Open Hardware and Mobile System

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Apr 14, 2026

• Open Hardware/Modding

  • CNX Software ☛ Trail Mate open-source firmware leverages Meshtastic and MeshCore for ESP32 off-grid handhelds

    vicliu624’s Trail Mate is an open-source firmware for off-grid communication and GPS coordinates sharing, leveraging the Meshtastic, MeshCore, and other projects, and designed for ESP32 handhelds such as LILYGO’s  T-LoRa Pager or M5Stack’s Tab5 with a LoRaWAN module. The Trail Mate firmware provides a fixed north-up GPS map, direct LoRa text messaging through Meshtastic or MeshCore mesh networks without relying on a smartphone, and prioritizes stability, efficiency, and interoperability over feature density.

  • Linux Gizmos ☛ Forlinx FAI-ARA240-M Packs Ara240 NPU into M.2 2280 Module

    Forlinx Embedded has officially launched the FAI-ARA240-M, an M.2-based Hey Hi (AI) accelerator built around the NXP Ara240 processor. The module provides a discrete NPU for offloading inference workloads from embedded host systems. The Ara240 processor was first seen during the launch of the OK-MX9596-C.

  • Linux Gizmos ☛ Shuttle XPC slim DB860 Leverages Core Ultra 200 in Compact 1.3L Barebone

    Shuttle has revealed the XPC slim DB860, a compact 1.35-liter barebone system built around defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 200 series processors. The system provides desktop-class performance in a compact metal chassis and supports continuous operation. The platform supports defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 200 processors (Arrow Lake-S) using the LGA1851 socket, with a maximum TDP of 65 W.

  • FPS Review ☛ Valve Engineer Further Optimizes Linux for GPUs with 8GB or Less, Showing Impressive FPS Gains

    Valve Linux Engineer Natalie Vock has developed new optimizations for GPU memory management, leading to notable FPS gains. Graphics card prices have been anything but normal due to the ongoing NAND/DRAM shortages, not to mention that all three GPU manufacturers have, for the time being, abandoned the consumer market in favor of the AI pot of gold, so folks looking for budget-friendly alternatives are often left with cards featuring 8GB VRAM or less. At one point, many questioned the relevance of purchasing such cards in 2025-2026, but recent reviews, including the one we have here, have shown that modern GPUs can still be used for gaming. Furthermore, engineers such as Vock are finding ways to fine-tune drivers to improve memory management, thereby unlocking further untapped potential in these budget cards.

  • PC World ☛ A Valve engineer’s Linux patch makes 8GB AMD GPUs better at gaming

  • Valve Engineer Improves Linux Memory Management for GPUs with 8 GB VRAM or Less

    Valve's Linux developer, Natalie Vock, has introduced a new method for handling memory management on GPUs with 8 GB or less VRAM. Since a large part of the gaming community uses systems with limited resources, improving performance and VRAM allocation is an excellent way to maximize frames per second. According to Vock's solution, GPUs with 8 GB of VRAM or less on Linux will now benefit from better background VRAM management, allowing more free space for games. Several Linux kernel patches have been submitted to guide how Linux manages resources when a game is loaded. Previously, when a game used too much VRAM on a low-VRAM GPU, the Linux Graphics Translation Table (GTT) would move data to system RAM to prevent the game from crashing. Since Linux doesn't prioritize programs, it could sometimes move the actual game from VRAM to system RAM to make space for something like a browser or another third-party app.

  • PC Gamer ☛ A Valve developer has just made it easier to run games on Linux with 8 GB cards thanks to a simple fix

    Natalie Vock, a Linux developer for Valve, has recently taken to their GitHub with a simple fix allowing rigs with less VRAM to run games better. Turns out applications in Linux will hog all the resources they can get, though if you have an Arch-based distro with an 8 GB card, things are about to get better for you.

    To put it simply, you will need to get "some kernel patches as well as additional utilities to make use of the kernel capabilities properly." Vock recommends using the Arch-based CachyOS and installing the packages "dmemcg-booster" and "plasma-foreground-booster." From here, your games should start to run better on graphics cards with 8 GB of VRAM.

• Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • HowTo Geek ☛ Modern phones are locked down, but this legendary HTC ran every operating system imaginable (even Ubuntu)

    When you pick out a phone, you’re also picking out the operating system—that typically means Android or iOS. What if a phone didn’t follow those rules? What if it could run any OS you wanted? This is the story of the legendary HTC HD2.