Norwegian company FXI Technologies showed off an amazing USB stick-sized portable computer prototype on Friday, Nov. 18. The prototype was code-named Cotton Candy because of its lightness, just 21 grams. The Cotton Candy is similar to the $25 Raspberry Pi PC on a USB stick — only more powerful.
The device can be plugged into computers and will launch a stand-alone Android window, which is merely a video feed from the operating system running on the USB stick. You can use computers’ built in touch pads as touch input to the operating system. The unit was demoed to The Verge working with the pad on the Apple, Inc. (AAPL) MacBook Air. The device can also be plugged into a TV using the HDMI connector. In this configuration, alternate input sources like a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard are necessary.
“The Cotton Candy …allows users a single, secure point of access to all personal cloud services and apps through their favorite operating system, while delivering a consistent experience on any screen. The device will serve as a companion to smartphones, tablets, and notebook PC and Macs, as well add smart capabilities to existing displays, TVs, set top boxes and other media that supports USB mass storage.”
Cotton Candy Tech Specs
- Supports Ubuntu, Android, Virtualization client for Windows, Linux, Mac, embedded
- Dual-core ARM A9 Cortex @1.2Ghz with TrustZone and Neon extensions
- Quad-core GPU with 720p / 1080p OpenGL ES v2.0
- 1GB DRAM
- Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- MicroSD slot for storage
- USB 2.0 male form factor for power and connection
- HDMI 2.1 with audio for connection
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Pricing & Details
FXI hasn’t set pricing yet for the Cotton Candy, but expects it to cost considerably less than $200 per unit. For more details visit fxitech.com/products