CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

November 4, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

ZOTAC ZBOX CI471 nano fanless mini PC features Intel Core 7 350, WiFi 7, and dual Thunderbolt 4

ZBOX CI471 nano Intel Core 7 350 mini PC

ZOTAC has introduced the ZBOX CI471 nano, a fanless mini PC powered by an Intel Core 7 350 hexa-core Wildcat Lake processor with integrated Xe3 graphics and a 17 TOPS NPU. The company has also introduced two lower-end models, the ZBOX CI451 nano with a Core 5 320 processor and the ZBOX CI431 nano with a Core 3 304 processor. All three mini PCs use passive cooling and share the same 204 × 129 × 68 mm enclosure. They support up to 64GB DDR5 memory, M.2 NVMe SSD storage, and three 4K displays. Other features include dual Thunderbolt 4, 2.5GbE networking, and WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless connectivity. The systems are offered as barebones, meaning users must install their own memory and storage. ZOTAC ZBOX CI471/CI451/CI431 nano specifications: SoC – Intel Core Series 3 “Wildcat Lake” processors ZBOX CI471 nano – Intel Core 7 350 CPU – 6-core (2x […]

November 4, 2026November 4, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

1.3 million Google-certified Android TV boxes found to have malware

You might assume that a Google-certified Android TV box will both work better and guarantee no malware. However, you’d be wrong, at least for the latter. Google has just published a new Threat Intelligence report entitled “Shutting the Door on the XCPE Botnet”, where they found that 1.3 million TV boxes were infected by the XCPE backdoor, enrolling them into a botnet used for financial gains. Google assesses with high confidence that the malware was intentionally developed, deployed, and operated by Videostrong Technology, a TV box manufacturer, which we frequently covered in the past when Android TV boxes were still somewhat a novelty and at times usable as an alternative to SBCs running Linux. Videostrong apparently monetized the backdoor by allowing affiliates to load malware modules onto infected devices to run ad-fraud schemes, enroll the TV boxes in residential proxy networks, and so on. Google took legal action to disrupt […]

Nordic Semi nRF71 wireless chips to deliver 20 times lower standby power for battery-operated WiFi devices

Nordic Semi has just announced the nRF71 Series of ultra-low-power SoCs with ultra-low-power Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), and Thread connectivity, as well as an Axon NPU for edge AI workloads. The company claims the new chips, starting with the dual-band nRF7120 and tri-band nRF7120E, deliver up to 20 times lower standby power usage than current-generation nRF70 Series Wi-Fi products. This should allow nRF71 devices to run for years on battery, whether they use BLE, Thread, or Wi-Fi, for Smart Home, wearables, and industrial IoT applications. Nordic Semi nRF7120/nRF7120E specifications: MCU cores Arm Cortex-M33 @ up to 256 MHz RISC-V coprocessor @ up to 256 MHz with support for SoftPeripherals (CAN 2.0B, SDIO) Memory – 1 MB on-chip, user-accessible low-leakage RAM Storage – 4 MB on-chip NVM AI accelerator – Axon NPU (nRF7120E only) Wireless Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac nRF7120 – Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 at […]

November 3, 2026November 3, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Seeed Studio launches 4.26” Mono and 7.3” Color e-Paper kits preloaded with OpenDisplay firmware

Seeed Studio has launched two Nordic nRF52840-based Bluetooth LE e-paper kits preloaded with the OpenDisplay open-source firmware for e-paper displays and supporting Home Assistant integration. The OpenDisplay 4.26″ Mono features a 4.26-inch monochrome/grayscale display with 800×480 resolution and partial refresh support, while the OpenDisplay 7.3″ Color Kit is equipped with a 7.3-inch Spectra 6 color e-paper with the same resolution. Both are powered by a 2,000 mAh battery and feature a few buttons for control and reset. Seeed Studio OpenDisplay kits specifications: MCU – Nordic Semi nRF52840 CPU – Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ up to 64 MHz Memory – 256 KB SRAM Storage – 1 MB flash Wireless – Bluetooth LE 5.0, NFC, 802.15.4 connectivity Display OpenDisplay 4.26″ Mono Kit 4.26-inch monochrome ePaper Black and white (default); optional 4-gray mode Partial Refresh – Supported in black-and-white mode only Resolution – 800 × 480 Controller – Seeed XIAO EN05 driver board […]

