One of our favorite hacking devices, the Flipper Zero, received its first major firmware update today. It includes a ton of features that the developers have been working to stabilize for the past three years, including a Huge increase in battery life which technically came with a previous update. While many of the features aren't technically new, the whole package should make this device feel like a supercharged version of its former self.
One of the most notable updates since launch addresses one of developers' biggest problems: the device's internal flash memory originally limited the number of features they could add. In the past, new features were built into the firmware itself, but over time they outgrew what the memory could handle. Last year, the device added an app store and allowed new apps to be run from the microSD card.
JavaScript is now supported, so coding your own apps could be easier. The NFC subsystem has been rewritten from scratch, supports more card types, and can read cards faster. Data transfer via Bluetooth with Android devices is also faster, and the speed of firmware updates has increased by 40 percent, according to the developers.
The new firmware also includes more IR protocolsSo if you already use the Flipper Zero as a universal remote control, you can now use it with more TVs, air conditioners, audio systems and projectors. If you need a wider transmission range, the Flipper Zero also supports external infrared modules. Here is an explanatory video:
You can also use the Flipper Zero to listen to analog walkie-talkies, and the developers say its sub-GHz radio now supports 89 different radio protocols in total. If the built-in antenna isn't sensitive enough, you can now also connect it to an external sub-GHz module for a better one.