Linux / Unix

Both the 14-inch Galago Pro and the 15.6-inch Darter pro models can be equipped with up to a Comet Lake Core i7-10510U quad-core CPU coupled with up to 32 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of storage (6 TB for the 14-incher). Standard features include a Thunderbolt 3 connector and 1080p matte display.

Fedora 31, due for release on October 29th, will no longer be available as a 32-bit install. Rather, Fedora 30 is officially the last version of Fedora to support 32-bit hardware. Users on legacy hardware can expect full lifecycle support for Fedora 30 until May or June of 2020, at which time they will need to upgrade their hardware for continued official support.

Atari and Antstream Arcade for an exclusive app that will deliver over 2,000 officially licensed retro video game titles to the forthcoming console. The Antstream Arcade app for the Atari VCS will also include 50 original Atari titles in original or enhanced versions.

Recent Lenovo ThinkPad laptops have a throttling problem when users are running Linux-based operating systems on their devices. Lenovo has now admitted to the problem – and announced that it will be fixed. Newer ThinkPads like the X1 Carbon Gen 7 or ThinkPad T490 are affected.

Vivaldi 2.8.1664.35 arrives less than three weeks since the release of the 2.7 update, but it only features various tweaks and fixes that aim to provide "a smoother browsing experience" alongside images toggle via keyboard and a few new bookmark customization options. Those who missed the news should know that a beta for Android handsets is also available.

The PineTime is the latest side project of PINE64, the company behind the PineBook Pro and PinePhone. The smartwatch will integrate a Nordic nF52832 SoC and will support Bluetooth 5, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, ANT and NFC. The device will include a heart rate monitor too, along with multi-day battery life and a zinc alloy and plastic chassis. The PineTime will cost US$25, with PINE64 encouraging ARM Mbed and FreeRTOS developers to join the project too.

Huawei has added the MateBook 13 for Linux, MateBook X Pro for Linux, and the MateBook 14 for Linux onto Vmall, the Chinese shopping site for Huawei and Honor products. The OEM has selected Deepin for the operating system, which has allowed the Chinese manufacturer to make modifications due to the nature of its open source software.

The NanoPi M4V2, as its name suggests, is a new revision of the NanoPi M4, which FriendlyElec launched last year. The Rockchip RK3399 powered single-board computer (SBC) includes 4 GB of dual-channel LPDDR4 RAM, four USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one USB 2.0 Type-C ports and a 40-pin GPIO header. The board also supports Gigabit Ethernet and up to 802.11 ac Wi-Fi. The M4V2 includes power and recovery buttons too. The NanoPi M4V2 is available to order now for US$70.00 from FriendlyARM, which ships worldwide.

The latest major update to War Thunder comes with Chinese ground and air tech trees for a total of no less than 38 new pieces of military hardware, as well as 8 helicopters, 12 aircraft, 11 ships, and 7 ground vehicles for other nations. The list of changes also includes a few new locations and missions, thermal sights and night vision devices, a map rotation filter, and more.

Lilu (also known as Lilocked) is a relatively new ransomware that is specifically targeting Linux servers. The ransomware has been infecting systems since mid-July and has so far attacked at least 6700 systems. Lilu targets specific file types (like HTML, PHP, and image files) and alters their file extension to ".lilocked." The ransomware also leaves a note instructing affected users to access an Onion site and pay either 0.03 BTC or US $325 to decrypt file affected files.

The Honor MagicBook Pro is an ultrabook that seems to take after the MacBook in design. It was launched with Intel Core i7-8565U or i5-8265U CPUs. Now, it maker has launched new variants that replaces them with AMD APUs.

The first Vivaldi release after the summer break, labeled 2.7.1628.30, comes with no less than 63 bug fixes and four new features. These new features include fast access to User Profiles, an option that allows stopping (in advance) audio from playing, the ability to enable/disable the Flash plugin, as well as an improved status bar.

