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LibreELEC (Kodi Linux) on Voyo V1 VMac Mini Apollo Lake Mini PC

I’ve just posted Voyo V1 VMac Mini review with Windows 10 this morning, and at the end I mentioned I quickly tried to run Ubuntu 16.04 without success. Reader Piotr who also happens to be a LibreELEC together with about 65 other team members, noticed it, provided me a link to a development version of LibreELEC 8.0 (mirror link) working with Apollo Lake processors, and explained Ubuntu was not working because Linux needs updated Mesa and Intel drivers. The image is based on Linux 4.10-rc5 with the necessary drivers and Kodi 17. The changes were mostly made by FernetMenta (Rainer Hochecker), and will be merged in Linux 4.10 and Mesa 17.0. He also implemented 10-bit HEVC support that will officially be available in Kodi 18 only and found in daily builds. So let’s try this out. After downloading LibreELEC-Intel.x86_64-8.0-devel-20170130110609-r25167-gd210441.img.gz, I tried to flash it (N.B.: no need to extract it) […]

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Add a 2.5″ Hard Drive to Voyo VMac Mini mini PC with a $20 Custom SATA Cable

When I tore down Voyo VMac Mini mini PC, I noticed a 2.5″ mounting mechanism, and some weird 9-pin SATA connector, but since the hard drive would be so close to the components I assumed this specific case was not designed for a drive, but the board would be compatible. However, it’s now possible to purchase a $20 custom SATA cable from “Voyo Official Store” on Aliexpress to do just that.All you have to do is to open the case, connect the cable to the motherboard, and the hard drive, and mounting the hard drive to the mechanism with four screws. I’m not sure whether you should also use some kind of insulation between the drive and motherboard, as it will be really close, but the company does not mention anything about that. Cooling might also be an issue even though there’s a fan in the mini PC. It’s not […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM
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Review of Voyo VMac Mini PC with Celeron N3450 / Pentium N4200 SoC – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown

I received my first Apollo Lake device yesterday with CHUWI LapBook 14.1 laptop,  and today I got two more with Voyo VMac Mini powered by Intel Celeron N3450 processor sent by GeekBuying, and the version powered by the more powerful Pentium N4200 processor sent by GearBest. I’ll start by checking out the hardware today, before reviewing one of the models, and comparing performance through benchmarks for both mini PCs a little later. Voyo VMac Mini Unboxing Both packages look identical, but the N3450 model has a sticker with basic specs, while the N4200 model did not have anything to indicate which model I received. However, GearBest left a paper inside the package confirming they sent the N4200 version. When I first read the markings on the package, I read “Mac Mini” instead of “VMac Mini”, so if you happen to live in a country where customs care about those things, […]

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CHUWI LapBook 14.1 Apollo Lake Laptop Review – Part 1: Unboxing & (Partial) Teardown

CHUWI LapBook 14.1 is one the first Intel Apollo Lake laptop launched in the market. It features an Intel Celeron N3450 quad core processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and comes with a 14.1″ Full HD IPS Display. The company sent me a sample for review, and I’ll start by checking out the hardware today, before running some tests in Windows 10, and trying to install Ubuntu 16.04 later on. CHUWI LapBook 14.1 Unboxing I received the device in what looks like CHUWI standard package for 14″ laptops, but a sticker on the stop made it clear which model I got.The laptop comes with a 12V/2A power supply and power cord, a user manual in English and Chinese, a warranty card, and a product inspection report. The laptop battery is nearly fully charged, so I started it. I could not find any keys to adjust the display brightness, […]

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NexDock is Working on a Hybrid Laptop Dock for Intel Compute Cards

NexDock first launched a 14″ laptop dock for smartphones, tablets, and development boards via a Indiegogo campaign in 2016, where they successfully raised over $350,000, and delivered rewards to backers last September and October. With the recent introduction of the Intel Compute Card, the company has now decided to work on a new NexDock that will take Intel’s cards. We don’t have much details right now, but the company said that beside the Intel Compute Card, it will come support interchangeable USB type-C modules, and will still support Windows 10 smartphones with continuum feature, Raspberry Pi and other devices that can be connected through a USB-C port. The second drawing also suggests the keyboard will be detachable, and you’ll be able to use NexDock as a Windows tablet. It could be nice to have an Intel laptop with Linux or Windows, and an ARM tablet with Android, but this won’t […]

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$99 Insta360 Air 360 Degrees Video Camera Works with your Android Smartphone and Laptop (Crowdfunding)

Insta360 Nano is a dual camera designed to take 360 degrees videos selling for $190 and up on Amazon US, but it only works on iPhone 6 & 7 series, so the company has designed a new model – Insta360 Air – specifically to work on Android phones with a micro USB or USB-C port, and packaged in a spherical shapes in order to be compatible with most, if not all, brands and models. It also works with laptops thanks to a rigid yet flexible USB cable. Insta360 Air specifications: 210° dual fish-eye lens; minimum Aperture F2.4 Photo Capture Resolution – 3008 x 1504 (3K) Video Capture  – 2560 x 1280 @ 30 fps (some smartphone models also support 3008×1504 @ 30 fps, e.g. Samsung S7, S7 edge, and Huawei P9) Connector – USB micro/Type-C Dimensions – 37.6mm Diameter Weight 26.5g The camera can be used with Insta360 Air app […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
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Mediatek MT8173 Powered Emdoor 2-in-1 Laptops Run Android or Remix OS

Acer Chromebook R13 is the most powered ARM Chromebook so far thanks to its Mediatek MT8173 quad core processor combining two ARM Cortex A72 cores and Cortex A53 cores, as well as a PowerVR GX6250 GPU, 4GB RAM and a 13.3″ touchscreen display. But unless you live in the US or other markets where Chromebooks are sold, it’s pretty hard to buy, and that model is relatively expensive as it sells for close to $550 on Amazon. Emdoor, a Chinese design house, has made 2-in-1 hybrid laptops based on the processor with a 11.6″ or 13.3″ touchscreen display, 1 to 2GB RAM, and 16 to 64GB storage, which – once launched – should be easier to buy, and cost less. Both EM-T8513 and EM-T8516 models share most of the same specifications, except for the display: SoC – Mediatek MT8173 quad core processor with 2x Cortex A72 cores @ up to […]

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CHUWI LapBook 14.1″ Full HD Laptop is Powered by Intel Celeron N3450 Apollo Lake Processor

We’ve already seen Voyo Vbook A1 Apollo Lake laptop based on Intel Celeron N3450 SoC going for pre-order a couple of weeks ago, but its has a 11.6″ display only, and I prefer to use larger screens when I need a laptop as it’s less of a shock when switching from my 39″ TV screen connected to my desktop computer. CHUWI LapBook offers just that with many of the same specifications as Voyo laptop, but with a 14.1″ display instead, and a little less storage & battery capacity. CHUWI LapBook laptop specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3450 quad core “Apollo Lake” processor @ 1.1 GHz / 2.2 GHz (Burst frequency) and 12 EU Intel HD graphics 500 @ 200 MHz / 700 MHz (Burst freq.); 6W TDP System Memory – 4GB DDR3L Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot up to 128 GB Display – 14.1″ IPS […]

Boardcon CM3588 Rockchip RK3588 System-on-Module designed for AI and IoT applications