News : Allwinner introduces dual and quad-core tablets

Chinese chip maker Allwinner has introduced two new processors for tablets, TV sticks, and other low power devices. They’re dual and quad-core chips called the Allwinner A20 and Allwinner A31, respectively.

Allwinner A31

The Allwinner A10 single-core chip has been a relatively popular chip with Chinese device makers due to its low price and decent performance.

That’s the processor that powers the original MK802 Android 4.0 Mini PC and a number of other mini PCs. It’s proven popular with tinkerers, because Android isn’t the only supported operating system. Users have been installing Ubuntu and other Linux-based software on Allwinner A10 devices for months, and the PengPod line of tablets are expected to ship soon with a desktop Linux operating system preloaded.

While the Allwinner A10 is a single core ARM Cortex-A8 processor with Mali 400 graphics, Allwinner’s new chips feature faster ARM Cortex-A7 cores and more powerful graphics.

Allwinner A20 dual-core

Allwinner’s A20 is a dual core chip with 512KB of L2 cache and 128KB of L1 cache, dual-core Mali 400 graphics, and support for 2160p HD video playback.

This chip is pin-to-pin compatible with the Allwinner A10, which means that device makers should be able to quickly and cheaply upgrade existing designs to feature the new processors.

Unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be any official support for Linux yet... but it’s not out of the question.

Allwinner A31 quad-core

This quad-core chip features 1MB of L2 cache, 256KB of L2 cache, and PowerVR SGX 544 graphics. It supports 4K ultra high definition video decoding.

While the A31 is also an ARM Cortex-A7 chip, it’s not pin-to-pin compatible with the company’s earlier chips the way the Allwinner A20 is. And since the PowerVR graphics are licensed from Imagination Technologies (a company that’s not known for releasing source code), it’s unlikely that we’ll see strong Linux support for this chipset.

via Think Electronics 

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The Mini PC with wireless keyboard

 

A1-330 Mini PC with wireless keyboard can make the TV change to computer.

Configurations: Allwinner A10 solution, 1G/512M memory, 4-16G storage, Android4.0 OS, TF card slot, WIFI502.11b/g/n, HDMI, 2160P video decode, Android4.0 OS

The package

The back of the package

Information about the Mini PC

The white one and black one

The USB port

The wireless keyboard

The right mouse button

The trackball

The mouse wheel

The left mouse button

Other buttons

The back

Connect with the TV

Android4.0 OS

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HackBerry A10 now shipping for $65 (Android, Linux dev board)

The HackBerry A10 is a developer board with an ARM Cortex-A8 processor. It’s sold as a PC without a case, much like the Raspberry Pi. But the $60 HackBerry A10 has a faster processor, more memory and storage, and more input and output ports than the Raspberry Pi.

Miniand first introduced the HackBerry A10 in early August. Now the mini computer is in stock and shipping from the Miniand store — although supplies are limited at the moment.

The HackBerry A10 has a 1.2 GHz Allwinner A10 ARM Cortex-A8 processor with Mali 400 graphics. It has 4GB of built-in storage, an SDHC card for up to 32GB of additional storage, and 512MB to 1GB of RAM.

Right now only the 1GB model is in stock. It sells for $65.

The device also features 2 USB 2.0 ports, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, HDMI output, a 3.5mm microphone jack, composite and component video output, and a 4-pin serial port.

Miniand says the HackBerry A10 supports Google Android 4.0 and Linux, which is no surprise, since it has the same chipset as the Linux-friendly MK802 mini PC.

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[News]UG802 Rockchip RK3066 Android mini PC priced as low as $69

The UG802 Android mini PC seems to be following a path blazed by the MK802before it. Both of these are tiny PC-on-a-stick devices that look like big USB thumb drives.

But they actually include processors, memory, storage, and input and output ports, letting you connect a monitor, mouse, or keyboard and use them like little, low power Android computers.

When the UG802 first went on sale last month, retailers were charging around $89 for the mini PC. Now you can pick one up for just $69.

