There may soon be another reason to love the uber-affordable and portable Raspberry Pi 3.
An entry for Raspberry Pi 3, a $35, small and simple computer, appeared on Google’s Android Open Source Project page, according to Android Police. It’s part of the same directory that also includes other Android phones.
The addition of Android support would give it access to the world’s most popular operating system, and let folks mess around with their own custom projects using Google’s software. Google wasn’t immediately available for comment.
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Hobbyists, developers and students have gravitated towards the Raspberry Pi, which is a simple motherboard with a CPU, graphics card, memory and a few other components. The device already runs Windows 10 and is designed to encourage people to tinker with the device to create their own projects.
This story is part of 84 Days of Holiday, a collection that helps you find the perfect gift for anyone. Over the years, I’ve often described Apple’s MacBook Air as the most universally useful laptop you can get (or in this case, give). The latest version, now with Apple’s new M2 chip inside, hits the fresh …
Sprint quietly revealed its second ultra-tough Sonim handset with the XP Strike IS. Available for $599.99 after users sign a two-year contract (without an agreement, the price jumps to $1,099.99), the feature phone sports a hefty 1,960mAh battery and 2-inch QVGA screen.
Though Sonim devices are indeed tough— this one can reportedly survive a 6.5-foot fall on concrete and a dunk under 6.5 feet of water for 30 minutes — they are bulky, and the Strike IS is no different.
For example, its battery physically bulges in the back, and the phone tips the scales at 7.75 ounces.
However, what it loses in looks, the Strike IS gains in being Intrinsically Safe.
This is a safety standard which ensures that due to their low voltage and electrical energy output, certain electronic devices can still be used safely in explosive or flammable environments.
And because most consumers don’t live in particularly explosive surroundings (though, wouldn’t that be fun?), the Strike IS isn’t targeted for mass-market appeal.
Instead, handsets such as these are often necessary for those working in the oil and gas industry. Such companies also sometimes ban the use of camera phones. As such, the Strike IS doesn’t have one, either.
Other features include 256MB of RAM, Bluetooth, and Sprint’s Direct Connect push-to-talk capabilities.
If you’re interested in the Strike IS, but don’t need its Intrinsically Safe feature, the more market-friendly XP Strike is currently going for $99.99. The phone still delivers the same ruggedness alongside a slimmer build.
Update, Friday at 6:24 p.m. PT: Additional information and context has been added about the phone’s Intrinsically Safe feature, and the battery info has been corrected.
Republic Wireless, the service provider that made waves last year with its super-low $19 unlimited voice, data, and text messaging plan, is back and open to all.
The company garnered headlines and a lot of buzz for its plans when it launched a year ago, and consumers likewise gravitated toward the service — the service provider had to shut its beta trial shortly after it opened up because of a surge of demand.
Republic Wireless, which buys and resells capacity from Sprint Nextel’s network, is able to deliver such a low-priced service because it’s betting that users will stay on Wi-Fi networks for a majority of their usage. The company has spent the last year testing out that thesis, and CEO David Morken told CNET he is confident his beliefs hold up.
“The most important thing we got out of the last year of learning was this Wi-Fi-first wireless approach is a strategy that will work and work well,” Morken said.
After several fits and starts and a number of different openings over the past few months in which Republic Wireless let in a few more users, the company is throwing open its doors for anyone interested in pre-ordering its phone, the Motorola Defy XT, which will arrive in four weeks.
Next month, Republic Wireless will fully launch with general availability and a quicker delivery time for the Defy.
Republic Wireless is one of the more unique wireless resellers to come around. Like some of the other successful ones, it’s banking its success on an ultra-competitive price. But it’s the first to use Wi-Fi as a way of offsetting the cost of running a wireless service.
Republic Wireless officially enters the business in decent financial shape. The company is both profitable and free cash-flow positive, and is expected to generate more than $100 million in revenue.
Republic Wireless
Originally, 5,000 customers signed up for the beta last year, and Morken said he expects to surpass 50,000 customers this year. By next year, he expects to hit 500,000 customers and double revenue.
His expectations are based on the demand he is seeing from consumers, which remains strong even as a lot of the buzz from a year ago has faded. Morken compares the wait list of people online to fans who wait in front of Apple’s stores in anticipation of the next product.
“The proof and validation is when you open the store and people come flying through the doors,” he said about Republic Wireless’ virtual storefront. (It has no physical one.)
Republic Wireless learned some other lessons about the ability to scale the service to handle more people, bulk up the sales staff, and other means of improving execution, Morken said. From the trials, he is seeing Wi-Fi usage rise, giving him confidence that few consumers will abuse the system and stay on the cellular network. In order to work financially, consumers will have to stay on Wi-Fi most of the time, because Republic Wireless pays Sprint for any customers who use the cellular network.
Because the service relies on hand-offs between the Wi-Fi and cellular networks, call drops are frequent, CNET’s Rick Broida found. Morken said the company was working on a more seamless transition, but noted that many consumers find ways to work around the Wi-Fi-cellular hand-off issue.
For now, the Motorola Defy XT, at $249 (plus $10 activation fee), is the only smartphone available on the service. Morken said the company is working to expand its portfolio to at least have a good, better, and best approach. He added he was open to the possibility of letting people bring their own unlocked smartphone to the service, but wouldn’t comment on timing.
There were a lot of skeptics about Republic Wireless when it first launched. Morken is out to prove them wrong.
“It would be silly for us to pursue this…if it wasn’t going to be a profitable model or valuable to people,” he said.
Designed extra-tough for extreme conditions, Sprint’s Kyocera DuraPlus will be available to consumers on March 11 for about $69.99 after you sign a two-year contract on Sprint’s Direct Connect PTT network and send in for a $50 rebate.
As CNET’s own Brian Bennett reported, the device is designed to meet the U.S. military’s brutal survivability guidelines.
It can “withstand exposure to dust storms, shocks and vibrations, drenching rains, plus extreme swings of temperature.” And don’t worry if you accidentally drop this one in the pool–it can be submerged in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes.
The handset also features Sprint’s push-to-talk direct-connect function, a rugged rubber outer shell, Bluetooth connectivity, a 2.5mm heapdhone jack that supports PTT headsets, and GPS support.
Another neat feature of the DuraPlus is that it comes with a shortcut button that turns on an LED flashlight attached to it. This will come in pretty handy if you experience an unexpected blackout or work in low-light conditions.
Testing out rugged phones (like the Casio G’zOne Ravine 2) here at CNET proves to be interesting when compared with the standard smartphone affair, so we’re looking forward to putting this phone to the test when it arrives at our offices.
NEW YORK–It’s baaaack. Motorola brought back its Razr line but in a more powerful package, with the introduction of Motorola Droid Razr for Verizon Wireless.
Measuring just 7.1mm thick, the Droid Razr is made from Kevlar fiber and features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced qHD touch screen with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. Despite its thin profile, the Android Gingerbread smartphone doesn’t skimp on the features, packing in a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 4G LTE capabilities, and 1GB RAM.
For full details on the Motorola Droid Razr, check out our full post here.
