Pocket8086 Retro DOS Computer
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Pocket8086 – An handheld x86 retro computer with an XT-class 8086/V30 CPU running DOS 6.22 or Windows 3.0

The Pocket8086 is a handheld retro computer built around classic 8086, 8088, NEC V20, or NEC V30 processors, giving it the performance and behavior of an 8086-class retro computer while still offering the convenience of a compact handheld form factor. Designed for vintage-computing enthusiasts, DOS gamers, and makers, it delivers a handheld retro computing experience suitable for DOS 6.22 as well as Windows 3.0/3.1, effectively packing an XT-class machine into a portable device. The device integrates a 4.77–10 MHz CPU, 768 KB RAM, a replaceable TVGA9000i-based VGA card with 512 KB VRAM, OPL3 (YMF262) audio, a built-in mouse, PS/2 support, VGA output, CH375B-based USB mass-storage (U-disk) support, and a 512 MB CF card for IDE-mode storage. It features an IPS LCD with 4:3 and 16:9 modes (640×480 / 800×480), and includes OSD/SOSD menus for display tuning and system status. A 4,000 mAh lithium battery, open hardware documentation, and expansion options […]

AV2 Performance subjective test
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AOMedia AV2 open video codec release nears, delivers around 40% bandwidth reduction

The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) will release the AV2 open video codec specification by the end of the year, as an update of the now widely-used AV1 video codec with up to 40% bandwidth reduction at the same level of quality. In the meantime, Debargha Mukherjee, Google Principal Engineer, has shared a progress report about AV2, first offering a historical perspective with the list of digital video codecs from 1990 to 2030 (expected), then stating AV2 goals, and going through requirements, coding tools, and what’s been achieved so far. You can check the eleven-minute presentation (04:27 – 15:30) embedded at the end of this post, or continue reading for the highlights of the talk. AV2 will be released very soon, while the H.267 proprietary video codec might only be released around 2030. We haven’t seen a lot of support/traction for H.266, so we’ll have to see if H.267 ever […]

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Novaduino Environmental Sensor Kit
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Arduino-programmable environmental and air quality sensor kit features ENS160 and BME280 sensors

Designed by Nova Radio Labs in the US, the Novaduino Environmental Sensor Kit is an Arduino-programmable air quality and weather monitoring solution built around the company’s own Novaduino Display Module. It provides VOCs, eCO₂, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure data in real time, making it ideal for Smart Home experiments, classroom projects, or hobby weather-station builds. The kit integrates a Sciosense ENS160 air-quality sensor and Bosch BME280 environmental sensor connected via Qwiic, which measures TVOCs, eCO₂, temperature, humidity, and pressure with an on-device AQI indicator. It includes the Novaduino display PCBA, 2.4-inch IPS touchscreen, buttons, rotary encoder, Feather M0 Express or RP2040 module support, headers, mechanical hardware, and optional 3D-printable enclosures (STL/F3D/STP).  Designed for learning soldering, assembly, and Arduino programming, the kit is uncalibrated and intended for educational and experimental use only. Novaduino Environmental Sensor Kit specifications: Core Platform – Novaduino 2.4-Inch Display Module Supported development boards – Adafruit Feather and […]

Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2
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Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 Zigbee/Thread/Matter USB adapter launched for $49

Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is a Zigbee, Thread, and Matter USB adapter based on Silicon Labs MG24 wireless SoC and designed for Home Assistant, replacing cloud-based hubs from Hue, Ikea, and others. It’s an update of the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 (previously SkyConnect) Zigbee 3.0, Thread, and Matter USB dongle with an optimized antenna, a faster baudrate, and a form factor similar to the company’s ZWA-2 Z-Wave USB adapter introduced last August. Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 (NC-ZBT-9741) specifications: SoCs Silicon Labs MG24 Arm Cortex-M33 @ 78.0 MHz with DSP instruction and floating-point unit, 256 kB RAM, 1536 kB flash, 2.4 GHz wireless  ESP32-S3 wireless MCU used as USB-to-serial bridge (WiFi and Bluetooth present, but not used by the firmware) Wireless via MG24 Supported Protocols – Zigbee 3.0, Thread/Matter Tx Power 10 dBm (Europe) 8 dBm (rest of world) Antenna Frequency range: 2400-2483.5 MHz Peak gain – 4.16 dBi Radiation pattern […]

ASUS Jetson T5000 Edge AI computer 10GbE Fakra camera connectors
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ASUS IoT PE3000N – An MIL-STD-810H-grade, modular NVIDIA Jetson T5000 Edge AI platform for robotics and automation solutions

