Development in the arena of smartphone is making things smaller and smaller. We have now Octa-Core smartphones with lots of features in very tiny form factor. This development has not only made our smartphones more smart but is also helping us to get cheaper and compact computers. Recently BeagleBoard.org has unveiled a tiny computer which costs USD 45 (makes approx Rs. 2500 ) which can be used as full fledged computer and can be used as base for tiny gadgets and devices which need power of a computer but but in limited space and budget.

Beagleboard Black

The tiny computing device is launched as “BeagleBone Black” and is powered by Sitara 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor from Texas Instruments. It has 512MB of DDR3 RAM and has 2GB of integrated eMMC flash storage. There are few other similar small computing devices available however, this one seems to be cost effective and most powerful. This device comes preloaded with Ångström distro which is known for its under 10 seconds boot time and Cloud9 IDE. Making it a good tool for developers , makers and hobbyists looking for a cost effective tool for all their needs.

It also has two 46 pin connector which allows this device to be integrated with other boards and devices like 3D printers, LCD touchscreens and many other devices. Apart of that it also has HTMI interface, USB host and ethernet connector.

You can use USB cable to power it up as well can be connected to external 5V DC supply for its power needs.

Carlos Betancourt, a marketing engineer for TI’s Sitara processors, described BeagleBone Black as “truly” open source. He noted that open source software is not always as open as it claims to be. “When it comes to hardware, open source means you can buy all these chips and use them for your own design,” Betancourt said.

Out of the box, this device support Android, Ubuntu and many other flavours of linux. Though not available directly in India yet but you can order it online through their product page.

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