Category: Android

Rockchip launches multi-window Android user interface

Posted by Charbax – July 19, 2013
Category: Tablets, Rockchip, Android

Rockchip is launching their customized multi-window UI option for Rockchip devices based on Android 4.2.2. This custom UI option is provided for free for all makers of Rockchip based Android 4.2.2 devices. And this is just their first release of this special multi-window UI, if there is a lot of demand for it they will improve it and optimize it further. Rockchip uses graphics and hardware acceleration to optimize this multi-window UI.

What do you think about this custom UI? How does it compare with some previous Android custom UIs for multi-windowing by Samsung, LG and others? Do you think Google is going to release something like this in Android 4.3 or Android 5? I think there is a need to improve productivity and to improve the ways to use multi-tasking on Android, and some types of multi-windowing like this custom UI may be useful, but I think it may be important for these advanced UI features to not add bloat nor slow down the Android UI and they should I think only appear as an option for advanced users and for advanced usage. As ARM Processors performance increases, and number of cores increase, being able to do these types of simultaneous multi-tasking user interfaces may be the best or only way to really use the performance that is available with these new ARM processors on Android.

The Rockchip device maker CHUWI already has released a device with this new multi-window UI pre-installed and activated by default, here is their press release:

CHUWI V88V88S update to Android window operate system

More…

Rockchip shows sub-$10 Miracast/DLNA HDMI Dongle for all Android devices

Posted by Charbax – July 18, 2013
Category: HDMI Sticks, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Computex, Android

Rockchip shows the worlds cheapest Miracast and DLNA HDMI Dongle, Rockchip programmed Linux on their most basic ARM Processor to support quick and easy Miracast and DLNA for any Android WiFi device that can support that, making a WiFi Direct connection to any smartphone, tablet and making it easy to stream all screen content onto the HDTV. Miracast is a default feature for any Android 4.2 device. No configuration, no password prompting, you just connect to the HDMI Dongle directly to start transmitting the screen content to the HDTV.

Rockchip shows H.265 and WebM VP9 video decoding on RK3188

Posted by Charbax – July 18, 2013
Category: Tablets, Set-top-boxes, HDMI Sticks, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Computex, Android

Rockchip shows the world’s first H.265 and VP9 advanced video playback on their Rockchip RK3188 processor. Right now Rockchip is doing this software based decoding, with potential support for hardware based decoding coming later. This shows how the Rockchip RK3188 Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 is fast enough to do such advanced software based video decoding. In the future, even Rockchip’s single-core and dual-core will support H.265 and VP9 codec, the goal is to have 1080p software based playback on RK3188 and 720p support on the Rockchip’s dual and single-core. The H.265 and VP9 support is added with a patch with no need to do a full firmware flash upgrade. The new H.265 HEVC and the WebM VP9 codecs can potentially save something like half the bitrate and file size at the same video quality.

$45 Dual-SIM 7″ MediaTek MT6515 Tablet with hot-swappable batteries

Posted by Charbax – July 17, 2013
Category: Tablets, Smartphones, Exclusive videos, MediaTek, Computex, Android

Check out this 7″ dual-sim-GPRS MT6515 dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 based tablet with hot-swappable batteries that I found on the market in Shenzhen. I think you can get IPS for $10 more and 3G-capable dual-sim MT6577 for $10-$20 more. I like the hot-swappable batteries.

Filmed by http://mobilegeeks.com

Shenzhen Tena RK3188 HDMI Stick and Set-top-boxes

Posted by Charbax – July 17, 2013
Category: Set-top-boxes, HDMI Sticks, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Android

Shenzhen Tena is a close and early partner with Rockchip designing and implementing Rockchip RK3188 based HDMI Sticks and Set-top-boxes, they have 14 production lines currently outputting 30K HDMI Sticks and Set-top-boxes per month but with a capacity that is much higher as soon as software is fully optimized and as soon as demand is maximized.

Shenzhen Tena at the Shenzhen Electronics Fair

Vido Yuandao RK3188 Tablet Factory Tour

Posted by Charbax – July 17, 2013
Category: Tablets, Factory Tours, PCB Design House, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Android

Vido Yuandao Window88 shows around their Shenzhen factory where they are currently manufacturing Rockchip RK3188 based tablets and a lot of other tablets. Here you get a tour around their R&D department, the production lines, packaging, testing and more. One of the tablets that Vido outputs is the Vido Mini One on 7.85″ RK3188 of which you can see my video of here and see a tour at Vido’s booth with more Vido videos to come on http://ARMdevices.net

This is how it looks when I film this type of video at the Vido factory using my Steadicam Merlin 2 on vest:

Charbax video-blogging at Vido factory

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Shuangshuang 9.7″ IPS quad-core for $150, 7″ for $75 and more

Posted by Charbax – June 8, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Allwinner, HKTDC Electronics Fair, Android

Here are all the latest tablets from Juangsu Shuangshuang, including also a $35 Android based TV remote control using IR blaster.

Filmed at the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) 2013

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Wecan drones, remote controlled helicopters, quad-copters and more

Posted by Charbax – June 8, 2013
Category: Robots, Exclusive videos, HKTDC Electronics Fair, Android

Wecan sells drones.

