Orchard Audio’s “ApplePi DAC” audio HAT add-on for the Raspberry Pi is available for $175 on Kickstarter, featuring two 24-bit TI PCM1794A monoaural DACs, a 128dB SNR, and both balanced and unbalanced outputs.

Advantech has launched two rugged, Linux-ready embedded DIN-rail computers with Intel Bay Trail SoCs and iDoor expansion: an “UNO-1372G-E” with 3x GbE ports and a smaller UNO-1372G-J with only 2x GbE, but with more serial and USB ports.

Hardkernel has launched a stackable single-unit Solo version of its 4-board Odroid-MC1 cluster computer. The system runs Linux on a octa-core Samsung Exynos5422 based Odroid-XU4S SBC.

Why did Microsoft choose to launch an Arm/Linux SoC design with device-to-cloud security? A VDC analyst suggests that Azure Sphere is all about competing with Amazon FreeRTOS.

Aaeon’s 3.5-inch “GENE-APL7” SBC provides an Intel Apollo Lake SoC, SATA III, mini-PCIe, VGA, up to 2x LVDS, 2x GbE, 8x USB, and up to 12x serial interfaces.

IEI’s Linux-ready “IBX-660” is a rugged, storage-oriented embedded computer with a Bay Trail Atom, 4x removable SATA bays, 2x GbE ports, 4x USB, HDMI, mini-PCIe, and -40 to 50°C support.

Adlink’s rugged, Ubuntu-friendly “MCM-100” is a condition monitoring system for industrial machines that offers an Intel Apollo Lake SoC and a 24-bit analog sampling input for up to 128kS/s frequencies.

Google has launched new versions of its AIY Voice Kit ($50) and AIY Vision Kit ($90) that bundle a Raspberry Pi Zero WH SBC. Google also released an Android app for AIY Projects.

[Updated: April 17] — Microsoft announced an “Azure Sphere” blueprint for hybrid Cortex-A/Cortex-M SoCs that run a Linux-based Azure Sphere OS and include end-to-end Microsoft security technologies and a cloud service. Products based on a MediaTek MT3620 Azure Sphere chip are due by year’s end.

Lenovator has opened $299 pre-orders on LeMaker’s 96Boards CE Extended “HiKey 970” SBC, which offers an octa-core Kirin 970 SoC, 6GB LPDDR4, 64GB UFS storage, wireless, GbE, M.2, and CAN.

Moxa announced a line of rugged, compact “UC 2100” IoT gateways that run 10-year available Moxa Industrial Linux and optional ThingsPro Gateway middleware on a Cortex-A8 SoC.

Kontron’s “ACE Flight 1600 Gateway Router” avionics computer runs Linux on a Bay Trail Atom, and provides a 5-port, L2-managed GbE switch, 4G LTE Advanced-Pro, 802.11ac, and DO-160G compliance.

Epiq Solutions has launched a 51 x 30mm “Sidekiq Z2” module for SDR that runs Linux on a Zynq-7010 and integrates an Analog AD9364 RF transceiver for 70MHz to 6GHz operation.

SinoVoip has launched a $93 “Banana Pi BPI-W2” multimedia router and NAS board that runs Android or Linux on a quad -A53 Realtek RTD129, and offers 2x GbE, 2x SATA 3.0, 3x M.2, HDMI in and out, and a 40-pin RPi connector.