cnx-software News

[CNX]

More and more devices are supporting voice interaction nowadays from your smartphone to devices like Amazon Echo, but so far, I had not seen development boards specifically designed for that purpose,...


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Nvidia Provides More Details About Parker Automotive SoC with ARMv8 Cores, Pascal GPU
Nvidia demonstrated DRIVE PX2 platform for self-driving cars at CES 2016, but did not give many details about the SoC used in the board. Today, the company has finally provided more information about...


More...

Android 7.0 Released, LG V20 Android Nougat Smartphone Coming Soon
Since Google has changed their way of releasing new version of Android, as they are now taking input from developers using preview releases, we’ve known the main changes in Android 7.0 for a...


More...

Learn the Basics of Humanoid Robots with InMoov Finger Starter Kit
In a not so distant future, most humans will live off their government provided basic income, relaxing and drinking their robot brewed, drone delivered beer or soda, opened and served by their...


More...

Mini Review of MECOOL BM8 TV Box with Android 6.0 and Kodi 17.0
CNXSoft: An other review by Ray for an Amlogic S905X powered TV box provided by Videostrong. MECOOL BM8 specifications The specifications are pretty standard, except for the large flash: SoC –...


More...

Realtek RTL8710 Witty-like WiFi IoT Board with micro USB Port Sells for $8 / 35 RMB
Realtek RTL8710 could eventually become a serious competitor to ESP8266, as it’s based on ARM Cortex M3, provides many of the same features, and sells for roughly the same price. While...


More...

Magic Device Tool Helps You Switch Between Android and Ubuntu on Supported Phones
There have only been a few phones released with or supporting Ubuntu so far, and those phones will normally be able to run Android too since Ubuntu Touch relies on Android drivers, and you may decide...


More...

WeTek Play 2 4K Android Set-top Box with ATSC, DVB-S2 or DVB-T2 Tuners is up for Pre-order for $120
With WeTek Play 2, initially unveiled as WeTek Play+, we now have a successor to WeTek Play with the same ATSC, DVB-S2/S, DVB-T2/T/C tuners, but much better specs thanks to Amlogic S905-H processor,...


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Teensy 3.5 & 3.6 Boards Feature NXP Kinetis K64 & K66 MCUs (Crowdfunding)
Paul Stoffregen has been making Teensy USB MCU development boards since 2008, and has just launched the latest Teensy 3.5 & 3.6 boards powered by NXP (previously Freescale) Kinetis K64 & K66...


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[CNX]

There are plenty of WiFi sockets going around such as Broadlink SP2 or Kankun KK-SP3, but in some cases it might be both more convenient and cheaper to get a WiFi power strip, and Broadlink MP1...


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Tanix TX5 Pro TV Box Review – Part 2: Modding and Testing
Karl here with part 2 of Tanix TX5 Pro TV box. In the first part we peaked inside took a look at the specs and quick look at the UI. In part 2, we will get into the nitty gritty. When I first...


More...

Amlogic S905, S905X, and S912 Processors Appear to be Limited to 1.5 GHz, not 2 GHz as Advertised
When I compared the performance Amlogic S905 and Rockchip RK3368 processors_ last year, I noticed Amlogic S905 single thread performance not being much faster than the one of Rockchip RK3368, despite...


More...

Ambarella A12S SoC Allows For Cheaper 4K 30 fps Action Cameras, or Does it Not?
[Update: I’ve been informed that Ambarella A12S product brief from their website contains outdated information (It will be updated soon), and that A12S does indeed support 4K @ 30 fps....


More...

VideoStrong KII Pro Android Set-top Box with DVB-T2 & DVB-S2 Tuners Comes with 2GB RAM
Based on the number of comments I get daily on my review of Videostrong K1 Plus T2 S2 Android TV box, the device is rather popular thanks to its dual DVB-T2/T2C and DVB-S2/S tuner, its low price, and...


More...

Yotaphone 2 Smartphone with Dual AMOLED + E-Ink Display Sells for $150 (Promo)
Yotaphone 2 smartphone with the particularity of including a 4.7″ E-Ink display on the back on top of the front 5″ AMOLED display was first introduced at the end of 2014 in Russia, before...


More...

KowanTV Click Linux IPTV Box Review
CNXSoft: Ray reviews Amlogic S812 powered Linux based KowanTV Click TV box with allegedly access to over a thousand free IPTV channels. While the hardware is pretty standard, you pay a (hefty)...


More...

Dot is a Location Aware Bluetooth Beacon Used as a Digital Post-it, for Home Automation, and More (Crowdfunding)
Dot physical push notification is another Bluetooth beacon, but the company – Iota Labs – has designed and promote it in a location aware device that gets triggered when you move in a...


