TI targets enthusiasts with $19.99 mini-computer

Texas Instruments is tapping into the growing trend among enthusiasts who want to make their own wearable devices and small electronics, announcing the Tiva C Series Connected LaunchPad mini-computer.
The $19.99 mini-computer has a microcontroller to which sensors, displays, connectivity and memory components can be independently attached via expansion cards. The expansion cards, called “Booster Packs” by TI, can help in prototyping devices and testing.


The board could help in the creation of sensor gateways, home automation products, and other sensor devices that could serve as data-collection instruments. The board could aid in the creation of “cloud-enabled gadgets,” according to TI. Such cloud-enabled gadgets could include wearable devices, such as health monitors and Wi-Fi-connected electronics.
TI did not return requests for comment on the board’s capabilities.
TI’s new product follows the January releases of Intel’s low-power chip called Edison for wearable devices and Freescale’s Warp board, which has similar expansion functionality.
Gartner in December forecast revenue from wearable electronics, apps and services for fitness and personal health would reach $5 billion in 2016, increasing from $1.6 billion in 2013.
Such boards are good for prototyping and writing software for companies that want to build wearable devices, said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64.
But with prototypes, programming can be a challenge because the devices don’t, for instance, provide users with the sort of biometric data they get from devices for sports or health-care use, Brookwood said.
There is a growing demand for semiconductors like microcontrollers used on these boards, IC Insights said in a study released Thursday.
Features on the board include support for ethernet, expandable memory capabilities and support for multiple communications protocols that are relevant in designing wirelessly connected electronics. The board has a 120MHz ARM Cortex-M4 processor, 1MB flash cache and 256KB of SRAM. It has two Booster Pack slots for expandability.
With an MCU, the processing capabilities of the board pale in comparison to Raspberry Pi, which has a faster ARM-based CPU and graphics core capable of rendering 1080p video

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Meet Cider, the platform that puts iOS apps on Android

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Imagine a world where you don’t have to choose between Android and iOS. That’s the goal behind Cider, an operating system compatibility architecture developed by computer science students at

Columbia University

. The project essentially makes iOS apps compatible with Android, regardless of the fact that apps from the two ecoystems are developed in entirely different coding platforms.
“There are lots of great iOS apps that Android users simply cannot run,” wrote Jeremy C. Andrus, a student working on the project, in an email interview. He notes that desktop applications have benefited from running in virtual machines whether you’re on a Mac or a PC, but the mobile sphere doesn’t currently have the same kind of tools.

Department of Computer Science, Columbia University

A diagram from the team’s official paper showcasing Cider displaying and running iOS apps.

A team of six students leveraged the fact that both Android and iOS primarily run on ARM-based hardware. “We don’t have to worry so much about coding languages used to write the software because we simply run the binaries from iOS,” said Andrus. He explained how the emulation works:

Blending the two OSes happens through a custom Android app we call the “CiderPress.” This is a standard Android app that receives events such as input, accelerometer, or app lifecycle start/stop notifications, and forwards those to the iOS app. We also convince the iOS app that the standard Android application window given to the CiderPress...is its device screen. This gives the iOS app Android facilities such as screen shots and recent app list entries for free.

The prototype, seen in the video below, runs on the Asus-manufactured Nexus 7 tablet running Android 4.3, with its libraries, services, and configuration files loaded from iOS 5.1. Andrus says that regardless of the OS iterations used, it doesn’t require any particular version of either platform to work.

Andrus added that he hopes the project helps spur more research into bringing cross-platform compatibility in the mobile world. “Mobile computing has become a huge part of our lives, and I think consumers deserve to be able to maximize the technological benefits without having to cart two or more devices around.”

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ET deals: Dell Venue 11 Pro Windows 8 tablet for $450

Dell’s Venue 11 Pro tablet has long been one of the more powerful and better outfitted Windows 8 tablet options. Thanks to a new $50 price drop, you can now get this versatile tablet for just $450, the lowest price yet.
This 10.8-inch tablet features a 1920×1080 10-point multi-touch IPS display and a quad-core battery-sipping Atom Z3770 processor, a combo that delivers a premium tablet experience. You’ll also feel right at home with the full version of Windows 8.1 and Microsoft Office Home & Student tablet pre-installed, giving you the best of both worlds in one device.
Storage is plentiful here, with a 64GB solid state drive that outclasses the majority of other tablets on the market, and the 2GB RAM will make it easy to run multiple programs side by side on that high resolution display. Dell has also included high quality cameras, with a 2MP shooter on the front for video chats and an 8MP camera on the back.
Hooking up your peripherals will be easy thanks to the full-sized USB 3.0 and mini HDMI ports. On the wireless side, there’s dual-band 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC, so you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to connectivity.
Tipping the scales at 1.57lbs and measuring 0.4 inches thick, this tablet will be a breeze to travel with, and the 8-10 hour battery life will let you leave the charger at home most of the time too. It’s covered with a 1-year basic warranty.
Take advantage of this new savings and grab this powerful 64GB 1080p tablet for the lowest price it’s ever been.
Dell Venue 11 Pro tablet (64GB) for $449.99. Get $264.28 savings instantly.
Looking for Windows 8 Pro on a similar tablet? Available with a dual-core processor and 720p display, for a limited time Dell is also offering their Latitude 10 tablet for just $349.99, the best price we’ve found yet.

Dell Latitude 10 Windows 8 Pro tablet for $349.99. Apply coupon code DWVLCVZH6V5S2$ for total $399.28 savings.

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