CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 8, 2017January 12, 2017 by TLS - 1 Comment

QNAP gets into dev board market with the QBoat Sunny at CES

One surprise at CES was QNAP’s entry into the developer board market with the introduction of the QBoat Sunny developer board. It’s a rather odd beast to say the least and Qnap is even offering a cut-down version of its QTS OS for, simply named QTS Lite. The only thing we know about QTS Lite at this time is that it’ll support “basic server functions” as well as apps from the QNAP app center, such as the Container Station which will allow you to run the QIoT Suite which will apparently help you to build IoT solutions quicker. But let’s go back to the board itself. The specs are as follows. Processor – Intel AnyWAN GRX750 @ 2GHz (6W Dual Core Atom based) Memory – 2GB DDR3L Storage – 4GB eMMC, two M.2 2260/2280 SATA only slots for SSDs (RAID-1 support) Network connectivity – 3x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x WAN 2x […]

January 7, 2017January 27, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Bttn is a Sigfox Connected IoT Button Going for $2 a month

The Button Corporation, a company specializing in… buttons as you may have guess, has introduced a new version of their bttn connected button with Sigfox connectivity in the US. It works a little like Amazon Dash, but mostly targets businesses, offers more features, and works anywhere with a Sigfox network. bttn & bttn mini specifications: Button functions – Short press, long press and “not pressed” LED feedback – Green (positive), red (negative) and yellow (wait) Connectivity – Mobile data (2G GPRS), SIGFOX (868 MHz ETSI / 915MHz for US), or Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n) USB – 1x micro USB port for charging Power Supply bttn mini – Rechargeable Li-Po battery bttn – 4 x AA alkaline batteries Dimensions – bttn mini: 69mm Ø x 40 mm; bttn: 100 mm Ø x 73 mm Weight – bttn mini: 90 grams; bttn: 190 grams bttn devices send data to bt.tn cloud server, […]

January 6, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

ECS Liva Z / ZE Apollo Lake mini PCs Showcased at CES 2017

We first heard about ECS Liva Z mini PCs based on Intel Apollo Lake processors at Computex 2016, but at the time there was very little information about the platforms. Since then Intel has officially launched Apollo Lake processor, and ECS is now at CES 2017 where they showcased ECS Liva Z and Liva ZE mini PCs powered by Intel Celeron N3350, N3450 or N4200 processor. Both models are pretty similar, but Liva ZE adds a 2.5″ SATA bay, a digital microphone input, and four RS232 COM ports. LIVA Z LIVA ZE CPU Intel Apollo Lake SoC (Intel Celeron Processor N3350 / N3450 / N4200) (6W TDP) PCH Integrated Graphics Intel HD Graphics 500 / 505 Memory 2x DDR3L SO-DIMM Slots Storage 1x eMMC 32G/64G 1x M.2 2242 SATA III 1x eMMC 32G/64G 1x M.2 2242 SATA III 1x 2.5″ SATA III Wi-Fi Intel AC3165 1×1 802.11ac + BT 4.0 […]

January 6, 2017January 6, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Xiaomi Router HD AC2600 WiFi Router Comes with up to 8TB Storage

Xiaomi has unveiled a new WiFi router at CES 2017. Mi Router HD is an AC2600 WiFi router that’s also use as a personal NAS with a “surveillance-class” hard drive with up to 8TB capacity. Mi Router HD key features: SoC – Qualcomm IPQ8064 quad core network processor with a dual-core Qualcomm Krait CPU @ 1.4 GHz for control plane and applications, and a dual-core 730 MHz Network Subsystem (NSS) to accelerate packet processing. 4×4 multi-user 802.11ac MIMO router, supports up to 2600 Mbps transfer speeds 4 high-gain PCB array antennas Built-in surveillance-class hard drive of up to 8TB Automatically back up all your devices, supports Time Machine Automatically syncs with Dropbox Integrates with Sonos audio system The router will launch this trimester in China with either 1TB hard drive for under $200, or an 8TB hard drive for under $500. It will very likely be sold through Aliexpress, GearBest, […]

