It's FOSS

Sipeed's New KVM Wants AI Agents to See and Control Your Screen

Abhishek Prakash — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:13:00 +0530

Sipeed has been making tiny RISC-V and ARM boards for the maker crowd for years, and its NanoKVM line is already a familiar name if you have ever wanted BIOS-level remote access without paying enterprise IPMI prices.

Sipeed has announced a new entry in the NanoKVM line. It is called NanoKVM-Go, it is miniature and skips the usual pile of HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and power cables entirely. It comes with just USB-C cable to the target device and WiFi 6 for the connectivity. That's it.

The NanoKVM-Go is on Kickstarter and has already achived its funding goal by raising over a $130,000 against its target of approximately $6,000.

This tiny KVM also generated quite a buzz on Twitter, perhaps because it used the term "AI-native" in its campaign.

Yes, Sipeed is calling it the world's first "AI-native" KVM, built so that an AI agent can watch your screen and act on it at the hardware level. Interesting, right?

NanoKVM-Go Specifications

Here are the main hardware specifications for NanoKVM-GO:

Single USB-C cable for video, audio, keyboard/mouse, power pass-through, and virtual disk
4K capture at 45Hz, 2K at 90Hz, latency as low as 60ms at 1080p
Dual-band WiFi 6, up to 286Mbps, built-in Tailscale for remote access.
KVM functions exposed as an MCP server for AI agents (for OpenClaw like AI agents)
Go+ variant (comes with a built-in 3.2TOPS AI processor and PicoClaw) adds a local "Ambient Screen Intelligence" with 180-day searchable screen history

The device is priced to be $89 for Go and $129 for Go+. But if you back them in the crowdfunding campaign, you can get them for $69 and $99 respectively.

The main USB-C port on NanoKVM-Go carries video and audio (over DisplayPort Alt Mode), keyboard and mouse emulation, disk emulation for mounting OS images, and even a virtual network interface, all through that single cable. A separate auxiliary USB-C port handles power pass-through so your laptop or phone keeps charging during a long session.

It also powers an optional FingerBot accessory that can physically press a stuck computer's power button for a hard reboot. Yes, you read that right.

On the capture side, it does 4K at 45Hz or 2K at 90Hz, with latency Sipeed lists at 60ms for 1080p60, 80ms for 2K60, and 100ms for 4K30. That is over dual-band WiFi 6, rated up to 286Mbps, with Tailscale built in so you can reach the device remotely without setting up port forwarding.

Since it works with anything that supports USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, that covers MacBooks, Mac minis, any laptop with USB C port, iPhone 15 and later, several Android phones, and even the Steam Deck.

NanoKVM-GO board images shared by Sipeed on X

Under the hood is an unnamed SoC that is probably the same Axera Tech AX630C used in the existing NanoKVM Pro. It is paired with a dual-core Cortex-A53 and a 3.2 TOPS NPU. The base NanoKVM-Go gets 256MB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage, and the whole thing draws around 1.6W at 4K30.

NanoKVM-Go+

The NanoKVM-Go+ doubles the memory to 512MB and jumps to 64GB of eMMC, all in service of a feature Sipeed calls "Ambient Screen Intelligence,"which is basically its own version of the infamous Microsoft's Recall.

It continuously captures your screen, stores up to 180 days of history locally, and lets you search through it later with plain text, all processed on-device without cloud uploads or a subscription.

Whether you actually want a machine remembering everything on your screen for six months is up too you, but at least Sipeed is keeping it local instead of 'calling it home' like Microslop.

What could you use it for?

Well... remotely accessing and controlling your device is the most straight forward use.

Typically, you would need to install a remote desktop or remote access solution on the host system that you want to control. But with this gadget attached to the machine, it becomes a 'plug and play'. You can assist your elderly parents and friends (if they have devices with USB-C) or control your homelab devices from outside the home network.

Let's talk about the "native AI" feature. See, every KVM function, keyboard input, mouse control, screen capture, is exposed as an MCP server that you can turn on yourself. That effectively turns the device into a hardware-level Computer Use Agent peripheral.

Instead of an AI agent needing screen-sharing software running on the target machine, it can drive the actual hardware through the KVM, which also means it works even if the target OS is frozen or sitting at a BIOS screen.

You can use Sipeed's own PicoClaw agent or go with OpenClaw, Claude Code, Codex, and Hermes Agent among other compatible options.

Sipeed is leaning on this to court the current wave of agentic AI tools, name-checking its own lightweight PicoClaw agent alongside OpenClaw, Claude Code, Codex, and Hermes Agent as compatible options.

The screen capture recall feature of Go+ is also helpful.

If you are running AI agents, you can let them run with your laptop lid closed (that's the running joke in the industry).

