Here are the exact technical specifications of the two low-end tablets based on x86.

Hardware:

Firmware:

Software:

Benchmarks:

Screenshots Miix 310-10ICR:

Screenshots Miix 320-10ICR:

Documents / Drivers

Miix 310-10ICR Drivers
Miix 320-10ICR Drivers

Der Beitrag <h5>Setup: </h5><h3><b>Lenovo Miix Tablets</b></h3> erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.

How could it be otherwise when you handle a lot of hardware? Particularly low-priced devices tend to end up sooner rather than later at their final destination—with me.

The combination of mobile, inexpensive, battery life, and x86 rarely bodes well. Add “convertible” to the mix, and well… Such is the case with Lenovo’s “Miix” series. Two tablets from this series found their way into my hands, one after the other, with a little time in between. One was the Lenovo Ideapad Miix 310-10ICR and the other was its direct successor, the Lenovo Ideapad Miix 320-10ICR. Both are equipped with a 10.1″ display.

⧉ Lenovo

⧉ Lenovo

⧉ Lenovo

⧉ Lenovo

⧉ Lenovo

⧉ Lenovo

The first impression when switched off is really not bad. Glass display, the keyboard is securely docked, the workmanship is high quality. After switching it on, disillusionment sets in – the data sheets didn’t lie. Intel Atom with 2 watts TDP in combination with an embedded multimedia card as mass storage is simply very slow – but cheap. Just like the whole device, bought by different people in various Mediamarkt bargain bins on special offer.

At least both have the maximum RAM expansion, even back then (2016/2017) with 4 GB LPDDR3, which was already very small. With 2 GB of RAM, which was also available, these devices would be completely unusable with Windows 10, regardless of the version. Constant swapping to the slow eMMC simply cannot run well.

Upgrade…?

No way. As a classic ultra-mobile device, there is really nothing that can be upgraded in terms of hardware (without special equipment and soldering tools). So the only option is to try to improve the performance of the software. My somewhat hopeful attempt to improve responsiveness by replacing the factory-installed Windows 10 Home with Windows 8.1 Pro failed miserably: There are simply no working drivers, especially for the processor’s iGPU (however, the 64-bit version of 8.1 could be installed without any problems).

It’s a shame, because 8.1 works really well with a touchscreen and, although it is now less widely supported, it is also a less bloated operating system. Only ~700 MB of RAM were in use on the desktop. All it would need is a reasonably up-to-date browser.

Incidentally, 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate with integrated SP1 does not boot even with Secure Boot disabled; it freezes with a pink stripe at the edge of the screen when attempting to do so. 32-bit operating systems generally cannot be booted; they are not even displayed in the boot menu. The UEFI only wants to load x64 EFI files.

Even Windows 10 probably runs noticeably better on such limited hardware in the 32-bit version than the preinstalled 64-bit edition. Well, well.

So Windows what?

I have gradually tested the following systems on the slightly newer Miix 320-10ICR, all 64-bit:

• Windows 10 Home (21H2)
• Windows 10 Pro (22H2)
• Windows 10 Enterprise 1607 LTSB (2016)
• Windows 10 Enterprise 1803 LTSC (2019)
• Windows 11 Pro (22H2, 23H2, 24H2)
• Windows 11 Enterprise IoT 2024

This took a really long time due to the very limited performance. With all these systems, everything ran smoothly with the drivers provided by Lenovo for “Windows 10 64-bit”. It is very important to install the driver for the “Intel Power Management IC (PMIC)” first, as some devices, such as the GPU, will only appear after this has been done.

Windows 10 Home was preinstalled and, due to certain preloaded programs, noticeably slower than the subsequent fresh installation of Windows 10 Pro. Windows 11 Pro, which was installed shortly thereafter, ran for a total of four years and was repeatedly updated with in-place upgrades. The speed of everything slowed down significantly each time until it became almost unbearable with 25H2:

In the end, it was the significantly aged Windows 10 Enterprise 1607 LTSB N from 2016. It runs best and comes debloated in the standard configuration. Even Windows Defender can be completely disabled with three clicks via group policy, and Edge is not even present. The .NET Framework in the still fairly current version 4.8 runs on it—this is a prerequisite for some applications.

Intended use

What do you do with such undersized hardware?
In this case the obvious: control, monitor, and regulate.

Both tablets run at different locations with different tasks, with the software stripped down to a minimum with Ungoogled Chromium in full-screen mode. In this configuration, it’s not as bad as you might think. I do have some concerns about “continuous power supply operation,” which can’t be good for the tablets’ relatively large batteries, but so far everything is OK.

