Monday, November 21, 2011

$60 tablet aims to bring Internet to developing world


Brothers Raja Singh Tuli and Suneet Singh Tuli are Canadian-raised entrepreneurs who own a company called DataWind. The Indian-born brothers have created the world’s cheapest tablet computer, which will be released in India within weeks and is planned to launch in the U.S and U.K in 2012. The Android-based tablet is called UbiSlate which will allow users to get internet access using existing low-speed cellphone networks, and will cost $2 a month for unlimited internet access. UbiSlate is designed to allow people living in the smallest villages in India have the ability to access the Internet and be connected. This device will hopefully create a solution for the problem that exits in emerging markets like Africa and Southeast Asia, which is a lack infrastructure and affordable products to allow for web access.

How the device works: UbiSlate has the technology that reduces the amount of data required to go on the Internet by 30 times. The device is solar powered, and has a small solar panel that generates about two watts of power a day (the sun in India is strong enough to fully charge the device). UbiSlate has a seven-inch touch screen, an Android 2.2 operating system, ability to play HD video, a built in cellular modem and two USB ports.

Why UbiSlate is so inexpensive: The device is run on low-speed cell-phone networks that are available everywhere, which allows them to buy the bandwidth at a low-price and sell it at a low cost. The company is also very “vertically integrated” which decreases their costs as well.

I personally think this tablet is a great way to connect those in the developing world, and is one step closer towards allowing those less fortunate to access information that can enhance their lives.

View Article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/11/21/technology-datawind-ubislate.html

No comments:

Post a Comment