The UG802 features a Rockchip RK3066 ARM Cortex-A9 dual core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of storage. It features a microSD card slot, HDMI and USB ports, and built-in WiFi.

The CPU should make the little box noticeably faster than the MK802, which has a single core ARM Cortex-A8 chip. The advantage to picking up an MK802 at this point is that there are already a variety of Linux-based operating systems including Fedora and Ubuntu which have been ported to run on the platform. That hasn’t happened yet with the UG802, but I suspect it’s just a matter of time.

Like the MK802, the UG802 is manufactured in China and sold by a number of different distributors. And like the MK802, the pricing seems to vary pretty greatly from one retailer to the next.

A number of sellers are offering the UG802 at AliExpress for $69 and up — but be careful to make sure you’re getting what you pay for. Some AliExpress sellers have a habit of writing misleading information in their headlines or product descriptions (which is why you get a lot of listings that have both UG802 and MK802 in the headlines).

Meanwhile PandaWill is selling the device for $69, and offering lower wholesale prices for resellers.

OvalElephant has also knocked a few bucks off its price. The company had been charging $90 for the UG802, but now you can get one for $87.

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News : Rhombus Tech preparing to launch a PCMCIA-sized computer module for tablets, notebooks, more

Rhombus Tech is working on a project to develop a computer module that supports open source software and which can be used in a variety of devices.

The idea is that you’ll have a PC-on-a-board that works a bit like a Raspberry Pi or MK802 mini PC. But instead of using this as a standalone computer, you’ll be able to slot it into a wide range of devices including tablets and notebooks.

So instead of replacing your laptop when the CPU starts to feel outdated, you’ll be able to pull out the module containing the CPU and other vital components and slide in a newer model.

The first Rhombus Tech design is called the A10 EOMA-68, and it’s expected to be a PCMCIA card-sized PC module powered by an Allwinner A10 ARM Cortex-A8 processor.

That’s the same chip used in the Mela A1000, MK802, Mni X, and a number of other inexpensive Android tablets, TV boxes, and other devices.

In fact, members of the Rhombus Tech team were responsible for the first builds of Ubuntu Linux that were able to run on the Mele A1000… which led to a number of developers porting Ubuntu, Fedora, Puppy, and other Linux-based operating systems to run on Allwinner A10 devices such as the MK802.

Right now the A10 EOMA-68 is still in the planning stages, but Rhombus Techannounced that there’s now a PCB design in place, and the next step is to produce samples that can be used for testing and demonstration purposes.

via Slashdot

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[How-To] #MK802 #Ubuntu Images with/without Droidmote

Here at Miniand we have been hard at work getting Linux images working on the MK802, and we have successfully built Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Lubuntu images.

We have Droidmote server available through a PPA, so you can control the device using your Android phone.

The current version of the images support Wifi, Bluetooth, gamepads, and have a wide range of other drivers enabled.

Demonstration

Videos

• Lubuntu demonstration, including Droidmote, and Gameboy emulation
• Droidmote Linux multi-touch demonstration

Download

• Lubuntu 12.04 v4 A very lightweight version of Ubuntu using LXDE, recommended
  • 1GB 1080p - 307.3MB 8745ae9f3b64ae7c584f461af272a1e5
  • 1GB 720p - 307.3MB 3817c63736135bc24d395f3e81ac96f4
  • 512MB 1080p - 307.3MB 5eb772216410f5c39d3d604c86e7bb63
  • 512MB 720p - 307.3MB e95fec74a314eb77147db58091589b2e
• Xubuntu 12.04 v1 A lightweight version of Ubuntu using XFCE, recommended
• Ubuntu 12.04 v1 The standard Ubuntu release using Gnome
• Kubuntu 12.04 Delayed until next release Ubuntu using KDE as the desktop environment

Other versions:

• Toby's Linaro 12.06 armhf Based on Ubuntu, using ARM hard float which is said to be up to 40% faster on ARM devices
• Rikomagic Lubuntu 12.04 The Rikomagic image, with many known fixes, extra drivers, and an updated kernel

Installation

Warning: this will erase any current data on the SD card. You need an SD card at least 4GB in size.

