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June 12, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Inkplate 5 – A 5.2-inch wireless e-paper display programmable with Arduino or MicroPython (Crowdfunding)

The team at Soldered Electronics has been designing Inkplate ESP32-based e-paper displays ever since the first 6-inch model was launched in 2019. The latest Inkplate 5 comes with a recycled 5.2-inch E-Ink (e-paper) display with refresh times of only 0.19 seconds, and programmable with the Arduino IDE or MicroPython firmware. The WiFi-connected display offers a 960×540 resolution, or 213 DPI pixel density, integrates an RTC with battery for accurate timekeeping, two buttons for power and wake/user, and I/O expansion via headers and an easyC/Qwicc connector. Inkplate 5 specifications: Wireless module – Dual-core ESP32 processor with Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) connectivity, 8MB flash, 4MB PSRAM External storage – MicroSD card socket Display – 5.2-inch, 960×540 e-paper display with 213 DPI pixel density Refresh times: full refresh in just 1.02s (1-bit and 3-bit) and partial refresh in 0.19s (1-bit) USB – 1x USB Type-C port for programming and power Expansion […]

January 15, 2023February 19, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Making a DIY Raspberry Pi camera mount with privacy mode!

I’ve just repurposed an empty XYLITOL gum bottle into a DIY camera mount for the Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 with privacy mode to boot… In order to avoid confusion, while Xylitol is a chemical compound, it’s also a Japanese brand of chewing gums (Lotte XYLITOL) that is sold in Thailand and other countries. I’m specifically talking about the latter in this post. Raspberry Pi Trading has just sent me a bunch of Raspberry Pi Camera Modules 3 for review, and since I don’t have any camera mount I initially thought maybe I’ll laser cut some mount or use some LEGOs as I did with the e-CAM20_CURB camera for Raspberry Pi 4. But then I saw some empty XYLITOL gum bottles, noticed the cap would open vertically, and it seemed like the modules might fit in there as well. And indeed they do with the Raspberry Pi camera modules snugged […]

June 8, 2022June 9, 2022 by Sponsored Post - 23 Comments

Use your favorite laptop keyboard with the Techlabz Keybox (Sponsored)

The Techlabz Keybox allows you to re-use your favorite laptop keyboard over USB or Bluetooth. The solution support laptop keyboard from Dell, Asus, Apple, HP, Chromebook, and most other brands on the market. This is how it works. After disassembly of your laptop, or purchasing a replacement laptop keyboard, you can place your keyboard into the provided case, connect it with the provided FFC cable, and use it as a standalone USB or Bluetooth keyboard. Alternatively, you could also place it on top of your laptop palm rest and use it in lieu of the keyboard there. Techlabz Keybox features: Host interfaces USB Type-C port Bluetooth 4.1 LE + EDR Sensor – Ambient Light Detector Battery – 250 mAh/~1Wh battery The Techlabz Keybox also comes with a USB-A to USB-C adapter, a Keyboard Interface Adapter (KIA), an FFC Cable to connect to Keybox from the KIA, a keyboard case, some […]

June 3, 2022June 7, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Nokia 1680 phone gets new PCB with MIPS SoC, runs mainline Linux

Reimu NotMoe has designed the “Notkia” PCB based on Ingenic X1000E MIPS processor with 64MB built-in RAM and following the exact same dimensions as the PCB found in Nokia 168x phones (1680, 1681, 1682), and allowing the phone to run mainline Linux. The board also comes with 32MB NOR flash, a 4GB SLC NAND flash, and supports LoRa, 2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth, and GNSS connectivity, but no cellular modem. Combining Nokia 168x phone with Notkia PCBA creates a phone with the following specifications: SoC – Ingenic X1000E single-core XBurst MIPS processor @ 1.0 GHz (2200+ CoreMark) with 64MB RAM Storage – 32MB NOR flash + 4GB SLC NAND flash Display – 2.0-inch 240×320 IPS LCD, 3/4 visible (Replaces the original 128×160 TFT screen in the phone) Camera – 5MP camera with auto focus (only available in the Nokia 1680 case) Audio – Yamaha MA-3 (YMU762) music synthesizer and regular I2S […]

November 29, 2021November 29, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Octo4a app installs OctoPrint server on Android smartphones

Octoprint is a popular open-source 3D printer controller software that runs on Raspberry Pi boards, Orange Pi Lite SBC, Amlogic TV boxes, and other devices. But considering many people may already an older, perfectly working smartphones at home, FeelFree (Filip) decided to create the Octo4a project that install an Octoprint server on Android smartphones. It makes perfect sense since many smartphones come with a USB OTG interface that can connect to the 3D printer for control, while the touchscreen display is used for the user interface, and the camera to monitor your prints. SSH could be used to access the phone Octoprint server and change the settings manually. You can access the source code and APK files on Github. You’ll need to enable third-party apps in the settings before installing the app in order to install Octoprint on the phone. The only required permission is storage, except if you’d like […]

April 22, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Samsung Galaxy Upcycling at Home program aims to repurpose older phones into IoT devices

Electronics waste, also as known as e-waste, has been a problem talked about for years, and in 2015 we asked the question “What do you do with your old devices and boards?” as many devices just end up collecting dust or stored in a drawer. Some better ways include giving or selling them to others, or repurpose them. For instance, a cheap Arm HDMI dongle can make a torrent downloader, an old phone can be transformed into a surveillance camera, an ATX power supply could be converted into a bench power supply, etc… But repurposing devices require some technical skills which many of the smart CNX Software readers have, but it’s unrealistic to expect the typical consumer to be able to hack their old devices into new ones using some tutorials found on the Internet. Samsung Galaxy Upcycling Program aims to make recycling upcycling easier for owners of Galaxy smartphones, […]

October 7, 2020October 7, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Teracube 2e is a user-serviceable, sustainable phone with a 4-year “premium care warranty”

Most smartphones have limited software support, but in my experience with Xiaomi smartphones part of Android One, the hardware tends to fail even earlier than the 18 to 24-month support window for such phones. It’s also close to impossible to repair those by yourself. So it would be nice to have a phone with a longer warranty, software support, and that the user can service himself. If it was made of recycled materials, it would be a bonus too. That’s exactly what Teracube 2e phone provides with recycled materials, a fully biodegradable case, and a 4-year “premium care warranty” for hardware repairs, and since it runs Android 10 stock, you’d get 3-years of Android and security updates. Teracube 2 phone is also meant to be affordable going for $99 and up on Indiegogo with the following specifications: SoC – Mediatek Helio A25 octa-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.8GHz with IMG PowerVR […]

January 8, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

LivingPackets THE BOX Reusable Packaging Comes with an E-ink Display, Removes the Need for Filling Materials

E-commerce and online shopping have flourished over the years whether you shop on Amazon and from sites in China. But that also means lots of carton board packages are being used and often thrown away after use, although personally I like to reuse them if I need to send packages myself. So it would be good if there was a way to reduce carton board package waste, and that’s exactly what LivingPackets is attempting to do with “THE BOX” which features an E-Ink display to display the recipient address and other information, and is meant to be re-used up to 1000 times. Here are some of the key features of THE BOX: E-Ink Display – Replaces the usual printed address label. It can be updated easily and does not consume power when not updated. Button to allow easy returns Integrated Holding Mechanism – Patented a holding system to replace bubble […]