PiPo K1 is a Windows 10 Bay Trail Keyboard PC

Once upon a time keyboard computers were very popular, and some companies have tried to bring keyboard computers back to market in the last few years with limited success. PiPo is giving it a try too with PiPo K1 keyboard PC powered by an Intel Atom Bay Trail processor. PiPO K1 preliminary specifications: SoC – Intel Atom Bay trail processor (likely Z3735F or Z3736F) System Memory – 2GB Storage – 32 or 64 eMMC + micro SD port Keyboard – QWERTY with multi-touch touchpad Video Output – HDMI and VGA Audio – Stereo speakers Connectivity – Ethernet and WiFi USB – 2x USB host ports Misc – Power button Battery – Maybe… Power – TBD The keyboard should be pre-installed with Windows 10, and the touchpad support gestures like pinch and zoom. There may also be a battery to be able to use the keyboard from the sofa while connected to […]

EzeeCube Linux Media Hub Unboxing and Teardown

EzeeCube is a Linux based Kodi Media Hub powered by Freescale i.MX6Quad processor with one internal 1TB hard drive and up to 8TB extra storage via four stackable 2TB hard drive module, as well as an option for a Blu-Ray player module. Beside playing video, it’s also designed to store your pictures and videos like a cloud service such as dropbox, but without privacy concerns since data is only stored in your own EzeeCube. The company launched an Indiegogo campaign in Q2 2014 which ended up being pretty successful having raised over $160,000, and as they are now shipping rewards to backers, I’ve also been sent a unit. Today, I’ll check out the hardware, and will review the unit probably sometimes next month. EzeeCube Unboxing The device came in a cardboard package with some EzeeCube branding, and some features like Freescale quad core processor, a 2TB hard drive (which finally […]

Review of WeTek Core Android Lollipop Media Player

EThe first devices based on Amlogic S812 processors started shipping by the end of 2014, but in the third quarter of 2015, there’s been a few new device released as some companies ported Android 5.x Lollipop to the platform. I reviewed two of these. Mygica ATV1900AC had potential but the number of bugs was disappointing, while Tronfy MXIV Telos was almost a disaster. Today, I’m going to report my test results with WeTek Core Android 5.1 TV box, also powered by Amlogic S812, more exactly S812-H, which includes DTS and Dolby licenses. I’ve already listed the specs, and torn down WeTek Core in two previous posts, so I’ll focus on the firmware in this review. Initial Setup and OTA Firmware Update First of all, I’d like to mention that I got an early WeTek Core sample, and while the hardware is frozen, the firmware is still being developed before the […]

Samsung Introduces $250 SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit

Samsung has recently launched SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit including a SmartThings hub, a motions sensor, two multi-pupose sensors to detect when windows or doors are opened, and a smart outlet for home automation and monitoring via mobile devices. Some of SmartThings Hub technical specifications: Ethernet for connection to router Communication Protocol – ZigBee, Z-Wave, IP Range – 15 to 40 meters Power Supply – In-wall power adapter with about 10 hours of backup power from 4 included AA batteries Dimensions – 10.67 x 12.45 x 3.3 cm Weight – 218 grams Operating Temperature: 5 to 35°C (Indoor use only) They’ve decided not to include WiFi, or omitted in the product page, so it would have to be close to your router. The multi-purpose sensors, and motion sensor are powered by a pre-installed CR-2450 battery, while the smart outlet takes 100 to 220V (12A @ 120V max). All three devices communicate […]

X5 ODB-II Head Up Display Shows Vehicle & Engine Speed, Fuel Consumption, and More on Your Windscreen

OBDII adapters have been around for a while. You simply attach it to the OBDII (aka OBD2) diagnostic connector of your car to get data such as engine’s RPM, vehicle’s speed, and failure logs over Bluetooth or USB onto your smartphone with apps such as Torque Lite. X5 ODB-II head up display uses the same technology but instead of displaying data your mobile’s screen, it shows it on the windscreen. Some of X5 OBD2 HUD specifications and features: Display – 3″ display with manual and automatic brightness adjustment Vehicle interface – OBDII or EU OBD Displayed Parameters / Alarms  – Vehicle speed (Km/h or M/h), engine speed (RPM), low voltage alarm, high temperature alarm (C or F), speed alarm, fuel consumption Dimensions – 9 x 5.4 x 1.2 cm Weight – 38 grams The device comes with an  OBD-II Cable, and anti-skid mat, and a reflective film to work around […]

Samsung Z3 Tizen Smartphone Launched in Russia and India

After Samzung Z1 based on Spreadtrum SC7727S processor and running Tizen 2.3, Samsung skipped the Z2, and launched Samsung Z3 Tizen 2.4 smartphone powered by Spreadtrum SC7730S quad core processor in both India and Russia, with the Russian model allegedly adding LTE connectivity. Samsung Z3 specifications: SoC – Spreadtrum SC7730S Quad core ARM Cortex A7 processor @ 1.3 GHz with ARM Mali-400MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage – 8GB flash + microSD slot (up to 128GB) Display –  5.0” HD Super AMOLED (1280×720) Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 BLE, GPS,GLONASS Cellular 2x Micro-SIM slots “Indian model” (SM-300H) – WCDMA: B1(2100),B8(900); GSM: GSM850,GSM900,DCS1800,PCS1900; 3G: HSPA+ “Russian model” (SM-300F?) – Includes LTE Camera – 8.0MP rear camera with LED Flash (F2.2), 5.0MP front facing camera Video – MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV USB – micro USB 2.0 port Sensors – Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor Battery – […]

Turris Omnia is a Feature-Packed OpenWRT Router Board Powered by Marvell ARMADA 385 Processor

FireWRT and WiTi router boards based on Mediatek MT7621A processor offer lots of high speed interfaces with multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports, SATA connectors, and USB 3.0 ports, as well as 802.11ac connectivity for $70 to $80. Sadly FireWRT development was canceled once the company realized they could not get the Mediatek SoC at the right price, and while WiTi router has not been shipped to backers just yet. An even more powerful solution, which should cost $100 and up, is now in development with Turris Omnia board powered by Marvell ARMADA 385 dual core ARMv7 processor, and made in the Czech Republic. Turris Omnia board specifications: Processor – Marvell ARMADA 385 (88F6820?) dual core ARMv7 processor (Cortex A9 class) @ 1.6 GHz with 1MB L2 cache System Memory – Up to 1GB DDR3 Storage – 4GB flash, mSATA slot Connectivity 5x Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN port […]

Rockchip RK6321 Dual Core Cortex A5 SoC Targets Wearables with WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and GPS

Rockchip and Intel started to work on a platform called XMM6321 last year. It featured a dual Core Cortex A5 processor, 3G connectivity, WiFi, and GPS, which was aimed at entry level 3G smartphones and tablets. Fast forward to 2015, Rockchip showcased their RK6321 processor at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, with very similar specifications compared to XMM6321, but instead it targets wearables such as smartwatches, or children and elderly tracker. So I’ m not quite sure whether Intel XMM6321 and Rockchip RK6321 are the same processor with a different name, or Rochchip tweaked RK6321 specifically for wearables. Key features of Rockchip RK6321 processor: CPU – Two Cortex A5 cores up to 1GHz with 32KB L1 D-cache, 32KB L1 I-cache, and 512KB L2 cache GPU – Supports OpenGL ES 2.0 Memory and Storage I/F – 16-bit LP-DDR2 SDRAM, 8-bit  eMMC, 16-bit NAND Display I/F – MIPI DSI up to FWVGA […]

Youyeetoo X1 x86 SBC