It's not exactly the latest news, but in the world of hundreds of Android HDMI stick mini PCs it's quite an achievement. Linuxgizmo has described the new Ugoos UM2 that runs Android 4.2 on a quad-core Rockchip RK3188 ARM Cortex-A9 SoC with 2GB of RAM, offers an HDMI port, WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0, and provides two (2) full-sized USB 2.0 host ports for external peripheral connections. Similar RK3188 powered sticks sell at around $100, whereas this one you (if you're fast enough) can have for about $70 at Dealsprime with a free gift of, say, this Solar Cockroach robotic toy:
Unlike many previous dual- or quad-core HDMI sticks, this one may have better chances against thermal throttling, or outright melting when running some games or XBMC or Cheapcast at 1080p, as it has less chances of extreme overheating:
There might be a reason for this additional thermal care once you decide to overclock this little thing, as Liliputing reports an RK3188 device (Ugoos UG007b, to be exact) running at 1.92 GHz and showing quite decent 19,000+ points in AnTuTu.
Of course, once you open it, there won't be any limits of further DIY improvements like using better heat sinks and thermal paste and better WiFi antenna.
Last, but not least, this stick apparently can run Ubuntu, and there are some efforts to make some of the first attempts practical. For me, it means that with a ~$70 investment in Motorola Lapdock and another $70 for this stick I can assemble a decent dual-booting Android/Linux laptop for mere $140.
Well, I was wrong about calling the Ugoos UM2 the best deal on RK3188 for the money: Cloudsto has a similar Rikomagic MK802IV stick for the same $75. However, I doubt you'll get free robotic cockroach and free DHL shipping with that Cloudsto shop. But it sports a better heat spreader if only a single full-sized USB port:
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