Rockchip RK30xx Category - Page 3 of 12 - CNX Software

October 1, 2014October 1, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments

$18 Matchstick is an HDMI TV Stick Running Firefox OS (Crowdfunding)

A few month ago, a Firefox OS HDMI streaming stick (codenamed netcast) by Mozilla that would compete with Google Chromecast was previewed. It is now called Matchstick, based on Rockchip RK3066 and has just been launched on Kickstarter. MatchStick technical specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3066 dual core Cortex A9 processor @ 1.2 GHz with Mali-400 MP4 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 (micron) Storage – 4 GB flash. (FORSEE, NCEFES86 eMMC) Video Output – HDMI Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi (AP6181?), but the board supports other Wi-Fi modules include AP6210 and AP6330, and many people are asking for dual band Wi-Fi in comments, so maybe a stretch goal… USB – 1x micro USB port for power Power – 5V via micro USB port. TPS659102 PMIC. Dimensions – 110 x 40 x 11 mm The Firefox OS dongle will come with an HDMI extension Cable, a micro USB Cable, and a […]

August 6, 2014May 29, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Linux 3.16 Released

Linus Torvalds announced the release of Linux Kernel 3.16 over the week-end: So nothing particularly exciting happened this week, and 3.16 is out there. And as usual (previous release being the exception) that means that the merge window for 3.17 is obviously open. And for the third time in a row, the timing sucks for me, as I have travel coming up the second week of the merge window. Many other core developers will be traveling too, since it’s just before the kernel summit in Chicago. So we’ll see how the next merge window goes, but I’m not going to worry about it overmuch. If I end up not having time to do all the merges, I might delay things into the week of the kernel summit, but I’ll hope to get most of the big merging done this upcoming week before any travel takes place, so maybe it won’t come […]

August 2, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

Dual Core VolksPC Android and Debian Mini PC Gets Crowdfunded

Last months, I tested VolksPC’s Android/Debian unified distribution on MK808 mini PC, which runs both operating systems at the same time, and allows you to switch instantaneously and seamlessly between the two. I was impressed by the performance and stability of the system, although there were still a few software bugs, as well as issues related to MK808 hardware (Wi-Fi disconnection), and possibly its 5V/1A power supply (system reboot when inserting SD card reader or flash drive). The company has now started a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo to manufacture dual core Android TV box with their unified distribution. VolksPC specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3066 dual core ARM Cortex-A9 processor @ 1.4Ghz with Mali-400MP4 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8 GB NAND Flash (for Android), 8GB MicroSD card (Debian Wheezy) Video Output – HDMI 1.3, AV jack Audio Output, HDMI, AV jack, and optical S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100M […]

July 29, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

TouchPico Android Projector Transforms Your Wall into a Touch enabled Display (Crowdfunding)

Android based projectors are nothing new, and I’ve covered a few with products such as Smartbeam, EPICT EPP-100, or Zeco CX5, but TouchPico brings something extra in that you can also tap on your wall with a stylus, in a similar way that you would tap on a tablet or smartphone with your finger or a capacitive stylus. It will also let you stream videos, display PowerPoint or Impress presentations, and anything else you can think of, on a display up to 80″ in size, and is portable with a built-in battery lasting up to two hours and a half. TouchPico hardware specifications listed in Indiegogo comments’ section: SoC – Dual core cortex A9 processor @ 1.6 GHz (Probably Rockhip RK3066) System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage – 4GB flash (no micro SD slot) Projector 0.3″ DLP; RGB LED; native resolution: 854 x 480; aspect ratio: 16:9 Contrast Ratio: 1000:1; .Throw Ratio: […]

July 27, 2014July 27, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Testing VolksPC’s MicroXwin Android & Debian Distribution in MK808 mini PC

Earlier this week, I wrote about VolksPC mini PC running Debian and Android simultaneously, and the developers decided to send me a unit for testing. The hardware I received is the popular MK808 mini PC based on Rockchip RK3066 with 1Gb RAM, and 8 GB RAM, but loaded with MicroXwin unified distribution. MicroXwin is an implementation of Windows X that’s not using a client/server protocol, for instead communicates directly with the drivers for better performance, especially on low-end hardware. I connected MK808 to my HDMI TV, added a USB hub to connect a USB keyboard as well as Mele Air Mouse, and powered up the device. The boot to Debian takes about 30 seconds, and 50 seconds for Android. As you boot it will enter in Debian with XFCE desktop environment, and you’ll notice two files, namely the Quick Start Guide and Release Notes that explain how to get started […]

July 20, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

VolksPC mini PC runs Debian and Android Simultaneously Thanks to MicroXwin Framework

It’s been possible to run Linux or Android on ARM based board and producs for a while, with some firmware providing dual boot support, or even simultaneous use running a chroot with a VNC server and client combination. Some developers have come up MicroXwin, a X-windows implementation using a custom Xlib library that communicate directly with the graphics drivers, and not using a client/server implement. This provides much faster performance compare to X11, as shown on Raspberry Pi and Cubieboard2 development boards, and it has given them the ability to run Debian LXDE and Android Jelly Bean simultaneously on their upcoming VolksPC, a mini PC based on Rockchip RK3066 with 16GB flash. The first VolksPC will have the following specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3066 dual core ARM Cortex A9 CPU @ 1.4Ghz with Mali-400MP4 GPU System Memory – 1 GB DDR3 Storage – 16 GB NAND flash + SD/MMC/MS card […]

June 21, 2014June 23, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 89 Comments

Giveaway Week – Jynxbox Live TV Streaming Box

The sixth prize of this giveaway week on CNX Software will be Jynxbox Live. It’s a standard Android TV box based on Rockchip RK3066 dual core processor, except it has software that normally allowing live streaming of about 300 TV channels around the world, and sells at a steep price compared to Android media player based on similar hardware. However after installing the Live TV app, which is not included when the box ships, possibly due to legal reasons, I could only load 10 TV channels, and none of them would play. I’m not exactly sure why, maybe their server is blocked from Thailand, as other users reported the box worked just fine. There’s no Google Play store pre-installed in the box, only Jynx Market with a limited number of applications, so you may have to install another market (Amazon, Yandex, Google Play..) by yourself. To enter the draw simply […]

June 18, 2014June 20, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 76 Comments

Giveaway Week – Measy U2C Android TV Dongle

Measy U2C, aka B12, will be the prize for day 3 of Giveaway week. It’s an HDMI & AV TV dongle powered by Rockchip RK3066 SoC with 1GB RAM, 8GB flash that happens to feature a 2MP camera for video conferencing as well. It’s running Android 4.1.x Jelly Bean. When I reviewed Measy U2C at the beginning of last year, I had some issues with USB mouse and keyboard support, the firmware could have been more stable, and the Antutu scores seem a bit on the low side, but Wi-Fi and video playback were both very good. It has received one or two firmware update since then, which may have fixed some of the bugs. The last firmware update must have been in April or May 2013, so it has not been a device greatly supported. To enter the draw simply leave a comment below. Other rules are as follows: […]