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Precursor open hardware mobile device with an FPGA is now shipping (crowdfunding)

The Precursor is a pocket-sized mobile device with a physical keyboard and a small display. But it’s not a smartphone. Instead it’s an open hardware device aimed at developers and enthusiasts looking for a device they have complete control over. Not only is the software open source, but the Precuror is also powered by an […]

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Lilbits: Surface with Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 leaked, Indiegogo tries to build confidence, and Precursor could ship soon

Qualcomm introduced its Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 processor in December, promising an enormous 85% performance boost over the company’s previous-gen chip for Windows laptops and tablets. So far no devices with the processor have officially launched. But leaked benchmarks for an unannounced Lenovo device suggested that the chip really might deliver on that promise, at […]

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Roundup: Librem 5, Precursor, Fedora, Gentoo, Nemo Mobile, and GNOME 40

Developer Martign Braam, who created the Megapixels camera app and many other Linux apps for the PinePhone, PineTab, and other mobile Linux devices, recently wrote an article asking whether folks who are buying Linux phones really want Linux phones. As I’ve mentioned, folks who are looking for an Android or iOS-like experience with access to […]

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Precursor open mobile hardware device delayed (latest casualty of the chip shortage)

The Precursor is a pocket-sized, open hardware, mobile device that can be programmed for use as a communications gadget or for a range of other applications. And it’s not just the software that’s programmable – the heart of the device is an FPGA that can be configured to emulate various processors. First announced last fall, […]

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Lilbits: Samsung and LG leaks, Chrome OS Phone Hub, and Raspberry Pi HiFi

Google makes the Android operating system that powers most of the world’s smartphones. And Google makes the Chrome OS operating system that powers a growing number of laptops. So you’d think that the company would want to make sure the two play nicely with one another… and you’d be right. It’s just taking a bit […]

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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 […]

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Precursor open mobile hardware up for pre-order for $450 and up (crowdfunding)

The Precursor is an phone-sized device with a physical keyboard, a black and white display, and a focus on open hardware and software. Aimed at hardware hackers who want an incredibly customizable mobile development platform, the Precursor has an FPGA instead of a traditional CPU, allowing you to program the chip to emulate different types […]

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Lilbits: A new mobile, open hardware device

The hardware hacker who brought us the Novena open laptop, the NeTV2 open video development board, and the Chumby, is preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a new open hardware device called Precursor. The goal is to provide a handheld development platform that’s fully hackable and configurable. According developer bunnie Huang, the device has […]

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Precursor is a mobile, open hardware development kit (crowfunding)

Hardware hacker bunnie Huang’s latest project is a mobile device called Precursor. While it looks a bit like a phone or PDA, Huang describes it as a “mobile, open source electronics platform” designed for development purposes. It’s set to go up for pre-order through a Crowd Supply crowdfunding campaign soon, but Huang has published a […]