Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Evolution of the Micro Journal: A Distraction-Free Writing Device

2025-02-24

Un Kyu Lee's Micro Journal is a fascinating evolution of distraction-free writing devices. Starting with a Raspberry Pi and a mechanical keyboard, the project iterated through several versions, each addressing different needs and design challenges. From the foldable Rev.2.ReVamp to the Cherry MX hot-swappable Rev.6, each Micro Journal iteration improves on portability, customization, and the overall writing experience. Rev.7 offers a traditional keyboard layout, while Rev.5 allows connection to a wide range of mechanical keyboards. The story showcases the maker spirit and a relentless pursuit of the perfect writing experience, attracting significant media attention along the way.

(github.com)

Hardware mechanical keyboard writing device

Python Library for RadiaCode-10x Radiation Detectors

2025-02-24

This Python library simplifies interaction with RadiaCode-10x radiation detectors and spectrometers. Features include real-time radiation measurements, spectrum acquisition and analysis, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and a web interface example. Easily control your device, collect data, and analyze radiation information. Manage device settings, configure display brightness, language, sound, and vibration. Comprehensive examples are provided for both basic terminal output and an interactive web interface.

(github.com)

Hardware radiation detection python library

Fixing 'No space left on device' Error on an Old Dell's EFI Variables

2025-02-24

While migrating boot drives and setting up GRUB on an old (2011) Dell, the author encountered a 'Could not prepare boot variable: No space left on device' error. The `efivars` partition was full according to `df -h`, despite having only a few boot entries. Suspecting fragmented or unusable space in NVRAM, the author booted to an EFI shell and used `dmpstore` commands (`dmpstore -s efi-vars`, `dmpstore -d`, `dmpstore -l efi-vars`) to clean up EFI variables. This freed up space and resolved the issue. Caution: This process might brick your system; check `dmpstore`'s help before using these commands.

(artemis.sh)

Hardware EFI variables

Stelo CGM Teardown: Unlocking the Secrets of a Cheap CGM

2025-02-23

This article details a teardown of Dexcom's Stelo CGM, an affordable ($50) continuous glucose monitor. The author shares their experience using the device and delves into its internal workings, including the nRF52832 microcontroller, CR1216 coin cell battery, and other unidentified chips. By measuring power consumption, the author reveals that the battery life far exceeds the claimed 15 days, and explores the possibility of using energy harvesting for permanent power. The article also sparks discussion on product cost breakdown and market competition, making it a compelling read for both tech enthusiasts and those interested in medical technology.

(andykong.org)

Hardware CGM Hardware Teardown

Unlocking the RAK5010's BG95-M3 USB Serial Ports

2025-02-22

This post details accessing the three serial ports on the Quectel BG95-M3 module embedded in the RAK5010 development board. The author, after consulting the schematic, identified and resoldered four resistors to redirect the USB data lines from the nRF52840 to the BG95-M3. Despite a minor mishap involving a lost resistor, the modification was successful, allowing direct USB communication with the modem and access to its three serial ports.

(danielmangum.com)

Hardware

WinRAR 7.10 Released: Dark Mode and Enhanced Privacy

2025-02-21

WinRAR 7.10 has been released, boasting numerous improvements including larger memory pages for performance boosts, a much-requested dark mode, and a redesigned settings interface. A standout feature is its enhanced privacy controls. Users can now fine-tune how information from the Mark-of-the-Web (MoTW) is propagated, with a default setting that only retains the security zone value, stripping potentially revealing URLs and IP addresses from extracted files. While this might impact digital forensics, it's a welcome addition for privacy-conscious users.

(www.bleepingcomputer.com)

Hardware

Exa: Building the Next-Gen AI Chips - Join the Founding Team!

2025-02-21

Exa is building the next generation of AI chips, aiming to surpass current market leaders. Their novel polymorphic XPU chips self-reconfigure for optimal dataflow, supporting AGI and ASI while drastically reducing energy consumption. They're seeking exceptional engineers to join their founding team and build revolutionary technology with lasting impact for centuries.

(www.ycombinator.com)

Hardware Job Opportunity

Pocket-Sized AI Inference: Introducing the Coral USB Accelerator

2025-02-20

The Coral USB Accelerator brings high-speed machine learning inference to your desktop. Simply plug this tiny (65mm x 30mm) device into your USB port (supports Windows, macOS, and Debian Linux, including Raspberry Pi) to unleash the power of its 4 TOPS Edge TPU coprocessor. Boasting impressive power efficiency (2 TOPS per watt), it can run state-of-the-art models like MobileNet v2 at nearly 400 FPS. Leveraging TensorFlow Lite, it simplifies model deployment.

