Samwise Makers' News
Friday, June 26, 2026
Gea Stack Brings CSS and TypeScript UI Development to the ESP32
The Gea stack, a cross-platform UI framework, can now target the ESP32 microcontroller alongside embedded Linux, iOS, and macOS from a single TypeScript and CSS codebase. Developers compose standard CSS and TypeScript, which the toolchain compiles into generated C++ native firmware. A demonstration video shows a fully animated 3D cube running at up to 60 frames per second on a 410×502 AMOLED screen, with transparency effects supported at a modest performance cost. The framework does not support CSS :hover states, rasterizes fonts, and caps the UI tree at 512 nodes. The project shows that web-style declarative UIs are becoming a practical option for microcontroller firmware development.
RTK GPS Brings Sub-Meter Precision to a DIY Tracked Robot Platform
YouTuber GreatScott! has built a tracked outdoor robot using real-time kinematic GPS positioning to achieve sub-meter navigation accuracy. Standard GPS receivers typically deliver accuracy in the two-meter range, which is insufficient for precision autonomous movement. RTK systems improve on this by pairing a mobile receiver with a fixed base station and comparing signal phase angles between the two units, enabling centimeter-level corrections. The project uses an RTK module mounted on the robot platform alongside a base station fixed to a fence post. Results showed the RTK positioning was effective, though the robot’s steering mechanism and turning radius became the limiting factor in achieving precise waypoint navigation.
Orange Pi 6 Launches With 12-Core Arm SoC, Dual 2.5GbE, and 45 TOPS AI Compute
Orange Pi has refreshed its flagship single-board computer lineup with the Orange Pi 6, powered by the CIX P1 CD8180 12-core Arm SoC featuring a tri-cluster architecture: four Cortex-A720 Big cores at up to 2.8 GHz, four Cortex-A720 Medium cores at 2.4 GHz, and four Cortex-A520 Little cores at 1.8 GHz. The board integrates an Arm Immortalis-G720 MC10 GPU with hardware ray tracing and a dedicated 28.8 TOPS NPU, totaling 45 TOPS AI compute. Compared to prior versions, the Orange Pi 6 adopts a smaller 90×90mm footprint, upgrades to dual 2.5GbE networking, and drops battery support. Pricing starts at $239 for the 8GB LPDDR5 variant.
Sources: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
OpenC6 Brings PC-Style BIOS Architecture to the ESP32-C6 Microcontroller
Developer Rompass has released OpenC6 BIOS, an open-source firmware platform for the ESP32-C6 microcontroller that separates the base system from application payloads. Rather than flashing a combined firmware image, OpenC6 loads small payload programs independently via flash or RAM using a custom system call Application Binary Interface without needing full firmware replacement. Key features include an LP-Core management engine using the ESP32-C6’s low-power RISC-V core for system health monitoring, PXE-like network boot for downloading and executing payloads over Wi-Fi, and an A/B OTA update system with rollback support. The project targets ESP32-C6 boards with at least 8MB of Flash and is released under the MIT license.
Sources: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Louder ESP32 Mini Retrofits Passive Speakers With Smart Home Audio for $15
Sonocotta has released the Louder ESP32 Mini, a compact open-source board designed to retrofit passive legacy speakers with wireless Smart Home connectivity. Available in 42×42mm and 52×52mm sizes, the board is powered by an ESP32-S3 with 8MB PSRAM and uses a TAS5805M DAC with onboard DSP. It supports Squeezelite-ESP32 for Spotify Connect, AirPlay, and Bluetooth audio, Snapclient for multi-room audio with Snapserver, and ESPHome for Home Assistant integration. The board connects to passive speakers only and is not intended for active speakers or headphones. EasyEDA schematics, Gerber files, and firmware are available on GitHub. Pricing is $15 for the 42×42mm version and $20 for the larger variant.
Sources: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Canonical Declares 2026 the Year RISC-V Goes Mainstream for Desktop and Server
Canonical has declared 2026 the year RISC-V goes mainstream for desktop and server compute, stating that if 2025 was about readiness, 2026 will be about scale. The announcement accompanies Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, which raises the baseline RISC-V requirement to the RVA23 specification for officially supported Ubuntu Linux releases. Canonical has also partnered with DeepComputing to produce an Ubuntu Desktop image for the DC-ROMA II, marking the first RISC-V device to receive a full Ubuntu Desktop build rather than Ubuntu Server. The push positions RISC-V as a credible open-architecture alternative in embedded, desktop, and server segments, with Canonical targeting commercial-scale deployments rather than hobbyist pilots.
Sources: Hackster.io Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
ESPHome Replaces Legacy Dashboard With New Device Builder as Default Interface
ESPHome has shipped the new Device Builder dashboard as the default interface for Home Assistant users, replacing the legacy in-tree dashboard that the project has carried for years. The Device Builder is a complete rewrite delivered as a standalone web app with a CodeMirror YAML editor, a visual component and automation builder, a component catalog with dependency resolution, a per-board pin info viewer, and a firmware job queue with progress tracking, history, and cancel support. Multi-select bulk actions, labels, areas, out-of-sync detection, and cross-config search are also included. The backend lives in two separate repositories, device-builder and device-builder-frontend, and consumes ESPHome through stable public interfaces.
Sources: Hackster.io Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Quectel FCM365X Combines Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5.4, Zigbee, and Thread in One Compact Module
Quectel has announced the FCM365X, a compact IoT module combining dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE 5.4, Zigbee, and Thread connectivity in a single 25.5×18.0mm LCC+LGA package. The module is built around the NXP RW612 wireless MCU, which pairs a 260 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core with TrustZone technology, 1.2MB of SRAM, and 8MB of Flash, with optional PSRAM expansion. Interface support spans GPIO, SDIO, UART, USB, JTAG, I2C, I2S, ADC, LCD, and PWM. Operating across the −40°C to +85°C industrial range, the FCM365X targets smart home and industrial IoT applications requiring multi-protocol connectivity in a space-constrained design. An RF coaxial connector is standard, with a PCB antenna available as an option.
Sources: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo
1. CardputerZero (M5Stack) — $13.68M raised — Kickstarter
2. xTool WonderPress — ~$4.6M raised — Kickstarter
3. Revopoint POP 4 3D Scanner — $2.64M raised — Kickstarter
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. esphome/device-builder — New Device Builder dashboard
2. Rompass/openc6-bios — PC-like BIOS for ESP32-C6
3. sonocotta/loud-esp — ESP32 smart audio boards
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