CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

August 26, 2016August 26, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

Yotaphone 2 Smartphone with Dual AMOLED + E-Ink Display Sells for $150 (Promo)

Yotaphone 2 smartphone with the particularity of including a 4.7″ E-Ink display on the back on top of the front 5″ AMOLED display was first introduced at the end of 2014 in Russia, before being offered on Indiegogo for $525 in May of last year. This morning I got an email from Tinydeal claiming they sell Yotaphone 2 for $149.99 including shipping with coupon 149YOTAP (with Tinydeal app only), or $159.99 without coupon. Bear in mind that it is a pre-sale with delivering starting only on August 31st. Here’s a reminder of the technical specifications for the phone: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core Krait processor @ 2.2 GHz with Adreno GPU System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 32GB eMMC Displays Front – 5″ AMOLED touch screen, 1920×1080 resolution,16M colors, 442ppi, with Corning Gorilla glass 3. Rear – 4.7” e-Paper display, 960×540 resolution, 16-level gray scale, 235ppi, with Corning […]

August 25, 2016August 26, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

$135 Redmi Note 4 Helio X20 Deca-core Smartphone Includes a 4,100 mAh Battery

A few months ago I wrote about sub $200 ARM Cortex A72 Android smartphones, but Xiaomi is now further lowering the price point with their Redmi Note 4 powered by Mediatek Helio X20 processor with 16GB storage, a 5.5″ display, a 13MP camera, and a large 4,100 mAh battery selling for just 899 RMB (~$135). Redmi Note 4 Specifications: SoC – Mediatek Helio X20 (MT6797) deca-core processor with 2x Cortex A72 cores @ 2.1 GHz, 4x Cortex A53 cores @ 2.0 GHz, and 4x Cortex A53 cores @ 1.4 GHz and ARM Mali-T880MP4 GPU @ 700 Mhz System Memory – 2 or 3 GB RAM Storage – 16 GB or 64 GB storage + micro SD slot up to 128 GB (shared with dual SIM slot) Display – 5.5″ capacitive touchscreen, 1920×1080 resolution; 2.5D curved glass Cellular Connectivity – 4G+ / 4G / 3G / 2G ; dual SIM slot […]

August 25, 2016August 25, 2016 by Ray - 8 Comments

KowanTV Click Linux IPTV Box Review

CNXSoft: Ray reviews Amlogic S812 powered Linux based KowanTV Click TV box with allegedly access to over a thousand free IPTV channels. While the hardware is pretty standard, you pay a (hefty) premium to access their IPTV servers, and it reminds me of Jynxbox Live which I reviewed a few years ago. I received one these rare Linux stream boxes. It’s called TVone Entertainment hub, advertised as: KowanTV Click To Play Entertainment Hub European American TV Channels Live Broadcast Video on demand IPTV BOX 1000+ Free Channels, and provided by GeekBuying for this review. KowanTV Click Specifications System Operating System Embedded Media OS( linux ) CPU Amlogic S812( ARM cortex-A9 ) GPU Mali-450 Octo-core RAM 2GB RAM ROM 8GB Flash Memory Communication Wifi Connectivity IEEE 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz/5GHz Ethernet 10/100M Bluetooth Yes Media Video Supported Video (up to 4K) – MPEG1/2/4, H.264, H.265,AVC, VC-1 , RM/RMVB , Xvid , DviX3/4/5/6, […]

August 25, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Dot is a Location Aware Bluetooth Beacon Used as a Digital Post-it, for Home Automation, and More (Crowdfunding)

Dot physical push notification is another Bluetooth beacon, but the company – Iota Labs – has designed and promote it in a location aware device that gets triggered when you move in a specific area with your smartphone. For example, somebody can leave a dot with a message such as “remember to take the trash out” in the kitchen, and once you walk pass you’ll receive a notification, or you can use a dot to automatically turn on the light if you enter a room at night. The full technical specifications have not been made available but here’s what we know: MCU – Nordic Semi nRF51822 (or similar) ARM SoC with Bluetooth radio Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE with a range up to around 45 meters Misc – RGB LED Battery – Replaceable battery good for 6 months to one year Android and iOS apps will allow your to configure […]

