low-cost
Latest
Watch Apple’s ‘Time Flies’ event here at 1PM ET
Watch Apple's 'Time Flies' launch event here at 1PM ET.
T-Mobile launches its $15 5G plan ahead of the Sprint merger
To help people stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic, T-Mobile is launching its new $15-per-month 5G plan ahead of schedule. Originally, T-Mobile said it would launch the plan, called T-Mobile Connect, after its merger with Sprint finalized. Last we heard, that deal could close on April 1st, but now, T-Mobile Connect will be available on Wednesday.
MIT’s sensor-packed glove helps AI identify objects by touch
Researchers have spent years trying to teach robots how to grip different objects without crushing or dropping them. They could be one step closer, thanks to this low-cost, sensor-packed glove. In a paper published in Nature, a team of MIT scientists share how they used the glove to help AI recognize objects through touch alone. That information could help robots better manipulate objects, and it may aid in prosthetics design.
Philo cuts its most affordable TV streaming plan
The budget TV streaming service Philo announced it's eliminating its lower-cost subscription. Beginning May 6th, Philo will drop its $16-per-month plan, offering only a $20 monthly subscription. The move puts Philo on a growing list of streaming TV providers that have increased prices in the past few months.
Tesco puts its name to a budget 7-inch tablet in the UK: the £119 Hudl
Not content with flogging other companies' tablets, today UK supermarket chain Tesco is launching one of its own. Priced at £119 and available from September 30th, the Hudl features a 7-inch (1,440 x 900 resolution) display for watching those Blinkbox titles in 720p, a quad-core Rokchip 1.5GHz processor, stock Android 4.2.2, a microSD slot for supplementing the 16GB of internal storage and, according to Tesco, a battery that'll last around 9 hours on a full charge. Some of the specs, such as dual WiFi antennae and stereo speakers on the rear face seem carefully designed to square up against Amazon's elderly (and soon-to-be-replaced) Kindle Fire HD, which, at £160, may suddenly look expensive beside the Hudl. Amazon, however, can claim the stronger ecosystem, while Google's £199 Nexus 7 boasts better all-round hardware. The device is slightly chubby and plasticky, as you'd expect, but it's not some rebadge. Tesco says it worked directly with a manufacturer (Archos, as it turns out) to produce a tablet of its own design. Also, to the retailer's credit, the tablet feels sturdy, which seems to be a theme of certain optional Hudl-branded accessories, too. These include a pair of headphones and a rubbery case intended to make the slate more child-friendly. Tesco says it'll double the value of ClubCard vouchers put towards a Hudl purchase, meaning customers can pick one up for free if they have enough points for a £60 voucher. There's also an offer coming for Blinkbox vouchers, designed to tempt you into Tesco's content ecosystem that complements its first foray into hardware -- we hear the promotion starts next week and vouchers will be half-price, so you'll be able to get £20 of streaming content for a tenner. Sharif Sakr saved up all of his ClubCard points for this report.
Low-cost plastic-clad iPhone mentioned in China Labor Watch report
Remember that China Labor Watch report we recently covered? After digging further into the document, 9to5Mac's Computerworld's unearthed more possible evidence about that often leaked, low-cost plastic-clad iPhone. The introduction states: Its assembled products include iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, and low-priced plastic iPhones. Then, on page 27: Today's work is to paste protective film on the iPhone's plastic back cover to prevent it from being scratched on assembly lines. This iPhone model with a plastic cover will soon be released on the market by Apple. [...] The new cell phone has not yet been put into mass production, so quantity is not as important. Of course, there's no definitive proof that Apple will be launching a more affordable iPhone made of polycarbonate -- after all the company might just be testing prototypes that are not destined to market. Still, the information in this report sure gives all these recent iPhone rumors a lot more merit. Update: It looks like it was Computerworld that originally discovered this information, and we've changed the source link to reflect this.
Broadcom introduces low-power WiFi and Bluetooth chips for the Internet of things
The Internet of things -- that nebulous term usually associated with interconnecting everyday objects in a meaningful way -- is in the news again. Yesterday, Broadcom announced that it's launching a couple cost-effective, power-efficient wireless chips geared towards appliances, home automation and wearable devices. The first SoC, BCM4390, incorporates a highly-efficient WiFi radio for embedded use in products such as weight scales, thermostats and security cameras. It fits into the company's range of Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) chips. The second SoC, BCM20732, features an ultra low-power Bluetooth transceiver and targets devices like heart rate monitors, pedometers and door locks. Broadcom's also contributing its Bluetooth software stack to the Android Open Source Project with support for both standard and Bluetooth Smart hardware. Does this mean our long-awaited smart toaster's just around the corner? We sure hope so. Follow the source links below for more info.