Mac / Linux

• Download the desired image
• Extract the image, an example using the p7zip CLI is p7zip -d lubuntu-desktop-12.04-4-miniand.com.img.7z
• Insert the SD card
• Find which device the SD card is with fdisk: sudo fdisk -l. It will be something like /dev/sdd
• Copy the image to the SD card with dd, making sure to use the SD device: dd if=lubuntu-desktop-12.04-2-miniand.com.img of=/dev/sdd
• Make sure the write has finished with sync: sudo sync
• Put the SD card into your MK802, turn on the MK802 and enjoy!

Windows

• Download the desired image and extract it with 7-zip
• Insert your SD card
• Download Image Writer and write the image to your SD card. Warning: make sure you pick the correct drive as the contents of the drive will be deleted in the process
• Eject the SD card, put it into your MK802, turn on the MK802 and enjoy!

Usage

General

The default password is miniand.

Droidmote - control using Android phone

• Boot Ubuntu and connect to a network.
• Right click on the networking icon in the panel and see connection information, take note of the IP address.
• Install DroidMote Client on your Android phone or tablet.
• Open DroidMote Client, go to settings, and set the password to "miniand".
• Connect using the IP of your MK802.

Changelog

v4 - 2012-07-21

• Removed Droidmote from the original image since it needs to be updated sometimes. Will package separately as a PPA which will allow automatic updates.

v3 - 2012-07-07

• The Droidmote developer gave us permission to include Droidmote server with the image, so you can use your mobile phone to control Linux. There will be a .deb download soon for users who downloaded the v2 image.
• Correctly created image to not cut off the final 1MB.

v2 - 2012-07-06

• Implemented suzuke's u-boot to unlock 1GB RAM.
• Using Toby's 3.0.36-t1 kernel with paranoid networking disabled and a large range of drivers enabled. This fixes bluetooth among enabling many other things. Performance increase due to new kernel too.
• New technique for building image to dramatically reduce download size.

v1 - 2012-06-14

Initial version.

Known issues

• Hardware video decoding and 3D OpenGL isn't available.

Source Via : Miniland

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Review : $49 Cubieboard is an Allwinner A10 developer board (mini PC)

The Cubieboard is a tiny computer board with an Allwinner A10 ARM-CortexA8 processor, Mali 400 graphics, 1GB of RAM, and 2 SD card slots for storage.

It will be available soon for $49, making it one of the cheapest Alwinner A10-based computers around. That’s partly because this is a developer board rather than a full-fledged PC. It doesn’t include any storage. There’s no case, and you’ll need to plug in USB dongles if you want to add WiFi or Bluetooth support.

Still, for $49, the Cubieboard is a pretty versatile little device. It has 2 USB host ports, 1 USB OTG port, an IR sensor, and an Ethernet port.

There’s an HDMI output for connecting a monitor or TV.

The Cubieboard also has 96 expansion pins including lvds, SATA, and more — although you’ll have to solder the connections yourself.

Like the MK802 and most other devices with Allwinner A10 processors, the Cubieboard should be able to support Android 2.3, Android 4.0, or a range of Linux-based operating systems including Ubuntu and Fedora.

The Allwinner A10 isn’t exactly a speed demon, but it can handle 1080p HD video playback of H.264 and MP4 files, and it handles basic web browsing, gaming, and other tasks about as well as a 2-year old smartphone.

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Review : UPuter Pi development board: $69 Allwinner A10 mini PC

What do you get if you take an MK802 Android 4.0 Mini PC-like device, sell it without the case, and information that will let users connect peripherals to GPIO, JTAG, and UAR connections?

Apparently you get a device called the UPuter Pi, a credit card-sized development board that draws a bit of inspiration from the Raspberry Pi $35 mini computer. Or at least it draws its name from the Raspberry Pi.