The announcement video could give you more ideas:

🛒 Pricing and Availability

NanoKVM-Go is live on Kickstarter now, and it's already comfortably funded past its original $50,000 HKD (about $6,374) goal.

Back NanoKVM-Go on Kickstarter

The Early Bird tier for the base NanoKVM-Go is going for $69 (instead of $89), and the Super Early Bird for NanoKVM-Go+ is $99 (instead of $129). Shipping adds roughly $20 for international backers, and rewards are expected to go out in August 2026.

🚧

As with any crowdfunding campaign, treat the ship date as an estimate rather than a promise. Back it to support the project, not because you're counting on August delivery.

If you want to use this device in your AI workflow, go for the Go+ version.

Suggested Read: If KVMs are your thing, we also covered the LeafKVM, an open source Rust and Buildroot based KVM-over-IP device that takes a very different, fully open approach.

HW Lab's DockFrame Heads to Crowd Supply With Swappable Tool Cards

Sourav Rudra — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 09:51:19 +0530

Crowdfunding is one of the best ways to turn an idea into an actual product. A creator pitches something, sets a funding goal, and backers decide whether it is worth building.

While most campaigns stay small, a few do break out completely. The original Pebble smartwatch asked for $100,000 in 2012, walked away with over $10 million, going on to ship more than two million watches. It has since returned as an open source-focused outfit.

HW Media Lab already knows that path. Its first product, WebScreen, a hackable secondary display for gamers and creators, asked Crowd Supply for $5,250 and came back with $10,718, more than double its goal.

Now they are back again with a new creation that focuses on modular, repairable USB-C docking.

Just a generic USB-C hub?

Not quite; the DockFrame is a modular USB-C hub built around Framework's open source Expansion Card slot standard. Instead of a fixed set of ports, it gives you four open slots that accept the same cards Framework sells for its laptops and desktops.

The hub itself operates on USB 3.2, with USB-C DisplayPort and Power Delivery passthrough up to 100 W on the downstream ports. The case is injection-molded and translucent, supports Framework's Desktop Tiles, and has a LEGO-compatible stud grid on the bottom so multiple units can be stacked once four slots stop being enough.

Slot in any of the Framework Expansion Cards, and DockFrame will treat them like they belong there. This means any spare USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, or storage cards left over from a laptop upgrade do not have to sit in a drawer; they can go straight into the hub instead.

HW Media Lab builds its own Tool Cards too:

The Multimeter Card can read DC/AC voltage, current, and continuity.
The Mini Hub Card adds four USB 3.0 ports, each capable of 5 Gbps transfer speeds.
The Power Supply Card is a programmable buck-boost supply with USB PD input up to 100 W.
The BreadBoard Card carries a Seeed Studio XIAO board and standard 0.1 inch headers for prototyping work.

If none of the four fit what you need, you can design your own card using the same open slot standard or build a custom host app that talks to the onboard MCUs over USB serial, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ESP-NOW.

Repairability is also a focus here, as the DockFrame is held together with screws instead of glue. Makers, embedded engineers, educators, and anyone tired of keeping a dock, a multimeter, and a bench supply as three separate boxes are the target audience here.

While you wait…

The DockFrame is yet to receive an official release date or a price tag. While you wait, you can keep an eye out on the Crowd Supply page for it, and if you want to share feedback, the official product page has a form you can fill out.

DockFrame (Crowd Supply)

All the hardware-related files, like schematics, layouts, firmware, and the FreeCAD case files, should be available on GitHub once the crowdfunding campaign ends. You can track development by joining HW Lab's Discord server.

Brave Says This is Not a Privacy Feature, But Using Containers Has Its Perks

Sourav Rudra — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:40:55 +0530

Brave has rolled out Containers with the Brave Browser 1.92 release, giving its Chromium-based browser something Firefox users have had for years now. And no, it is not some pre-installed extension doing the work; this functionality is built right into the browser for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

In this implementation, each container keeps its own cookies and site data storage separate from the rest, even if you visit the same website across containers. By default, this feature ships with four categories: Personal, Work, Social, and School. Each one of them can be edited or deleted to suit your workflow.

The default Container categories are useful, I must say.

You can make new ones too! I made one to test how containers worked, named it "It's FOSS," and picked a color and icon for it from the available options.

The idea itself isn't new. Brave points back to a Mozilla concept doc from 2015 that laid out the original pitch for container tabs in Firefox, complete with cookie isolation, per-container icons, and even auto-naming.

I didn't really login to either service when I took this, but you get the idea, right?

Mozilla eventually built a version of this right into the browser, with a Multi-Account Containers extension being made available for people who are unable to access Containers on their installation or want site auto-assignment and cross-device syncing.