Acer says it's 'moving away from the lower end' in Europe, leaving cheaper laptops to Packard Bell
This certainly doesn't come as a huge surprise given where Acer has been focusing its attention as of late, but it looks like the company is truly intent on shedding its image as a low-cost brand -- at least in Europe. Speaking with TechRadar, an Acer spokesperson said that "it can be a slightly conflicting message," referring to it also offering computers under its Packard Bell brand, and that "Acer is moving away from the lower end." In this case, Acer is defining low-end as under £400, or roughly $600, although it says there will be some crossover. The spokesperson further added that "Acer will become more premium," also noting that "we try to separate the two brands as far as possible, so the average consumer has no idea that the two brands are associated." What that means for Acer in North America (where the Packard Bell brand is long gone) remains to be seen, but we've reached out to the company for comment.
AMD details next generation of E-series chips for sub-$600 laptops
We've already covered AMD's premium Trinity processors, but today the company got specific about what we can expect from its more price-conscious E-Series chips. These are the 1.4GHz E1-1200 and the 1.7GHz E2-1800 -- both dual-core Bobcat APUs that bring a range of improvements over last year's E-series, and which are intended for sub-$600 laptops plus perhaps the odd nettop. Despite having slightly higher clock speeds than their predecessors, the new models consume the familiar 18W TDP and still manage to claim a battery life in excess of 11 hours with Windows in idle, or around four hours of solid flash gaming (as unhealthy as that sounds). On the graphics side, the APUs contain updated Radeon HD 7000 series GPUs, which makes them DirectX 11 capable and also compatible with OpenCL 1.1, thus allowing certain software titles to use the GPU for computation tasks. Other improvements include integrated support for SATA III 6Gb/s, USB 3.0 and SD card readers, plus HTML 5 acceleration and Metro UI optimization for Windows 8. As for what distinguishes the two options: the E1-1200 can only take DDR3-1066 memory and its GPU is clocked at 500MHz, whereas the E2-1800 can take speedier DDR3-1333 memory and deliver a maximum GPU clock speed of 680MHz. As for availability, AMD expects E-Series APU-equipped machines to roll out from OEMs such as Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba. Check out the slide deck below for more details or jump past the break for the full press release.%Gallery-157217%
Virgin Mobile adds $40 payLo unlimited plan for talk and text types
Virgin Mobile's feature phone arm just added a third tier, delivering unlimited talk and texting, along with 50 megs of web access for $40 per month. This offering joins Sprint's other payLo budget offerings, including an entry-level option that includes 400 minutes of talk time for $20 per month, and a $30 monthly plan that delivers 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts and 30MB of data. Overage charges are quite hefty, at $0.10 per minute, $0.25 per message and $1.50 per MB (ouch!), with the option to reset the counter instead by starting a new month once you hit the threshold. Considering that the plans are designed for feature phones (which are seldom used for anything but basic web access), the tier limits do sound manageable -- perhaps even a deal, if you talk a lot and never browse the web. The payLo plan can be paired with any of Virgin's feature phones, which range in price from $15 (for a sold-out LG101) to $50 (for a QWERTY-equipped Kyocera S2300). Get the full scoop from Sprint in the PR after the break.
Canon EOS-1D X and Nikon D4 ISO 204,800 shooting hands-on (video)
With mirrorless cameras offering high-resolution APS-C sensors and consecutive shooting speeds of up to 10 frames-per-second, what's left to make a $6,000 full-frame DSLR a compelling purchase, especially for amateur photographers? Low-light performance, for one -- the Canon EOS-1D X and Nikon D4 are both capable of capturing images at up to ISO 204,800, letting you snap sharp photos in even the dimmest of lighting conditions. The benefits of a top sensitivity of ISO 204,800 are significant -- jumping from one ISO to the next doubles your shutter speed. So an exposure of f/2.8 at 1/2 second at ISO 400 becomes 1/4th at ISO 800, 1/15th at ISO 3200, 1/60th at ISO 12,800, 1/250th at ISO 51,200 and a whopping 1/1000th at ISO 204,800 -- fast enough to freeze a speeding car.Both Canon and Nikon have yet to allow us to take away samples shot with the 1D X or D4 -- the companies even taped CF card slots shut to prevent show attendees from slipping their own card in -- but we were still able to get a fairly good idea of high-ISO performance from reviewing images on the built-in LCDs. At the cameras' top sensitivity of ISO 204,800, noise was visible even during a full image preview. Zooming into the image revealed significant noise, as expected. However, within each camera's native range of ISO 100 to 25,600, noise was barely an issue at all. Both cameras are still pre-production samples at this point, so we'll need to wait for production models to make their way out before we can capture our own samples, but based on what we saw when reviewing ISO 204,800 images on the built-in LCDs, that incredible top-ISO setting may actually be usable. Scroll on through the gallery below to preview some top sensitivity shots on the Canon EOS-1D X (camera poster) and the Nikon D4 (Japanese model), and join us past the break for an even closer look in our video hands-on.
