Android

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on Cydia Impactor Provides an Alternative Method to Root Android Devices via Windows or Mac OS X

Cydia Impactor Provides an Alternative Method to Root Android Devices via Windows or Mac OS X

Cydia Impactor is a GUI tool for working with Android devices from computers running Windows or Mac OS X.  It can be used to reboot the device, enter fastboot mode, access the shell, scan for USB drivers for your device, and a bit more. But its key feature is to provide root access to many Android devices by exploiting of the Android “Master Key” vulnerability, and if it does not work falling back to a different signature verification bug. There are other tools (e.g. unlockroot, Moborobo,…) or methods to provide root access, but if those do not work or you have troubles installing drivers, Cydia Impactor may be worth a try. I did try on MK908 and T428 mini PCs in a Windows XP netbook, but for some reasons the software could not detect the USB connection (with USB debug enabled in Android), although Moborobo did. But Benjamin, who tipped me […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments on Sky Drone FPV HD Video Solution For Drones Uses 3G or 4G/LTE Networks and the BeagleBone Black

Sky Drone FPV HD Video Solution For Drones Uses 3G or 4G/LTE Networks and the BeagleBone Black

Earlier this week, I wrote about SparqEE CELLv1.0 a low cost cellular module to allow applications such as RC helicopter with extended range thanks to cellular networks. It turns out there’s currently a crowdfunding campaign that aims to bring such solution to market, but using 3G/4G USB dongles instead. Sky Drone FPV (First Person View) is an HD video system that can be controlled using 3G or 4G/LTE networks, and features the BeagleBone Black as the controller board. It would usually be attached to a quadcopter, by there’s not reason why you could not also use it with RC ground vehicles. Let’s start with the technical specifications: Controller Board – BeagleBone Black 3G/4G LTE Modem: Option 1 – Huawei E397Bu-501 for US / Americas (4G LTE FDD 1700/2100MHz and 700MHz) Option 2 –  Huawei E398u-1 for Europe / Asia (4G LTE FDD  900/2600 MHz) Camera: Option 1 – Full HD […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on $59 Iteaduino Plus ARM Linux Board Features Raspberry Pi and Arduino Compatible Headers

$59 Iteaduino Plus ARM Linux Board Features Raspberry Pi and Arduino Compatible Headers

Iteaduino Plus is a development platform designed by ITEAD studio, a Shenzhen based company, powered by AllWinner A10 with 1GB RAM, a micro SD card slot, expansion header, etc… Overall features are very similar to the Cubieboard, but the platform is comprised of a baseboard and a CPU module. The baseboard features a 26-pin GPIO header compatible with the one on the Raspberry Pi, and you can add an expansion board to connect Arduino Shields. Iteaduino Plus specifications: SoC – AllWinner A10 Cortex A8 @ 1GHz with Mali400 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 @480MHz Storage –  1x micro SD slot, 1x SATA Video Output – HDMI Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet USB – 2x USB Host, 1x USB OTG Audio – 3.5mm Audio in and out jacks Expansion headers (see pin assignment) 2x 2×36-pin (Total 144, but not all used) – I2C, SPI, RGB/LVDS, CSI/TS, FM-IN, ADC, CVBS, VGA, SPDIF-OUT, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments on Rockchip RK3066 Android 4.2.2 HDMI TV Stick SDK Leaked

Rockchip RK3066 Android 4.2.2 HDMI TV Stick SDK Leaked

About 10 days ago, Android 4.2.2 SDK for MK908 (RK3188) HDMI TV Stick was leaked, and now, I’m reporting another leak, this time for the Android 4.2.2 SDK for the Android TV Boxes based on the older Rockchip RK3066 dual core processor. The files were first found on an FTP server, but one of Freaktab members uploaded a compressed image of all files, RK3066_R-BOX.7z (3.2GB) to MEGA.co.nz. The content of the SDK directory comes with a bit of documentation, AVC and VP8 encoding and decoding demos, and the SDK itself as a 3.2GB tar. I’ve haven’t download the file yet. If you switch to the parent directory, you’ll find more documentation such as several datasheets and RK3066 technical reference manual, hardware files (Schematics, PCB layout, BoM), and some manufacturing files. If you go up to the parent directory, you’ll also find an A20 directory with AllWinner A20 Android SDK (homlet […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 26 Comments on $48 Ninss Tech BBA22 Android STB Powered by AllWinner A20

