SolidRun, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance System on Module (SOM) solutions, Single Board Computers (SBC) and network edge solutions, today announced the launch of its new Ryzen V3000 CX7 Com module, configurable with the 8-core/16-thread Ryzen Embedded V3C48 Processor. Boasting AMD's state-of-the-art 6 nm "Zen 3" architecture, this ultra-powerful embedded solution offers industry-leading performance and power efficiency. As SolidRun's first x86-based Com Express 7 module, the Ryzen V3000 CX7 Com module ushers in a new era of efficient, high-performance computing for a diverse range of networking and edge applications.

"Our new Ryzen V3000 CX7 Com module is an exciting addition to our CX7 product line as it represents a significant leap forward in embedded computing and offers unmatched performance and scalability for networking and edge applications," said Dr. Atai Ziv, CEO at SolidRun. "By leveraging the power of AMD's Ryzen Embedded V3000 processor, we are empowering developers to create innovative solutions that meet the evolving demands of modern embedded computing."

Radxa first teased their ROCK 3B back in 2021 when the smaller and lower power ROCK 3A launched, and has just now finalized the design and specs with what they call the "PI-CO ITX" form factor; a tad over Pico-ITX size but with a standard Raspberry Pi 40-pin GPIO and rear-facing I/O. The board measures 100 x 75 mm which means it definitely won't be fitting into any housings made for the Raspberry Pi, but with the I/O aligned to one side there's a chance some Pico-ITX cases could still fit. This closely mirrors the already released ROCK 5B, but where that SBC is targeting a much higher performance and price point (with the cheapest 4 GB model MSRP set at $130 USD), the ROCK 3B starts at only $45 USD for the 2 GB, and even the 8 GB variant is only $75 USD.

Creative Technology today announced the release of the much-anticipated Creative Aurvana Ace and Creative Aurvana Ace 2, the latest true wireless earbuds featuring the groundbreaking solid-state, all-silicon MEMS-based drivers. The Creative Aurvana Ace series, powered by xMEMS drivers, has been expertly tuned to deliver remarkable audio clarity with a wider frequency response ranging from 5 Hz to 40 KHz. With this comprehensive range, users will get to enjoy a truly immersive and lifelike audio experience, whether it's for music, movies, or conference calls.

These latest wireless earbuds also feature LE Audio with LC3 codec, Bluetooth 5.3, and Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) plus Ambient Mode, along with up to 24 hours of total playtime, making them the definitive choice for audio enthusiasts seeking the very best in true wireless earbuds.

BeagleBoard.org, a pioneer in open-source single-board computers (SBCs), is excited to unveil the BeagleV -Fire, a revolutionary SBC powered by the Microchip's PolarFire MPFS025T FCVG484E 5x core RISC-V System on Chip (SoC) with FPGA fabric. This remarkable addition to the BeagleBoard.org BeagleV family of boards opens up new horizons for developers, tinkerers, and the open-source community to explore the vast potential of RISC-V architecture and FPGA technology.

BeagleV -Fire is the second board in the BeagleV series of single board computers (SBCs) from BeagleBoard.org. BeagleV -Fire like other BeagleV SBCs, is set to revolutionize the world of embedded systems and empower developers and enthusiasts worldwide. After the launch of BeagleV -Ahead, BeagleV -Fire represents another significant milestone in the democratization of computer architecture and open-source hardware development for the masses. Built around the powerful and energy-efficient RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) along with its versatile FPGA fabric, BeagleV -Fire SBC offers unparalleled opportunities for developers, hobbyists, and researchers to explore and experiment with RISC-V technology.

Edifier, the award-winning manufacturer of premium sound systems, bookshelf speakers and personal audio devices, announces its newest audio product, the NeoBuds Pro 2 earbuds. In the new NeoBuds Pro 2, Edifier is introducing its latest patented technology, the Edifier Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC. This Active Noise Cancellation delivers a wider and deeper noise cancellation to -50dB depth and 5 kHz bandwidth, adding an independent feed-forward channel that applies the noise reduction ability of the Knowles RAN Balanced Armature Driver to Hybrid ANC channels.

The Edifier Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC can be personalized to suit your needs and the environment, allowing you to be in total control of the background noise you select to hear. Choose high ANC for a busy commute and medium or low ANC for the office; ambient sound to hear traffic noise or wind reduction for a clearer listening experience. Calls are also improved with the 4+4 built-in microphones and with an AI voice pick-up algorithm, environmental and wind noise is filtered out - thus enhancing the overall sound clarity.