Braille-It Labeler brings low-cost printing, 'sightless construction' to the blind
It's certainly not the first Braille label printer we've seen, but Ted Moallem's Braille-It Labeler does bring notably unique element to the table -- namely, "sightless construction." Presented at this year's A Better World by Design conference, this compact device allows blind or visually impaired users to print out adhesive labels in Braille, thanks to a simple six-button design that's compatible with any Braille alphabet. Made out of relatively common materials like aluminum and steel wire, the Braille-It can also be constructed by the blind themselves -- a potentially groundbreaking development for a demographic that's too often ignored by the retail sector. Moallem, a former MIT grad student, explains: Blind people cannot depend on mainstream commercial forces to advance the cause of Braille literacy. Nearly two centuries after the invention of Braille by a blind adolescent boy, the most widely used Braille-writing tools, the slate and stylus, are quite similar to the tools used by Louis Braille himself. In the hands of the sighted, the low-cost Braille industry has stagnated. The inventor tested his label maker at a workshop last year in Katpadi, India, where blind trainees successfully taught other visually impaired users how to create their very own Braille-It. Moallem is now looking to set up similar workshops across other locations, including Senegal, Liberia and Lebanon. The ultimate goal is to empower blind consumers to create their own low-cost and potentially life-saving tools -- particularly in developing countries, which account for an estimated 90 percent of the world's blind population. If successful, Moallem's invention and ensuing campaign could provide a remarkably simple solution for a large, yet often neglected population. We certainly wish him the best of luck. Find out more at the source link below, or check out Inhabitat's extensive coverage for more images and insight.
Indian $70 solar slate joins XO-3 and Sakshat in vaporware race
Another day, another phantom budget tablet: today's unnamed low-cost model hails from Bharat Electronics, out of India. The Bharat slate runs Android 2.2, sports solar charging for back-up power, and sings for only 3000 Rupees, or just shy of $70. No word on processor speed, RAM, or storage, but Hindu Business Line states that the Froyo pads will "allow data to be stored and uploaded in real time to a central server," suggesting a cloud-based storage system. Availability? None for now, this slate is being sold exclusively to India's Ministry of Rural Development for use in a poverty survey. Bharat's Chairman and Managing Director, Ashwani Datt, stated they would have to configure a new version of the slate if they were to offer it to students or consumers. We'll let you know what we think just as soon as we get our hands on the XO-3 and that other tablet from India. You know, for vaporous comparison.
Microsoft shopping around 'low-cost version' of Windows Phone 7 for emerging markets
Microsoft has apparently revealed at a developer event in India that it intends to produce a "low-cost version" of Windows Phone 7 primarily targeting emerging markets that would come after the initial volley of higher-end devices schedule to launch at the tail end of this year. Little else is known at this point, but Sudeep Bharati -- director of India's Visual Studio group -- has mentioned that it will have a smaller screen, suggesting that this might be one and the same as the HVGA spec Microsoft mentioned back at MIX a few weeks ago. He went on to say that they're currently in talks with manufacturers to get feedback on the lower-end version, so it sounds like this isn't quite solidified yet -- but considering that the first WinPho 7 devices promise to be pretty pricey, we wouldn't mind seeing these things materialize, "emerging market" or otherwise.
FCC will consider 'free or very low cost wireless broadband' service
Did you know there was a Digital Inclusion Summit going on? We already know the FCC isn't best pleased about the fact 93 million Americans are making do without access to home broadband, and this latest event was an opportunity for it to dish some more info on its forthcoming National Broadband Plan. The major obstacles to broadband adoption identified by the FCC were noted as cost, computer illiteracy, and a sheer lack of awareness about the benefits the web offers (outside of cute kitties). The big Plan will be delivered to Congress a week from today, and its suggestions will include the creation of a Digital Literacy Corps, who'll be performing missionary duties among the unenlightened, and the big whopper: a proposal to "consider use of spectrum for a free or very low cost wireless broadband service." Yeah, if you can't jump over the cost hurdle you might as well eviscerate it from existence. Quite naturally, such radical plans have been met with much grumbling opposition, and Business Week reports that it may be years before the full reforms are implemented ... if at all.
