CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

March 4, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Kodi 15 Alpha 1 Adds Support for H.265 on Android, Drops Some Older OS Versions and Hardware

Kodi 15 Isengard got its first public Alpha release, with 400 pull-request for code merges, 1322 commits and thousands of code lines changed compared to Kodi 14 release with modifications of all operating systems ports, and changes to newer OS versions. Major changes for Kodi 15.0 Alpha 1 include: Added adaptive seeking through audio and video playback, also know as “skip steps” Android HEVC H.265 HW decode support for some chipsets Improved webserver caching control External subtitles over UPnP Allow scanning of new sources and marking as watched during other library operations such as “update library” Allow different sort orders for different sort methods Start of integration binary add-ons and changing the build system around it Improved CC (Closed Captions) support for Live TV ffmpeg 2.5.4 update Remove remaining SDL code New OS Requirements: Minimal Mac OSX 10.7 Lion requirements (Only OSX 64-bit builds provided, no more 32bit builds) Minimal […]

March 4, 2015March 5, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Raspbian Image with Docker 1.5.0 Released for Raspberry Pi Boards

I’ve read quite a few articles mentioning Docker recently, but never really looked into it. So what is Docker? The developers describe it as: Docker is an open platform for developers and sysadmins to build, ship, and run distributed applications. Consisting of Docker Engine, a portable, lightweight runtime and packaging tool, and Docker Hub, a cloud service for sharing applications and automating workflows, Docker enables apps to be quickly assembled from components and eliminates the friction between development, QA, and production environments. As a result, IT can ship faster and run the same app, unchanged, on laptops, data center VMs, and any cloud. In practice, it looks like a lightweight virtualization solution that facilitates apps distribution to different operating systems and hardware platforms. For example, if your development machine is running Ubuntu 14.04 and you’ve developed an app requiring Python 3.0, Docker should make it a breeze to it on […]

ArmSoM CM5 - Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

March 3, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

MYiR Tech Announces Low Cost Rico and Z-turn Boards Powered by TI AM437x and Xilinx Zynq-7010 SoCs

Shenzhen based MYIR Tech has just launched two new single board computers with Rico board featuring Texas Instruments Sitara AM437x ARM Cortex A9 industrial processor, and Z-Turn board based on Xilinx Zynq-7010 ARM Cortex A9 + FPGA SoC. Both boards sell for $99 in single quantity. Rico Board Specifications: SoC – Texas Instruments AM4379 single core ARM Cortex A9 processor @ 1.0GHz with PowerVR SGX530 GPU, and 4x PRU @ 200 MHz. Other AM437x on request. System Memory – 512MB DDR3 (Options: 256MB or 1GB) Storage – 4GB eMMC, 256 or 512 MB NAND flash (reserved), 16MB QSPI flash, 32KB EEPROM, and micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI and LCD interfaces (LCD connector located on bottom of the board). Connectivity – 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet USB – 1x mini USB 2.0 device port, 1x USB 2.0 host post Camera – 2x 30-pin camera interface Debugging – 1x debug serial port, […]

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

With Ulefone Be X, You can now Buy an Octa-core Android Smartphone for $90

$100 quad core Android phones, all Mediatek based, could be found back in 2013, and included 1GB RAM, 4GB flash, and a 4.5″ display with 854×480 resolution. Technology gets cheaper overtime, and in early 2015, you can now purchase an Octa-core smartphone for $90 with 1GB RAM, 8GB flash, the same 4.5″ display size, but a slightly higher resolution of 960×540 pixels thanks to products like Ulefone Be X. Ulefone Be X specifications: SoC – Mediatek MT6592M Octa Core Cortex A7 up to 1.4GHz with ARM MALI-450MP4 GPU System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage – 8GB flash + micro SD card slot (up to 64GB) Display – 4.5″ IPS OGS display with capacitive touchscreen. Resolution: 960×540 (qHD) Audio – 3.5mm audio jack, built-in microphone, and speaker. Network – 2G: GSM850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G: WCDMA 850/1900/2100MHz. One SIM card slot + one micro SIM slot. Dual SIM, Dual Standby support. Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 […]

