CrowPi2 Raspberry Pi 4 Learning Kit Review – Part 1 – Unboxing and First Boot

CrowdPi2 Unboxing Review

Last month, we wrote about Elecrow introducing CrowPi2 Raspberry Pi 4 laptop and electronics learning kit for its launch on Kickstarter crowdfunding website. The company has now sent one of its kits to CNX Software for evaluation and review. I’ll start by checking out the content of the package, and boot it up, before publishing a more detailed review in a few weeks. The package is fairly big and highlights it’s made for kids over 8 years old with close to 100 course resources and over 20 electronics modules. The back of the package list the main features and package contents with for example a 11.6″ Full HD display, Raspberry Pi 4 4GB board running a customized (Linux) system or Retropie for game emulation, electronics components and modules like servos and motors, as well as some resources for gaming including two USB gamepads. The first things we get when opening […]

MediaTek Helio G35 & G25 Entry-Level SoCs Feature MediaTek HyperEngine Game Technology

Mediatek Helio G35 & Helio G25

MediaTek Helio G-Series mobile processors come with optimization for gamers including HyperEngine game technology with network optimizations reducing lag and improving connection reliability, faster responses to taps, improved picture quality, and better resources management to avoid thermal throttling. So far, the company had integrated the HyperEngine technology into premium SoCs such as Helio G80 or Helio G90T powered by Cortex-A75/A76 cores, and BiFrost GPUs. There are aggressively Helio G90T priced phones such as Redmi Note 8 Pro going for about $240, but to address the lower-end side of the market, MediaTek has now introduced Helio G35 and G25 octa-core Cortex-A53 SoC with HyperEngine Game Technology. Helio G35 & G25 specifications: Processor Helio G25 – Octa-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU @ 2.0 GHz Helio G35 – Octa-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU @ 2.3 GHz GPU Helio G25 – Imagination PowerVR GE8320 up to 650MHz Helio G35 – Imagination PowerVR GE8320 up to 680MHz […]

One Netbook OneGx1 Mini Laptop Supports WiFi 6, 4G LTE or 5G Connectivity

ONE NETBOOK OneGx1 Amber Lake Mini Laptop

We’ve seen plenty of mini laptops with 6″ to 9″ displays in the last couple of years, mainly from GPD and One Netbook, and to a lesser extend from CHUWI. But so far, I had not seen one with 5G connectivity, and the latest One Netbook OneGx1 mini laptop with a 7″ display and powered by an Amber Lake processor, does offer a 5G model, besides its WiFi 6 and 4G LTE variants. OneGx1 mini laptop specifications: SoC – Intel Core i5-10210Y Amber Lake-Y quad-core/octa-thread processor @ 1.0 GHz (base) / 4.0 GHz (turbo one core) / 2.7 GHz (turbo all cores) with 24 EU Intel UHD Graphics @ up to 1.05 GHz; 6MB cache; 7W TDP (configurable) System Memory & Storage Options 8GB LPDDR3 RAM, 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD, MicroSD card up to 128GB 16GB LPDDR3 RAM and 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD, MicroSD card up to 128GB Display – […]

Powkiddy X2 is a Low-End Nintendo Switch Lookalike

Nintendo Switch Lookalike

Powkiddy specializes in handheld gaming consoles, and if their latest Powkiddy X2 portable game console looks familiar, it’s because it looks just like a Nintendo Switch. But the comparison stops there. The NVIDIA processor is replaced by a quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, the display has a lower resolution, the controllers aren’t detachable, and unsurprisingly you can’t play any Nintendo Switch games. Powkiddy X2 specification: SoC – Quad-core Cortex-A7 processor @ 1.3 GHz (possibly Rockchip RK3128) System Memory – TBD Storage – TBD flash storage, MicroSD card slot Display – 7″ IPS display with 1024×600 resolution Video Output – Mini HDMI output Audio – 3.5mm audio jack; speaker(s); MP3/MP4 audio playback USB – 2x Micro USB port to connect external gamepads User input – 2x rockers, 2x D-PADs, select and start keys, function key, L&R; power & reset keys, volume control Battery – 3,000 mAh The console is said to come with […]

GPD WIN Max Handheld Game Console Raises over One Million Dollars on First Day (Crowdfunding)