Motorola to introduce eight OPhones on China Mobile next year, celebrate intensely
Motorola may be pinning its comeback hopes on the CLIQ here in America, but it obviously has some rather large plans for the world's largest carrier, too. An admittedly perplexing report has surfaced purporting that the creator of the iconic i776, er, RAZR, is fixing to distribute not one, not two, but eight OPhones to China Mobile next year. For those unaware, OPhone is an Android-based OS tailor made to operate on the aforesaid carrier and cater to its customers, and to date, quite a few other manufacturers have jumped on board over there. Sadly, no actual details about the eight Moto handsets were given, so it looks like it's just you, a cup of joe and your hyperactive imagination for the time being.
Qualcomm makes a play for the sub-$150 smartphone market with new chipset
In a press release recently issued by Qualcomm, the company states that it's taking direct aim at the sub-$150 smartphone market with a new chipset on offer. The platform -- known as the MSM7227 -- is apparently designed with higher-power, lower-cost handsets in mind, offering HSDPA / HSUPA radios, a 600MHz CPU, 320MHz application DSP, 400MHz modem processor, hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, Bluetooth 2.1, and GPS support integrated in a 12mm x 12mm chipset. The MSM7227 can also supposedly handle 8 megapixel camera and 30 FPS WVGA encoding / decoding with ease, and is capable of supporting Android, S60, Windows Mobile, and BREW platforms. Given the company's recent foray into Snapdragon and other pricier options, it's interesting to see them taking a shine to the low end of the market. We know that ASUS are planning on launching a cheaper Eee phone sometime soon, and they're currently snuggling up to Qualcomm for chip duty on an Android device. Is this the year we'll see the rise of the smartphone version of the netbook (cheap, plentiful, almost disposable)? Only MWC knows for sure.[Via The Inquirer]
Samsung goes after low-cost laptop market with new SATA II SSDs
We have a strange feeling there's more marketing hoopla here than anything else, but whatever the case, Samsung sure feels like its newest line of SSDs will work just great within low-cost laptops. The outfit has begun to sample "low-density, higher-performance solid state drives that are only 30-percent of the size of 2.5-inch SSDs and highly cost-efficient to manufacture." The MLC-based drives only come in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavors, and read / write performance ranges from 90MB/sec to 70MB/sec, respectively. Mass production is scheduled to crank up next month, and while you'd expect SSDs aimed at netbooks to boast remarkably low price tags, Sammy doesn't even bother spilling those beans.
Alienware to launch low-cost, AMD-based gaming rig
Hot on the heels of the news that Dell is axing its XPS gaming line to focus attention on Alienware, we've got word that Alienware will intro a new, low-end model soon. Clearly aiming for a bigger chunk of the market, the eyeball-shattering-system makers will offer a $1,699, AMD-powered desktop, featuring 4GB of RAM, a 2.2GHz quad-core 9550 Phenom X4 CPU, and an ATI HD 3870 X2 graphics card. The system will be based around the AMD 790FX chipset, which will be served up on an ASUS motherboard. In a feat of absurd cliché, Alienware spokesman Marc Diana claimed, "It's not your granddaddy's AMD system. We're talking top-of-the-line quad core." The PC will be available sometime in the next two weeks, so stay alert.
ECS' Atom-based G10IL gets more attractive by the minute
Upon initial inspection, we had a hunch the ECS G10IL would emerge as one of the most desirable of the low-cost lappies. Now that ECS has filled us all in on a few more pertinent details, we're feeling all the more sure of that assertion. According to new specifications loosed on the outfit's own website, we can look forward to a Diamondville, er, Atom CPU, Windows XP or Linux under the hood, a single RAM slot (up to 2GB), an HDD or SSD, 1.3-megapixel webcam, 4-in-1 multicard reader, a 8.2- / 10.2-inch glossy display and a 4- / 6-cell battery for good measure. Oh, and if you were wondering if Bluetooth and WiFi would tag along with the built-in HSDPA / HSUPA, the answer's yes (at least on the big fellow). So, does the G10IL have your attention now, or what?[Via DailyTech]