August 25, 2016August 28, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

Xtreamer mxV Plus DVB-T2 and mvX Pro DVB-T2/DVB-S2 Combo TV Boxes Support Android and OpenELEC

Xtreamer mxV is a family of TV boxes powered by Amlogic S905 processor, and supporting Android 5.1 and OpenELEC firmware provided by the company [Update: It looks like they simply used Vitmos/amlinux.ru image]. There are three models: mxV without tuner, mxV Plus with a DVB-T2 tuner, and mvX Pro with a DVB-T2/DVB-S2 combo tuners. The three devices share the same specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905 quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750 MHz System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60Hz with HDCP 2.2 support, and 3.5mm AV jack Audio – HDMI, AV (stereo), optical S/PDIF Video Codecs – 10-bit H.265 up to 4K60, MPEG/VC-1/AVS+/H.265 up to 4K30 Tuner mxV – None mxV Plus – DVB-T2 tuner with two connectors mxV Pro – Combo DVB-T/T2 and […]

August 24, 2016November 2, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 45 Comments

M12N Amlogic S912 Octa-core TV Box Review – Part 2: Android 6.0 Firmware

Shenzhen Shiningworth MXQ Plus M12N is one of the first TV box powered by Amlogic S912 octa-core processor also bringing a faster GPU, VP9 and HDR support compared to the earlier Amlogic S905 processor. I’ve already shown the device, its accesories, and its internal degisn in the first part of MXQ Plus M12N review, so today I’ll spend time reporting my finding testing features and performance with Android 6.0 firmware. Setup Wizard and First Impressions Since there are only two USB ports, I connected my USB hard drive to one, and used a USB hub to connect input devices including two RF dongles for an air mouse, and a gamepad, as well as a USB keyboard to take screenshots. I also added Ethernet and HDMI cable, and finally connected the power supply to boot it up. But as you can see from the picture the very first boot was not […]

August 24, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Coowell V4 Android mini PC with Camera Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown

Coowell V4 is one of the rare Android mini PCs with a built-in camera. It is powered by Rockchip RK3368 octa-core processor combined with 2GB RAM and 16GB flash. GearBest asked me whether I wanted to review it, and since I was curious about the camera, I took the offer up. Today, in the first part of the review I’ll start by checking out the device and its accessories, and tear it down to find more about the hardware design, before specifically testing the camera in the second part of the review in a similar way to what I did for HD23 review. Coowell V4 Unboxing The device comes in a black retail package with SMART MEDIA HUB text. The only icon that may cause troubles at custom might be the Android logo and text lacking TM. There’s also sticker on the side indicate Model: V4. SO there may be […]

August 24, 2016September 30, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

The First 4G Tizen Smartphone, Samsung Z2, To Launch in India for $68

After Samsung Z1, and Samsung Z3, Samsung defied “mathematical incrementation wisdom”, and launched Samsung Z2 Tizen smartphone, which happens to be the very first Tizen phone supporting 4G networks. Tizen Z2 is definitely an entry level smartphone as the specification show: SoC – Spreadtrum SC9830i quad core Cortex A7 processor @ 1.5 GHz with Mali 400MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage – 8GB flash + micro SD slot up to 128GB Display – 4″ WVGA TFT display Cellular Connectivity – 4G LTE Cat.4 Camera – 5MP rear camera with LED flash, 0.3MP front camera Battery – 1,500 mAh battery The device caters to the Indian market with Samsung’s ‘Make for India’ features such as the “Ultra Data Saving mode, S bike mode and the new My Money Transfer”. The phone also includes a preview version of Jio services to access music and videos on demand. Samsung Z3 will be […]