Android News - Page 249 of 363 - CNX Software

June 25, 2014September 6, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 71 Comments

List of Rockchip RK3288 Android TV Boxes So Far

In the previous years, you’d normally learn about new devices as they get listed on Alibaba or Aliexpress, and that’s how I built my – now very incomplete – list of Rockchip RK3188 based devices. But now companies seem to be anxious to let people know about their new devices even before they hit the market, and albeit I’ve been told full production of Rokchip RK3288 powered Android TV boxes is only planned by the end of July, many companies are already showing off their new devices, even though only the PCBA may be ready, or in development. Let’s go through the list of Rockchip RK3288 quad core Cortex A17 media devices that’s known (to me) so far: No brand D368 – HDMI 1.4 TV dongle with 1 or 2 GB RAM, 4, 8 or 16 GB flash, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac + (optional) Bluetooth, and 2x USB host ports. No […]

June 24, 2014June 24, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments

MK918 Android TV Box Powered by Rockchip RK3188T Sells for $50

MK918, also known as K-R42-1, CS918, or MK888, is an Android TV box powered by Rockchip RK3188T with 2GB RAM, and 8GB Flash. This is a pretty standard device, and I already featured it, but GeekBuying is selling the device for $49.99 as part of their second anniversary, which looks to be good deal, but it turns out some Aliexpress sellers are also doing promotions for about the same price ($50+). The promotion on GeekBuying will last about on more day, and around 50 units are available, and on Aliexpress promotions runs between 1 and 3 more days. The usual price seems to be between $60 and $70, but I guess some companies may get rid off old stocks with products based on Amlogic S802 already there, and Rockchip RK3288 and AllWinner A80 products soon to hit the market. Let’s remind ourselves of the complete specs: SoC – Rockchip RK3188T […]

June 24, 2014May 29, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

CubieTruck’s DVK570 Daughter Board and Add-ons (GPS, Zigbee, Sensors, RS485, and SPI Flash)

CubieTruck is one of the development boards made by CubieTech. It is powered by AllWinner A20 with 2GB RAM, Gb Eternet, various ports, and supports Android and multiple Linux distributions. Waveshare Electronics has just launched DVK570 daughter board for the CubieTruck which adds support for TV in and out, a buzzer, and headers to connect modules such as GPS, RS485, an SPI flash, a Zigbee module, a magnetometer, or a temperature sensor. Hardware features of DVK570 daughter board: CubieTruck Headers – 1x 30-pin header and 1x 24-pin header for connection with the CubieTruck Video – TVIN in, and TV Out interfaces (CVBS) Audio – 3.5mm Line IN interface Debugging – UART interface, micro USB port with USB to UART chip (Profilic PL2303) Expansions for add-on modules: 1x 4-pin I2C interface to connect I2C modules such as PCF8563 RTC Module, MAG3110 Board, and more 2x 6-pin UART interfaces (UART4 and 7) […]

June 23, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

HTC / Google Nexus 9 To Feature Nvidia Tegra K1 Dual Core 64-bit ARMv8 Processor

ARMv8 (64-bit ARM) architecture has been seen in servers, and announced in mobile SoCs, but, putting aside some Apple products, we have yet to see any consumer products based on the latest ARM architecture. But this will change soon, as HTC Volantis, which could become Google Nexus 9 based on the picture leaked via Android Police, will feature an “Nvidia Logan 64-bit” SoC, which can only be a Tegra K1 dual core ARMv8 SoC announced at CES 2014. HTC Volantis / Nexus 9 specifications: SoC – NVIDIA Tegra K1 (logan) dual core 64-bit Processor System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 16/32GB internal storage Display – 8.9″ Display at 2048×1440 (281ppi) Camera – 8MP main camera with OIS, 3MP front facing camera Audio – Stereo front-facing speakers Dimensions – 22.63×15.19×0.79cm Weight – 418g, or 427g with LTE The assumption is that it will be released as the latest major release […]

June 22, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

NFC Tags Now Sell for Just 50 Cents

Your smartphone’s NFC capabilities don’t have to be used only for payment or marketing purposes, and NFC tags can allow to create some sort of real-life short cuts to do various things by simply tapping your phone on the tag including: Automatically enable and configure Wi-Fi. This can be convenient if you are friend coming to your home, and they can just tap on the tag to get Wi-Fi access without the need to know the password Home automation – You can control items in your home, i.e. turn on/off your computer, lights, doors, etc… with a tag. Virtual Business Card – You can store your contact details in a tag and share your data with others quickly and easily. More use cases can be found on “18 Creative & Useful Ways To Use NFC Tags With Your Smartphone” post on trendblog, and it can even be used as a […]

June 22, 2014June 24, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 102 Comments

Giveaway Week – Tronsmart Prometheus Android STB

The last product for this giveaway week will be Tronsmart Prometheus, and Android TV Box with hardware specifications very similar to Gbox Midnight MX2, namely an Amlogic AML8726-MX dual core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB flash, HDMI and AV output, optical S/PDIF output, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity and 3 USB ports. My first review had Prometheus run Android 4.1 firmware, but since a firmware update meant it was one of the first Android media player that could run Android 4.2 and XBMC, I also decided to write an updated review, in which I found the firmware to be responsive and stable, XBMC to work as expected except for a few videos (RMVB, MPEG-2) and more critically audio/video sync issues, but these have been fixed in a subsequent firmware update. To enter the draw simply leave a comment below. I can’t find the HDMI cable, so it won’t be included in the […]

June 21, 2014June 23, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 89 Comments

Giveaway Week – Jynxbox Live TV Streaming Box

The sixth prize of this giveaway week on CNX Software will be Jynxbox Live. It’s a standard Android TV box based on Rockchip RK3066 dual core processor, except it has software that normally allowing live streaming of about 300 TV channels around the world, and sells at a steep price compared to Android media player based on similar hardware. However after installing the Live TV app, which is not included when the box ships, possibly due to legal reasons, I could only load 10 TV channels, and none of them would play. I’m not exactly sure why, maybe their server is blocked from Thailand, as other users reported the box worked just fine. There’s no Google Play store pre-installed in the box, only Jynx Market with a limited number of applications, so you may have to install another market (Amazon, Yandex, Google Play..) by yourself. To enter the draw simply […]

June 20, 2014June 22, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 117 Comments

Giveaway Week – Beelink A9 Quad Core Android TV Box

Beelink A9, the same hardware as Tronsmart A928, will be the fifth box given away this week, and the only quad core device. This Android media player is powered by Rockchip RK3188-T Cortex A9 processor, and comes with 2GB RAM, 8GB eMMC Flash, HDMI video output, optical S/PDIF output, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and three USB ports. What got me interested in this device was the released of Android 4.4 SDK, which turned out not to be that useful based on feedback from the community. Nevertheless I got the device and reviewed it last December. I found two critical issues with the firmware: Bluetooth not working, and mediocre Ethernet performance. Apart from that, the firmware was very stable, Wi-Fi performance decent, and features I tested worked as expected. Firmware updates are infrequent. The latest official version dates from January, and there’s a finless one with a 1080p kernel and […]