Shenzhen Xunlong Software is bringing a new, compact SBC to market. The Orange Pi Zero2 is slightly larger than its predecessor and more powerful to boot. The board comes with an Allwinner H6 SoC that integrates four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 512 MB of LPDDR3 RAM, 4 GB of eMMC flash storage and a host of interfaces, while still weighing just 34 g. Pricing and availability are still unconfirmed but expect it to cost around US$20.

Linux laptop seller System76 recently announced a new workstation. The Adder WS, which is set to release on August 8, is the retailer's first laptop with a 15.6-inch 4K OLED display. The laptop will also pack a power Core i7 or Core i9 CPU and an Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU into its chassis.

Intel's upcoming Xe GPUs will feature support for multi-GPU setups, according to a recent Linux kernel driver update. Xe will be able to form hybrid GPU pairs with integrated and discrete Xe SKUs. There is a possibility of multi-GPU support scaling up to additional Xe discrete GPUs as well.

Comparative benchmarks between AMD Ryzen 9 3900X systems running Windows 10 1903 and Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS show that Microsoft's work in optimizing the OS for MCM CPUs such as Ryzen has paid off. Although Linux does have an overall lead, the scheduler improvements in the latest Windows version have managed to narrow the performance gap significantly.

The PineBook Pro has been a long time coming, with PINE64 first announcing the device in January. The 14-inch Linux laptop comes with a Rockchip RK3399 SoC, 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 64 GB of eMMC 5.0 flash storage and weighs just 1.26 kg thanks to its magnesium alloy design. The PineBook Pro is available to order directly from PINE64 now for US$199.99 and ships globally.

Released back in August 2016, Worms W.M.D is closely related to Worms Armageddon in terms of gameplay, adding new features such as tanks and buildings that can be used for protection. Available for multiple platforms, Worms W.M.D is available for free on Steam until Sunday, but those interested can buy it for 66 percent off until the end of the month.

The PanGu is an STMicroelectronics STM32MP1 powered single-board computer (SBC), which should offer good value for money for some developers. The board runs Debian Jesse and Yocto Linux and is available to order from Taobao for 499 RMB (~US$72.50).

The pi-top [4] allows you to code and program on the move thanks to its 5-hour internal battery life. The device comes with 14 electronic components including LEDs, buttons and programmable sensors, while it even works with an optional 2-in-1 screen and keyboard or an Advanced Vehicle Kit (AVK). The pi-top [4] is available to order on Kickstarter now for US$199 and will shop in November having already reached its US$100,000 funding goal.

Age of Wonders III arrived at the end of March 2014 for Microsoft Windows, but it became available for OS X and Linux as well one year later. Now, those interested can grab the original release for free via Steam until July 15 — and keep it forever after that, of course. Sadly, there are no expansions included and the free game will not generate any Steam trading cards.

Kali Linux is now compatible with the Raspberry Pi 4. Currently, the distro is only available as a 32-bit OS, but Offensive Security is planning on releasing a 64-bit version soon. In the meantime, security aficionados who have a spare Raspberry Pi 4 lying around can head over to the Kali Linux site and download the distro image.

Seeedstudio claims that the ICE Tower CPU Cooling Fan can reduce Raspberry Pi 4 core temperatures from 80 °C to 40 °C under load, which should eliminate thermal throttling. The ICE Tower is compatible with all previous RPi boards too and just requires 5 V power via a 40-pin GPIO. The ICE Tower is available to order now from Seeedstudio for US$19.90, which ships worldwide from July 19.

μProf 3.0 supports Assembly, C, C++ and Fortran along with Java and .Net. It can also work with programs compiled using GNU, Intel or Microsoft compilers in addition to LLVM and AOCC. The tool includes not only energy, performance and system analyses but also system-wide power profiling. μProf 3.0 is available to download now.

The latest stable Debian release is codenamed "buster" and comes at the end of a 25-month development period. Debian 10 will be supported for the next five years and comes with many updated packages, support for ten architectures — including older 32-bit PCs, as well as a wide range of desktop environments: Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, and Xfce.

