The makers of the Zorin OS Linux operating system announced today that they partnered with a computer manufacturer to offer users notebooks powered by Zorin OS.

The wait is over, as Zorin OS has partnered with Star Labs, a UK-based computer manufacturer specialised in selling Linux-powered notebooks, to offer you two new laptops running the latest version of Zorin OS, fully customized and optimised for these powerful and slick notebooks.

"Creating a Linux desktop experience that’s accessible to everyone has always been our mission at Zorin OS," reads today's announcement. "Today we’re taking the next step in this mission by making Zorin OS easier for the masses to access: on new computers powered by Zorin OS."

• 3.5-inch SBC features Intel Gemini Lake

  Ibase has launched a 3.5-inch “IB822” SBC with an Intel Gemini Lake SoC with 16GB DDR4, 2x SATA, 2x GbE, triple displays, and 2x M2 expansion slots.

  Ibase’s IB822, which is not to be confused with its similarly 3.5-inch, circa-2008 IB882 SBC running the Atom Z500 or the more recent, Apollo Lake based IB818 3.5-inch model, features the latest Intel Atom class Gemini Lake system-on-chips. This is the first Gemini Lake 3.5-inch SBC we’ve seen, and the only SBC aside from Hardkernel’s Odroid-H2 SBC. Meanwhile, the delayed, Gemini Lake based LattePanda Delta SBC is available for pre-order starting at $385 with shipments expected in August.

• Railway computer takes on AI analytics with Nvidia Quadro graphics

  Adlink’s Linux-ready, EN50155-certified “PIS-5500” railway analytics computer offers Intel 6th or 7th Gen Core i7 CPUs with AI-enabled Nvidia Quadro graphics. I/O includes 10x GbE, 2x or 4x SATA, 2x mini-PCIe, and M.2.

  Railway computers are growing more sophisticated and starting to specialize. Whereas Adlink’s Apollo Lake based DMI-1210 touch-panel computer is designed for train driver controls, its rugged new PIS-5500 is aimed at both wayside and onboard real-time video/graphics analytics applications. These include ticket-free check-in, more accurate arrival-time predictions, personalized infotainment and onboard services, real-time track heath diagnostics, and rapid emergency response.

  

• Google won't be making its own Android or Chrome OS tablets any more

             
  

               

  A spokesperson from Google said: “Chrome OS has grown in popularity across a broad range of form factors and we’ll continue to work with our ecosystem of partners on laptops and tablets. For Google’s first-party hardware efforts, we’ll be focusing on Chrome OS laptops and will continue to support Pixel Slate.”

        
 

• Google's officially done making its own tablets

             
  

               

  A couple of clarifying points here: First, none of this has any impact on Pixel phones. Pixel phones and Pixel computers are two different departments, and the roadmap in question is related exclusively to the latter. (The same applies to the various Google Home/Nest products. What we're talking about today has absolutely zero impact on any that stuff.)

               

  And second, when Google talks about a "tablet," it means a device that detaches completely from a keyboard base or doesn't even have a physical keyboard in the first place — not a swiveling two-in-one convertible like the Pixelbook. The Pixelbook, with its attached keyboard and 360-degree hinge, falls under Google's definition of "laptop." Blurred lines, baby.

I think the results are obvious, and they speak for themselves. Alas, it would seem that if you want to use Fedora with a setup like the above, then you'll be either very lucky or you're going to face a torrent of problems. But then, Linux has always been, to use a somewhat stupid analogy, like saying you should only drive your car on Mondays on roads that have green sidewalks, and then you will be fine. The whole not-our-problem, use hardware that's "friendly" is nonsense, because people don't have infinite money, choice or expertise, especially since alternative operating systems offer all they need, plus a full range of hardware freedom.

My Fedora 30 test on the G50 was decent - that's a simple Intel graphics box - but even that one used to have millions of problems with Linux - Fedora wouldn't boot until I'd done a BIOS update, and for three years, almost every distro had network disconnect problems. On this box, we're seeing more of what I showed you in the Fedora 29 test. Fedora and Nvidia graphics are not a good fit. Add to that my home dir import woes, the performance woes, the Wireless woes, you get the picture. Feels like we've gone back many years into the past. I'd actually prefer if distros WARNED that the device is not certified or approved or expected to work and refuse to install, than install and then throw a whole bucket of hissy. I will still run an in-vivo upgrade on the Lenovo machine, because that's what I promised to do, but this is a big, big disappointment.

Niryo has built a fantastic 6-axis robotic arm called ‘Niryo One’. It is a 3D-printed, affordable robotic arm focused mainly on educational purposes. Additionally, it is fully open source and based on ROS. On the hardware side, it is powered by a Raspberry Pi 3 and NiryoStepper motors, based on Arduino microcontrollers. When we found out all this, guess what we thought? This is a perfect target for Ubuntu Core and snaps!

When the robotic arm came to my hands, the first thing I did was play with Niryo Studio; a tool from Niryo that lets you move the robotic arm, teach sequences to it and store them, and many more things. You can programme the robotic arm with Python or with a graphical editor based on Google’s Blocky. Niryo Studio is a great tool that makes starting on robotics easy and pleasant.