FXI Cotton Candy – The Miniature PC On A Stick

 

FXI Technologies has recently just released in limited availability the Cotton Candy miniaturized dual-core PC computer the size of a USB flash drive.

The FXI cotton candy is referred to as an “any screen computer” which really means it’s a tiny miniaturized fully capable PC computer that doesn’t come with a screen or monitor. These miniaturized computer devices are ideal for embeded applications including portable set top box gaming and entertainment equipment, mobile “any screen” computing, and a full range of specialized applications including medical, automotive, security, surveillance, and other dedicated solutions.

This tiny fully contained computer is packed with impressive raw horsepower and offers integrated HDMI, USB and MicroUSB connectivity for surprising flexibility in the portable market.

And let’s talk about just how how tiny and compact. The Cotton Candy miniaturized PC on a stick weighs only 21 grams. That’s just a little over 1/2 ounce. The dimensions of this super miniaturized computer are roughly 3 inches in length and a bit over 1/2 inch in width.

The cotton candy architecture will lend itself as an ideal add on to smartphones, tablet computers and notebook PCs including Macs. In addition, the device is perfect for adding intelligent computing capabilities to displays, set top boxes and gaming consoles.

 FXI Cotton Candy Technical Specifications

• ARM® Cortex™ A9 1.2GHz Central Processing Unit (CPU) with NEON extensions and Trustzone extensions.
• ARM® Mali™ 400MP Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) delivers 720p and 1080p OpenGL ES v2.0, can process 30M Polygons and 1.2 GPixels per second.
• Wifi 802.11 b/g/n network connectivity.
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR.
• 1GB DRAM memory.
• Up to 64GB expandable memory with microSD local storage.
• Supports standard OS’s including, Android (Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich), Linux (Ubuntu),  and includes embedded virtualization client for Windows, Linux, Mac.
• USB 2.0 port for power and connection to devices that support USB mass storage.
• HDMI 2.1 port with audio.
• Decodes MPEG-4, H.264 and other video formats, displays HD graphics on any HDMI equipped screen.

FXI Technologies (www.fxitech.com) is a Norway-based hardware and software startup with a focus on improving the world of digital screens with smart and personal capabilities. This includes initiatives

• Improving consumer access to Cloud computing.
• Accelerate the adoption and use of “smart screen” technologies.
• Easy ability to share media and content (videos, movies, photos, games, etc.) from mobile and portable devices on large screens and projectors.

FXI Cotton Candy, the PC on a stick, may very well open up even more exciting embedded computing applications around the corner, and we’ll be ready to talk about it here at Mint Gadgets. If you’re interested in learning more about the cotton candy miniature PC on a stick, you can visit the comunity website at cstick.com where development units are available now for pre-order.

Source: [FXI - cstick.com]

 

ASUS EB1021-B028E Nettop PC

 

With so much focus on mobile and portable computing, don’t overlook the computing horsepower, ultra-compact footprint and ever lower prices of the desktop computers available today. The ASUS EB1021-B028E Nettop PC is a new offering from ASUS in the growing nettop category that packs some of the most powerful features in an attractive and sleek ultra-compact PC design.

The ASUS EB1021-B028E Nettop PC provides plenty of performance to drive full HD entertainment. This  ultra-compact PC design is equipped with a VESA mounting capability so you can easily attach on the back of a suitable monitor. Not only a smart space-saving footprint, this nettop PC is also super energy efficient. Equipped with an efficient 1.65 GHz AMD Dual-Core E-450 processor, the Super Hybrid Engine technology designed by ASUS boosts system performance while lowering power consumption by as much as 70%.

Don’t let the small, compact footprint fool you into thinking this might be a wimpy, low-powered machine. Not the case! This ASUS nettop computer can easily handle the peak demands of high-performance tasks including DirectX 11 applications, fast wireless communications, and full HD entertainment. And the EB1021 nettop is equipped with 2GB of fast DDR3 memory for superb multimedia performance.

