Glasfaser unter Berlin: Auch Vodafone nutzt den City-Ring unterhalb von Berlin

Die beiden Kabelnetzbetreiber Vodafone und Tele Columbus haben Strecken in einem etwas geheimnisvollen Rohrsystem erworben, das auch durch die U-Bahn-Tunnel läuft. (Glasfaser, Vodafone)

Die beiden Kabelnetzbetreiber Vodafone und Tele Columbus haben Strecken in einem etwas geheimnisvollen Rohrsystem erworben, das auch durch die U-Bahn-Tunnel läuft. (Glasfaser, Vodafone)

These portable 14 inch 3840 x 1100 pixel displays sell for around $150 and up

This week a crowdfunding campaign wrapped up for a 14 inch portable monitor called Lukos, which has an ultra-wide 3840 x 1100 pixel display sporting a 32:9 aspect ratio. If everything goes according to plan, backers who paid $419 or more should begin receiving their Lukos displays in April. But when I wrote about the […]

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This week a crowdfunding campaign wrapped up for a 14 inch portable monitor called Lukos, which has an ultra-wide 3840 x 1100 pixel display sporting a 32:9 aspect ratio. If everything goes according to plan, backers who paid $419 or more should begin receiving their Lukos displays in April.

But when I wrote about the campaign, several folks pointed out in the comments that there are a number of similar displays available from AliExpress, with some Chinese companies selling models for as little as $153.

While these displays cost less than a Lukos, they also have a more limited selection of ports – the Lukos display has 6 video inputs and supports using up to four displays simultaneously thanks to a split-screen mode. But for the most part, these cheaper displays appear to have:

  • 1 x mini HDMI
  • 2 x USB Type-C (one for power, one for video & data)
  • 2 x micro USB
  • 1 x 3.5mm audio

Some models are also available with touchscreen support and appear to come with a controller board that enables that functionality. And each model has power buttons plus a dial for adjusting display settings.

They also have power buttons and dials that can be used to adjust display settings.

Or if you’d rather purchase the Lukos display without waiting for crowdfunding to end, one store is selling that for $500. This version features a similar display but it comes in a chunkier case with a carbon fiber finish and features a USB Type-C port, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, two HDMI 2.0B ports, and an HDMI 1.4 port plus a DisplayPort 1.2 output and 3.5mm headphone jack.

I cannot vouch for the performance or reliability of any of these 14 inch, 3840 x 1100 pixel displays, but it is interesting to see so many emerging at once. One possible explanation? With companies like Asus producing dual-screen laptops that incorporate similarly-sized displays, some Chinese device makers may be looking for ways to repurpose some of the screens rolling out of factories in that country.

Thanks b1twise and Nate!

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System76 Linux workstation looks ready for gaming, too

A 144 Hz screen, colorful keyboard, and Ethernet can appeal to gamers.

System76 Kudu open

Enlarge / System76 Kudu. (credit: System76)

System76's latest Linux laptop combines one of AMD's most powerful 5000 series mobile CPUs with Nvidia's mid-range RTX 3060. Configurable to up to $3,442, the Kudu targets Linux users who have a lot of work to do, while quietly nodding at those who like to play games every now and then, too.

The 15.6-inch Kudu is the second-priciest offering in System76's laptop lineup. It comes with an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, which has a base clock speed of 3.3 GHz and a boost of up to 4.6 GHz.

It's worth noting that AMD announced its next generation of mobile chips, the Ryzen 6000 series, last month, and laptops should start arriving with those chips soon. Options are more limited in the Linux space, but for a quick comparison, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX has the same clock speed as its last-gen counterpart but with a higher boost of up to 4.9 GHz and more graphics cores (12 versus 8).

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Google starts selling the Pixel 6 in Italy and Spain

But due to supply issues, it will only come in black, and only 128GB.

The Pixel 6.

Enlarge / The Pixel 6. (credit: Google)

Hot off the announcement that Google is seeing record sales for the Pixel 6, the company is expanding the distribution of its flagship smartphone ever so slightly. The Google Store is now selling the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in Italy and Spain, taking the total Pixel 6 country distribution from nine countries to 11.

Google's vice president of Devices & Services for EMEA, Michiel van Eldik, is quoted in the Google Italy Blog post saying (via translation): "Due to the high demand for Pixel 6 devices, coupled with global supply chain issues, we will launch a limited amount of devices and expect to sell them quickly." Italy and Spain are only getting the 128GB versions of both phones, and they come in any color you want, as long as it's black. In other countries, the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro phone is available in white, green, yellow, and red, with 256GB and 512GB storage options, but that's all being limited due to supply problems.

