Ockel Sirius A is a Faster (and Pricier) GOLE1 like Mini PC based on Intel Atom x7-Z8750 Processor (Crowdfunding)

GOLE1 is a Windows 10 + Android mini PC powered by Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor that also happens to come with a 5″ 720p display and a battery with the 4GB RAM/64GB storage version selling for $155 shipped. A company called Ockel Computers, who had a surprisingly successful crowdfunding campaign last year for their Sirius B Cherry Trail mini PC having raised close to $500,000, has designed a new mini PC similar to GOLE1, but with better specs including a slightly faster Intel Atom x7-Z8750 processor, a higher resolution 6″ display, and HDMI & DisplayPort video output ports among other improvements. Ockel Sirius A specifications with bold highlights showing improvements over GOLE1 mini PC: SoC – Intel Atom x7-Z8750 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ 1.60 GHz / 2.56 GHz with Intel Gen8 HD graphics (2W SDP) System Memory –  4 GB LPDDR3L-1600 Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash + […]

Vensmile K8 Keyboard PC includes a Touch Panel & Flexible Keyboard

I’ve seen some strange and/or innovative mini PCs over the years, and Vensmile K8 certainly gets into the top products of that category. That’s basically a mini PC powered by an Intel Atom Cherry Trail processor, but with the top cover acting as a touch panel, and the device is also connected to flexible QWERTY keyboard. Vensmile K8 flexible keyboard PC specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 1.84 GHz with Intel Gen8 HD graphics (2W SDP) System Memory –  4 GB DDR3L (option for 2GB) Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash (option for 32GB) + micro SD slot up to 32GB Touch Panel – 10 point capacitive touch panel Keyboard – 87-key flexible QWERTY keyboard Video Output – HDMI and VGA ports Audio I/O – HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack, built-in microphone Connectivity – Dual band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 […]

GOLE2 Mini PC Comes in Intel and ARM Flavors, Features a SATA Bay and Built-in Camera (Crowdfunding)

GOLE1 was an different and interesting product combining tablet and mini PC features into one, but I found the 5″ screen to be rather useless, and the battery did not work exactly well since it would only charge when powered off.  The new GOLE2 mini PC won’t have any of those issues since it does not come with neither a display or a battery, but instead comes into two flavors with a version running Windows 10 on Intel Atom x5-Z8350 Cherry Trail processor, and another running Android based Phoenix OS on Allwinner A64 quad core ARM Cortex A53 processor. The devices also include an HD camera and microphone for video conference, as well as 2.5″ SATA bay implemented through a USB to SATA bridge. Beside the processor and memory, both GOLE2 models share the most of the same hardware specifications: SoC Intel Atom x5-Z8350 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ […]

Axiomtek Introduces IP67 Rated Waterproof Embedded Computer for Outdoor Applications

Axiomtek has just launched eBOX800-841-FL rugged IP67-rated fanless embedded system for “outdoor critical applications” such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) gateways. The waterproof mini PC is  powered by a quad core Intel Atom E3845 Bay Trail-I processor, and supports temperatures between -30°C to 60°C. Axiomtek eBOX800-841-FL embedded computer specifications: SoC – Intel Atom E3845 quad core processor @ up to 1.91 GHz with Intel HD graphics (10W TDP) System Memory – 204-pin SO-DIMM DDR3L-1066/1333 slot up to 8 GB RAM Storage – 1 x mSATA,  1x 2.5″ SATA HDD, 1x CFAST slot Video Output – VGA (M12 screw type) Connectivity 2x 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet (M12 type) WiFI & LTE via mini PCIe slots 1x SIM socket 4x N-jack waterproof antenna connectors USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports (M12 type) Serial ports – 2 x RS-232/422/485 ports (M12 type) Expansion 1x full-size PCI Express Mini Card slot (USB + PCI […]

Gumstix Nodana 96BCE 96Boards Compatible Baseboard Takes Intel Joule Module

96Boards is an initiative from Linaro, an engineering organization focusing on ARM development, to define some hardware and software specifications for development boards. But since 96Boards specifications are open, Gumstix decided to create the first x86 board compliant with 96Boards CE hardware specifications with Nodana 96BCE baseboard powered by Intel Joule Module. For obvious reasons, this will never be an officially supported 96Boards.org platform. Nodana 96BCE board specifications: SoM – Intel Joule Module based on Intel Atom T5700 or T5500 processor with up to 16GB storage, 4GB RAM. External Storage – 1x micro SD card Video Output – 1x HDMI port USB – 2x USB 3.0 ports, 1x USB 3.0 type C port Expansion Headers 96Boards Low Speed connector with I2C, SPI and UART 96Board High Speed connector with MIPI DSI and USB 2.0 Power Supply – 8 to 18 V (if it follows 96Boards CE specs) Dimensions – 85 […]

Qualcomm is Finally Open for Business with Snapdragon 410E and 600E Processors for Embedded & IoT Applications

Qualcomm processors are found in mobile devices and wearables selling in large quantities, some boards and modules from embedded systems companies such as Inforce Computing and Intrinsyc, as well as it own 96Boards compliant DragonBoard 410c and DragonBoard 600c development boards, but it’s hard to find them in many other products, and few crowdfunding campaign feature Snapdragon processors, as Qualcomm may not be willing to work with smaller companies and startups. The company has made some progress in that regards with their partnership with Allwinner to allow smaller Chinese companies to manufacture Snapdragon based Tablets, and their newly introduced Snapdragon 410E and 600E processors targeting embedded systems and IoT applications, available from Arrow Electronics without questions asked, and with long term availability for 10 years, i.e. until 2025 based on available of Snapdragon 410 mobile version. Snapdragon 410E (APQ 8016E) specifications: CPU – Quad ARM Cortex A53 @ up to […]

ONENUTS T1 Combines Projector, Tablet, and mini PC into one Device

ONENUTS T1 look reminds me of GOLE1 mini PC / tablet combo, and the device also features the same Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor. However, the 8″ display is quite bigger, and more importantly it includes a mini DLP projector. ONENUTS T1 specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 1.84 GHz with Intel Gen8 HD graphics (2W SDP) System Memory –  2 GB DDR3L Storage – 32 GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot up to 64GB Projector – 0.3″ TI DMD (DLP) + LED technology, 1280×720 resolution, 5.5″ to 81″ screen size, 300 lumens, 500:1 contrast ratio; lifetime: > 20,000 hours Display – 8″ capacitive touchscreen IPS display with 1280×800 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio) Video Output – HDMI 1.4 port Audio I/O – HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack, built-in speaker Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 LE USB – […]

Report: Linux Cannot Be Installed on Microsoft Signature Edition PCs, Laptops and Tablets

Microsoft Signature program is designed to make sure certified devices offer the best possible experience for users, as they can not come with bloatware, include Windows Defender, and must meet strict hardware requirements. However according to a Phoronix report, “providing the best possible user experience” also includes blocking installation of alternative operating systems such as Ubuntu, Debian, or other Linux distributions. The issue was discovered by rijesh who attempted to install Ubuntu 16.04 on his Microsoft Signature Edition Lenovo Yoga 900 13-ISK2 laptop, and noticed that while the BIOS and Windows 10 could see his 512 GB hard drive, Ubuntu was unable to find it, and a customer support representative answered that: This system has a Signature Edition of Windows 10 Home installed. It is locked per our agreement with Microsoft. Another user reports having successfully installed Ubuntu 16.04 on his Lenovo YOGA 900-13ISK, so the devil is in the […]