Nevertheless, the best thing to do is simply not to buy hardware manufactured as “Day One electronic waste”. These tablets never ran well, even when brand new. Probably even worse, due to a lot of pre-installed software from Lenovo.

Technically good hardware simply has its price, and an x86-based tablet that cost less than €180 new at the time can’t be any good, no matter how you look at it. Even modern Microsoft Office runs rather poorly on it; when Windows 11 was still installed, even Cinebench R23 crashed due to a lack of free RAM. At least it can run under Windows 10 1607 LTSB N. However, there will be no more updates for this version of Windows 10 from mid-2026, so it is not recommended for everyday use. However, the two devices will probably remain in use as “monitoring screens” for a long time to come.

Der Beitrag Windows with that special touch erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.

The latest Apple device we own is a fourth-generation iPad Pro with a 12.9″ screen, along with the second-generation Pencil* and a Logitech Slim Folio Pro keyboard*.

Due to the use of other devices, this iPad had not been used for a long time and was running iPadOS 18.5 (22F76). After reading about misaka26 several times and realizing that there has been no realistically usable jailbreak for a long time, I wanted to upgrade this iPad to the maximum compatible version for misaka26: iPadOS 26.1. misaka26 is currently “unstable” and not recommended at the moment due to multiple reports of boot loops, etc., but being on a compatible version can’t be the worst thing. Especially since the probability that more could appear in the future up to this version is higher than with the subsequent iOS/iPadOS versions (albeit very low).

The official upgrade and downgrade window for iOS and iPadOS has been closed since December 19, 2025. However, for those who have not yet updated to iOS/iPadOS 26.1 or above, there is a workaround to still get to 26.1—DelayOTA.

This method should work until March 12, 2026, unless Apple unexpectedly closes the extended signing window earlier. Unlike most other users and tutorials, here are the steps I successfully took on Windows 11 Pro instead of macOS:

Step 1: Requirements (presumably optional)

The battery should be fully charged and remain so during major updates. Then, go to Settings and update to the highest iOS/iPadOS version available, 18.7.3 (22H217) – NOT 26, otherwise the latest version (26.2) will be installed and there will be no way back!

Step 2: iTunes

Ensure that iTunes is installed in the standalone version (not the one from the Microsoft Store!) and is up to date.

Step 3: Trust the computer

Connect the Apple device to the computer via USB and, if you haven't already done so, select “Trust this computer”. If everything is recognized in iTunes as expected, quit iTunes.

Step 4: Cowabunga Lite

Download and run Cowabunga Lite for Windows (v1.0.2). The connected device should be recognized and displayed with the correct operating system version and name.

Step 5: MDM supervision

In the “Setup Options” tab, check the box next to “Enable Supervision”; the name field can be left blank. Then go to the ‘Apply’ tab and click on “Apply Tweaks”.

Step 6: Check supervision

Wait a moment, the device will restart and the setup wizard will appear briefly. Do nothing, it will close by itself. Then open “Settings” and make sure that a new text with “…is managed by an organization…” appears in the upper area.

Step 7: Disconnect USB

The computer / Cowabunga Lite will not be needed again until later, so simply close it and remove it if necessary. Now continue on the device; the USB connection should be disconnected.

Step 8: Install tvOS beta profile

Install the tvOS 26 beta profile (archive.org) and activate it via Settings (“Profile loaded”). Perform the restart offered after installation.

Step 9: Check for software updates

After restarting, go to Settings and then General -> Software Update. There should now be no update to iOS/iPadOS 26 offered (“The software is up to date”).

Step 10: Download DelayOTA profile

Install the appropriate DelayOTA configuration profile; there is one for iPhones and one for iPads, among many other scenarios.

In my case (iPad Pro 4th), “iPadOS 26.1 (23B85)” was correct under “iPadOS (devices supporting iPadOS 26).” Simply tap “Download profile” in the browser on the device.

Step 11: Install profile

Install the profile in the settings as before (“Profile loaded”) and confirm. Under “General”, you should now see the tvOS beta and the new DelayOTA profile under “VPN and Device Management”, both of which should be active.

Step 12: Remove tvOS beta profile

Now remove the previously installed tvOS beta profile and restart your device as prompted.

Step 13: Check the results

Now, when you perform a normal search for updates (Settings -> General -> Software Update), the “Update to iOS 26” button should reappear, and when you tap on it, the desired version 26.1 should be offered instead of 26.2!

Step 14: Update to 26.1

Now simply install the update to 26.1 as intended by Apple. Depending on your device, this may take a while.

Step 15: Remove supervision

If the message still appears in the system after the update, simply reconnect the device via USB, uncheck “Enable Supervision” in Cowabunga Lite, and click “Apply Tweaks” again to remove it.

