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LibreELEC 10.0 minimal Linux OS for media playback released with Kodi 19.1

While most TV boxes and SBCs nowadays ship with or support a version of Android, people who just want the best viewing experience may prefer to switch to a Linux distribution such as LibreELEC or CoreELEC. The good news is that LibreELEC 10.0 has just been released with Kodi 19.1 and Linux 5.10 LTS. LibreELEC 10.0 is said to work well for Allwinner, Rockchip, and “Generic” Intel/AMD devices, while the Raspberry Pi 4 release’s codebase is rather new, and there may still be a few rough edges. Support for the previous generation Raspberry Pi boards has been dropped, and there’s no support for Amlogic platforms as CoreELEC already provides good support. Since LibreELEC 10.0 is based on Kodi 19.1, it benefits from the same features as Kodi 19 “Matrix” release including AV1 video decoding, a new skin, HDR support, and more. LibreELEC 10.1 support a wide range of single board […]

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RealSense end-of-life – Intel is phasing out its RealSense 3D depth cameras

We covered Intel Realsense technology ever since it was unveiled at CES 2014 with a 3D depth camera and Nuance Dragon Assitant voice technology for various AI applications including robotics, digital signage, and 3D scanners. Our last post was in January 2021 about a Rockchip RK3399 based industrial-grade 3D vision camera together with Intel’s announcement of RealSense ID facial authentication. But RealSense is going away according to a report by CRN explaining Intel was phasing out RealSense AI depth cameras. The email from Intel reads in part: We are winding down our RealSense business and transitioning our computer vision talent, technology and products to focus on advancing innovative technologies that better support our core businesses and IDM 2.0 strategy … We will continue to meet our commitments to our current customers and are working with our employees and customers to ensure a smooth transition The transition will be orderly as […]

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Android 9.0 digital signage player supports 4G LTE, watchdog timer, screen orientation

Rikomagic RKM DS03 is an Android 9.0 digital signage player based on Rockchip RK3399 processor with up 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash storage, HDMI 2.0 output for 4K displays, Gigabit Ethernet, etc… The device looks very similar to an Android TV box, but it does come with some features specifically useful for digital signage players including optional 4G LTE connectivity, a watchdog timer to make sure the system continues running even after the system hangs, an on/off timer to schedule operating times, as well as screen orientation support for landscape or portrait operation. RKM DS03 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor with 2x Cortex-A72 cores up to 2.0GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.5GHz, Mali-T860 MP4 GPU System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 32GB eMMC flash, MicroSD card socket Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60 with CEC support; touchscreen support via USB Audio – 3.5mm audio […]

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Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 mini router keeps cool with aluminum alloy cover

There are many hardware platforms based on Raspberry Pi CM4 system-on-module, but in most instances, only the baseboard is provided, and you have to handle mounting and/or make an enclosure by yourself. One of those boards was Seeed Studio’s “Dual Gigabit Ethernet Carrier Board for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4”, which as the name implies, offers two Gigabit Ethernet ports, as well as two USB 3.0 ports, and a micro HDMI port for video output. I say “was” because the company has now designed a PC/ABS case with an aluminum alloy cover acting as a heatsink to keep the RPi CM4 module cool. Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 mini router’s specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi CM4 with up to 8GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash, dual-band WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 module; replaceable by any Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Storage – MicroSD card slot (only accessible with RPi CM4Lite module) […]

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Industrial Android/Linux mini PC ships with optional HDMI input, DTV tuner, 4G LTE modem

We’re seeing several companies known for their Android TV boxes switch to higher-margin industrial Android/Linux mini PCs with, for instance, Zidoo M6 mini PC powered by Rockchip RK3566 processor and designed for IoT applications, digital signage, and more. Geniatech APC820 is another industrial mini PC running either Android or Linux, on the older, yet more powerful Rockchip RK3399 SoC, and offering a different set of options including 4K or Full HD HDMI input, digital TV tuner, and/or a 4G LTE modem. Geniatech APC820 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor with 2x Cortex-A72 cores up to 1.8GHz,  4x Cortex-A53 up to 1.4GHz, Mali-T860 GPU with support for OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1, OpenCL, and DirectX 11.1 System Memory – 2GB or 4GB RAM Storage – 16GB eMMC flash by default (Option for  8GB to 128GB), MicroSD card slot Video Output HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60 Internal LVDS connector with backlight Internal eDP connector […]

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Zidoo M6 RK3566 mini PC & SBC supports GbE, WiFi 6, 5G connectivity

Zidoo M6 is both a complete mini PC and a single board computer based on Rockchip RK3566 processor with up to 8GB RAM with plenty of peripherals connectivity options including built-in Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5, and support for 5G modems. Several years ago, Zidoo used to serve the TV box market, but they’ve now veered towards higher-end media players, digital signage players, and industrial applications. While we’ve already seen some RK3566 TV boxes on the market, using the AIoT processor does not make much sense in this type of product, and instead, Zidoo M6 targets AI Edge gateways, digital signage, and other AIoT products. Zidoo M6 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3566 with a quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 1.8GHz, Arm Mali-G52 2EE GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2. OpenCL 2.0. Vulkan 1.1, 0.8 TOPS AI accelerator, 4K H.265/H.265/VP9 video decoder, 1080p100 H.265/H.264 video encoder. System Memory […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
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ROCK 3A SBC brings M.2 slots for NVMe SSD, WiFi 6 to Raspberry Pi form factor

Radxa ROCK 3A is a single board computer powered by Rockchip RK3568 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor that closely follows Raspberry Pi 3 Model B form factor like the early Rock Pi 4 SBC, but with a twist. By switching from a Rockchip RK3399 to a Rockchip RK3568,  the board loses some CPU and GPU performance, but gains extra I/Os with enabled the company to add an additional M.2 slot with PCIe to ROCK 3A board, meaning it’s now possible to attach one NVMe SSD and another M.2 module like a WiFi 6 M.2 card. ROCK 3A preliminary specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3568 quad-core Cortex A55 processor at up to 2GHz, with Mali G52 GPU, 0.8TOPS NPU System Memory – 2GB, 4GB, 8GB LPDDR4 3200MT/s, up to 1560MHz Storage Pluggable eMMC module MicroSD card slot M.2 M key socket for NVMe with PCIe 3.0 x2 lanes 4MB SPI flash with support for […]

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Station M2 business-card sized Android 11 mini PC, also supports Ubuntu & Buildroot

After introducing Station P2 Rockchip RK3568 mini PC in March of this year, Firefly has now launched another, cheaper model with the ultra-thin Station M2 computer based on the company’s ROC-RK3566-PC single board computer equipped with Rockchip RK3566 SoC. Station M2 is only slightly larger than a business card, but packs up to 8GB RAM, M.2 SSD storage, HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB 3.0/2.0 ports. Station M2 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3566 with a quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 1.8GHz. Arm Mali-G52 2EE GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2. OpenCL 2.0. Vulkan 1.1, 0.8 TOPS AI accelerator, 4K H.265/H.265/VP9 video decoder, 1080p100 H.265/H.264 video encoder. System Memory – 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4 (8GB optional) Storage – 32GB or 64GB (128GB eMMC optional), M.2 PCIe 2.0 socket for 2242 NVMe SSD, MicroSD card socket Video Output – 1x HDMI port up to 4Kp60 Audio – 3.5mm headphone jack, […]

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