smartphone News - Page 45 of 73 - CNX Software

August 31, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

LG Rolly is a Bluetooth Keyboard that Folds into a Stick

There are already some flexible Bluetooth keyboards that you can roll into your bag or pocket after being done typing on your smartphone or tablet, but LG is about to launch Rolly Keyboard, a solid Bluetooth keyboard for mobile device that can be rolled into a stick, which should may be sturdier than flexible keyboards, and it can also hold a smartphone or tablet in upright position with a display of up to 10″ in size. LG’ latest keyboard (model KBB-700) is comprised of 17mm keys – a standard keyboard comes with 18mm keys – arranged into four rows, that can be folded into a stick as shown above. The company also claims the keyboard offers “satisfying tactile feedback not found on flexible silicone keyboards”. The keyboard is powered by two AAA batteries supposed to last about 3 months during typical use, and pairing over Bluetooth 3.0 occurs automatically to […]

August 28, 2015August 28, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Asus Zenphone 2 Deluxe Edition Smartphone Comes with 256 GB Storage, 4GB RAM

As far as I’m concerned the talk about a “Post-PC” area is just that: talk. As long as the hardware specifications of smartphones don’t match the ones of entry-level computers, and mobile operating systems don’t support a desktop mode, desktop PCs will still be popular, and I can see it everyday as 60 to 70% of visits of this very blog are made with Windows, Linux and Mac OS computers. However, that’s not to say mobile and desktop converge is not getting closer, as on the software side, Canonical is working on bring Ubuntu to different form factors and support desktop mode for mobile desktop, and Microsoft is also working on Continuum, and on the hardware side, Asus announced a smartphone with 256 GB storage and 4GB RAM, which is pretty close to the specifications of an entry-level computer these days. Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe Edition specifications: SoC – Intel […]

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

i-mobile IQ II is an Android One Smartphone for Thailand

Android One program aims to delivers low cost smartphones for emerging market with the latest Android version and firmware updates for at least 2 years. Google started with India, shortly followed with Indonesia, and now the company has announced the launch of an Android One smartphone for Thailand with its partnership with i-Mobile. i-Mobile IQ II specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) quad core Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.2 GHz with Adreno 306 GPU and Hexagon V50 DSP System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage – 16GB eMMC + micro SD slot up to 32GB Display – 5″ multitouch display, 1280×720 resolution Connectivity – WiFi, A-GPS Cellular Connectivity 2G: 900/1800 MHz (for AIS, Dtac and True mobile providers) 3G: 850/2100 MHz (for AIS, Dtac, True and 3GX mobile providers) HSDPA (Mbps) Download : 42 Mbps; HSUPA (Mbps) Upload : 11 Mbps Dual SIM card support Camera – 2.0 […]

July 31, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Leadcore Roadmap Until 2017 Shows 14nm FinFET Processors Planned

I first heard about Leadcore in 2013 when they announced several ARM Cortex A7 and A9 mobile processors, but since then they’ve become a bit more popular after Leadcore L1860C quad core processor found its way into in Xiaomi Redmi 2A smartphone. The company has now shown its roadmap for 2016, and 2017 with some interesting developments. We can expect three processors in 2016 all with 64-bit ARM cores manufactured using 28nm process: An 8-core 64-bit processor with Mali-T820 GPU and LTE Cat 6 modem A 4-core 64-bit processor with an unnamed Mali GPU and LTE Cat 6 modem A quad core Cortex A53 processor with TD-LTE and LTE FDD And in 2017, one processor is scheduled, should be manufactured using 14nm FinFET process, which could mean 2017 will be the year 14nm FinFET goes mainstream even for lower cost processors. That currently unnamed processor will feature eight 64-bit cores […]

July 30, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Orvibo Wiwo S20 Smart Socket Now Sells for $16

Kankun KK-SP3 used to be the cheapest smart socket on the market at around $20, and it is hackable too, but only available with a Chinese / Australian plug, and for some reasons, many sellers stopped selling the device. Last year, a similar product called Orvibo Wiwo S20 launched with US, UK, EU or AU plug types, but sold for nearly twice as much as KK-SP3 at the time. The good news is that the price has gone down considerably, as it can be purchased for around $16 on GearBest, and it’s available on others for $20 to $26 including on Amazon US, DealExtreme, and GeekBuying. Let’s remind us of the specifications first: Material – ABC 94V-0 (fireproof) Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Security – WEP, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK Power Plug – US, Europe, United Kingdom or Australia plug Output Current – 10A Output Power – 2000W max. Voltage Range – 100-240V […]

June 11, 2015June 10, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

BQ Introduces Its Second Ubuntu Phone: Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition

BQ launched the first Ubuntu phone to the market with Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition, but it felt quite low end with a 540 x 960 display and 8GB storage. They company has now announced another version with the same processor, but larger 5″ display with a higher resolution (720p) and 16GB storage. BQ Aquaris E5 HD specifications: SoC – Quad core Cortex A7 @ 1.3 GHz with Mali-400MP2 GPU up to 500 MHz (likely Mediatek MT6582) System memory – 1 GB Storage – 16 GB eMMC, microSD card (up to 32 GB) Display – 5″ IPS multi-touch screen (5-point); 1280 x 720 resolution Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS Cellular Connectivity – 2G GSM (850/900/1800/1900), 3G HSPA+ (900/2100). Dual micro SIM. Audio – 3.5 mm headphone jack, microphone, Ambient noise cancellation, Camera – 5MP front-facing camera, 13MP rear camera with autofocus and dual flash USB – micro USB […]

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Continuum Brings Desktop Mode and Dual Display Support to Windows 10 Smartphones

I’m eagerly waiting for the day when Ubuntu convergence becomes reality, and I can run Ubuntu on a smartphone which I can also use as desktop PC. But Canonical is not the only company working on convergence and Microsoft has announced Continuum for Phones as part of Windows 10, that will bring desktop mode and support for dual independent displays to next-generation Windows 10 phones. To switch a Windows 10 smartphone to desktop mode, you’ll simply need to connect it to a desktop display, and Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and it will automatically switch to a standard Windows 10 desktop on the big screen where you’ll be able to run apps like Microsoft Office, and other Universal Windows apps, as if it was running on an actual PC or laptop. The dual screen feature will allow you to check your emails on Outlook on a TV, while your kids watch […]

April 24, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Ubuntu 15.04 Released for PCs, Servers, IoT Gateways, the Cloud, and Phones

The road to convergence is a long one, and although you still can’t really use a smartphone as both a phone and your desktop computers, Ubuntu 15.04 “Vivid Vervet” releases brings us closer to this goal, as the Linux based operating systems now supports not only the traditional PCs and servers, but also the Cloud and IoT platforms thanks to Ubuntu Snappy, and phones such as BQ Aquarius E4.5 Ubuntu Edition. Most changes for Desktop users are under the hood with Upstart replaced by systemd, the Linux kernel is now up to version 3.19, and many packages have been upgraded to a newer version. You can download i386 (32-bit x86) and amd64 (64-bit x86) desktop or server ISO images, and for the first time Ubuntu Snappy for generic amd64 platform, as well as an ARMHF image made for BeagleBone Black, which AFAIK is the very first time Ubuntu formally releases […]