Back in 2016, we covered Ruuvi Innovations’ Ruuvitag open source Bluetooth & NFC sensor beacon is based on Nordic Semi nRF52832 Bluetooth SoC. The company has now introduced Ruuvi node, another open source multi-purpose, industrial-grade cellular gateway, environmental sensing, and asset tracking node solution based on not one, but two Nordic Semi chips with nRF91 cellular IoT SiP (System-in-Package) with NB-IoT and LTE M (eMTC) connectivity and nRF52840 multi-protocol Bluetooth 5.0 SoC. It’s an early announcement with the launch of the first pilots of Ruuvi Node planned for Q2/Q3 of this year, so the full specifications are yet to be released. However, thanks to a press release on Nordic Semi website, we do know that Ruuvi Node is meant to be maintenance-free, will include a solar panel for energy harvesting (which mean the included 45Wh battery may never run out depending on the application), several environmental sensors, GPS positioning provided […]
Pioneer Edition FreedomBox Home Server Launched with Olimex A20-OLinuXino-LIME2 Board
Olimex works on open source hardware boards, while the FreedomBox Foundation has been developing FreedomBox, a free and open source private server system, since 2010 with the goal of empowering regular people to host their own internet services, like a VPN, a personal website, file sharing, encrypted messengers, a VoIP server, a metasearch engine, and more. When you mix open source hardware, open source software, and a bit of Internet freedom it gives birth to a product called “Pioneer Edition FreedomBox Home Server” based on Olimex A20-OLinuXino-LIME2 board and running FreedomBox software. Pioneer Edition FreedomBox Home Server specifications: SoC – Allwinner A20 dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU @ 1.0 GHz with dual-core Mali 400 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – microSD slot fitted with 32GB class 10 card loaded with FreedomBox, SATA data and power connectors, 2KB EEPROM for MAC address and custom data Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet Video […]
Zonestar Z6 Entry-Level Portable 3D Printer Sells for under $100 (Promo)
From time to time promotions come up for 3D printers, and if your budget is just around $100, Zonestar Z6 3D printer might be an option as it is currently sold on GearBest for $99.99 plus a few dollars for shipping. ZoneStar Z6 3D printer specifications: Display – LCD screen Storage – microSD card slot Nozzle – 0.4mm Printing accuracy – 0.06mm XY-axis positioning accuracy – 0.11 mm Z-axis positioning accuracy – 0.0025mm Build Size – 150 x 150 x 150 mm Print speed – Up to 150mm/s (MAX) Filament Diameter – 1.75mm Supported Materials – ABS, Flexible PLA, HIPS, PETG, PLA, PVC, Wood USB – 1x USB port Power Supply – Input: AC 110/220V, output: 12V, 10A Mechanical info Dimensions – 28.00 x 30.60 x 35.40 cm Weight: 4.0000 kg Frame material – Aluminum Extrusion Platform board – Aluminum Alloy The company recommends Cura, Repetier-Host, or Simplify3D software to […]
ASRock IMB-1216 Industrial mini-ITX Motherboard is Powered by Intel Whiskey Lake-U Processor
ASRock has introduced what may be the first mini-ITX motherboard based on Intel Whiskey Lake-U processor. ASRock IMB-1216 motherboard comes with a choice of low power Intel’s 8th Gen Whiskey Lake-U SoCs, supports for up to 32GB DDR4 memory through two SO-DIMM sockets, 2.5″ SATA storage and M.2 SATA or PCIe storage, cam drive up to three independent, and is equipped with plenty of other I/Os. ASRock IMB-1216 specifications: SoC- Intel’s 8th Gen Core “Whiskey Lake-U” SoC (Core i7-8565U / Core i5-8265U / Core i3-8145U) with Intel UHD Graphics 620; 15W TDP System Memory – 2x SO-DIMM DDR4-2400 slots up to 32 GB RAM Storage 1x M.2-2280 Key M SSD with SATA or PCIe 3.0 x4 interface 2x SATA interfaces for 2.5″ HDDs or SSDs Video Output / Display Interface 1x DisplayPort 1.2 up to 4096×2160 @ 60 Hz 1x HDMI 2.0 up to 4096×2160 @ 60 Hz LVDS connector […]
Qualcomm Mesh Networking DevKit Supports Amazon AVS
