Chromebooks are basically just laptops that ship with Google’s Chrome OS rather than another operating system. But since Chrome OS was designed to put the web browser front and center, some folks have insisted that it’s not a real operating system – after all, it loses much of its functionality if you lose your internet connection. […]
kindle
Lilbits: Pixel 5a, Kindle vulnerability patched, and Super Duper Secure Mode for Microsoft Edge
Google has already confirmed that it will launch Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones this fall, and they’ll be the company’s first phones to feature a new Google Tensor system-on-a-chip rather than a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. But they’ll also be expensive phones designed to compete with other flagships. The company isn’t giving up on the […]
Amazon’s old Kindle 3G devices will lose internet access in December
Mobile network operators are getting ready to shut down their 3G networks in order to free up resources for 5G. In the US, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are all expected to pull the plug by the end of 2022. Odds are that most smartphone users have already migrated to 4G or newer devices, but there […]
Amazon finally lets you display book covers on Kindle eReaders
Up until recently, if you turned off the screen on an Kindle eReader you’d see one of two things: a random image from Amazon or an advertisement, depending on whether you’ve paid the extra $20 for an Ad-free experience. But now Amazon is adding an option that probably should have been there all along: you […]
InkPlate 10 is an open hardware E Ink display made from recycled eReader parts (crowdfunding)
The makers of the InkPlate 6 are back with a new open hardware, WiFi-enabled E Ink display. The new InkPlate 10 is a bigger, higher resolution, and faster display with a few new features. But e-radionica’s new InkPlate is still a low-power, programmable electronic paper display that can be used to build your own eReader, digital […]
Jailbreak for Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (current-gen)
There’s good news for folks looking to jailbreak Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite eReader: there’s a new method for doing that. But there’s also bad news: Amazon has just begun rolling out a firmware update that breaks compatibility with this method. So if you think you might want to jailbreak the 10th-gen Kindle Paperwhite (also known […]
Lilbits: LG’s big, light laptops leaked, and the HTC HD2 gets new life (again)
There are plenty of thin and light laptops on the market these days. But for years it’s been hard to beat the LG Gram lineup if you want really lightweight notebooks with big displays. The current lineup includes a 17 inch notebook that weighs less than 3 pounds, a 2.5 pound model with a 15.6 […]
Lilbits: Open mobile hardware, Surface Pro 8 leak, and Apple’s ARM-based Macs
In September hardware hacker bunnie Huang unveiled a new open mobile hardware device called Precursor. Now it’s up for pre-order through a crowdfunding campaign at Crowd Supply. The early bird $450 rewards are sold out, but you can reserve one for a pledge of $512 or more and if everything goes according to plan, a […]
Amazon stops selling apps and games for older Kindles
Once upon a time you could play Scrabble, do crossword puzzles, and run other third-party apps and games on Amazon Kindle eReaders. But Amazon stopped offering the feature in 2014 when the company launched the Kindle Voyage. Every new model since then has lacked support for so-called “Kindle Active Content.” Still, if you had an […]
Lilbits 6-22-2020: One GX mini laptop will support US 4G LTE wireless networks
The latest mini-laptop from One Netbook is a computer with a 7 inch display, a backlit keyboard, a big exhaust fan in the back, and a set of detachable game controllers that can be connected to the side of the system. The One GX is designed to be a handheld gaming computer, and later this […]