Asus Zenbo Smart Home Robot is Looking for Developers

Asus introduced a $599 robot on wheel at Computer 2016. Asus Zenbo features a friendly face which can also be used as a touchscreen display, answer voice commands, take pictures on-demand, and can help you for all sort of task from reading recipes out loud, emergency calls if it detects an elderly person’s fall, to task reminders such as taking medicine, or going to a doctor’s appointment. The robot could also be used for all sort of home automation tasks so as turning on and off lights, so Asus also launched a developer program in order to get more applications leveraging the robot’s capabilities, including Android and web applications using speech recognition, facial recognition, indoor navigation, smart home protocols, etc… Few technical details have been provided so far though. The highlights of ASUS press event do show the robot in action, answering questions, moving around and taking photos. Via Liliputing […]

Allwinner Virtual Reality 2016 – 2017 Roadmap: H8vr, VR9 and VR10 Solutions

Virtual reality has gotten a lot of hype in the last year or so, and so far there’s basically three ways to implement virtual reality: smartphone + VR headset, all-in-one headset, and PC + headset. Currently the former is the most popular option as it’s much cheaper than the other two, while PC based virtual reality provides the best user experience, but it’s quite pricey. Allwinner is now at Computex 2016 promoting their virtual reality solutions, and they see smartphone based VR peak in 2018, PC based VR have a slower growth, with All-in-one VR becoming the dominant force in 2020 and beyond. So the company is focusing on all-in-one Android VR headsets, starting with H8vr board featuring Allwinner H8 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, and mainly targeting 4K virtual reality videos, since the performance of current mobile processors does not really provide a good experience for […]

Beelink BT7 mini PC Unboxing and Teardown

Beelink BT7 is one of the few mini PCs based on Atom x7-Z8700, the fastest Intel “Cherry Trail” processor on the market, and should provide a decent alternative to Voyo V3 for people wanting an Ethernet port, and better cooling. The company sent me the version with 128 GB eMMC flash and 4GB RAM, and before reviewing the tiny computer, I’ll post some pictures and check out the hardware, especially the thermal design. Beelink BT7 Unboxing The package looks very similar to Intel NUC retail packages. It will show the complete specs, with highlights for Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor, and 4K display support. The storage can be 64GB, 128GB or 320 GB, and a sticker on the side shows which model you’ve got. I’ve got the 128 version, but more on that later… The mini PC ships with a 12V/2A power supply (US, UK, EU or AU as requested, a […]

ELLO 2M is a DIY Computer with a Keyboard, a 7″ Touchscreen Display and a Prototyping Area (Crowdfunding)

ELLO_2M

The traditional way to play with electronics is to get a board (e.g. Arduino), a breadboard to wire components & sensors to the board, and a computer for programming.  ELLO 2M combines all that into a single piece of hardware with a 7″ touchscreen display, a Microchip PIC32 micro-controller board, a solderless prototyping area made of PGA sockets, and a keyboard. ELLO 2M hardware specifications: MCU – Microchip PIC32MX470 32-bit micro-controller @ 120 MHz with 128kB RAM (512kB RAM in the ELLO 2M “hacker” versions) Extra System Memory – Optional on-board serial non-volatile data RAM Storage – 3x micro-SD cards (one permanently built-in and two for removable storage); internal serial FRAM Display – 7″ LCD touch-screen panel with 800×480 pixel resolution Audio – Small speaker and buzzer Keyboard – Replaceable QWERTY keyboard Connectivity – 2.4GHz RF communication module with simple communication protocol Expansion – Expansion receptacle, electronic prototyping space with […]

Shenzhen Alpha M009 Smartwatch is Powered by Mediatek MT2503 SoC with Integrated Bluetooth, GSM Modem, and GPS

Mediatek MT2502 “Aster” SoC for wearables and IoT was released in 2014 with an ARM7 MCU, built-in Bluetooth, PMIC, and GSM/GPRS modem, and support for external WiFi and GPS chips. The upcoming MT2503 integrates functionality even further as GPS is now embedded inside the SoC, and Shenzhen Alpha Telecom Technology demonstrated their  M009 smartwatch based on the latest Mediatek SoC at CES Asia 2016 in Shanghai. M009 smartwatch specifications: SoC – Mediatek MT2503 ARM7 processor with GSM/GPRS modem, Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR 2.1, GPS (MT3333), PMIC Display – 1.22″ or 1.3″ 240×240 resolution TFT display Cellular Connectivity – SIM card Sensors – HRM, pressure sensor Misc – 2x buttons Dimensions – 36 x 32 x 11 mm There will be two version of the processor MT2503A and MT2503D with the former supporting external serial flash. If you’d like to integrate a ready to use module in your design, ATS Link provides […]

MeegoPad A02 Octa-Core Remix OS TV Stick Sells for $30 and Up (in China)

After tablets, mini PCs, laptops, and All-in-one PCs, Remix OS is getting on yet another form factor with MeegoPad A02 TV stick powered by Allwinner A83T octa-core Cortex A7 processor with 1 or 2GB RAM, 16 or 32 GB storage. MeegoPad A02 specifications: SoC – Allwinner A83T octa-core ARM Cortex-A7 @ 2.0 GHz with  PowerVR SGX544MP1 GPU System Memory – 1GB or 2GB DDR3L Storage – 16GB or 32GB eMMC flash, micro SD slot up to 128GB Video Output – HDMI up to 4K resolution Audio Output – HDMI, 3,5 mm headphone jack Connetivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x micro USB port for power Misc – Power button Power Supply – 5V/2A via micro USB Dimensions – 110 x 43 x 9.9 mm Weight – 50 grams The device runs Remix OS 2.0 based on Android 5.1 with desktop optimizations […]

Pebble 2 & Time 2 Smartwatches, and Pebble Core for Runners and Hackers Launched on Kickstarter

Pebble launched one of the first smartwatches in 2012, and is now one of the most famous name for wearables. The company has now launched another crowdfunding campaign for three wearables: Pebble 2 & Time 2 watches, and Pebble Core which can be either be used as a fitness tracker for runner, or by hardware hacker to play with IoT apps. Pebble 2 and Time 2 can receive notifications from your Android or iOS smartphone, include a built-in HRM for activity tracking, and a microphone for voice record and SMS, and are waterproof of up to 30 meters. To me the two key features of Pebble wearables are always-on displays, and long battery life, and the two new watches have a black & white (Pebble 2) or color (Time 2) always-on display, and up to one week of battery life for Pebble 2, and 10 days for Time 2. Pebble […]

OtterBox uniVERSE Modular Case System & Tapit Customizable Tactile Keyboard Case for Smartphones

Two innovative cases for smartphones have been introduced very recently: OtterBox uniVERSE modular case system which allows you to add various modules in a similar fashion to what Project Ara promises, and Tapit case adding a flexible keyboard on top of your smartphone case. OtterBox uniVERSE modular case system The company offers a protective case for your phone for $50 to $60, and you can add modules as needed from the following selection: Square Contactless & Chip Reader, $49.99 – To accept credit cards and contactless payments on the go olloclip 4-in-1 lens, $79.99 – Fisheye, wide-angle, 10x and 15x lens options SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive, $59.99 to $119.99 – 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of additional capacity Nite Ize Steelie Vent Mount Kit, $39.99 – Mount your smartphone to a vehicle vent for hands-free use Goal Zero Slide Battery, starting at $59.99 – Extra battery Manatee Works StingRay Barcode Scanner, […]

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