Intel has dismissed reports of the company losing its CPU sales market share to AMD in Japan. The latter is now the largest CPU seller in the country, with AMD gaining a 21.6% market share since October. The news comes before the arrival of AMD's hotly anticipated Zen 2 architecture too. Worrying times indeed for the team in blue.

The Cluster HAT v2.3 does what it says on the tin. It allows you to combine a Raspberry Pi A+/B+/2/3 with up to 4 Raspberry Pi Zeros. The latter connect via a Controller Pi GPIO and are configured to use USB Gadget mode, making it easy to simulate or test small-scale cluster computing. The Cluster HAT v2.3 is designed by Pimoroni and is available to order from SB-Components for US$49.22.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released a USB firmware update for the Raspberry Pi 4 that reduces its SoC operating temperatures by up to 4 °C. The update is available to download now and should reduce throttling in multi-core tasks. Beware though, it will possibly reduce USB transfer speeds.

Based on the PiJuice HAT released in 2016, the PiJuice Zero allows the Raspberry Pi Zero to be used on the go away from a power outlet. Pi Supply has developed a software suite to help get you started and has included a low-profile to keep the overall build size small. The PiJuice Zero is available to order on Crowd Supply now for US$45 with orders shipping worldwide on October 31.

Running on a Python library, the Enviro+ can monitor indoor and outdoor atmospheric changes from air quality to temperature, humidity and noise. The board can contribute to big air quality projects like Luftdaten too. Pimoroni has developed the Enviro+ with The University of Sheffield and has included several sensors, along with a 40-pin header and a 0.96-inch colour LCD. The Enviro+ is available to pre-order now for US$47.63 and will ship worldwide from July 5.

Based on a Microchip MGC3130, the 3D Gesture & Tracking Shield brings gesture and motion tracking to the Raspberry Pi at a reasonable price. The Shield supports touch gestures and emits a short-range magnetic field to allow it to recognise gestures performed nearby it too. The 3D Gesture & Tracking Shield communicates with a Raspberry Pi via I2C and is available to purchase worldwide from Seeedstudio for US$12.90.

FriendlyElec has responded to the aggressive pricing of the Raspberry Pi 4 by cutting the MSRP of its NanoPi M4. The Rockchip RK3399 powered SBC originally started at US$65 for the 2 GB of RAM variant and has now received a 23% price cut to US$50. Similarly, the 4 GB model has come down by 21% to US$75 from US$95. The NanoPi M4 features a more powerful SoC than the Raspberry Pi 4, along with a host of ports, connectors and sensors. FriendlyElec ships worldwide.

Google is currently working on at least two Snapdragon-powered Chromebooks based on a recent Chromium commit. The first was revealed late last year going by the codename 'Cheza' while the new model is known internally as 'Trogdor.' Both are ARM-based Chrome OS platforms that will find their way into OEM devices before the end of the year.

The TUL PYNQ-Z2 is a single-board computer (SBC) designed for development with the open-source Python Productivity for Zynq (PYNQ) framework. The board has Arduino and Raspberry Pi headers along with a host of other ports and connectors. The TUL PYNQ-Z2 ships worldwide from Seeedstudio for US$119 or for US$114 from Newegg if you live in the US. The former is currently offering a US$5 discount on orders too.

Khadas has changed the VIM3 slightly from when we previously reported on it earlier this month. The single-board computer (SBC) now features a more powerful Amlogic SoC, the hexa-core A331D, which can output up to 5.0 TOPS. The VIM3 now starts at US$99.99 and will ship worldwide from August 10.

Raspberry Pi Relay HATs are two a penny, but few come with a dedicated mobile app. Meet the PiRelay, a HAT that can manage up to 240 VAC/7 A or 125 VDC/10 A loads across four relays. The PiRelay costs US$17.06 via SB-Components, which ships worldwide.

