Linux / Unix

With yesterday's update, Opera Browser and Opera GX received a set of AI-powered tools. Now in a public testing stage, these features include sidebar access to ChatGPT and ChatSonic, as well as smart AI Prompts, which allow the user to shorten or explain the selected paragraph, word/expression, or entire page/article.

Valve has re-released a new Steam Deck Client update. According to the company, the update addresses several bugs present in its earlier release, as well as all changes and new features, including Local Network Game Transfers.

While the Steam Deck outperforms its peers in many areas, its 800p IPS display falls short of most modern gaming handhelds. One of the programmers behind the Steam Deck has now commented on the difficulty of equipping the Steam Deck with another display, such as an OLED panel.

The BeagleBoard Foundation has started offering the BeaglePlay, a compact SBC equipped with a TI AM625 processor and 2 GB of RAM. The BeaglePlay retails for US$99 and comes with a custom Debian Linux build pre-installed, among other features.

Valve employees have hinted at the state of the Steam Deck platform going forwards. While many gaming handheld manufacturers release new models yearly, Valve will take a different approach. However, this means that the Steam Deck will remain a current-generation device for a while to come.

Unleashed earlier today, War Thunder 2.25 "Sky Guardians" comes with the first French ships and the super-heavy Char FCM 2C tank, 18 new and updated aircraft, new locations and missions, as well as updated visual effects. The size of the full game client has broken the 100 GB barrier, but a minimal install needs less than 17 GB.

Lenovo US has announced the start of its annual sale today (March 3, 2023), an event with savings of up to 75% on a range of ThinkPads, reducing one model in particular to just under US$250 in price. However, despite this attractive prospects a potential customer might be advised to consider whether the PC in question is really the best new machine for the home or office. Then again, there are others on offer that might be.

The Auspicious Machine is a Linux-based gaming handheld with a design that could be mistaken for a BlackBerry smartphone. Not only does the Auspicious Machine have a 4:3 aspect ratio display, but it also has a small keyboard. The Auspicious Machine is based on a Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module 4, although it supports other popular single-board computers.

The Rockchip processors are not particularly powerful, but what really sets the PlanetPC XR mini PCs apart are the robust port selection and the integrated color touchscreen that allows access to many system settings.

Steam is now also available on Chromebooks. But the software is still in its beta stage. We installed Steam on an Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 to test out how well the program runs right now and found that some well-known games in our Steam library are playable on this Chromebook.

The Volla Phone X23 is the latest Google-free smartphone from Hallo Welt Systeme. The Volla Phone X23 relies on a mid-range MediaTek Helio chipset and has a 5,000 mAh battery that supports wireless charging, among other features.

System76 teased a new version of its Pangolin laptop. The new Pangolin will come with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, Radeon 680M graphics, a 144 Hz FHD screen, and quite a bit of connectivity.

Available since late October 2016, Sid Meier's Civilization VI has received a rich set of expansion packs and updates. Even now, the game remains in active development. Those interested can grab it for an impressive 90% discount that applies to the base game while the 19-item Anthology package is available for 86% off.

MediaTek has introduced a new addition to the Genio family of internet of things- (IoT) specific platform at CES 2023. The 700 is an octa-core chip rated to support FHD and 4K displays - both at the same time if necessary, in fact. It is also compatible with some of the most advanced interfaces typically available to IoT, and is touted to handle industrial-grade conditions with ease.

Dubbed "Apex Predators" and labeled 2.23, War Thunder's final update of the year introduces three iconic rank VIII 4th generation fighters, namely the F-16, the MiG-29, and the Tornado. Other changes include new and updated ground vehicles, new locations and missions, interface updates, as well as new music and sound effects.

OnePlus has unveiled plans for a move into PC accessories today (December 17, 2022) as part of its ninth anniversary event. The well-known mobile device brand has outlined plans to make its own mechanical keyboard, complete with its own custom switches and gaskets. They are touted to fit into a "meticulously crafted" metallic casing for a unique typing experience.

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.

Eurocom asserts that the latest version of its Sky Z7 R2 crams the entire requirements of an entire "mobile server" into an 8.4lb package. This is because it is actually in the form of an Intel Z590-compatible laptop with up to 128GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, up to 26TB of SSD storage, up to RTX 3080 graphics and 2.5Gb Ethernet with Killer WLAN. Therefore, the OEM is confident that it can support any number of VMs or server-grade software a manager can throw at it.