(coral.ai)

Hardware AI accelerator

Hetzner AX162 Server Reliability Nightmare: A Painful Debugging Journey

2025-02-19

Ubicloud encountered serious reliability issues with Hetzner's new AX162 servers: a 16x higher crash rate than its predecessor, AX161. After months of debugging, they suspected power limiting by Hetzner and motherboard defects as the root causes. Multiple hardware upgrades, especially motherboard replacements, ultimately resolved the issue. This experience taught them the risks of early adoption and led to process improvements, including more thorough vetting and gradual hardware rollouts.

(www.ubicloud.com)

Hardware server reliability

Backblaze's SSD vs. HDD Reliability Showdown: The Verdict is...

2025-02-19

Backblaze conducted a long-term reliability study comparing SSDs and HDDs in their data centers. Initial data suggested significantly lower failure rates for SSDs, but this was skewed by the much shorter operational lifespan of SSDs and varying drive-day counts. Retrospectively analyzing HDD data to match SSD age and usage revealed comparable failure rates between the two. Long-term data shows HDD failure rates increase dramatically with age, while the future trend for SSDs remains unclear. Currently, using failure rate as the sole deciding factor when choosing between SSDs and HDDs is questionable; cost, speed, and other factors should weigh heavier in your decision.

(www.backblaze.com)

Hardware Reliability

Daylight DC-1: A Monochromatic Tablet That Reimagines Computing

2025-02-19

The Daylight DC-1 is a unique grayscale tablet prioritizing a healthy relationship with light and the outdoors. The author's experience on an Amtrak train highlighted its readability in direct sunlight, comfortable nighttime use, and the ease of using Android. While it has some shortcomings, such as keyboard support, software roughness, and missing features, it's an impressive device, particularly its innovative display technology. The author ultimately praises its potential and the company's direction.

(jon.bo)

Hardware tablet display technology outdoor use

Acer to Hike Laptop Prices in US by 10% Due to Tariffs

2025-02-18

Acer CEO Jason Chen announced a 10% price increase on its laptops in the US starting March 2025, citing upcoming tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. This increase will affect even existing stock, and while Acer is exploring alternative supply chains including US-based production, the immediate impact will be felt by consumers. Other PC manufacturers remain silent, suggesting this might be a harbinger of broader price increases across the market.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Hardware Acer Tariffs Laptop Price Increase

SanDisk Unveils 1PB SSD Roadmap and 3D DRAM Challenges

2025-02-18

At its Investor Day, SanDisk revealed its roadmap for 1PB solid-state drives based on its UltraQLC technology, alongside insights into the challenges of 3D DRAM. UltraQLC combines BICS 8 QLC 3D NAND, a 64-channel controller, and custom firmware for high density, performance, and efficiency. While 1PB SSDs are on the horizon, 3D DRAM faces significant hurdles. SanDisk is exploring alternatives like High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) to address the massive memory demands of AI training.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Hardware Solid State Drive

NAND Flash Prices Plummet Amidst Oversupply

2025-02-18

NAND flash prices are expected to fall due to oversupply, forcing memory chipmakers to cut production. Lower-than-expected demand from PC and smartphone manufacturers is contributing to the glut. TrendForce revised growth forecasts down to 10-15% for 2025. While prices are expected to remain weak in the first half of 2025, AI server demand for SSDs is projected to boost shipments in the second half. The market is adjusting, with experts predicting a price recovery in the latter half of the year driven by AI and the transition to advanced technologies.

(www.theregister.com)

Hardware Memory Chips Oversupply

iPhone SE 3 transplanted into a Nokia Lumia 1020

2025-02-17

A Reddit user has achieved the incredible feat of transplanting an iPhone SE 3's internals into a Nokia Lumia 1020's chassis. Remarkably, the project retains core components like the 12MP camera, Taptic Engine, and Touch ID sensor. Even 5G connectivity and the Lumia's iconic camera shutter button are functional. While the headphone jack is absent, the project cleverly upgrades to a Lightning port, relocating the Touch ID to the rear. It's a testament to ingenuity and a fascinating blend of nostalgia and modern technology.