Today, Shure introduced its highly anticipated AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Gen 2. Drawing on decades of stage and studio expertise, the AONIC 50 Gen 2 Headphones break new ground with a revolutionary spatialized audio experience, designed to captivate music enthusiasts and discerning audiophiles alike. Building on the success of the AONIC 50 Headphones, this second generation sets a new standard for premium, high-fidelity audio, enhanced active noise cancellation, and more than double the battery life of the first generation, with up to 45 hours of runtime.

Meticulously crafted with premium materials and studio-quality sound through custom-engineered 50 mm dynamic drivers, AONIC 50 Gen 2 Headphones are an embodiment of comfort and style that take listening to the next level. They have been designed by leveraging Shure's experience designing headphones for studio professionals with long hours in mind. With customizable EQ features and new hybrid active noise cancellation technology, users can tailor their unique preferences using the free ShurePlus Play App for a personalized audio experience.

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), a leading provider of embedded computing solutions, introduces the IB837 3.5" single board computer that is designed for a wide range of IoT applications, including industrial automation, smart retail, healthcare, smart city and edge AI solutions, combining powerful processing capabilities with extensive connectivity options.

At the heart of the IB837 is the onboard Intel Celeron N & J series (formerly Elkhart Lake) processor, offering a good balance of performance and power efficiency. With support for up to 16 GB of DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM memory, the SBC ensures smooth multitasking and efficient operation, delivering exceptional performance while consuming minimal power for applications requiring a compact form factor.

Banana Pi recently released the specifications of their upcoming BPI-R4 router SBC with a host of new connectivity and features over the last generation BPI-R3. The new BPI-R4 adds dual 10GbE via the SFP ports, with a second board design offering 10GbE+2.5GbE instead, as well as a large daughterboard addon that enables 36 Gbps tri-band WiFi 7 and fits to a pair of mPCIE connectors on the bottom. There is also now support for 5G cellular via a M.2 B-Key port laid over the top of a trio of NanoSIM card slots. Enabling this improvement in connectivity is the updated MediaTek 'Filogic 880' MT7988A SoC which features four Cortex-A73 cores at 1.8 GHz as well as a host of dedicated improvements specifically tuned for high speed networking which combines most functions into the single SoC. Now instead of surrounding the main processor with a host of co-processing chips like the BPI-R3 did, the BPI-R4 simply surrounds the SoC with 8 GB of DDR4 and an 8 GB eMMC flash module. The remaining wireless logic now lives on the NIC daughterboard. The BPI-R4 does give up one of its gigabit RJ-45 ports despite the topside space savings, but reuses this empty space by offering an optional plug-in POE module, and both a 12 V power input as well as 20 V USB-PD with the added Type-C port.

Features retained from previous generations are the M.2 M-Key for SSD storage expansion, a microSD card slot, rear facing USB 3.2 Type-A, the bootstrap toggle switch, and 26-pin GPIO. The BPI-R4 retains roughly the same physical dimensions as the BPI-R3 except for the additional height from the WiFi 7 module which hugs the bottom of the main board when installed. The BPI-R4, like its predecessors, will support Debian Linux and OpenWRT at launch with images available on the Banana Pi wiki product page. Banana Pi hopes to launch the BPI-R4 by Q1 2024 and has yet to announce any pricing. Our hope is that pricing stays roughly in line with the BPI-R3 which launched at just shy of $90 USD. Given the swath of new technologies on the BPI-R4 it's a fair guess that it is going to be over the $100 mark.

ECS showed off a large array of products at their booth at Computex this year, demonstrating the range of markets they cater to, from consumer to industrial. To start with, their long lived LIVA series of mini PCs have received an update to Intel's 13th gen Core series of processors with the LIVA Z5. The LIVA Z5 lineup includes three new models: the Z5 Plus, a more spacious Z5E Plus, and a completely passive Z5F Plus. Each of these feature the new processor generation up to 15 W and are designed for smart retail and kiosk deployments. The series not only boasts the new processor generation, but also expandable DDR4-3200 with capacities up to 64 GB, M.2 PCI-E NVMe Gen 4x4 SSD storage (plus 2.5" SATA in the Z5E and Z5F), optional Wi-Fi 6 module, dual 2.5 GbE, three USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 Type-A, USB Type-C, HDMI, and COM ports. Each of these new models can support up to four simultaneous 4K displays. ECS had the Z5 and Z5E Plus running as a multi-display automated self-service kiosk in their booth where visitors could order a bubble tea. Beside these was also the new LIVA P300, a slightly larger ITX barebones machine with a Q670 motherboard supporting both 12th and 13th Gen processors on LGA 1700, up to 65 W TDP.

