Lilbits: Ploopy’s A+ trackball has eight buttons (two are also dials), Xteink X4 discontinued, and more

A company with a funny name has made some of the most interesting computer input devices of recent years. Ploopy got its start with trackballs, at a time when bigger companies were exiting the space. Since then, the company has made trackpads, pointing sticks, and dials.Now the company is bringing some of those gadgets together with the new Ploopy A+. It’s a trackball mouse with eight buttons… two of which also function as dials.Like all of Ploopy’s hardware, the new trackball is an open source device – the company posts hardware designs, firmware, and other materials on its GitHub pages. And like all Ploopy devices, the new trackball has a 3D-printed design, which might not be to everyone’s taste. But it’s still pretty fun to see smaller companies doing new and interesting things in the computer input space.Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.The Ploopy A+ is an open source trackball mouse with eight buttons (two more than the Adept), and the bottom two are knobs for scrolling or other actions. There’s also a detachable wrist rest. Coming soon for $99 CAD. blog.ploopy.co/the-aplus-is…[image or embed]— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 14, 2026 at 4:06 PMThe popular (in some circles) Xteink X4 pocket-sized eReader with a 4.3 inch display and $69 price tag is sold out, but the company is still focused on small, cheap, and (mostly) simple eReaders. blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2026/08/12/x…[image or embed]— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 14, 2026 at 4:11 PMGoogle now lets you download third-party app stores from the Play Store… but it doesn’t make them easy to find. Following a judicial order, Google plans to fix this issue (of its own making). www.theverge.com/policy/97985…[image or embed]— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 14, 2026 at 4:08 PMThe Dumber Mini has a 2.8 inch screen and T9 keyboard. But with an MT6761 chip, 4GB RAM, and Android 14-based OS, it can run modern apps if you need them. Available now in the UK, up for pre-order for $199, ships in December, supports T-Mobile in the US. boingboing.net/2026/08/01/d…[image or embed]— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 7, 2026 at 9:13 AMKeep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @[email protected] on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads and Facebook.