This will also trigger a restart and a short setup wizard that will disappear on its own. After that, everything should be as it was before.

Step 16: Block future updates

To block future, potentially automatic updates, I recommend reinstalling the tvOS beta profile. This will prevent the system from finding iOS/iPadOS updates and it will always report that “the software is up to date.” Of course, it also makes sense to turn off automatic updates.

Step 17: Finished

That was it. Personally, I won't be installing anything related to misaka26 until the whole thing is more mature. But the stars are now better aligned than before as a basis for the future.

Der Beitrag Update via DelayOTA to iOS / iPadOS 26.1 erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.

Some time ago, I acquired first-generation AirPods Pro*. We use Apple devices for mobile purposes, but not for “normal computing” where we mainly run Windows or, rarely, Linux. This quickly raised the question of how to make the AirPods convenient to use on all Bluetooth-enabled PCs. It is particularly interesting to know the charge status, as the basic functions already work simply by pairing.

Among other things, I came across AirpodsDesktop from SpriteOvO. After using it for many months now, I can recommend the project. Unfortunately, development seems to have been discontinued, but everything currently works fine on Windows 11 24H2 or older.

It couldn’t be much easier to use:

• Pair the AirPods like normal Bluetooth headphones via the Windows settings
• Install or start AirPodsDesktop; everything should be recognized automatically
• Right-click on the tray icon to configure a few additional settings:
  

Der Beitrag Use AirPods comfortably with Windows erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.

The method Apple has long promoted for creating your own ringtones is to use an in-house app called “GarageBand” – which is well described by the manufacturer. Nevertheless, I have always found it more convenient to carry out this process on a computer.

It’s easier to do on a large screen and Windows is the most common operating system on home computers. So, I’ll now describe how to create custom ringtones for iOS or iPadOS on a Windows computer.

Requirements, limitations – Software and hardware used

To illustrate the process, I used a first-generation iPhone SE with 64 GB of storage capacity running iOS 15.8.5 (19H394). Everything was performed on Windows 11 Professional using the following software:

• mp3DirectCut (v2.39)
• Fre:ac (v1.1.7)
• iTunes (Standalone v12.13.9)

The maximum length of the finished ringtone is defined:
Apple limits this to approximately 30 seconds.

That’s why I use mp3DirectCut to cut out the desired section from an audio track. Here’s how to access the sound settings in iOS or iPadOS, starting in the “Settings” app:

The base

I assume that the basis for the subsequent ringtone is an MP3 file of the highest possible quality (320 kbps). If you want to use the audio track of a YouTube video, you can easily convert it to an MP3 file using one of the many online converters available.

I am using the MP3 audio track from this music video that has been converted and downloaded in exactly this way. You should now have a file called “Noisestorm – Crab Rave [Monstercat Release].mp3” saved on your computer:

Editing

To do this, download mp3DirectCut from the link above and install it (from Windows Vista with active UAC onwards, the setup must be run manually as an administrator if you want to install it in the default location!).

Then start the program and, after clicking “OK” to dismiss the version information, you will be greeted by the main screen. Next, load your MP3 file into the software and select a section by holding down the left mouse button. You can navigate through the file using the mouse wheel and/or the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom. In the lower area, you can play, pause, etc. the track. On the right, you can see the playing time of the selected section, which is very useful for staying just under 30 seconds.

Then export the selected section via the main menu, again as an MP3. Here are the steps:

I named the exported file “Noisestorm – Crab Rave [Monstercat Release]_30s.mp3”:

Converting

The ringtones must be encoded in the M4A codec, and the file extension for an iPhone ringtone is “M4R”. Fre:ac is a good option for converting the MP3 file to the correct format:

The result was then named “Noisestorm – Crab Rave [Monstercat Release]_30s.m4r”. iOS and iPadOS can now handle this and you can sync the file to your device. You can also customize the file name as you wish.

Transfer the ringtone

To do this, use iTunes, preferably the latest standalone version, not the one from the Microsoft Store. To find this version, go to the Apple website and click on “Looking for other versions?” and then “Windows”.

Once iTunes is installed and your iPhone or iPad connected to your computer via USB and is trusted, you can simply transfer the file to your device:

After the changes have been applied by clicking “Synchronize”, you can see the new tone in the ringtone selection menu shown above on the device and use it by tapping on it:

Addendum April 2026:

Today I came across a case where drag-and-drop into the iTunes “Sounds” window simply wouldn’t work. The solution is as simple as it is counterintuitive at first:

Simply copy the M4R file in File Explorer, either via the context menu or with CTRL + C, then bring the iTunes window into focus and paste it there with CTRL + V. It works exactly like drag-and-drop! It’s hard to say why it wouldn’t work as described. The PC was an 8th-gen i7 with sufficient RAM and storage, running Windows 11 Professional. The iPhone was a 14 Plus with 128 GB of storage, with plenty of free space, running the latest iOS version (v24.4).

