Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Near Field Communication (NFC) Introduction and Software Development

Near Field Communication (NFC) Introduction and Software Development

Android 2.3 features near field communication (NFC) in order to allow payment through your phone as it is already implemented in Japan with FeliCa (Felicity Card), a contactless RFID smart card system from Sony, direct communication between NFC devices, RFID reader, etc… NFC is already supported in Samsung / Google Nexus S. In this blog post, we’ll see what near field communication is, which hardware is needed and what needs to be done at the software level (driver and NFC stack). What is Near Field Communication ? Extract from Wikipedia: Near Field Communication or NFC, is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology which enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 centimeter (around 4 inches) distance. The technology is a simple extension of the ISO/IEC 14443 proximity-card standard (proximity card, RFID) that combines the interface of a smartcard and a reader into a single device. An NFC […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on CES 2011 Main Attractions

CES 2011 Main Attractions

CES 2011 will be held in Las Vegas 6-9 January 2011 featuring 2700 exhibitors, including manufacturers and service providers for the audio, digital imaging, home theater, wireless, content and gaming markets. Here are what may be the main attractions to look for at the event: Lots of Tablets: Motorola is expected to demo Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) with a 10″ tablet based on NVidia Tegra 2 and announcement about Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (probably using the Tegra 2 as well) . Here’s a list of companies that will exhibit their tablets at CES 2011: Acer – 7″/10″ Tablets running Android and Windows 7 Archos – Archos Gen 8 Devices: Archos 28/32/43/70/101 running Android Asus – Eee Pad running Windows 7 and Android (March 2011 release) Creative – ZiiO Pure Wireless Entertainment Tablets running Android. Dell – 7″ Dell Streak running Android. Entourage – Dual screen tablet (similar to the Kno) called […]

ArmSoM CM5 - Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Android Remote Control App for Google TV

Android Remote Control App for Google TV

Google has just released a new app in Android Marketplace to be able to control your Google TV compatible set-top box or TV with your Android Smartphone. It just looks like a normal remote control, but you’ll also be able to use voice recognition to select your channel and videos, select a video on your phone to be played on the TV, etc… I wonder if this will engender family or friend’s wars since several Android phones can be used with one TV. Oh.. and also Google is offering 100 46″ Sony Google TV to the best videos. Deadline for submissions 22-12-2010, so it will end later today. Anyway, have a look at Google TV Remote App video below:

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on HTTP Server for uCLinux

HTTP Server for uCLinux

You may need a web server on your no-MMU embedded system in order to allow remote configuration or possibly provide external access to some files. Usually, you’ll need a lightweight webserver (e.g. not Apache) with the required features and in case of no-mmu system, source that can accommodates uClinux limitations such as no fork support. You’ll also take into account the programming language or the server: e.g. C/C++. Java, Ruby, Perl… If your system does not support Java or Perl for example, that may not be the best solution to add one of those only for the web server and it also depends on the resources (Flash/RAM) available. There are plenty of C/C++ lightweight http servers such as thttpd or lighttpd, however those are using fork in their code. One open source http server that is lightweight and uses vfork (instead of fork) is mathopd. At the time of writing, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Digital Signage TCO Calculator

Digital Signage TCO Calculator

AMX has recently released a Total Cost of Ownership Calculator for digital signage comparing two different setups by taking into account the following parameters: Digital Signage Requirements: Number of Players Hours per Day Days per Week Weeks per Year Expected life in years US State Deployed (For electricity rates) Cost of Development for 2 products: Media Player Cost Per Unit Initial Software Cost Initial Subscription Fee Monthly Subscription Fee Energy Efficiency: Player Power Consumption in Watts Hardware Design: Type of storage: Solid State / Hard Disk Fan: With or Without The result of the calculation will show you the total cost in a graph, with the lifetime electricity cost, total subscription cost, total software cost and total player cost. If you purchased the players and plan to manage the devices by yourself, you won’t have to pay any subscription fees. However,  you’ll still have to consider the maintenance costs. In […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Resources for NVidia Tegra 2

Resources for NVidia Tegra 2

NVidia Tegra 2 is currently one of the most powerful processor used in smartphones and tablets such as the upcoming LG Optimus 2X smartphone or the new version of Samsung Galaxy Tab. NVidia describes the processor as follows: NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 is the world’s most advanced mobile processor, featuring the world’s first mobile dual-core CPU for up to 2x faster Web browsing; the world’s only ultra-low power (ULP) NVIDIA® GeForce® GPU for up to 5x faster gaming; and the world’s first mobile 1080p HD video processor for flawless HD video conferencing and playback. Get never-before-seen experiences on a mobile device with NVIDIA Tegra. NVidia Tegra 2 is based on a dual core Cortex A9 running up to 1GHz, supports 32-bit DDR2 RAM and features NVidia Geforce GPU with OpenGL ES 2.0 support. Contrary to many other companies finding the development kit, documentations and tools is straightforward. Once you get to […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on An Update for Qualcomm Augmented Reality SDK and Extension for Unity is Available

An Update for Qualcomm Augmented Reality SDK and Extension for Unity is Available

Qualcomm has just released their new Augmented Reality SDK with Unity Support: We encourage you to upgrade immediately to the newest version of Qualcomm’s augmented reality (AR) software development kit (SDK) and Extension for Unity released today, Friday, December 17. This version includes support for virtual buttons and multi-image targets and improved stability for both the SDK and the AR Extension. Additionally, we are pleased to announce that the Qualcomm AR SDK now supports several new devices including the Dell Streak, HTC Desire HD, HTC Desire Z, T-Mobile G2 by HTC, HTC myTouch 4G, Motorola DROID 2, Motorola DROID X, and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. Download the latest Qualcomm SDK and Extension for Unity at developer.qualcomm.com/ar AR SDK version 0.10.0 (BETA2) Changelog: Added support for multi-image target reconfiguration (add / remove / reconfigure parts on the fly) Added support for virtual button reconfiguration (add / remove / reconfigure buttons on […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products