GPD Win Max

The first time we wrote about GPD product was for one of their portable game consoles, but since then the company has made many mini laptops that are fairly similar except for the lack of gaming controls. The company is now back with a portable game console powered by a 15W Intel i5-1035G7 Ice Lake processor designed for AAA games. GPD WIN Max has really made a splash, as the company raised close to 1.4 million dollars a little over a day after the launch on Indiegogo. GPD WIN Max specifications: SoC – Intel Core i5-1035G7 quad-core/octa-thread Ice Lake processor @1.20 GHz / 3.70 GHz (Turbo) with Intel Iris Plus 940 Graphics delivering performance similar to GeForce MX250; 15W configurable to 12W or 25W (But GPD offers 15, 20 and 25W configurable TDP). System Memory – Dual-channel 16GB LPDDR4X-3733 RAM Storage – Dual M.2 SSD sockets with support for single-sided […]

ODROID-Go Advance Black Edition Gets WiFi, R2/L2 Button, and USB-C Power Input

ODROID-Go Advance Black Edition

At the end of last year, Hardkernel launched ODROID-GO Advance portable Linux retro game console powered by a Rockchip RK3326 processor with 1GB RAM, and a 3.5″ color display. While it was fairly well-received, people wished it would not come with a large power barrel jack and included WiFi among a few other requests. COVID-19 also delayed mass-production of the device, but the silver lining is that the company decided to make a new revision 1.1 PCB with a USB-C port for power input, a WiFi module, and R2 and L2 buttons that’s planned to launch soon under the name ODROID-Go Advance Black Edition. ODROID-Go Advance Black Edition specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3326 quad-core Arm Cortex-A35 processor @ 1.3GHz with Mali-G31 MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3L @ 786Mhz, 32 Bits bus width Storage – 16MB SPI Flash for bootloader, Micro SD Card slot (UHS-1 Capable interface) Display – […]

Kontron Launches AMD Ryzen Embedded Mini-ITX Board for Graphics Applications

AMD Ryzen Embedded mini-ITX Board

We’ve seen several AMD Ryzen Embedded boards launched over the last couple of years, but the only one we covered here that happens to follow the mini-ITX form factor was iBASE MI988 motherboard powered by a choice of Ryzen Embedded V1000 processors. But there are others including Sapphire IPC-FP5V 10GbE embedded mini-ITX motherboard, and Kontron has just announced the D3713-V/R mITX motherboard with AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000/R1000 processor and aimed at “demanding graphics applications” such as kiosks, infotainment, digital signage, professional casino gaming systems, medical displays, as well as thin clients and industrial PCs. Kontron D3713-V/R mITX specifications: SoC (one or the other) AMD Ryzen Embedded V1202B dual-core/quad-thread Zen processor @ 2.3 GHz / 3.2 GHz (Boost frequency) with RADEON VEGA 3 graphics; 12W to 25W TDP AMD Ryzen Embedded V1605B quad-core/octa-thread Zen processor @ 2.0 GHz / 3.6 GHz (Boost frequency) with RADEON VEGA 8 graphics; 12W to 25W […]

MediaTek Helio G80 Mobile Gaming SoC Boasts Higher CPU & GPU Clocks (over Helio G70)

MediaTek Helio G80

MediaTek introduced their first mobile processors designed specifically with gaming in mind last year with MediaTek Helio G90 and G90T SoC’s coupling Arm Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 cores with an Arm Mali-G76 3EEMC4 GPU. Last month we reported the company launched another mobile gaming processor, but this time, Helio G70 & G70T were designed for mainstream mobile devices with the SoC’s featuring two Arm Cortex-A75 cores, six Arm Cortex-A55 cores, and an Arm Mali-G52 2EEMC2 GPU. Somehow the Taiwanese company decided there was room for a solution in between, and MediaTek Helio G80 processor is supposed to fill that gap. MediaTek Helio G80 specifications: Processor – 2x Arm Cortex-A75 @ 2GHz, 6x Arm Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz with “large L3 cache” GPU – Arm Mali-G52 2EEMC2 up to 950MHz Memory – Up to 8GB LPDDR4x @ 1800MHz Storage – eMMC 5.1 flash Display – Up to 2520 x 1080 resolution Video Decode […]