bluetooth News - Page 65 of 76 - CNX Software

August 31, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

LG Rolly is a Bluetooth Keyboard that Folds into a Stick

There are already some flexible Bluetooth keyboards that you can roll into your bag or pocket after being done typing on your smartphone or tablet, but LG is about to launch Rolly Keyboard, a solid Bluetooth keyboard for mobile device that can be rolled into a stick, which should may be sturdier than flexible keyboards, and it can also hold a smartphone or tablet in upright position with a display of up to 10″ in size. LG’ latest keyboard (model KBB-700) is comprised of 17mm keys – a standard keyboard comes with 18mm keys – arranged into four rows, that can be folded into a stick as shown above. The company also claims the keyboard offers “satisfying tactile feedback not found on flexible silicone keyboards”. The keyboard is powered by two AAA batteries supposed to last about 3 months during typical use, and pairing over Bluetooth 3.0 occurs automatically to […]

August 31, 2015November 6, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 27 Comments

Tronfy MXIV Telos TV Box Review with Android 5.1

Tronfy MXIV Telos is a TV box powered by Amlogic S812 processor running Android 5.1 Lollipop and costing just above $90 (with coupon), so it will be interesting to find out how it performs compared to Mygica ATV1900AC also based on Amlogic S812 SoC, and Android Lollipop firmware (version 5.0.2), which I reviewed recently, and sells for $169. I’ve already checked the hardware in Tronfy MX4 Telos Unboxing and Teardown, so today I’ll check how the device actually performs. First Boot, Settings and First Impressions I started by connecting peripherals: A USB hard drive to one of the USB port, and a USB hub to the other USB port with a webcam, and two RF dongles for an air mouse and a wireless gamepad, as well as HDMI and Ethernet cables, and the power supply. I then had to press the power button on the unit to start it up, […]

August 21, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Orchard is an Open Source Hardware Multi-Radio IoT Board Used to Learn Coding, Hardware Design and Manufacturing

Sutajio Ko-Usagi’s wiki is the place where you find documentation for open source hardware projects such as Novena laptop or Fernvale IoT board. There’s another IoT board supporting 900 MHz and Bluetooth radios called Orchard. Orchard board specifications: MCU – Kinetis MKW01 ARM Cortex-M0+ MCU @ 48 MHz with 128KB flash, 16KB RAM Connectivity 900 MHz radio with +13dBm transmit power (for long-range applications) Bluetooth LE radio (for short-range, low power connection to IP gateways) Display – 128×64 OLED Sensors – 3-axis Accelerometer, microphone sensor Debugging – FTDI serial port header, SWD provisioning & debug header Misc Captouch button controller WS2812B LED strip driver Lithium ion battery solution Gas gauge for accurate battery life determination Charging solution that can support high-capacity batteries Integral 5V boost The hardware files and ChibiOS 3.0 firmware source code are all available. The board does not appear to be for sale, but instead students taking […]

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Mixtile GENA is a Wearables Development Kit Inspired by Pebble Watch

The first Pebble watch with a black and white e-Ink display and Bluetooth for smartphone connection launched in 2012 via Kickstarter, and it became one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns so far. The watch can now be purchased for $100, but Focalcrest, a startup based in Shenzhen, designed Mixtil GENA development kit with similar features and user interface, although with different electronics components, that goes for $34 on Tindie. Mixtile GENA specifications: Processors Mediatek MT6260 ARM7EJ-S processor @ 364 MHz with 8MB RAM and 16MB Flash Nordic Semiconductor nRF51822 ARM Cortex M0 Bluetooth Smart SoC External Storage – micro SD card slot (Up to 8GB) Display – “Energy-saving” reflective LCD Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE USB – micro USB 2.0 port Sensor – Gravity sensor Misc – Up, Down, Enter and Power/Return buttons Battery – 270 mAh/3.7V Lithium-ion battery (4 to 5 days on a charge for typical usage) […]

August 16, 2015January 18, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 41 Comments

Beelink i68 (Rockchip RK3368) TV Box Review

Beelink i68 is one of the first 64-bit ARM Android mini PCs available on the market, and could offer an update to Rockchip RK3288 TV boxes thanks to its eight Cortex A53 cores and support for HDMI 2.0 up to 4K2K @ 60Hz. I’ve already taken a few pictures of the device and RK68 board, so today I’ll report about performance, stability, features and video playback capabilities in the full review. First Boot, Settings and First Impressions The box has three USB 2.0 host ports and a micro USB OTG port, so for once I did not have to use a USB hub to connect all my devices and cables. I’ve inserted an Ethernet cable, an HDMI cable, an optical cable to the S/PDIF output, a Class 10 micro SD card, a USB hard drive, a USB webcam, an RF dongle for Tronsmart Mars G01 wireless gamepad, and finally MeLE […]

August 6, 2015August 6, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Motion Controlled Bluetooth Ring Mouse Sells for $50

Some companies sells Ring Mice such as Genius Ring Mouse 2, which is an RF ring you place on your index finger and control with your thumb more or less like a trackball, but there are also new generation rings using motion control. One of the product is the latter category is Fin Bluetooth Ring which allows you to control your computer, phone ot car radio by simply touching various parts of your fingers, however it’s been funded via an Indiegogo campaign, and based on their latest update they have not shipped rewards to backers yet. But I’ve recently been informed about a “Smart 3D Bluetooth Ring” selling for around $50 on Ebay using motion control and some buttons to control computers and laptops. Specifications and features for the ring include: Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE Technology – “Human motion sensor” Working Distance – Within 10 meters Button – 3 […]

August 6, 2015August 6, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

LightBlue Bean+ Bluetooth LE Board is Programmed Wirelessly, Lasts One Year on a Charge (Crowdfunding)

Punch Through launched a crowdfunding campaign back in 2013 for LightBlue Cortado an innovative Arduino compatible BLE board that can only be programmed wirelessly over Bluetooth Smart. The board has since then been renamed to LightBlue Bean, and the company allegedly delivered rewards to backers on time, a rarity in the crowdfunding world. LightBlue Bean+, the second version of the board, is larger with solderless headers, supports more Bluetooth LE capabilities such as MIDI, and includes a battery. The project launched on Kickstarter yesterday, and already raised over $40,000, surpassing the $30,000 funding target set by the team. LightBlue Bean+ board specifications: MCU – Info N/A (Bean has an Atmel ATmega328P @ 8MHz with 32KB Flash, 1KB EEPROM, 2KB SRAM) Bluetooth Bluetooth LE with support for 5 new capabilities: beacon, MIDI, HID, ANCS and observer role. Hardware module undisclosed (Bean has an LBM313 Module with Texas Instruments CC2540) Up to 400 […]

August 3, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Espressif is Working on a New Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE Chip with Hardware SSL Support

Espressif came to fame thanks to its low cost ESP8266 WiFi chip which was originally designed for connected lightbulbs, but soon got used in a variety of applications, and ESP8266 modules must now be the most popular solutions to add WiFi to IoT projects, as long as they are not battery powered. The company has recently announced they were working on a new chip, whose name as yet to be decided, that will support both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy. Details are sparse, but we do know the chip will come with 500KB RAM, support hardware SSL and possibly ECDH, deliver 500 DMIPS of performance, and consume 5 uA in deep sleep mode. The company asked for beta testers via their twitter account around 2 weeks ago, so I guess it’s a bit too late to apply. John Lee, working for Espressif, also said the new part should become available […]