The Qualcomm Mesh Networking Development Kit for Amazon AVS enables integration of Amazon Alexa Voice Services into mesh Wi-Fi systems. A somewhat recent blog post on Amazon Developer website explains the devkit is the first ever Amazon-qualified reference design for a mesh WiFi system with Alexa built-in. The reference platform is based on the Qualcomm IPQ4019 SoC, includes a rectangular 4-microphone array, far-field audio processing algorithms for noise suppression, acoustic echo cancellation, wake word engine, and the AVS Device SDK. Qualcomm Mesh Networking DevKit specifications: WiSoC – Qualcomm IPQ4019 quad core Arm Cortex-A7 processor @ 717 MHz with SIMD DSP, WiFi 5; 40 nm process technology System Memory – 1GB DDR3L RAM Storage – eMMC flash and microSD card Display I/F – LCD interface Connectivity WiFi Standards: 802.11ac Wave 2, 802.11ac, 802.11p, 802.11n Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Peak speed: 1.733 Gbps Channel Utilization: 20/40/80 MHz, 5/10/20/40 MHz MIMO Configuration: […]
ASRock iBOX-R1000 Mini PC is Powered by AMD Ryzen Embedded R1000 Processor
Announced earlier this week, AMD Ryzen Embedded R1000 series processors will be found in digital signage, storage & networking, and casino & gaming applications including the upcoming Atari VCS gaming console, and ASRock will also launch a mini PC based on the new dual-core Ryzen Embedded processor. ASRock iBOX-R1000 is equipped with a choice of AMD Ryzen R1505G, or the slightly faster Ryzen R1606G processor, supports up to 32GB memory & 2.5″ SATA drives, and is able to drive up to 3 independent displays thanks to HDMI & DisplayPort video outputs. ASRock iBOX-R1000 specifications: SoC (one of the other) AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G dual core/quad thread processor @ 2.6/3.5GHz + AMD Radeon Vega Graphics; 12-25W configurable TDP AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G dual core/quad thread processor @ 2.4/3.3GHz + AMD Radeon Vega Graphics; 12-25W configurable TDP System Memory – 2x DDR4 3200MHz up to 32GB Storage – 1x 2.5″ HDD/SSD, […]
$58 H6 Android TV Box “Supports” 4G LTE SIM Cards
We covered several 4G LTE TV boxes running Android operating system in the past, but until recently they were only available in quantities for operators or distributors. A couple of weeks ago, we found one that would sell to individuals via Aliexpress: T96G TV box. One small problem is that at $80 it’s almost 50 dollars than a TV box without LTE connectivity. The good news is there appears to be a more affordable TV box with SIM card support thanks to H6 TV box powered by Allwinner H6 and coming in 2GB/16GB or 4GB/32GB RAM/storage configurations starting at $57.99 shipped. H6 TV box specifications: SoC – Allwinner H6 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor with Arm Mali-T720 GPU System Memory – 2GB/4GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB/32GB, microSD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60 Hz with HDR support Video Decode – 6K@30fps, 4K@60fps, H.265, AVI, H.264, […]
$50 Anker Roav Bolt Car Charger is Optimized for Google Assistant
While it may be tempting to check your messages, make phone calls or checking something on your smartphone while driving, it’s never a good idea. But thanks to Anker Roav Bolt car charger with built-in Bluetooth connectivity and a microphone array, you can perform those tasks through Google Assistant while keeping your eyes on the road. Anker Roav Bolt key features and specifications: Voice Chip – Far-Field Voice Processor Audio 2x MEMS Microphones 3.5mm audio jack Noise cancellation, acoustic echo cancellation Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.2 Misc – 1x physical button used to trigger GVA (Google Voice Assistant), 4x RGB LED Power Input – 12V-24V cigarette lighter sockets USB Output – 24W, 5V/2.4A max per port, Anker PowerIQ Technology So you get to charge your phone, while it is connected to your car audio system over Bluetooth or the audio jack, and make calls, start listening to a podcast, or ask […]