Nuts and Volts - December 2015

Mini Android PC, Mini Price

When you introduce a Kickstarter project with a $50,000 goal and end up raising well over $1 million, that’s a pretty good sign. Well, that’s what happened with the Remix Mini — said to be the world’s first true Android PC.

The little computer built in China by Jide ( www.jide.com/en) is based on the Android-based Remix OS, so you get to use the entire range of Android apps plus standard PC features like multiple windows, a taskbar, and the ability to hook up a mouse and keyboard. Sure, you’re not likely to use it for high-level gaming or tracking satellites, but the Mini does include an Allwinner 64-bit, 1.2 GHz, quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, and your choice of a device with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB of eMMC Flash storage (slower than SSD, but cheaper), or 2 GB and 16 GB. Not exactly a powerhouse, but the benefit is that it doesn’t suck up much power, either.

A typical desktop will gulp down between 65W and 250W, but the Mini sips a mere 10W. The machine includes 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, and a 4K HDMI 1.4 port, Ethernet port, a headphone jack, and two USB 2.0 ports. Best of all, they are slated to sell for $40 and $50 after manufacturing ramps up, so your Christmas shopping can be pretty simple this year. ▲

■ Jide’s Remix Mini offers a 64-bit chipset and costs less than an electric toothbrush.

Sensor to Avoid Crowds

Let’s say you’re one of those folks who doesn’t like crowds and hate standing in line. As a result, you often decide to stay home to avoid the frustration of waiting for a table at your favorite restaurant, fighting the hoards for sale items at Macy’s, or bumping up against a herd of sweaty people at the gym. If so, you’ll be happy to hear about a new device from recent startup, Density ( www.density.io).

The Density IR sensor is a basic people counter that — installed at the entrance to a public place — keeps track of how many people have entered and how many have exited, thus allowing it to provide both real time and historical data to help you decide when and if to drop in. Gathered information is collated by the Density Application Programming Interface and transmitted to a web application for use by a custom app.

For example, a company team is installing them in UC Berkeley gyms and other workspaces, and a Sacramento-based outfit called Requested ( requestedapp.com) uses the system to generate restaurant discounts during off-peak periods. It doesn’t appear that a significant number of locations have Density installed at present, but who knows? It could catch on — especially given that hardware and installation are free. There is a monthly fee of $25, however, to use Density, but if it generates even a few extra customers, it seems well worth it. ▲