Tiny CuBox-i Plays Nice With Linux and Android

The CuBox-i runs both Linux and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. "I think the additional support for Android, from the standpoint of app support and availability, is intriguing," said analyst Charles King. "That opens up the entire world of Android-based games and productivity applications. It could be very easy to assemble a very workable desktop for well under $200."

Aiming to capture a piece of the market that has given the Raspberry Pi such a warm reception, SolidRun on Wednesday announced a new tiny computer of its own dubbed the "CuBox-i."

Available in four models with prices starting at US$45, the tiny computer includes an OpenGL|ES 2.0 GPU with OpenCL 1.1 embedded profile support; up to four i.MX6 Cortex A9 ARM processors with as much as 1.2GHz each; an ARMv7 instruction set, including NEON extension support; up to 2GB DDR-3; a multiformat hardware video decoding and encoding engine; an integrated video image processing unit; and HDMI 1080p output.
The CuBox-i runs both Linux and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Prices range up to $120.

'An Excellent Learning Experience' 

"Given the open source SDK and tons of available software packages, our computers can be used in a huge range of scenarios limited only by your imagination, from embedded, multimedia, education, cloud client, HMI and many other fields, as well as all the fun projects you always dreamed of," said Rabeeh Khoury, CTO of SolidRun.
"Everyone can take these computers to their own playground and build their special projects with it," Khoury added. "It can be an excellent learning experience too."

The CuBox-i Block Diagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A host of peripherals are also available, including Ethernet and USB support, an infrared receiver, a microSD slot for operating system storage, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth. The system also has a built-in real-time clock with a battery backup.
The CuBox-i comes packed in a 2 x 2 x 2-inch enclosure with a piano black or red finish.
SolidRun did not respond to our request for further details.

 

Hobby Heaven

The device is not a mainstream consumer product, however. Out of the box it requires programming in order to operate.
"The end users aren't programming," Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates, told LinuxInsider.
This new generation of single-board computers, which includes Raspberry Pi, Odroid, DragonBoard and Rascal, among others, is made possible by advances in technology that allow for more processing power. Even with the advancements, however, they can look a lot like the early days of computers.
"That reminds me of when the computer industry was just getting started," Kay mused. "The Altair didn't have anything -- it didn't have an OS."
The CuBox-i will appeal primarily to a core of hobbyists and makers with programming skills who want to build their own devices that will perform the way they intend them to.
"This class of product goes to the core of what PCs once were, more for hobbyists than for productivity workers," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group. "These are great for kids and adults who just want to mess with technology on the cheap, and can be used in classrooms where kids take homework home for education."

'A Bit More Commercially Oriented'

The fact that the CuBox-i has an enclosure, however, set it apart from competitors including the Raspberry Pi.
"The CuBox-i seems to be a bit more commercially oriented," noted Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. "That is, it is meant to support a bunch of multimedia devices and support any Linux operating system including Android. It seems to be a little more of a conventional small-footprint computer."
The device's price point could also be potentially appealing.
"This is the smallest and certainly the most well-packaged and aggressively priced device," King told LinuxInsider.

A Pocket PC

The Raspberry Pi has already enabled a seemingly infinite array of previously unforeseen applications, and SolidRun lists a number of possibilities on its own website as well. Examples include building an Android TV box, set-top box or entertainment hub for the home.
The device's open source SDK allows hobbyists and developers to use it to create custom solutions. It can also run Lite Desktop and a variety of open source applications, making it a sort of pocket PC.
"The Linux community is supposed to be a bunch of cowboy programmers that know what they're doing," Kay said, "but there aren't that many of those cowboys."
The CuBox-i also runs Linux-based Android, however, thus broadening the device's potential market.

