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Blackberry Pi is a pocket-sized device that runs a full Linux-based OS

If you’re looking for a Linux-based handheld PC these days, there are plenty of off-the-shelf kits you can purchase. But if you’ve got the parts, desire and skill why not build something like the Blackberry Pi yourself? The device you see here started out as a Gameboy-inspired build, but maker IMBalENce had always wanted to […]

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Mac mini and iPad mini join forces to become a DIY laptop (sort of)

Apple’s Mac mini uses the same M1 processor the company’s MacBook Pro 13″ laptop, and offers similar performance at a lower price point. But it’s not mobile: there’s no keyboard, display, or battery, which means the Mac mini is meant to stay put. YouTuber Scott Yu-Jan changed that… kind of. With the help of a […]

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Open Book: build your own eReader (soldering iron and a lot of patience required)

Developer Joey Castillo’s Open Book project is a set of hardware, software, and instructions for folks that want to build, customize, and write code for their own DIY eReaders. We first covered the project last year, when it was still in the early stages, and earlier this year the project won a contest that enabled […]

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4G rotary cellphone coming this fall (or build your own DIY 3G model now)

Earlier this year Justine Haupt showed off a Rotary Cellphone designed for making phone calls and not much else. With a retro-style 10-digit dialer, a few speed-dial buttons, LED lights, and a small ePaper display for showing missed calls or contact info, the phone is a response to the do-everything approach of modern smartphones. Haupt […]

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pi-top [4] is a portable, modular mini PC built around a Raspberry Pi 4 (crowdfunding)

The folks at pi-top have been making Raspberry Pi accessories for a few years, including gadgets that let you turn one of the little single-board computers into a laptop or desktop computer. The company’s latest product is called the pi-top [4] and it’s… maybe a little harder to describe than usual. In a nutshell, it’s […]

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UDOO BOLT single-board PC with Ryzen Embedded starts shipping this week (crowdfunding)

AMD’s Ryzen Embedded line of processors are based on the same architecture as the Ryzen chips that power laptops and desktops. But they’re designed for embedded systems which generally means they can use less power and generate less heat than more powerful counterparts: AMD says Ryzen Embedded V1000 series chips (PDF) have TDP ratings ranging […]

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Intel Joule is a tiny Atom-powered system-on-a-module for IoT, embedded applications

As expected, Intel’s Atom branding for low-power processors isn’t dead. The company has just stopped using the Atom name on its chips for laptop, desktop and tablet PCs… and is instead launching new Atom chips designed for Internet of Things (IoT) products. At the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Intel unveiled a new system-on-a-module […]

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Now you can buy a BBC micro:bit mini-computer for ÂŁ13

BBC’s plans to get a million small, programmable computing devices into the hands of UK students may have taken a little more than planned. But the BBC began giving away micro:bit computers to students earlier this year. Now they’re available for non-students willing to spend £13 (about $19 US). Premier Farnell/Element14 is taking pre-orders and several resellers including […]