There's more

Alongside named containers, Brave Browser also lets you spin up a temporary one straight from the right-click menu, for whenever you want quick isolation without setting up and naming a permanent container.

I tried it out myself, and instead of asking me to name anything, Brave auto-generated a random two-word name along with its own icon and color; mine came out as "Enter victory."

It still worked like any other container while it was open; I just did not have to set it up first.

Another thing to watch out for is that Brave is rolling out Containers gradually, so not everyone will see it on their installation just yet, and the feature is also being offered on Brave Origin, which, if you remember, is free for Linux users.

Get access now!

If you have already updated to Brave Browser 1.92 and still don't see a Containers option in your settings menu, then you could force-enable it by following these steps.

First, visit this address in your browser: brave://flags. Here, type containers into the search bar and click on the dropdown menu.

Now, click on Enabled to activate this feature on your installation and relaunch the browser. Next, visit the Settings page, and under the "Content" page, look for the Containers category and enable it.

This is how I got it running on my Fedora Workstation setup, so you should also be able to do the same on other platforms and even on Brave Origin.

Collabora Office 26.04 Keeps AI Optional and Refines Writer and Calc

Sourav Rudra — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:11:00 +0530

Collabora Productivity got into the desktop editor market last year when they launched Collabora Office, an office suite built on the same rendering mechanism as Collabora Online, but focused on offline use.

They came up with this so people could get the same editing experience online or offline without needing to re-learn their way around the interface. It is still LibreOffice code under the hood, but instead of the traditional VCL interface, it uses a JavaScript, CSS, WebGL, and Canvas stack.

That shared codebase means updates move fast between Collabora's products, which is why the first major update for Collabora Office already pulls in features from CODE 26.04.

A refined document suite

Illustration sourced from Collabora Productivity.

Open any one of the three editors without a document loaded, and you will land on the new start screen. It will show your recent documents with file type icons, a template gallery, and provide quick access features like AI and document signing once a file's open.

Of course the bigger addition here is AI. I know you are tired of seeing every other open source office suite dipping themselves in Clanker paint, but fret not, as Collabora has kept AI off by default.

Switching it on means picking your own model provider, self-hosting a model, or choosing a vendor you already trust, and plugging in your own credentials. Collabora stays out of the loop entirely and the assistant gets no access to your documents unless you hand it over yourself.

When enabled, it drafts and rewrites text in Writer, sorts out broken formulas in Calc before you go hunting for the error yourself, and turns rough notes into an actual slide deck in Impress.

It can also generate images and summarize documents when you don't have time to go through them manually.

For the rest of the release, Office 26.04 ships what the CODE 26.04 release came with.

So for Writer, you get a reworked document comparison tool that color-codes insertions/deletions and any moved content while flagging who made each change and when.

All of that is viewable side by side or through the tracked changes panel. There's also a new multi-page view, richer style previews, Navigator search, and Markdown import/export.

Writer, Calc, and Impress.

Calc picked up just as much. Per-user sheet views let each person set their own filters and layout without touching anyone else's, and a new table design tab brings proper table styles along with calculated pivot fields.

Formula errors now show up in a floating helper dialog right on the cell, so you can inspect and fix the problem without scrolling through the sheet. A batch of new functions has also landed, including TEXTSPLIT, HSTACK, and WRAPROWS.

Over in Impress, follow-me presenting lets viewers scroll back through earlier slides on their own without ever jumping ahead of whoever's presenting. Similarly, slides can be grouped into sections, a single deck can mix multiple slide sizes, and multi-monitor support is better than before.

You also get better font embedding for presentations that render consistently wherever they're opened.

Get started

Collabora Office is available for a wide range of platforms, including Linux (as a Flatpak and Snap), Windows (via the Microsoft Store), and macOS (via the App Store).

For tracking development and access to the source code, you can visit Collabora's Gerrit instance.

Collabora Office

If you were looking out for enterprise support, Collabora says that they are working on it and that this release acts as a preview of what's to come. I asked Michael Meeks, the CEO of Collabora Productivity, what enterprise users, particularly those looking to deploy Collabora Office on Linux, can expect.

He said that:

Enterprises can start evaluating this today, support will arrive in a few weeks. They can look forward to smoother workflows, less training with a more attractive and ergonomic UX shared with Collabora Online, built-in AI support and more. We look forward to enterprise user feedback.

FOSS Weekly #26.27: Dev Mode in KDE Linux, Local AI, De-Google Android, Free Terminal Starter Course, KDE Step and More

Abhishek Prakash — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:58:53 +0530

I recently had a very interesting conversation with a reader who suggested that I should not ignore AI. Because this is the next new normal and we have to adapt.

I agree but in the context of local AI. Local AI is the popular term used for the open source models that live on your system, stay offline and don't send data anywhere.