A World of Apps

"I think the additional support for Android, from the standpoint of app support and availability, is intriguing," said King. "That opens up the entire world of Android-based games and productivity applications. It could be very easy to assemble a very workable desktop for well under $200."
In short, the CuBox-i addresses a maker market and encourages programmers to push the boundaries of what technology in small boxes can do.
"They fill an important niche that created the PC market as we know it but which most of the developed PC vendors forgot," Enderle told LinuxInsider. "The Steve Jobs and Bill Gates of our future will likely start with something like this."

Having Fun on the Robotics Playing Field

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Everstorm

We've long had a fascination with robots, and interactive toys keep this fascination alive. Robots already are doing everything from cleaning floors to building cars -- but robots with such a practical bent are typically not what people imagine when they think of robots. The toy industry, however, remains committed to creating the kind of fun, humanoid, and relation-based robots the public craves.

From programmable robots to robotic family pets, toy robots are pushing the limits of interactive technologies.

"Robotics is definitely influencing toys, and there are plenty of robots to talk about," The Toy Insider's Laurie Schacht told TechNewsWorld.

Smart and Silly 

With its Mindstorms robot sets, LEGO is one of the leaders in the toy robotics industry. Users can design and program their own robots, and the soon-to-be-released Mindstorms EV3 promises a more advanced platform and more complex design possibilities.

 Kids create these intricate robots, program them, and finally get to play," said Schacht. "It's fun and learning combined."

 

Other robotic toys, such as Spin Master's pet robot Zoomer, are somewhat simpler and geared toward even younger children who might not be able to design and program a robot.

Zoomer obeys certain voice commands, learns new tricks, and senses when his belly is being scratched.

"This is a silly, cute, interactive dog with all of the fun and none of the responsibility," said Schacht, "and he actually listens and learns."

The WowWee Factor 

WowWee's robots, including its popular Robosapien, are also at the forefront of interactive toys. Robosapien was one of the first toys based on the science of biomorphic robotics -- meaning it imitates the mechanics, systems and sensors of a real body.

The company's remote-controlled robots have dynamic motion capabilities and interactive sensors that make them seem alive, which is an important illusion in the world of robotic toys.

"We're trying to develop synthetic systems that mimic the structure and outputs of biological systems," Peter Yanofsky, founder and president of WowWee, told TechNewsWorld. "We want everyone to enjoy robots."

The company's new RoboMe is designed to be used with an iPhone, which allows it to interact with users, recognize faces, and be programmed to respond to certain keywords and phrases.

"Once you put the iPhone in its head, you can customize it," explained Yanofsky. "It has full telepresence and full customization of triggers."

RobotMe, in essence, becomes an extension of the person using it.

"You can customize anything it says, so it becomes you -- it becomes your alter ego," said Yanofsky. "It's very fun."

Buying Into the Future

Perhaps the most important factor influencing the availability and success of toy robots is pricing. After all, parents need to be able to afford robots for their kids to have access to them.

"The critical point for the toy industry is the ability to deliver cool functionality at an attractive retail price," toy consultant Steven Reece told TechNewsWorld. "For a high-end feature toy, (US)$50 would be a great price, [but] more than that becomes a risk, as the purchase has to stack up against video game consoles, tablet devices and other aspiration tech."

The integration of technology with toys is nothing new, but the kinds of technologies being incorporated into toys of all kinds, including robots, is evolving.

"Tech is part of our kids' lives -- part of school, part of trips to the supermarket, part of how we travel -- so it's no wonder that it will continue to develop more fully into our kids' playthings," said Schacht. "The integration of tech and toys is still a young market, but each year there are a few more things that are magical, even to a grown up like me."

Ultimately, robots are -- perhaps more than any other toy -- an indication of how we think about humanity.

"Robots are perceived as statements about our possible evolution as a species and about our future," said Yanofsky. "As we make them smarter and more capable, we allow people to put their own functions into their robots. They're a reflection of our own capabilities. Our goal is to create super toys."

Microsoft: Xbox One is worth $100 more than PlayStation 4

Xbox director says company is not stressing over being the most expensive console this holiday season; "I just believe that we're going to have a better system," says Albert Penello. 