Shenzhen based Milk-V has been busy announcing some very high performance RISC-V based platforms, and has now added another to a rapidly growing list. The Milk-V Mars is a new hobbiest grade RISC-V SBC that intentionally mimics the footprint and layout of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, so much so that existing cases and accessories will fit. The credit-card sized Mars packs a very competent array of features, starting with the StarFive JH7110 SoC. The JH7110 contains four 64-bit SiFive U74 RISC-V cores clocked as high as 1.5 GHz as well as an integrated Imagination Technologies IMG BXE-2-32 graphics engine with support for Vulkan 1.3, OpenGL ES 3.x, OpenCL 3.0, and Android NN HAL. This SoC should be the perfect choice for an SBC in this form factor, as it has proven to be on the similarly sized PINE64 Star64 as well as StarFive's VisionFive 2. Surrounding the SoC is a single LPDDR4 module, configurable at purchase up to 8 GB, the traditional 40-pin GPIO header row, a M.2 E-Key for WiFi/BT expansion, a MIPI display serial interface with 4K30 output and H.264/H.265 4K60 decoding, MIPI camera serial interface, HDMI, a USB-C for 5 V power input, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and finally the rear I/O block which consists of three USB 3.0 Type-A, a single USB 2.0 Type-A, and the RJ-45 for Gigabit Ethernet as well as PoE. Storage is expandable with both eMMC and microSD cards. The last tiny header is for powering a fan, which many R Pi cases opt to include, but is not included with the Mars. Availability of the Milk-V Mars is listed as "Coming Soon" and prices have not yet been announced. However to compete with the other options on the market we hope, and expect, that it does not exceed $75 USD. Unlike the Milk-V Pioneer there hasn't been any word on whether the Mars will be as open-source friendly, but it would behoove them to consider the option for this type of hobbyist oriented device.

UDOO, known for embedded and single-board computing, has launched a pair of x86 equipped SBCs utilizing Intel's Apollo Lake SoCs and aimed at the low-power machine learning and edge AI markets. The UDOO VISION line of SBCs come in two distinct flavors at launch: VISION X5 and VISION X7. As the names imply, the VISION X5 comes equipped with an Intel Atom x5-E3940, while the VISION X7 has an Intel Atom x7-E3950. Neither of these SoCs is particularly fresh, with the designs dating back to 2014, however for the intended use case they should provide ample performance. UDOO states,"The UDOO VISION is the ultimate choice for computer vision projects thanks to the excellent performance of the Intel Apollo Lake SoC [System on Chip] and the Intel distribution of OpenVINO framework ready to be installed."

Aside from the processor differences the VISION X5 comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 DRAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage, while the higher spec VISION X7 comes with 8 GB of LPDDR4 and 64 GB eMMC. Both models include an ATmega32U4 microcontroller, a 26-pin Arduino Leonardo's pinout for modularity, a COM port supporting RS232/RS422/RS485, two USB 2.0 headers, two USB 3.0 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet LAN, M.2 E-Key for WLAN/Bluetooth expansion, M.2 B-Key for SATA SSD expansion, RTC, infrared, one mini DisplayPort, one eDP connector, and a fan header for the bundled full-cover active heatsink. UDOO lists the VISION X5 at $349 USD, and the VISION X7 at $419 USD.

LattePanda launched the powerful and hackable single board server, the LattePanda Sigma. With its super computing power, this device opens up endless possibilities for tech enthusiasts, developers, small businesses & enterprises. With its innovative design and unique features, the LattePanda Sigma is poised to redefine the world of single board servers and drive innovation to new heights.

The LattePanda Sigma is powered by the 13th-generation Intel Core i5-1340P Rapter Lake (12-Core, 16-Thread) processor and features Intel Iris Xe Graphics, providing optimal graphics performance. Its optimized power consumption minimizes power usage by almost 50%, making it an eco-friendly choice. With 16 GB of high-speed Dual-Channel LPDDR5-6400 MHz RAM, the LattePanda Sigma can handle even the most demanding tasks with ease, making it perfect for graphic design, gaming, and video editing.

