that could allow phones to broadcast audio using Bluetooth LE’s Auracast feature, which lets you share audio with multiple nearby devices at once.
Mishaal Rahman / Android AuthorityFramework won’t be just a laptop company anymore [The Verge]
Modular laptop maker Framework plans to expand into “additional product categories,” but isn’t ready to say what they are yet. Desktops? Smartphones? Tablets? Watches? Something else entirely? I guess we’ll find out… eventually.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following @liliputing_liliputing.com on Mastodon (or @[email protected]). You can also follow Liliputing on X and Facebook. We’re also on Bluesky now, but just barely.
#android15 #auracast #bluetoothLe #framework #google #leaks #lilbits #pixelTablet #raspberryPi #raspberryPiCm4s #raspberryPiComputeModule #raspberryPiComputerModule4s #shareAudio
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Lilbits: Goodbye Windows Mixed Reality, Hello Raspberry Pi 500, 80 Gbps USB4 v2 cables, and Rockchip RK3688 processor
Last year Microsoft announced that it would be ending support for Windows Mixed Reality and, sure enough, when the company begin rolling out Windows 11 24H2 this week it no longer included support for the virtual reality headsets released by companies like Acer, HP, and Lenovo between 2017 and 2020. The platform was never enormously popular, but this has to sting a bit for folks who bought those headsets.
In other recent tech news from around the web, Rockchip is starting to talk about a flagship processor that should offer big boost in CPU, graphics, and AI performance over the popular RK3588, Raspberry Pi has kind of, sort of confirmed that it’s working on a follow-up to the Raspberry Pi 400 computer-in-a-keyboard, the first USB4 v2 cables with support for 80 Gbps speeds and 240W charging are coming, and Samsung is porting it’s Tizen smart TV software to work with RISC-V processors.
Upcoming Rockchip RK3688 Armv9.3 AIoT processor [CNX Software]
Rockchip teases the upcoming RK3688 processor with an Armv9.3 CPU (with Cortex-A7xx series cores and an NPU with up to 16 TOPS of AI performance. The chip also supports 128-bit LPDDR4, LPDDR4x, or LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage. The processor is expected to launch in 2025 or 2026.
The Raspberry Pi 500 Hints At Its Existence [HackADay]
The first mentions of the Raspberry Pi 500 in Raspberry Pi OS code suggests that a new computer-in-a-keyboard is in the way. It would be a follow-up to the Raspberry Pi 400, which launched in 2020 as a keyboard PC with the power of a Raspberry Pi 4. The new model would most likely have the same processor as the newer Raspberry Pi 5.
Raspberry Pi 400Google is killing its one-click app to run Chrome OS in a VM on Android devices [Android Authority]
Google kills ferrochrome, an app that would have made it easy to run ChromeOS in a virtual machine on Android devices with a one-click installer. It was probably more of a tech demo than a real product, and now it’ll never ship.
Windows Mixed Reality Headsets No Longer Function With Latest Windows 11 Update [UploadVR]
As promised/threatened, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows Mixed Reality. Windows 11 24H2 no longer supports any of the Windows MR headsets that were sold between 2017 and 2020.
Samsung Highlights Work to Bring RISC-V to Tizen [SiFive]
Samsung is porting the Tizen operating system that powers its smart TVs to work with RISC-V chips like the SiFive Performance P470
ELECOM releases Japan’s first certified USB4 Version 2.0 Type-C cable [PC Watch]
ELECOM is one of the first companies to announce it will soon release USB4 v2 cables capable of data transfer speeds as high as 80 Gbps. One cable will also support 240W USB Power Delivery, while a different (presumably cheaper) cable will top out at 60W charging speeds. Both support 8K/60Hz video output using DisplayPort Alt mode.
ElecomKeep up on the latest headlines by following @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#android #androidVirtualizationFramework #armv93 #chromeos #elecom #ferrochrome #lilbits #mixedReality #raspberryPi #raspberryPi500 #riscV #rk3688 #rockchip #samsung #sifive #tizen #usb #usb4v2 #virtualization #vr #vrHeadsets #windowsMixedReality
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Lilbits: GOG brings old games to new PCs, VMWare goes free(er), Apple smart screen leaked, and more
Game Platform GOG no longer goes by the name Good Old Games, since GOG now offers new titles as well. But GOG hasn’t exactly given up on its roots. Today the company announced the GOG Preservation Program, an initiative that helps ensure old games are compatible with current and future PCs.
In other tech news from around the web, VMWare Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro are now free for commercial use (they went free for personal use earlier this year), there’s a new build of Ubuntu Touch available, a Chinese company claims its ePaper display has a much higher refresh rate than E Ink color screens, Apple is said to be working on a six inch smart display designed to be wall mounted, an Xbox handheld may be in the works… and Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max is on sale for its lowest price to date.
The GOG Preservation Program Makes Games Live Forever [GOG]
Game platform GOG has announced a program where the company will “commit our own resources to maintaining” compatibility of classic games with “modern and future systems.” In other words, games with a GOG preserved program that were designed for older hardware and operating systems should not only run on a recent PC, but will also be updated to work with “future popular PC configurations.” Like all games available from GOG, preserved titles will be offered DRM-free, and there are offline installers so that you can install and run games even if GOG goes out of business. About 100 “preserved” games are available so far.
After announcing earlier this year that VMWare Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro virtualization apps were free for personal use, Broadcomm has now made those applications free for commercial use as well. Existing customers will continue to get enterprise support until their commercial contract expires, but moving forward it looks like the company will offer these apps are a free alternative to its premium, subscription-based cloud services that have seen recent price hikes.
Ubuntu Touch OTA-6 Focal Release [UBPorts]
Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-6 is now rolling out for supported phones and tablets with wireless display improvements, Fairphone 5 support, and more. But the anticipated VoLTE support has been postponed.
Guangzhou Aoyi launches ultra-fast color e-paper display [ITHome]
A Chinese company called Aoyi is showing off a color ePaper display that it says delivers higher refresh rates and better color gradient representation than E Ink. But a demo video shows that video still looks shaky, so it’s not quite an LCD/OLED replacement.
Apple’s Next Device Is an AI Wall Tablet for Home Control, Siri and Video Calls [Bloomberg]
Apple is apparently making another play for the smart home/smart speaker market with a new device that’s code-named J490. It’s expected to be a small display with an integrated camera, speakers, and battery. It supports touchscreen controls, but also voice interaction handled by Siri and Apple Intelligence.
An Xbox handheld is still at least a few years away [Bloomberg]
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spenser says the Xbox team is looking at developing a handheld, but it’s at least a few years away. Based on this article, I think it’s more reasonable to say Microsoft is in the exploratory phase than to say that the company is actively building an Xbox handheld though.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $33 [Amazon]
This is the lowest price to date for Amazon’s most powerful media streaming stick to date. While the entire Fire TV lineup is on sale right now, this is the only model in a stick form factor to support WiFi 6E.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#amazonFireTvStick4kMax #aoyi #apple #epaper #fireTvStick4kMax #gog #gogPreservationProgram #j490 #leaks #lilbits #microsoft #microsoftGaming #smartDisplay #smartScreen #ubuntuTouch #vmware #xbox #xboxHandheld
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Lilbits: Goodbye Windows Mixed Reality, Hello Raspberry Pi 500, 80 Gbps USB4 v2 cables, and Rockchip RK3688 processor
Last year Microsoft announced that it would be ending support for Windows Mixed Reality and, sure enough, when the company begin rolling out Windows 11 24H2 this week it no longer included support for the virtual reality headsets released by companies like Acer, HP, and Lenovo between 2017 and 2020. The platform was never enormously popular, but this has to sting a bit for folks who bought those headsets.
