Allwinner and Qualcomm Partner on Android and Windows 10 LTE Tablets

Allwinner, a leading tablet SoC vendor, and Qualcomm have decided to collaborate, and introduced three new LTE tablet reference designs based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, 430, and 435 available to Chinese OEMs, on top of Snapdragon 210, 212 and 410 designs released last year. The full technical technical details about the reference designs are only available to OEMS who signed an NDA, but the key specifications are as follows: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 420, 430, 435 application processors System Memory – 2G DRAM Storage – 32GB internal memory Connectivity – CAT 6 LTE band The tablet will run Android, but Windows 10 is also being worked on. The agreement only covers tablets, so Allwinner will not be involved in LTE smartphones. Since both Allwinner and Qualcomm are silicon vendors, and competitors, you may wonder why they’ve partnered. Allwinner only provides WiFi and Bluetooth tablets with their own processors, so partnering with Qualcomm allows then to […]

VLC for Android 2.0 Released with Network Shares, Multi-windows, Better Codec Support, and More

VLC / VideoLAN is a popular desktop video player for Linux and Windows, and it’s the program I go to when I want to watch a local video on my computer. VLC also has an Android version, but last time I checked VLC in an Android TV box, I was disappointed due to the lack of SAMBA support, and video decoding support was pretty poor on Rockchip RK3368 processor at the time. The good news is that the developers have now released VLC for Android 2.0, which brings several improvements including: Support for network browsing including DLNA/UPnP, Windows Shares (SAMBA), FTP(S), SFTP, and NFS Multi-windows/pop-up video with support for Samsung MultiWindow and LG Dual Window extensions New asynchronous hardware decoder, and codecs and formats support updates. Subtitle downloads via OpenSubtitles from VLC interface without having to go to the website inside a web browser Right-To-Left and Complex Text Layout subtitles […]

Jide Remix Pro is a Remix OS 3.0 2-in-1 Laptop Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Processor

Remix OS appears to getting more and more attention, and is now found in an increasing number of hardware platforms. Jide has also been working on the new Remix OS 3.0 version based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and showcased it in Jide Remix Pro 2-in-1 laptop / tablet reference design powered by Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor. Jide Remix Pro specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (APQ8074) octa core processor with 4x Cortex A72 cores @ 1.8 GHz, 4x Cortex A53 cores, and Adreno 510 GPU System Memory – 3GB  RAM  Storage – TBD internal storage; micro SD card slot Display – 12″ IPS display with 2K resolution (2160×1440) Camera – 8 MP rear camera; 5MP front-facing camera Audio – 2x speakers; combo audio jack Connectivity – dual band WiFi, Bluetooth 4, optional 4G-LTE with SIM card slot (replacing micro SD slot), GPS, USB – 1x USB 2.0 port, 1x USB type C […]

Android N Developer Preview 3 Adds VR Support, Instant Apps, and Sustainable Performance Mode

Google has also unveiled the third Android N Developer Preview at Google I/O 2016, and the first “beta quality” release, available on Nexus 6, 9, 5X, 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C, and Android One as a “seamless updates” if you opt-in to the Android Beta Program in order to get an over-the-air update with the very latest firmware. Google wants Android N to be faster, safer and more productive. The first two previews addressed performance with a new JIT compiler and Vulkan 3D graphics API support, productivity with multi-window support and direct reply from notifications, as well as security thanks to seamless updates bringing the latest security patchsets to your phones in a timely manner. The third preview brings fixes, and some interesting new features: VR Mode in Android – Google has modified and augmented the Android stack in N to reduce lag between sensor data readings (e.g. head motion) […]

Setup Guide & Mini Review of BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition Tablet from a Developer’s Perspective

BQ Aquaris M10 UBuntu Edition is the first officially supported Ubuntu tablet on the market. Blu, a frequent commenter on this blog, has purchased the Full HD version, and in the guest post below, shares his experience setting up the device for development purpose, before shortly providing his overall impressions about the tablet itself. Quick introduction Ever since I had to retire my trusty-but-ancient ARM notebook (a Genesi Efika iMX51) I’ve been looking for a new ARM notebook or perhaps a 2-in-1 device, that I could use for development on the go. The basic requirements are long battery life, passive cooling and reasonable price. Also, Just Enough Power™ for running vim, a couple of toolchains (gcc/clang with gold) and, well, enough grunt to run my coding experiments. Naturally, BQ M10 Ubuntu Edition immediately got my attention to the extent of me placing an order, which got delivered this past week. […]

Watch Live TV on the Go on your Smartphone or Tablet with a $38 Portable WiFi Digital TV Tuner Box

Companies have showcased products letting users watch DVB-T or ISDB-T channels since 2013, with products such as Geniatech WiTV, Tivizen USB dongles, or Geniatech PT115m/PT115e USB DVB-T Sticks. The only problem is that those devices never seem to become available, but I’ve now found that they’ve become easier to purchase since 2014 & 2015, with for example a “DTV Link” WiFi tuner box selling for $45.99 on Buyincoins, and compatible with SianoTV app for Android or iOS.“DTV Link” WiFi TV tuner box specifications & features: Digital TV Standards – DVB-T & ISDB-T Oneseg Codecs – H.264/MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, 7 to 10 meters max range. Battery – 600mAh rechargeable battery good for about 3 hours of TV viewing Dimension – 69 x 54 x 21mm Weight – 52g The device ships with a USB Charging Cable, and user’s manual in a bubble bag (no retail package). […]

MJ Technology Ubuntu Tablets Powered by Intel Atom Cherry Trail Processors Launched on Indiegogo

BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu tablets officially launched a few days ago, but it’s you’d like an Ubuntu tablet with better hardware specifications, MJ Technology have now launched their own Ubuntu tablets powered by Intel Atom x5 or x7 quad core processors with 2GB to 4GB RAM, and  64GB, 128GB or 256GB internal storage. There are four models – Tanto, mini Tanto, Wakizashi, and Katana – with the following specs: SoC mini Tanto – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 quad core processor up to 1.84 GHz with Intel HD  Gen8 graphics Tanto, Wakizashi, Katana – Intel Atom x7-Z8750 quad core processor up to 2.40 GHz with Intel HD  Gen8 graphics System Memory mini Tanto, Tanto – 2GB LPDDR3 Wakizashi, Katana – 4GB LPDDR3 (2x2GB) Storage mini Tanto, Tanto – 64GB eMMC flash + micro SD Slot up to 128GB Wakizashi, Katana – 128 GB eMMC flash or 256GB SSD + micro SD Slot […]

BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition Tablets Can Be Pre-ordered For 259.90 Euros and Up

BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition tablets were unveiled at Mobile World Congress last month, and were touted as the first Ubuntu devices supporting convergence. The two versions of the tablet are now up for pre-order. BQ Aquaris M10 HD and M10 FHD Ubuntu Edition specifications: SoC – MediaTek MT8163A ARM Cortex-A53 quad-core processor @ 1.5 GHz with ARM Mali-T720MP2 GPU @ 600 MHz System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 16GB storage + microSD card slot Display M10 HD – 10.1″ 10-point mulitouch screen; 1280×800 resolution M10 FHD – 10.1″ 10-point multitouch screen; 1920×1200 resolution Video Output – micro HDMI output Audio – Frontal speakers, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS Camera – 8MP rear camera with auto-focus and dual flash, and 5MP front-facing camera USB – micro USB OTG port Sensors – Light, accelerometer, eCompass Battery – 7,280 mAh Li-Po battery […]