QuickEmbed sells the UPuter Pi for $69 and up. That price gets you a device with an Allwinner A10 ARM Cortex-A8 processor, Mali 400 graphics, a microUSB port, USB port, and HDMI connector.

Models will be available with 4GB and 8GB of storage, and 512MB or 1GB of RAM.

QuickEmbed is offering a “model A” version without a case, while a “model B” mini PC with a plastic case will be available in a few months.

As a device with an Allwinner A10 processor, the UPuter Pi should be able to run a range of operating systems including Android 4.0, but also Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux-based operating systems.

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Review : Flytouch VIII based on Allwinner A10 solution

 The Flytouch VIII based on Allwinner A10 solution comes from Shenzhen Kingdom.

Configurations: Allwinner A10 solution, 1.2GHz frequency, 1G memory, 10.1-inch capacitive screen with 1024×600 resolution, front facing camera for video chat, Android4.0 OS, HDMI, RJ45 port, 8000mAh battery, GPS.

The package

It loads Android4.0OS.

The front facing camera for vdeo chat

Ports: two USB ports, HDMI, RJ45 port and TF card slot

WiFi switch button, menu, home, volume control button, power input, GPS antenna port, speaker

10.1-inch body

A10 solution based on Cortex A9 Core and Mali400 GPU has powerful performance.

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News " MK802 II Android 4.0 Mini PC now shipping

The new Rikomagic MK802 II is the latest generation of Android 4.0 Mini PC. It is based on the incredibly popular Rikomagic MK802 which has already set the standard of Android Mini PC’s.
The new MK802 II has a revised form factor which not only feels more compact it also allows easier connection to TV/Displays by using a full size HDMI connector which is located conveniently at the end of the device. The all new ESD circuitry provides trouble free operation on all makes and models of TV/Display. Connectivity has been improved further by the use of micro USB ports and the device now has a total of 3 USB ports despite its incredibly compact form factor.
The MK802 II now features on board power management which allows the user to soft start/shutdown the device eliminating the possibility of data corruption.
At the heart of the Rikomagic MK802 II is the Allwinner A10 Cortex-A8 high speed processor. The redesigned PCB layout of the device allows a true clock speed of 1GHz for much snappier performance. The increased power of the A10 combined with 1GB of onboard High Speed DDR3 RAM means this remarkable device can deliver hardware performance that is close to a desktop computer.
With the MK802 II the user can enjoy 1080P HD video, Access to the internet via the built in browser which has support for rich HTML 5 and Flash content, Play 3D games, Stream music and Download Apps from the Google Play Store, all on a TV with a HDMI connection!

Technical Specifications

Model: MK802 II

OS: Android 4.0 / Can also run desktop versions of Linux from a bootable SD Card.

Main Chip: Allwinner A10/ 1GHz Cortex-A8

Memory: 1GB

Storage: 4GB

Graphics: MALI 400 Processor

Network: Wireless 802.11b/g/n, WAPI(Ralink8188)

Expansion: Micro SD 2-32GB Memory

IO/Ports: Micro USBX2; USB2.0X1; HDMIX1; MicroSDX1

Keyboard: Supports virtual keyboard, supports 2.4G wireless keyboard, fly mouse

Audio: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A

Video: WMV/ASF/MP4/3GP/3G2M4V/AVI/MJPEG/RV10/ DivX/VC-1/MPEG-2/

MPEG-4/H.263/H.264/1280*720P HD 30 fps, 1080P/720*480 D1 30fps

Apps: Google PlayStore, Youtube, Twitter, AngryBirds, Office, Gmail, Browse, Skype.

HDMI: Output 720P, 576P, 480P, 1080P&2160P

Power Input: Powered by USB port.

HDMI: female to male cable,Power adapter(optional).

Unit Size: 9.7*2.8*1.2cm

Total weight: 0.2kg


Package Contents

Rikomagic MK802 II

MicroUSB to Standard USB(male) cable;

MircoUSB to Standard USB(female) adapter;

Full size HDMI to Micro HDMI cable











Click here to buy one for yourself :) or one more for mee xP

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