More...

Xtreamer mxV Plus DVB-T2 and mvX Pro DVB-T2/DVB-S2 Combo TV Boxes Support Android and OpenELEC
Xtreamer mxV is a family of TV boxes powered by Amlogic S905 processor, and supporting Android 5.1 and OpenELEC firmware provided by the company [Update: It looks like they simply used...


More...

M12N Amlogic S912 Octa-core TV Box Review – Part 2: Android 6.0 Firmware
Shenzhen Shiningworth MXQ Plus M12N is one of the first TV box powered by Amlogic S912 octa-core processor also bringing a faster GPU, VP9 and HDR support compared to the earlier Amlogic S905...


More...

[CNX]

Coowell V4 is one of the rare Android mini PCs with a built-in camera. It is powered by Rockchip RK3368 octa-core processor combined with 2GB RAM and 16GB flash. GearBest asked me whether I wanted to...


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The First 4G Tizen Smartphone, Samsung Z2, To Launch in India for $68
After Samsung Z1, and Samsung Z3, Samsung defied “mathematical incrementation wisdom”, and launched Samsung Z2 Tizen smartphone, which happens to be the very first Tizen phone supporting...


More...

Nvidia Provides More Details About Parker Automotive SoC with ARMv8 Cores, Pascal GPU
Nvidia demonstrated DRIVE PX2 platform for self-driving cars at CES 2016, but did not give many details about the SoC used in the board. Today, the company has finally provided more information about...


More...

Android 7.0 Released, LG V20 Android Nougat Smartphone Coming Soon
Since Google has changed their way of releasing new version of Android, as they are now taking input from developers using preview releases, we’ve known the main changes in Android 7.0 for a...


More...

Learn the Basics of Humanoid Robots with InMoov Finger Starter Kit
In a not so distant future, most humans will live off their government provided basic income, relaxing and drinking their robot brewed, drone delivered beer or soda, opened and served by their...


More...

Mini Review of MECOOL BM8 TV Box with Android 6.0 and Kodi 17.0
CNXSoft: An other review by Ray for an Amlogic S905X powered TV box provided by Videostrong. MECOOL BM8 specifications The specifications are pretty standard, except for the large flash: SoC –...


More...

Realtek RTL8710 Witty-like WiFi IoT Board with micro USB Port Sells for $8 / 35 RMB
Realtek RTL8710 could eventually become a serious competitor to ESP8266, as it’s based on ARM Cortex M3, provides many of the same features, and sells for roughly the same price. While...


More...

Magic Device Tool Helps You Switch Between Android and Ubuntu on Supported Phones
There have only been a few phones released with or supporting Ubuntu so far, and those phones will normally be able to run Android too since Ubuntu Touch relies on Android drivers, and you may decide...


More...

[CNX]

I’ve heard about standalone Android virtual reality headset for a while, but so far I had never tried one, except using my phone with a cardboard kit, which was not such a good experience. So...


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Review of Vernee Apollo Lite Smartphone with Mediatek Helio X20 SoC – Part1: Unboxing, First Boot and Benchmarks
Vernee Apollo Lite is the little brother of Vernee Apollo, both based on Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 SoC, but with the Lite version having lower hardware specs otherwise, and being...


More...

Yi Technology Releases an Open API SDK for Yi and Yi 2 4K Action Cameras
Yi Technology, the maker of Yi actions cameras, often wrongly reported as Xiaomi Yi cameras as they are sold in Xiaomi stores, has now released an Open API to allow software and hardware engineers to...


More...

96Boards Compliant Mediatek X20 Development Board is Now up for Sale for $199
Mediatek Labs and Linaro introduced X20 development board based on 96Boards CE specs, and featuring Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 processor a couple of months ago. At the time, if you...


More...

$79 HiSilicon Poplar is the First 96Boards TV Platform Compliant Board
At the end of last month I wrote about 96Boards TV Platform specifications, and noticed Hisilicon had one such boards, but details were sparse. Linaro has now officially unveiled HiSilicon Poplar...


More...

Qintaix Q912 Android mini PC Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown
Qintaix Q912 was one of the first Amlogic S912 TV boxes featured on CNX Software, and now the company, Qintex Tech, has sent me a sample of their device for review. I’ll start by posting photos...


More...

C.H.I.P Board and Allwinner A13/R8 SoCs To Get VPU Support in Linux Mainline
Allwinner has mixed relationships with open source communities such as Kodi, especially due to issues with its closed-source CedarX VPU drivers, and some GPL violations. However to address the...


More...

Fitbit Introduces Charge 2 and Flex 2 Fitness Trackers
My first activity tracker, Vidonn X5, worked reasonably well and lasted for over a year, but the subsequent models I tried were all mostly disasters, especially as they added some features like a...


