Android Mini PCs squeeze all the processing power of a tablet into the size and shape of a USB flash drive.

With their ARM-powered processors and a variety of connection options, Android TV Boxes can turn your HDTV or high-resolution monitor into a computer. Simply connect the Mini PC to your screen's HDMI port, plug the Micro USB port into an AC adapter, and attach a keyboard or mouse for input, and you're ready to go.

When you're done testing out such a mini PC, you may ask:"What can I do with this thing?" Here are six great ways to use an Android Mini PC:

1. Android Gaming Console

With a growing list of graphic-intensive games like "Shadow Gun," "Asphalt 6," and "Modern Combat 4," Android has become a serious gaming platform. Yes, you can play the latest first-person shooters on your phone or tablet, but their screens are small and connecting them to a TV is frustrating.

You don't need to buy a gaming console anymore. A new generation of quad-core devices promises even better performance, such as the VenBOX ITV-MXQ. For convenience alone, it's best to buy a wireless joystick or keyboard Riitek Rii K25A.

2. Home media center

After connecting to a TV, the mini PC serves as an excellent media set-top box, especially if it supports 1080p resolution. With a quad-core processor  VenBOX ITV-K1.

Using a wireless keyboard as a remote control, you can sit on the couch and launch Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Google Play and other video services. It goes without saying that you can also listen to music from services like Rhapsody, Spotify, Pandora and Slacker or view photos using your social networks or cloud storage.

3. A Reliable Linux Workstation

Android mini PCs are also capable of running Ubuntu and other versions of the Linux desktop. The windowed interface makes multitasking easy, and with access to thousands of productivity apps, from video editors to office suites, you can use your computer for productive tasks.

Because a mini PC contains the entire operating system, it keeps your data physically safe. Computers from internet cafes and public kiosks have spyware that steals passwords. Your boss might have a keylogger on your work computer and use it to track your activity. But with a mini PC, you keep the entire environment with you, keeping your data and applications physically safe.

4. Living Room and Video Conferencing Hub

Making video calls from your phone or computer is great, but what do you do when you want to sit the whole family down on the couch and Skype with Grandma? Simply connect an Android-compatible webcam to the PC Mini, then install your choice of software: Skype, Google Hangouts, or even OoVoo. Place the webcam on top of your TV, and you're ready to make a video call on the big screen. There are also Android TV Box models with built-in cameras, such as VenBOX ITVm8c.

5. File Server

Whether you want to share documents with co-workers in a small business or make family photos accessible to everyone in your home, you can benefit from having a home file server.

With Linux file server software, you can exert precise control over server permissions or even run a local web server, making web tools available to those on your local network.

6. A Second Family PC

Desktop PCs are getting cheaper and cheaper, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a brand-new model for under $100. However, if you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, an inexpensive Android box makes an amazing family PC.

While Android can't run all the apps you love on Windows or Mac OS, an Android Mini PC will give your kids access to thousands of family-friendly apps. Your spouse can use it to go online and check Facebook, send email, or play games while you use the main PC for work.

You can even sit down on the mini PC and do some document editing in QuickOffice while you wait for the Windows update to complete installation. .

Happy shopping with VenSys!