In other recent tech news from around the web, Rockchip is starting to talk about a flagship processor that should offer big boost in CPU, graphics, and AI performance over the popular RK3588, Raspberry Pi has kind of, sort of confirmed that it’s working on a follow-up to the Raspberry Pi 400 computer-in-a-keyboard, the first USB4 v2 cables with support for 80 Gbps speeds and 240W charging are coming, and Samsung is porting it’s Tizen smart TV software to work with RISC-V processors.
Upcoming Rockchip RK3688 Armv9.3 AIoT processor [CNX Software]
Rockchip teases the upcoming RK3688 processor with an Armv9.3 CPU (with Cortex-A7xx series cores and an NPU with up to 16 TOPS of AI performance. The chip also supports 128-bit LPDDR4, LPDDR4x, or LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage. The processor is expected to launch in 2025 or 2026.
The Raspberry Pi 500 Hints At Its Existence [HackADay]
The first mentions of the Raspberry Pi 500 in Raspberry Pi OS code suggests that a new computer-in-a-keyboard is in the way. It would be a follow-up to the Raspberry Pi 400, which launched in 2020 as a keyboard PC with the power of a Raspberry Pi 4. The new model would most likely have the same processor as the newer Raspberry Pi 5.
Raspberry Pi 400Google is killing its one-click app to run Chrome OS in a VM on Android devices [Android Authority]
Google kills ferrochrome, an app that would have made it easy to run ChromeOS in a virtual machine on Android devices with a one-click installer. It was probably more of a tech demo than a real product, and now it’ll never ship.
Windows Mixed Reality Headsets No Longer Function With Latest Windows 11 Update [UploadVR]
As promised/threatened, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows Mixed Reality. Windows 11 24H2 no longer supports any of the Windows MR headsets that were sold between 2017 and 2020.
Samsung Highlights Work to Bring RISC-V to Tizen [SiFive]
Samsung is porting the Tizen operating system that powers its smart TVs to work with RISC-V chips like the SiFive Performance P470
ELECOM releases Japan’s first certified USB4 Version 2.0 Type-C cable [PC Watch]
ELECOM is one of the first companies to announce it will soon release USB4 v2 cables capable of data transfer speeds as high as 80 Gbps. One cable will also support 240W USB Power Delivery, while a different (presumably cheaper) cable will top out at 60W charging speeds. Both support 8K/60Hz video output using DisplayPort Alt mode.
ElecomKeep up on the latest headlines by following @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#android #androidVirtualizationFramework #armv93 #chromeos #elecom #ferrochrome #lilbits #mixedReality #raspberryPi #raspberryPi500 #riscV #rk3688 #rockchip #samsung #sifive #tizen #usb #usb4v2 #virtualization #vr #vrHeadsets #windowsMixedReality
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Lilbits: New software can breathe new life into discontinued hardware
Google announced two years ago that it was killing its short-lived Stadia game streaming service. and while the company was refunding customers who’d purchased games and hardware, folks who’d purchased the Stadia Controller weren’t thrilled that Google’s original plans would have led to the device becoming useless once the servers shut down.
Fortunately Google later released a tool that would let users convert the Stadia Controller into a Bluetooth game controller that could be used with other devices. And while the tool was only supposed to be around for a year, Google later extended its lifespan… and now the company has quietly done it again. So if you’ve got a Stadia Controller lying around, or find one in a garage sale, you’ve got at least until the end of 2025 to turn it into a Bluetooth controller.
Stadia Controller (Google)Meanwhile Spotify is taking a very different approach with its short-lived Car Thing accessory that was designed as a wireless display and controller for streaming music in an automobile. After announcing earlier this year that it would discontinue all support for the Car Thing, the company has indeed begun to shut down its servers, and users are seeing messages letting them know that their devices will no longer work.
There is an active community of hardware hackers that have found ways to repurpose the CarThing for use as a DeskThing or for other purposes. But there’s no particularly easy way to get it to serve its original purpose… at least not yet.
Stadia Controller Bluetooth mode [@Wario64]
Google has quietly extended the deadline for turning the discontinued Stadia Controller into a Bluetooth game controller that can be used with a wider range of devices. The utility will now be available until at least Dec 31, 2025.
Car thing is officially dead [/r/CarThing]
Spotify is killing off support for the Car Thing today. It appears to be a phased rollout, but many users are now seeing a message saying their devices are no longer operational. Hackers have found new uses for the hardware… but not in cars, for the most part. via /r/CarThing (reddit) and Thing Lab (Discord)
/u/ballsandbiscuitsWhat’s next for Surface in 2025, including a possible 11-inch mini Surface Laptop? [Windows Central]
Report: Microsoft could launch new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models in 2025 with Intel Lunar Lake chips, as well as a new Surface Laptop Studio (might be Intel or AMD) and maybe a new 11 inch Surface device with Snapdragon X.
The Luckfox Pico WebBee RV1103 looks like a USB flash drive, but it’s a tiny computer with a RV1103 processor with a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and a RISC-V microcontroller, 64MB of DDR2 memory, a128MB of SLC NAND flash storage, and a microSD card reader and 10/100 Ethernet port. It sells for $14.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#carthing #google #leaks #lilbits #luckfox #luckfoxPicoWebbeeRv1103 #repurposingHardware #rumors #rv1103 #spotify #spotifycarthing #stadiaController #surfaceLaptop #surfaceLaptopMini #surfacePro
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Lilbits: Intel CEO’s sudden resignation, a cheaper Flipper Zero, and the Pixel Tablet 2 that could have been
Google’s cancelled Pixel 2 Tablet may never see the light of day, but it was far enough along in the development process that a new leak suggests it would have been… a pretty unsurprising update.
One thing that was surprising today was the speed with which Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced not only that he was stepping down… but that his resignation was effective immediately and that Intel had already selected two executives to serve as interim co-CEOs while searching for a permanent replacement. Given the year Intel has had, it’s not shocking that Gelsinger is leaving though. I just didn’t expect it to happen this quickly.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger ousted by board after disastrous performance [CNBC]
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has stepped down, effective immediately. During his four years at the helm he tried to build the company’s foundry business. But Intel has failed to fend off competition from companies including NVIDIA, which has come to dominate the AI space.
CapibaraZero: “cheap alternative to Flipper Zero” [CapibaraZero]
Build your own hacking multi-tool from a $55 LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 or similar hardwareThe Flipper Zero multi-tool is a versatile gadget for controlling (and hacking) wireless devices. But at $169 it’s not exactly an impulse buy. This project shows how to get much of the same functionality from devices with an ESP32 processor like the LILYGO T-Embed CC1101, which sells for around $55.
Here’s what the canceled Pixel Tablet 2 would have been [Android Authority]
Following reports that Google has cancelled plans to launch a Pixel Tablet 2, Android Authority reports that the tablet would have featured a Tensor G4 chip, a 5G modem and GPS, Thread support, a 120 Hz display, and a small camera spec bump.
Samsung DeX for Windows is being phased out with One UI 7 [Neowin]
Samsung’s DeX software that lets you use select phones and tablets like desktop computers isn’t going anywhere… but you’ll need to connect directly to a display, mouse, and/or keyboard. The Windows app that launched in 2019, which lets you plug select Samsung phones into a PC and open a desktop environment as if it were a Windows app will no longer be supported. Samsung says you can get some of the functionality using Microsoft’s Phone Link app though.
Ubuntu Touch OTA-7 Focal Release [UBPorts]
Ubuntu Touch OTA-7 Focal is an unscheduled security release for this mobile Linux distribution with fixes for privacy and security the PulseAudio server.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#caipbarazero #dex #dexOnWindows #esp32 #flipperZero #google #intel #lilbits #LILYGOTEmbedCC1101 #patGelsinger #pixelTablet #pixelTablet2 #samsung #ubuntuTouch
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Lilbits: Intel CEO’s sudden resignation, a cheaper Flipper Zero, and the Pixel Tablet 2 that could have been
Google’s cancelled Pixel 2 Tablet may never see the light of day, but it was far enough along in the development process that a new leak suggests it would have been… a pretty unsurprising update.
