The DragonBox Pyra has a 5 inch screen and a dual-core ARM-based processor. But it's not a smartphone. In fact, this handheld computer looks more like a cross between a tiny laptop and a Nintendo DS game system. It has a physical keyboard, a bunch of storage and input/output options, dedicated buttons for playing games, and Debian Linux software which allows you to play games … [Read more...]
LPX Episode 7: Are chatbots the new apps?
Are chatbots the new apps? A lot of developers seem to think so. Facebook and Microsoft have both rolled out tools that make it easy for coders to create bots that you can chat with on Facebook Messenger, Skype, and other platforms including plain old SMS text messaging. I wanted to get a better sense of what chatbots are, what they can do, and why we should use them. So for … [Read more...]
LPX Episode 6: Vivaldi is a web browser for power users
After co-founding Opera Software and working on the company's web browsers for 15 years, Jon von Tetzchner left Opera in 2011. Now he's back with a new company and a new web browser... and it's aimed squarely at power users looking for features that aren't built into any other web browser. Vivaldi 1.0 is available for download for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can find the LPX … [Read more...]
What’s in your podcast playlist?
I've been a fan of podcasts for the past decade, but despite having a background in radio, it's taken me a while to get around to launching my own: as a professional blogger and radio producer, I knew how much time and effort goes into making the kind of podcast I'd listen to even if I weren't the person making it. So that got me wondering... what are you listening to? You … [Read more...]
LPX Episode 5: Building a fair(er) phone
Most people probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about the materials used to build their phones, or the workers who put the hardware together. But Amsterdam-based Fairphone is trying to change that... by selling phones made with conflict-free minerals from Africa and by setting up a Worker Welfare fund for factory workers in China. Even if you don't care about those … [Read more...]
LPX Episode 4: Should we unlock the cable box? Or eliminate it?
Most people in the United States who pay for TV have to use a set-top-box rented from their cable provider. In February, the Federal Communications Commission voted to adopt a plan that could change that by requiring TV providers to open up the data streams so that you could access content on something like a Roku, Chromecast, or Apple TV. But the cable, satellite, and other … [Read more...]
LPX Episode 3: Remix OS makes Android into a desktop operating system
Remix OS is a customized version of Android designed to look and feel like a desktop operating system. You can use it to run just about any Android app, but there's a desktop, a taskbar, and support for viewing multiple apps at once in windows that you can resize and reposition on the screen. Here are some links that you may be interested in: Visit the LPX Show website by … [Read more...]
LPX Episode 2: Is that a desktop computer in your pocket?
Intel's is expanding its line of Compute Stick mini-PCs in 2016, so I decided to do a state-of-the-stick episode of LPX, featuring interviews with Intel's marketing manager for the lineup and Ian Morrison, an Australian developer who has been working to port Ubuntu and other open source software to run on Intel's tiny desktop computers. Program Notes 0:00 - 1:52 Introduction … [Read more...]
LPX Episode 1: A dual OS smartphone and an upgradeable laptop
Two people hoping to change the way we use computers. Nitro Duo: two computers in one tiny case Shane Lewis wanted a smartphone that could run Android apps... but which could also work as a full-fledged Windows desktop computer when attached to a docking station. And since there was nobody selling a phone that met that description, he decided to build his own. EOMA68 Libre … [Read more...]
How I make LPX (hardware and software)
LPX is produced out of my home office using a mishmash of pro and amateur gear and software. Here's a list stuff I currently use to interview people from all over the world, record the results, and mix everything together into a podcast. I'll update this page if/when my setup changes. Microphone Sennheiser MD421 II ($380) This is a classic microphone that's often used for … [Read more...]