Microsoft's early Labor Day sales mean fantastic savings on a range of Surface devices and laptops
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Read MoreAn open source development kit that houses a Raspberry Pi CM3+ Lite inside a keyboard chassis, pretty much like the Raspberry Pi 400, is available for pre-order.
Named the DevTerm, the upcoming device is a more complete all-in-one PC than the Raspberry Pi 400, as it ships with an integrated display and several other accessories.
Developed by Minnesota-based Clockwork Tech LLC, the DIY-friendly DevTerm is built around a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+, and in addition to the gamepad-equipped keyboard also includes a 6.8-inch IPS screen, a thermal printer, and a battery holder.
Clockwork is known for its GameShell handheld retro gaming console.
Like the GameShell, the DevTerm runs Linux atop a smart hardware design that’s modular, and open source. As its name suggests, the DevTerm is designed for doing development, though it does include a retro-style gamepad built into the 67-key keyboard, which also has a mini-trackball and three mouse click-buttons.
What really sets it apart though is the ultra-wide, 1280 x 480-pixel IPS screen that you can scroll using knobs on either side.
The initial DevTerm Kit RPI-CM3 model is built around the ClockworkPi v3.14 mainboard that’s equipped with a port to add the CM3+ Lite module.
The DevBoard is designed to support different modules. Currently it’s available in five variants with specs ranging from 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a quad-core 1.8Ghz ARM Cortex-A53 processor to 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a hexa-core chip with a 1.4Ghz Cortex-A53 or a 1.8Ghz Cortex-A72 core.
The device includes a micro-HDMI port, 3.5mm audio I/O jack, a 40-pin GPIO connector, and though it lacks a LAN port it does offer 802.11ac WiFi with Bluetooth 5.0 along with an antenna.
Also note that while the device will take various 18650 battery sizes, the DevTerm doesn’t include the batteries, primarily due to the logistical complexities for shipping lithium batteries.
Clockwork will publish schematics for the device on GitHub under a GPL v3 license. You can pre-order the DevTerm for $219 and up depending on the core module, and the company expects to begin shipping in April 2021.
Via: Liliputing
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Read More1. Best NBN plans There are now three speed tiers available to households that are considered fast NBN plans: NBN 1000, NBN 250 and NBN 100. If you’re unsure what these numbers actually mean, they indicate the top download speed available on each plan. In reality though, this isn’t always the case. For example, an NBN 1000 plan should in theory be able to reach a top speed of 1,000Mbps, but among the limited number of telcos who offer this plan, Telstra is the only provider to report getting close to this number. Telstra has the fastest consumer-grade NBN 1000 plan you can get, reporting a typical evening speed of 700Mbps. While it doesn’t reach the top speed available during the busy evening period, it is far above the average, which is 370Mbps when you consider all telcos with an NBN 1000 plan. Similarly, most providers who offer NBN 250 plans don’t actually report a typical evening speed of 250Mbps – the average speed sits a fair bit below at 219Mbps. The number of options can be understandably overwhelming, but we want to help you make the right choice when it comes to choosing a fast NBN plan. We’ve partnered with WhistleOut to compare NBN plans from over 30 Aussie providers and find our top picks on this page, or you can skip ahead by clicking on the links below: Before signing up to a high-speed NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan, there are some factors you should be aware of. These tiers are only available on two types of NBN connection – fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC). When it comes to NBN 1000 plans, all FTTP connections can sign up for the 1000Mbps speed tier, but only a select subset of HFC installations are eligible – estimated to be roughly 7% of the total. Below we'll run through our top plan picks, but first, check out these ace offers currently available on fast NBN plans: Our choice for large households and those who want a little extra speed Spintel is facing some stiff competition from MyRepulic at the moment, but we’re giving the best NBN 100 plan to Spintel. You’ll get a discount for your first six months with the provider, so you’ll pay AU$69 a month before it goes back to AU$84.95 each billing. It’s still one of the cheapest NBN 100 plans you’ll find once the discount ends, and for the price, you’ll be getting typical speeds of 100Mbps. This is ultimately why MyRepublic missed out on the top spot – it’s got a lower ongoing cost, but a slower typical evening speed of 93Mbps. Total minimum cost: AU$69 | Total cost for first year: AU$923.70 • See more: Best NBN 100 plans NBN 100 plans compared The go-to for lightning-quick broadband MyRepublic is now offering incredibly competitive prices on its fastest plans. You can sign up to its NBN 250 plan for just AU$89 a month for your first six months, and once the introductory deal is over, it only bumps up to AU$99 ongoing. That makes it not only the cheapest NBN 250 plan initially, but also the (equal) lowest ongoing price too. It comes with a typical evening speed of 200Mbps, which is about average for this tier. [A multi-award winner in the 2021 Mozo Experts Choice NBN Awards.] Total minimum cost: AU$89 | Total cost for first year: AU$1,128 • See more: Best NBN 250 plans NBN 250 plans compared The fastest you can get, but only available in select locations MyRepublic is also our pick for the best NBN 1000 plan, and that’s largely due to its cost – just AU$99 a month for your first six months. Once that welcome discount finishes, it’s still the cheapest plan we can find at this speed, coming in at AU$109 ongoing. MyRepublic’s plan only promises a typical evening speed of 350Mbps though, so if you