Android

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Olimex Introduces Low Cost AllWinner A13, AllWinner A20 and TI Sitara AM3352 Systems-on-Module

Olimex Introduces Low Cost AllWinner A13, AllWinner A20 and TI Sitara AM3352 Systems-on-Module

About a year ago, Olimex reported working on an AllWinner A20 System-on-Module. But after some unexpected delays, Olimex A20-SOM is finally available, and they’ve even announced A13-SOM and AM3352-SOM, respectively based on AllWinner A13 and Texas Instruments Sitara AM3352 ARM Cortex A8 SoCs, with price starting at 12 Euros for 1K orders. Olimex A20-SOM and A20-SOM-4G There are actuall two versions of the SoM, A20-SOM-4G including 4GB NAND flash, and A20-SOM without. Here are the specifications: SoC – AllWinner A20 dual core ARM Cortex A7 processor with Mali-400MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 memory Storage – 4GB NAND Flash (A20-SOM-4G only) + microSD slot Debugging – UART console connector (at the back) PMIC – AllWinner AXP209 PMU IC Misc – Status LEDs,  RESET, RECOVERY buttons Connectors – 6x 2×20 pin 0.05″ female headers Dimensions – N/A The SoM is said to support Android and Debian, but you could also […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments on XBMC 13 “Gotham” Released

XBMC 13 “Gotham” Released

After month of development, alpha releases, beta releases, RC releases, XBMC 13 “Gotham” is finally out. This is the first official release that supports hardware video decoding for ARM and x86 based Android 4.0+ devices. Support is not available for 100% of devices, as for instance, AllWinner A1X/A20 and Amlogic SoCs do not support the standard Android StrageFright or MediaCodec APIs, but most others should. There’s one XBMC Android version for ARM, one for x86. Android hardware video decoding is obviously not the only feature or improvement brought about by XBMC 13. Here are the key ones: Raspberry Pi and Android speed improvements – Overall system performance improvements, but optimizations are said to be particularly noticeable when opening and browsing libraries, loading images and starting videos. Stereoscopic 3D Rendering – SBS, TAB, anaglyph, and interlaced are supported. XBMC cannot yet support 3D blurays and cannot provide hardware acceleration for FullSBS/TAB […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Dimple NFC Sticker Adds Four Hardware Buttons to Your Android Device (Crowdfunding)

Dimple NFC Sticker Adds Four Hardware Buttons to Your Android Device (Crowdfunding)

If you’d like to add one button to your Android smartphone, you could use pressy. But what if you wanted or needed more. Dimple may provide a solution if your Android smartphone or tablet supports NFC. It is a thin NFC sticker, about 0.5mm thick, that you can attach to the back of your device to add 4 hardware buttons. The sticker is compatible with devices running Android 4.0 and above, not made out of metal, and with NFC support. This means HTC One M7 and M8 smartphone are not compatible due to their metallic bodies. Using the NFC sticker appears to be extra simple. Once you’ve sticked your Dimple to the back of your device (or your case), simply install Dimple.io app to configure the buttons to do what you want to: launch your favorite apps, take a picture, turn on & off the flash light, call your mum, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments on Kankun KK-SP3 is a $20 Wi-Fi Smart Socket for Android and iOS

Kankun KK-SP3 is a $20 Wi-Fi Smart Socket for Android and iOS

I’ve already featured Broadlink SP1 and SP2 smart socket on this blog.  The former is a simple Wi-Fi smart socket for Android and iOS, and the later adds support for motion sensing and energy monitoring.  They cost respectively about $30 and $45 including shipping. I’ve discovered another cheaper option with Kankun KK-SP3 via DealExtreme ($23.75), but it can also be found on Aliexpress for as low as $19.99 including shipping. If you live in China, It’s available on Taobao for 99 RMB ($15.82). Here are the specs of this smart socket: Power Plug – Three flat-pin plug (Australia type) Wi-Fi – 802.11 b/g/n, 15 dbm. Texas Instruments Wi-Fi module (CC3000?) Input Voltage – 90~265V @ 50-60 Hz Output Current – 10A Maximum Power – 2200W Dimensions – 5.3 cm x 5.3 cm x 2.8 cm Temperature Range – -10 to 55°C Unless you live in Australia, China, Argentina, New Zealand, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on HOWCHIP 5420-DVK is a Mobile Development Kit with Samsung Exynos 5420 SoC, an OLED Display