One thing that was surprising today was the speed with which Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced not only that he was stepping down… but that his resignation was effective immediately and that Intel had already selected two executives to serve as interim co-CEOs while searching for a permanent replacement. Given the year Intel has had, it’s not shocking that Gelsinger is leaving though. I just didn’t expect it to happen this quickly.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger ousted by board after disastrous performance [CNBC]
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has stepped down, effective immediately. During his four years at the helm he tried to build the company’s foundry business. But Intel has failed to fend off competition from companies including NVIDIA, which has come to dominate the AI space.
CapibaraZero: “cheap alternative to Flipper Zero” [CapibaraZero]
Build your own hacking multi-tool from a $55 LILYGO T-Embed CC1101 or similar hardwareThe Flipper Zero multi-tool is a versatile gadget for controlling (and hacking) wireless devices. But at $169 it’s not exactly an impulse buy. This project shows how to get much of the same functionality from devices with an ESP32 processor like the LILYGO T-Embed CC1101, which sells for around $55.
Here’s what the canceled Pixel Tablet 2 would have been [Android Authority]
Following reports that Google has cancelled plans to launch a Pixel Tablet 2, Android Authority reports that the tablet would have featured a Tensor G4 chip, a 5G modem and GPS, Thread support, a 120 Hz display, and a small camera spec bump.
Samsung DeX for Windows is being phased out with One UI 7 [Neowin]
Samsung’s DeX software that lets you use select phones and tablets like desktop computers isn’t going anywhere… but you’ll need to connect directly to a display, mouse, and/or keyboard. The Windows app that launched in 2019, which lets you plug select Samsung phones into a PC and open a desktop environment as if it were a Windows app will no longer be supported. Samsung says you can get some of the functionality using Microsoft’s Phone Link app though.
Ubuntu Touch OTA-7 Focal Release [UBPorts]
Ubuntu Touch OTA-7 Focal is an unscheduled security release for this mobile Linux distribution with fixes for privacy and security the PulseAudio server.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#caipbarazero #dex #dexOnWindows #esp32 #flipperZero #google #intel #lilbits #LILYGOTEmbedCC1101 #patGelsinger #pixelTablet #pixelTablet2 #samsung #ubuntuTouch
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Lilbits: Google without Chrome, Rabbit R1 gets (a little) more useful, and Pine64’s new camera
The US Department of Justice wants to break up Google. After launching to horrible reviews earlier this year, the Rabbit R1 is getting a little more useful through software updates. Pine64 stuck a 2MP camera on the end of a tiny computer with a RISC-V and ARM processor. And Google may be done with tablets… again.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
The US Department of Justice wants to force Google to spin off Chrome, make other changes [Techmeme]
If you’ve seen any tech news today, you’ve probably seen this one. But the long and short of it is that the US government alleges that Google has violated antitrust laws by leveraging its Chrome web browser, Android mobile operating system, and Google search engine to create a sort of inescapable Google experience.
Google ChromeOne proposed solution? Make Google sell off its web browser and maybe even its mobile operating system. But it’s unclear to me what that would actually mean for the general public that uses these apps and services – it would certainly be a setback for Google that could theoretically lead to increased competition.
But a big part of the reason Google offers Chrome and Android for free is that they’re bundled with Google search and other apps in a way that helps Google make a LOT of money from advertising. Would an independent Chrome browser be a financially viable product? I guess that depends on who buys it and what changes they implement. This is all hypothetical until a judge rules early next year though.
Teach mode, Rabbit’s tool for automating R1 tasks, is now available to all users [Engadget]
The Rabbit R1 is inching closer to living up to its potential. The long-promised “teach mode” is now available in beta, allowing users to train the R1 to interact with websites on their behalf. Theoretically this opens the door to doing things like ordering groceries for you, but right now the simplest functions are things that it’d probably be easier to do manually.
Android will soon instantly log you in to your apps on new devices [Ars Technica]
Restore CredentialsWhen you set up a new Android phone, odds are that you’ll have the chance to import your apps and data from your old phone. One thing that you normally still need to do though, is login to most of your apps. But Google has introduced a new Restore Credentials feature that could save you the trouble… assuming third-party developers update their apps to use the feature.
November Update: Something Borrowed Something New [Pine64]
PinecamThe company behind the PinePhone, PineBook, PineTab, and PineNote line of hacker-friendly products is returning to putting out monthly progress/status updates. The latest brings news of a new PineCam featuring a SG2000 RISC-V + ARM processor and a 2MP camera. The RISC-V powered PineTab V has also received a small hardware update: it now has an accelerometer and status LED as well as some bug fixes.
Google Cancels Pixel Tablet Development [Android Authority]
I’d take this with a grain of salt, because Google has been making tablets in one form or another on and off for more than a decade. Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google was still planning to release a Pixel Tablet 2 in 2025, but that the tablet after that had been canceled. Now Android Authority reports that BOTH tablets are canceled. Not only will there not be a Pixel Tablet 3, but there won’t be a Pixel Tablet 2.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#android #antitrust #chrome #doj #google #lilbits #pine64 #pinecam #pinetab #pixelTablet #pixelTablet2 #pixelTablet3 #rabbit #rabbitR1 #restoreCredentials #tablet #teachMode
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Lilbits: Google without Chrome, Rabbit R1 gets (a little) more useful, and Pine64’s new camera
The US Department of Justice wants to break up Google. After launching to horrible reviews earlier this year, the Rabbit R1 is getting a little more useful through software updates. Pine64 stuck a 2MP camera on the end of a tiny computer with a RISC-V and ARM processor. And Google may be done with tablets… again.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
The US Department of Justice wants to force Google to spin off Chrome, make other changes [Techmeme]
If you’ve seen any tech news today, you’ve probably seen this one. But the long and short of it is that the US government alleges that Google has violated antitrust laws by leveraging its Chrome web browser, Android mobile operating system, and Google search engine to create a sort of inescapable Google experience.
Google ChromeOne proposed solution? Make Google sell off its web browser and maybe even its mobile operating system. But it’s unclear to me what that would actually mean for the general public that uses these apps and services – it would certainly be a setback for Google that could theoretically lead to increased competition.
But a big part of the reason Google offers Chrome and Android for free is that they’re bundled with Google search and other apps in a way that helps Google make a LOT of money from advertising. Would an independent Chrome browser be a financially viable product? I guess that depends on who buys it and what changes they implement. This is all hypothetical until a judge rules early next year though.
Teach mode, Rabbit’s tool for automating R1 tasks, is now available to all users [Engadget]
The Rabbit R1 is inching closer to living up to its potential. The long-promised “teach mode” is now available in beta, allowing users to train the R1 to interact with websites on their behalf. Theoretically this opens the door to doing things like ordering groceries for you, but right now the simplest functions are things that it’d probably be easier to do manually.
Android will soon instantly log you in to your apps on new devices [Ars Technica]
Restore CredentialsWhen you set up a new Android phone, odds are that you’ll have the chance to import your apps and data from your old phone. One thing that you normally still need to do though, is login to most of your apps. But Google has introduced a new Restore Credentials feature that could save you the trouble… assuming third-party developers update their apps to use the feature.
November Update: Something Borrowed Something New [Pine64]
PinecamThe company behind the PinePhone, PineBook, PineTab, and PineNote line of hacker-friendly products is returning to putting out monthly progress/status updates. The latest brings news of a new PineCam featuring a SG2000 RISC-V + ARM processor and a 2MP camera. The RISC-V powered PineTab V has also received a small hardware update: it now has an accelerometer and status LED as well as some bug fixes.
