windows

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Kodi 16 “Jarvis” Release

Kodi 16 “Jarvis” Release

This morning, I saw Kodi installed from Google Play get an update in one of my Android device, and that means that Kodi 16.0 “Jarvis” has now been released. As usual it’s available for Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Android, and iOS, with specific Linux ports for Raspberry Pi boards, and several Freescale/NXP i.MX6 boards such as Wandboard or EzeeCube. You can get the full Changelog in the Wiki, but some of the main changes against Kodi 15 include: Various new features for Live TV and PVR (Personal Video Recorder) Added RDS Radio, FM radio, scheduling recordings of TV shows… Various improvements such as speeding up EPG database access. Added, updated, and improved PVR backend clients addons for all popular third-party external PVR backend platforms: FilmOn, HDHomeRun, Enigma 2, Tvheadend HTSP Client, and so on. Add-ons Framework, API, and Manager improvements Platform Independent Playback improvements : software DTS-HD decode with libdcadec, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Congatec Introduces Intel Atom x5-E8000 Thin mini-ITX Board, COM Express & QSeven Modules

Congatec Introduces Intel Atom x5-E8000 Thin mini-ITX Board, COM Express & QSeven Modules

Following Intel’s announcement of their new Atom x5-E8000 quad core processor with 5W TDP/4W SDP and 7-year availability earlier today, Congatec published a press release for four new platforms based on the processor with conga-QA4 Qseven module, conga-MA4 COM Express Mini & conga-TCA4 COM Express Compact modules, as well as conga-IA4 industrial-grade Thin Mini-ITX board. All four products are actually variation of existing Braswell platforms, but Intel Atom x5-E8000 brings 64-bit computing even cheaper thanks to its $39 recommended customer price. So I’ll just look at the QSeven module specifications in details: SoC – Intel Atom x5-E8000 quad core “Braswell” processor @ 1.04 GHz / 2.00 GHz (Burst) with 2MB L2 cache, and Intel HD Gen8 graphics @ 320 MHz; 5 W TDP. System Memory – Up to 8GB onboard DDR3L with 1600 MT/s On-board Storage – Up to eMMC 4.5.1 onboard flash  (optional), 8 MB serial SPI firmware flash […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on EyeTV NetStream Streams Free-to-Air Digital TV to Any Devices at Home

EyeTV NetStream Streams Free-to-Air Digital TV to Any Devices at Home

A few months ago, I wrote about TBS AMD Moi Pro streaming server supporting up to 16 tuners  and mostly targeting businesses, but I’ve also found out there are some consumers solutions such as Elgato EyeTV NetStream 4Sat that includes four antenna inputs for your satellite dish (DVB-S2/S), and the ability to stream live TV to any devices, using hardware video transcoding if need be, for example to Android or iOS smartphones. Versions with DVB-T2 and ATSC will soon be available. EyeTV NetStream 4Sat specifications: Tuners 4x satellite inputs: F connector for RG-6/U coaxial satellite cable DVB-S2 / DVB-S Digital Universal LNB: Single, Twin/Dual, Quad or Quattro Unicable Integrated multiswitch DiSEqC 1.0 Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Misc – Reset button, power switch Power Supply – DC 12V 3A Dimensions – 25 x 12.6 x 4.1 cm (suitable for wall-mounting) Weight – 806 grams […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on JaguarBoard is a $65 Single Board Computer Powered by Intel Atom Z3735G Processor (Crowdfunding)

JaguarBoard is a $65 Single Board Computer Powered by Intel Atom Z3735G Processor (Crowdfunding)

While we have recently started to see low Intel Atom x5 “Cherry Trail” development boards such as UP Board and LattePanda, we have not really seen any Intel Atom Z3735F/G “Bay Trail” boards despite their popularity in mini PCs and TV sticks. JAGUAR ELECTRONIC H.K. aims to fill that avoid with their JaguarBoard single board computer powered by an Intel Atom Z3735G processor coupled with 16GB flash and 1GB RAM. JaguarBoard specifications: SoC  – Intel Atom Z3735G quad core processor @ 1.33GHz / 1.83GHz (burst) with Intel HD graphics @ 311 MHz / 646 MHz System Memory – 1GB DDR3L RAM Storage – 16GB eMMC flash, 1x micro SD card slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 1.4 @ up to 1080p Audio – HDMI, Line In and Line Out (stereo) 3.5mm jacks Connectivity – 10/100Mbps USB – 3x USB 2.0 Expansion Headers 8-pin header with 2x UART and I2C 4-pin […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on How to Resize Android’s Internal Storage Partition in Rockchip Devices