HOWCHIP 5420-DVK is a Mobile Development Kit with Samsung Exynos 5420 SoC, an OLED Display

With Arndale Octa already shipping, and the upcoming ODROID-XU2, we already have two low cost boards with Samsung Exynos 5420 big.LITTLE processor for less than $200. But if you want a more complete kit, HOWCHIP 5420-DVK with a 4.65″ OLED display and capacitive touchscreen, 2GB RAM, 4GB eMMC, and various connectors, could be an option. There’s also a Lite version without the OLED display. The board is composed of a CPU module, a baseboard, and a phone like display. Here are the specifications: SoC – Samsung Exynos 5420 Octa with 4x ARM Cortex A15, and 4x ARM Cortex A7 in big.LITTLE configuration, with Mali-T628 GPU. System Memory – 2GB LPDDR3 (POP with CPU) Storage – 4GB eMMC 4GB on board, SD card Slot Video Output HDMI type A connector MIPI DSI header up to 1980×1080 eDP (Embedded Display Port) header up to 2560×1600 Display – 4.65″ OLED (1280×720) with touch […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Samsung Galaxy K Zoom Camera Phone Powered by Exynos 5 Hexa SoC

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom Camera Phone Powered by Exynos 5 Hexa SoC

After Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, Samsung has just introduced a new camera-specialized phone called the Galaxy K Zoom with a faster processor, an hexa core processor, which has not been named, but can only be Exynos 5260 hexa core big.LITTLE SoC, a larger 4.8″ display, and a better camera with a 20.7 Megapixel CMOS Sensor and a 10x Optical Zoom. Let’s go straight through the specifications: SoC – Samsung Exynos 5260 Hexa core processor with four Cortex A7 cores @ 1.3GHz,  two Cortex A15 cores @ 1.7GHz, and ARM Mali-T624 GPU System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 8GB Flash + micro SD slot up to 64GB Display –  4.8″ HD Super AMOLED Display (1280×720) Cellular Network LTE – Cat4, HSPA+ 42Mbps, LTE 800/850/900/1800/2100/2600, HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100, EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 3G – 5-band HSPA+ 42Mbps, HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100,EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 Connectivity – Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz, Bluetooth 4.0 BLE, NFC, A-GPS + GLONASS  Camera […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on HP SlateBook 14 Android Laptop Features a 14″ Display, a Quad Core Tegra SoC

HP SlateBook 14 Android Laptop Features a 14″ Display, a Quad Core Tegra SoC

Most Android laptops on the market come with tiny 7″ to 11.6″ screens, and those with larger displays (e.g. 13.3″) are often crippled with a subpar processor. Hewlett Packard is about to change that thanks to the SlateBook 14, an Android laptop with a 14″ touchscreen display, and a quad core Tegra SoC which could either be Tegra 4 or Tegra K1. The product has not been launched officially, but NetbookItalia found about it via a promo video (embedded below), and we don’t know the full specs just yet: SoC- Nvidia Tegra quad core Cortex A15 (Tegra 4 or Tegra K1) System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 16GB flash + micro SD card slot Display – 14″ touchscreen display, 1080p resolution Video Output – HDMI Audio – 3.5mm audio jack, beat audio stereo speakers Connectivity – 802.11 b/n/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth USB – 3x USB host ports HP laptop will […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments on ZTE FunBox Android Game Console Powered by Nvidia Tegra 4 Sells for $146

ZTE FunBox Android Game Console Powered by Nvidia Tegra 4 Sells for $146

Since about a year, we’ve seen several Android based game console such as the Ouya or PlayJam GameStick coming to market. These are sold below $100, but feature some older hardware specs that may not run the latest games at optimal speed. Mad Catz game console, powered by an Nvidia Tegra 4, provides a much smoother gaming experience, but cost $199.99. If you’d like the performance of the Mad Catz but at a lower price point, ZTE Funbox also powered by Nvidia Tegra 4 quad core Cortex A15 processor is currently available on Aliexpress for $145.99 including shipping. ZTE FunBox specifications: SoC – Nvidia Tegra 4 quad core ARM Cortex A15 @ 1.8 GHz with 72-core GeForce ULP GPU (74.8 GFLOPS) System Memory – 2GB DDR3L Storage – 8GB eMMC 4.5 up to 120MB/s Audio / Video Output – HDMI up to 1080p60 or 4K30 Connectivity – Ethernet, dual band […]