Google Cancels Pixel Tablet Development [Android Authority]
I’d take this with a grain of salt, because Google has been making tablets in one form or another on and off for more than a decade. Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google was still planning to release a Pixel Tablet 2 in 2025, but that the tablet after that had been canceled. Now Android Authority reports that BOTH tablets are canceled. Not only will there not be a Pixel Tablet 3, but there won’t be a Pixel Tablet 2.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#android #antitrust #chrome #doj #google #lilbits #pine64 #pinecam #pinetab #pixelTablet #pixelTablet2 #pixelTablet3 #rabbit #rabbitR1 #restoreCredentials #tablet #teachMode
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Lilbits: New software can breathe new life into discontinued hardware
Google announced two years ago that it was killing its short-lived Stadia game streaming service. and while the company was refunding customers who’d purchased games and hardware, folks who’d purchased the Stadia Controller weren’t thrilled that Google’s original plans would have led to the device becoming useless once the servers shut down.
Fortunately Google later released a tool that would let users convert the Stadia Controller into a Bluetooth game controller that could be used with other devices. And while the tool was only supposed to be around for a year, Google later extended its lifespan… and now the company has quietly done it again. So if you’ve got a Stadia Controller lying around, or find one in a garage sale, you’ve got at least until the end of 2025 to turn it into a Bluetooth controller.
Stadia Controller (Google)Meanwhile Spotify is taking a very different approach with its short-lived Car Thing accessory that was designed as a wireless display and controller for streaming music in an automobile. After announcing earlier this year that it would discontinue all support for the Car Thing, the company has indeed begun to shut down its servers, and users are seeing messages letting them know that their devices will no longer work.
There is an active community of hardware hackers that have found ways to repurpose the CarThing for use as a DeskThing or for other purposes. But there’s no particularly easy way to get it to serve its original purpose… at least not yet.
Stadia Controller Bluetooth mode [@Wario64]
Google has quietly extended the deadline for turning the discontinued Stadia Controller into a Bluetooth game controller that can be used with a wider range of devices. The utility will now be available until at least Dec 31, 2025.
Car thing is officially dead [/r/CarThing]
Spotify is killing off support for the Car Thing today. It appears to be a phased rollout, but many users are now seeing a message saying their devices are no longer operational. Hackers have found new uses for the hardware… but not in cars, for the most part. via /r/CarThing (reddit) and Thing Lab (Discord)
/u/ballsandbiscuitsWhat’s next for Surface in 2025, including a possible 11-inch mini Surface Laptop? [Windows Central]
Report: Microsoft could launch new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models in 2025 with Intel Lunar Lake chips, as well as a new Surface Laptop Studio (might be Intel or AMD) and maybe a new 11 inch Surface device with Snapdragon X.
The Luckfox Pico WebBee RV1103 looks like a USB flash drive, but it’s a tiny computer with a RV1103 processor with a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and a RISC-V microcontroller, 64MB of DDR2 memory, a128MB of SLC NAND flash storage, and a microSD card reader and 10/100 Ethernet port. It sells for $14.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#carthing #google #leaks #lilbits #luckfox #luckfoxPicoWebbeeRv1103 #repurposingHardware #rumors #rv1103 #spotify #spotifycarthing #stadiaController #surfaceLaptop #surfaceLaptopMini #surfacePro
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Lilbits: Handhelds, single-board PCs, and Casio makes a wristwatch… for your finger
Casio has been making digital wristwatches for half a century. But one of the company’s newest models is way too small to wear on your wrist – it’s basically a ring that looks (and functions) like a digital watch, complete with a display, stopwatch, and alarm functionality.
The Casio CRW-001-1JG will be available in Japan next month for about $130. Perhaps one of the most surprising things? It’s a waterproof design with a user-replaceable battery that should only need to be swapped out once every two years or so. There’s no word on whether you’ll be able to buy one outside of Japan anytime soon.
Casio’s first smart ring has innovative features like a stopwatch and flashing alarm [The Verge]
Casio’s CRW-001-1JR is a ring designed to look like a classic Casio wristwatch, with an illuminated LCD display that shows time and includes alarm and stopwatch functions.
Anbernic Win701 handheld gaming PC on the way [Baidu]
The Anbernic Win701 is a handheld gaming PC that was originally expected to ship in 2023 with a Ryzen 7 7840U processor. Now it looks like it could be coming soon with Ryzen 7 8840U instead.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming PC will be one of the first with an Intel Lunar Lake processor. According to the description on a CES 2025 award page, it will also have one of the biggest batteries available, at 82 Wh.
Another day, another credit card-sized (or Raspberry Pi-sized) single-board computer. This one features an octa-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, an NPU with up to2 TOPS of AI performance, up to 4GB of RAM, and support for up to three storage devices thans to an eMMC socket, microSD card reader, and M.2 2280 connector.
Sony’s new PlayStation Portal update lets you stream PS5 games from the cloud [The Verge]
The PlayStation Portal was originally a gaming handheld that could only do one thing: stream games over WiFi from a PS5 console connected to your network. But now Sony is rolling out an update that lets PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers beta test cloud streaming. That means you’ll be able to stream games over the internet even if your PS5 is turned off or you don’t have a PS5.
It seems like enough features are missing for now that the services is unlikely to appeal to folks who don’t already have a PlayStation console, but it’s conceivable that the future of console wars could be less reliant on physical consoles… after all, Microsoft has been trying to convince us that just about anything can be an Xbox if it can stream Xbox games.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#allwinner7527 #anbernic #anbernicWin701 #Casio #CasioCRW0011JR #gameConsole #gameStreaming #handheldGamingPc #japan #lilbits #msi #msiClaw8AiPlus #orangePi #orangePi4a #playstationPortal #sbc #sony #watch #wearable #win701
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Lilbits: Handhelds, single-board PCs, and Casio makes a wristwatch… for your finger
Casio has been making digital wristwatches for half a century. But one of the company’s newest models is way too small to wear on your wrist – it’s basically a ring that looks (and functions) like a digital watch, complete with a display, stopwatch, and alarm functionality.
The Casio CRW-001-1JG will be available in Japan next month for about $130. Perhaps one of the most surprising things? It’s a waterproof design with a user-replaceable battery that should only need to be swapped out once every two years or so. There’s no word on whether you’ll be able to buy one outside of Japan anytime soon.
Casio’s first smart ring has innovative features like a stopwatch and flashing alarm [The Verge]
Casio’s CRW-001-1JR is a ring designed to look like a classic Casio wristwatch, with an illuminated LCD display that shows time and includes alarm and stopwatch functions.
Anbernic Win701 handheld gaming PC on the way [Baidu]
The Anbernic Win701 is a handheld gaming PC that was originally expected to ship in 2023 with a Ryzen 7 7840U processor. Now it looks like it could be coming soon with Ryzen 7 8840U instead.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming PC will be one of the first with an Intel Lunar Lake processor. According to the description on a CES 2025 award page, it will also have one of the biggest batteries available, at 82 Wh.
Another day, another credit card-sized (or Raspberry Pi-sized) single-board computer. This one features an octa-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, an NPU with up to2 TOPS of AI performance, up to 4GB of RAM, and support for up to three storage devices thans to an eMMC socket, microSD card reader, and M.2 2280 connector.
Sony’s new PlayStation Portal update lets you stream PS5 games from the cloud [The Verge]
The PlayStation Portal was originally a gaming handheld that could only do one thing: stream games over WiFi from a PS5 console connected to your network. But now Sony is rolling out an update that lets PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers beta test cloud streaming. That means you’ll be able to stream games over the internet even if your PS5 is turned off or you don’t have a PS5.