Sure, it's not for everyone and not every one would be interested in AI, irrespective of whether it is open source or not.

And that's why I am creating a separate newsletter called "Local AI Weekly" for people who are interested in learning and using the local (open source) AI.

If you are interested, you can subscribe to this upcoming newsletter.

Subscribe to Local AI Weekly (If you want to)

FOSS Weekly will have the usual Linux and open source material that you love. No changes on that end. If you don't like AI, nothing changes for you.

📰 Linux and open source news that matter

David Plummer, the ex-Microsoft engineer who built the original Windows Task Manager, has had enough of what Notepad has become, his response is TinyRetroPad, a fully functional Notepad clone built in x86 assembly that comes in around 2.5KB.

Proton's Lumo 2.0 fills the gaps that made the original feel half-baked.

Memory is in; web search now actually searches, returning cited results instead of falling back on training data; and image generation is finally possible.

If you're not a developer or bug hunter, Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 2 isn't really worth your time yet; the user-facing stuff (GNOME 51, voice typing) is still months out. But Canonical has done some backend work that should simplify image delivery.

The Wine 11.12 release is mostly housekeeping, with fixes for two gamepad bugs worth knowing about. Need for Speed: Most Wanted had a stuck Up input firing on its own, and Super Hexagon went deaf to keyboard and mouse once a controller was plugged in.

The Linux Foundation has launched Akrites, a body for open source vulnerability handling, with roughly 20 founding members, including Anthropic, AWS, Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Red Hat, and NVIDIA.

Additionally, they have also announced their intent to launch the Agent Name Service, an open DNS-based standard for verifying AI agent identities. Here, every agent gets a versioned name and certificate tied to standard domain verification, with every registration and change logged in a tamper-evident, publicly auditable record.

Nate Graham of KDE has announced a fairly basic Developer Mode for KDE Linux that is supposed to let developers jump into a session tailored for Plasma or distro-related work.

ONLYOFFICE is now 16 years old. I did not know that it was inexostence for so many years. ONLYOFFICE gained popularity in the last few years as an open source office suite that has good compatibility with MS Office documentation format. That solves a major pain point for people who rely heavily on docx and xlsx and other such document formats.

Learn more

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

We had an interesting chat with iodé's Brian Russell on what running a de-Googled Android distro project actually looks like in practice.

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

If someone you know just switched to Linux and is intimidated by the terminal, we have a course to point them to. These are ten short chapters, all hands-on, that will walk them through core file operations.

KDE's System Monitor is a lot more flexible than its default layout suggests. Join us as we guide you through building your own page from scratch, picking chart styles, and organizing everything neatly with rows, columns, and sections.

Here are ten fonts worth knowing about if your terminal is still running whatever shipped with your distro.

1 backup is no back up. 2 backups are 1 backup and untested backups are not backups. Those are the golden rules for backups and I have a list of different kinds of backup tools you can explore on Linux.

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

Purism's Linux-powered Librem 16 laptop starts at $2,899 for the base configuration and tops out at an absurd $11,944 if you max out every build-your-own option.

Why should you opt for It's FOSS Plus membership:

✅ Ad-free reading experience
✅ Badges in the comment section and forum
✅ Supporting creation of educational Linux materials
✅ Free Linux eBook

Join It's FOSS Plus

✨ Apps and Projects Highlights

KDE Step is a physics simulation tool that turns abstract concepts like harmonic motion, orbital mechanics, and electrostatic equilibrium into something you can actually watch play out.

📽️ Videos for You

Keeping the batteries on modern laptops in optimum condition over time requires a little more attention than usual.

Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In KDE Plasma, go to Settings -> Default Applications -> File Associations.

Here, search for a file type of your choice; as an example, I chose an .svg image below.

Now, arrange the applications in order of your choosing. Like Gwenview, Inkscape, and GIMP, then apply the changes.

Now, in Dolphin file manager, you can double-left-click (first app in the list) to open the image in Gwenview, middle-click (second app in the list) to open in Inkscape, and Shift+middle-click (third app in the list) to open in GIMP.

You can do this for other file formats as well.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

Some choices in this puzzle don't belong with the rest. Can you get them all?

The terminal can bite you if you go to it ill-prepared. 🙃

🗓️ Tech Trivia: IBM just announced the world's first sub-1nm chip. The transistors are only 0.7nm wide, called 7 angstroms, and the new "nanostack" design packs about 100 billion of them into a chip the size of a fingernail. IBM says that this is 70% more efficient than their previous 2nm chips.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Pro FOSSer Mikael is wondering what everyone thinks of AUR. Seeing the recent fiasco surrounding it, this is a well-timed thread.

Lastly a question for those who read the entire newsletter properly. Would you be interested in a text-only version of FOSS Weekly?