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. ▲
■ The Density sensor
and API help to avoid
crowds and smooth out
foot traffic.
COMPUTERS and NETWORKING Continued
8 December 2015
CIRCUITS and DEVICES