It’s really hard to make a smartphone that stands out these days. Most Android phone makers are working with the same processors, cameras, and display technology available to their competitors. Sometimes we see a company try something really weird in an effort to break through the noise. Sometimes we see that same company exit the smartphone […]
risc-v
Lilbits: Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 leaked, Microsoft’s new adaptive accessories, Android 12 Beta, and more
During the first day of the 2022 Google I/O developer conference we learned that the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro are all coming this year, with a Pixel Tablet expected to launch in 2023. That’s a lot of news for one day. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg. In […]
Lilbits: MIPS pivots to RISC-V, Intel staggers desktop Arc graphics release, and Google releases I/O Pinball
Last year MIPS Technologies announced that it was going to stop designing MIPS processors. That might sound surprising given the company’s name, but maybe it was inevitable when looking at trends in the semiconductor industry. So MIPS pivoted to RISC-V architecture. And the company’s first chips based on that open instruction set are set to […]
MangoPi MQ Pro is $20 Raspberry Pi Zero-sized computer with a RISC-V processor
The MangoPi MQ Pro is a single-board computer that looks like a Raspberry Pi Zero, but instead of an ARM-based processor, the MQ Pro is powered by a RISC-V chip. MangoPi first announced it was developing the MQ Pro in January, and now it’s available for purchase in China for about $20. It should be available […]
Lilbits: Would you pay a subscription to always have the latest iPhone?
Over the past few years we’ve seen a growing number of companies move to subscription models for things you used to be able to pay just once for. Want to use Adobe Audition or Premiere? You need a subscription and if you stop paying, you lose access. QuickBooks recently went the same way. And Microsoft […]
DevTerm retro-inspired portable terminal now comes with RISC-V or ARM processors
Last summer the folks at ClockworkPi launched a portable computer with modern hardware, but a retro-inspired design. The DevTerm features a 6.86 inch, 1280 x 480 pixel IPS LCD display, a keyboard that looks lie it was pulled from a typewriter or word processor, and a modular design that lets you choose from a handful […]
Lilbits: Intel Arc graphics, stretchable display tech, and the resurgence of music CD sales
Intel’s integrated graphics technology has gotten pretty good in recent years, even coming close to giving NVIDIA’s entry-level MX series GPUs a run for their money. But Intel is just getting started – the company also expects to ship 4 million discrete GPUs this year, starting with discrete graphics solutions for laptops like the Acer Swift […]
MangoPi-Nezha MQ RISC-V single-board computer hits Crowd Supply for $39 (crowdfunding)
The MangoPi-Nezha MQ is a tiny single-board computer powered by a Allwinner D1/F133A processor based on RISC-V architecture. That’s a 1 GHz single-core chip, so don’t expect this little computer to be a speed demon. It also has just 64MB of DDR2 storage. But at $39, it’s one of the most affordable options for folks looking […]
Intel invests $1 billion in third-party chip development, joins RISC-V International
Intel is probably best known as a company that designs and produces its own chips. But the company has also been investing heavily in its Intel Foundry Services (IFS) recently in hopes of taking on rivals like TSMC and Samsung by manufacturing chips for other companies. Now Intel has announced a new $1 billion fund […]
Lilbits: Samsung could merge its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note smartphone families, Framework Laptop’s firmware goes open source, and more
Rumors that Samsung would phase out its Galaxy Note line of smartphones have been making the rounds for years. But with recent Samsung phones adding S-Pen support, they’ve been picking up steam. Now Samsung is adding fuel to the fire by hinting that the new Galaxy S22 smartphone expected to launch in February will be […]