Beelink SER3 & SEi8 mini PCs review – Part 2: Ubuntu 22.04

Previously, I reviewed Beelink’s new SEi8 and SER3 mini PCs running Windows 11, so in this part, I will cover Ubuntu 22.04. Hardware Recap The SEi8 is an actively cooled Intel mini PC that physically consists of a 124 x 113 x 41 (4.88 x 4.45 x 1.61 inches) square metal case with a plastic top and uses Intel’s 14++ nm Coffee Lake Refresh Core i3-8109U processor from 2018 which is a dual-core 4-thread 3.00 GHz mobile processor boosting to 3.60 GHz with Intel’s Iris Plus Graphics 655. In comparison, the SER3 is an AMD mini PC and is physically very similar, consisting of a 126 x 113 x 40mm (4.96 x 4.45 x 1.57 inches) square metal case. It is also actively cooled and uses AMD’s 14 nm Zen Ryzen 3 3200U Picasso processor from 2019 which is a dual-core 4-thread 2.6 GHz mobile processor boosting to 3.5 GHz […]

Ubuntu Core 22 released for IoT devices and embedded systems

Ubuntu Core 22

Canonical has just released Ubuntu Core 22, a containerized variant of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, optimized for IoT devices and embedded systems and supporting Ubuntu’s new real-time kernel. In Ubuntu Core, everything is a snap, including the kernel, OS, and applications both to improve security to sandbox each package and to enable updates of specific packages from the  IoT App Store over-the-air (OTA). If something goes wrong during the update, the system will automatically roll back to the previous version, so the device cannot be bricked. The Snap system also minimizes network traffic through delta updates. Ubuntu Core 22 also provides advanced security features with secure boot, full disk encryption, secure recovery, as well as confinement of the OS and applications as discussed above. Customers also benefit from Canonical’s 10 years (until 2032) of security maintenance of kernel, OS, and application-level code, which can be important for deployments in enterprise and […]

GEEKOM MiniAir 11 Celeron N5095 mini PC sells for $200 with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD

GEEKOM MiniAir 11

GEEKOM MiniAir 11 is a mini PC powered by a Celeron N5095 Jasper Lake mini PC that ships with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD selling for $199, and placing itself as a competitor of Beelink U59 mini PC. The mini PC offers HDMI 2.0 and mini DisplayPort video outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, three USB 3.2 ports, and two USB-C ports for data only, as the device is powered by a 19V power adapter, and the USB-C ports do not support DisplayPort Alt Mode. GEEKOM MiniAir 11 specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N5095 quad-core Jasper Lake  processor @ 2.0GHz /  2.9GHz (Turbo) with 4MB cache, 16EU Intel UHD Graphics; 15W TDP System Memory – 8GB DDR4 upgradeable up to 32GB Storage – 256GB M.2 2280 PCIe/SATA SSD upgradeable to 1TB, full-size SD card reader; (CNXSoft: we’re not told whether the pre-installed SSD uses SATA or […]

MYIR MYC-J1028X CPU module features NXP LS1028A dual Cortex-A72 SoC with time-sensitive networking (TSN)

LS1028A CPU module heatsink

MYIR has introduced the MYC-J1028X CPU module based on NXP LS1028A dual Cortex-A72 processor with time-sensitive networking (TSN) support, as well as the MYD-J1028X development board with five Gigabit Ethernet ports, and other interfaces to evaluate the solution. The MYC-J1028X is equipped with 2GB DDR4, 8GB eMMC flash, a 32Kbit EEPROM, and a temperature sensor by default, and exposes all I/Os through a 314-pin MXM 3.0 edge connector. The module also comes with footprints to solder a QSPI NAND Flash, XSPI NOR Flash, and/or ECC memory. Typical applications include industrial routers, industrial control, edge computing, automotive electronics, industrial IoT, and more. MYC-J1028X CPU module MYC-J1028X SoM specifications: SoC – NXP Layerscape LS1028A (LS1028AXN7PQA) dual-core Cortex-A72 processor @ 1.5 GHz with 3D GPU, integrated TSN Ethernet switches and Ethernet controllers System Memory – 2GB DDR4 (optional 3GB / 4GB DDR4); optional DDR4 ECC Storage 8GB eMMC flash (optional 16GB / 32GB) […]

