xiaomi News - Page 7 of 15 - CNX Software

March 10, 2018March 10, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Scrcpy Open Source Software Let You Control an Android Phone via a Windows, Mac OS, or Linux PC

Have you ever wished you could control or mirror your Android smartphone using your computer? Scrcpy, a free and open source program by Genymotion may fit your needs, and works on Windows, Mac OS or Linux. You just need to install (or build) a program on your host computer, connect your phone via USB, switch to developer mode, enable USB debugging, and run the program which will automatically install the server (a jar file) on your phone, which does not need to be rooted. The easiest way to try is with Windows since the developers already provide pre-built binaries, but I installed it on Ubuntu 16.04 instead since it is the operating system I use daily. Some of the packages in Ubuntu 16.04 are a bit old so it took me a couple of hours to successfully install it, and I’d recommend going with Ubuntu 17.10 or 18.04 daily build […]

January 30, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Xiaomi Mi Box 4 & 4C 4K HDR TV Boxes Launched with Amlogic S905L Processor

Remember Amlogic S905L Processor? Me neither, but I wrote about it in September 2016, with the processor being an updated version of Amlogic S905X without VP9 support, and adding HDMI 2.0b output with support for Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR. One reason most people won’t remember it is because so far, no TV boxes featured the processor, but this has now changed with Xiaomi introduced Mi Box 4 & 4c TV boxes for the Chinese market. Xiaomi Mi Box 4c is the entry level model (Black color), and Mi Box 4 is slightly higher end with more memory and Bluetooth (White color), but both devices share most of the same specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905L quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ up to 750 MHz System Memory Mi Box 4c – 1GB RAM Mi Box 4 – 2GB RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC […]

January 22, 2018March 13, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Xiaomi Sherlock M1 Allows You to Unlock Your Door with Your Smartphone

Xiaomi has recently launched a new product from their MiJia (My Home) family with Sherlock M1 smart lock, which you can stick to the inside part of your security lock, insert the key, and then control it with your smartphone using Xiaomi app. Sherlock M1 key features and specifications: Compatible with both right and left opening doors Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE USB – 1x micro USB port for charging Battery – Rechargeable 3800mAh battery Dimensions – 12.80 x 6.20 x 7.35 cm Weight – 430 grams The lock ships with some specification / user guide? in English. The video below shows a bit more about the installation steps. The main benefit of such smart lock is that you can share virtual keys with other people living in the household, so no more lost keys. Of course, you’d have to trust this cannot be easily hacked. This “user manual” provides […]

January 2, 2018January 2, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Xiaomi Mi A1 (Android One) Smartphone Gets Android 8.0 OTA Firmware Update

Google gave a new life to its Android One program last year with products such as Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone, which also happens to be my main phone. One of the main benefits of getting an Android One smartphone is the promise to get regular security updates, as well as upgrades to the latest version of Android for at least 2 years after launch. I’ve been keeping track of updated in my long term review of Xiaomi Mi A1, and since I received it in mid-October, I got 6 security updates, or about two such update per month. However, Xiaomi also promised Android 8.0 Oreo update by the end of the year (2017), and as the year drew to a close I was not confident the company would fulfill this promise. But around mid-afternoon on December 31st, I received a notification about “Android Update (Oreo)”, so I went there, […]

December 26, 2017June 26, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 18 Comments

What’s the Best Android TV Box (2017/2018 Edition)?

Since I was often asked which TV box to buy, I wrote a guide entitled “What’s the best Android TV box?” in April 2016. Time has passed, new products have launched, I tested more devices, and got further reader feedback, so it’s time for an update. There’s still no device that rules them all, and since everybody has different requirements and price points, what could the best Android TV box ever to one person, maybe be a piece of junk to another. Before purchasing a TV box, you should consider what you plan to do with it, and find the device with matches your needs and budget. So first, I’ll provide a list of things to look for – beside the SoC/RAM selection – before selecting three TV boxes that stand out (in no particular order), as well as alternatives worth looking at. Things to Look for The list is […]

December 7, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa Core Kryo 385 SoC to Power Premium Smartphones, XR Headsets, Windows Laptops

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor was expected since May 2017 with four custom Cortex A75 cores, four Cortex A53 cores, Adreno 630 GPU, and X20 LTE modem. with the launch planned for Q1 2018. At least, that what the leaks said. Qualcomm has now formally launched Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform and rumors were mostly right, as the the octa-core processor comes with four Kryo 385 Gold cores (custom Cortex A75), four Kryo 385 Silver cores (custom Cortex A55) leveraging DynamIQ technology, an Adreno 630 “Visual Processing System”, and Snapdragon X20 modem supporting LTE Cat18/13. The processor is said to use more advanced artificial intelligence (AI) allowing what the company calls “extended reality (XR)” applications, and will soon be found in flagship smartphones, XR headsets, mobile PCs, and more. Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (SDM845) specifications: Processor 4x Kryo 385 Gold performance cores @ up to 2.80 GHz (custom ARM Cortex A75 cores) 4x […]

November 28, 2017November 28, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Xiaomi Unveils Their Very Own ESP32 Development Board, Module & SDK

We now have plenty of modules and board based on Espressif System ESP32 dual core wireless SoC, and a fairly good software support with ESP IDF SDK, Arduino Core, MicroPython, Espruino and other solutions. So I was surprised when I saw Teo Swee Ann, Espressif CEO, posted photos about an event – Xiaomi IoT Developer Conference – where Xiaomi apparently introduced their own ESP32 development board, together their own SDK (still empty right now) compatible with the company’s Mijia ecosystem, as part of their “Open IoT platform” The slide below translates as “WIFI module – Automated manufacturing / 4-fold foolproof mechanism / whole process tracing / cost price (about 15 RMB)” and “Open source SDK”, with the price likely the price of Xiaomi ESP32 module (ESP-WROOM-32C) shown on board above (Thank to hm for translation). I could not find much information at this early stage, except new partnership between Baidu […]

November 27, 2017November 27, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Sub $20 TV Box, and 14% Discount on TV Boxes and Mini PCs (Promo)

Black Friday is over, but companies still offer discounts for Cyber Monday, and GearBest has some specific deals for TV boxes and mini PCs. If you are after the cheapest TV box model around, Sunvell T95D based on Rockchip RK3229 with 1GB RAM and 8GB RAM is sold for $18.99 with coupon Bfriday303. But they also have other models sold at a discount: Zidoo X10 Media Center based on Realtek RTD1295 with 2GB/16GB configuration, HDMI input, and 3.5″ SATA bay – $164.99 shipped with coupon Bfriday289 Mecool M8S PRO W TV Box (S905W / 2GB / 16GB) – $25.99 shipped with coupon Bfriday284 Xiaomi Mi Box (International) – $66.99 shipped You can also use GBTBMP coupon on any TV box or (Intel) mini PC to get a 14% discount on any model, but bear in mind this is limited to China warehouse, and if the product is already discounted, the […]