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October 13, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Remodo X is a Programmable Bluetooth & IR Remote Control for Raspberry Pi (Crowdfunding)

There are plenty of Bluetooth or RF remote controls on the market, but Remodo X is a little different. Mainly designed for the Raspberry Pi board, the compact Bluetooth & IR remote control comes with four buttons that can be programmed from a mobile app to launch program or trigger scripts for home automation, home entertainment, or any other function you may think of. Remodo X specifications: Connectivity Bluetooth LE up to 30 meters (line-of-sight) via Realtek BLE 4.2 Class 2 chip IR up to 10 meters User Input – 4x keys for 8 different actions using long or short presses Misc – Buzzer for “find me” function Power Supply – 2x AAA batteries Dimensions – 114 x 36 x 13 mm Weight – 37 grams The remote control can be programmed in the yet-to-be-released Remodo app for Android or iOS with any smartphone that comes with Bluetooth LE connectivity. […]

September 12, 2018April 13, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

MINIX NEO W2 PC Remote Control Review in Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18.04

MINIX NEO W2 is sold as a Windows 10 remote control with one side acting as an actual remote with shortcuts to useful Windows functions and programs, another side as a keyboard, as well as a motion sensors to use it as an air mouse. I received it with MINIX NEO J50C-4 Windows 10 Pro mini PC, so I tested it today both with Windows 10, and Ubuntu 18.04. Batteries and Backlight I’ve already looked at the package and remote hardware in the NEO post linked above, so let’s get to it by first installing two AAA battery on either side of the keyboard side. A cool feature you’ll immediately noticed is that both sides of the remote control are actually backlight, with Fn and CapsLock key also changing color to red when they are enabled. The backlight is automatically turn off after 4 seconds, but as you can see […]

September 1, 2018April 13, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

MINIX NEO J50C-4 Pentium J5005 Mini PC Review – Part 1: Unboxing, Windows Remote, M.2 SSD, and Teardown

MINIX has just announced a new Windows 10 Pro mini PC with MINIX NEO J50C-4 mini PC that just looks like their previous models like MINIX NEO N42C-4, except it comes with a Pentium Silver J5005 “Gemini Lake” processor. The company sent me a sample together with some accessories, and it will be interesting to see how it performs. But before I’ll go through the specifications, checking the devices and some extra accessories namely NEO W2 windows remote control, and an M.2 SSD pre-loaded with Windows 10 Pro. Finally, I’ll have a look at the internals in the first part of this review. MINIX NEO J50C-4 Specifications SoC – Intel Pentium Silver J5005 quad core “Gemini Lake” processor @ 1.50 / 2.80 GHz with 18 EU Intel UHD Graphics 605 (10W TDP) System Memory – 4GB DDR4 upgradable to 16GB via 2x SO-DIMM slots Storage – 32GB eMMC 5.1 flash, […]

October 27, 2017October 27, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Use your Smartphone as an IR Remote Control with ROCK USB Type C IR Remote Control Transmitter

A few years ago, I wrote about ZazaRemote transforming your smartphone into a universal IR remote control. ZazaRemote is a hardware and software solution that combines infrared dongles micro USB port or 3.5mm audio plug, and a mobile app that allows you to control all sort of devices (TV, aircon, etc…) from your smartphone. Over three years later, more and more phones are now deprived from the audio jack, and micro USB ports have given way to USB type C ports, so that solution does not work anymore on newer phones. Some of the recent phones like Xiaomi Mi A1 integrate an IR transmitter, but for others, Zazaremote’s developer (Tiqiaa) has apparently not come up with a USB type C version, but just sells micro USB to USB type C adapters, not the most convenient. Upon further research, I eventually found a USB type C IR transmitter for smartphone sold […]

November 25, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Sevenhugs Smart Remote is a Universal Direction Aware WiFi, Bluetooth and IR Remote Control (Crowdfunding)

You may have all sort of remote control devices around your home from the traditional IR remote control for your TV, air conditioner, audio system etc.., as well remote control apps for WiFi or Bluetooth objects such as smart light bulbs or water pumps running on your smartphone. Sevenhugs Smart Remote promises to replace them all, and all you have to do is to point the remote control to your devices, or setup virtual actions to your door or window to order a Uber drive or check the weather. Sevenhugs Smart Remote specifications: MCU – ARM Cortex-M4 @ 200 MHz System Memory – 32 MB RAM LCD – 3.43″ touch screen IPS display; Dragontrail damage ans scratch resistant cover glass, anti-fingerprint & anti-glare Wireless Connectivity – IR transceiver, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 LE connectivity USB – USB C port for charging Sensors – Indoor positioning sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, […]

September 1, 2015September 1, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

MeLE F10 BT is a $20 Bluetooth Air Mouse and Keyboard

MeLE is mostly known as a manufacturer of Android TV boxes and air mice, and I use MeLE F10 Deluxe air mouse in all my Android mini PCs review, as even though it’s not perfect it does the job much better than an IR remote control, and is more convenient to use than a USB keyboard. The two MeLE air mouse I’ve purchased come with a 2.4GHz RF dongle that needs to be connected to a USB port of the device you want to control, but now the company is now about to launch a Bluetooth model with MeLE F10 BT. MeLE F10 BT (RF01BL) specifications: Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 (CSR1011) IR support – Yes, including IR learning function. Buttons Life – About 100,000 presses Sensors – G-sensor, Gyroscope Keyboard – QWERTY keyboard Battery – 2x AAA batteries (>30 days in standby mode) Dimensions – 169x48x19 mm Beside Bluetooth connectivity, […]

April 22, 2015April 24, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Various Ways to Control a mini PC without IR Receiver for HTPC Use

Low cost Intel Bay Trail mini PCs such as Pipo X7, MeegoPad T01, MeLE PCG03, etc… almost all share one thing in common: they lack an IR receiver, and for people who’d like to use their box as a dedicated HTPC running Kodi for example, this could be a problem as connecting a keyboard might not the best of solutions. Since I’ve been asked about this recently, I’ve decided to dig into the issue to see what options could be available, and I also hope to trigger a discussion in comments to discover other interesting solutions. RF Air Mouse I’m using MeLE F10 Deluxe air mouse during my reviews, and such device can be used with HTPC. You just need to connect a tiny USB RF dongle to one of the USB ports of your mini PC, and you’d ready to go with having to configure anything. In Kodi, you […]

August 3, 2014August 27, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 30 Comments

Mele F10 Deluxe Air Mouse Review

Mele F10 is an air mouse using 2.4GHz RF technology, that can be used as a remote, a QWERTY keyboard. and a wireless mouse. That’s my favourite input device for Android TV Box, and I use it regularly for my product reviews.The company has now introduced an improved model called Mele F10 Deluxe with trick mode buttons, a gaming mode thanks to a gyroscope, and an IR learning function to use it as a universal remote. Mele sent me a sample for evaluation, so I’ll start with some unboxing pictures, and comparing it to the original Mele F10, before testing the remote. Mele F10 Deluxe Unboxing I’ve received the air mouse in the package below that highlights the four main features: Air mouse, Game Controller, Wireless Keyboard, and IR Learning. WE’ll find the air mouse, a tiny RF dongle, a USB cable for charging and user’s manual describing the button, […]