Hacker News·1yGuten: A tiny newspaper printer
Guten is a customized thermal printer designed to print a tiny newspaper every morning at 7:00 AM. This newspaper includes the user's daily schedule from Google Calendar, a poem, and current news from the New York Times. The author is gauging interest to see if others would consider buying and using it.
Hacker News·1yCreation
An individual built a custom laptop with impressive features such as a 4K AMOLED display, Cherry MX mechanical keyboard, and 7-hour battery life, all using open-source components. The project involved detailed steps in choosing the right SoC, designing the power system, creating the mainboard, integrating peripherals, and final assembly. The journey highlights both hardware and software challenges, emphasizing the integration of various technologies and open-source tools.
The Register·1yLinus Torvalds offers to build free guitar effects pedal
Linus Torvalds has offered to hand-build a guitar effects pedal for a random kernel developer who has a commit from 2024. The offer was made in his latest kernel release update, where he mentioned his interest in building guitar pedals as a holiday hobby. Torvalds, while not a guitarist, enjoys the tinkering and sees the giveaway as a way to check engagement with his weekly updates.
Jeff Geerling·1ySystem76 built the fastest Windows Arm PC
System76 introduced the Thelio Astra, a powerful workstation-class ARM PC designed for streamlined autonomous vehicle development but suitable for any computing enthusiast. It features a 128-core Ampere Altra Max CPU, remarkable cooling mechanisms, and supports both Linux and Windows 11. While the lack of front IO and some case design issues are drawbacks, its multi-core performance and quiet operation make it stand out. The Thelio Astra is an impressive addition to the ARM workstation market, capable of running demanding applications smoothly.
Tailscale·1yLiving in the future, by the numbers
Over the past two decades, technological advancements have rapidly transformed computation power, web server efficiency, memory capacity, and storage capabilities. Modern CPUs, GPUs, and TPUs have significantly sped up numerical computations, while web servers now benefit from refined programming languages and more efficient hardware. RAM and hard disk sizes have dramatically increased, and SSDs provide unparalleled transaction speeds and reliability. These improvements allow for vastly different and more efficient system designs than those used in the early 2000s.
Lobsters·1yModular Linux Handheld Computer powered by Open-Source Software
The Comet is a modular handheld Linux computer designed for versatility and customization. Powered by Mechanix OS (based on Debian), it offers extensive compatibility with Raspberry Pi HATs and Click boards, a Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, 4GB RAM, and a variety of connectivity options. The Comet is designed with an open-source ecosystem in mind, encouraging users to create and share new extensions. It will be available on Kickstarter in early Q1 2025.
Theo - t3․gg·1yI finally know how CPUs work (w/ Casey Muratori)
The post discusses the complexity of CPU workings, focusing on how hardware and software interact. It features a conversation with Casey Muratori about the differences between high-level programming instructions and the lower-level micro operations that CPUs execute. They explore why hardware companies keep their internal workings secret, the misconceptions around instruction sets, and the importance of understanding CPU architecture for programmers. The discussion emphasizes the significance of efficient coding practices and the evolving landscape of JavaScript and hardware interactions.