Canonical has seemingly crippled Ubuntu 19.10 for gamers, having removed all 32-bit support from the upcoming OS. Anything requiring 32-bit libraries or packages will not install, causing Valve to abandon Steam support for all Ubuntu releases going forwards.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has delivered its next single-board computer a year early. The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B comes with a quad-core CPU, up to 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, Gigabit Ethernet dual 4K HDMI and USB Type-C. It should deliver 3x the performance of its predecessor while remaining backwards-compatible with older boards. Better still, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B costs just US$35 and is available to order worldwide now.

Popular video and media player VideoLan Client (VLC) has been found by security researchers to have two serious vulnerabilities, allowing malicious .avi and .mkv files to execute any code with full user privileges. Version 3.0.7 or newer addresses this vulnerability, so check to make sure your version is up-to-date.

With a total of 11 new features and no less than 57 bugs squashed, Vivaldi 2.6 is a solid update to the browser that was created to be Opera 12's spiritual successor. This new release comes with a native content blocking mechanism, new customization options, multiple performance improvements, and more.

The PerfXLab Perf-V is an FPGA based RISC-V developer board that comes with 256 MB of DDR3 RAM along with 8 MB of FPGA and 8 MB of RISC-V flash storage. The board features a host of connectors and interfaces, while it can be programmed with Vivado and supports an IDE for Windows RISC-V development. The Perf-V will ship worldwide on June 21 from Seeedstudio and costs US$79.

Listings for the Core i7-10510U and Core i5-10210U have appeared on Geekbench, although their scores should be no cause of worry for AMD. The chips are outgunned by not only the Ryzen 7 3700U and Ryzen 5 3500U but also the current crop of Intel Core i U series processors. Oddly, these 10th generation CPUs do not appear to be based on Intel's Ice Lake architecture either.

The Strawberry4Pi 2 is an IoT HAT designed for the Raspberry Pi with a difference. The HAT costs just US$29 but comes pre-installed with its own OS and a mobile app that can control your internet connected devices. No coding required. The Strawberry4Pi 2 is available to order on Kickstarter and will ship in August.

The Banana Pi BPI-M4 is a mouthful, but it packs a punch thanks to its quad-core Realtek RTD1395 SoC with ARM Mali-470 MP4 graphics, 1 GB of DDR4 RAM and 8 GB of eMMC flash storage. The developer board is a dead ringer for the Raspberry Pi 3B+ and is compatible with most HATs too. The Banana Pi BPI-M4 currently ships worldwide from AliExpress for US$35.

Once considered something impossible, Microsoft Edge's availability for Linux is now in sight. According to the developer team behind it, Microsoft's browser is not ready for Linux yet, but there is no technical difficulty that can keep this piece of code away from the Unix-based open source operating system.

Huawei has indefinitely postponed the launch of its latest MateBooks confirming the rumors Notebookcheck exclusively reported on during Computex. At the time, we learnt that Huawei had cancelled an order for 16-inch notebook panels and the revelation that it has officially cancelled its launch plans for the CES Asia 2019 in Shanghai this week looks to be the outcome.

The UP Xtreme is no ordinary single board computer (SBC). The board comes with up to an Intel Core i7-8665U Whiskey Lake processor and a 16 GB RAM, along with a host of ports, connectors and sensors. The UP Xtreme is available to order on Kickstarter from €249 (~US$282) and will ship worldwide in September or October depending on the configuration you purchase.

In a recent interview, Mozilla CEO Chris Beard confirmed that premium services are coming soon. A VPN service and cloud capabilities could be bundled in a premium browser for those interested in paying for such features. The VPN and online storage services would be offered by Mozilla and its partners.

RISC-V chip designer SiFive it has been revealed to have some pretty interesting investors. A recent filing shows that it has raised US$65.4 million in its latest funding round including a cash injection from Qualcomm that sees it join fellow heavyweights in Samsung and Intel as investors.

The Rock Pi 4 comes in two variants, the base model of which has 1 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. All versions have a similar layout to the Raspberry Pi and feature a hexa-core Rockchip RK3399 processor along with a 40-pin GPIO among other connectors. The Rock Pi 4 ships worldwide.