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Open Hardware/Modding: Commodore 64, Framework Laptop 13 Pro, and More
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CNX Software ☛ Melody Machine firmware transforms LILYGO T-LoRa Pager into a portable MP3 player and Internet radio
Melody Machine is an open-source firmware that converts the ESP32-S3-based LILYGO T-LoRa Pager into a portable MP3 player and internet radio rather than a LoRa-based messenger running Meshtastic or Meshcore.
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[Repeat] Ruben Schade ☛ Finding a Commodore 64 250466 motherboard
Note the somewhat unusual combination of beige keyboard paired with the darker breadbin case. When most people think “Commodore 64”, they likely picture a dark brown keyboard similar to later VIC-20 machines. This unit was sold in Aldi in Germany, and unlike the later 64G, had a double-shot keyboard with PETSCII characters printed on the front. My unit would have originally been a charcoal grey colour, but it’s developed an oddly pleasing Farmers Union Iced Coffee patina which I can’t bring myself to retrobright. I expect South Australians get that reference, and nobody else.
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LinuxStans ☛ Framework’s Ubuntu Laptops Are Outselling Windows-And That’s Not Supposed to Happen
Remember when every laptop manufacturer swore up and down that “nobody wants GNU/Linux pre-installed”?
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Boiling Steam ☛ Framework Laptop 13 Pro: Major Upgrades and Linux Front and Center
Framework is well known for its repairable laptops for several years now. They produce quality hardware that is easy to upgrade too, with some minor annoyances: hinges that tend to be a little weak, poor quality speakers, and relatively short battery life. So you get a lot of positives, with some aspects that you have to compromise with. But the time of trade-offs may reach an end. Framework has announced on the 21st of April 2026 its new hardware projects, and the most relevant one is their new Framework Laptop 13 Pro.
FOSS Force:
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Modular Framework 13 Pro Laptop Will Now Ship in July - FOSS Force
Framework is going to be a teeny bit late pushing its anticipated Framework Laptop 13 Pro out the door. Pre-orders which were going to start shipping in June are now expected to begin shipping in July.
In case you don’t know, Framework is the company behind the eponymous laptops that can be ordered preinstalled with Linux — or, if you insist, Windows 11. What makes them different from computers from System 76 or other Linux-focused computer makers is that Framework’s laptops are as close as possible to being totally modular, making repairs and upgrades so easy that most users can do it themselves.