November 3, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

When will this stop? The Raspberry Pi 5 16GB SBC now sells for $385

Raspberry Pi has announced yet another price increase, this time for most models with 16GB of RAM. The Raspberry Pi 5 16GB now sells for $385, an $80 increase compared to the last price hike in April, and the Raspberry Pi CM5 system-on-module gets a $40 increase, starting at $375 for the Lite model without wireless. The “good news” is that the Raspberry Pi 500+ mechanical keyboard PC stays at the same price, starting at $410. I suppose they can afford it on that model, because it’s already richly priced and the demand must be lower than for single board computers and compute modules. Here’s the updated price list for the Compute Module 5 16GB variants. Interestingly, the price is the same whether we get 32GB or 64GB eMMC flash. I still remember people complaining about the $120 launch price of the Raspberry Pi 5 16GB. That was less than […]

November 2, 2026November 2, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Banana Pi BPI-M8 – An Allwinner A733 SBC inspired by the Raspberry Pi 5 with PCIe FFC connector, UFS module socket

Banana Pi BPI-M8 is a credit card-sized SBC powered by an Allwinner A733 octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 SoC that aims to offer an alternative to the Raspberry Pi 5. The BPI-M8 comes with 4GB LPDDR5, HDMI and MIPI DSI display interfaces, two MIPI CSI camera interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet, on-board WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, four USB ports, a 16-pin FFC PCIe connector, and the usual 40-pin GPIO header. Two variants are offered: the BPI-M8A with 64GB eMMC flash, and the BPI-M8B with 16MB SPI NOR flash. Banana Pi BPI-M8 specifications: SoC – Allwinner A733 CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-A76 @ up to 2.00 GHz Hexa-core Arm Cortex-A55 @ up to 1.80 GHz Single-core RISC-V E902 real-time core GPU – Imagination Technologies BXM-4-64 MC1 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.3, and OpenCL 3.0 VPU 4Kp60/8Kp24 H.265/VP9/AVS2 decoding, 4Kp30 H.264 decoding 4Kp30 H.265/H.264 encoding AI accelerator – 3 TOPS NPU Process – 12 […]

November 2, 2026November 2, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

TOOCAA NOVA Review – 20W laser engraver with AI camera, autofocus, and rotary module

TOOCAA NOVA is a desktop laser cutter and engraver that combines creative functions in a compact body. It comes with a translucent orange cover and an A4 work area of 297 × 210 mm, suitable for making signs, decorations, personalized gifts, and DIY projects. The reviewed model uses a 20W diode laser module for cutting and engraving, and supports materials such as wood, paper, leather, and coated aluminum. The machine’s highlight is its 5MP AI camera, which displays an image of the material inside the machine in the software, making it easier to align designs with the desired position. It also has an autofocus system that automatically adjusts focus distance and a material card-reading function that helps you select operating settings. It works with TOOCAA Studio to design, import images, and set up jobs including line engraving, fill engraving, and cutting, and connects to the machine via USB or Wi-Fi. […]

November 2, 2026November 1, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Brainchip AKD1500 Raspberry Pi 5 Dev Kit enables users to quickly experiment with event-based neuromorphic AI

A few weeks ago, we noted that the Brainchip AKD1500 M.2 module could work with the Raspberry Pi 5 using a compatible M.2 HAT+ expansion card to evaluate the solution or develop applications using the company’s low-power, low-latency neuromorphic AI technology. To make things even easier, they’ve now introduced the AKD1500 Raspberry Pi 5 Dev Kit that packs a Raspberry Pi 5 8GB, an official M.2 HAT+, and an Akida AKD1500 M.2 B+M-Key card into a metal case. Most ports from the Raspberry Pi 5 are exposed, namely the Gigabit Ethernet port, the four USB connectors, the two HDMI video outputs, and the USB-C port for power. The Raspberry Pi 5 power button and an LED on the M.2 HAT+ are also visible through openings in the metal case. The kit requires a camera for operation, but instead of relying on a MIPI CSI-based Raspberry Pi Camera module, users are […]