Computers
An enthusiast turned a Nokia 1680 feature phone into a Linux computer with a working screen and keyboard
The Nokia 1680 classic is a simple push-button mobile phone that was released in 2008, when smartphones were just starting to appear. It supports the functions of calling, receiving and sending SMS, and so on, but only in 2G mobile networks. However, a hardware hacker and enthusiast under the pseudonym Remu NotMoe was able to turn a simple dialer into a full-fledged Linux PC. He called the project Notkia.
To do this, he created a special printed circuit board with a processor, memory and other components. But the keyboard is completely original. The board features a 1GHz single-core MIPS Ingenic X100E processor, 64MB RAM, 32MB NOR flash, and 4GB SLC NAND flash.
The display is a 2-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, although it turned out to be too large for the body. As a result, the apparent screen resolution is 220 x 280 pixels – the edges are simply not visible.
Among other features of Notkia, we note the following:
- USB Type-C port;
- Waveshare OV5640 5 MP camera with autofocus;
- musical synthesizer Yamaha MA-3 (with support for ringtones);
- analog MEMS microphone;
- AMPAK adapter with Wi-Fi 4 and BT 4.0 LE;
- Semtech SX126x LoRa transceiver;
- BL-5C battery.
It all runs under Linux, including text entry using the phone’s original numeric keypad. T9 technology is also supported. The device can be used as a computer, walkie-talkie or modem. But Notkia does not know how to make phone calls. The fact is that Remu NotMoe could not find a sufficiently compact 4G LTE module.
The author described the schemes, components, list and design process on Hackster and Hackday. In the future, the author promises to open the source code of the firmware.
Computers
Apple Music Classical app is now available for Android, but not yet available for iPad and Mac
The Apple Music Classical app for listening to classical music is finally available for Android.
Recall that the Apple Music Classical app debuted in March. It’s a standalone app that doesn’t depend on regular Apple Music, and it didn’t exist on Android until today. You need an Apple Music subscription to use the service.
Interestingly, Apple Music Classical is still not available on Mac, and there is no optimized version for iPad. In addition, the service cannot be used through CarPlay.
Recall that Apple Music Classical provides access to more than five million songs and hundreds of playlists. At the same time, unlike the usual Apple Music application, it is possible to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and so on.
Computers
AI will lead to job creation, and commercial applications of quantum computers will begin soon, according to the head of IBM
Artificial intelligence will create new business opportunities and lead to economic growth that will create new jobs, according to IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna.
Krishna said he believes the net effect of AI on employment will be “job creation” rather than job destruction, although it will replace humans in certain jobs.
On Sunday, IBM announced plans to invest $100 million in a joint research project with the University of Tokyo and the University of Chicago in an attempt to build a 100,000-qubit quantum supercomputer in 10 years.
“Japan has accumulated a lot of experience in the field of quantum computing, accumulated over decades,” said Krishna. — Physicists, engineers and materials scientists are working on different aspects. Many people may not realize how deep Japan is in these areas.”
He predicted that quantum computing technology would advance step by step as part of a collaborative project in the next decade, with commercial applications starting in three to five years: “This is the time when people will be solving some problems that are probably too expensive or impossible for conventional computers. To do this, we need between 4,000 and 10,000 qubits.”
In quantum computing, a qubit, or quantum bit, is the basic unit of information, just like a binary bit is in conventional computers.
Apple has started selling refurbished Mac Minis with the Apple M2 platform that debuted in early 2023. Apple is the first to offer these latest mini PCs at a discounted price.
Refurbished Mac minis start at $509 for the 8-core CPU, 10-core graphics, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD version. This is $90 cheaper compared to the same new version. There are other versions of the refurbished 2023 Mac Mini. However, they are all based on the Apple M2, but the restored versions on the Apple M2 Pro are not yet offered.
Refurbished Apple devices are almost identical to new ones, the refurbishment process includes full functional testing, a case without defects, and so on. They come with a one-year limited warranty and AppleCare+ Advanced Service.
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