January 6, 2017September 13, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Intel Compute Card is a Business Card Sized Platform for Modular & Upgradeable Computers & Devices

Intel has just introduced their Compute Card, the name likely originating from their Compute Stick & Module series, integrating all main components you’d find in a computer such as a processor, memory, storage, and wireless connectivity into an standardized ultra thin business card sized module that can be used in compatible devices from smart kiosks to security cameras and IoT gateways, as well as computers and laptops. Intel has some demos at CES 2017, but has not announced any specific models yet. We still have some of the key features for the Compute Cards: Processor up to 7th Gen Intel Core, memory, storage and wireless connectivity are all included in the card Intel Compute Card-based device will provide the power, cooling and the optimized user I/O for that particularly solution Connection to devices will be done via an Intel Compute Card slot with a new standard connector (USB-C plus extension) […]

January 5, 2017January 6, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Fasetto LINK 256GB to 2TB SSD Portable WiFi NAS is Powered by Samsung Exynos 7420 Processor

Fasetto LINK is a wireless portable storage for your smartphone, camera, or other device, includes 256GB, 512GB, or 2TB SSD storage, and – for some reasons – is based on a rather powerful Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core processor coupled with 4GB RAM. The device can also take expansion blocks to add extra battery or/and LTE connectivity via pogo pins. LINK specifications: SoC – Samsung Exynos 7420 octa core big.LITTLE processor with 4x Cortex A57 core @ 2.1GHz + 4x Cortex A53 cores @ 1.5Ghz, and Mali-T760 MP8 GPU System Memory – 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – 256GB, 512GB, or 2TB Samsung NVMe SSD Connectivity – 802.11ac WiFi + Bluetooth 4.0, optical LTE via expansion block Expansion – 17-pin ball connector USB – USB type C port Battery – 1,300 mAh battery (2 weeks standby; 5 hours streaming); optional 1120mAh expansion block (total: 4 weeks standby; 8 hours streaming) Dimensions – 5.08 x […]

January 5, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

HDMI 2.1 Specification to Add Support for 4K @ 120 Hz, 8K and 10K Resolutions. New 48G Cable Required.

The HDMI Forum has just announced they’ve been working on HDMI specification Version 2.1 adding new video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K60 and 4K120, as well as dynamic HDR, and increased bandwidth up to 48 Gbps for uncompressed 8K videos with HDR. The new specification also includes support for eARC (enhanced audio return channel) with support for advanced audio formats such as object-based audio, and advanced audio signal control capabilities including device auto-detect. Game Mode VRR is another new feature from HDMI 2.1 with variable refresh rate to enable a 3D GPU to display the image at the moment it is rendered in order to reduce lag and frame tearing. Beside 4K120 and 8K60, the new specification also handles 4K, 5K, 8K, and even 10K resolutions at various frame rates between 50Hz to 120 Hz, up to 10K @ 120 Hz. Higher resolutions and frame rates (>=4K @ 120Hz; […]

January 5, 2017January 18, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Crowd-designed ZTE Hawkeye “Project CSX” Smartphone with Eye-Tracking, Adhesive Back Launched on KickStarter

ZTE launched Project CSX last year in order to let anybody submit product ideas and/or vote for the best choices, and after several months, the winning entry was a phone with an adhesive backcover and eye-tracking function to control the phone without hands. The company has now named the phone ZTE Hawkeye launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds for the development and manufacturing of the smartphone. Hawkeye smartphone specifications [Updated on Jan 18 with the released the specs]: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-core processor @ 2.0GHz System Memory – 3GB RAM Storage – 32GB flash memory + micro SD slot up to 256GB Display – 5.5″ FHD (1920 x 1080) Audio – HiFi audio Connectivity – WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, dual SIM card slot Camera – Rear: Dual Lens 13MP + 12MP with optical zoom; front: 8MP USB – 1x USB type C port Sensors – Fingerprint […]