Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on $27 Plugaway Wi-Fi Smart Sockets Support Australia, China, Europe, U.K. or U.S. Standards (Crowdfunding)

$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 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Marvell Unveils ARMADA 1500 Plus (88DE3108) SoC for Android and Linux Smart Video Platforms

Marvell Unveils ARMADA 1500 Plus (88DE3108) SoC for Android and Linux Smart Video Platforms

Building on top of it ARMADA 1500 SoC for Google TV, Marvell has recently announced the ARMADA 1500 Plus (88DE3108) HD secure media processor SoCdesigned for smart video products based on Android 4.2.2, and Linux, such as media players, OTT boxes, hybrid set-top boxes and smart TVs. ARMADA 1500 Plus features two ARM Cortex A9 cores, Vivante GC1000 and GC300 GPUs, respectively for 3D and 2D graphics,  and integrates an HDMI receiver and Gigabit Ethernet. Hisense will be among the first to use the platform with the upcoming H6 Smart TV and Pulse Pro set-top-box, but details have yet to be released for these two products. Here are the key features of 88DE3108 SoC: Processor – Dual core Cortex A9 with over 6000 Dhrystone MIPS Dedicated 3D and 2D graphics acceleration – dual threaded unified shader (Vivante GC1000 and GC300) with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 and DirectFB. Video vMeta […]

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Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 24 Comments on How-to Install and “Hack” Linux on T428 or MK802 IV mini PCs

How-to Install and “Hack” Linux on T428 or MK802 IV mini PCs

PicUntu 4.5 installer is probably the easiest method to install Ubuntu on a Rockchip RK3188 based mini PC, but if you want a little more flexibility I’ll provide another method to install Linux on T428, MK802 IV or compatible devices, as well as links to go further: dual boot Android / Linux, create your own official distro, status of Mali-400 GPU support in RK3188… The method below is not new, as it was posted by Linuxium (Ian Morrison) in Freaktab in September, but this is the first time I’ve taken the time and managed to run Linux on Rockchip RK3188, and I’ll provide some more detailed steps. Prerequisites Even though in some cases it’s possible to install Rockchip firmware from Linux, AFAIK the tools available in Linux lack supports for the parameter and loader files, so ironically, you’ll need a Windows XP/7/8 machine to install Linux in your mini PC. […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 16 Comments on AMLogic Processor Roadmap: Quad core Cortex A9 (M8), and 64-bit ARM processors (M9)

AMLogic Processor Roadmap: Quad core Cortex A9 (M8), and 64-bit ARM processors (M9)

We already knew AMLogic is about to release a quad core Cortex A9 SoC, previously codenamed AML8726-M8, but recently renamed to M80X family with 4 different SoCs, but the company has now officially announced the new M8 family, as well as M9 that will feature 64-bit ARM Cortex A5X cores with Mali T7XX GPU. Onda V975m, the first tablet based on M802 processor, was also part of the announcement. Price: 999 CNY (~$164). The new products line is divided as follows: M801/M802 Quad core Cortex A9r4 @ 2GHz with Octo-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 600MHz 4K2K video decoding, Full 1080p decoding (multi-codec), and 1080p H.264 encoding Dual channel DDR3/LPDDR3 up to 4GB 64-bit SDRAM bandwidth HDMI 1.4 up to 4K2K OS – Android 4.4 Kit Kat (Dec. 2013), Google TV version 4 BGA package, 28nm HPM M803/M805 Quad core CPU with Quad core GPU 1080p H.265 decoding, and 1080p HW encoding […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Microchip Unveils chipKIT Wi-Fi Development Board and Motor Control Shield

Microchip Unveils chipKIT Wi-Fi Development Board and Motor Control Shield

Microchip Technology has just announced two new boards by Diligent, part of its Arduino compatible chipKIT ecosystem: chipKIT WF32 board featuring a PIC32 MCU and a Wi-Fi module, and chipKIT Motor Control Shield for servos, steppers, and DC motors. chipKIT WF32 Development Board Board specifications: MCU – Microchip PIC32MX695F512L micro-controller (80 Mhz 32-bit MIPS, 512K Flash, 128K SRAM) External Storage – Micro SD card connector Wi-Fi – IEEE 802.11 b/g via Microchip MRF24WG0MA WiFi module USB – USB 2.0 OTG controller with A and micro-AB connectors for debugging and programing. 43 available I/O pins with 12 analog inputs Misc – 4x user LEDs PC connection uses a USB A > mini B cable (not included) Power – 7V to 15V input voltage (recommended), 3.3V operating voltage, 30V input voltage (maximum), 0V to 3.3V analog input voltage range Microchip has also released an embedded cloud software framework to create Internet of Things […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on Google Chromecast Gets a Custom ROM: PwnedCast

Google Chromecast Gets a Custom ROM: PwnedCast

If you’ve got a ChromeCast, and are disappointed by its limited features, XDA member ddggttff3 has released a custom ROM for the device based on the 13300 stock image. It is rooted, has its own OTA system, and features a dedicated recovery and a custom kernel in order to enhance the user experience. Main features: Root SSH/Telnet Access Uses DHCP DNS Servers Google OTA’s Disabled Custom Boot Image PwnedCast OTA Update Engine! PwnedCast Recovery Image, based on FlashCast V1.1.1 KyoCast Built In! Currently the most interesting feature is the addition of KyoCast which provides access to services like AOL, HBO, Post, Rev3, and Songza. But more work and features are certainly on the way. If you want to give it a try, download the image, and flash it as follows: Setup and Install FlashCast V1.1.1 on a USB Drive in Windows or Linux. Don’t use another FlashCast version, or it […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on 13.3″ PocketBook CAD Reader Features a Lighter, Thinner E-Ink Fina Display

13.3″ PocketBook CAD Reader Features a Lighter, Thinner E-Ink Fina Display

E-Ink has announced its new E-Ink Fina, a new thin and lightweight electronic paper display (EPD) technology, has been embedded into PocketBook CAD Reader, the first Fina ePaper Android device designed specifically for displaying drawings generated with Autocad from Autodesk. PocketBook CAD Reader integrates a 1GHz dual-core CPU (probably Freescale i.MX6 DualLite) running Android 4.0.4 with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage allowing it to hold plans for up to 200 constructions projects. The product also comes with built-in Wi-Fi & 3G modules, and a 8000 mAh battery. The built-in touch screen and  Wacom digitizer support both touch and a stylus for fine detail work. But that’s the display that make it stand out. E-Ink claims that Fina displays weigh less than 50% of the weight of an equivalent glass based TFT and are less than 50% of the thickness, and the 13.3″ display module installed in […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Cloud Media 1OTT Internet Media Player Runs Linux on Cavium ARM11 SoC

Cloud Media 1OTT Internet Media Player Runs Linux on Cavium ARM11 SoC

Cloud Media is mostly known for their Linux based Pop Corn Hour media players. but recently they started offered a free media player called FreeOTT via ISPs or Facebook giveaways. This little box gives direct access to online video channels. I reviewed FreeOTT a few months ago, and found the interface to be sluggish (possibly because of my Internet connection), audio was not working on my TV. So overall not a very good experience from my side, but they’ve upgraded the firmware with features like Miracast, DLNA, and “iOSCast” (Airplay?), possible improving performance, and recently added CCTV 1 to 15, except CCTV 4, to the list of channels. FreeOTT was difficult to source since you can only get it for free, so the company has just launched 1OTT player based on what appears to be the same hardware platform, but with a larger enclosure. 1OTT Specifications: Media Processor – Cavium CELESTIAL […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products