We’ve seen projects to build modular smartphones, tablets, and even smartwatches recently. But Chinese company Wibtek is showing off something a little different: a modular desktop PC with stackable components that let you add features including a an optical disc drive, battery, and projector. OK, you could make the case that most desktop PCs are modular, since […]
modular
Blocks wants to launch a modular smartwatch this year (crowdfunding)
The folks behind the Blocks modular smartwatch project are hoping to turn a concept introduced last year into a real product this year. Blocks Wearables has announced it’s working with Qualcomm to develop a watch powered by a Snapdragon 400 processor. Blocks plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign for its modular watch this summer. The […]
Lenovo ThinkPad Stack modular PC accessories hit the FCC
Lenovo’s ThinkPad Stack is a series of modular computer accessories that can be stacked on top of one another and connected to a PC with a single cable. The ThinkPad Stack system was unveiled at CES in January, and Lenovo said you’d be able to buy the some of the first components in April. The […]
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 […]
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 […]
Fonkraft wants to build a modular smartphone too (crowdfunding… and probably too good to be true) Update: it probably was
Google’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 […]
Toshiba unveils TransferJet, display module designs for Project Ara modular smartphones
The first of Google’s Project Ara modular smartphones are expected to go on sale later this year during a pilot project in Puerto Rico. Ahead of that limited launch, developers have been showing off designs for possible modules including speakers, displays, batteries, and cameras, among other things. Now Toshiba has unveiled solutions for a range of […]
Click ARM One is a modular tablet (limited edition)
Google is working on a modular smartphone. Blocks is working on a modular smartwatch. But won’t someone think of the tablets? OK. Spanish company ImasD just started taking orders for one. The Click ARM One is a 10 inch tablet with removable modules for storage, memory, and even the display. ImasD is taking pre-orders now and […]
PuzzlePhone modular smartphone gets Click ARM technology
The PuzzlePhone is a modular smartphone being designed in Finland by a company called Circular Devices. The idea is that users will be able to switch out old or broken parts easily so they can keep the same device for a decade. In other words, Circular Devices it’s phone will work much like another modular […]
Pebble smartstraps: Add new features to Pebble Time smartwatches with removable bands
The new Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel smartwatches have color displays and batteries that can run for a week or longer. But that’s not the only thing that separates them from the original Pebble Smartwatch. Pebble also added a 4-pin connector to the back of the watch. You can use it to charge the […]