It seems like enough features are missing for now that the services is unlikely to appeal to folks who don’t already have a PlayStation console, but it’s conceivable that the future of console wars could be less reliant on physical consoles… after all, Microsoft has been trying to convince us that just about anything can be an Xbox if it can stream Xbox games.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#allwinner7527 #anbernic #anbernicWin701 #Casio #CasioCRW0011JR #gameConsole #gameStreaming #handheldGamingPc #japan #lilbits #msi #msiClaw8AiPlus #orangePi #orangePi4a #playstationPortal #sbc #sony #watch #wearable #win701
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Lilbits: Handhelds, single-board PCs, and Casio makes a wristwatch… for your finger
Casio has been making digital wristwatches for half a century. But one of the company’s newest models is way too small to wear on your wrist – it’s basically a ring that looks (and functions) like a digital watch, complete with a display, stopwatch, and alarm functionality.
The Casio CRW-001-1JG will be available in Japan next month for about $130. Perhaps one of the most surprising things? It’s a waterproof design with a user-replaceable battery that should only need to be swapped out once every two years or so. There’s no word on whether you’ll be able to buy one outside of Japan anytime soon.
Casio’s first smart ring has innovative features like a stopwatch and flashing alarm [The Verge]
Casio’s CRW-001-1JR is a ring designed to look like a classic Casio wristwatch, with an illuminated LCD display that shows time and includes alarm and stopwatch functions.
Anbernic Win701 handheld gaming PC on the way [Baidu]
The Anbernic Win701 is a handheld gaming PC that was originally expected to ship in 2023 with a Ryzen 7 7840U processor. Now it looks like it could be coming soon with Ryzen 7 8840U instead.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming PC will be one of the first with an Intel Lunar Lake processor. According to the description on a CES 2025 award page, it will also have one of the biggest batteries available, at 82 Wh.
Another day, another credit card-sized (or Raspberry Pi-sized) single-board computer. This one features an octa-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, an NPU with up to2 TOPS of AI performance, up to 4GB of RAM, and support for up to three storage devices thans to an eMMC socket, microSD card reader, and M.2 2280 connector.
Sony’s new PlayStation Portal update lets you stream PS5 games from the cloud [The Verge]
The PlayStation Portal was originally a gaming handheld that could only do one thing: stream games over WiFi from a PS5 console connected to your network. But now Sony is rolling out an update that lets PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers beta test cloud streaming. That means you’ll be able to stream games over the internet even if your PS5 is turned off or you don’t have a PS5.
It seems like enough features are missing for now that the services is unlikely to appeal to folks who don’t already have a PlayStation console, but it’s conceivable that the future of console wars could be less reliant on physical consoles… after all, Microsoft has been trying to convince us that just about anything can be an Xbox if it can stream Xbox games.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#allwinner7527 #anbernic #anbernicWin701 #Casio #CasioCRW0011JR #gameConsole #gameStreaming #handheldGamingPc #japan #lilbits #msi #msiClaw8AiPlus #orangePi #orangePi4a #playstationPortal #sbc #sony #watch #wearable #win701
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Lilbits: Handhelds, single-board PCs, and Casio makes a wristwatch… for your finger
Casio has been making digital wristwatches for half a century. But one of the company’s newest models is way too small to wear on your wrist – it’s basically a ring that looks (and functions) like a digital watch, complete with a display, stopwatch, and alarm functionality.
The Casio CRW-001-1JG will be available in Japan next month for about $130. Perhaps one of the most surprising things? It’s a waterproof design with a user-replaceable battery that should only need to be swapped out once every two years or so. There’s no word on whether you’ll be able to buy one outside of Japan anytime soon.
Casio’s first smart ring has innovative features like a stopwatch and flashing alarm [The Verge]
Casio’s CRW-001-1JR is a ring designed to look like a classic Casio wristwatch, with an illuminated LCD display that shows time and includes alarm and stopwatch functions.
Anbernic Win701 handheld gaming PC on the way [Baidu]
The Anbernic Win701 is a handheld gaming PC that was originally expected to ship in 2023 with a Ryzen 7 7840U processor. Now it looks like it could be coming soon with Ryzen 7 8840U instead.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming PC will be one of the first with an Intel Lunar Lake processor. According to the description on a CES 2025 award page, it will also have one of the biggest batteries available, at 82 Wh.
Another day, another credit card-sized (or Raspberry Pi-sized) single-board computer. This one features an octa-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, an NPU with up to2 TOPS of AI performance, up to 4GB of RAM, and support for up to three storage devices thans to an eMMC socket, microSD card reader, and M.2 2280 connector.
Sony’s new PlayStation Portal update lets you stream PS5 games from the cloud [The Verge]
The PlayStation Portal was originally a gaming handheld that could only do one thing: stream games over WiFi from a PS5 console connected to your network. But now Sony is rolling out an update that lets PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers beta test cloud streaming. That means you’ll be able to stream games over the internet even if your PS5 is turned off or you don’t have a PS5.
It seems like enough features are missing for now that the services is unlikely to appeal to folks who don’t already have a PlayStation console, but it’s conceivable that the future of console wars could be less reliant on physical consoles… after all, Microsoft has been trying to convince us that just about anything can be an Xbox if it can stream Xbox games.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#allwinner7527 #anbernic #anbernicWin701 #Casio #CasioCRW0011JR #gameConsole #gameStreaming #handheldGamingPc #japan #lilbits #msi #msiClaw8AiPlus #orangePi #orangePi4a #playstationPortal #sbc #sony #watch #wearable #win701
-
Lilbits: Handhelds, single-board PCs, and Casio makes a wristwatch… for your finger
Casio has been making digital wristwatches for half a century. But one of the company’s newest models is way too small to wear on your wrist – it’s basically a ring that looks (and functions) like a digital watch, complete with a display, stopwatch, and alarm functionality.
The Casio CRW-001-1JG will be available in Japan next month for about $130. Perhaps one of the most surprising things? It’s a waterproof design with a user-replaceable battery that should only need to be swapped out once every two years or so. There’s no word on whether you’ll be able to buy one outside of Japan anytime soon.
Casio’s first smart ring has innovative features like a stopwatch and flashing alarm [The Verge]
Casio’s CRW-001-1JR is a ring designed to look like a classic Casio wristwatch, with an illuminated LCD display that shows time and includes alarm and stopwatch functions.
Anbernic Win701 handheld gaming PC on the way [Baidu]
The Anbernic Win701 is a handheld gaming PC that was originally expected to ship in 2023 with a Ryzen 7 7840U processor. Now it looks like it could be coming soon with Ryzen 7 8840U instead.
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming PC will be one of the first with an Intel Lunar Lake processor. According to the description on a CES 2025 award page, it will also have one of the biggest batteries available, at 82 Wh.
Another day, another credit card-sized (or Raspberry Pi-sized) single-board computer. This one features an octa-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, an NPU with up to2 TOPS of AI performance, up to 4GB of RAM, and support for up to three storage devices thans to an eMMC socket, microSD card reader, and M.2 2280 connector.
Sony’s new PlayStation Portal update lets you stream PS5 games from the cloud [The Verge]
The PlayStation Portal was originally a gaming handheld that could only do one thing: stream games over WiFi from a PS5 console connected to your network. But now Sony is rolling out an update that lets PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers beta test cloud streaming. That means you’ll be able to stream games over the internet even if your PS5 is turned off or you don’t have a PS5.
It seems like enough features are missing for now that the services is unlikely to appeal to folks who don’t already have a PlayStation console, but it’s conceivable that the future of console wars could be less reliant on physical consoles… after all, Microsoft has been trying to convince us that just about anything can be an Xbox if it can stream Xbox games.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#allwinner7527 #anbernic #anbernicWin701 #Casio #CasioCRW0011JR #gameConsole #gameStreaming #handheldGamingPc #japan #lilbits #msi #msiClaw8AiPlus #orangePi #orangePi4a #playstationPortal #sbc #sony #watch #wearable #win701
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Lilbits: Install Google Play on Amazon Fire tablets, postmarketOS update, and a new color ePaper display kit
This week a lot of folks have been unwrapping Amazon Fire tablets, setting them up… and figuring out that some of the apps and games you want to run on them aren’t available out of the box.
