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Pocket PCs are becoming all the rage these days, with many companies taking Android as a fairly small and well-recognised operating system and cramming it into the smallest possible device.
We’ve seen the credit card-sized Raspberry Pi, and more recently the VIA Android Mini computer and the MK802 all attract plenty of interest. The latest device to aim squarely at this market is the Pocket TV by Infinitec which has been pledged on the website Kickstarter.
The product idea was so popular that the required $100,000 target for putting the device into production was met within 7 days, with the current amount pledged sitting at a tidy $280,000.
Much like the MK802, the Pocket TV is an Android 4.0 computer packed into a tiny dongle. Rather than USB, the connection on the end of the Pocket TV is a full sized HDMI, meaning that all you have to do is plug it straight into your TV to get going.
The idea behind the Pocket TV is the same as many others: Turn your TV into a Smart TV. It’s powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor and Mali-400MP graphics chip, which gives it the power output of a relatively decent smartphone today. It runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich too, which is Google authorised, meaning you’ll get access to the full Google Play app store and other Google apps.
It’s got 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory, which can conveniently be expanded by up to 32GB using a Micro SD card slot. There’s also a Micro USB port for charging, Bluetooth connectivity and Wi-Fi to get you online and even a full sized USB port to accommodate a webcam, mouse, keyboard or gamepad.
The device ships with a standard IR remote which offers the basic functions (power, directional, OK, playback functions etc), or there will be an optional ‘Air’ remote which gives you a full QWERTY keyboard and a gyroscope, which means the remote will control the PC like a Wiimote would for the Nintendo Wii.
If you want to be one of the first to get hold of a Pocket PC, you can pledge through their Kickstarter page here. One with the standard IR remote will set you back $120, or with the Air remote you’ll need to stump up $145 – both come with international shipping within 2 business days. Infinitec is hoping to ship the first batch this October.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
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