smartphone News - Page 59 of 75 - CNX Software

December 10, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Smart Power Strip Controls and Monitors your Electric Appliances with Android or iOS Devices (Crowdfunding)

Broadlink SP1 and Plugaway are smart sockets controlled by your mobile device(s) via Wi-Fi, but they only support one appliance at a time. Smart Power Strip will fix that thanks to 4 sockets with independent power consumption meters that are controlled via Wi-Fi by Android or iOS devices. The power strip is comprised of 4 independent relays, 2 USB ports, a 120V or 230V circuit breaker, and a dual 2.4 GHz module for Wi-Fi and Home Automation (MESH) technology. It supports 100-250V AC, with a maximum of 15 Amps. The smart power strip will be available for US, EU, UK, and AU standards. That’s about all we know about the hardware. The mobile app will allow you to turn on/off devices manually, monitor each appliance’s power consumption individually, set timers, and monitor which device is on/off. As long as you have Internet access, the smart power strip can be accessed […]

December 5, 2013June 18, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

$27 Plugaway Wi-Fi Smart Sockets Support Australia, China, Europe, U.K. or U.S. Standards (Crowdfunding)

Until now, Broadlink SP1 was the cheapest ($32) Wi-Fi smart socket I found. It supports Australian and Chinese plugs, and Android and iOS smartphones. The two main downsides is that the application is in Chinese by default (English can be installed via a firmware upgrade), and although the top of the socket support international plugs, the plug of the device only support Australian / Chinese standard, and you may need an adapter to connect the device to your wall socket. There’s now a similarly priced option in Kickstarter called Plugaway that supports Australia, China, Euro, U.K. or U.S. standards, can measure power consumption, dim lights, and comes with Android and iOS apps, with Windows planned for a future release. Specifications: MCU – Atmel ATmega128 up to 16MHz with 128 KB flash Wi-Fi – Marvell 88W8686 Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g chip, to be upgraded to support 802.11n for longer range Current sensor […]

December 1, 2013March 6, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

ThL W200 Smartphone Review (Mediatek MT6589T)

I’ve received ThL W200, a smartphone powered by Mediatek MT6589T SoC, at the beginning of week (Check specs and unboxing pictures), and after about a week of use, it’s time for a review. First I’ll go through my first impressions, test of different features such as the camera, GPS, and Bluetooth, and finally run some apps to get system information and benchmarks for this phone. ThL W200 Review This smartphone feels very light, but the build quality is good, and as explained in my unboxing post, comes with power, volume -/+, and menu/home/back buttons. You’ll also find rear camera + flash, front camera, the light sensor, and the notification light. First impressions The phone boots to the standard Android home screen, as shown above, with English as the default language, and comes with Google Play Store, and no Chinese apps. The 720p screen provide a sharp and clear display, and […]

November 28, 2013November 28, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Jolla Sailfish OS Smartphone Is Now Officially Available

Jolla opened pre-order for the Jolla phone, the first phone based on Sailfish OS, in May this year, but the phone official launch took place yesterday in Finland with just 450 Jolla phones available out of the over 50,000 pre-orders. In May, Jolla hardware specifications were incomplete, but the company has recently released the full details, as you can see below. Jolla specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual core processor @ 1.4GHz + Adreno 305 GPU System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage – 16GB NAND flash + microSD slot Display – 4.5″ IPS qHD (960×540) display, 5-point multi-touch with Gorilla 2 Glass Network – GSM/3G/4G LTE (Works on 6 continents) with micro SIM Connectivity – WLAN802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 4.0 EDR HS, AGPS & GLONASS Camera – 8MP AF camera with LED flash, 2MP front-facing camera USB – micro USB 2.0 HS Audio – 3.5mm audio jack. microphone, stereo […]

November 27, 2013May 10, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments

How to Fix Slow GPS Lock on Mediatek MT65xx based Smartphones

I’ve recently purchased ThL W200, an Android 4.2 smartphone powered by Mediatek MT6589T quad core processor, and I’m trying to test a few things including GPS. I’ve enabled access to my location, GPS, and Google’s location service using Wi-Fi and mobile network. In Google Maps, I could get a somewhat accurate position thanks to mobile network location, but it was clear it could not lock GPS. I’ve also tried Nike+ Running, an application that keeps track of your running sessions with GPS, gives you some audio feedback as you run (distance, time and speed), and compares your performance to the average, and your social network friends. When I wanted to start running, the app complained about weak GPS signal, and tried to lock GPS for about 10 minutes, until I decided to give up. So I tried to find a solution, and Google pointed me to an article on Gizchina […]

November 26, 2013November 30, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

ThL W200 Unboxing Pictures and Video

I recently decided I had enough of my Nokia C6-01 phone, and decided to look for a Chinese smartphone with the following specifications: quad core processor, 5″ to 5.5″ display (720p resolution), at least 1 GB RAM, at least 8 GB flash, GPS, Wi-FI and 3G (UMTS) support, all that for about $200. It also had to run Android 4.2.x as I want to give Miracast a try. Ideally, I would also have liked a phone with Bluetooth 4.0 LE in case an Android 4.3 was in the work. But since Bluetooth versions are rather a game of luck in Chinese websites, I did not put too much importance to this last point. I finally went with ThL W200 as it matched my minimum specifications, the price was right, and it got a few people excited over at XDA Developers Forum. I bought the white version for $187.20 on DealExtreme, […]

November 25, 2013December 24, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 16 Comments

GalaGreat GalaRing NFC Smart Ring Unlocks Doors, Smartphones, and Exchanges Data

Once upon a time, last August more exactly :), the NFC Ring launched on Kickstarter, and funding was an amazing success. Thanks to NFC technology, the ring is battery-less, and communicates with other NFC enabled devices so that you can unlock your door, unlock your smartphone, share information such as contact details, website links, pictures, etc… The rings will most probably be shipped to Kickstarter wizards backers next month or in January. However, a very similar product called GalaGreat GalaRing G1 has appeared on websites such as GeekBuying and Expansys for about $30. [Update: It’s now available on DealExtreme for $28.47] There are 2 NFC chips from NXP in the ring which is also said to be water- and dust-proof (IP68). The ring is available in small (Ø 17mm), medium (Ø 20), and large (Ø 22mm) sizes. As mentioned above the device is battery-less, so you won’t have to worry […]

November 22, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

1Sheeld Arduino Shield Leverages Your Android Smartphone Hardware

To get started with Arduino, a simple board is enough, with soon, you’ll need to add shields for Wi-Fi, sensors, maybe a small display, etc.. and costs add up. Integreight, an Egyptian startup, had to idea to create a simple shield called 1Sheeld that can leverage your smartphone hardware assets such as Wi-Fi, LEDs, sensors, the display, the speaker, etc.., so you don’t have to spend extra money on shields. Technical Specifications: Runs on an ATmega162 @ 16 MHz Uses a standard HC-06 adapter (Bluetooth 2.0) providing up to 30 feet range (about 9 meters) Uses a modified version of the Firmata protocol Can communicate with Arduino using UART 50mA current draw That’s for the hardware, and there’s also a software platform and Android app to manages the communication between the shield and the smartphone, and select different shields options. You’d have to write your sketch using the company’s library, […]