Reviews - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

December 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

UP Squared Pro TWL AI Dev Kit Review – Intel N150 + Hailo-8L accelerator tested on Ubuntu 24.04

Intel N150 SBC Hailo-8L module with Heatsink

I’ve been asked to review three Intel-based UP AI development kits running Ubuntu 24.04 Pro. Last time, I tested the UP TWL SBC with Nx Meta and UP AI Toolkit, and most AI workloads would pass, but since these were running on the Intel N150 CPU or GPU, the performance was not optimal for most. I’ll now switch to the UP Squared Pro TWL “mid-range” AI devkit review with another Intel Processor N150 SBC fitted with a 13 TOPS Hailo-8L M.2 AI accelerator. Both the UP TWL and UP Squared Pro TWL come with a 64GB eMMC flash, and I found out it was rather tight since AI software and models can take a lot of space. The UP Squared Pro TWL has a few M.2 sockets, so I’ll install an NVMe SSD to expand storage before installing the UP AI toolkit. As usual, I’ll run a few benchmarks and […]

December 9, 2025December 9, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

FlashESP is an all-in-one web-based tool for ESP32/ESP8266 Arduino development and firmware flashing

FlashESP Web-based ESP32 programming tool

FlashESP is a web-based tool allowing the development of Arduino sketches and firmware flashing for ESP32 and ESP8266 hardware platforms. I initially thought it was similar to ESP Web Tools for flashing firmware from the web and used by projects like ESPHome, but it goes further than that, and it looks like an Arduino Cloud Editor for ESP32/ESP8266 instead, since users can select boards, write code, load libraries, and flash the resulting firmware from a compatible web browser without installing anything else on their computer. FlashESP key features: Cloud Compilation – Real-time compilation with live logs. Auto Configuration – Intelligent board and library detection. One-Click Flash – Web Serial integration. Connect your ESP via USB and flash directly from a compatible browser (WebSerial support needed) without any drivers or downloads. Public Explorer – Discover community projects. Flexible Visibility – Create private projects for your team, public for the world, or […]

December 4, 2025December 6, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Mini review of JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5-port USB GaN charger with power meter function

JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5 port charger review

I’ve just received a review sample of the JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5-port USB GaN charger, which I found interesting because it integrates a power meter function for the whole charger and for each individual port, which could be useful for reviews of USB-powered boards and devices. In this short review, I’ll go through an unboxing, before testing the features with a smartphone, and trying to stress it a little with five devices, including a laptop, a USB-C powered HDMI display, a wireless display, an Android smartphone, and a Raspberry Pi 5 SBC. JOYROOM PODIX 140W charger unboxing I received the device in its retail package, reading “JOYROOM PODIX” “140W 5-port desktop GaN charger” and listing key features like fast charging, 80cm retractable cables, and a 1.54-inch “ultra large” display, as well as compatibility with standards such as USB PD 3.1, PPS, AFC, SCP, FCP, and QC 3.0. The side of […]

November 25, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Creality Sermoon S1 3D scanner review – Part 2: Using Creality Scan 4 software with Intel Graphics

Creality Scan 4 Sermoon S1 3D scanner review

Earlier this month, we checked the specifications and did an unboxing of the Sermoon S1 high-end 3D scanner with support for blue laser and infrared scanning. I had some concerns about my host machines due to the fairly high minimum requirements: Intel Core i7 Gen7 CPU, NVIDIA GPU (6GB VRAM), 16GB RAM, Windows 10/11 (64-bit). I had planned to use an ASUS Vivobook 16 laptop with a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13500H SoC with a 12-core Raptor Lake processor and integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, as well as 16GB of RAM to run Creality Scan 4 software. After talking with Creality, it was confirmed to me that a “dedicated graphics card” was required. I have some good and bad news. The good news is that I might get a mini PC with an NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) external GPU for review. The bad news is that I have to […]

November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Lockzo AL501 3-in-1 smart door lock review with the Tuya mobile app

Lockzo AL501 Video Smart Lock Tuya app review

We’ve received a review sample of the Lockzo AL501 3-in-1 smart door lock system (Smart Lock + Video Camera + Doorbell). It supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and integrates a 2K resolution camera with a wide 180° field of view, a doorbell, AI motion detection, and infrared night vision. It supports multiple unlocking methods, namely physical key, AI fingerprint scanning, keypad PIN code, and the Tuya mobile app, which enables the user to check the live video, talk to visitors, and unlock the door in real time from anywhere via your smartphone, as well as voice control through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The included 10,000 mAh rechargeable battery is designed to last approximately 6 months per charge, and the device has an IP65 dust and water resistance rating. In this review, we’ll go through an unboxing, show how we installed it on a wooden door, connect it to WiFi through the […]

November 17, 2025December 7, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

UP TWL AI Dev Kit review – Benchmarks, features testing, and AI workloads on Ubuntu 24.04

Earlier this month, I started the review of the Intel-based UP AI development kits with an unboxing of the UP TWL, UP Squared Pro TWL, and UP Xtreme ARL single board computers. I’ve now had time to test the first model, the credit card-sized, Intel Processor N150-based UP TWL SBC with 64GB eMMC flash preloaded with Ubuntu 24.04. As usual, I’ll run a few benchmarks and test the board’s key hardware features, but I’ll then focus on the AI part since that’s what the kit is for. Note that the UP TWL AI Dev Kit is an entry-level solution, and all AI workloads will be running on the CPU or the integrated GPU, since there’s no dedicated AI accelerator or an M.2 slot to add one on this model. In the next parts of the review, the UP Squared Pro TWL adds an Hailo-8L AI accelerator, and the UP Xtreme […]

November 16, 2025November 15, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Eazeye Radiant 15.6-inch portable transflective LCD review

Eazeye Radiant transflective LCD sunlight vs laptop

Eazeye sent me a sample of the Radiant 15.6-inch transflective LCD review for review after I wrote about the Eazeye 2.0 24-inch reflective LCD monitor last August. Yes, there’s been a little bit of miscommunication as I got a transflective LCD (TLCD) launched last year, instead of the new reflective LCD (RLCD). But that’s OK. While those are two different technologies, both monitors are designed to rely on natural light, and I assumed either would perform better outdoors and reduce eye strain compared to traditional portable monitors or laptop displays. Let’s find out. Eazeye Radiant unboxing and specifications I received the portable monitor in a retail box. The main surprise here was that I was expecting a 24-inch monitor, and this looked a little small. I quickly realized the Radiant was a 15.6-inch model instead. We can get part of the specifications on the back side of the package. But […]

November 11, 2025November 16, 2025 by Kumpee Teeravech - 1 Comment

LattePanda IOTA review – An Intel N150 + RP2040 SBC tested with Windows 11, UPS expansion, PoE, NVMe SSD, and more

I’ve received a review sample of the LattePanda IOTA single-board computer (SBC) from DFRobot. It is a compact, palm-sized SBC powered by an Intel Processor N150 quad-core Twin Lake CPU, and featuring 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 64 GB of onboard eMMC storage. It also integrates a Raspberry Pi RP2040 co-processor for handling I/O operations, providing greater flexibility for embedded and automation applications. LattePanda IOTA unboxing The parcel was shipped from China and arrived safely in a standard cardboard box. Inside were several smaller boxes containing the following components, with foam padding that was slightly loose but still provided adequate protection. All components arrived in good condition. I received a total of seven items from DFRobot, which are listed below. LattePanda IOTA (8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash) Smart UPS Expansion Board: A plug-and-play UPS module for the LattePanda IOTA that provides stable, continuous power with intelligent management and supports […]