Filmed at the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) 2013

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Pipo tablet company history

Posted by Charbax – June 8, 2013
Category: Tablets, PMPs, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Pipo, Android

Pipo CEO Ben Lai talks about Pipo’s company history, going back to their flash memory based Mp3 players in 2003, then moving to making Mp4 players, working with Rockchip since 2006, thus talking about Rockchip’s history, making a 1.8″ Mp4 color display PMP in 2006, then moving on in 2007 or 2008 to more advanced Mp4 players (so called by Chinese companies as Mp5 players) (that could play all video codecs without re-encoding the videos), Allwinner is the ARM spin-off of Actions MIPS, then Actions recently move back to ARM also. Everyone makes ARM processors now except Realtek (which is a huge trouble for Realtek). Then Pipo moved forward to make GPS, game players, picture frames, Mp4 boom boxes, separating functions of the ARM Powered devices around 2010, Pipo produced one of the Archos LCD based e-readers, then released initial resistive tablets in 2010, and since 2012 the Pipo brand has been launched with focus on high-end quality differentiation for the Chinese Tablet market.

Vido Mini One, 7.85″ RK3188

Posted by Charbax – June 6, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Android

Vido Yuandao releases their new 7.85″ IPS 1024×768 tablet, the retail price can be about $212. 310 grams, it has a slimmer bezel and a thinner form factor than the iPad Mini.

Gadmei Utoo $150 6″ 1280×720 MT6589 Phablet, 8.1″ 3D AmLogic MX 3D tablet and Set-top-box

Posted by Charbax – June 6, 2013
Category: Tablets, Smartphones, Set-top-boxes, Exclusive videos, MediaTek, Computex, Android

New $150 6″ 1280×720 IPS, MediaTek MT6589 quad-core dual-sim phone.

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E-Bot shows $96 7.85″ A31S, $132 9.7″ Retina RK3188 and A31 and more

Posted by Charbax – June 6, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Allwinner, Rockchip, MediaTek, Computex, Android

E-Bot shows good value tablets such as their $96 7.85″ A31S, $132 9.7″ Retina RK3188 and A31, $52 A20 1024×600, $76 1280×800 IPS A31S and more, prices are for 1K bulk orders.

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Mele A1000G Allwinner A31 $119 Set-top-box starts shipping

Posted by Charbax – June 6, 2013
Category: Set-top-boxes, Gaming, Exclusive videos, Allwinner, Computex, Android

Mele is finalizing the software optimizations including maximizing the number of Android games to be optimized for game joysticks gameplay, now starting to ship their newest A1000G Allwinner A31 Quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 based Set-top-box. The performance may be about PS2 grade at the moment, with above PS3 type quality that may be expected once Allwinner releases an ARM Cortex-A15/A7 big.LITTLE platform later in the year. You can order the Mele A1000G A31 box here.

Mele contact:

Gennie
Sales Manager
Email: sales10@mele.cn
SKYPE: apvell091
Mobile: +86 1501 3777 080
Web: http://mele.cn

Pipo M9, 10.1″ 1280×800 IPS RK3188

Posted by Charbax – June 6, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Computex, Pipo, Android

Pipo’s yet most popular RK3188 tablet, this is their 10.1″ 1280×800 IPS RK3188 tablet. They sell more than Rockchip can yet provide of the RK3188 processor, the demand being so huge for this product. This is perhaps one of the first RK3188 devices that was introduced on the market, it’s also perhaps one of the first RK3188 devices with Android 4.2 pre-loaded.

Pipo M8Pro, 9.4″ 1920×1200 RK3188

Posted by Charbax – June 6, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Pipo, Android

Very slim 510gr, 8h battery life with a 6500mAh, running on the RK3188 Quad-core.

Pipo M7Pro, 8.9″ 1920×1200 RK3188

Posted by Charbax – June 6, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Pipo, Android

Here’s Pipo’s new N7Pro high-end 8.9″ Full HD RK3188 tablet. Worldwide availability by the end of June.

Pipo U8, 7.85″ RK3188

Posted by Charbax – June 5, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Rockchip, Computex, Pipo, Android

Pipo releases this 7.85″ RK3188 tablet, to be released in the middle of June.

MSI Primo 93, A31S 1024×768 IPS with 3G

Posted by Charbax – June 5, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Allwinner, Computex, Android

MSI will provide a lower cost dual-core with TN 9.7″ and a quad-core with IPS 9.7″ display.

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MSI Primo 75, A31S 7″ 1280×800 IPS

Posted by Charbax – June 5, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Allwinner, Computex, Android

MSI shows their affordable 1280×800 7″ A31S tablet.

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MSI Primo 81, Allwinner A31S LG 7.85″ 1024×768

Posted by Charbax – June 5, 2013
Category: Tablets, Exclusive videos, Allwinner, Computex, Android

Here’s MSI’s Allwinner A31S 7.85″ tablet. Lighter and price to be comparable with Acer’s 7.85″ tablet also.

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