February 2014 - Page 4 of 10 - CNX Software

February 24, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Mediatek Introduces MT6732 Quad Core ARM Cortex A53 LTE SoC

Meditaked has just announced their first 64-bit ARM SoC with MT6732 featuring four ARM Cortex A53 cores, Mali-T760 GPU, and a Multi-mode 4G LTE Modem at Mobile World Congress 2014. Here are the key features of MT6732: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor system @ 1.5GHz ARM Mali-T760 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenCL 1.2 APIs Multimedia Features Supports low-power, 1080p, 30fps video playback supporting the emerging video codec standard H.265 and legacy H.264 and 1080p, 30fps H.264 video recording Integrated 13MP camera image signal processor with support for unique features like PIP (Picture-in-Picture), VIV (Video in Video) and Video Face Beautifier MediaTek ClearMotion technology eliminates motion jitter and ensures smooth video playback at 60fps on mobile devices MediaTek MiraVision technology for DTV-grade picture quality Integrated Multi-mode 4G LTE Modem Rel. 9, Category 4 FDD and TDD LTE (150 Mb/s downlink, 50 Mb/s uplink) 3GPP Rel. 8, DC-HSPA+ (42 […]

February 24, 2014February 24, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Mozilla Working on $25 Firefox OS Smartphones With Spreadtrum SC6821 SoC

The cheapest Android smartphones cost about $50, and this price is still a barrier to entry to many, as about 46.4% of phones sold worldwide in 2013 were feature phones according to Gartner, which still corresponds to about 838 million units per year. Mozilla and Spreadtrum are currently working together to bring $25 smartphones to market, and that’s retail price, running Firefox OS and powered by the latest Spreadtrum SC6821 SoC. The $25 smartphone will come with 128 MB RAM, 256 MB NAND flash, and feature a 3.5″ HVGA touchscreen, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, FM radio, and run Firefox OS with HTML5 apps such as Twitter and Facebook, and access to a full web browser, according to Spreadtrum representatives. You would certainly not trade this phone with your existing Android phone, but if all you could afford until now was a feature phone, these upcoming ultra low cost Firefox OS […]

February 23, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Samsung Unveils Two Tizen Smartwatches: Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo

After the Samsung Galaxy Gear, Samsung has introduced two new smartwatches, Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, droppping the Galaxy brand in the process, most probably because these two happen to run Tizen, instead of Android found in the Galaxy gear. The Gear 2 has a camera which is missing in the Gear 2 Neo. Other specifications and features are more or less the same. Samsung Gear 2 Product Specifications: SoC – Dual Core Processor @ 1.0 GHz (Exynos 4?) System Memory – 512MB Storage – 4GB Internal Memory Display – 1.63” Super AMOLED (320 x 320) Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE, IrLED Camera Gear 2 – 2.0 Megapixel Auto Focus (1920×1080, 1080×1080, 1280×960) Gear 2 Neo – N/A Video – Codecs: H.264, H.263, Container Formats: 3GP, MP4. HD(720p, @30fps) Playback & Recording Audio – Codecs: MP3/AAC/AMR/Vorbis, Format: MP3, M4A, AAC, OGG. Noise Cancellation Sensors – Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart […]

February 23, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Flappy Bird Sucks, Let’s Play Flappy Tux Instead! Or How to Modify APK Files

Flappy Bird is a ridiculous fad, and I promised myself not to write about this silly game. I managed to resist when somebody showed off their Arduino powered real-life Flappy Bird, but then XDA developers mentioned one of their member posted instructions to customize Flappy Bird game. I thought it might be fun to personalize the game with pictures of friends or family members, and at the same time, learn how to hack apk files. Instead of real persons, I’ve replaced the original bird, by Tux, the official Linux mascot, flapping wings not included. The instructions in XDA dev forums are mainly for Windows, but I’ve adapted them to Linux, and “created” “Flappy Tux” from Ubuntu 13.10. I’ll assume you’ve already installed OpenJDK and the Android SDK and have a working Android app development environment. I think we just need adb and aapt from android-sdk-linux/platform-tools/bin to be in the path. […]