MechArm Pi 270 is a desktop robotic arm powered by a Raspberry Pi 4 SBC

MechArm Pi 270

Elephant Robotics MechArm Pi 270 is a six-axis robotic arm with a 270mm working radius, support for up to 250 grams payload, and that runs Debian/Ubuntu + ROS on a Raspberry Pi 4 single board computer. The robotic arm was introduced last year in two separate crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo organized by MechArm, which has now joined Elephant Robotics, and now supports myStudio software to upgrade the software, provide video tutorials on how to use the robot, as well as maintenance and repair information. MechArm Pi 270 key features and specifications: Controller – Raspberry Pi 4 Model B SBC with quad-core Cortex-A72 processor, dual-band WiFi 5 & Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity Display I/F – 2x Micro HDMI output port up to 4Kp60 Supported cameras – Official Raspberry Pi cameras or third-party USB cameras USB – 2x USB 3.0 ports, 2x USB 2.0 ports Robotic arm 270mm working range 6 […]

NanoPi R5S preview – Part 2: Ubuntu 20.04 (FriendlyCore)

NanoPi R5S M.2 NVMe SSD

I started the NanoPi R5S review with an unboxing, a teardown, a quick try of the pre-installed OpenWrt-based FriendlyWrt, and some iperf3 benchmarks on the 2.5GbE interfaces that were rather disappointing. I test further I switched to the Ubuntu 20.04-based FriendlyCore image since I’m more familiar with Debian-based operating systems, and some tools will not run on OpenWrt. Note the performance is still not quite optimal, and that’s why I call this a preview since numbers should improve in the next few months as more people tweak the software. OpenWrt optimizations? But before jumping to Ubuntu, I gave an updated version of FriendlyWrt a try as FriendElec told me they had added some optimizations: We have made some optimizations on the new image, such as NIC interrupt settings, and offload support… So I downloaded “rk3568-eflasher-friendlywrt-20220526.img.gz” found on Google Drive, flashed it to a microSD card with USBImager, and booted it […]

MeLE Quieter3Q Review – Ultra-thin fanless mini PC tested with Windows 11, Ubuntu 22.04

mele quieter3q review

MeLE has released a new and updated version of the Quieter mini PC called the Quieter3Q. Like before, it is a passive mini PC but now features the latest low-powered Intel Celeron Jasper Lake CPU and an upgraded PCIe 3.0 x2 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slot. MeLE has kindly sent one for review and I’ve looked at performance running both Windows and Ubuntu and connecting an eGPU. MeLE Quieter3Q Hardware Overview The MeLE Quieter3Q is physically the same as before consisting of a 131 x 81 x 18.3mm (5.16 x 3.19 x 0.72 inches) rectangular plastic case with a metal base plate. The top half of the case is finely grooved to mimic the fins of a heat spreader but is made of plastic rather than metal to allow reception to the WiFi antennas as one is directly connected to it. As a passively cooled mini PC, it uses Intel’s […]

Armbian 22.05 release adds support for Orange Pi R1 Plus LTS, Radxa Zero & Rock 3A, DevTerm A06

Armbian 22.05

The latest release of Armbian, version 22.05, is now out with hundreds of Linux kernel and user space-related bug fixes, a focus on stabilizing existing platforms, while still adding four new boards with Orange Pi R1 Plus LTS (RK3328), Radxa Zero (Amlogic S905Y2), Radxa Rock 3A (RK3568), and DevTerm A06 (RK3399). The community also added two new maintainers for ESPRESSObin and Radxa Rock Pi 4 (Model A) SBCs which should mean the images for those boards will be tested more regularly and potential issues fixed more quickly. You may want to read the more detailed changelog to see if any changes may impact the board(s) you are using. The new Armbian 22.05 release succeeds Armbian 22.02 outed on February 28, 2022. If you’d like to upgrade simply run those two commands on your existing installation:

For new installation, browse the list of supported boards, select the Debian/Ubuntu image you’d […]