Operating Systems Category - Page 676 of 964 - CNX Software

January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

Ugoos UT3S is an Update to UT3 Android & Ubuntu TV Box with a Fan

Many people like ARM based media player because most of them run Android providing access too many apps available via Google Play Store, a similar experience to what they got used with phones and tablets, and also because they are small, inexpensive, and fanless. However, the latest ARM processors such as Rockchip RK3288, can get really hot, so most of the time CPU frequency needs to be limited to avoid overheating and stability, which reduces performance. Which may be why, Ugoos decided to launch UT3S mini PC, an upgrade to UT3 mini PC with a mini Fan placed on top of a larger heatsink. Ugoos UT3S specifications and look remain very similar to the original model: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core CortexA17 @ 1.80 GHz + Mali-T764 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 /3.0, and OpenCL 1.1 System Memory – 2GB to 4GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB or […]

January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Vonets VM300 Wi-Fi & Ethernet IoT Board with Mediatek MT7620 Runs OpenWRT

Mediatek MT760 is a recent Wi-Fi SoC found in some Nexx WT3020 routers, and WRTnode development board. Both run OpenWRT and costs $17 to $30 depending on the amount of flash, and ports with the former featuring two Ethernet ports, and the latter access to GPIOs. You could probably open the case of the Nexx routers and solder some wires to get access to GPIO, and you can hack an Ethernet cable for WRTnode, but another options could be Vonets WM300 kit that includes a board with Wi-Fi and Ethernet, a cable for USB / Ethernet connection, headers for GPIOs, and two external antennas for less than $30. An OpenWRT SDK is also provided for the kit. Specifications listed for VM300 board: Processor – Mediatek MT7260N MIPS processor @ 580MHz Storage – 4MB SPI Flash (option: 8MB/16MB) for firmware System Memory – 32MB or 64MB SDRAM Connectivity Wi-Fi Single band […]

January 21, 2015April 25, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 29 Comments

Antutu Benchmark – Rockchip RK3288 (ARM) vs Intel Atom Z3735F

Most ARM mini PCs run Android, while mini PCs based on Intel Atom Z3735F currently all ship with Windows 8.1, so it makes comparison difficult. But since Linuxium posted triple boot instructions (Ubuntu, Android, Windows 10) for MeegoPad T01, he’s also run Antutu 5.6 on the platform, so we’ve got a comparison point. The Android image used in the Intel platform is Android-x86, and may not have been optimized for Bay Trail yet, so even though the comparison may not be perfect, it could still be interesting to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the Intel processor, against one of the fastest ARM processor found in mini PCs: Rockchip RK3288. I’ll use the Antutu 5.3 score I got with Open Hour Chameleon as a reference point. Rockchip RK3288 Intel Atom Z3735F Delta CPU Quad core Cortex A17 @ 2.0 GHz Quad core @ 1.33 GHz (Burst 1.83GHz) GPU ARM […]

January 21, 2015January 21, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

Snappy Ubuntu Core is an IoT Linux Distribution for ARM and x86

Canonical has announced a version of Ubuntu specifically designed for IoT devices running Linux, with a low hardware requirements, and a new package manager called snappy, replacing apt-get for this version of Ubuntu, which provides simpler, faster, and more reliable updates, stronger security, and allows roll-backs in case something goes wrong. Easy firmware updates are something missing in most connected device, which means they are more vulnerable to potential hackers, but with snappy security updates should be able to make it regularly, so that if something like heartbleed occurs again, you know your router, home automation gateway, connected washing machine, or robot will be soon patched automatically. Let’s go through the hardware requirements first: Processor – 600 MHz processor (ARMv7 or greater, or x86) System Memory – 128 MB RAM or greater (The system itself uses 40 MB RAM) Storage – 4GB flash / storage for factory reset and system […]

January 20, 2015February 26, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

MINIX NEO Z64 Windows 8.1 / Android Intel mini PC Should Sell Soon for $148 and Up

MINIX NEO Z64 mini PC powered by Intel Atom Z3735F was unveiled in September 2014, but as other Windows 8.1 Intel based mini PCs hit the market in late December, early January, some people suggested NEO Z64 may end up being vaporware… Fortunately, it appears those people might be wrong, as I’ve been informed of a cached page on DX.com selling the computer for $148.07 with Android 4.4.4 pre-installed. MINIX NEO Z64 specifications remain mostly the same as the ones published in September: SoC – Intel Atom Z3735F “Bay Trail” quad core processor @ 1.33 GHz (Burst freq up to 1.83 GHz) and Intel HD Graphics System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0 Video Output – HDMI 1.4 Audio Output – HDMI, 3.5mm stereo jack USB – 2x USB 2.0 Misc – Power […]

January 20, 2015January 20, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

Popcorn Hour VTEN Media Player Powered by Sigma Designs SMP8757 STB SoC Supports 4K, H.265 Codec

Cloud Media must have noticed the shortcomings of Rockchip SDK and RK3288 processor found in their Open Hour Chameleon box with pseudo 4K video playback and only partial audio pass-through capability, and the company have not given up on more traditional Linux based media players with a proven track record, as they’ve just announced Popcorn Hour VTEN featuring the latest Sigma Designs SMP8757 SoC with 4K video output. Popcorn Hour VTEN specifications: SoC – Sigma Designs SMP8757 ARM Cortex A9 processor @ 1.2 GHz with ARM Mali-400 GPU System Memory – 1024MB DDR3 Storage – 512MB SLC NAND Flash, 1x eSATA port, 1x SD card slot Video Output – HDMI Audio Output – HDMI, optical S/PDIF, and coaxial S/PDIF Video Containers – MPEG 1/2/4 Elementary, MPEG 1/2 PS, MPEG-2 TS, AVI, ASF, WMV, MKV, MOV (H.264), MP4, 3DMKV, BD-ISO, BDMV, 3D-BD Video Codecs – XViD SD/HD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4.2, […]

January 20, 2015January 20, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

MBX-3G is an Android Media Player with a Built-in 3G Modem (Crowdfunding)

Most full sized TV box comes with both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, but if you live in remote area internet may not be easily available, except possibly via 3G or LTE. There are several ways to handle that. You could connect a 3G USB dongle to your box, but this assume the firmware on your box supports it, or you could gt one cheap of these cheap routers with a USB port, plug the 3G dongle into it, and connect your media player to the router via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. If you’d rather have a single device with an easier setup, MediaBox MBX-3G could be an interesting option. MediaBox MBX-3G specifications: SoC – Quad core ARM Cortex A9 @ 1.6Ghz with quad core GPU (This looks like Rockchip RK3188) System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8 eMMC flash + microSD slot (up to 32GB) Video & Audio Output – […]

January 20, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Independent Dual Display Support on Firefly-RK3288 Development Board (Video)

From time to time, I’m being asked which platform can support dual independent displays, and although I noticed Mele A1000 (Allwinner A10) did support dual displays in Linux, I never really investigated how well it handles it, so I normally recommend to have a look at x86 platforms with AMD or Intel processor that specifically claim support for dual independent display. But today, I’ve noticed a developer working for T-Chip posted a nice demo on T-Firefly forums with two displays connected via HDMI and VGA. The demo shows Firefly-RK3288 development board running Android with two displays in three configurations: Display Mirroring – The same content is shown on both display. Especially useful for digital signage application, where one board can drive two displays with the same content Extended Desktop – The user interface is extended on both monitors. It’s like having a single large monitor with a 32:9 aspect ratio […]