(9to5mac.com)

Hardware

Game-Changing TCA Printing: Robust, Conformal Circuits on Any Surface

2025-02-16

A groundbreaking printing technique called TCA creates incredibly robust and high-resolution circuits on virtually any 3D surface, from curved glass to even chili peppers and eggshells! By embedding conductive materials within an adhesive, TCA creates a deeply interlocked interface, dramatically improving durability against scratching, high temperatures, and bending—even withstanding liquid nitrogen. This technology promises to revolutionize flexible electronics, sensors, and energy storage, opening doors for wearables, smart devices, and extreme environments.

(www.nature.com)

Hardware TCA printing flexible circuits

Portable Pi-Powered Tactical SDR System Jams Drones

2025-02-16

Maker Media-Grizzly created a portable Raspberry Pi-based software-defined radio (SDR) system called D.E.S.E.R.T. This handy device functions as a mobile SDR and, with the flip of a switch, can disable nearby drones. Powered by a Raspberry Pi 4B (though compatible with other models), it features a keyboard, power LED, USB port, LCD display, and a prominent 'DE-AUTH' switch for drone jamming (legality varies by location). The system's source code is not yet public but is planned for release on GitHub.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Hardware Drone Jammer

Open-Source High-Performance 3D-Printed 6-Axis Robotic Arm: PAROL6

2025-02-15

PAROL6 is a high-performance 3D-printed desktop 6-axis robotic arm designed to mimic industrial robots in mechanical design, control software, and usability. Its control software, GUI, and robot STL files are open-source, allowing users to build their own PAROL6 using instructions found on Github. This project aims to provide a practical tool for educational institutions, robotics enthusiasts, and small-scale automation applications for learning, exploration, and robotics implementation.

(source-robotics.github.io)

Hardware robotic arm

Western Digital Bets Big on HAMR for 100TB HDDs by 2030

2025-02-14

Western Digital announced its roadmap to adopt Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology for its HDDs, starting late 2026, aiming for 80TB-100TB drives by 2030. This marks a shift away from their previously championed MAMR technology. Initial HAMR drives, with 36TB (CMR) and 44TB (UltraSMR) capacities, will launch in 2026, with mass production slated for the first half of 2027. Two hyperscalers are already testing these drives. This breakthrough promises to more than double hard drive storage capacity within the next few years.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Hardware Hard Drive Technology Western Digital

Nvidia Delays RTX 5070, Setting the Stage for AMD's Radeon RX 9070 Showdown

2025-02-14

Nvidia's RTX 5070, boasting RTX 4090-level performance at $549, has been delayed from February to March 5th. This sets the stage for AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT launch on February 28th. AMD's strategy appears to focus on price competitiveness against Nvidia's RTX 4070 Ti and 4070 Super, rather than directly challenging the top-tier cards. However, Nvidia's substantial profits give it considerable leeway to respond. Rumors persist of a more powerful AMD card with 32GB of RAM, though this remains unconfirmed. The GPU battle heats up!

(www.theverge.com)

Hardware

Jooki's Ghost in the Machine: Exploiting Vulnerabilities in a Dead Audio Player

2025-02-14

Following the bankruptcy of its manufacturer, many Jooki kid-friendly audio players became unusable. This post details the reverse engineering of the Jooki firmware, revealing multiple vulnerabilities, including a backdoor and remote code execution. The author analyzes the firmware, filesystem, Mender OTA update mechanism, and HTTP server interface, demonstrating how to gain control of the device. Methods for exploiting these vulnerabilities to achieve remote code execution by modifying configuration files, using flags, and leveraging the OTA update mechanism are shown. A call to the creator to open-source their work is included.

(nv1t.github.io)

Hardware

Apple's Mysterious New Product Launch Next Week: iPhone SE 4 Frontrunner

2025-02-13

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced on X that a new product will debut on February 19th. While details remain scarce, a teaser video hints at a 'newest member of the family.' Strong speculation points to the iPhone SE 4, potentially featuring an OLED edge-to-edge display, A18 chip, USB-C port, 8GB RAM, a 48MP camera, Face ID, and 5G. However, other possibilities include the M4 MacBook Air and M3 iPad Air. Analysts lean towards the iPhone SE 4 being the likely candidate.

(9to5mac.com)

Hardware Apple product launch

Yearly CPU Performance Report: Data Reveals Trends in PC Processor Performance

2025-02-12

A yearly CPU performance report based on data from PerformanceTest software shows a steady increase in PC processor performance since 2021, with the inclusion of ARM architecture processors diversifying data sources. The report includes two charts: overall yearly performance and top CPU performance for each year. Data is drawn from global user-submitted benchmark results. Note that data before 2021 is primarily from Windows systems and x86 processors, potentially introducing bias. The report is updated bi-weekly, with early-year data less accurate than year-end data.