Fortunately there are a bunch of ways to make an Amazon tablet more useful. You can sideload applications that aren’t available in the Amazon Appstore. Or you can even install the Google Play Store and add a custom launcher application to make an Amazon tablet feel more like a standard Android tablet… even though it’s running Amazon’s fork of Android called FireOS.
In today’s tech news roundup, I’ve got links to some of the articles we’ve published over the past few years that describe how to hack an Amazon Fire tablet. And in more recent tech news, the latest release of the postmarketOS mobile Linux distribution brings camera support to some phones that originally shipped with Android, AOOSTAR has a new mini PC with discrete graphics, JSAUX has a new dock for handheld gaming PCs that includes built-in cooling fans, and there’s a new Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W-powered color E Ink display kit.
Amazon Fire Tablet hacking roundup
Amazon’s Fire line of tablets are some of the cheapest Android-based tablets that are worth buying. The Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10, and Fire Max 11 have decent displays, affordable price tags, reasonably good battery life, and performance that’s more than good enough for reading eBooks, streaming videos, surfing the web, or even light gaming.
But while the tablets run an operating system that’s based on Android, Amazon’s FireOS is different in a few important ways. It has a custom user interface designed by Amazon that puts the company’s apps and services front and center. And it ships with the Amazon Appstore instead of the Google Play Store. Not only are fewer apps and games available in Amazon’s store, but if you already paid for an app or service on your Android phone, you’d have to pay again to get it from Amazon… unless you install the Google Play Store yourself. Because an open secret about Amazon’s tablets is that it’s possible to install Google’s app store on them. Keep in mind that there might be some compatibility issues – not all apps distributed in the Play Store will work perfectly on Amazon tablets. But many will.
Here’s a roundup of some of Liliputing’s guides to making Amazon Fire tablets more useful:
- Hack your Amazon Fire tablet with Fire Toolbox (Install Google Play, disable Amazon apps, and more) – This all-in-one tool has a lot of nifty functions. But it may be overkill if you just want to install the Play Store. So check out some of our device-specific guides below:
- How to install Google Play on Amazon Fire tablets (2023) – Originally written for the Fire HD 10 (9th-gen), this article provides step-by-step instructions for installing the Play Store manually or with Fire Toolbox on most recent Amazon Fire tablets.
- How to install the Google Play Store on the Amazon Fire Max 11 (2023) – This guide was written shortly after the Fire Max 11 was released, and provides instructions specifically for installing the Play Store on Amazon’s most powerful current-gen tablet.
- How to install Google Play on 12th-gen Amazon Fire tablets (2022 models running Fire OS 8) – While this guide for installing the Play Store on Fire 7 tablets was first published in 2022, it was updated with information relevant for all tablets running FireOS 8.
- How to sideload apps on Amazon Fire tablets (install apps that aren’t in the Amazon Appstore) – Don’t want to install the Play Store, but have an app or game or two that you want to install? This guide may help.
- Amazon Fire tablets: How to disable the Continue & Discover row on the home screen – Don’t want to replace the home screen & launcher app, but want to reclaim some real estate on the default home screen? This guide can help.
- How to use an SD card with Amazon’s Fire tablets – This guide describes how to use a microSD card as either removable storage, or as if it were internal storage (allowing you to install apps to the SD card, among other things).
Inky Frame 7.3″ is a 7-color ePaper display powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W [ CNX Software]
Available now for about $94, this kit features a 7.3 inch, 7-color E Ink display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, microSD card reader, and battery connector.
v24.12: The One With Androids & Cameras, But It’s Mainline Linux [postmarketOS]
PostmarketOS 24.12 is a mobile OS with a mainline Linux kernel. It brings initial support for using cameras on some phones (Pixel 3A, Fairphone 5, and Pocophone F1), UI updates, an updated wallpaper, and other improvements.
7-in-1 RGB Cooling Docking Station for handhelds [JSAUX]
This $60 docking station is designed for handheld gaming PCs. Sit your handheld in the cradle and use a USB-C connector to add Ethernet, HDMI, and more USB ports… as well as two cooling fans that help keep the PC from overheating while docked.
AOOSTAR GODX is a mini ITX mini PC with Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon RX 6600LE [AOOSTAR]
While the hardware is a few generations old at this point, it’s still a lot of power for a compact PC, including discrete graphics and support for up to three 4K/120 Hz displays. Available now for $529 and up, the system also supports up to 64GB of DDR5-4800 dual-channel memory, and two M.2 2280 slots for PCIe 4.0 storage. It has two 2.5 GbE LAN ports as well as USB4, USB 3.2 Type-A, DisplayPort, and HDMI ports, and it measures 200 x 193 x 80mm. Update: The AOOSTAR GODX is available from AliExpress for $503 and up.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#amazon #amazonFire #aoostar #aoostarGodx #dock #eInk #epaper #fireMax11 #fireTablet #fireToolbox #inkyFrame #jsaux #lilbits #miniPc #postmarketos #raspberryPiPico2W
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Lilbits: Install Google Play on Amazon Fire tablets, postmarketOS update, and a new color ePaper display kit
This week a lot of folks have been unwrapping Amazon Fire tablets, setting them up… and figuring out that some of the apps and games you want to run on them aren’t available out of the box.
Fortunately there are a bunch of ways to make an Amazon tablet more useful. You can sideload applications that aren’t available in the Amazon Appstore. Or you can even install the Google Play Store and add a custom launcher application to make an Amazon tablet feel more like a standard Android tablet… even though it’s running Amazon’s fork of Android called FireOS.
In today’s tech news roundup, I’ve got links to some of the articles we’ve published over the past few years that describe how to hack an Amazon Fire tablet. And in more recent tech news, the latest release of the postmarketOS mobile Linux distribution brings camera support to some phones that originally shipped with Android, AOOSTAR has a new mini PC with discrete graphics, JSAUX has a new dock for handheld gaming PCs that includes built-in cooling fans, and there’s a new Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W-powered color E Ink display kit.
Amazon Fire Tablet hacking roundup
Amazon’s Fire line of tablets are some of the cheapest Android-based tablets that are worth buying. The Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10, and Fire Max 11 have decent displays, affordable price tags, reasonably good battery life, and performance that’s more than good enough for reading eBooks, streaming videos, surfing the web, or even light gaming.
But while the tablets run an operating system that’s based on Android, Amazon’s FireOS is different in a few important ways. It has a custom user interface designed by Amazon that puts the company’s apps and services front and center. And it ships with the Amazon Appstore instead of the Google Play Store. Not only are fewer apps and games available in Amazon’s store, but if you already paid for an app or service on your Android phone, you’d have to pay again to get it from Amazon… unless you install the Google Play Store yourself. Because an open secret about Amazon’s tablets is that it’s possible to install Google’s app store on them. Keep in mind that there might be some compatibility issues – not all apps distributed in the Play Store will work perfectly on Amazon tablets. But many will.
Here’s a roundup of some of Liliputing’s guides to making Amazon Fire tablets more useful:
- Hack your Amazon Fire tablet with Fire Toolbox (Install Google Play, disable Amazon apps, and more) – This all-in-one tool has a lot of nifty functions. But it may be overkill if you just want to install the Play Store. So check out some of our device-specific guides below:
- How to install Google Play on Amazon Fire tablets (2023) – Originally written for the Fire HD 10 (9th-gen), this article provides step-by-step instructions for installing the Play Store manually or with Fire Toolbox on most recent Amazon Fire tablets.
- How to install the Google Play Store on the Amazon Fire Max 11 (2023) – This guide was written shortly after the Fire Max 11 was released, and provides instructions specifically for installing the Play Store on Amazon’s most powerful current-gen tablet.