Debashis just wrote about the Firefly EC-ThorT5000 embedded PC powered by an NVIDIA Jetson Thor T5000 system-on-module yesterday, and the ASUS IoT PE3000N is another rugged, modular Edge Platform powered by the 2,070 FP4 TFLOPS SoM offering MIL-STD-810H compliance, 12-60V input, 25GbE links, and support for up to sixteen GMSL cameras. The PE3000N features one HDMI 2.0 video output, GbE and 10GbE RJ45 ports, M.2 sockets for storage and wireless expansion, a PCIe x4/x8 slot, and several USB ports, as well as four 25GbE links and AGX CSI connector for up to 16x GMSL cameras for “high-bandwidth sensor fusion and advanced machine vision”, even in the most challenging environments. The Jetson T5000 embedded system also offers a scalable chassis and modular I/O layers that support interfaces such as PoE, GMSL, CAN, and QSFP28 within a compact 2U height. ASUS IoT PE3000N specifications: SoM – NVIDIA Jetson Thor T5000 module CPU […]

ZIgbee 4.0 Suzi sub-GHz Zigbee
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Zigbee 4.0 introduces ”Suzi” Sub-GHz connectivity and security enhancements

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has just announced the release of Zigbee 4.0, integrating security and interoperability improvements, as well as the Suzi Zigbee’s Sub-GHz feature operating in the 800 MHz (Europe) or 900 MHz (North America) band for longer range and lower interference compared to the traditional 2.4 GHz band. Highlights of Zigbee 4.0 release: Simplified certification processes Enhanced information exchange for smart home solutions. Formalized Parent Selection, Unique Link Key Monitoring, and Trust Center Connectivity improve network resilience Standardized network-level retries, more reliable data polling for sleepy end devices, and expanded use of APS acknowledgements increase overall network performance and reduce message loss. Sleepy-to-sleepy communication using Coordinated Sample Listening (CSL) allows direct, low-power exchanges between devices, optimizing energy and further extending battery life Security updates aligned with evolving international security standards Dynamic Link Key, Device Interview, and Smart Energy Authentication Level Control for stronger device authentication, selective communication […]

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STM32V8 STM32V863 873 block diagram
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ST launches 800 MHz STM32V8 Arm Cortex-M85 high-performance MCU manufactured with 18nm FD-SOI process

ST has just launched its most powerful STM32 microcontroller so far, with the STM32V8 family, the first equipped with a Cortex-M85 core (clocked at up to 800 MHz) and manufactured with an 18nm FD-SOI process. It’s a non-pin compatible update to the STM32H7 family that delivers up to 5,072 CoreMarks, greatly improves Edge AI performance thanks to Arm Helium and MVE, integrates up to 4MB eNVM (Embedded NVM), operates up to 140°C, and adds PCM (phase-change memory) radiation immunity. Two main parts have been launched in different configurations and packages: STM32V863 and STM32V873. STM32V863/873 specifications: Core – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M85 CPU @ up to 800MHz with Arm Helium, Arm MVE, TrustZone…; up to 5,072 CoreMarks Multimedia accelerators – Chrom-ART 2D GPU, and JPEG hardware accelerator Memory/Storage 1.5 MB system SRAM with ECC (partial) 8 KB backup RAM 192 KB zero-wait state TCM Up to 512 KB TCM with ECC Up […]

Librephone project
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The Librephone project aims to remove proprietary blobs from smartphones running an open-source OS

Some of you may already be running an open-source operating system on your smartphone, which could be Android-based, such as LineageOS, GrapheneOS, and e/OS, or Linux-based like postmarketOS and Ubuntu Touch. However, due to closed-source firmware files/proprietary blobs, you’re only running a partially open-source OS. The Free Software Foundation aims to change that with the Librephone project, whose goal is to reverse-engineer nonfree blobs and provide open-source alternatives. Some proprietary blobs are used to run WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE/5G modems, touchscreen, fingerprint sensor, and other hardware. So it won’t be a trivial task, as serious reverse-engineering work is needed and done in a clean-room way to prevent copyright lawsuits, plus there may be regulatory issues with the code handling the radios\ frequency and power from the FTC and other governmental agencies around the world. To be clear, the Librephone project won’t be another operating system, and the only goal is […]

Boardcon MINI1126B-P AI vision system-on-module wit Rockchip RV1126B-P SoC