A Shenzhen-based startup called Wizarm has launched an Indiegogo campaign for a hackable media player with DVR recording, HDMI pass-through, Miracast support, and video overlay capabilities. The Wizarm device dual-boots Android and Linux on a Samsung Exynos 5250 system-on-chip, and offers SATA storage and extensive I/O including USB, HDMI in/out, DisplayPort, and S/PDIF.
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Mad Catz announced $250 pre-orders for its Nvidia Tegra 4-based Android game console. The MOJO Micro-Console for Android ships with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, USB and Ethernet ports, and a separate gamepad controller with multiple modes for playing games on TVs, PCs, or other Android devices.
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The audio track and slide deck from the Linux Foundation’s recent free webinar on the “Growth of Android in Embedded Systems” are available for download at the LF’s website. The presentation by Benjamin Zores, Android Platform Architect at Alcatel-Lucent, is aimed at developers, project managers, and CxOs in companies developing embedded systems and devices.
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Amrel announced a compact, rugged, handheld based on a TI OMAP SoC and certified per MIL-STD for harsh environments. The Rocky DF6 is touted as lightweight at “less than a pound” and thin at “less than an inch,” sports a 5-inch sunlight readable WVGA resistive touchscreen, offers WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, and GPS wireless, and is available with a choice of Android or Windows Embedded CE OSes.
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RCA is previewing a $200 Android-based music system on its RCA Tablets website. The RCS13101E Internet Music System features built-in WiFi and a removable tablet-style display, and is billed as a modern alternative to the traditional modular stereo system, for use in bedrooms, dorm rooms, and family rooms.
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ABI Research says its data from the first half of 2013 indicate that leadership of the mobile tablet market has now shifted from Apple to Android. Data from the second quarter show the number of Android-powered tablets sold surpassing iPads for the first time, and the share of tablet-related hardware revenues achieving parity.
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CyanogenMod, which develops and distributes popular Android mods for hundreds of smartphones and tablets, has morphed from an open source project into a fully-funded startup. Following a $7 million funding round, CyanogenMod Inc. is readying a much-improved installer and plans to add security and user-customization features, and it hinted it may get into services and even mobile hardware.
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Kontron announced a Linux- and Android-ready Pico-ITX single board computer with extended temperature support, built around a Texas Instruments Sitara AM3874 system-on-chip. The KTAM3874/pITX provides up to 2GB RAM and 16GB flash, supports HDMI/LVDS dual displays, runs on less than 5 Watts, and offers I/O including Ethernet, USB 2.0, serial, CAN, and SATA, plus mini-PCIe and microSD expansion.
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Renault’s Android-based R-Link in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) tablet is now available in 15 Renault car models, selling as a 599 Euro ($800) option. The R-Link system’s 7-inch touchscreen provides TomTom navigation services, Bluetooth audio streaming, speech recognition and text-to-speech, and on Renault’s electric cars, extensive “eco functions” including a service for tracking remaining range.
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Zhongshan Gosinggo has begun selling a 4.1 x 1.5 x 0.6-inch Android 4.1 mini-PC that includes both WiFi and Ethernet ports. The Gosinggo GSG-TB-06 is equipped with a 1GHz Allwinner A10 processor and Mali-400 GPU, as well as 1GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 32GB of flash, an HDMI port, and dual USB ports.
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Nvidia announced a reference design for 7-inch Android tablets using its ARM Cortex-A15-based Tegra 4 system-on-chip, which could show up in sub-$200 slates by year’s end. The Tegra Note design is equipped with a 1280 x 800 IPS screen with stylus support, dual cameras including a 5-megapixel model with Nvidia Chimera technology, and 10-hour battery life.
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The Linux Foundation announced a free Sept. 26 webinar on the “Growth of Android in Embedded Systems.” Android is increasingly being built into a wide range of consumer electronics devices and even industrial equipment where various embedded Linux distributions and real-time operating systems (RTOSes) currently rule the roost.
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Jolla announced that its Sailfish OS is now fully compatible with Android, letting the Linux-based mobile OS run Android apps, as well as operate on hardware configured for Android. Jolla also announced that a second batch of pre-orders for its Sailfish-based Jolla phones will open later this week, after having sold out its first shipment in August.
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Clarion Malaysia opened pre-orders on an Android-based in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) head unit. The AX1, which appears to be Clarion’s first Android-based IVI system, features a 6.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, Bluetooth, navigation, voice control, 1080P full HD playback, and a built-in WiFi hotspot.
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Intel shared new details about its 22nm “Silvermont” architecture “Bay Trail-T” system-on-chip, targeting affordable Android and Windows 8 tablets. The Intel Atom Z3000 family SoC will come in dual- and quad-core models, offering twice the performance of current Atom chips while providing 10-hour battery life, says Intel.
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Radxa is accepting preorders for a compact, open, Android- and Linux-ready single board computer based on a 1.6GHz quad-core Rockchip RK3188 SoC. The $89 and $69 Radxa Rock and Rock Lite SBCs offer up to 2GB RAM and 8GB flash, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet connectivity, real-world ports for HDMI, Ethernet, USB, and S/PDIF, and numerous other interfaces on a pair of expansion headers.
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Chinese tech firm Xiaomi announced a 47-inch, Wistron-built smart HDTV based on a Snapdragon 600 SoC priced at less than $500. The Xiaomi TV was announced along with a 5-inch Mi3 phone, which similarly runs a homegrown MIUI Android build on a Snapdragon 800 or Tegra 4 SoC, and offers a 13-megapixel camera.
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Samsung unveiled its first smartwatch at IFA in Berlin this week. Although the Galaxy Gear reportedly runs a customized Android OS, the device serves as a remote Bluetooth accessory to a paired Samsung smartphone or tablet, and cannot independently access Internet content or services.
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Recently filed FCC test documents offer a sneak peek at a new device in Sony’s NSZ-series Google TV media player lineup. Although the NSZ-GU1 plugs directly into a TV’s HDMI connector, it’s considerably larger than HDMI stick-style adapters like Google’s Chromecast or Plair’s device, which eschew Google TV in favor of remote management by a computer or mobile device.
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U.K.-based car manufacturer McLaren is adding an Android-based in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system to its 2013 MP4-12C sports car based on Parrot’s Asteroid system. The Formula One inspired racer’s updated IRIS IVI system introduces new features like Pandora radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, and voice controlled music selection.
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