When the Pixel 6 debuted in October, Google told Ars the phone was launching in "12 countries, including US, Canada, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, UK, Germany, France, and Ireland on October 28th and then Spain, Italy, and Singapore early next year." Assuming Google's plans haven't changed, Singapore is the only country on that list where the Pixel 6 hasn't launched yet.

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Facebook loses users for first time ever, market cap drops by $200 billion

Meta’s earnings call revealed bad news buried within bad news.

A worker picks up trash in front of the new logo in front of Meta's headquarters on October 28, 2021, in Menlo Park, Calif.

Enlarge / A worker picks up trash in front of the new logo in front of Meta's headquarters on October 28, 2021, in Menlo Park, Calif. (credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

If last year was bad for Meta, this year might be worse.

The company’s earnings call last night painted a dismal picture. Its flagship Facebook platform lost about a million daily active users last quarter, the first time that has happened. Instagram and WhatsApp may still be growing but not by much—last quarter, the company added just 10 million users across all its apps. Meta lost $10 billion on its Reality Labs division, which handles VR and AR, the stuff it has been betting its future on. And the company said that it expects Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature to slash the coming year’s revenue by $10 billion, or about 10 percent.

The market did not react kindly to the news. Meta’s stock has taken a massive hit and is currently trading down around 24 percent below yesterday’s close, wiping around $200 billion off its market cap.

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Moto G Stylus (2022) is a $300 phone with pen support with a big screen and a big battery

While some phone makers only offer a stylus with high-end smartphones, Motorola has been selling a line of mid-range Moto G Stylus handsets for years for folks willing to sacrifice specs in pursuit of a more affordable price tag. This year’s Moto G Stylus (2022) ups the ante in some key areas: it has a […]

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While some phone makers only offer a stylus with high-end smartphones, Motorola has been selling a line of mid-range Moto G Stylus handsets for years for folks willing to sacrifice specs in pursuit of a more affordable price tag.

This year’s Moto G Stylus (2022) ups the ante in some key areas: it has a more RAM, a bigger battery, an updated camera system and a higher screen refresh rate than last year’s model, while keeping the same $300 price tag. But Motorola also swapped out a mid-range Qualcomm processor for a mid-range MediaTek chip, which could be more of a lateral move.

Motorola is taking orders for the new Moto G Stylus now and expects to begin shipping the phone February 17, 2022.

Here’s a run-down of some of the phone’s key specs:

Moto G Stylus (2022)
Display 6.8 inches
2460 x 1080 pixels
20:9 aspect ratio
90 Hz refresh rate
IPS LCD
Stylus (docks inside phone)
Processor MediaTek Helio G88
Graphics ARM Mali-G52
RAM 6GB
Storage 128GB
microSD card reader (up to 512GB)
Cameras 50MP primary
8MP ultra-wide angle (118 degree FoV) + macro
2MP depth
16MP front-facing
Battery 5,000 mAh
Charging 10W
Ports USB 2.0 Type-C
3.5mm headset
Audio Loudspeaker
2 microphones
Water resistance “Water repellent” but not waterproof
Wireless WiFi 5
Bluetooth 5.0
Single SIM
4G LTE
(no 5G or NFC)
Security Fingerprint reader (side)
Face unlock)
Colors Twilight Blue
Metallic Rose
OS Android 11
Dimensions 170.21 x 75.9 x 9.45mm
Weight 216 grams
Price $300

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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has set a record for most consecutive successes

The Falcon 9 also recently surpassed the space shuttle in total flights.

A Falcon 9 rocket launches on a pillar of fire in January 2022.

Enlarge / A Falcon 9 rocket launches on a pillar of fire in January 2022. (credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX has been launching Falcon 9 rockets thick and fast of late. With 10 launches since the beginning of December, the company has flown rockets at a rate greater than one mission a week. And another launch could happen as soon as today, shortly after noon (18:13 UTC), with a Starlink satellite launch planned from Florida.

Lost amid the flurry of activity are some pretty significant milestones for the Falcon 9 rocket, which made its debut a little more than a decade ago.

Number of launches

The Falcon 9 rocket has now launched a total of 139 times. Of those, one mission failed, the launch of an International Space Station supply mission for NASA, in June 2015. Not included in this launch tally is the pre-flight failure of a Falcon 9 rocket and its Amos-6 satellite during a static fire test in September 2016.

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