want a plan that’s guaranteed to get closer to 1000Mbps, we’d recommend Aussie Broadband for AU$149p/m. [A multi-award winner in the 2021 Mozo Experts Choice NBN Awards.] Total minimum cost: AU$99 | Total cost for first year: AU$1,248 • See more: Best NBN 1000 plans NBN 1000 plans compared When it comes to the big three internet providers, these are the best fast plans available: • Telstra NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$110p/m | Free 12-month Disney Plus subscription • Telstra NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$140p/m | Free 12-month Disney Plus subscription • Telstra NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$180p/m | Free 12-month Disney Plus subscription • Optus NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$89p/m (first 6 months, then AU$99p/m) • Optus NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$109p/m (first 6 months, then AU$119p/m) • Optus NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$139p/m (first 6 months, then AU$149p/m • TPG NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$79.99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$89.99p/m) • TPG NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$94.99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$124.99p/m) • TPG NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$114.99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$144.99p/m) NBN 1000, which the NBN Co refers to as 'Ultrafast', is the fastest consumer NBN speed tier. The small but growing number of ISPs who offer it advise a typical evening speed of 370Mbps on average, which is quite low considering the top speed available on these plans is 1,000Mbps. Outside of the peak busy period, we’ve seen real-world speed test results that are much higher at 900Mbps, though still not reaching the maximum amount. The second-fastest tier is NBN 250, which the NBN Co refers to as 'Superfast'. Again, there’s a small number of providers who offer this speed, but it’s slightly larger than the number who offer NBN 1000 plans. On average, the telcos with these plans report an average download speed of 220Mbps during the evening hours. As with NBN 1000, actual speed does vary among the ISPs on NBN 250 plans, so be sure to read the fine print. The NBN 100 tier is the most affordable option from the fastest NBN category, and you can expect a typical evening speed of 94Mbps on average. While the tiers mentioned above are leaps and bounds ahead in terms of speed, they are also limited in their availability – only FTTP and HFC connections can sign-up to NBN 1000 and NBN 250 in most cases. NBN 100 is referred to as 'Fast' by the NBN Co – it’s available for most connection types, and is often the fastest option available for the millions of Australians using fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) technology. If you want the top typical evening speed of 100Mbps for your NBN 100 plan, only a select few providers offer it: Telstra, Optus, Pennytel and Spintel. You can read more about each connection type here.
2. Cheap NBN plans
3. Best NBN deals
Can you get NBN 250 or 1000?
Noteworthy fast NBN deals
Best fast NBN plans
Best NBN 100 plan
NBN 100 plans are the most broadly available fast plans, with the telcos reporting a typical evening speed of 94Mbps on average.Best NBN 250 plan
Availability of NBN 250 plans is now almost on par with that of NBN 100, with telcos reporting a typical evening speed of 219Mbps on average.Best NBN 1000 plan
The once sparse NBN 1000 tier is growing in availability, with an average typical evening speed of 370Mbps reported by the telcos.Fast NBN plans: major telcos
Telstra's best high-speed NBN plans
At AU$110 a month, Telstra’s NBN 100 plan is the most expensive you can get on this speed tier. Unlike many of its competitors though, it has a top typical evening speed of 100Mbps.
Telstra is the only provider to have an NBN 250 plan with a maxed-out typical evening speed of 250Mbps, but you’ll pay handsomely for it. Telstra’s NBN 250 plan is about AU$20 more than the average monthly price on this speed tier.
As you might expect, Telstra has the most expensive NBN 1000 plan on the market at AU$180 a month. The good news is that Telstra quotes a typical evening speed of 700Mbps, which is one of the best claimed-speeds available on NBN 1000.Optus' best high-speed NBN plans
Optus’ NBN 100 plan promises a typical evening speed of 100Mbps, which is the top speed for the tier. It’s initially cheaper than the average price of an NBN 100 plan, but once prices increase after the first six months, it goes above that threshold.
This NBN 250 plan is fairly priced for a big provider – in fact, it costs one dollar less than the average monthly cost. Optus has also increased its reported typical evening speed since our last update, going from 215Mbps up to 240Mbps.
The cost of Optus’ NBN 1000 plan is slightly above average, but you’re getting a decent typical evening speed of 300Mbps for the price. Aussie Broadband also has an NBN 1000 plan for AU$149 a month, but it delivers a download speed of 600Mbps in the evening.TPG's best high-speed NBN plans
TPG’s NBN 100 plan sits just below the average cost of all plans on this tier, making it the most affordable option among the three major telcos. Typical evening speeds aren’t as good though, sitting at 90Mbps.
At AU$124.99 a month, there’s a significant price jump between TPG’s NBN 250 plan and its NBN 100 option, though the initial discount will see you save AU$180 over your first six months. Typical evening speed is quoted at 200Mbps, which is below the average.
There’s quite a bit of disparity between claimed typical evening speeds on the NBN 1000 tier. TPG reports a typical evening speed of 250Mbps, but competitors such as Telstra can reach up to 700Mbps. Considering TPG’s NBN 1000 plan costs AU$144.75 a month, we’d argue it’s not particularly good value.Fast NBN FAQ
What are NBN 1000 real world speeds?
What are NBN 250 real world speeds?
What are NBN 100 real world speeds?
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