Console Inc., previously Mobile Media Ventures, Inc., is the company developing Console OS operating system based on Android 4.4 / 5.0 for Intel platforms that includes customizations for a better desktop experience, and you can already try the preview version of Console OS Standard for free on some Intel hardware, with another paid version to become available at the time of the stable release. The company has now announced iConsole Micro a Console OS HDMI TV Stick based on a quad core Intel Atom processor that looks very much like MeegoPad T01, but it’s said to be based on Intel Compute Stick technology. iConsole Micro specifications have not been fully released, but here’s what we know so far: SoC – Unnamed Intel Atom 64-bit quad core processor System Memory – 2 GB RAM Storage – 32 GB eMMC + micro SD slot up to 128GB (160GB in total) Video & […]
Mixtile LOFT-Q Allwinner A31 Board with SATA Can Now be Purchased for $90
Mixtile LOFT-Q and LOFT Kit were unveiled nearly a year ago, the first being a development board based on Allwinner A31 processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB RAM, SATA connector, Gigabit Ethernet, etc.., while the second is a kit with an enclosure and power supply. The kit does not appear to be available yet, but the board has recently been listed on SeeedStudio for $90. Mixtile LOFT-Q specifications: SoC – Allwinner A31 quad core ARM Cortex-A7 processor with PowerVR SGX544 MP2 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC, SATA III connector for 2.5″ drives, and SD card Slot Video Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 1080p60 Video Decoding – H.264 4Kx2K video decoding, multi-format FHD video decoding, including Mpeg1/2, Mpeg4 SP/ASP GMC, H.263, H.264,etc Audio I/O – HDMI, 1 S/PDIF, high definition microphone Camera I/F Integrated Parallel & MIPI I/F sensor Integrated powerful ISP, supporting Raw Data CMOS […]
Kodi 15 Alpha 1 Adds Support for H.265 on Android, Drops Some Older OS Versions and Hardware
Kodi 15 Isengard got its first public Alpha release, with 400 pull-request for code merges, 1322 commits and thousands of code lines changed compared to Kodi 14 release with modifications of all operating systems ports, and changes to newer OS versions. Major changes for Kodi 15.0 Alpha 1 include: Added adaptive seeking through audio and video playback, also know as “skip steps” Android HEVC H.265 HW decode support for some chipsets Improved webserver caching control External subtitles over UPnP Allow scanning of new sources and marking as watched during other library operations such as “update library” Allow different sort orders for different sort methods Start of integration binary add-ons and changing the build system around it Improved CC (Closed Captions) support for Live TV ffmpeg 2.5.4 update Remove remaining SDL code New OS Requirements: Minimal Mac OSX 10.7 Lion requirements (Only OSX 64-bit builds provided, no more 32bit builds) Minimal […]
With Ulefone Be X, You can now Buy an Octa-core Android Smartphone for $90
$100 quad core Android phones, all Mediatek based, could be found back in 2013, and included 1GB RAM, 4GB flash, and a 4.5″ display with 854×480 resolution. Technology gets cheaper overtime, and in early 2015, you can now purchase an Octa-core smartphone for $90 with 1GB RAM, 8GB flash, the same 4.5″ display size, but a slightly higher resolution of 960×540 pixels thanks to products like Ulefone Be X. Ulefone Be X specifications: SoC – Mediatek MT6592M Octa Core Cortex A7 up to 1.4GHz with ARM MALI-450MP4 GPU System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage – 8GB flash + micro SD card slot (up to 64GB) Display – 4.5″ IPS OGS display with capacitive touchscreen. Resolution: 960×540 (qHD) Audio – 3.5mm audio jack, built-in microphone, and speaker. Network – 2G: GSM850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G: WCDMA 850/1900/2100MHz. One SIM card slot + one micro SIM slot. Dual SIM, Dual Standby support. Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 […]
Intel Provides Details for Atom x3, x5 and x7 Processors
Intel had already announced their plan to change Intel Atom branding to use x3/x5/x7 nomenclature in order to make it easier for consumers to navigate their product offerings, but the company has now provided much more details during their press conference at Mobile World Congress 2015. Intel Atom x3 (previously known as SoFIA) will be entry and ultra-low cost processor up with 3G or LTE connectivity found in products up to around $150, while Atom x5 and x7 (previously known as Cherry Trail) will be found in tablets between about $200 to $400, with the top performing devices going with Intel Core M processors. Intel Atom x3 are very interesting because they mix Intel 64-bit cores with ARM GPUs (to keep the cost down), and parts with RK suffix are made by Rockchip. Three x3 processors are currently available: Intel Atom x3-C3130 – Dual-core processor up to 1.0 GHz with […]
$35 Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor Works with Android and iOS
People with hypertension or other heart conditions may want to monitor their blood pressure daily, and since I was asked recently, I studied blood pressure monitors available on the market from Chinese websites. The simplest ones that simply display the results on an LCD are quite inexpensive since they cost about $15 shipped, unless you buy brands like Omron. You’d then need to enter the data in a spreadsheet or on paper after each measurements, so you’d rather have the process more streamlined, you could consider a Bluetooth version that will automatically keep measurements stored in your Android or iOS smartphone, such as the model below that sells for around $35 on Aliexpress and Ebay. Key features for this unnamed digital blood pressure monitor Display – 70 x 55mm; 3x 3 Digits lines for systolic and diastolic pressures, and heart rate; Memory/Heartbeat/Low battery indication Measurements: Oscillometric method Pressure Range- 0 […]
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Octa-core Smartphones Support Two Wireless Charging Protocols and UFS 2.0 Flash
Samsung Electronics announced Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones at Mobile World Congress 2015 during their “Unpacked” event. Both features Exynos 7420 octa-core SoC with 64-bit ARM cores, and 5.1″ display, bit the Galaxy S6 Edge display is curved on both sides. Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge specifications: SoC – Samsung Exynos 7 Octa (Exynos 7420) octa core processor with four Cortex A57 core @ 2.1GHz + four Cortex A53 cores @ 1.5Ghz, and Mali-T760 MP8 GPU, manufactured using 14nm process. System Memory – 3GB LPDDR4 Storage – 32, 64 or 128GB UFS 2.0 flash. Display Galaxy S6 – 5.1’’ Quad HD(2560×1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED. Gorilla Glass 4. Galaxy S6 Edge – 5.1’’ Quad HD(2560×1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED, Dual edge. Gorilla Glass 4. Camera 16MP OIS(rear), 5MP (front). Features: Quick Launch (0.7s by pressing the home button twice), Tracking AF, Auto Real-time HDR(Front & Rear) , F1.9, Low Light Video(Front […]
Warchief Nvidia Tegra K1 Android Game Console Supports Kinect-like 3D Motion Tracking
Nvidia Tegra K1 is still the one of the best low power processor for gaming with its 192-core Kepler GPU, and a few Chinese manufacturers are about the launch mini PCs or game console featuring the 32-bit and/or 64-bit version of the processor. Warchief is one of those products. It’s sold as an Android game console with a gamepad, a motion controller, and a webcam used for motion detection. Warchief specifications: SoC – Nvidia Tegra K1 quad core Cortex A15 processor with a 192-core Kepler GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 32GB eMMC Video Output – HDMI Connectivity – Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 4x USB 2.0 ports Power Supply – TBD Dimensions – 340 x 235 x 110 mm The package also include the Wii-like remote, a wireless gamepad, the camera, a power supply, a small USB dongle (for the remote or gamepad), and […]