Cotton Candy, a stick that connects you to the clouds. Not only designed to make any device Android Smart but FXI are attempting to battle the multiplicity of log-ins and applications that’s evolving as more devices become internet connected and intelligent. Cotton Candy doesn’t just carry your data and applications but it is a single point of access for your entire online life, your online Cotton Candy.

Created by Norwegian start-up FXI Technologies –Trondheim Norway, a spin-off of Falanx Microsystems which is now part of ARM – Cotton Candy brings Android to any device. Use the HDMI to turn any TV into an Internet Connected Smart TV or bring Android to you PC / Mac by switching ends and plugging in the USB. Work blocking Facebook, no problems just plug in Cotton Candy and all of your Android applications spring to life in their own window on your PC. FXI envision Cotton Candy becoming our everyday environment, with our entire online lives lived through the USB stick. This could simplify the need to keep multiple machines up to date with the same applications or the need for multiple log-in and passwords.

“By leveraging the strengths of ARM CPU and GPU cores, FXI has packed an amazing amount of computing horsepower into a completely new form factor,” said Pete Hutton, general manager of multimedia processor division, ARM. “Weighing only 21 grams and so energy-efficient that it can be powered from a USB port, the Cotton Candy offers a unique consumer experience, which will bring Cloud computing to almost any screen.”

Using Cotton Candy is as simple as choosing an end and plugging it in, no pun intended. Once connected to a TV you can Surf the web, watch media or any other task that would normally require a tablet or PC. While connected to a TV Cotton uses Bluetooth to connect keyboards and other controllers. Connect the USB end of Cotton Candy to a PC or Mac and you are instantly presented with a secure window, all of your applications and data at your finger tips. In this configuration Cotton Candy will use the host PC’s keyboard and mouse to control the windowed version of Android or Ubuntu.

Internally up to a 64Gb micro SD card can be fitted for storage, not only will Cotton Candy store all of your media but it will turn any TV into an Android Playback device. Games and internet content can be expanded to full screen using FXI’s Any Screen Virtualization Protocol. This allows Cotton Candy to take over the computers monitor. At a live demonstration in New York City recently Cotton Candy was seen running the Android version of Angry Birds on a MacBook Pro with crisp and smooth full screen graphics.

FXI’s has executed some extremely clever engineering in constructing Cotton Candy. Squeezed into the 21 gram USB stick is the Samsung Exynos 4210 dual core chip-set, clocked at 1.2GHz. The very same chip-set as used in the Galaxy S II. Graphics is provided by the integrated ARM Mali-400 MP quad core GPU. Somehow FXI has also managed to squeeze in Wi-Fi 802.11/g/b/n , 1GB RAM, Bluetooth, a micro SD card slot, HDMI 1.2 and USB 2. This is a complete computer platform that can playback 1080P Hi-Def video, play Android games, access the Internet and any Cloud services you may need, all built into one double ended stick.

Installing Ubuntu Linux converts Cotton Candy into a Swiss army knife of USB sticks. Being able to launch Linux and all of it’s application in a window on any PC or Mac could be extremely useful for diagnosis and problem fixing. The stick could be the ultimate virus cleaning tool, with it’s own processor and memory the stick could do an extremely deep scan and fix.

Cotton Candy is an interesting attempt to circumvent the log-in and password nightmare that is our on-line lives. With it also bringing the convenience of running the same applications and settings over a host of different displays and machines Cotton Candy may be a new more convenient way access our online lives, an online fob for our virtual lives. Add to this the ability to installed Linux and Cotton Candy becomes the Swiss army knife of USB sticks. Release is set for the second half of 2012, FXI are hoping to price Cotton Candy well under $200.

Source: FXI Technology