Qualcomm Buys Arduino, Will Bring AI Tools to Your DIY Tech Projects (www.pcmag.com)

Qualcomm has acquired open-source hardware maker Arduino, keeping the Arduino brand while promising to fold Qualcomm’s technology stack and global reach into the maker ecosystem. The move targets the 33M-strong Arduino community and aims to "supercharge developer productivity" by making edge AI and connectivity tech more accessible to students, hobbyists and professional developers. As part of the deal Arduino unveiled the UNO Q single-board computer and a unified development environment, Arduino App Lab, to streamline work across real-time OS, Linux, Python and AI tools. Technically, the UNO Q uses a “dual brain” architecture: a Linux/Debian-capable microprocessor paired with a real‑time microcontroller, and is powered by Qualcomm’s Dragonwing QRB2210 processor to enable on-device audio/visual AI for smart-home and interactive projects. Two SKUs—2GB RAM/16GB eMMC ($44, preorder; ships Oct. 25) and 4GB/32GB ($59, preorder in November, on sale later)—signal low-cost edge-AI hardware aimed at rapid prototyping. For the AI/ML community, this could lower barriers to deploying on-device models, accelerate edge experimentation, and expand an open-source pathway for scalable, real-time AI applications outside cloud-centric workflows.