$48 Ninss Tech BBA22 Android STB Powered by AllWinner A20

Ninss Tech BBA22 is an ultra cheap AllWinner A20 dual core Cortex A7 Android 4.2 media player with 1GB RAM, 4GB Flash, Wi-Fi and Ethernet. It lacks SATA, but if you don’t absolutely need this particular feature, it’s amazingly about 30 to 40 USD cheaper that competing products such as Jesurun A19 or Mele M5. Here’s  an attempt at the specifications: SoC  – AllWinner A20 dual core Cortex A7 @ 1.2GHz with ARM Mali-400MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 (256*8*4) Storage – 4GB NAND Flash (Optionally: 8 or 16 GB) + micro SD card slot Video output – HDMI, CVBS Audio output – HDMI, CVBS, and optical S/PDIF Connectivity – WI-FI 802.11 b/g/n (USB RTL8188) + 10/100M Ethernet USB –  3x USB 2.0 Host + 1x micro USB OTG Misc – IR Sensor,  reset button, function key (for USB), power and status LEDs Power Supply – 5V/2A Dimensions – 148mm […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Ostec Wi-Fi Telescopes, Wi-Fi and USB Portable Microscopes for iOS, Android, and PCs

Ostec Wi-Fi Telescopes, Wi-Fi and USB Portable Microscopes for iOS, Android, and PCs

Ostec Electro-Optical Science and Technology, is a company headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with a factory based in Guangzhou, that manufactures optical devices such as telescopes, microphones, endoscopes, and scanners that connects to your computer, or tablet via USB or Wi-Fi. Charbax of armdevices.net interviewed the company in April at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, and uploaded the video (see bottom of post) very recently. Let’s have a closer at some of the products. KoPa WiFi Telescope (Model TW501) The first device is TW501 Wi-Fi telescope that comes with a tablet holder, and allows you to visualize the picture directly on your smartphone, tablet, or other Wi-Fi capable device either via specific Apps or via the web browser. It apparently not suited for astronomy, but can be used for bird watching, building surveillance, hiking, and any application where you may need to take close-up pictures or videos. Wi-Fi Telescope Specifications: Sensor […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on CheapCast ChromeCast Emulator For Android Source Code Released

CheapCast ChromeCast Emulator For Android Source Code Released

CheapCast is an Android app that lets you emulate ChromeCast hardware on any Android 4.x devices such as smartphone, tablet, and mini PCs. I’ve tried CheapCast last week unsuccessfully on several hardware, but a recent update fixed that and I could use Tronsmart T428 to stream videos from YouTube with the Cast button just like you would do with a real ChromeCast. There’s more work to be done however, and the only application that currently work are YouTube and Google Music, which is nice, but more work is needed to bring CheapCast functionalities closer to what’s possible with ChromeCast. That’s why Sebastian Mauer, CheapCast developer, has decided to release the source code under Apache License Version 2.0. You can get the source code from Cheapcast repo on github:

Finally import it into Android Studio or Eclipse, and start hacking and contribute back to the project. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Kaiboer Q7 Android 4.2 STB Features Dual Wi-Fi Antennas, Internal 3.5″ Hard Drive Bay

Kaiboer Q7 Android 4.2 STB Features Dual Wi-Fi Antennas, Internal 3.5″ Hard Drive Bay

Kaiboer Q7 is an upcoming Android 4.2 media player, a bit larger than usual, based on a dual core Cortex A7 SoC, probably AllWinner A20, that features two Wi-Fi antennas, a front panel with LCD display and buttons, and a bay for a 3.5″ SATA hard drive. AndroidPC.es reports the company did not provide the full specifications, but we still know the processor is based on a dual core Cortex A7 processor, and includes 4 USB ports, HDMI, composite and component video outputs, coaxial and optical SPDIF audio outputs, an RJ45 network connector, and on-off button. It’s quite nice to have a device with an internal 3.5″ hard drive, but one downside is the addition of an small fan to keep the device and hard drive cool. The device will run Android 4.2 with a custom interface called KIUI6.0. Price and availability are unknown at this point. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc […]