FXI Cotton Candy: A whole PC in an USB stick

LigH · 23rd November 2011, 11:13

Quote:

Is that a USB key in your pocket or a dual-core computer? Today, Norwegian company FXI technologies showed off a USB stick-sized portable computer prototype, complete with a dual-core 1.2-GHz Samsung Exynos ARM CPU (same as in the Galaxy S II), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-out and a microSD card slot for memory.

...

The Cotton Candy has a USB 2.0 connector on one end and an HDMI jack on the other. When connected to an HDTV, it uses the HDMI port for video, the USB for power, and Bluetooth to connect to a keyboard, mouse, or tablet for controlling the operating system. The device can output up to 1080p so even a full HD screen can display the Candy’s preloaded Android 2.3 operating system at its native resolution. The dual core CPU is powerful enough to play local 1080p video or stream HD clips from the Web.

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It can even use the keyboard of a hosting Windows laptop via matching drivers. Or you simply stick the HDMI port into your monitor, and a "USB extension cable" into the next USB hub, maybe even in the same monitor, have a Bluetooth keyboard on your lap, and play "cinema out of your pocket"...

hello_hello · 23rd November 2011, 13:39

"Cotton Candy’s purpose is to provide a computing experience that users can carry with them and replicate anywhere they go. Imagine walking into an Internet cafe or a business center, popping your Cotton Candy into a USB port, and having your own operating system and applications take over the device."

About time. For years I've been dreaming about how wonderful it'd be to install Windows and programs on a removable/portable drive and be able to move the whole setup to another PC "as is" simply by plugging the drive into another PC. Maybe it's the first step in freeing PC users from being chained to a particular piece of hardware? If the idea takes off, I wonder if Microsoft will "innovate" with a portable version of Windows?

Ghitulescu · 23rd November 2011, 14:20

The perfect hacker tool

LigH · 23rd November 2011, 14:21

@ hello_hello:

Patience, young padawan ... this USB Stick PC has an ARM processor. Currently it runs Android 2.3; having Windows running on it is another topic. That may be able when Windows 8 may support mobile hardware.

@ Ghitulescu:

Nobody mentioned it being able to access the host it is connected to without the support of a host's driver.

23rd November 2011, 13:39	#2 \| Link
hello_hello Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 4,829	"Cotton Candy’s purpose is to provide a computing experience that users can carry with them and replicate anywhere they go. Imagine walking into an Internet cafe or a business center, popping your Cotton Candy into a USB port, and having your own operating system and applications take over the device." About time. For years I've been dreaming about how wonderful it'd be to install Windows and programs on a removable/portable drive and be able to move the whole setup to another PC "as is" simply by plugging the drive into another PC. Maybe it's the first step in freeing PC users from being chained to a particular piece of hardware? If the idea takes off, I wonder if Microsoft will "innovate" with a portable version of Windows? Last edited by hello_hello; 23rd November 2011 at 13:41.

23rd November 2011, 14:20	#3 \| Link
Ghitulescu Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 5,769	The perfect hacker tool __________________ Born in the USB (not USA)

23rd November 2011, 14:21	#4 \| Link
LigH German doom9/Gleitz SuMo Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Germany, rural Altmark Posts: 6,784	@ hello_hello: Patience, young padawan ... this USB Stick PC has an ARM processor. Currently it runs Android 2.3; having Windows running on it is another topic. That may be able when Windows 8 may support mobile hardware. @ Ghitulescu: Nobody mentioned it being able to access the host it is connected to without the support of a host's driver. __________________ New German Gleitz board MediaFire: x264 \| x265 \| VPx \| AOM \| Xvid