Der Beitrag iPhone/iPad: Create your own ringtones in Windows erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.

If an Apple device no longer responds (properly) or you want to exit the recovery or DFU mode described above, you can perform a hard reset. Apple provides detailed instructions for this, as there are different key combinations that must be pressed for each model and iOS version. This is essentially a forced restart of the device.

Recovery

There is a “soft” recovery mode, which is also clearly documented by Apple. You should first try to revive the device using this mode. If a system recovery fails in this mode as well, the next step is DFU mode:

DFU

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode is designed to get a device that has been damaged by software back up and running. It is essentially the lowest level of firmware, an emergency rescue mode.

First of all, it should be noted that this mode cannot be used to bypass an iCloud or activation lock, and even in this special mode, the device can only be restored to iOS or iPadOS signed by Apple. So it really only helps to completely reset the local device; online services (such as iCloud) are not affected.

iFixit has instructions available, but Apple does not even document this special mode, as it is only intended for internal use.
Requirements:

• Computer with the latest version of iTunes
• Suitable USB cable for the device
• Apple device switched on

Then let’s get started:

• Connect the device to the computer via USB cable.
• Turn off the Apple device.
• Open iTunes.
• Start DFU mode according to the iFixit instructions.
• A message saying “…needs to be restored…” should appear in iTunes.
• Click “Restore” and iTunes will download the appropriate iOS or iPadOS version and restore the device.
• If you hold down the Shift key and click “Restore” instead, you can specify a firmware file yourself, but it must still be signed.

If none of this helps, you’ll probably need to contact Apple or a service provider.
Good luck!

Der Beitrag Hard reset / DFU mode on Apple devices erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.

There is actually a very well-developed and customizable project for classic Apple iPods and some other music players: Rockbox. There are even manuals for the various devices (for example, here for the 6th generation iPod Classic).

You can expect many new features:

• New games and applications
• A wide variety of themes, with something for every taste
• Voice output for control functions
• And much more

An ideal basis for modders and anyone who likes to customize things down to the smallest detail.
Even better: many new audio and video files are supported, including FLAC:

With Rockbox, you no longer need iTunes for data management!
As a fan of jailbreaking and modding of all kinds, I’m particularly excited about this great project. It’s the perfect addition if you have an iFlash installed, but it’s also really good on its own.

Installation

Simply use the Rockbox Utility; instructions can be found here.
Enjoy!

Der Beitrag iPod Classic: Custom Firmware erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.

Apple’s iPod Classic is and always has been a really good music player. Long battery life, lots of storage space for its time, and easy to use. No subscriptions, everything offline, but still with beautiful cover art and good management via iTunes. The design is iconic and instantly recognizable.

Unfortunately, there are two points of wear: the battery and the small 1.8″ hard drive from Toshiba or Samsung. It’s actually crazy that hard drives can be built so small and still be quite reliable and shock-resistant. It’s incredible what can be developed and produced when there are no alternatives: flash memory was still very expensive at the height of these iPods’ popularity.

Depending on the exact iPod Classic model, the battery is available everywhere as a replica* and can be easily replaced with the right tools. But what if the hard drive is damaged at some point?

Replacement hard drive?

These special hard drives have not been manufactured for some time, and even if they were, replacing the defective component would simply replace it with another equally vulnerable one. There is a better solution: iFlash.

This allows you to replace the internal HDD with either an mSATA or M.2 SATA SSD or various types of memory cards*. A great idea!

I stumbled across this topic a few years ago when I was given an iPod Classic 7th Generation with a damaged hard drive (160 GB) and was looking for an elegant solution to revive it. This last model manufactured by Apple is generally well suited for all kinds of mods, with larger batteries, iFlash, or even retrofitted Bluetooth available. There are virtually no limits to creativity. Thanks to LBA 48-bit addressing, the storage capacity of this specific model also has only theoretical limits (2 TB and more are no problem).

Here you can see which specific models are compatible.

Experiences

I only installed a new battery and an iFlash for mSATA (now EOL), along with a 256 GB Crucial SSD. iTunes sync is much faster than with a hard drive, and battery life has also increased slightly. If I were to install another iFlash, I would choose an SD or MicroSD-based one, which saves even more power and is lighter and generates less heat. At the time, I already had the mSATA SSD on hand, so I chose this method.

The iFlash modules are not particularly cheap, but in return, they permanently solve the hard drive wear problem.

Der Beitrag iPod Classic: Replace the hard drive and expand storage capacity erschien zuerst auf flohs blog.