DIY

Pine64, the makers of inexpensive Linux gadgets like the Pinebook Pro and PinePhone, today announced the PineTab2. The tablet will use a Rockchip SoC and run Linux. It will ship sometime in February after the Chinese New Year.

Dell's engineers have continued to work on Concept Luna, the company's sustainability-focused laptop design, over the past year, refining elements of the project to better improve repair and upgrade options. Key among these is the elimination of wires and adhesives and the inclusion of telemetry to help users and robots track the status of the laptop's components.

ASRock's next gen DeskMini and DeskMeet mini PC models will include support for AMD's Ryzen 7000 processors via an X600 motherboard, while the Intel Raptor Lake processors will be supported through B760 motherboards. As always, there will be barebones and fully-configured versions.

Framework announced today that its standard and Chromebook Edition laptops are now Thunderbolt 4 certified. This means that the notebooks can now officially support all Thunderbolt 4-certified peripherals, meaning that there should be fewer issues when connecting these devices.

The MSI PRO HM570TI-B I526 appears to be a laptop mainboard converted to desktop PC mini-ITX format. No pricing info, but the inclusion of a soldered Intel Core i5-11260H processor without too many bells and whistles suggests this is a budget-friendly product.

It seems unfair that CAD packages are all prohibitively expensive. After all, how are you to know if it's worth spending money on learning the skill without knowing whether or not you're any good at it? Fortunately, there are are a few free CAD packages you can try your hand at before you spend.

Milling, engraving and 3D printing - the Artisan 3-in-1 is designed to do it all. Snapmaker has built on its Kickstarter success of 2019 with this new machine touted to support multiple types of fabrication hobby in one package. The start-up claims that the machine can deliver its CNC mode at up to 200W, a "high-power" 10W module and an up-to-300°C dual extrusion system.

A Hackster project from Viktor Kurusa shows you how to build an Arduino-based autonomous lawn mower. The gadget uses UWB ranging rather than GPS RTK technology for accurate positioning. Ultrasonic and LiDAR sensors are used for obstacle avoidance, and you can record a map of the mowing perimeter with the device.

A DIY solar-powered e-bike has been demonstrated by an Electrek reader. The pedelec uses the Rad Power Bikes RadWagon 4 electric cargo bike as a base, with an upgraded 1,500 W controller. A 50 W solar panel allows the battery, which usually provides 45 miles (~72 km) of range, to trickle charge on the go.

A new GitLab project lets you turn the Casio F91W watch into a Bluetooth-capable smartwatch. All parts are replaced apart from the casing, and an upgraded OLED screen is installed. You can use the modified watch for Bluetooth calling and to receive notifications. The project has now been handed over to the community.

Origin PC has seemingly built the ultimate gaming machine in the form of its one-off Big O V3 custom PC. The device features a customized PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X, a GeForce RTX 3090, a separate PC system for streaming, a 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X, and it even has a removable Nintendo Switch OLED console in a dock at the front.

AMD recently revealed it would make its Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5000 WX-series available for DIY builders at some point in the near future while also announcing that the PRO and non-PRO lines would simply merge into a single PRO line. However, the prohibitive prices of the Threadripper PRO 5995WX, 5975WX, and 5965WX will leave the Zen 3 parts out of many hands.

A YouTuber has taken the PlayStation 5 and shrunk it to fit within a much smaller case. The unofficial PS5 Slim can still run at its full potential, even with a case that is less than 2 cm thick.

DIY people are the best of us—they persevere and succeed, regardless of how many profanities it takes to earn their success and how many tiring days or even weeks it takes to build their next wonderfully creative project. As an ode to the DIY folk, let's have a look at some of the best DIY projects that deserve to be on store shelves.

Elephant Robotics has launched the MechArm 270-Pi, a robotic arm controlled by a Raspberry Pi 4B chip. The arm has six DOF, a 270 mm (~10.6-in) motion radius and a maximum payload of 250 g (~8.8 oz). You can connect to the gadget via Bluetooth, control it with voice commands and trigger motion via object or facial recognition.

Apple's Self Service Repair program gives a good idea of what Apple thinks DIY repair should look like, and the prognosis is not good. It's so convoluted that it seems as though Apple only launched the program out of spite, or perhaps some sort of malicious compliance. We all already know the effect Apple has on the tech industry — RIP headphone jack — so we can only hope that the industry doesn't follow suit.