- How to install Google Play on 12th-gen Amazon Fire tablets (2022 models running Fire OS 8) – While this guide for installing the Play Store on Fire 7 tablets was first published in 2022, it was updated with information relevant for all tablets running FireOS 8.
- How to sideload apps on Amazon Fire tablets (install apps that aren’t in the Amazon Appstore) – Don’t want to install the Play Store, but have an app or game or two that you want to install? This guide may help.
- Amazon Fire tablets: How to disable the Continue & Discover row on the home screen – Don’t want to replace the home screen & launcher app, but want to reclaim some real estate on the default home screen? This guide can help.
- How to use an SD card with Amazon’s Fire tablets – This guide describes how to use a microSD card as either removable storage, or as if it were internal storage (allowing you to install apps to the SD card, among other things).
Inky Frame 7.3″ is a 7-color ePaper display powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W [ CNX Software]
Available now for about $94, this kit features a 7.3 inch, 7-color E Ink display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, microSD card reader, and battery connector.
v24.12: The One With Androids & Cameras, But It’s Mainline Linux [postmarketOS]
PostmarketOS 24.12 is a mobile OS with a mainline Linux kernel. It brings initial support for using cameras on some phones (Pixel 3A, Fairphone 5, and Pocophone F1), UI updates, an updated wallpaper, and other improvements.
7-in-1 RGB Cooling Docking Station for handhelds [JSAUX]
This $60 docking station is designed for handheld gaming PCs. Sit your handheld in the cradle and use a USB-C connector to add Ethernet, HDMI, and more USB ports… as well as two cooling fans that help keep the PC from overheating while docked.
AOOSTAR GODX is a mini ITX mini PC with Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon RX 6600LE [AOOSTAR]
While the hardware is a few generations old at this point, it’s still a lot of power for a compact PC, including discrete graphics and support for up to three 4K/120 Hz displays. Available now for $529 and up, the system also supports up to 64GB of DDR5-4800 dual-channel memory, and two M.2 2280 slots for PCIe 4.0 storage. It has two 2.5 GbE LAN ports as well as USB4, USB 3.2 Type-A, DisplayPort, and HDMI ports, and it measures 200 x 193 x 80mm. Update: The AOOSTAR GODX is available from AliExpress for $503 and up.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#amazon #amazonFire #aoostar #aoostarGodx #dock #eInk #epaper #fireMax11 #fireTablet #fireToolbox #inkyFrame #jsaux #lilbits #miniPc #postmarketos #raspberryPiPico2W
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Lilbits: More Intel N150 benchmarks, LineageOS 22 released, Radxa launches Orion O6 mini ITX board, and two free PC games available now
Radxa has launched a new mini ITX motherboard with a high-performance ARMv9 processor featuring a 30 TOPS NPU and support for discrete graphics, the LineageOS team has released the first version of their custom Android distribution that’s based on Android 15, and more Intel N150 benchmarks have arrived, showing that it’s a little faster than the Intel N100… at least under the right circumstances.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
Radxa Orion O6 AI Board with Up to 64GB RAM, Dual 5GbE Ports and PCIe Gen4 Expansion [LinuxGizmos]
The Radxa Orion O6 is a mini ITX motherboard features a Cix CD8180 processor with eight ARM Cortex-A720 cores, four Cortex-A520 cores, Immortalis-G720 graphics, a 30 TOPS NPU, up to 64GB of LPDDR5 memory, dual 5 Gb Ethernet ports, support for PCIe 4.0 xx4 storage, a PCIe x16 slot for graphics cards, AI accelerators, or other hardware, and many other features. It sells for around $212 and up.
LineageOS 22: Flourishing Fifteen, Simply Streamlined, Vibrant Vibes [LineageOS]
The new LineageOS default music player is called Twelve. Somewhat confusingly, it debuts with LineageOS 22.1 which is based on… Android 15.LineageOS 22.1 is now available. The Android 15-based operating system is now available for dozens of devices including Pixel 9 series phones. It also introduces two new apps: a new music player and a PDF viewer.
Intel N150 Review & Benchmark comparisons [AndroidPC.es]
The Intel N150 “Twin Lake” processor is basically an Intel N100 support for higher CPU and graphics frequencies. Theoretically that should be enough to bring a modest performance boost, but real-world performance will most likely vary from PC to PC depending on a number of factors. So when Robtech reviewed the Beelink EQ14 mini PC recently and found virtually no improvement in multi-core benchmarks, I suggested it might be too soon to draw conclusions about ALL devices with N150 chips.
Now AndroidPC.es has run tests on a NiPoGi E1 mini PC with the same processor and found that it does show small improvements in single-core, multi-core, and graphics performance. But the improvements are small enough that it’s probably not worth upgrading if you already have an Intel N100 computer. But since systems with N150 chips are priced comparably to those with Intel N100, it might be worth keeping an eye out for the newer chip if you’re in the market for a new mini PC.
This little device looks like a USB flash drive, but it has a USB connector on one end, an Ethernet port on the other, and a chip that combines a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 CPU, a RISC-V processor core, a 0.5 TOPS NPU, and 64MB of on-chip memory. It’s available now for about $22.
Sifu: Free today only [Epic Games Store]
The Epic Games Store has been giving away a different free game every day for almost two weeks. The final title is now available through 11:00AM Eastern on New Year’s Day.
Vambrace: Cold Soul for free [GOG]
GOG also has a freebie, although this one runs through 9:00AM Eastern on January 3rd.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE for $330 [Amazon]
Samsung’s 10.9 inch tablet has a 2304 x 1440 pixel display, an Exynos 1380 processor, 6GB of memory, and comes with a Samsung S-Pen. A model with 128GB of storage normally sells for $450 and up, but Amazon is selling it for $330 today. The 256GB model is also on sale for $400.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#android #bargains #intelN150 #lilbits #lineageos #luckfox #luckfoxPicoWebbee #miniIx #radxa #radxaOrion06 #rv1103 #twinLake
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Lilbits: GOG brings old games to new PCs, VMWare goes free(er), Apple smart screen leaked, and more
Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs, and Liliputing may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on those links. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.
Game Platform GOG no longer goes by the name Good Old Games, since GOG now offers new titles as well. But GOG hasn’t exactly given up on its roots. Today the company announced the GOG Preservation Program, an initiative that helps ensure old games are compatible with current and future PCs.
In other tech news from around the web, VMWare Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro are now free for commercial use (they went free for personal use earlier this year), there’s a new build of Ubuntu Touch available, a Chinese company claims its ePaper display has a much higher refresh rate than E Ink color screens, Apple is said to be working on a six inch smart display designed to be wall mounted, an Xbox handheld may be in the works… and Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max is on sale for its lowest price to date.
The GOG Preservation Program Makes Games Live Forever [GOG]
Game platform GOG has announced a program where the company will “commit our own resources to maintaining” compatibility of classic games with “modern and future systems.” In other words, games with a GOG preserved program that were designed for older hardware and operating systems should not only run on a recent PC, but will also be updated to work with “future popular PC configurations.” Like all games available from GOG, preserved titles will be offered DRM-free, and there are offline installers so that you can install and run games even if GOG goes out of business. About 100 “preserved” games are available so far.
After announcing earlier this year that VMWare Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro virtualization apps were free for personal use, Broadcomm has now made those applications free for commercial use as well. Existing customers will continue to get enterprise support until their commercial contract expires, but moving forward it looks like the company will offer these apps are a free alternative to its premium, subscription-based cloud services that have seen recent price hikes.
Ubuntu Touch OTA-6 Focal Release [UBPorts]
Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-6 is now rolling out for supported phones and tablets with wireless display improvements, Fairphone 5 support, and more. But the anticipated VoLTE support has been postponed.
