CNX Software is 10 Years Old – Top 10 Posts of the Last Decade

CNX Software Anniversary

Around 10 years ago, I decided it might be a good idea to have an online presence. At the time, I just thought I would write from time to time, and I had no idea it would eventually become my main activity. My very first post was on February 14, 2010 about software development tools such as CVS and Bugzilla. That means today is the 10th anniversary of CNX Software website! So I thought it might be fun to look at the most popular posts of the last ten years. I only installed Google Analytics sometimes in 2011, but it should not affect the results since I did not have many readers at the time, and the post that really started to bring more visitors, and made me switch from a $1 monthly hosting plan to a VPS, was “74 USD AllWinner A10 Android 4.0 Mini PC” published in May […]

Yeelight Smart LED Bulb 1S (Color) Review with Android App and Google (Local) Home

Yeelight Smart LED Bulb Google Local Home

Last summer, Google released the Local Home SDK developer preview which allows developers to run actions and use resources on the local device rather than in the Cloud for lower latency. One company that updated its devices is Yeelight whose WiFi smart lights have now been enhanced with the Google Local Home SDK helping deliver a latency of less than 0.3 seconds, so you don’t need to wait after your voice command has been processed by Google Assistant. The company contacted me to test the new feature and had GearBest sent a sample of Yeelight Smart LED Bulb 1S (Color) for review. I have never tested Yeelight devices so I’ll start with an unboxing, testing with the Android app, before trying it out with Google Home and Google Assistant. Unboxing of Yeelight Smart LED Bulb 1S (Color) The package has some useful information about the light bulb including some specifications […]

Ugoos AM6 Plus Android TV Box is Powered by Amlogic S922X-J Processor

UGOOS AM6B Plus 2021 Dolby Vision TV Box

When I wrote about the official launch of MINIX NEO U22-XJ media hub yesterday, I mentioned it was the first Amlogic S922XJ that I knew of and the first Amlogic TV box to support Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio. But it was rightly pointed out to me that Amazon Fire TV Cube TV box already supported Dolby Vision with Amlogic S922Z processor that looks to be about the same as Amlogic S922XJ. Ugoos is now offering another Dolby Vision/Audio option with an upgrade to their existing Ugoos AM6 TV box replacing Amlogic S922X processor with S922X-J and increasing the memory and storage capacity. Ugoos AM6 Plus specifications: SoC – Amlogic S922X-J hexa-core processor with 4x Arm Cortex-A73 cores @ up to 2.2 GHz, 2x ARM Cortex-A53 cores, and an Arm Mali G52 MP6 GPU System Memory – 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash, MicroSD card slot up to 32GB […]

Boardcon Idea3288 Android SBC is Made for Digital Signage, Smart PoS, and Vending Machines

Boardcon Announces the Idea3288 SBC Boardcon Idea3288 targets the commercial market with a variety of applications for its latest SBC, utilizing a Rockchip 3288 CPU module. The company says the Idea3288 is customizable for whatever commercial application that can be had, such as digital displays, vending machines, intelligent POS, automotive, IoT, and even access control systems. Idea SoC RK3288 and Interfaces The SBC is comprised of a Rockchip RK3288 quad-core Arm Cortex A17 processor with a Mali-T764 GPU, 2GB RAM, and 8GB eMMC flash. The interfaces include GbE, mDP, HDMI, 3x USB2.0 Host ports, one USB OTG port, audio, battery, MIPI DSI/CSI, UARTs, RS485, CAN, POE, Micro SD, PCI-e (for 4G modem), M.2 slot (for SSD), SIM slot, and more. The SBC is made up of a carrier board and a CPU module The SBC runs Android 7.1.2 operating system and is built to handle 4K video playback. The Idea3288 […]

MINIX NEO U22-XJ Media Hub with Dolby Vision & Audio Support Launched for $170

Buy MINIX NEO U22-XJ Media Hub

MINIX NEO U22-XJ Android 9.0 media hub was first unveiled at IFA 2019 last September. It is the first TV box that I know of equipped with Amlogic S922XJ processor that adds Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio licenses to the more common Amlogic S922X processor. The company has now announced the device will launch on Monday, March 2nd 2020 but without providing any price information. As usual, we know need to wait until the official launch date to find out as MINIX NEO U22-XJ can already be purchased on “MINIX Official Store” in Aliexpress for $169.90 including shipping. MINIX NEO U22-XJ main specifications haven’t changed since the initial announcement, but we do have a few more details:: SoC – Amlogic S922XJ hexa-core processor with four Arm Cortex-A73 cores, two Arm Cortex-A53 cores, Arm Mali-G52MP4 GPU System Memory – 4GB DDR4 Storage –  32GB eMMC 5.1 flash, microSD card slot Video […]

Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 is Now Sold to Developers for $1,060 and Up

Buy Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2

Powered by Snapdragon XR1 processor, Google Glass Enterprise Edition v2  has launched in May 2019, but at the time you had to contact Google Glass sales team or distributors to source one or more samples for your application, and there was no easy way to purchase the glasses online. But things have changed as the company realized they should make it easier for developers to build apps for the platform, and Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 can now be purchased for around $1,060 from resellers such as Mobile Advance or SHI. At that price, it does not come with the “Titanium band” that appears required to make sure the glasses stay in place. So the price goes up to $1,195 (or $136 extra) if you want the Glass Enterprise Edition 2 Developer Kit with both the glass pod and the titanium band. This is not meant as a consumer device […]

HardROCK64 SBC with Rockchip RK3399 Processor to Launch in April for $35 and Up

HardROCK64 SBC

If you thought we didn’t have enough Rockchip RK3399 SBCs already, Pine64 is working on a smaller and cheaper version of the RockPro64 single board computer with HardROCK64 SBC powered by RK3399 processor and following Raspberry Pi form factor. HardROCK64 specifications: SoC –  Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor with 2x Arm Cortex-A72 @ up to 1.8 GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.4 GHz, a Mali-T864 GPU, and a VPU with 4K VP9 and 4K 10-bit H265/H264 decoding System Memory – 1GB, 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – SPI flash, eMMC flash socket, MicroSD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0, AV port, MIPI DSI connector Audio – Analog stereo audio via AV port, digital audio via HDMI Camera – MIPI CSI connector Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band WiFi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.0 USB – 2x USB 3.0 ports, 2x USB 2.0 ports Expansion – 40-pin Raspberry Pi compatible header […]

Reolink Argus PT Review – A Solar powered Pan-Tilt Security Camera

Reolink Argus PT Wall-Mount

Last year, I reviewed Reolink Argus Eco solar powered security camera, and I’m still using it to date. It’s working fairly well, although sometimes motion detection will not be triggered, or triggered too slowly so it’s not impossible to miss important footage. The PIR function can be tweaked so maybe it’s just a question of finding the right settings for a given location. Nevertheless, the company has now launched a new model called Reolinkg Argus PT that is very similar to the Argus Ego but with PT (Pan, Tilt) function, and I received a sample for review. Since both models are so similar, I recommend reading Argus Eco review first, as I’ll focus on the differences. Reolink Argus PT Unboxing I received two packages like las time: the camera itself, and Reolink solar panel. The camera comes with a WiFi antenna, a wall-mounting set, a USB cable, and some documentation. […]

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