The FriendlyELEC manufacturer has added a new NanoPi Neo Plus2 model to a huge family of boards for NanoPi developers. It is more compact than many counterparts (its dimensions are only 52 х 40 mm), however, offers attractive extension options. There is even enough room for a wireless adapter.



SoC Allwinner H5 on this board includes four Cortex-A53 cores and a Mali450 GPU. The DDR3 RAM capacity is 1 GB. Customers can use an 8 GB eMMC 5.0 Samsung KLM8G1WEPD-B031 module for durable data storage.


One may also find two USB 2.0 ports, a microSD slot, one microUSB (for power supply), two extra USB are available via hood type connectors, which enable access to I2S, GPIO, I2C, UART and SPI buses. The NanoPi Neo Plus2 card is equipped with an Ampak AP6212A adapter with Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0 support; Gigabit Ethernet wire bonding is present too.


The specialty by FriendlyELEC (Ubuntu and Debian with a 4.x core distribution kits) costs $25.

Gigabyte has recently announced the release of its first graphics card based on Radeon R7 265 adapter. The Gigabyte Radeon R7 265 OC Edition comes with operational overclocking and a powerful WindForce 2X cooling system. Still, it is attributed to the middle-end products with an average performance. The model will be available for customers in late March for the recommended price of $170.



This graphics card is developed on AMD Pitcairn Pro GPU (GCN, 28 nm) that embraces 1024 stream processors, 32 ROPs, and 64 TMUs. The core runs at the nominal 1008 MHz frequency but can be overclocked to 1036 MHz margin. Video memory section is represented by 2 GB of GDDR5 memory modules (256-bit interface); they operate at 1400 MHz/5600 MHz frequency (nominal/efficient) respectively.


The Gigabyte Radeon R7 265 OC Edition requires stable and uninterrupted power, provided by the PSU of not less than 500 W efficiency. The connection with the unit is realized via one 6-contact power socket. …

The novelty from AOC – the I1659FWUX portable monitor, obtained an IPS display with 1920 x 1080 Full high definition resolution.



This 15.6” screen exhibits 220 cd/m2 brightness, 700:1 contrast ratio, 16:9 aspect ratio, as well as 25 ms response time. I1659FWUX is connected to the computer via USB 3.0, thus, there is no need in a power cable.


For the ease of use and placing on the even surface, the monitor is equipped with a foldable kick stand on the backside. The Auto-pivot option lets customers utilize the product either in a landscape or in a portrait mode.


The ultra-slim I1659FWUX monitor with 232.7 × 371.9 × 35.5 mm dimensions and 1.2 kg weight is a good portable solution for compact laptops, onsite presentations and business trips. It can serve as an extra screen for a PC as well.


These specialties by AOC will be on the market this month at the approximate price of 150 USD.