Vivaldi 5.6 arrived earlier today with the integration of Mastodon in the side panel, as well as its instance, namely Vivaldi Social. This update of Vivaldi Browser is only available on the desktop for now. You.com is a new default search engine choice alongside the ability to pin tab groups and other improvements.

The Asus Chromebook C425 is a 14-inch Chromebook with an Intel Core m3-8100Y, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage. This hardware puts it in the mid-range of the Chromebook world. At US$129, it'll be hard to find a better Chromebook below $150.

Fyde Innovations has brought the Fydetab Duo to Indiegogo, where it starts at £489. Having already exceeded its campaign goal, Fyde Innovations aims to start shipping the Fydetab Duo globally from January 2023.

Linux laptops have so far lost out to their Windows counterparts with regard to features such as Nvidia's Advanced Optimus. Now, Nvidia is proposing a new user-space API for the Linux kernel that allows for dynamic multiplexer (MUX) switching beyond the capabilities of the current vga-switcheroo implementation that has several limitations.

Anbernic has introduced the RG353M, a gaming handheld that builds on the company's other 'RG353' devices. Built around a landscape display, the RG353M has a Rockchip RK3566 SoC, 2 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and an HDMI port, among other features.

GPD has outlined when it will start selling the Win 4, its latest compact gaming handheld. Equipped with a 6-inch display and AMD's powerful Ryzen 7 6800U APU, the GPD Win 4 will also be available with up to 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 2 TB of PCIe 4.0 storage.

With a short support period that ends in July 2023, Ubuntu 22.10 "Kinetic Kudu" comes with the new 5.19 Linux kernel, various updated applications and subsystems, and much more. In addition to the regular release, these community editions have been updated to 22.10: Kubuntu, Budgie, MATE, Unity, and Xubuntu.

Juno Tablets has introduced the Juno Tablet, which ships with Linux, an Intel Jasper Lake processor and a 10.1-inch display. Available from £449 with 256 GB of storage, the Juno Tablet also comes in 512 GB and 1 TB flavours, all with 8 GB of RAM.

Offered by the FydeOS developing team, the 12.35-inch FydeTab Duo convertible will be equipped with a Rockchip 3588S ARM-based SoC complemented by 8 GB of LPDDR4X and up to 128 GB eMMC storage. It is scheduled to soon go up for pre-orders via a crowdfunding campaign.

While most processors on the market are faster when disabling security tweaks/patches for certain bugs such as Spectre or Meltdown, it was recently discovered that the AMD Ryzen 7000 family does better when the Spectre V2 mitigations are enabled in the Linux kernel. The tests were first ran on the Ryzen 9 7950X, and then on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Available with both Intel and AMD processors, the StarFighter Linux laptop from Star Labs will be up for pre-orders in less than three weeks. Sadly, with prices from US$900 to US$3,000, interesting hardware specs overall, and quite a few configurations, this laptop comes with non-upgradeable memory.

Anbernic has introduced the RG353V and RG353VS, two vertical retro gaming handhelds with 3.5-inch displays. Starting from US£89.99, the RG353V series costs up to US$142.99 with 256 GB of eMMC flash storage.

Khadas has unveiled the Edge2, a single-board computer (SBC) with a sizeable heatsink and an octa-core processor. Supposedly one of the most powerful ARM-based SBCs to date, the Khadas Edge2 relies on the Rockchip RK3588S with a 6 TOPS NPU and up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. So far, Khadas has announced Edge2 Basic and Edge2 Pro configurations.

Anbernic has introduced the RG353V, a closer relative of the RG353P that the company already sells. Equipped with a Rockchip RK3566 SoC and 2 GB of RAM, the Anbernic RG353V also has a 3.5-inch IPS display and should eventually be available in multiple colours.

Released earlier today, the major update that brings War Thunder to version 2.19 includes Chinese helicopters, improved visual effects, scout and strike UAVs, as well as quite a few other pieces of military hardware. The "Drone Age" update also sports new locations and multiple minor tweaks and fixes.

