The Remix Ultra Tablet from Jide looks like a Microsoft Surface thanks to a sort of boxy design with a built-in kickstand and a magnetic keyboard cover that snaps onto the tablet to transform it into a sort of laptop. But this tablet doesn’t run Windows. Instead it runs a custom version of Android called […]
crowdfunding
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CHIP mini PC runs Debian Linux, costs $9 (sort of)
Remember when the $35 Raspberry Pi mini-computer seemed crazy cheap? Actually that is still a pretty good price for a computer that’s as versatile as the Pi. But the developers of the CHIP figure there’s room to go lower: they’re running a Kickstarter campaign to bring this computer to market with prices as low as […]
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Lilbits (5-01-2015): Building (another) open handheld game console
The developers of the DragonBox Pyra are designing a handheld game console with a 5 inch, 720p screen, an ARM Cortex-A15 processor, 2GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a compact design, while still featuring game controller buttons and a QWERTY keyboard. The system is designed to be as open as possible, supporting GNU/Linux software. The project was unveiled over […]
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Fonkraft’s fishy modular smartphone campaign pulled from Indiegogo
A few days ago a company called Fonkraft unveiled a new design for a modular smartphone platform and launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 to turn the concept into reality. That struck me as a surprisingly small amount of money for such an ambitious project… and apparently I wasn’t the only one who was […]
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Who needs a modular phone when a modular case might do? (crowdfunding)
Google’s Project Ara, the modular smartphone that is designed to allow users to swap out parts, is still far from being ready to ship. So is Circular Devices’ PuzzlePhone. By the time they launch there might be another option though: a modular smartphone case. Nexpaq is a smartphone case that allows you to swap out modules […]
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6 Comments on Fonkraft wants to build a modular smartphone too (crowdfunding… and probably too good to be true) Update: it probably was
Fonkraft wants to build a modular smartphone too (crowdfunding… and probably too good to be true) Update: it probably was
6 Comments on Fonkraft wants to build a modular smartphone too (crowdfunding… and probably too good to be true) Update: it probably wasGoogle’s Project Ara may be the highest-profile attempt to build a modular smartphone and an ecosystem of modules and software that will let you swap out displays, batteries, processors, and just about everything else. But Google isn’t the only company working on modular designs for mobile devices. Click ARM and PuzzlePhone have their own ideas, and Chinese phone […]
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Lilbits (4-02-2015): When Kickstarter messes up
The makers of the Jide Remix Ultra Tablet wanted to drum up interest in their tablet with a Microsoft Surface-like design, a magnetic keyboard cover, and a custom version of Android that lets you run apps in full-screen or windowed modes. So they launched a Kickstarter campaign, offering 200 early backers the chance to get […]
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SnapPower Charger turns your outlet cover plate into a USB port (crowdfunding)
I live in a house that was built in 1925, which means I have very few electrical outlets. In one room, there is only a single wall plug. It also means that wall plugs are a hot commodity around here. The last thing I want to do is hog up those sockets with a USB […]
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Lilbits (3-27-2015): Amazon Fire TV Stick gets an OS update
The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a $39 device you can plug into your TV to stream music, videos, photos, and other content from Amazon, Netflix, YouTube, and more. Not only has the Fire TV Stick I picked up last year largely replaced my Chromecast… I find myself not even using my HTPC (Home Theater […]
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PiJuice is a portable power pack for the Raspberry Pi (crowdfunding)
The Raspberry Pi line of single-board computers are small, inexpensive systems that you can use to learn to code, set up as a media center PC, or use as the basis for hardware projects line game consoles, home automation systems, or robots. If you want to use a Raspberry Pi around the house you can just […]