covid-19

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Lilbits: Layoffs at ARM, new Ryzen desktop chips, and Shenzhen shutdown could mean more supply chain slowdowns

by Brad Linder Comments Off on Lilbits: Layoffs at ARM, new Ryzen desktop chips, and Shenzhen shutdown could mean more supply chain slowdowns

Two years after the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, China is one of the few countries that’s still pursuing a zero-COVID strategy, enforcing strict lockdowns wherever cases are reported in an effort to prevent it from spreading. But those lockdowns can have ripple effects, and the latest could make the global supply chain issues […]

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Lilbits: CES 2022 will likely be subdued as companies pull out over COVID-19 Omicron variant concerns

by Brad Linder Comments Off on Lilbits: CES 2022 will likely be subdued as companies pull out over COVID-19 Omicron variant concerns

The 2022 Consumer Electronics Show is just two weeks away and, after doing a digital-only event last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Consumer Technology Association has been planning for a hybrid event with in-person and online components. But with the Omicron variant of the virus now spreading more quickly than any that […]

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Razer’s high-tech face mask, now called Razer Zephyr, is coming in Q4, 2021

by Brad Linder 6 Comments on Razer’s high-tech face mask, now called Razer Zephyr, is coming in Q4, 2021

Razer is primarily known for its gaming hardware, but from time to time the company branches out into other areas like fitness trackers, watches, or smart eyewear. Next up? A wearable air purifier. After showing off a concept for a high-tech face mask during CES in January, Razer announced in March that it would bring […]

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Lilbits: IFA trade show is cancelled, Internet Explorer is discontinued, and 1Password comes to Linux

by Brad Linder 1 Comment on Lilbits: IFA trade show is cancelled, Internet Explorer is discontinued, and 1Password comes to Linux

The IFA trade show is the latest international conference to be scrapped in the wake of the global COVID-10 pandemic. Organizers of the annual event which usually takes place in Berlin in the fall have announced they’re skipping 2021 and hope to be back with their next event in September, 2022. But IFA isn’t the […]

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Lilbits: Computex and Cortana canceled (kinda), postmarketOS updated, and streaming Xbox games to smartphones

by Brad Linder 2 Comments on Lilbits: Computex and Cortana canceled (kinda), postmarketOS updated, and streaming Xbox games to smartphones

The global COVID-19 vaccination rollout is underway, but so is the spread of new, more contagious variants of disease. So it’s unclear when things will get back to “normal,” whatever that means. But one thing seems pretty clear at this point: June is probably too soon to hold an international trade show that typically brings […]

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Lilbits: New software for very old phones, more native apps for Macs with M1 chips

by Brad Linder 3 Comments on Lilbits: New software for very old phones, more native apps for Macs with M1 chips

Google and Qualcomm may have partnered on an initiative that will make it easier for Android phone makers to release software and security updates for up to four years, but it’s still up to individual companies to decide whether to follow through. Meanwhile, independent developers continue to support many phones long after they’ve been abandoned by […]

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Linux PC company ZaReason goes out of business due to COVID-19

by Brad Linder 10 Comments on Linux PC company ZaReason goes out of business due to COVID-19

California-based ZaReason started selling Linux computers in 2007 and for more than a decade the company remained one of a fairly small number of businesses to exclusively sell desktop and notebook computers powered by GNU/Linux software. Now ZaReason is closing up shop for good. A message posted to the company’s website notes that ZaReason “is […]

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Reports: Tablet shipments were up in Q3, smartphone shipments were down

by Brad Linder Comments Off on Reports: Tablet shipments were up in Q3, smartphone shipments were down

As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape the way people around the world live and work, two new reports suggest there’s been an impact on the types of mobile devices people are buying. According to IDC, global tablet shipments were up nearly 25-percent in the third quarter of 2020 when compared to the same […]

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Global PC shipments are up due to COVID-19, but not everyone can get one

by Brad Linder Comments Off on Global PC shipments are up due to COVID-19, but not everyone can get one

It’s been a rough decade for personal computer makers as sales have slumped due to a combination of factors including the rise of smartphones and other mobile devices and decisions by PC users to upgrade or replace older hardware less frequently. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leading millions of people around the world to […]