Daily Tech News 19 July 2023

• Framework's new 16" laptop - dubbed reasonably enough the Framework Laptop 16 - is now available for pre-order. (The Verge)
  
  If you want one you'll be waiting a while because the first five production batches sold out in the first day.
  
  It comes with a Ryzen 7840HS or 7940HS CPU, up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM (and probably 96GB, but that depends on BIOS support), up to 6TB of SSD (10TB if you install your own), and optional Radeon 7700S graphics with 8GB of VRAM.
  
  The screen is a solid all-rounder: 2560x1600, 165Hz, 100% DCI-P3 colour, and 500 nits brightness. The CPU isn't high-end - it has eight cores while AMD now offers 16 core laptop chips - but should be plenty for most users.
  
  And the optional dedicated GPU is truly optional: It works without it, you can add it later if you want, you can remove it, and you can upgrade it later on. There's a plan for a storage module with two more M.2 slots to go in that expansion bay if you don't need the advanced graphics.
  
  It also has six little I/O modules, supporting a choice of USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort, HDMI, microSD, 2.5Gb Ethernet, storage modules up to 1TB, and/or a headphone jack. Only three of the module bays support external video, so you can't put anything anywhere, but it is very flexible.
  
  The keyboard is also modular. The default keyboard lacks the Four Essential Keys, but you can add a numeric keypad or a 24 key macropad. Or you can get both and swap between them on a whim. The keyboard modules are programmable and each has an embedded RP2040 - the chip in the Raspberry Pi Pico.
  
  And everything is designed to be user-replaceable with just a screwdriver and some patience.
  
  It's not cheap, but neither is the MacBook Pro, its polar opposite in terms of serviceability.

• Logitech has acquired Loupedeck, maker of fancy control surfaces for audiovisual editing that look great but kind of suck. (The Verge)
  
  This is probably good, because Loupedeck had great ideas but lacked the money and engineering depth to bring them fully into fruition.
  
  
  
• Intel has stopped making NUCs - now Asus will make them instead. (Serve the Home)
  
  Asus has bought the existing designs and the rights to manufacture and sell them, plus the rights to the brand and to produce future designs.
  
  Which is good because NUCs were generally decent designs. Not world-shattering, but not awful.
  
  
  
• The largest lithium mine in North America has been cleared to start operations in Nevada. (NPR)
  
  This is NPR, so naturally they think this is a bad thing, and they are switching their cars to run on unicorn farts.
  
  
  
• Neopets is relaunching with $4 million in fresh funding. (BBC)
  
  Nobody tell Pippa, she has enough obsessions already.
  
  In the scheme of things, with how much money has been flushed down the drain on much dumber ideas (Juicero burned through $120 million trying to sell a juicer that created juice from, well, juice) this seems like a 24 carat investment.
  
  
  
• No, the Radeon 7800 isn't just a 16GB Radeon 7700. (Notebook Check)
  
  My fault, I misread the article in Tom's Hardware yesterday. The 7800 should be a 20-25% upgrade over the 6800, and the 7700 a 20-25% upgrade over the 6700 XT. Nothing amazing, but the only amazing cards in this generation are the RTX 4090, which is amazingly fast and amazingly expensive, and the MooreThreads MTT S80, which is amazingly awful.

posted by Pixy Misa at 04:06 AM

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