HDMI Dongle is an Open Source, USB-sized set-top box from Always Innovating, a technology outfit based in San Francisco, CA USA. A TV on a stick, it is designed to turn any TV with USB and HDMI ports into a connected TV running Android 4. Like the Cotton Candy, it has an HDMI and a USB port. The magic comes via the HDMI port, while the USB port is to power the device from the TV it is attached to.
The hardware specs of the device are: Texas Instruments Cortex-A9 OMAP 4 processor (1.0 GHz to 1.8 GHz), 1 GB RAM, a microSD slot, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. It comes with a simple remote control that has voice control and Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities. On the software side, it “can run Android Ice Scream Sandwich and is technically compatible with Google TV.”
This is what the device looks like.
And this is the remote control.
The operation, as shown in this video, is very simple: Plug the HDMI end of the device into the equivalent port on the TV, and do the same with the USB connection.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”335″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyPOffGVOY8[/youtube]
You can carry it any where you go, and run Android without the need of a tablet device. Very cool! When released, which should be Summer of this year, it is expected to be in the $49 to $99 price range. The only problem with this device, is that Always Innovating is not selling directly to consumers, just licensing it to manufacturers. More information is available here.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”335″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAa-xfD-rcg [/youtube]
It’s really a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
google android launched already also the own set top box where are more than movie, it support also android apps, online browsing, wifi, mp3 album etc. http://www.one-stop-digital.com
Plugging the USB connector into the USB service port on a television can destroy the television. Don’t do it without checking the manual, or with the manufacturer, first.
It should actually do no harm to the TV as the USB plug appears to only be drawing power not transmitting or receiving data on the USB data lines, but it is a good idea to check the TV maker’s manual as the USB port might not even be a standard one but a modified one to accept only certain devices such as a wifi dongle