(www.cpubenchmark.net)

Hardware CPU performance processor architecture

Game Bub: An Open-Source FPGA Retro Handheld

2025-02-12

After a year and a half of development, the author proudly presents Game Bub, an open-source FPGA-based retro gaming handheld supporting Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. This detailed write-up chronicles the journey, from initial concept to final assembly, including hardware selection (a Xilinx XC7A100T FPGA at its core), PCB design, firmware development in Rust and Slint, and 3D-printed enclosure creation. Game Bub plays both physical cartridges and ROMs from a microSD card, and even boasts features like HDMI output, rumble, and a real-time clock. The project showcases a remarkable feat of engineering and a dedication to open-source principles.

(eli.lipsitz.net)

Hardware

DeaDBeeF: A Highly Customizable Cross-Platform Audio Player

2025-02-12

DeaDBeeF (0xDEADBEEF) is a modular, cross-platform audio player compatible with GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, OpenSolaris, and other Unix-like systems. It plays numerous audio formats, handles format conversion, boasts a highly customizable UI, and supports numerous plugins for extended functionality. The screenshot showcases a heavily customized DeaDBeeF instance running on Linux with several plugins.

(deadbeef.sourceforge.io)

Hardware audio player customizable

Global PC Performance Drops for the First Time: PassMark Data Reveals Unexpected Trend

2025-02-11

PassMark's latest data reveals a surprising downturn: for the first time ever, the average global PC processor performance has dropped, breaking a long-standing trend of yearly increases. Laptop performance fell by 3.4%, while desktop performance saw a 0.5% decrease. Despite recent releases from AMD and Intel, actual performance gains have been minimal, falling short of expectations. PassMark speculates that factors such as users switching to more affordable machines, Windows 11 performance issues, and bloatware could be contributing to this unexpected decline. However, the exact cause remains undetermined, and future data may show changes.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Hardware PC Performance

Rethinking In-Car Climate Control: A Rotary Dial Prototype

2025-02-11

Frustrated by carmakers' over-reliance on touchscreens and overly complex interfaces, the author spent two years rethinking in-car climate control. He designed an automated system controlled by a rotary dial, adjusting fan speed and seat heating, with touchscreen overrides. Prototyping involved the Seedlabs Smart Knob kit, experimenting with haptic feedback's impact on usability. The conclusion: a dial controlling temperature and fan speed is optimal, with separate physical controls for seat heating. The author urges carmakers to return to physical controls for improved UX and safety.

(www.theturnsignalblog.com)

Hardware automotive systems hardware prototyping

RTX 5090 Meltdown Investigation: Uneven Current Distribution Points to Design Flaw

2025-02-11

YouTuber Der8auer investigated a recent RTX 5090 graphics card meltdown. While many blamed the use of a third-party 16-pin power cable, Der8auer's tests revealed uneven current distribution in the 12VHPWR connector, even with official cables. One wire carried over 22A, exceeding safety limits and reaching temperatures over 150°C, causing the meltdown. This isn't isolated; it suggests a potential design flaw in Nvidia's 12VHPWR connector requiring further investigation and improvement.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Hardware GPU meltdown

Intel's Battlemage: A Deep Dive into the Arc B580 and its Challenges

2025-02-11

Intel's new Battlemage GPU architecture arrives with the Arc B580, a mid-range card aiming to disrupt the market with 12GB of VRAM at $250. This article delves into Battlemage's improvements over Alchemist, including wider Xe vector engines, enhanced cache mechanisms, and optimized memory access. Despite lower specs on paper, the B580 surprisingly outperforms its predecessor, the A770, in real-world tests. However, driver issues and reliance on Resizable BAR remain hurdles for Intel to overcome.

(chipsandcheese.com)

Hardware

E Ink Unveils Giant 75-Inch Color ePaper Outdoor Display

2025-02-11

E Ink, in partnership with Samsung, LG, and others, showcased a massive 75-inch Kaleido Outdoor 3 color e-paper display at ISE 2025. This low-power display, operating in temperatures from -15°C to 65°C, boasts 4,096 colors and International Dark-Sky Association certification for reduced light pollution. Ideal for outdoor digital signage like bus stop ads, it's touted as a solar-powered, eco-friendly alternative to energy-hungry LCD and LED screens.

(newatlas.com)

Hardware e-paper outdoor display energy efficient

Category: Hardware