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MK808B Pro Android TV Stick Mini Review

MK808B PRO is the first Amlogic S905 TV stick readily available for sale, and GeekBuying sent me a sample for review. I’ve already checked out the hardware, and the lack of heatsink is a worry, so we’ll see how it performs in this mini review, where I’ll focus mainly on potential pitfalls, rather than do a throrough review as usual, since I’ve already tested so many Android TV boxes powered by Amlogic S905 processor First Boot, Settings, and First Impressions I’ve connected MINIX NEO A2 Lite air mouse RF dongle to the USB port, and Tronsmart Mars G01 wireless gamepad dongle to the mini USB port via the provided USB OTG adapter, and the provided HDMI cable to the AUX port of my AV receiver and nothing else, except the power adapter to the other mini USB port. Boot time typically takes about one minute that it’s not a speed […]

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What’s the Best Android TV Box?

[Update December 26, 2017: I’ve posted a new version of this post entitled “What’s the Best Android TV Box (2017/2018 Edition)?“. I’ll leave the post below to have an historical perspective] I often get asked which TV box to buy, or what the best Android TV box is, and the answer is the TV box that fits your needs for the lowest price point possible. Considering there are around 2 millions apps for Android, they are multitudes of use cases, and you can’t provide a single answer for everybody. So I’ll provide a list of things to look for beside the processor, and three TV boxes that I think are worth considering, before providing alternatives for people who want cheaper devices. Things to Look for There are still a few things you may want to specifically look for before purchasing an Android TV box: History of regular firmware updates – […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM
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Sub $100 Remix OS Laptops Powered by Allwinner A64 Processor Are Coming Our Way

Remix OS is a fork of Android making the popular operating system more suitable for desktop use with a start-up menu, better handling of multi-tasking, multi-window support, etc… It’s found in several tablets and TV boxes including Jide’s own Remix mini. But Charbax has showcased a few Remix OS laptop prototypes based on Allwinner A64 processor, with the video apparently shot from Allwinner office. The first model is a white 11.6″ laptop (1366×768) with Allwinner A64 quad core Cortex A53 processor, looking quite similar to Olimex DIY laptop prototype also based on A64, with 1 to 2GB RAM, 8GB to 32GB flash, and a “nice keyboard and touchpad”. The second model is based on the hardware, except the screen is larger (14.1″). It features HDMI output, two USB 2.0 ports, a micro SD slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Those two models are expected to sell between $80 and $100 […]

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Matricom G-Box Q2 Android TV Box Review

Another guest review from Karl, this time, with Matricom G-Box Q2 Android 5.1 TV box based on Amlogic S812 processor. First Impressions Today I will be reviewing the G-Box Q2 by Matricom. This is a follow up device to the popular G-Box Q. The first day I plugged it in and did some basic first impressions I thought it was laggy…..but after using it and setting up the way I am accustomed to using it…I found it very fast and responsive. From the time power is applied to launcher is loaded is about 33 seconds. The software seems solid and I ran into only minor issues. It got very respectable scores between 38000 and 42000 on Antutu. The box does have a lot of software that I am not a fan of, but these can be easily uninstalled. The launcher that comes with it is ok but I prefer a […]

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Xiaomi Mi WiFi 3 Router Unboxing, Teardown, and Serial Console

Mi WiFi 3 is the new low cost 802.11ac WiFi router by Xiaomi that sells for about $40. GearBest send my one sample for evaluation, and today, I’ve taken some photo of the device and board, and connected the UART pin to see if the serial console was accessible for people who want to try to port OpenWrt for example. Xiaomi Mi WiFi 3 Unboxing There’s some information on the package, but everything is in Chinese, except the part about AC1200 meaning it supports up to 867 Mbps with 802.11ac and 300 Mbps using 802.11n. The router comes with a 12V/1A power supply, and a user’s manual in Chinese only. There’s also a QR code inside the box linking to the Android and iOS apps,  available both in English and Chinese, so actually that one of the few Xiaomi product that should be easy to use outside of China without […]

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Doogee Smart Cube P1 Android Projector Unboxing and Quick Try

Doogee Smart Cube P1 is an Android 4.4 projector that looks somewhat like a Rubik’s cube, powered by Amlogic S805 processor and featuring Texas Instruments DLP solution. GearBest sent me a sample for review, and today, I’ll start by checking the device itself, before writing a review in a few days. The mini projector only ships with a 5V/2A power supply / charger, and its USB cable. So your smartphone will have to be the remote control, unless you connect an RF dongle for your air mouse or wireless keyboard. There’s also no user’s manual either. Not that I normally read them, but a description of the features would have still been nice. Anyway, it’s easy enough to find out. The projector is on one side, the blue and yellow side features with a USB port and reset pinhole, and the red and white side, the micro USB port for […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
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Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced Review

We’ve already taken Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced TV box apart in the unboxing and teardown post, and after changing the language to English, seen the performance is excellent thanks Mediatek MT8693 hexa-core processor, so I’ve done further experiments and tests with the device, and will report my findings in this review. Settings and Power Handling and Consumption Mibox 3 Enhanced boots reasonably fast I can get to the user interface within 30 seconds. We’ve already the main GITV user interface in previous posts, but I had not gone through the settings yet. There are eight main sections: Display Resolution settings – 3840×2160 @ 60/50/SMPTE24/30/24 Hz, 1080p @ 60/50 Hz, 720p @ 60/50 Hz, Scale and position – For overscan adjustment Sound Button sounds – On/Off Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format – PCM/Raw data (actually used for HDMI audio pass-through) System_update – MIUI TV firmware OTA update Device & Bluetooth – […]

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Mini PCs and Cloudbooks Powered by Intel Apollo Lake Pentium and Celeron Processors, Successors of Braswell SoCs, are Expected in H2 2016

Intel released a presentation entitled “Design Considerations and Reference Designs for Entry, Value and Mainstream PCs” at IDF 2016 Shenzhen, explaining the company vision about low power laptops and mini PCs. At the core of those devices will be “Apollo Lake” Pentium and Celeron Processors with 6 to 10W TDP replacing Braswell processors with better CPU and graphics performance, lower power consumption, and low overall BoM cost. Beside mini PCs, the processors will also find their way into what Intel calls Cloudbooks, some sort of laptops with 2 to 4GB RAM, 32 to 64GB storage, no hard drive, and displays whose size ranges from 11.6″ to 14″. So it looks like Cloudbooks may be the new Netbooks, with better performance and larger displays. Cost savings on the mainboard are achieved thanks to the integration of many features (Signal Processor, SD Card bridge chip, Spead Spectrum Clock…), low power consumption leading […]

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