Synaptics Natural ID USB Dongle Brings Fingerprint Authentication to Older Laptops and Computers

Many new smartphones features a fingerprint scanner, and some computers such as Kangaroo Mobile Desktop also include one, but you’ll soon be able to add a USB dongle to your existing notebook thanks to Synaptics USB dongle reference design featuring the company’s Natural ID secure fingerprint authentication module. The dongle will allow secure authentication with a single touch of a finger, and be compatible with Windows Hello and Microsoft Passport. So I’m not sure the press release claim that it will work “on any notebook PC” is valid if you use Linux or an older Windows operating system that is not Windows 10. The solutions is also FIDO Certified (Fast IDentity Online), so it will be compatible with other certified software, services, and devices. The company is now showcasing the solution at Computex 2016.  USB dongles will sample in Q3 2016, with mass production scheduled for Q4 2016. But if […]

Axiomtek Braswell pico-ITX Board Fearures Pentium N3710 or Celeron N3060 Processor

Axiomtek has just announced PICO300 pico-ITX board, an update of their PICO842 board replacing Bay Trail processors by Braswell ones. The board supports either Intel Pentium N3710 or Celeron N3060 processors with up to 8 GB memory via a SO-DIMM socket, and includes HDMI or VGA, SATA and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces among others. Axiomtek PICO300 pico-ITX motherboard specifications: SoC Intel Celeron N3060 dual core processor @  1.6 / 2.48 GHz with 12 EU Intel HD Graphics 400 @ up to 600 MHz (6W TDP) OR Intel Pentium N3710 quad core processor @  1.6 / 2.56 GHz with 16 EU Intel HD Graphics 405 @ up to 700 MHz (6W TDP) System Memory – 1x 204-pin SO-DIMM DDR3L-1600 up to 8GB Storage – 1x SATA-600, 1x mSATA (shared with PCIe mini card) Video Output – 1x LVDS, and 1x HDMI or 1x VGA Audio – MIC-in/Line-out; Realtek ACL662 audio codec Connectivity […]

ECS previews Intel Apollo Lake based Liva-Z mini PC at Computex 2016

If anything is clear from having walked around this year’s Computex, then it is that the mini PC is here to stay. Beyond plenty of socketed boards using Intel’s new STX form factor from just about every vendor, there are also plenty of other mini PC’s on display. One that caught our eye at the show was ECS’ new Liva, tentatively named the Z. The following specifications were revealed by ECS: SoC – Intel Apollo Lake System Memory –  2x DDR3L SO-DIMM’s Storage – 32GB/64GB eMMC flash + 1x M.2 2280 for SSD (unclear if it supports PCIe drives) Video Output – Mini DisplayPort, HDMI (no revisions mentioned) Audio – DisplayPort, HDMI and 3.5mm headphone jack Connectivity – 2x Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 1x USB 3.0 Type-C, 3x USB 3.0 ports Power Supply – 19V/2.1A It’s so far the only Intel Apollo Lake system we’ve […]

Beelink BT7 mini PC Unboxing and Teardown

Beelink BT7 is one of the few mini PCs based on Atom x7-Z8700, the fastest Intel “Cherry Trail” processor on the market, and should provide a decent alternative to Voyo V3 for people wanting an Ethernet port, and better cooling. The company sent me the version with 128 GB eMMC flash and 4GB RAM, and before reviewing the tiny computer, I’ll post some pictures and check out the hardware, especially the thermal design. Beelink BT7 Unboxing The package looks very similar to Intel NUC retail packages. It will show the complete specs, with highlights for Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor, and 4K display support. The storage can be 64GB, 128GB or 320 GB, and a sticker on the side shows which model you’ve got. I’ve got the 128 version, but more on that later… The mini PC ships with a 12V/2A power supply (US, UK, EU or AU as requested, a […]

Axiomtek NA343R 1U Rackmount Network Appliance is Powered by an Intel Celeron N3160 Braswell Processor

Many Braswell mini PCs have been launched in the last year, and usually we’d see 1U rack used by processor specifically designed for server such as Intel Xeon or Atom Avoton, but thanks to Axiomtek NA343R , we’ve not got a 1U rackmount server powered by Intel Celeron N3160 processor part of the Braswell family. Axiomtek NA343R rack server system specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3160 quad-core processor @ 1.6 GHz / 2.24 GHz (Burst frequency) with Intel HD graphics 400 with 12EU (4W SDP / 6W TDP) System Memory – 1x SO-DIMM DDR3L-1600 for up to 8GB RAM Storage – 1x CFast, 1x 2.5″ SATA HDD. optional 3.5″ SATA HDD Video Output – Optional VGA port Connectivity – 6x Gigabit Ethernet via Intel i211 Ethernet controller, one group of LAN bypass function. USB – 2x USB 3.0 ports Misc – Power switch, status LEDs, 1x RJ45 console port, watchdog […]

Zotac PI330 Cherry Trail mini PC Supports Dual Monitor Setups with HDMI and DisplayPort Outputs

Several low power Intel mini PCs coming out of Chinese manufacturers support dual monitor setups, but usually they combine HDMI and VGA with models such as Vorke V1 or MeLE PCG03. Zotac PI330 mini PC powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8500 processor offers instead dual independent display support via HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. Zotac PI330 hardware specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8500 quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 2.24 GHz) with 2M Cache and Intel Gen8 Graphics System Memory –  2GB LPDDR3 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash + micro SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader Video Output – DP1.1a, HDMI 1.4b Audio – DisplayPort, HDMI and 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 1x USB 3.0 Type-C, 2x USB 3.0 port Misc – Power LED, Power Supply – 5V/3A Dimensions – 115 x 76 x 20.7 mm The fanless mini PC is pre-loaded with […]

Vorke V1 mini PC Features Intel Celeron J3160 Processor, 4GB RAM, a 64GB SSD, and Supports 2.5″ SATA Drives

Vorke V1 is a Windows 10 mini PC powered by Intel Celeron J3160 quad core “Braswell” processor with 4GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage, and support for an internal 2.5″ SATA drive, as well as support for dual monitor setups thanks to VGA and HDMI ports. Vorke V1 specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron J3160 quad core processor @ 1.6/2.24 GHz with Intel HD 400 graphics GPU @ 320/700MHz – 6W TDP System Memory – 4GB DDR3L alledgedly upgradeable to 8GB, so it must be using SO-DIMM memory (TBC) Storage – 64GB internal storage + 2.5″ SATA drive support + micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI 1.4b and VGA Audio Output – HDMI and 3.5mm headphone jack; ALC269 audio codec Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports, 2x USB 3.0 ports Misc – Power button & LED, IR receiver. Power Supply […]

GOLE1 is a $79 Intel Atom x5 Windows 10 / Android 5.1 mini PC with a 5″ Touchscreen Display (Crowdfunding)

PiPo has been one of the first company to take advantage of Microsoft policy of providing a free license for Windows 10 for devices with smaller touchscreen displays with mini PCs such as PiPo X8 that includes a 7″ display, saving $25 to $35 on the Windows 10 license for such products without displays. Shenzhen Qianhai Gole Technology (Gole) has also been selling similar devices on their Aliexpress store, and the company is now taking to Indiegogo to launch their latest model, dubbed GOLE1, featuring a 5″ touchscreen display, and fitting in your pocket. Gole1 specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 1.84 GHz with Intel Gen8 HD graphics (2W SDP) System Memory –  2 or 4 GB DDR3L Storage – 32 or 64 GB NAND flash + micro SD slot up to 64GB Display – 5″ capacitive touchscreen display with 1280×720 […]

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