CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 22, 2018March 13, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Xiaomi Sherlock M1 Allows You to Unlock Your Door with Your Smartphone

Xiaomi has recently launched a new product from their MiJia (My Home) family with Sherlock M1 smart lock, which you can stick to the inside part of your security lock, insert the key, and then control it with your smartphone using Xiaomi app. Sherlock M1 key features and specifications: Compatible with both right and left opening doors Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE USB – 1x micro USB port for charging Battery – Rechargeable 3800mAh battery Dimensions – 12.80 x 6.20 x 7.35 cm Weight – 430 grams The lock ships with some specification / user guide? in English. The video below shows a bit more about the installation steps. The main benefit of such smart lock is that you can share virtual keys with other people living in the household, so no more lost keys. Of course, you’d have to trust this cannot be easily hacked. This “user manual” provides […]

January 22, 2018January 22, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

SDMC DV8020 & DV8035 Full HD HDR TV Boxes Feature Amlogic S805X Processor

Most new Android TV boxes on the market today support 4K resolution at least up to 30 Hz, but Amlogic decided to target the lower end of the market with S805X quad core Cortex A53 processor that supports VP9, H.265 and H.264 up to 1080p60 only. However, so far I could not find any products based on the new processor, but this has changed this afternoon, as I’ve come across SDMC DV8020 & DV8035 TV boxes powered by Amlogic S805X processor. Both models share most of the same specifications, with the main differences being an extra S/PDIF output, and the enclosure: SoC Amlogic S805X quad core Arm Cortex-A53 up to 1.2GHz with penta core Mali-450MP GPU up to 650MHz System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash (option: 4GB to 64GB), micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0b up to 1080p60 with CEC & HDR support (HDR10 […]

January 22, 2018October 23, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 40 Comments

Pandora’s Box 5S Arcade Game Console – Teardown and Mini Review

Last year – and even in 2016 – , there was a fair amount of new retro gaming news, with products such a Nintendo SNES Classic Edition or GameShell Portable Retro console, as well as community supported firmware such as RetrOrangePi 4.0. GearBest asked me if I wanted to review something a little different: Pandora’s Box 5S (aka Pandora’s Key 5S) arcade game console with 999 games most (all?) designed for two players. This looked fun, and I was particularly interesting in checking out the hardware design, and hacking potential, e.g. if there could be a way to replace the board or firmware with your own. So in the review, I’ll focus mostly on the teardown, before shortly testing out the system and a few games. Pandora’s Box 5S Unboxing The device comes ins a large package (~70 x 24 x 16cm), so I’m surprised customs did not ask any […]

January 21, 2018June 18, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Getting Started with ANAVI Light pHat Starter Kit with RGB LED Strip, Light Sensor

ANAVI Light pHAT is an expansion board best suited for Raspberry Pi Zero (W/WH) boards, but also working with any other Raspberry Pi boards with a 40-pin header, that can control a 12V RGB LED strip and sensors. The project’s crowdfunding has just been successfully completed on CrowdSupply with 82 pledges, but you can still pre-order the board or kits for $25 and up. The developer – Leon ANAVI – had sent me a starter kit a little while ago, and this week-end I had time to test the basic functionalities of the board. The package includes the pHAT board itself, a one meter RGB LED strip, an I2C sensor, and some stickers. The sensor is based on BH1750 ambient light intensity sensor. The light pHAT boards include a 4-pin 12V/RGB blue terminal, EEPROM, three I2C connecter, a 3.3V UART connector to access the serial console for debugging / running […]

January 20, 2018January 20, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

QNAP Launches TS-128A & TS-228A Entry-Level NAS Powered by Realtek RTD1295 SoC

Realtek RTD1295 can be found in mid range to high-end 4K TV boxes that often include a SATA bay or interface, as well as an HDMI input port that supports PVR, PiP, and UDP broadcasting, with the devices normally running both Android and OpenWrt simultaneously respectively for multimedia apps, and storage/network functions. But last year, we also spotted QNAP & Synology working on entry-level NAS based on the processor, and the former has now launched the TS-x28A series with two models: TS-128A & TS-228A equipped with respectively one and two 3.5″ SATA bays. QNAP TS-128A & TS-228A specifications: SoC – Realtek RTD1295 quad-core Arm Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.4GHz with hardware encryption acceleration engine System Memory – 1GB DDR4 (soldered) Storage 4GB eMMC flash for firmware Drive Bay TS-128A – 1x 3.5″ SATA 6Gbps TS-228A – 2x 3.5″ SATA 6Gbps Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet Port (RJ45) USB – […]

January 19, 2018January 20, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 26 Comments

ASRock Unveils J4105-ITX & J4105B-ITX Gemini Lake Mini-ITX Motherboards

We’ve already seen several Intel Gemini Lake mini PCs at CES 2018 from companies such as ZOTAC, MeLE or ECS, but if we exclude LattePanda Delta development board, I had not seen any motherboards with the latest low power Intel processors. But today I found out ASRock had listed at least two Gemini Lake mini-ITX motherboards on their website, namely J4105-ITX & J4105B-ITX, both powered by an Intel Celeron J4105 quad core Desktop processor. Both motherboards have similar specifications, except for some connectors and features: SoC – Intel Celeron J4105 quad core processor @ 1.50/2.5 GHz with 12EU Intel UHD Graphics 600 up to 750 MHz; 10W TDP System Memory – 2x DDR4-2400/2100 SO-DIMM slots up to 8GB (2GB per module not supported) Storage 2x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors, support NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug 128Mb NOR flash for AMI UEFI BIOS with GUI support J4105-ITX only – 2x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s […]

January 19, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

CCC Air Stick 4K TV Stick Runs Android TV, Supports HDR10, aptX HD Bluetooth Audio (Japan)

It’s been a while since I have seen an Amlogic S912 TV stick, and so far none of them would run Android TV operating system. But CCC Air Stick 4K does, meaning it supports Google Cast like a ChromeCast, as well as Voice Commands through a remote control. The company also claims support for aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth audio, as well as online services such as Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, and some Japanese specific services, since the TV stick only targets the Japanese market. Air Stick 4K specifications: SoC – Amlogic S912J 64-bit octa core Arm Cortex A53 @ up to 1.5GHz with Arm Mali GPU System Memory – 2 GB Storage – 16 GB flash Video Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60 Hz with HDR10, CEC support Audio – HDMI audio output, aptX / aptX audio over Bluetooth Connectivity Dual band (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi […]

January 19, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

$38 MECOOL M8S PRO W “with Voice Control” TV Box Runs Android TV 7.1 OS

There was a time when most TV boxes would run Android operating system for mobile with lots of modifications to make it suitable for the big screen, except for a few models that would run the official Android TV operating systems. But things are now changing, with announced from Geniatech, WeTek, and others all announcing certified Android TV set-top boxes and media hubs. We’ve even been told Amlogic will now only provide Android TV SDK from now on with no support for “normal Android”, and the good news is that inexpensive TV box running Android TV will become common place, and one of those devices, MECOOL M8S PRO W is the cheapest I’ve seen so far going for $37.99 shipped with coupon DSJMVRWB (pre-order) MECOOL M8S PRO W specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905W quad core ARM Cortex-A53 processor with penta-core Mali-450MP3 GPU @ 750 MHz System Memory – 2GB DDR3 […]