ASUS EB1021-B028E Nettop PC Features

• AMD Dual-Core E-450 1.65GHz Processor. A powerful processor and energy efficient too.
• 2GB of DDR3 Memory. High speed RAM for great multimedia performance.
• 320GB SATA hard drive provides lots of storage space for all of your digital needs.
• AMD Integrated Radeon HD 6320 GPU easily supports 1080p, full HD media applications.
• 802.11 b/g/n WiFi network with wireless antenna for simple connection to your  home Wi-Fi network.
• Super Hybrid Engine technology consumes 70% less energy.
• Ultra-compact PC design saves space and looks great.
• Attractive sleek black case is compatible with any environment.
• Bundled with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

We especially love the low price of the ASUS EB1021-B02E Nettop PC. All of this great computing performance in a super-compact form factor for only $329.99 at TigerDirect (and comes with free shipping)!

Available: TigerDirect

Price: $329.99

Samsung Stratosphere 4G Android Phone

 

The word stratosphere usually invokes thoughts about our planet’s upper atmosphere  and outer space. Now Samsung and Verizon Wireless bring a new meaning to the term stratosphere with their latest smartphone device, the Samsung Stratosphere. This latest breed of smartphone makes the other smart phone devices seem outdated. Once you move up to the Samsung Stratosphere you won’t ever want to go back.

This model comes under the Samsung Galaxy S family and is the second device in this family to be a 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) smartphone and to have an Android 2.3 Gingerbread system. This system will ensure updates from the Android wave plus easy accessibility to all Google services.

The Samsung Stratosphere has a four inch Super AMOLED screen that’s accompanied by a five row QWERTY keyboard making typing and maneuvering through this phone a piece of cake. Besides Microsoft Exchange Active Sync support, it is also B2B activated via Cisco making it more suitable for business and all you road warriors out there. But don’t let the business features stop you!

Instead of dual core, it still uses 1GHz single-core Humming Bird, but don’t let that throw you off. It has a download speed of 5Mbps – 12Mbps and upload speeds of 2Mbps to 5Mbps when you’re within a 4G Mobile coverage area. The Stratosphere has two cameras, the 5.0 Megapixel with LED flash at the back and the 1.3 Megapixel up front.

Of course the Samsung Stratosphere is WIFI capable and has some pretty cool security features. It’s one of the most complete packages we’ve seen and won’t leave you wanting for more. The phone has a market list price of $ 499.00 and should be available at the nearest Verizon Wireless outlet near you. You might also want to consider a super convenient online purchase through the Amazon Wireless store, the new Samsung Stratosphere is available for only $.01 (one penny) depending on the service type/plan you choose. Now that’s almost free!

Available: Amazon

Price: $0.01 (one penny depending on wireless service/plan)

 

The Kindle Fire Is On Fire

It would be almost impossible to have escaped the hype and buzz around the new Amazon Kindle Fire this season. And the buzz is not just about the great price of $199, which is half the price of an Apple iPad. It really looks like Amazon has hit a home run with the Kindle Fire. Maybe you just need to get one to find out what the fuss is all about!

Kindle Fire is Great For Travelling

If you’re on the go and do a lot of travelling, whether taking an extended trip or maybe just that long commute to work every day, the Kindle Fire will definitely keep you entertained and engaged. And the Kindle Fire is much more convenient to carry with you than a laptop, notebook or larger tablet device like the Galaxy Tab. The Fire has a larger sized screen and that means that viewing movies is a vastly better experience than with a regular smartphone.

And many people are saying that the Kindle Fire has a more convenient and easier to hold form factor than the 10 inch iPad.

Kindle Fire is Powered By Android

Did you know that the OS underneath the Kindle Fire is Android? What a powerful move Amazon has made building the Kindle Fire on top of the Android OS. Now mind you, some reviews out there have complained that even though the Kindle Fire runs on Android, you don’t have access to the Android Marketplace. But think about it, this actually makes sense. The Kindle Fire doesn’t have many of the hardware functions typically found on Android devices such as a GPS, accelerometer, camera, etc., so it really would be useless to download many of the Android apps that depend on these device functions.