More...

Tanix TX5 Pro TV Box Review – Part 2: Modding and Testing
Karl here with part 2 of Tanix TX5 Pro TV box. In the first part we peaked inside took a look at the specs and quick look at the UI. In part 2, we will get into the nitty gritty. When I first...


More...

Amlogic S905, S905X, and S912 Processors Appear to be Limited to 1.5 GHz, not 2 GHz as Advertised
When I compared the performance Amlogic S905 and Rockchip RK3368 processors_ last year, I noticed Amlogic S905 single thread performance not being much faster than the one of Rockchip RK3368, despite...


More...

[CNX]

[Update: I’ve been informed that Ambarella A12S product brief from their website contains outdated information (It will be updated soon), and that A12S does indeed support 4K @ 30 fps....


More...

VideoStrong KII Pro Android Set-top Box with DVB-T2 & DVB-S2 Tuners Comes with 2GB RAM
Based on the number of comments I get daily on my review of Videostrong K1 Plus T2 S2 Android TV box, the device is rather popular thanks to its dual DVB-T2/T2C and DVB-S2/S tuner, its low price, and...


More...

Yotaphone 2 Smartphone with Dual AMOLED + E-Ink Display Sells for $150 (Promo)
Yotaphone 2 smartphone with the particularity of including a 4.7″ E-Ink display on the back on top of the front 5″ AMOLED display was first introduced at the end of 2014 in Russia, before...


More...

KowanTV Click Linux IPTV Box Review
CNXSoft: Ray reviews Amlogic S812 powered Linux based KowanTV Click TV box with allegedly access to over a thousand free IPTV channels. While the hardware is pretty standard, you pay a (hefty)...


More...

Dot is a Location Aware Bluetooth Beacon Used as a Digital Post-it, for Home Automation, and More (Crowdfunding)
Dot physical push notification is another Bluetooth beacon, but the company – Iota Labs – has designed and promote it in a location aware device that gets triggered when you move in a...


More...

Xtreamer mxV Plus DVB-T2 and mvX Pro DVB-T2/DVB-S2 Combo TV Boxes Support Android and OpenELEC
Xtreamer mxV is a family of TV boxes powered by Amlogic S905 processor, and supporting Android 5.1 and OpenELEC firmware provided by the company [Update: It looks like they simply used...


More...

M12N Amlogic S912 Octa-core TV Box Review – Part 2: Android 6.0 Firmware
Shenzhen Shiningworth MXQ Plus M12N is one of the first TV box powered by Amlogic S912 octa-core processor also bringing a faster GPU, VP9 and HDR support compared to the earlier Amlogic S905...


More...

The First 4G Tizen Smartphone, Samsung Z2, To Launch in India for $68
After Samsung Z1, and Samsung Z3, Samsung defied “mathematical incrementation wisdom”, and launched Samsung Z2 Tizen smartphone, which happens to be the very first Tizen phone supporting...


More...

Nvidia Provides More Details About Parker Automotive SoC with ARMv8 Cores, Pascal GPU
Nvidia demonstrated DRIVE PX2 platform for self-driving cars at CES 2016, but did not give many details about the SoC used in the board. Today, the company has finally provided more information about...


More...

[CNX]

T95Z Plus is an Amlogic S912 TV box with the typical 2GB RAM and 16GB storage combination, but it differentiates itself with an hexagonal case, a front panel LCD display, and what looks like an RGB...


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MINIX NEO Z83-4 Fanless mini PC Review – Part 1: Specs, Unboxing and Teardown
MINIX has just launched a new Windows 10 mini PC with MINIX NEO Z83-4 powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8300 quad core processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, etc.. The company...


More...

Hardware Requirements for Discounted Windows 10 Licenses for Entry Level mini PCs, TV Sticks, Tablets, Notebooks, and AiO
Even since the first low cost mini PCs and TV sticks started to come to market there was lots of confusion about Windows 8.1/10 licenses, because while small tablets could be shipped with Windows 8.1...


More...

Espressif ESP32 WiFi & Bluetooth SoC is Now Up For Sale for $2.85
Espressif ESP32 is one of the most awaited chip for IoT applications as it combines a dual core processor, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and various I/Os. The good news is that you can now purchase ESP32 for...


More...

MK809IV PRO / Eachlink IX809 PRO Amlogic S905X Android TV Stick Sells for $32
Amlogic S905X Android TV boxes are now pretty common, but if you’re looking for a device in TV stick form factor that’s more difficult to find, and exactly what Eachlink IX809 PRO devices...


More...