How to Resize Android’s Internal Storage Partition in Rockchip Devices

I installed Light Biz OS firmware on GeekBox yesterday, but I’ve quickly realized many applications such as Gimp Inkscape would not install due to the small 1.94GB “internal partition”, so I asked how to increase the partition size in GeekBox forums last evening, and got an answer overnight from “dewet”. The good news is that it worked so I’ll share the steps I followed in a computer running Ubuntu 14.04. It might also be possible to perform the same tasks within a Windows machine with Rorkchip’s Factory tools First let’s download the utils with relevant scripts and binaries:

Now copy your device or board’s firmware file “update.img” to the working directory, and unpack it:

The output should look like:

The files will be in the “output” directory. For our purpose “parameter” file, and especially the last line (CMDLINE) where we will want to adjust the userdata partition […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments on How to Use Nextion Serial Touchscreen Displays – Part 1: Standalone Mode

How to Use Nextion Serial Touchscreen Displays – Part 1: Standalone Mode

Itead Studio launched an Indiegogo campaign earlier this year for their Nextion TFT displays that can be connected to external board such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi via the serial interface, or even a standard computer provided you have a USB to TTL debug board. The campaign was successful with over 1,700 backers, and the company recently sent me two samples for review: a 2.4″ display and a 5″ display. In this post, I’ll look at the boards, and make a small standalone demo with Nextion Editor in Windows. Nextion NX3224T024 2.4″ Display The first item is a 2.4″ TFT display called NX3224T024_011N (non-touch) or NX3224T024_011R (Resistive touch) with 65536 color, 320×240 pixel resolution, LED backlight and up to 200nit brightness. It ships with a cable for the serial connection (5V, Tx, Rx, and GND). The back of the display features the serial connector, a micro SD used to load the […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Razberry Board and UZB Dongle Add Z-Wave (Plus) to Raspberry Pi Boards

Razberry Board and UZB Dongle Add Z-Wave (Plus) to Raspberry Pi Boards

Z-Wave is one of the low power wireless communication protocols used for automation, and supported, for example, by gateways such as Samsung SmartThings Hub or Vera3. Z-Wave Plus is a certification program used to identify Z-wave 5th Generation hardware platform, allowing a greater range up to 45 meters, 50% improvement in battery life, 250% more bandwidth, and providing a standardized method for Over the Air firmware updates (OTA), among other things. Zwave.me, a startup registered in Switzerland, is specializing in Z-Wave products and solutions, and among their other products they’ve also designed Z-Wave hardware to turn the Raspberry Pi board and other compatible hardware into a Z-Wave gateway. RazBerry module will fit into the 26 or 40-pin header found on Raspberry Pi boards, and comes with the following  specifications: Sigma Designs ZM5202 Z-Wave transceiver module Frequencies – Storage – 32KB SPI flash for network data CPU/MCU Interface – UART (Tx/Rx) […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Samsung Introduces $250 SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit

Samsung Introduces $250 SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit

Samsung has recently launched SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit including a SmartThings hub, a motions sensor, two multi-pupose sensors to detect when windows or doors are opened, and a smart outlet for home automation and monitoring via mobile devices. Some of SmartThings Hub technical specifications: Ethernet for connection to router Communication Protocol – ZigBee, Z-Wave, IP Range – 15 to 40 meters Power Supply – In-wall power adapter with about 10 hours of backup power from 4 included AA batteries Dimensions – 10.67 x 12.45 x 3.3 cm Weight – 218 grams Operating Temperature: 5 to 35°C (Indoor use only) They’ve decided not to include WiFi, or omitted in the product page, so it would have to be close to your router. The multi-purpose sensors, and motion sensor are powered by a pre-installed CR-2450 battery, while the smart outlet takes 100 to 220V (12A @ 120V max). All three devices communicate […]