RISC-V router crowdfunding, E Ink kit, Windows 11 taskbar

Start9 is crowdfunding a $300 RISC-V Wi‑Fi router, while M5Stack and Microsoft roll out new hardware and UI updates.

May 15, 2026 brought three small but useful updates for hardware tinkerers and Windows users: a crowdfunding campaign for a RISC-V router, a new color E Ink dev kit, and fresh taskbar controls in Windows 11 Insider builds.

What changed

The biggest hardware item is the Start9 router, a crowdfunding project built around a SpacemiT K1 RISC-V processor. It ships with 4GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi‑Fi 6, and a fork of the open source OpenWrt firmware.

The price is $300, and the funding model means buyers are backing a product that may not ship on schedule, or at all. That makes it more of a maker bet than a mainstream router buy.

• M5Stack launched the M5Paper Color ESP32S3 Dev Kit.
• The kit includes a 4-inch E Ink Spectra 6 color display.
• It also adds 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi, a 1250 mAh battery, microSD, speaker, mic, buttons, and enclosure.
• Microsoft is testing taskbar positioning at the top, left, or right of the screen in Windows 11 Insider builds.

The E Ink device is available now for $75, making it an easier entry point for embedded projects that need a low-power color display. It is aimed at developers building dashboards, signage, or handheld tools rather than general consumers.

Why it matters

For developers, the router and dev kit show where hobbyist and pro-tinkerer hardware is headed: more niche chips, more open firmware, and more specialized displays. The Start9 box is notable because RISC-V networking gear remains rare outside enthusiast circles.

For Windows users, the taskbar change is a reminder that Microsoft is still restoring features removed from earlier Windows 11 releases. If the rollout expands beyond Insiders, it could reduce one of the most common complaints about the desktop UI.

The broader signal is simple: hardware makers are still shipping oddball, highly specific products, while Microsoft is slowly patching over the parts of Windows 11 that users never wanted changed in the first place.