USB Fun – Tiny USB WiFi and Hub Boards and micro USB Hub
I’ve come across a few interesting tiny USB boards and hubs in the last few days, so instead of writing a post for each, I’ve gathered all info into a single article. Small ESP8285 USB...


More...

Acer Spin 1 Apollo Lake Laptops to Sell for $250 and Up
Acer has launched a tidal wave of products at IFA 2016, including their 64-bit ARM Chromebook R13, and beside the many Intel Core laptops, the company also announced Acer Spin 1 laptop models powered...


More...

Acer Chromebook R13 is Powered by Mediatek MT8173 64-bit ARM Processor
The just announced Acer Chromebook R13 is both the first Mediatek Chromebook and the first 64-bit ARM Chromebook thanks to its Mediatek MT8173(c) quad core processor with two ARM Cortex-A72 cores,...


More...

Intel Introduces 6 Apollo Lake Processors: Celeron N3350, N3450, J3355, J3455, and Pentium N4200 & J4205
Intel has been talking about Apollo Lake processor family, successor of Braswell family, and even showcased some Apollo Lake NUCs, but AFAIK, so far the company did not actually disclose any part...


More...

Review of Vernee Apollo Lite Smartphone with Mediatek Helio X20 SoC – Part1: Unboxing, First Boot and Benchmarks
Vernee Apollo Lite is the little brother of Vernee Apollo, both based on Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 SoC, but with the Lite version having lower hardware specs otherwise, and being...


More...

[CNX]

Yi Technology, the maker of Yi actions cameras, often wrongly reported as Xiaomi Yi cameras as they are sold in Xiaomi stores, has now released an Open API to allow software and hardware engineers to...


More...

96Boards Compliant Mediatek X20 Development Board is Now up for Sale for $199
Mediatek Labs and Linaro introduced X20 development board based on 96Boards CE specs, and featuring Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 processor a couple of months ago. At the time, if you...


More...

$79 HiSilicon Poplar is the First 96Boards TV Platform Compliant Board
At the end of last month I wrote about 96Boards TV Platform specifications, and noticed Hisilicon had one such boards, but details were sparse. Linaro has now officially unveiled HiSilicon Poplar...


More...

Qintaix Q912 Android mini PC Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown
Qintaix Q912 was one of the first Amlogic S912 TV boxes featured on CNX Software, and now the company, Qintex Tech, has sent me a sample of their device for review. I’ll start by posting photos...


More...

C.H.I.P Board and Allwinner A13/R8 SoCs To Get VPU Support in Linux Mainline
Allwinner has mixed relationships with open source communities such as Kodi, especially due to issues with its closed-source CedarX VPU drivers, and some GPL violations. However to address the...


More...

Fitbit Introduces Charge 2 and Flex 2 Fitness Trackers
My first activity tracker, Vidonn X5, worked reasonably well and lasted for over a year, but the subsequent models I tried were all mostly disasters, especially as they added some features like a...


More...

Tanix TX5 Pro TV Box Review – Part 2: Modding and Testing
Karl here with part 2 of Tanix TX5 Pro TV box. In the first part we peaked inside took a look at the specs and quick look at the UI. In part 2, we will get into the nitty gritty. When I first...


More...

Amlogic S905, S905X, and S912 Processors Appear to be Limited to 1.5 GHz, not 2 GHz as Advertised
When I compared the performance Amlogic S905 and Rockchip RK3368 processors_ last year, I noticed Amlogic S905 single thread performance not being much faster than the one of Rockchip RK3368, despite...


More...

VideoStrong KII Pro Android Set-top Box with DVB-T2 & DVB-S2 Tuners Comes with 2GB RAM
Based on the number of comments I get daily on my review of Videostrong K1 Plus T2 S2 Android TV box, the device is rather popular thanks to its dual DVB-T2/T2C and DVB-S2/S tuner, its low price, and...


More...

Yotaphone 2 Smartphone with Dual AMOLED + E-Ink Display Sells for $150 (Promo)
Yotaphone 2 smartphone with the particularity of including a 4.7″ E-Ink display on the back on top of the front 5″ AMOLED display was first introduced at the end of 2014 in Russia, before...


More...

[CNX]

Coowell V4 Android TV box is based on Rockchip RK3368 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM, and 16GB flash, and also includes a camera. In part 1 of Coowell V4 review, I have already taken photos of the...


More...

Allo Sparky Audio Kit Combines an ARM Linux Board with Amplifier, Audio DAC, Reclocker and Capacitance Multiplier Boards
Last year I wrote about Allo Sparky SBC Linux and Android development powered by Actions Semi S500 quad core Cortex A9 processor, which mostly differentiates itself from the competition by the many...


More...

