I published pictures of Amlogic S912 TV box boards just over a month ago, and it appears companies have started to take orders from resellers for Amlogic S912 TV boxes with products such Videostrong KM8 Pro, or the one I’m going to cover in this post: QINTAIX Q912. QINTAIX Q912 specifications: SoC – Amlogic S912 octa-core ARM Cortex A53 processor @ up to 2.0GHz with ARM Mali-820MP3 @ up to 750MHz System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB or 16GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 and AV ports Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and optical S/PDIF Video codecs – VP9 profile 2 up to 4K @ 60 fps, H.265 MP-10@L5.1 up to 4K 60fps, H.264 AVC up to 4K @ 30 fps, H.264 MVC up to 1080p60, MPEG-4, WMV/VC-1 SP/MP/AP, AVS-P16(AVS+)/AVS-P2 JiZhun Profile, MPEG-2 MP/HL, MPEG-1 MP/HL, and RealVIDEO 8/9/10 all up to […]
Amlogic S905 vs S905X Benchmarks Comparison
We’ve already compared the main features between Amlogic S905, Amlogic S905X and Amlogic S912, with Amlogic S905X being an upgrade of Amlogic S905 with the same quad core Cortex A53 cores and Mali-450MP GPU but adding VP9 hard ware decoding, HDR support, and integrating 10/100 Ethernet PHY and audio codec to lower the cost. The CPU frequency was also said to be lowered to 1.5 GHz in early document, but TV manufacturers keep promoting Amlogic S905 as a 2.0 GHz processor, and I noticed CPU-Z and Antutu also reported the maximum frequency to be 2.02 GHz. In that case the performance should be about the same for both processors. Let’s find out by comparing benchmark results between Amlogic S905 based MINIX NEO U1 (Android 5.1) and Amlogic S905X powered MINI M8S II (Android 6.0) using Antutu 6.x, Vellamo 3.x, and 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme 1.2. A ratio greater than one […]
Mini M8S II TV Box (Amlogic S905X) Review – Part 2: Android 6.0 Firmware
Mini M8S II is one of the first Amlogic S905X TV box to hit the market, with the new processor adding 4K VP9 hardware video decoding and HDR support compared to Amlogic S905 processor. I’ve already taken pictures of the device and torn it apart to check its hardware & thermal design in the first part of the review, and in the second part, I’ll boot it up, check performance, features, and video playback capabilities. First Boot, Settings and First Impressions I plugged-in a USB hard drive into one USB port, but since the device only fetures two ports, I had to use a USB hub to connect two RF dongles for MINIX NEO A2 Lite air mouse, and Tronsmart Mars G01 gamepad, as well as a USB keyboard to take screenshots. I completed the hardware setup by connecting HDMI & Ethernet cables before starting the device by connected the […]
FTLAB FSG-001 is a $30 Geiger Counter / Radiation Detector for Android & iOS Smartphones
I’ve just read an article on Tizen.org about Samsung and Intersoft Eurasia’s collaboration about a “personal radiation monitoring device DO-RA” sending data over Bluetooth 4.0 LE. But a visit to their website showed other models such as DO-RA-Q using a 3.5mm audio jack, and compatible with smartphones, and Windows & Linux computers. I could not find any of their devices for sale, so I searched for alternatives and found FTLAB FSG-001 radiation counter on Aliexpress, Amazon, and eBay selling between $30 and $40. FTLAB FSG-001 Geiger counter specifications: Radiation measurement of: gamma, X-rays Measurement range – 0.1 to 200 μSv/h Measurement error – <30% within a given deviation between Dimensions – Φ10 x 30 mm (total length: 47mm with 3.5mm audio jack) Weight – 6 grams Operating temperature – 10 to 40 ℃ You’ll need to plug the dongle into your smartphone audio jack, and download FTLAB “SmartGeiger” app for […]
SCISHION V88 Rockchip RK3229 TV Box Sells for $19.99 (Promo)
Entry-level Android TV boxes are now already pretty cheap, and in the past we’ve seen deals in for around $25 and less, but with SCISHION V88, I think it’s the first time I see a new 4K Android TV box selling for less than $20 shipped. SCISHION V88 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3229 quad core ARM Cortex A7 processor @ 1.5 GHz with ARM Mali-400MP2 System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + SD card slot up to 16GB Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K2K @ 60 fps, and 3.5mm AV output (composite) Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and coaxial S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100Mbps Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi USB – 4x USB 2.0 host ports Power Supply – 5V/2A Dimensions – 11.6 x 11.6 x 2.5 cm The devices runs Android 5.1, and ships with a power adapter, a HDMI cable, an IR remote control, […]
Chuwi Vi10 Plus Remix OS 2.0 Tablet Powered by Intel Atom x5-Z8300 SoC is up for Pre-order for $140
Chuwi Vi10 Plus tablet features a 10.8″ full HD display, an Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage, but instead of running the usual Windows 10 or Android operating systems, it’s running Remix OS 2.0 fork of Android with desktop improvements. Chuwi Vi10 Plus specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 quad core “Cherry Trail” processor @ 1.44 / 1.84 GHz with Intel HD graphics (2W SDP) System Memory – 2 GB DDR3L Storage – 32 GB eMMC + micro SD slot up to 128GB Display – 10.8″ IPS touch screen display with 1920×1280 resolution; 10-point touch Video Output – 1x micro HDMI Audio I/O – micro HDMI, 3.5mm microphone jack, built-in microphone, built-in speakers Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 1x USB type C, 1x micro USB port Camera – 2.0 MP front-facing and rear cameras Sensors – Gravity and others? Misc – […]
Jiayu S3 and S3 Plus Smartphones Get Android 6.0 Firmware Releases with Source Code
Jiayu S3 and S3 Plus are your typical Android smartphones powered by Mediatek MT6752/MT6753 octa core Cortex A53 processor with 3GB RAM, 16GB flash, and a 5.5″ touch screen display. The news here is that Jiayu Germany (a reseller, not the manufacturer), and Team M.A.D (Mediatek Android Developers) comprised of XDA members, have releasing three custom ROMs based on Android 6.0.1 for the smartphone: Cyanogenmod13, Paranoid Android (AOSPA) and AICP (Android Ice Cold Project), which contrast with my Iocean MT6752 smartphone still stuck on Android 4.4.4. I’ll reproduce the technical specifications of Jiayu S3+ phone for reference: SoC- Mediatek MT6753 Octa-core 64-bit ARM Cortex A53 processor @ 1.3 GHz, with ARM Mali-T720 GPU System Memory – 3GB RAM Storage – 16 GB eMMC + micro SD slot up to 64GB Display – 5.5” IPS capacitive touchscreen display; 1920×1080 resolution Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi , Bluetooth 4.0, GPS / A-GPS, FM Radio Cellular […]
Bagel is a Smart Bluetooth Tape Measure Compatible with Android and iOS Phones (Crowdfunding)
The tape measure is a pretty simple tool allowing you to measure length, and I assume most people will write results on a piece of paper. Battery powered Bagel tape measure changes that as it allows measurements with a string, through a wheel, or an ultrasonic sensors, store the data in its internal memory with voice to text memo, and also sends back data over Bluetooth to your smartphone. Bagel Labs tape measure specifications: Three measure modes – string (up to 3 meters), wheel (up to 10 meters), or ultrasonic sensor (0.3 to 5 meters) Storage – 32 MB flash for up to 100 measurements and voice memo (Both metric and imperial units supported) Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE Audio – Microphone for voice to text recording Display – 0.96″ OLED display; 128×96 resolution USB – 1x micro USB port for charging Misc – laser pointer for ultrasonic measurement; save […]