The Xbox One will be $100 more than the PlayStation 4 and $200 more than the Wii U this holiday season, but Microsoft is not stressing over its stance as the most expensive console.  

"It’s up to us to prove that it’s worth $100 more. I think it is," senior director of product planning and management at Xbox Albert Penello told GameSpot today at PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington.

Penello said the suite of games and services Microsoft is offering with the Xbox One is stronger than the competition.

"I think we do more. I think our games are better. I think as people start to experience Kinect and see what it can do using voice, I think that’s better," he added. "I think the ability to have an all-in-one system where you can plug in the TV, that’s better. I think we’ll have a better online service."

"I just believe that we’re going to have a better system."

Ultimately, consumers want to buy the "best thing," Penello said. The Xbox One's stance as the most premium console this holiday season won't hold it back, he argued.

"$100, when you’re talking $400 vs. $500 [shrugs shoulders]. I don’t believe it’s going to be the deal-killer," he said.

The Xbox One launches in November for $500. Check out later for more from GameSpot's conversation with Penello. 

Nintendo announces the 2DS, a slate-like 3DS without 3D

Nintendo shocked the world today by unveiling its next iteration of the 3DS line: the 2DS. That’s right, Nintendo is launching a new model of its flagship product on October 12th without any 3D support. Even more bizarre, it isn’t even in the traditional clamshell design of other DS-branded devices. While the Kyoto company has successfully raised eyebrows across the gaming industry with this announcement, this new model actually does offer some interesting benefits.

First and foremost, this is meant to serve as an entry-level gaming device. For $129.99, it will play every DS and 3DS game — exclusively in 2D. With the recent price drop of the PlayStation Vita to $199.99, and the introduction of the low-end $229 iPod Touch, Nintendo is obviously focused on keeping a substantial price cushion between itself and competitors. Considering that the 3DS has sold roughly six times the units that the Vita has, this push down-market is seemingly little more than the current leader hedging its bets to remain dominant in the face of increased competition.

 In this video from our sister site IGN, it’s abundantly clear that Nintendo is pushing this model heavily towards the younger crowd. Not only is the lower price easier for parents to swallow, but the lack of 3D means that Nintendo is finally comfortable marketing towards children younger than 7. With the 3DS, Nintendo has gone out of its way to warn parents not to let their young children play in 3D-mode because it could potentially cause vision problems for immature eyes. Now that Nintendo has a model without that potential risk, parents can rest easy knowing that there is no 3D to enable.

Even with the handful of obvious benefits, this is a really strange marketing decision. The simultaneous existence of the 2DS and 3DS will undoubtedly cause some amount of brand confusion, and as we all know from the botched Wii U launch, Nintendo isn’t exactly an expert at properly clarifying its product lines to consumers. Even worse, it waters down the importance of 3D games on the platform. Now that developers know that they can’t depend on everyone having access to 3D-mode, any sort of clever 3D gameplay mechanics will be tossed right out the window going forward.

Nintendo also announced today that it plans on dropping the MSRP of the deluxe Wii U bundle to $299.99 — the current price of the basic bundle. Starting September 20th, the current 32GB SKU will drop in price, and Nintendo will launch a new 32GB bundle including the HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. There is no official word on the fate of the 8GB basic bundle, but since it sold so poorly, it seems likely that Nintendo might axe it completely.

The 'czar' who rates your favorite players on 'Madden'

Sorry, Peyton. Sorry, Tom. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers topped Manning and Brady among quarterbacks in "Madden 25," the new version of the popular football video game. The Falcons' Matt Ryan and the Saints' Drew Brees rounded out the top 5.

Donny Moore watches at least part of every NFL game, every week, every year. After all, it's part of his job.

You may not have heard of him. But while Moore is watching the best football players in the world, they're watching him, too.

