Synaptics has unveiled its new Astra platform with a range of SoC and a development kit for edge AI applications. These new processors and a supporting development kit are built to provide out-of-the-box AI capabilities for IoT devices, reducing reliance on cloud-based AI. This new Synaptics Astra Platform is built around three main SoCs. The SL1680 is built for multi-modal IoT applications and features a quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 CPU, dedicated 7.9 TOPS NPU, and 4K video. The SL1640 is a cost and power-optimized SoC with a quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU and 1.6+ TOPS NPU. Finally, the SL1620 is a graphics and AI accelerator with a quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU and dual-core Imagination BXE-2-32 GPU but does not feature an NPU. The development kit features a module design where the new swappable compute modules allow flexible configurations. The devkit will support open Yocto Linux distribution and Synaptics AI toolkit for quick AI integration. […]
Azulle Access Pro Intel N100 PC stick ships with Windows 11, Linux, or Zoom
Azulle Access Pro is a PC stick based on an Intel N100 quad-core Alder Lake” processor with up to 8GB RAM, 128GB eMMC flash, and a male HDMI port which is offered with Windows 11 Pro, Linux, or “Zoom” operating systems (more on that below). The mini PC also provides a microSD card slot, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 with an external antenna, USB 3.0 Type-A and Type-C ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack. We’ve written about pocket-sized mini PCs based on Alder Lake-N processors before, for instance, the MeLe PCG02 Pro N100 or the slightly wider MeLe Quieter4C, but the Azulle model is different since it comes with a male HDMI connector which would allow users to connect it directly into a TV or monitor without a cable. Azulle Access Pro specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N100 quad-core Alder Lake-N processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) […]
Pivistation 5 – A Raspberry Pi 5 Camera Kit to quickly get started with computer vision (Crowdfunding)
Arducam Pivistation 5 is an all-in-one Raspberry Pi 5 camera kit that aims to provide a turnkey hardware and software solution to quickly get started with computer vision applications and offered with a choice of camera sensors designed for various applications. The system looks like a Raspberry Pi 5 SBC housed in the official case fitted with a camera. Three models are available, namely the “Hawkeye” featuring a high-resolution 64MP autofocus camera, the “Darksee” with an 8MP camera sensor with ultra low-light sensitivity, and the “Klarity” with a 20MP camera with fixed focus and a large 1-inch sensor. Pivistation 5 specifications All the cameras above rely on a rolling shutter, but the company is also working on the upcoming Arducam Pivistation 5 Swift model that includes a global shutter for robotics applications. Besides the pre-assembled hardware, the Arducam Pivistation 5 family aims to quicken the development process with pre-installed software […]
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS “Noble Numbat” released with Linux 6.8, up to 12 years of support
Canonical has just released Ubuntu 24.04 LTS “Noble Numbat” distribution a little over two years after Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” was released. The new version of the operating system comes with the recent Linux 6.8 kernel, GNOME 46, and a range of updates and new features we’ll discuss in this post. As a long-term support release, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS gets a 12-year commitment for security maintenance and support, with five years of free security maintenance on the main Ubuntu repository, and Ubuntu Pro extending that commitment to 10 years on both the main and universe repositories (also free for individuals and small companies with up to 5 devices). This can be extended a further 2-year, or 12 years in total, for Ubuntu Pro subscribers who purchase the Legacy Support add-on. Canonical explains the Linux 6.8 kernel brings improved syscall performance, nested KVM support on ppc64el, and access to the […]
Firefly AIBOX-1684X compact AI Box delivers 32 TOPS for large language models, image generation, video analytics, and more
Firefly AIBOX-1684X is a compact AI Box based on SOPHON BM1684X octa-core Arm Cortex-53 processor with a 32 TOPS AI accelerator suitable for large language models (LLM) such as Llama 2, Stable Diffusion image generation solution, and traditional CNN and RNN neural network architectures. Firefly had already released several designs based on the SOPHON BM1684X AI processor with the full-featured Firefly EC-A1684XJD4 FD Edge AI computer and the AIO-1684XQ motherboard, but the AIBOX-1684X AI Box offers the same level of performance, just without as many interfaces, in a compact enclosure measuring just 90.6 x 84.4 x 48.5 mm. AIBOX-1684X AI box specifications: SoC – SOPHGO SOPHON BM1684X CPU – Octa-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 2.3 GHz TPU – Up to 32TOPS (INT8), 16 TFLOPS (FP16/BF16), 2 TFLOPS (FP32) VPU Up to 32-channel H.265/H.264 1080p25 video decoding Up to 32-channel 1080p25 HD video processing (decoding + AI analysis) Up […]
GEEKOM XT12 Pro review – Part 2: Windows 11 Pro tested on an Intel Core i9-12900H mini PC
We’ve already checked out the specifications, and gone through an unboxing and a teardown of the GEEKOM XT12 Pro mini PC in the first part of the review, so we’ll now report our experience with the 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H mini PC with Windows 11 Pro operating system. In this second part of GEEKOM XT12 Pro, we’ll test the features of the Alder Lake mini PC in Windows 11 Pro, run benchmarks, test networking and storage, evaluate cooling performance, and finally provide some numbers for fan noise and power consumption. Software overview and features testing The System->About menu confirms that we have an XT12 Pro mini PC with a 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor clocked at 2.50 GHz (base frequency) and 32GB RAM that runs Windows 11 Pro operating system version 23H2. The system was tested with Windows 11 OS build 22631.3447. HWiNFO64 program provides more details about […]
Raspberry Pi CM4S module gets 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB RAM variants for commercial products
Raspberry Pi has announced three new versions of its Compute Module 4S (CM4S) offering 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB RAM options which is an upgrade from the 1GB variant introduced in 2022. These new modules feature the same Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 SoC used in Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi CM4 and have a starting price of only $25. The main downside is that the modules can only be purchased in bulk (200-unit boxes) through Raspberry Pi Approved Resellers. Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4S (CM4S) specifications: SoC – Broadcom BCM2711 CPU – Quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A72 processor @ 1.5 GHz GPU – VideoCore VI GPU 3D Graphics: OpenGL ES 3.0 and Vulkan 1.1 Video H.265 (HEVC) (up to 4Kp60 decode) H.264 (up to 1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode) Memory – 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM with ECC Storage – 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB eMMC flash; Option for 0GB eMMC Flash […]
Quectel BG95-S5 5G NTN + LTE IoT module can seamlessly connect across satellite and cellular networks
The Quectel BG95-S5 is a “multi-mode” 5G NTN satellite + LTE IoT communication module designed for seamless connectivity in remote areas. It supports 3GPP Release 17 IoT-NTN (S and L band frequencies) and offers fallback options with LTE Cat M1, Cat NB2, eGPRS, and integrated GNSS. These features make the module suitable for asset management, wireless POS, heavy industry, and wearables applications. In January this year, Quectel announced their CC660D-LS IoT NTN module in partnership with Skylo which focuses solely on NTN connectivity, whereas the “multi-mode” BG95-S5 seamlessly switches between different connectivity technologies (NTN, LTE Cat M1, Cat NB2, eGPRS). Quectel BG95-S5 IoT-NTN satellite module specifications: Module Type – NTN satellite communication module Compliance – Supports 3GPP Rel-17 IoT-NTN/ LTE Cat M1/ Cat NB2/ EGPRS module with Ultra-low power consumption Frequency Bands IoT-NTN S-Band – B23/ B256 L- Band – B255 (Under development/ planning) LTE-FDD Cat M1 – B1/ 2/ […]