Sony Electronics Inc. today announced the addition of the WF-C700N truly wireless earbuds, WF-C700N, which are small and lightweight for all day comfort, perfect for those looking for their first pair of truly wireless noise canceling earbuds. In addition, Sony is also announcing the WH-1000XM5 in Midnight Blue, with all of the great noise canceling features of the critically acclaimed WH-1000XM5 in a stylish blue color.

A comfortable fit for on the go
The WF-C700N have been designed with comfort and stability in mind, for an inclusive fit. Sony has designed the WF-C700N by looking at extensive ear shape data collated since it introduced world's first in-ear headphones in 1982, as well as evaluation of the sensitivity of various types of ears. The WF-C700N earbuds combine a shape to perfectly match the human ear with an ergonomic surface design for a more stable fit, so users can wear them longer without needing a break.

Diversifying its solutions based on the NVIDIA Jetson line of system-on-modules, AAEON have released the BOXER-8224AI, comprised of a carrier board with a heatsink and NVIDIA Jetson Nano module to offer system-level capabilities on a tiny form factor of just 4.7" x 3.1" x 0.8" (120 mm x 80 mm x 22 mm).

A first for this line of AAEON products, the BOXER-8224AI's board layout includes a wafer-based coastline rather than full I/O ports to provide users with the full functionality of AAEON's system-level edge AI solutions in a more flexible way. Included in this configuration are two MIPI-CSI camera connectors for the installation of smaller, more cost-effective peripheral cameras for space-limited applications such as drones.

One of the biggest issues with TWS and any other kind of wireless headphones for that matter, is limited support for various audio codecs, where many rely on the not so great SBC codec or AAC, simply because these are two codes that are supported by most of the devices that the headphones would be connected to. When it comes to smartphones, Qualcomm is by far the biggest chipset provider and as it happens, Qualcomm is also the owner of the various aptX audio codecs that many headphones support. Up until very recently, the phone makers had to pay a royalty fee to include support for the aptX codecs even if they used Qualcomm's chips in their phones and thus some companies—Samsung for example—decided not to include support for aptX.

Now it has come to light that just like Sony with its LDAC codec, Qualcomm has decided to add support for aptX to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which means all Android devices can support aptX as well as aptX HD without paying any royalty fees. However, more advanced versions of aptX, such as aptX Adaptive and the rarely used low latency version of aptX are not included. That said, headphone makers will still have to pay a royalty fee to Qualcomm, although there doesn't appear to be any headphones on the market that support aptX that aren't based on a Qualcomm or one of the older CSR chipsets from the time before Qualcomm acquired them. On the other hand, Sony's LDAC codec is used by a wide range of headphones, of which none rely on a Sony chipset. Regardless, this should be good news for consumers, who will be the ones reaping the benefits from this change in the long term.

It's been a busy week for embedded computers and SBCs with Embedded World 2023 going on. While a lot of larger brands have taken the focus during this time there has also been activity at the hobbyist level, specifically in the realm of Raspberry Pi clones. One of these that looks to be something of a novelty is the ThunderBERRY5 from French company MakeMyBOARD. This SBC claims to be, "the first Raspberry Pi-like SBC based on Qualcomm AI-CPU," and it features a combination of Qualcomm's 8-core QCS610 SoC and an RP2040 microcontroller. MakeMyBOARD's AI claims stem from the Qualcomm SoC's built-in Hexagon 685 DSP which supports dual vector extensions for their Neural Processing SDK and deep neural network models. The previously mentioned RP2040 fits to the board via the USB2 root and hosts the 40-pin HAT connector as well as an auxiliary debugging header.

Unlike most Pi clones on the market utilizing low-cost, lower performing processors, the ThunderBERRY5 looks like it may trounce the Pi 4 B in raw CPU power as the QCS610's Kryo 460 processor features a 2+6 core configuration: two "Gold" cores at 2.2 GHz and six "SIlver" cores at 1.8 GHz. On paper this looks to have quite the advantage over the aging Pi 4 B's 1.8 GHz quad-core Broadcom BCM2711. More important than beating the Pi 4 in performance would be beating it in availability as the tiny SBC is as hard to find in stock as it is ubiquitous even many years later. On this front there is little info from MakeMyBOARD as no availability date or price information has yet been released. Still, if you were hoping for a higher performance Pi-like SBC with AI acceleration capabilities and features, this may be something to keep an eye on.

DFI, a global leader in embedded motherboards and industrial computers, today announced that they will be participating in Embedded World 2023 and joining Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to showcase the world's first SBC equipped with the high-performance Qualcomm QRB5165 processor. With high integration capability and anti-vibration features, the product can be applied in fields such as industrial automation and AMR. It is expected to increase the overall AI edge computing efficiency and bring more capabilities to the industry.