February 21, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 25 Comments

USB Solar Power Bank Review

A few months ago, I won a $5 coupon for DealExtreme, and decided to buy a “Portable 5V (30,000mAh) Li-ion Battery Solar Power Bank w/ Dual USB + LED – Black + White” for just over $20. For the price, solar charging was a nice bonus, and the 30,000 mAh was probably a “mistake” but it did not really matter. The SKU is gone, but 1BA-2 Solar power bank ($23.97) appears to be a very similar product. I did not plan to write about this gadget, but a few things happened that made me change my mind. First. it took over two months to reach me, instead of the usual 2 to 4 weeks. I ordered on the 9th of November 2013, and received the package on the 25th of January 2014. The reason being that the package got declined by Thai immigration (I live in Thailand). DealExtreme could not […]

February 21, 2014February 21, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

802.11ah Wi-Fi (900 MHz) to Provide Low Power, Long Range Connectivity for the Internet of Things

Most devices now feature Wi-Fi modules capable of handling 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 Ghz (and 5 GHz for dual band Wi-Fi), and newer devices and routers boast 802.11ac connectivity @ 5GHz with increased bandwidth (up to 1.2 Gbit/s in theory, maybe around 400 Mbit/s in practive), and in some case increased range with beam-forming. But thanks to an article on EETimes, I’ve learned there’s another upcoming Wi-Fi standard called 802.11ah operating in the 900MHz range, with data rates from 150 Kbit/s with a 1 MHz band to as much as 40 Mbit/s over an 8 MHz band, lower power consumption, and a least double of the range of a typical 802.11n device,capable of covering an area of about 1 km2. The target applications are sensors networks, backhaul networks for sensor and meter, and extended range Wi-Fi, as the standard allows long range and more clients at low bitrates. This new […]

February 21, 2014February 21, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Google’s Project Tango Phone Prototype Generates Real-time 3D Maps

Google ATAP (Advanced Technology and Products), the team who is currently working on Project Ara for Google, and recently moved from Motorola following the acquisition by Lenovo, has also been busy on another project called Tango, which centers around a phone equipped with cameras and sensors capturing 250,000 data points per second to track motion and generate 3D maps in real-time. The prototype is 5” phone with hardware and software customization designed to simultaneously track the 3D motion of the device, and creating a 3D map of the environment. The device runs Android and includes development APIs to provide position, orientation, and depth data to standard Java, C/C++ Android. This is still early development, but the team imagine the technology could be used to easily create a 3D map of your home, facilitating furniture shopping. Other usa cses include indoor navigations, visually-impaired aid, and product location in a store. Augmented reality […]

February 21, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Geeksphone Revolution Multi OS Smartphone Supports Android, Firefox OS, and Soon More…

Geeksphone, the company behind the earlier Firefox OS developer’s phones, and the privacy-enhanced Blackphone, has now officially launched the Geeksphone Revolution powered by a dual core Intel Atom Z2560 processor and supporting Android, Firefox OS, or more exactly Boot2Gecko (B2G), and potentially other OS supported by the community such as Sailfish OS. Geeksphone Revolution specifications: SoC – Dual core Intel Atom processor Z2560 up to 1.6GHz System Memory – 1GB LPDDR2 Storage – 4GB EMMC + MicroSD support, Up to 32GB Display – 4.7″ IPS LCD Multi-touch, qHD resolution. Cellular network – HSPA/WCDMA: 2100/1900/900/850 MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, HSDPA up to 21Mbps, HSUPA up to 5.76Mbps, GPRS Class 12 / EDGE Class 12 Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth Class 3.0, GPS, AGPS Camera – 8 MP rear camera with LED Flash, 1.3 MP front camera System I/O – 3.5mm audio jack, micro USB Sensors – G‐Sensor + E‐Compass + […]