Rumors of Samsung phasing out its Galaxy Note line of smartphones have been circulating for years. But with recent Samsung phones adding support for the S-Pen, they’ve gained momentum. Now, Samsung is adding fuel to the fire by hinting that the new Galaxy S22 smartphone slated for launch in February will be the “most remarkable” S-series phone yet. Recent leaks suggest the Galaxy S22 Ultra will even have a silo to store the S-Pen when you’re not using it.
Meanwhile, Lenovo is gearing up to launch a new Legion-branded gaming phone, and it will work with optional accessories, including a set of detachable shoulder buttons. RISC-V processor designer SiFive has announced that due to supply chain issues, the SiFive HiFive Unmatched computer board will be discontinued after it runs out of stock, but the company is focusing on next-generation boards. And the manufacturers of the Modular Framework laptop have opened up the laptop firmware.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news on the web.
Samsung could soon merge its Galaxy S and Note ranges [Samsung]
Samsung is hinting that the Galaxy S22 it will launch in February will support the S-Pen and eventually replace the Galaxy Note series as Samsung’s “most notable S-series device” to date.
Lenovo teases gaming attachments for upcoming Legion Y90 gaming phone [GSM Arena]
Lenovo’s next gaming phone could be compatible with a set of optional detachable shoulder-trigger buttons. The Legion Y70 is also expected to have a 144Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, two USB-C ports, and active cooling.
Open Sourcing of our Firmware [Framework]
Framework has opened the embedded controller firmware for its modular laptop. The EC firmware handles low-level functions including power sequencing, keyboard and touchpad interfacing, and LEDs. You can now find the source code on GitHub.
Kobo firmware update lets you set up without logging in [MobileRead]
Kobo’s latest firmware adds a “sideloading mode” that lets you configure its eReaders without a network connection. Not intended for continued use, some features are not available until you can sign in and sign in to a Kobo account.
SiFive drops its unrivaled HiFive RISC-V PCBs over ‘supply chain issues’ [Hackster.io]
SiFive says its HiFive Unmatched development boards with Freedom U740 RISC-V processor cores are nearly sold out. Due to supply chain issues, rather than doing more, the company will focus on next-gen HiFive cards with newer chips.
The WCH CH32V307 RISC-V development board includes 8 Ethernet-controlled UART ports [CNX Software]
This $11 RISC-V development board has a 144 MHz 32-bit RISC-V processor, Gigabit Ethernet, 2 USB 2.0 Type-C ports, and 8 UART interfaces.
Ubuntu MATE 21.10 for GPD Pocket 3 [Ubuntu MATE]
Ubuntu MATE 21.10 🧉 for the GPD Pocket 3 from @softwincn is available for download now 📀 Preconfigured and ready to go, including automatic screen rotation in 2-in-1 modes. Get downloads and more info here:
👉 https://t.co/yLjO9ZB09Z pic.twitter.com/9CWsyS6aF7
— Martin Wimpress (@m_wimpress) January 21, 2022
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