Instead, what Amazon offers is the Kindle Store which provides many of the most popular apps that everyone is interested in such as Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Netflix, ESPN, Accuweather, and so on.  And Amazon assures that apps from the Kindle Store will run on the Kindle Fire. The apps in the Kindle Store have been thoroughly tested and optimized to function perfectly on the Kindle Fire, so you have nothing to worry about when you download or purchase these apps.

Running on Android, the Kindle Fire can multitask which means you can do things simultaneously like listen to music while browsing the Internet, reading a book or playing a game.

Amazon Prime Is All About Content

And have you heard about Amazon Prime? For a very affordable $79 a year subscription, you get unlimited access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows on demand at any time. A one time annual service fee, no further monthly payments to make. You can watch these movies anytime you want, on demand, directly from the Amazon Cloud.

The Kindle Fire uses a fast wifi connection to stream movies and music directly to your device. This is a key focus for Amazon to manage and deliver all of this great content from the Amazon Cloud. The idea is to make it easy and seamless to access the content and media you want without having to think about it. It’s not so much about the device, it’s all about the content!

For example, say you’re watching a movie and you your wifi connection gets interrupted. The Kindle Fire is smart enough to know where you left off and can resume the movie at a later time from the same point. We think Amazon Prime will revolutionize the way users seamlessly access digital content.

The Kindle Fire is A Tablet Too

Keep in mind, as we mentioned, the Kindle Fire is more about the content than the device. Again, the primary function of the Kindle Fire is to serve as a media consumption device and give you easy, seamless access to the huge media library licensed by Amazon.

But don’t lose sight of the fact that the Kindle Fire is a pretty smart and capable tablet device too!  As we mentioned, not only does the Android operating system allow you to download all kinds of apps including utilities, games, tools, office products, and more. You can also send and receive email, maybe check a presentation you have to make, or compose quick reports. You can do all of this on your Kindle Fire!

And how about Kindle Silk, the highly optimized browser that Amazon has designed for the Kindle Fire?  The revolutionary Kindle Silk browser harnesses the full power of the Amazon Cloud to make your browsing experience blazing fast. And with a Kindle Fire device, you have  free access to Amazon Cloud Storage to upload and store all of your media and then access it from anywhere. Very nice!

It looks like the Kindle Fire has really revolutionized handheld tablets and is clearly giving competitors a run for their money. But don’t wait for the competition to try and catch up, just get a Kindle Fire today!

Available: Amazon

Price: $199

Rovio WiFi Roaming Bot

 

If you are always away from your home and worried about the condition and surroundings, the Rovio WiFi Roaming Robot is exactly the thing for you. This little robot can be controlled via the computer so even if you are miles away, you can move your Rovio WiFi Roaming Robot anywhere you want to. Look through its all seeing eyes and find out if things are really well at home.

It is not just about seeing though because Rovio allows you to communicate via its 2-way audio capabilities. It comes with a microphone and speaker which is perfect if you have someone at home you want to talk to. The best thing is that whatever Rovio sees can be streamed live – it doesn’t matter what browse or operating system you are using in your computer, you will be able to use Rovio because it is compatible with all systems.

While I noticed certain problems with the batteries, I must say that the Rovio WiFi Roaming Robot is an extremely handy tool to have. Being away from home and missing your family must be terrible especially if travelling is part of your daily repertoire. With Rovio, you will feel like you are really there and present even if you are in actual fact many miles away.

The best thing about Rovio is the fact that you can communicate using the microphone and listen to your loved ones through the speakers. Who doesn’t love robots? At just $129.99, Rovio can now be yours!

Available: Thinkgeek

Price: Out of stock currently but will be available soon

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