Powkiddy has introduced the X45, a compact and inexpensive gaming handheld with a 4.5-inch display. Orderable now for US$49.99, the Powkiddy X45 has an ATM7051 SoC, 128 MB of RAM and a 3,000 mAh battery, among other features.

Offered by the Kubuntu Linux developers themselves, the new Focus NX mini PC is powered by either a Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 and comes with premium features such as 2x Thunderbolt 3 connectors plus an SDXC card reader.

RISC-V adoption is about to receive a significant boost from Intel and its partners via the Pathfinder initiative. Hobbyists can download a Starter Edition dev kit for free right now and start developing RISC-V applications for Linux and other operating systems. There is also a Professional Edition kit with support for an entire host of RISC-V-based chips.

Hardkernel has introduced the ODROID-Go Ultra, a 5-inch gaming handheld that should deliver twice the performance that the ODROID-Go Super achieves. Equipped with an Amlogic S922X chipset and 2 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, the ODROID-Go Ultra has a 5-inch display and a 4,000 mAh battery for up to 6 hours of gaming.

The 16:10 3K display that was a premium option on the previous generation is now the only option available. Users can opt to get an additional NVMe SSD or a bigger 99 Wh battery. Prices start at 1520 EUR.

A base configuration with Core i3-1220P CPU, 240 GB storage and 8 GB RAM is priced at US$855. Opting for the Ryzen 7 5800U APU costs US$255 more, and the Core i7-1260P option bumps the price by US$338, but final price is also influenced by the amount of RAM with a maximum of 64 GB and the storage space of up to 1.92 TB.

The mid-range smartphone, which made a name for its high level of repairability, is the first Android 11 handset to run the open-source operating System.

The upcoming Titan BM15 from Bitblaze features decent specs except for the processor that integrates outdated ARM Cortex-A57 cores and an even older Mali-T628 GPU. Otherwise, there is a 15.6-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, up to 512 GB M.2 SSD storage, a 6000 mAh battery that lasts up to 5 h, and a decent selection of ports. Price could end up spicy due to the economic restrictions.

Although the update for the mobile version is still at least a few days away, Vivaldi 5.4 for desktop users is now available with custom rocker gestures, the ability to turn off sound in web panels, as well as multiple under-the-hood optimizations for Vivaldi Mail, Calendar, and Feed Reader.

The new RS2 is HiBy's second digital audio player that uses the Darwin audio architecture and can be pre-ordered for US$479. It supports up to 4 TB of storage via two card slots, 3.5 / 4.4 mm dual headphone output, PCM 384 kHz/DSD 256 audio, as well as up to 10 hours of play time and 40 days standby.

Made available to the public yesterday, Linux Mint 21 "Vanessa" arrived more than two years after its predecessor. Just as expected, it is available in three versions, namely Cinnamon, Xfce, and MATE. Linux Mint 21 is a long-term support release that will receive updates until 2027.

Dell and Canonical continue to collaborate on bringing Ubuntu to the XPS series. The XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition is now the first laptop certified for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, which builds on the Ubuntu 20.04 LTS that Dell already ships with the XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS will begin shipping with the XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition from next month onwards.

GPD has confirmed Valve's intentions to optimise Steam OS for new gaming handhelds that ship with Windows 11 by default. To be available for AMD Ryzen 7 6800U-backed machines first, the cooperation between GPD and Valve could allow other manufacturers to release Steam OS images for their latest gaming handhelds too.

CPU options include the Core i5-1235U and Core i7-1255U models that can be coupled with up to 40 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and up to 4 TB SSD storage via two M.2 slots. Other highlights include a Thunderbolt 4 connector, a 1080p webcam with IR sensor and a microSD card reader.

No pricing or exact availability info for now, but the first RISC-V laptop dubbed ROMA is powered by an unannounced quad-core processor complemented by up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X and up to 256 GB of storage. It also integrates a GPU and an NPU and offers support for most Linux distros.

The Pocket Reform mini laptop is set to integrate a few processor options like the NXP I.MX8M Plus or Raspberry Pi CM4 with ARM cores or even a RISC-V-based model from AMD / Xilinx. It also features a 7-inch 1080p screen and a mechanical keyboard with optical trackball.