How Fix Apps Crashing at Launch in Android 6.0 (in Mediatek Phones) ?
I’ve recently received a new Android 6.0 Marshmallow smartphone powered by Mediatek Helio X20 processor, namely Vernee Apollo Lite, and one of the issues I encountered is that some applications...


More...

MINIX NEO Z83-4 Fanless mini PC Review – Part 1: Specs, Unboxing and Teardown
MINIX has just launched a new Windows 10 mini PC with MINIX NEO Z83-4 powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8300 quad core processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, etc.. The company...


More...

Hardware Requirements for Discounted Windows 10 Licenses for Entry Level mini PCs, TV Sticks, Tablets, Notebooks, and AiO
Even since the first low cost mini PCs and TV sticks started to come to market there was lots of confusion about Windows 8.1/10 licenses, because while small tablets could be shipped with Windows 8.1...


More...

Espressif ESP32 WiFi & Bluetooth SoC is Now Up For Sale for $2.85
Espressif ESP32 is one of the most awaited chip for IoT applications as it combines a dual core processor, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and various I/Os. The good news is that you can now purchase ESP32 for...


More...

MK809IV PRO / Eachlink IX809 PRO Amlogic S905X Android TV Stick Sells for $32
Amlogic S905X Android TV boxes are now pretty common, but if you’re looking for a device in TV stick form factor that’s more difficult to find, and exactly what Eachlink IX809 PRO devices...


More...

USB Fun – Tiny USB WiFi and Hub Boards and micro USB Hub
I’ve come across a few interesting tiny USB boards and hubs in the last few days, so instead of writing a post for each, I’ve gathered all info into a single article. Small ESP8285 USB...


More...

Acer Spin 1 Apollo Lake Laptops to Sell for $250 and Up
Acer has launched a tidal wave of products at IFA 2016, including their 64-bit ARM Chromebook R13, and beside the many Intel Core laptops, the company also announced Acer Spin 1 laptop models powered...


More...

Acer Chromebook R13 is Powered by Mediatek MT8173 64-bit ARM Processor
The just announced Acer Chromebook R13 is both the first Mediatek Chromebook and the first 64-bit ARM Chromebook thanks to its Mediatek MT8173(c) quad core processor with two ARM Cortex-A72 cores,...


More...

[CNX]

Intel has been talking about Apollo Lake processor family, successor of Braswell family, and even showcased some Apollo Lake NUCs, but AFAIK, so far the company did not actually disclose any part...


More...

Review of Vernee Apollo Lite Smartphone with Mediatek Helio X20 SoC – Part1: Unboxing, First Boot and Benchmarks
Vernee Apollo Lite is the little brother of Vernee Apollo, both based on Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 SoC, but with the Lite version having lower hardware specs otherwise, and being...


More...

96Boards Compliant Mediatek X20 Development Board is Now up for Sale for $199
Mediatek Labs and Linaro introduced X20 development board based on 96Boards CE specs, and featuring Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 processor a couple of months ago. At the time, if you...


More...

$79 HiSilicon Poplar is the First 96Boards TV Platform Compliant Board
At the end of last month I wrote about 96Boards TV Platform specifications, and noticed Hisilicon had one such boards, but details were sparse. Linaro has now officially unveiled HiSilicon Poplar...


More...

Qintaix Q912 Android mini PC Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown
Qintaix Q912 was one of the first Amlogic S912 TV boxes featured on CNX Software, and now the company, Qintex Tech, has sent me a sample of their device for review. I’ll start by posting photos...


More...

C.H.I.P Board and Allwinner A13/R8 SoCs To Get VPU Support in Linux Mainline
Allwinner has mixed relationships with open source communities such as Kodi, especially due to issues with its closed-source CedarX VPU drivers, and some GPL violations. However to address the...


More...

Fitbit Introduces Charge 2 and Flex 2 Fitness Trackers
My first activity tracker, Vidonn X5, worked reasonably well and lasted for over a year, but the subsequent models I tried were all mostly disasters, especially as they added some features like a...


More...

Tanix TX5 Pro TV Box Review – Part 2: Modding and Testing
Karl here with part 2 of Tanix TX5 Pro TV box. In the first part we peaked inside took a look at the specs and quick look at the UI. In part 2, we will get into the nitty gritty. When I first...


More...

Amlogic S905, S905X, and S912 Processors Appear to be Limited to 1.5 GHz, not 2 GHz as Advertised
When I compared the performance Amlogic S905 and Rockchip RK3368 processors_ last year, I noticed Amlogic S905 single thread performance not being much faster than the one of Rockchip RK3368, despite...


More...