Guangzhou Aoyi launches ultra-fast color e-paper display [ITHome]
A Chinese company called Aoyi is showing off a color ePaper display that it says delivers higher refresh rates and better color gradient representation than E Ink. But a demo video shows that video still looks shaky, so it’s not quite an LCD/OLED replacement.
Apple’s Next Device Is an AI Wall Tablet for Home Control, Siri and Video Calls [Bloomberg]
Apple is apparently making another play for the smart home/smart speaker market with a new device that’s code-named J490. It’s expected to be a small display with an integrated camera, speakers, and battery. It supports touchscreen controls, but also voice interaction handled by Siri and Apple Intelligence.
An Xbox handheld is still at least a few years away [Bloomberg]
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spenser says the Xbox team is looking at developing a handheld, but it’s at least a few years away. Based on this article, I think it’s more reasonable to say Microsoft is in the exploratory phase than to say that the company is actively building an Xbox handheld though.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $33 [Amazon]
This is the lowest price to date for Amazon’s most powerful media streaming stick to date. While the entire Fire TV lineup is on sale right now, this is the only model in a stick form factor to support WiFi 6E.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#amazonFireTvStick4kMax #aoyi #apple #epaper #fireTvStick4kMax #gog #gogPreservationProgram #j490 #leaks #lilbits #microsoft #microsoftGaming #smartDisplay #smartScreen #ubuntuTouch #vmware #xbox #xboxHandheld
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Lilbits: GOG brings old games to new PCs, VMWare goes free(er), Apple smart screen leaked, and more
Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs, and Liliputing may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on those links. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.
Game Platform GOG no longer goes by the name Good Old Games, since GOG now offers new titles as well. But GOG hasn’t exactly given up on its roots. Today the company announced the GOG Preservation Program, an initiative that helps ensure old games are compatible with current and future PCs.
In other tech news from around the web, VMWare Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro are now free for commercial use (they went free for personal use earlier this year), there’s a new build of Ubuntu Touch available, a Chinese company claims its ePaper display has a much higher refresh rate than E Ink color screens, Apple is said to be working on a six inch smart display designed to be wall mounted, an Xbox handheld may be in the works… and Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max is on sale for its lowest price to date.
The GOG Preservation Program Makes Games Live Forever [GOG]
Game platform GOG has announced a program where the company will “commit our own resources to maintaining” compatibility of classic games with “modern and future systems.” In other words, games with a GOG preserved program that were designed for older hardware and operating systems should not only run on a recent PC, but will also be updated to work with “future popular PC configurations.” Like all games available from GOG, preserved titles will be offered DRM-free, and there are offline installers so that you can install and run games even if GOG goes out of business. About 100 “preserved” games are available so far.
After announcing earlier this year that VMWare Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro virtualization apps were free for personal use, Broadcomm has now made those applications free for commercial use as well. Existing customers will continue to get enterprise support until their commercial contract expires, but moving forward it looks like the company will offer these apps are a free alternative to its premium, subscription-based cloud services that have seen recent price hikes.
Ubuntu Touch OTA-6 Focal Release [UBPorts]
Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-6 is now rolling out for supported phones and tablets with wireless display improvements, Fairphone 5 support, and more. But the anticipated VoLTE support has been postponed.
Guangzhou Aoyi launches ultra-fast color e-paper display [ITHome]
A Chinese company called Aoyi is showing off a color ePaper display that it says delivers higher refresh rates and better color gradient representation than E Ink. But a demo video shows that video still looks shaky, so it’s not quite an LCD/OLED replacement.
Apple’s Next Device Is an AI Wall Tablet for Home Control, Siri and Video Calls [Bloomberg]
Apple is apparently making another play for the smart home/smart speaker market with a new device that’s code-named J490. It’s expected to be a small display with an integrated camera, speakers, and battery. It supports touchscreen controls, but also voice interaction handled by Siri and Apple Intelligence.
An Xbox handheld is still at least a few years away [Bloomberg]
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spenser says the Xbox team is looking at developing a handheld, but it’s at least a few years away. Based on this article, I think it’s more reasonable to say Microsoft is in the exploratory phase than to say that the company is actively building an Xbox handheld though.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $33 [Amazon]
This is the lowest price to date for Amazon’s most powerful media streaming stick to date. While the entire Fire TV lineup is on sale right now, this is the only model in a stick form factor to support WiFi 6E.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#amazonFireTvStick4kMax #aoyi #apple #epaper #fireTvStick4kMax #gog #gogPreservationProgram #j490 #leaks #lilbits #microsoft #microsoftGaming #smartDisplay #smartScreen #ubuntuTouch #vmware #xbox #xboxHandheld
-
Lilbits: GOG brings old games to new PCs, VMWare goes free(er), Apple smart screen leaked, and more
Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs, and Liliputing may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on those links. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.
Game Platform GOG no longer goes by the name Good Old Games, since GOG now offers new titles as well. But GOG hasn’t exactly given up on its roots. Today the company announced the GOG Preservation Program, an initiative that helps ensure old games are compatible with current and future PCs.
In other tech news from around the web, VMWare Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro are now free for commercial use (they went free for personal use earlier this year), there’s a new build of Ubuntu Touch available, a Chinese company claims its ePaper display has a much higher refresh rate than E Ink color screens, Apple is said to be working on a six inch smart display designed to be wall mounted, an Xbox handheld may be in the works… and Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max is on sale for its lowest price to date.
The GOG Preservation Program Makes Games Live Forever [GOG]
Game platform GOG has announced a program where the company will “commit our own resources to maintaining” compatibility of classic games with “modern and future systems.” In other words, games with a GOG preserved program that were designed for older hardware and operating systems should not only run on a recent PC, but will also be updated to work with “future popular PC configurations.” Like all games available from GOG, preserved titles will be offered DRM-free, and there are offline installers so that you can install and run games even if GOG goes out of business. About 100 “preserved” games are available so far.
After announcing earlier this year that VMWare Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro virtualization apps were free for personal use, Broadcomm has now made those applications free for commercial use as well. Existing customers will continue to get enterprise support until their commercial contract expires, but moving forward it looks like the company will offer these apps are a free alternative to its premium, subscription-based cloud services that have seen recent price hikes.
Ubuntu Touch OTA-6 Focal Release [UBPorts]
Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-6 is now rolling out for supported phones and tablets with wireless display improvements, Fairphone 5 support, and more. But the anticipated VoLTE support has been postponed.
Guangzhou Aoyi launches ultra-fast color e-paper display [ITHome]
A Chinese company called Aoyi is showing off a color ePaper display that it says delivers higher refresh rates and better color gradient representation than E Ink. But a demo video shows that video still looks shaky, so it’s not quite an LCD/OLED replacement.
Apple’s Next Device Is an AI Wall Tablet for Home Control, Siri and Video Calls [Bloomberg]
Apple is apparently making another play for the smart home/smart speaker market with a new device that’s code-named J490. It’s expected to be a small display with an integrated camera, speakers, and battery. It supports touchscreen controls, but also voice interaction handled by Siri and Apple Intelligence.
An Xbox handheld is still at least a few years away [Bloomberg]
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spenser says the Xbox team is looking at developing a handheld, but it’s at least a few years away. Based on this article, I think it’s more reasonable to say Microsoft is in the exploratory phase than to say that the company is actively building an Xbox handheld though.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $33 [Amazon]
This is the lowest price to date for Amazon’s most powerful media streaming stick to date. While the entire Fire TV lineup is on sale right now, this is the only model in a stick form factor to support WiFi 6E.
Keep up on the latest headlines by following @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads, Facebook, and X.
#amazonFireTvStick4kMax #aoyi #apple #epaper #fireTvStick4kMax #gog #gogPreservationProgram #j490 #leaks #lilbits #microsoft #microsoftGaming #smartDisplay #smartScreen #ubuntuTouch #vmware #xbox #xboxHandheld