March 3, 2015March 3, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Jolla Opens Sailfish OS 2.0 for Licensing, Unveils Sailfish Secure, Plans Atom x3 Support

As the Jolla Tablet running Sailfish OS 2.0 is about to ship to Kickstarter backers (Q2 2015), the company has issues a press release announcing Sailfish OS 2.0 is now ready for licensing to OEMs and other partners, and OS porting is being done to the newly announced Intel Atom x3 processors. Sailfish OS 2.0 has been designed for both smartphones and tablets with the following key changes and improvements: Stronger technical OS core and improved Android application compatibility Support for Intel architecture, including the Intel Atom x3 processor Best multitasking on the market for both smartphones and tablets Improved user experience with an enhanced, even richer user interface Strong privacy and personalization features Many new UI/UX features, like enhanced notifications and events views, and even simpler swipe access to main functions Sailfish 2.0 is designed to provide premium visibility in the UI for leading digital content providers and to […]

March 3, 2015March 23, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 16 Comments

Xiaomi Yi Full HD Action Camera Sells for $64

Xiaomi has decided to enter the sports camera market with an inexpensive 1080p action camera called Xiaomi Yi that will sell for 399 CNY ($64) in China, and outspecs the $135 entry-level Go Pro Hero camera. Specifications of the Yi camera: SoC – Ambarella A7LS ARM1136 SoC System Memory – N/A Storage – Some internal storage for firmware, plus a micro SD slot for pictures/videos (up to 64GB) Camera 16MP Sony Exmor R BSI Back-illuminated CMOS Image Sensor Aspheric HD Optical Glass Lens / F2.8 Large Aperture 155° Ultra Wide Angle 1080p 60/48/30/24fps, up to 960p60, 720p120, 480p240 video recording Multiple photo shooting modes: Single shot, Self-Timer, Time-lapse, Burst Shot Display – None Video Output – micro HDMI port Audio – Dual-channel 96 KHz sampling rate, 92 dBa SNR Connectivity – WiFi & Bluetooth 4.0 (Broadcom) for connection with Android / iOS devices Sensors – ST High Performance 3-Axis G-sensor […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

March 3, 2015March 3, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Intel Provides Details for Atom x3, x5 and x7 Processors

Intel had already announced their plan to change Intel Atom branding to use x3/x5/x7 nomenclature in order to make it easier for consumers to navigate their product offerings, but the company has now provided much more details during their press conference at Mobile World Congress 2015. Intel Atom x3 (previously known as SoFIA) will be entry and ultra-low cost processor up with 3G or LTE connectivity found in products up to around $150, while Atom x5 and x7 (previously known as Cherry Trail) will be found in tablets between about $200 to $400, with the top performing devices going with Intel Core M processors. Intel Atom x3 are very interesting because they mix Intel 64-bit cores with ARM GPUs (to keep the cost down), and parts with RK suffix are made by Rockchip. Three x3 processors are currently available: Intel Atom x3-C3130 – Dual-core processor up to 1.0 GHz with […]

March 2, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

$35 Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor Works with Android and iOS

People with hypertension or other heart conditions may want to monitor their blood pressure daily, and since I was asked recently, I studied blood pressure monitors available on the market from Chinese websites. The simplest ones that simply display the results on an LCD are quite inexpensive since they cost about $15 shipped, unless you buy brands like Omron. You’d then need to enter the data in a spreadsheet or on paper after each measurements, so you’d rather have the process more streamlined, you could consider a Bluetooth version that will automatically keep measurements stored in your Android or iOS smartphone, such as the model below that sells for around $35 on Aliexpress and Ebay. Key features for this unnamed digital blood pressure monitor Display – 70 x 55mm; 3x 3 Digits lines for systolic and diastolic pressures, and heart rate; Memory/Heartbeat/Low battery indication Measurements: Oscillometric method Pressure Range- 0 […]