[CNX]

MinnowBoard Turbot open source hardware SBC was released in 2015 with an Intel Atom E3826 dual core Bay Trail-I processor, 2GB RAM, SATA and Gigabit Ethernet support, and a new version –...


More...

UNI-T UT353 is a $15 Lightweight Sound Level Meter
Since some of the products I review come with a fan, I checked some sound level meters a couple of years ago, but since they were a little too expensive for my limited use, I skipped for the time...


More...

ASRock IMB-157 is one of the First Intel Apollo Lake Motherboards
We’ve already seen Intel launched 6 Apollo Lake Celeron and Pentium processors, some upcoming Acer Apollo Lake laptops, as well as Intel Apollo Lake NUCs, and now ASRock has listed one of the...


More...

You Can Now Buy ESP3212 ESP32 WiFi + Bluetooth Module for $6.95
After the official launch of ESP32 processor for less than $3, it did not take long before ESP32 modules hit the market, and Seeed Studio has already listed ESP3212, one of the first modules based on...


More...

Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 820 4K TV Box and AiO Virtual Reality Headset Reference Designs
Qualcomm has recently announced two references platforms for ODM/OEM powered by Snapdragon 820 processor for 4K Ultra HD media boxes and all-in-one virtual reality headsets. Snapdragon VR820 Virtual...


More...

Tizen Studio 1.0 Replaces Tizen SDK for Smartphones, Wearables and TVs
Tizen has converged all Tizen SDK for mobile, wearables, and TV to Tizen Studio since the beginning of the month, and released Tizen Studio 1.0 for developers interested in developing app for Tizen...


More...

$5 Wemos D1 mini Pro ESP8266 Board includes 16MB Flash
Wemos D1 mini is one of my favorite ESP8266 development boards thanks to its small size, shield support, and low $4 price tag. There’s now a new version of the board – dubbed Wemos D1...


More...

MINIX NEO U9-H 4K HDR Amlogic S912-H Android TV Box Coming in October
MINIX may have officially announced MINIX NEO Z83-4 Cherry trail mini PC at IFA 2016, but they also showcased NEO U9-H Android TV box based on an “Octa-core cortex A53 processor with ARM...


More...

OpenRex Open Source Hardware NXP i.MX6 Board Launched for 199 Euros and Up
OpenRex is an open source hardware board powered by NXP i.MX6 Cortex A9 processor designed by_Fedevel for their hardware design course, and manufactured by Voipac, both companies based on Slovakia....


More...

Allo Sparky Audio Kit Combines an ARM Linux Board with Amplifier, Audio DAC, Reclocker and Capacitance Multiplier Boards
Last year I wrote about Allo Sparky SBC Linux and Android development powered by Actions Semi S500 quad core Cortex A9 processor, which mostly differentiates itself from the competition by the many...


More...

[CNX]

I’ve recently received a new Android 6.0 Marshmallow smartphone powered by Mediatek Helio X20 processor, namely Vernee Apollo Lite, and one of the issues I encountered is that some applications...


More...

MINIX NEO Z83-4 Fanless mini PC Review – Part 1: Specs, Unboxing and Teardown
MINIX has just launched a new Windows 10 mini PC with MINIX NEO Z83-4 powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8300 quad core processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, etc.. The company...


More...

Hardware Requirements for Discounted Windows 10 Licenses for Entry Level mini PCs, TV Sticks, Tablets, Notebooks, and AiO
Even since the first low cost mini PCs and TV sticks started to come to market there was lots of confusion about Windows 8.1/10 licenses, because while small tablets could be shipped with Windows 8.1...


More...

Espressif ESP32 WiFi & Bluetooth SoC is Now Up For Sale for $2.85
Espressif ESP32 is one of the most awaited chip for IoT applications as it combines a dual core processor, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and various I/Os. The good news is that you can now purchase ESP32 for...


More...

MK809IV PRO / Eachlink IX809 PRO Amlogic S905X Android TV Stick Sells for $32
Amlogic S905X Android TV boxes are now pretty common, but if you’re looking for a device in TV stick form factor that’s more difficult to find, and exactly what Eachlink IX809 PRO devices...


More...

USB Fun – Tiny USB WiFi and Hub Boards and micro USB Hub
I’ve come across a few interesting tiny USB boards and hubs in the last few days, so instead of writing a post for each, I’ve gathered all info into a single article. Small ESP8285 USB...


More...

Acer Spin 1 Apollo Lake Laptops to Sell for $250 and Up
Acer has launched a tidal wave of products at IFA 2016, including their 64-bit ARM Chromebook R13, and beside the many Intel Core laptops, the company also announced Acer Spin 1 laptop models powered...


More...

