bluetooth News - Page 2 of 91 - CNX Software

May 22, 2026May 22, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

M5Stack StopWatch ESP32-S3 devkit offers 1.75-inch touch AMOLED, microphone, speaker, and GPIO expansion

M5Stack Core StopWatch is an ESP32-S3-powered WiFi and Bluetooth development board with a 1.75-inch round AMOLED touch display, 16MB flash, and 8MB PSRAM designed for portable IoT devices, electronic badges, and wearables. The device also features a 1W speaker and a MEMS microphone for voice interaction, two programmable buttons, a vibration motor, a 6-axis IMU sensor, an RTC, and expansion capabilities through a Grove connector and GPIO headers. It’s powered by a 450 mAh battery managed by an “M5PM1 multi-level power management” solution and charged over a USB-C port. M5Stack Core StopWatch specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE + Mesh connectivity Storage – 16MB flash Display – 1.75-inch AMOLED round touch display with 466 x 466 resolution Audio 1W speaker MEMS microphone ES8311 […]

May 20, 2026May 20, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Hacknect – A wireless hacking USB cable with a built-in microSD card slot (Crowdfunding)

Little Gadgets’ Hacknect is an ESP32-S3-powered wireless USB Type-A hacking cable with Wi-Fi control, HID automation for keyboard/mouse events, payload deployment, and a microSD card slot hidden in one of the Type-A connectors. The USB cable is designed for makers, developers, automation enthusiasts, and cybersecurity researchers and can be wirelessly controlled from your smartphone or computer. It just looks like a normal cable, so any free USB cable that comes your way may look suspicious in the future. Hacknect specifications: Wireless SoC – ESP32‑S3 with WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.x Storage – MicroSD card slot (inside one of the USB Type-A ports) USB – 2x USB Type-A male ports (Full-speed, 12 Mbps) Features: Keystroke injection – Automated keyboard payloads using HID emulation. Mouse injection – Simulated mouse movements and automated actions. Payload slots – Store and manage multiple payloads directly on the device. Wi‑Fi Triggers – Trigger actions wirelessly from […]

May 18, 2026May 18, 2026 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

$13 Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK offers Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and 802.15.4 connectivity (Bouffalo Lab BL618 inside)

Back in November 2024, we wrote about Qualcomm’s QCC730M and QCC74xM modules for low-power IoT devices, but at the time, there was no evaluation board EVK for those SoCs. Fast forward to today, and the official development boards for the QCC74x series have finally been released, complete with a surprisingly affordable price tag. The Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK is a tri-radio evaluation board with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee) with a price tag of just over $13. But what is interesting is that, while it carries the Qualcomm brand, documentation from the Zephyr Project clearly shows that the QCC74x series is actually based on and mostly equivalent to the Bouffalo Lab BL61x series, specifically the BL618. Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK specifications: Wireless Module – Qualcomm QCC74xM LGA Module (QCC743M, QCC744M, or QCC748M depending on the board variant) CPU – 32-bit RISC-V processor (RV32IMAFCP) @ up to 325 MHz with FPU […]

May 17, 2026May 17, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ESP32-S3 boards feature WAGO connectors for LED strips, buttons, other swappable modules

Rev Adrian Kennard (RevK) has designed several open-source hardware ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth IoT boards with WAGO connectors for interfacing LED strips, buttons, and other GPIO modules. Initially developed for the gloves and the helmet of an Iron Man suit, the ESP32-S3 boards can be used for any relevant project that needs more flexibility than soldered modules and more reliability than GPIO headers or even screw terminals, which can be susceptible to vibrations. WAGO push-in connectors make the ESP32-S3 boards especially suitable for prototyping and wearables, where being able to quickly swap modules is beneficial. The first board designed for gloves is called “Battery powered controller development board” with the following specifications: Core module – ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N4-R2 SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor with WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity Memory – 2MB PSRAM Storage – 4MB QSPI flash PCB antenna USB – 1x USB-C for power and programming Expansion […]

May 16, 2026May 16, 2026 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Anthropic’s open-source Claude Desktop Buddy turns ESP32-S3 devices into interactive AI desk companions

