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Lilbits: Signal drops SMS, Microsoft launches Surface Studio 2+, more Apple services coming to Windows, and Intel layoffs ahead?

Thanks to falling demand for PCs and increased competition from rival chip makers, it looks like Intel may be planning to layoff thousands of employees soon.  In addition to the introducing the new Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 today, Microsoft has unveiled a Surface Studio 2+ for creative professionals… but it’s a kind of […]

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Lilbits: Teenage Engineering’s first PC chassis, Right to Repair, and Magic Eraser breaks free from the Pixel 6

Teenage Engineering is a company known for designing sleek-looking products including the company’s own audio products and synthesizers as well as designs for third-party hardware including the Playdate handheld game console, H smart speaker, and l-1 camera. Now the Swedish company has introduced its first PC chassis. The Computer-1 is a striking looking compact case […]

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Punkt MP02 voice phone now supports encrypted Signal calls and text messages

The Punkt MP02 is a $349 cellphone with an emphasis on simplicity. It has a 2 inch black and white display, a numeric keypad, and an emphasis on phone calls and text messages. First released in 2018, the phone has some modern features that set it apart from old-school dumb phones, including support for 4G […]

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Lilbits 6-18-2020: Maybe Chrome will be less of a memory hog

Google’s Chrome web browser is fast, versatile, and… a bit of a resource hog. But that could be about to change for Windows users. Microsoft announced that the Windows 10 May 2020 Update includes a change that could allow the Edge web browser to reduce memory consumption by as much as 27-percent. And the folks […]

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Google’s Adiantum could bring encryption to budget phones (and other devices)

Google has required phone makers to offer storage encryption on most smartphones that have shipped with Android 6.0 or later. But the company has offered exemptions on devices that don’t support hardware-accelerated cryptography. In a nutshell, if you’re buying a modern phone with an ARMv8 processor, it probably supports disk encryption. If you pick up […]

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NeTV2 open video development board is also a tool in a legal fight against DRM (crowdfunding)

Hardware hacker and bunnie huang’s latest project is an open source video board aimed at developers. It’s called the NeTV2 and it supports 1080p video at 60 Hz, features two HDMI ports, and is powered by an FPGA and 512MB of RAM. The NeTV 2 board also includes PCIe 2.0 x4 connectors, allowing it to […]

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FBI unable to access “nearly half” of mobile devices attempted this year

Concerned that the FBI or other government (or non-government) agencies might be able to access data from your smartphone without permission?Documents uploaded to WikiLeaks in recent months show that the US Central Intelligence Agency has been developing tools for hacking smartphones and other electronic devices for years. But in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, […]

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Amazon Fire OS 5 removes support for encryption from Fire tablets (Updated)

Apple may be fighting the FBI in court to resist demands that the company decrypt data on a customer’s smartphone. But Amazon seems to have taken a step in the opposite direction. The recent Fire OS 5 update for Fire tablets and Fire TV media streamers adds new functionality (such as Bluetooth speaker and keyboard […]

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Everykey 2.0 is a key to unlock…. everything

Cleveland-based startup Everykey produces a small device that’s designed to unlock practically anything with a password or key (including physical locks and car doors) when you get close to it. Walk away with the Everykey in your pocket and and your computer, phone, and car will lock up tight. The company recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for […]