Acer Chromebook R13 is Powered by Mediatek MT8173 64-bit ARM Processor
The just announced Acer Chromebook R13 is both the first Mediatek Chromebook and the first 64-bit ARM Chromebook thanks to its Mediatek MT8173(c) quad core processor with two ARM Cortex-A72 cores,...


More...

Review of Vernee Apollo Lite Smartphone with Mediatek Helio X20 SoC – Part1: Unboxing, First Boot and Benchmarks
Vernee Apollo Lite is the little brother of Vernee Apollo, both based on Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 SoC, but with the Lite version having lower hardware specs otherwise, and being...


More...

96Boards Compliant Mediatek X20 Development Board is Now up for Sale for $199
Mediatek Labs and Linaro introduced X20 development board based on 96Boards CE specs, and featuring Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core Cortex A72/A53 processor a couple of months ago. At the time, if you...


More...

[CNX]

I’ve listed specifications and posted photos of MINIX NEO Z83-4 mini PC in the first part of review, and while NEO Z83-4 is yet another Intel Atom x5-Z8300 device, it’s clear the company...


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u-Blox Unveils SARA-R4 LTE Cat M1 and SARA-M2 NB-IoT Modules for Professional IoT Applications
While I’ve mostly read about SigFox and LoraWan solutions for long range, low power, and low bitrate communications for the Internet of Things so far, there are many active of planned LPWAN...


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Dune HD SOLO Lite is a Cheaper Sigma Designs SMP8758 based 4K Media Box
Launched at the very end of_ last year, Dune HD SOLO 4K media player and NAS with Sigma Designs SMP8758 processor, a 2.5″ SATA bay, and a DVB-T2 tuner has high end specifications, but the price...


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Rockchip RK1108 Cortex A7 + DSP SoC is Made for Audio & Video Conference and Recording Applications
Rockchip has introduced RK1108 ARM Cortex A7 SoC with a 600 MHz DSP targeting visual communication, consumer electronics, automotive DVR, and security applications thanks to its 8-channel I2S audio...


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Espotek Labrador is s $25 5-in-1 Lab-on-a-Board with Oscilloscope, Waveform Generator, etc… (Crowdfunding)
We’ve already seen ultra cheap (and low end) electronics lab tools like DSO138 oscilloscope kit for $23, or the $5 USB123 USBee AX logic Analyzer, but EspoTek Labrador combines 5 electronics...


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Zidoo X9S (Realtek RTD1295) Android TV Box Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown
Zidoo X9S is one of the first Realtek RTD1295 based TV boxes coming to market, and it has some pretty special features like running both Android 6.0 and OpenWrt simultaneously, HDMI input support for...


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WeTek Play 2 Amlogic S905 TV Box Gets Ubuntu 16.04 Mate and Minimal Firmware Images
WeTek Play 2 is the latest TV box from WeTek with DVB or ATSC tuner, and powered by Amlogic S905-H processor. It ships with Android 5.1.1, but Ubuntu 16.04 Mate and Ubuntu 16.04 minimal firmware...


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LG V20 Android 7.0 Smartphone is Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
LG V20 was mentioned during Android 7.0 release, as the first smartphone to ship with Android Nougat, but at the time, few details were provided. The Korean company has now released the full...


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UNI-T UT353 is a $15 Lightweight Sound Level Meter
Since some of the products I review come with a fan, I checked some sound level meters a couple of years ago, but since they were a little too expensive for my limited use, I skipped for the time...


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ASRock IMB-157 is one of the First Intel Apollo Lake Motherboards
We’ve already seen Intel launched 6 Apollo Lake Celeron and Pentium processors, some upcoming Acer Apollo Lake laptops, as well as Intel Apollo Lake NUCs, and now ASRock has listed one of the...


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[CNX]

After the official launch of ESP32 processor for less than $3, it did not take long before ESP32 modules hit the market, and Seeed Studio has already listed ESP3212, one of the first modules based on...


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Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 820 4K TV Box and AiO Virtual Reality Headset Reference Designs
Qualcomm has recently announced two references platforms for ODM/OEM powered by Snapdragon 820 processor for 4K Ultra HD media boxes and all-in-one virtual reality headsets. Snapdragon VR820 Virtual...


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Tizen Studio 1.0 Replaces Tizen SDK for Smartphones, Wearables and TVs
Tizen has converged all Tizen SDK for mobile, wearables, and TV to Tizen Studio since the beginning of the month, and released Tizen Studio 1.0 for developers interested in developing app for Tizen...


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$5 Wemos D1 mini Pro ESP8266 Board includes 16MB Flash
Wemos D1 mini is one of my favorite ESP8266 development boards thanks to its small size, shield support, and low $4 price tag. There’s now a new version of the board – dubbed Wemos D1...