Anthropic has opened its Claude Hardware Interface (Bluetooth API) to developers, enabling an ESP32-S3-based desk companion to connect directly to the Claude desktop app over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). To demonstrate this new feature, the company released an open-source reference project called Claude Desktop Buddy. It currently runs on the M5StickC Plus (an ESP32-based board from M5Stack, about $30 on AliExpress and Amazon) and works as a small interactive hardware companion for Claude. Also, during the recent “Build with Claude” event, the company recommended the ESP32-S3-based M5Stack Cardputer as one of the best hardware options for developers who want to build physical devices that interact with AI agents. Designed as a physical companion device for Claude Cowork and Claude Code on macOS and Windows, it stays on your desk and provides real-time updates on the AI agent’s activity. It also lets you respond to permission requests directly using its buttons, so […]

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 by Debashis Das - 4 Comments

PENOX WristBuds – A Bluetooth 6.0 smartwatch with integrated TWS earbuds (Crowdfunding)

WristBuds 2 in 1 Smartwatch with ENC Earbuds

PENOX WristBuds is a 2-in-1 rugged Bluetooth 6.0 smartwatch with integrated TWS earbuds, eliminating the need for a separate charging case. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts and the “zero-clutter mobility” market. The watch is built around a Bluetrum AB5681G RISC-V smartwatch MCU managing both the smartwatch interface and audio synchronization. The device sports a large 2.1-inch IPS display with a 320×390 resolution and is housed in a CNC-machined zinc alloy body. But what’s interesting about this is its mechanical, spring-loaded “Pop & Snap” design that houses the TWS earbuds inside the watch, and eliminates the need for a separate charging case. PENOX WristBuds specifications: MCU – Bluetooth AB5681G CPU – 32-bit RISC-V CPU @ up to 140 MHz Memory – TBC (not mentioned at all in the MCU datasheet) Storage – 128Mbit integrated NOR Flash Display & Graphics – SPI/QSPI display engine with HW acceleration (DMA, rotation, scaling, blending) Audio – […]

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

PortaRF single board SDR mixes HackRF One and PortaPack H4M hardware, adds AI voice control

Designed by OpenSourceSDRLab, the PortaRF is an open-source software-defined radio (SDR) that integrates HackRF One and the PortaPack H4M into a single device. It’s a standalone device that supports transmitting and receiving radio signals from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. Traditionally, a portable HackRF setup meant stacking a PortaPack on top of the main board. PortaRF replaces this with a single PCB, making it more compact, easier to use, and with improved signal quality. It also adds a larger display, more flash, and a bigger battery. PortaRF specifications: MCU – NXP LPC432 dual core ARM Cortex M4/M0 (LPC4320FBD144) microcontroller CPLD Xilinx XC2C64A CoolRunner-II AGM AG256SL100 RF ICs MAX2837 – 2.3GHz to 2.7GHz Wireless Broadband RF Transceiver RFFC5072 – Wideband Synthesizer/VCO with Integrated 30MHz to 6 GHz Mixer Frequency range – 1 MHz to 6 GHz (Transmit and Receive) Storage 2MB SPI Flash (W25Q16DV) provides more space for the Mayhem firmware MicroSD card slot […]

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Clawdmeter – A DIY ESP32-S3 desk dashboard for Claude Code token usage monitoring

Clawdmeter is a DIY ESP32-S3-powered desk dashboard that displays Claude Code token usage on a 2.16-inch AMOLED screen so you know when you’re about to reach the limits in real time. It’s mostly a firmware project since it relies on off-the-shelf hardware (Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-2.16). It leverages the LVGL library for its graphics user interface, the NimBLE stack for Bluetooth LE (BLE) communication, and also functions as a HID keyboard for shortcuts using the buttons from the unit. We previously covered Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-1.8 with a 1.8-inch display, but never the 2.16-inch variant, so let’s have a quick look at the hardware first. ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-2.16 specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration. Memory – 512KB RAM, 8MB PSRAM ROM – 384KB Connectivity – 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE Storage 16MB NOR flash MicroSD card slot […]