For the first time during the three-day Embedded World 2023 exhibition, DFI will integrate the QRB551 industrial-grade motherboard built with the Qualcomm Robotics RB5 platform with 5G connectivity and AMR requirements. The solution will be applied to a smart factory environment while executing appearance recognition, defect detection, and human body posture recognition, which are commonly seen in industrial automation.

DFI, the global leader in embedded solutions, today announced their latest PCSF51 next-generation 1.8" Single Board Computer at Embedded World 2023. The 1.8" SBC powered by the revolutionary AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 Processor, the PCSF51 features advanced graphics processing and computing capabilities in a miniature form factor. Equipped with flexible expandability and I/O versatility, this energy-efficient SBC is tailored for use in industrial applications, robotics, edge computing, AI vision systems, and more.

"By leveraging the latest AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 Processor, we have achieved many advantages for the tiny yet powerful PCSF51," said DFI President Alexander Su. "We have a positive outlook for future Industrial Pi innovations." Compared to its previous generation GHF51 with the AMD Ryzen R1000 Processor, the latest R2000 processor built into the PCSF51 delivers upgraded performance with double the max CPU core count, scalability up to four CPU cores and eight threads, and a 50% increase in CPU power. Graphics performance is boosted by 15% with up to eight graphic compute units. The design of the PCSF51 has also been enhanced from the previous GHF51, with an easier-to-use on board power/reset and HDMI, in addition to a thinner thermal module. With rich multimedia capabilities, it can support ultra-high-resolution displays in 4K resolution.

MSI is a top player in the ICT industry. With over 35 years of experience in R&D. By introducing AI systems, IoT, automation, and remote operations. Leveraging its many years of experience in ODM/OEM and its production capabilities, MSI delivers products that apply to smart transportation, smart cities, innovative automation, digital signage and intelligent retailing, offering top-quality, integrated solutions that best suit client needs. MSI commercial monitors offer crisp visuals and a range of features to enhance the computing experience.

MS-98M3 is the embedded 3.5" SBC that supports multiplexing with 11th generation Intel IOTG Core processor, codenamed Tiger Lake-UP3 series of ultra-low power and high-performance, providing reliability and high durability with lower power consumption, and actively deploy in multiple applications such as AMR-AI-PJ-UVGI Robot, which was verified by Texcell/France to effectively inactivate the new SARS-COV2 virus within seconds.

AAEON, renowned for its UP Board range, has announced the UP Squared V2, the successor to its UP Squared Developer Board. Providing dramatic improvements in processing power, graphic capability and expansion options on the same 3.37" x 3.54" (85 mm x 90 mm) form factor, the UP Squared V2 is designed to make the development process more efficient.

While still reflecting the competitive pricing of the previous generation, the UP Squared V2 boasts a 40% improvement in CPU performance due to its Intel Celeron N6210 Pentium J6426 Processor SoC (formerly Elkhart Lake). As a product of this, users can take advantage of 1.7x the single-thread performance and 1.5x the multi-thread performance along with up to 16 GB LPDDR4 system memory.

AAEON's new GENE-ADP6 unlocks the door to elite edge computing, digital signage, and machine vision applications with enhanced features across the board. The GENE-ADP6 provides a 15% improvement in CPU performance through the Intel 12th Generation Core /Celeron CPU (formerly Alder Lake-P), featuring hybrid platform processor architectures with up to 12 cores and 16 threads. Along with an improvement in CPU power, the GENE-ADP6 shows greater AI-readiness, with Intel's Deep Learning Boost AI accelerator providing enhanced inferencing capabilities to make the GENE-ADP6 perfect for 5G and AI edge computing.

For faster, more advanced storage speeds, the GENE-ADP6 introduces 64GB system memory via two dual-channel DDR5 SODIMMs, being AAEON's first 3.5" SubCompact Board to do so. This improvement from DDR4 to DDR5 offers up to 50% faster data transfer speeds and a new, more efficient power management structure. The GENE-ADP6 supports M.2 3052/3042 and M.2 2230 modules, enabling 5G and Wi-Fi for enhanced application connectivity. Additionally, the board's FPC expansion slot provides sophisticated, high-performance PCIe x4 (Gen 4) speed. This also gives users the flexibility to expand the board's additional PCIe x4 slot for machine vision, smart retail and industrial automation applications.