"I get a lot of feedback from Twitter," said Moore, the so-called ratings czar for "Madden NFL," the uber-popular video game franchise that rolled out its 25th annual edition on Tuesday. "Guys like (Seahawks cornerback) Richard Sherman, (Cowboys wide receiver) Dez Bryant -- these guys all follow me and make sure to give me feedback.

"They always want to know ahead of time: 'What have you got me at?' "

That's because it's Moore's job to come up with the numerical ratings -- from 1 to 100 -- that determine how skilled players, and by extension their teams, are at various facets of the game.

It's a unique challenge. Although there are shooter games that emulate real-world weapons and military units, only sports games require their creators to assess, and then re-create, real-life humans as virtual avatars.

That's bound to rankle some folks -- if not the NFL players themselves, then "Madden" gamers who are often their most rabid fans. By most accounts, though, Moore and his team at EA Sports, publisher of the "Madden" series, do a good job.

"EA is not just pulling numbers from a hat," said T.J. Lauerman, host of That Sports Gamer Show. "Gamers are uptight about their favorite team's ratings because ... they see their team's running back make one great spin move that completely fakes out a defender, and when they try it in a game, they fail. They look up the player attributes and realize he has a 64 Spin Move, then they get angry and tweet Donny Moore."

That's all part of the job, says Moore.

"If you're a Falcons fan who was mad some Falcons were underrated, we're probably doing our job," he said. "Everybody can't be a 99."

Moore has a lot of raw data to work with. In addition to on-field stats, there are 40-yard-dash times, scouting-combine scores for rookies, injury reports and the like. And a whole host of websites have sprung up to hyperanalyze performance, breaking down stats into super-specific categories, like "downfield passing completion percentage."

But football is also a game of intangibles. Sometimes it takes watching a player accomplish things on the field that the raw data don't show. Moore is thankful for Madden's weekly online updates (a feature that earlier versions obviously didn't have), which let him tweak player stats based on their performance throughout the season.

He cites Alfred Morris, the lightly regarded sixth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic University who ended up tallying 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns last year for the Washington Redskins.

"There was not a whole lot of buzz around him, really; he ran a terribly slow time at the combo," Moore said. "Then, he started blowing up."

Morris started the season on "Madden" with a 65 rating. By the end of the year, thanks to weekly updates, he'd risen to an 89.

"We were wrong about him to begin with, but the whole league was," he said. "(Redskins head coach) Mike Shanahan was probably surprised. Pleasantly surprised."

After actually watching on-field performance, Moore said, his best tool for adjusting player ratings may be those same fans who argue with him online. He adopted a stock response to fans who thought a player on their favorite team should have his numbers moved up.

He says " 'OK, give me five up and five down,' " he said. "When you made the fans give you the guys who should go down, that was some of the best feedback ever."

But it's always more amusing when it's the players themselves complaining, especially when it's over something relatively ridiculous.

Every player gets a rating in every category, meaning kickers are rated for Trucking -- the ability to bull over defenders -- and 300-pound defensive linemen get Spectacular Catch scores.

But that didn't sit well when New York Jets defensive back Kerry Rhodes saw his Throwing Power rating of 21 and 23 for Throwing Accuracy -- a full 17 points behind Nick Mangold, a Jets offensive lineman. Rhodes played some quarterback in college and high school and posted a good-natured video titled "WTF Madden!"

In it, he and Mangold go through a series of passing drills, in which he predictably beats his 307-pound teammate.

And it worked.

"After that, I bumped up Kerry Rhodes' power to way outdistance Mangold," Moore said. "But it was still terrible. You'd never play him at quarterback."

That's a silly example, but illustrates a bigger point: There are a lot of eyeballs on the best-selling "Madden" game series.

Moore has worked at EA since 1999, when he was hired for the "Madden" testing group after winning an "NCAA '99 Football" tournament. He says that, for him, making the game as close as possible to the real thing is serious business.

"I treat it with a lot of pride," he said. "I know what's at stake here. I just want to get it right."