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MINIX NEO U9-H 4K HDR Amlogic S912-H Android TV Box Coming in October
MINIX may have officially announced MINIX NEO Z83-4 Cherry trail mini PC at IFA 2016, but they also showcased NEO U9-H Android TV box based on an “Octa-core cortex A53 processor with ARM...


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OpenRex Open Source Hardware NXP i.MX6 Board Launched for 199 Euros and Up
OpenRex is an open source hardware board powered by NXP i.MX6 Cortex A9 processor designed by_Fedevel for their hardware design course, and manufactured by Voipac, both companies based on Slovakia....


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Allo Sparky Audio Kit Combines an ARM Linux Board with Amplifier, Audio DAC, Reclocker and Capacitance Multiplier Boards
Last year I wrote about Allo Sparky SBC Linux and Android development powered by Actions Semi S500 quad core Cortex A9 processor, which mostly differentiates itself from the competition by the many...


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MINIX NEO Z83-4 Fanless mini PC Review – Part 1: Specs, Unboxing and Teardown
MINIX has just launched a new Windows 10 mini PC with MINIX NEO Z83-4 powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8300 quad core processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, etc.. The company...


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Hardware Requirements for Discounted Windows 10 Licenses for Entry Level mini PCs, TV Sticks, Tablets, Notebooks, and AiO
Even since the first low cost mini PCs and TV sticks started to come to market there was lots of confusion about Windows 8.1/10 licenses, because while small tablets could be shipped with Windows 8.1...


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Espressif ESP32 WiFi & Bluetooth SoC is Now Up For Sale for $2.85
Espressif ESP32 is one of the most awaited chip for IoT applications as it combines a dual core processor, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and various I/Os. The good news is that you can now purchase ESP32 for...


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[CNX]

Amlogic S905X Android TV boxes are now pretty common, but if you’re looking for a device in TV stick form factor that’s more difficult to find, and exactly what Eachlink IX809 PRO devices...


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[CNX]

OK the title might be a little over of the top, but within the last month or so, I’ve been a “victim” of three American companies’ requests, via third parties, namely their...


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Beelink GT1 4K TV Box Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown
Beelink GT1 is among the cheapest Amlogic S912 TV boxes available today, selling for around $56, but despite the inexpensive price tag, its specifications are not too bad with Gigabit Ethernet,...


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Zidoo X9S Realtek RTD1295 Android & OpenWrt TV Box System Info & Benchmarks
Zidoo X9S is the first Android TV box based on Realtek RTD1295 quad core Cortex A53 processor that I’ve received for review. So in this post, I’ll show some system information with CPU-Z,...


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ArduBoy Arduino Compatible Portable Game Console Sells for $39
Ardubox feels like the little brother of PocketCHIP portable & hackable game console with its transparent case, but instead of running Linux on a 32-bit ARM processor, Ardubox is based on the...


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Sensors Predicting The Future – Elderly Persons Fall Prediction and Detection with Kinect, Webcams and Microphones
Wearables can be used your young children or elderly persons to monitoring their locations or health, and one use case, especially for old age persons, is to detect falls. However, it’s quite...


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u-Blox Unveils SARA-R4 LTE Cat M1 and SARA-M2 NB-IoT Modules for Professional IoT Applications
While I’ve mostly read about SigFox and LoraWan solutions for long range, low power, and low bitrate communications for the Internet of Things so far, there are many active of planned LPWAN...


More...

Dune HD SOLO Lite is a Cheaper Sigma Designs SMP8758 based 4K Media Box
Launched at the very end of_ last year, Dune HD SOLO 4K media player and NAS with Sigma Designs SMP8758 processor, a 2.5″ SATA bay, and a DVB-T2 tuner has high end specifications, but the price...


More...

Rockchip RK1108 Cortex A7 + DSP SoC is Made for Audio & Video Conference and Recording Applications
Rockchip has introduced RK1108 ARM Cortex A7 SoC with a 600 MHz DSP targeting visual communication, consumer electronics, automotive DVR, and security applications thanks to its 8-channel I2S audio...


More...

Espotek Labrador is s $25 5-in-1 Lab-on-a-Board with Oscilloscope, Waveform Generator, etc… (Crowdfunding)
We’ve already seen ultra cheap (and low end) electronics lab tools like DSO138 oscilloscope kit for $23, or the $5 USB123 USBee AX logic Analyzer, but EspoTek Labrador combines 5 electronics...


More...

Zidoo X9S (Realtek RTD1295) Android TV Box Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown
Zidoo X9S is one of the first Realtek RTD1295 based TV boxes coming to market, and it has some pretty special features like running both Android 6.0 and OpenWrt simultaneously, HDMI input support for...


More...