Tiny USB-Sized PC Offers 1080p HDMI Output

[exfileme]

A game designer has created a USB Stick-sized PC to help bring technology to children and third-world countries.

Tiny USB-Sized PC Offers 1080p HDMI Output : Read more

 

[Guest]

Hmm so I take it the kids in developing countries have HDTVs to hook this thing up with HDMI?

 

[jrharbort]

This man is both a genius and a hero to come up with this kind of idea. Major kudos.

 

[joytech22]

That's incredible, this man is a genius.
I hope he releases another version with at least 512MB of RAM, 128MB would struggle to run anything on any operating system.

If he does, I'd buy one.

 

[cbrownx88]

It must have WiFi right?

 

[waynewarrior78]

To piggy back on what joytech said, this would be an awesome product to expand on. Increase the specs a tad for home use and sell it commercially. Then, he can take what profit he made from the commercial product to research and develop the lower spec one for kids/3rd world regions. All it would need to do is play 1080p video and have wifi. Perfect little device to attach to tvs in a household and have all the media devices connected.

 

[jsheridan]

Cool so this device will go to "third-world" children so they can access Twitter and Facebook to post things like "help me, i need medical assistance and food".
Good idea that will help but I think there are other things that kids need first.

 

[willy481]

@asnorton44 - given the tiny size of the pc, difficult to see what other TV/Monitor interface to provide ? Clearly the designer assumed the 'kids' will live in an environment where a TV or Monitor already available - and like it or not, HDMI has become the future TV/Monitor connect standard.
If Hollywood hadn't saddled everyone with such a limiting connection, perhaps one could design a cheap 'HDMI' to Composite Adapter for those with old TVs.
I think the design most innovative with much potential beyond the markets mentioned. With a few enhancements, could be used as cheap microcontroller, environmental monitoring/control etc.

 

[fir_ser]

One laptop per child has evolved to be the Netbook, so I wonder what this device will evolve to be?

 

[dconnors]

...but can it play Crysis?

 

[memadmax]

yea, I was wonderin when someone was gonna troll the "can it play crysis" bs....

 

[dconnors]

[citation][nom]memadmax[/nom]yea, I was wonderin when someone was gonna troll the "can it play crysis" bs....[/citation]

Troll has a negative connotation...me asking about Crysis was clearly a joke. Relax, please.

-Devin Connors
Senior Editor, Tom's Guide

 

[truchonic]

i hope they make a nice case

 

[soopahdoopah]

I'm pretty sure this thing isn't going to be able to do anything special.I may be wrong, but I seriously doubt that being able to output 1080p means it's able to play any 1080, or even 720p files. No mention of wifi or anything else that matters. Sure, it's WOO a mini incredulously basic computer, but is it practical for anything? No, not really. If they can do anything with the tech on it, then props to them. Otherwise, NBD.

 

[pirateboy]

"David Braben is best known for founding game development studio Frontier Developments, the group responsible for the Rollercoaster Tycoon series, Thrillville, Lost Winds and Microsoft's recent Kinect-based hit, Kinectimals."

not mentioning Elite in that sentence should get you flogged

 

[ProDigit10]

too bad they don't have a faq on their website.
From the looks of things, the device gets powered via a powered USB hub (which is $10-20 additionally). Then add a USB keyboard and mouse, and a TV, and you're set!

They also did not mention anything about mass production, nor price.
I think it looks like a prototype right now, still in the developing phase. One of the things it probably needs is a plastic jacket. And from the looks of things, it's going to become bigger than a USB stick, since it has more than 2 ports (it also has an SD cardslot, and webcam/other device port).

 

[ProDigit10]

[citation][nom]soopahdoopah[/nom]I'm pretty sure this thing isn't going to be able to do anything special.I may be wrong, but I seriously doubt that being able to output 1080p means it's able to play any 1080, or even 720p files. No mention of wifi or anything else that matters. Sure, it's WOO a mini incredulously basic computer, but is it practical for anything? No, not really. If they can do anything with the tech on it, then props to them. Otherwise, NBD.[/citation]
It seems to be equipped with a 700Mhz ARM processor, which could indicate that it will do 720p video. Perhaps even 1080i video. 1080p and 3D probably not.

 

[Marco925]

[citation][nom]jsheridan[/nom]Cool so this device will go to "third-world" children so they can access Twitter and Facebook to post things like "help me, i need medical assistance and food".Good idea that will help but I think there are other things that kids need first.[/citation]
I think that kids would be able to find this very useful indeed, while you criticise it with narrowminded ideas such as facebook and twitter, this is not what the device's sole purpose is for. it's not a facebook machine, it's a computer, to aid in education, to help get a job, build the person's skills in the world of today. In such a country where $1000 computers are worth more than 10 years of salaries, a $25 general purpose computer is something that can really help. We're not gonna get them out of poverty by sending aid alone. Let's educate too! So that we can help them dig out of the hole!!

 

[aftcomet]

So there are kids that have AIDS, are hungry and without food, have no access to school, medicine, even drinking water, and the first solution is the give them a USB computer which they probably can't even power...

 

[cwwilson721]

A game designer has created a USB Stick-sized PC to help bring technology to children and third-world countries.

Tiny USB-Sized PC Offers 1080p HDMI Output : Read more

I think we have to look outside the box.

You want it to run Crysis? Well, it can't. Want it to be a supercomputer. Well, it can't.

But hundreds of them in parallel in a "USB server farm" could. 100 of these $25 running in parallel would be comparatively cheap.

And THEN it could play Crysis. And beat you. BAD.

 

[eddieroolz]

Now this is something I'm willing to support!

 

[enforcer22]

[citation][nom]aftcomet[/nom]So there are kids that have AIDS, are hungry and without food, have no access to school, medicine, even drinking water, and the first solution is the give them a USB computer which they probably can't even power...[/citation]

Yeah your right i guess the game dev should have used his time to cure aids. What was he thinking.

What a ignorant and narrow way of looking at this. Sure it doesn't cure aids end starvation and bad water. But it can do other things. Does water cure aids? or food? why ship that if its not going to do everything. curing aids wont feed people or give them water either

 

[Marco925]

[citation][nom]aftcomet[/nom]So there are kids that have AIDS, are hungry and without food, have no access to school, medicine, even drinking water, and the first solution is the give them a USB computer which they probably can't even power...[/citation]
Geez. if you had only read the comment above rebuking the ignorance of another member, but you had to open your mouth.

 

[someguynamedmatt]

[citation][nom]Marco925[/nom]Geez. if you had only read the comment above rebuking the ignorance of another member, but you had to open your mouth.[/citation]
[citation][nom]EnFoRceR22[/nom]Yeah your right i guess the game dev should have used his time to cure aids. What was he thinking.What a ignorant and narrow way of looking at this. Sure it doesn't cure aids end starvation and bad water. But it can do other things. Does water cure aids? or food? why ship that if its not going to do everything. curing aids wont feed people or give them water either[/citation]
A USB computer isn't going to be of any use to people who are dead, dying, or otherwise in critical health and living conditions.

 

[enforcer22]

[citation][nom]someguynamedmatt[/nom]A USB computer isn't going to be of any use to people who are dead, dying, or otherwise in critical health and living conditions.[/citation]

Obviously.. so don't market it to them maybe. i didn't say it would help them. Just other people Leave the sick dead or dying to the medical people this guy makes games and is OBVIOUSLY aiming his product at other important areas of third world and whatever areas.