Android Cortex A8 Keyboard / Advanced Remote for TV

Remote Solution,  a small technology company based in Hong Kong South Korea, has shown off an Android 4.0 powered keyboard controlling an Android STB at CES 2013. The device is designed to be used as an advanced TV remote control, looks like a small tablet with 8 control button, and can be inserted into a full sized QWERTY keyboard for faster typing. The specifications are as follows: SoC – ARM Cortex-A8 processor @ 720 MHz (I’d guess a TI OMAP3 or Sitara processor at this freq) System Memory – 512MB RAM Storage – 2GB flash Display – 3.5″ touchscreen display (480 x 320) Connectivity – WiFi and Bluetooth Misc – IR port to be used as a universal remote. The touchscreen allows you to launch apps on your TV, move a cursor by using a virtual touch-pad, use an on-screen keyboard (when the screen is not connected to the keyboard), […]

Audi Piloted Parking – How to Park Your Car Automatically with Your Smartphone

Audi is currently showcasing an autopilot car at CES 2013, and more specifically “Audi Piloted Parking” which allows you to get out of the car before your enter the parking, run an app on your smartphone, and tap somewhere to let the car park itself, as you go shopping or attend a meeting. Once you’re done with your business, walk by the street, run the same app, and call your car back, sit on the driver seat and drive home. The car is said to use 12 ultrasound sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles, and it can park itself using those sensors, as well as sensors in the garage & road, and information provided by the parking computer(s) to let it know where a parking space is available. The car is able to make turns on its own and knows how to maneuver around the garage with external laser sensors. […]

Panasonic Unveils 20″ Tablet With 4K Resolution

For those of you in need of high resolution tablet, Panasonic has unveiled a 20″ tablet powered by an Intel Core i5 processor running Windows 8 Pro with 3840 x 2560 resolution. This tablet is mainly targeted at professionals, and Panasonic has demos for 3 use cases at CES 2013: car dealers, designers and architects, and photographers. The specifications of Panasonic tablet are as follows, but may slightly change once the product is officially available: Processor – Intel Corei5 3427U vPro 1.8 Ghz CPU GPU – NVIDIA GeForce Graphics Memory – 4GB memory (16GB max) Storage – 128GB SSD  + 1x micro SD card (SDXC) Display – 20-inch IPS-alpha display panel with 3840 x 2560 (230ppi) resolution (15:10 aspect ratio) Connectivity – IEEE802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth V4.0 wireless 1x USB 2.0 High resolution digital pen (Anoto live pen) Camera – HD 720p front camera Battery life – Up to 2 hours Dimensions […]

Archos TV Connect STB Hands-On Video

A few days ago, Archos unveiled the TV Connect, an Android Jelly Bean set-top box powered by TI OMAP4470 that can be placed on top of the TV, and controlled by a Bluetooth game controller/keyboard. Archos is now at CES 2013, and Brad Linder of Liliputing has had a closer look at the device. In the first part of the video, they give an overview of the device and the controller, and have some problems with the Bluetooth connection probably because of the spectrum might be saturated at the conference. Brad mentions the controller may be a bit awkward to use, but the Archos guy explains you could also use your TV remote control since it is HDMI CEC compatible, or alternatively your Android smartphone/tablet connected with Bluetooth (or Wi-Fi). At some point, they discuss about all the Chinese mini PCs that have similar functionalities, and the advantages Archos TV […]

Lego Mindstorms EV3 Hackable Robots Run Linux

The LEGO Group has announced LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, a new platform for consumer robotics designed for both younger generation and robotics enthusiasts, at CES 2013. MINDSTORMS system is powered by the new EV3 Intelligent Brick, that comes with more memory (64 MB + 16 MB internal flash memory) and a faster processor (ARM9 @ 300MHz), and runs a Linux-based firmware. EV3 Intelligent Brick also features an infrared port, a 178×128 LCD interface, a USB host port and SD expansion slot, and is now compatible with iOS and Android for remote control via Bluetooth 2.1. Thanks to 6 buttons present on the EV3, users can now program many functions directly, in addition to the ability to download programs from a desktop computer. Lego claims a simple robot can be built in 20 minutes without having to plug it into a PC. Beside EV3 intelligent brick, the set comes with 550 Lego Technic […]

Qualcomm CES 2013 Keynote Was (Mostly) a Waste of Time

Don’t get me wrong Qualcomm makes awesome processors, but as a blogger I already had a fairly negative opinion of Qualcomm when it comes to press releases about their new processors since they usually do not release any details. Yet I was naively thinking I could learn about Qualcomm upcoming products at their keynote, and I was (mostly) completely wrong. If you haven’t watched it yet and want to enjoy a 1h30 show, go watch the on-demand video, where you’ll see current Windows RT products based on Qualcomm, upcoming movies (Pacific Rim and Star Trek), Big Bird, Nascar and Maroon 5. However, if you want to learn about Qualcomm and be fed with geeky stuffs, don’t waste your time. I’ve still been able to extra a little bit of useful information, and got some more info from other sites, and amazingly Qualcomm’s own press releases. Unless you’re high after smoking […]

Trakdot Tracks Your Suitcase in Real-Time with GPS

The Trakdot Luggage tracker is a small device that fits into a bag and reports city location in real time via email to any smartphone, or via SMS to any standard phone.  As long as a your luggage and phone are within mobile networks range, you can track your checked-in luggage anywhere. In case your luggage does not reach its destination (SITA reports 26 million bags are lost every year worldwide), you’ll still know the (approximate) location of your bag via GPS, and should be able to get it back. Once the device is registered on Trakdot.com, and placed inside a checked bag, it will deliver location information directly to the user’s mobile phone or SMS device via text or email.  It’s also possible to directly check the position on the website, or via Trakdot Luggage app. There will also be a separate app that can alert passengers as their […]

Asus Qube Google TV 3.0 STB Hands-On Video

Asus announced the Qube at CES 2013 with a rather laconic press release: Qube with Google TV – Bring the world of entertainment to your TV Instantly add Google TV to your HDTV with the ASUS Qube. Qube with Google TV offers both motion control and voice search that integrates Google Play, Chrome™, YouTube™in one compact device. With access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows* from Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, plus numerous apps, videos and games from Google Play, ASUS Qubewith Google TV is the perfect media content device. ASUS has developed the unique Qube interface, which displays functions via a rotating on-screen cube shape. The advanced remote control supports motion sensing for gaming and other applications. Customers can also control Qube with Google TV from their Android smartphones and tablets using the Mobile Remote app, available through Google Play. ASUS includes 50GB of WebStorage cloud space with […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC