[dba-Tech] FW: [SanDiegoTEAM] An Arab-Israeli mini-computer for $55!

Rocky Smolin rockysmolin at bchacc.com
Thu Jun 19 15:52:13 CDT 2014


 
 
A two-inch computer for $55

CuBox, the smallest computer ever, is made in Israel by an Arab-Israeli
company aiming to power the Internet of Things.

By Abigail Klein Leichman
<http://israel21c.org/author/abigail-klein-leichman/> 
June 18, 2014
cube <http://israel21c.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/cube-668x288.jpg>  

The 2x2x2-inch CuBox-i <http://cubox-i.com>  is the smallest computer in the
world. It sells for just $55 and is made in Israel by SolidRun
<http://www.solid-run.com> , a 10-person company cofounded by two
Arab-Israeli electrical engineers with a background in the high-tech
industry.

CuBox-i is the newest model from SolidRun, which launched its first CuBox
low-power, miniature micro-PC and media center at the end of 2011, just a
year after going into business. The tiny, yet powerful computer is not
designed for tasks like word processing or photo manipulation. It's mainly
meant for the Internet of Things (IoT), among other uses.

Weighing only about three ounces (91 grams) with a built-in operating system
and WiFi, CuBox can be your Android TV box, multimedia streamer, networked
storage solution and pocket-size personal computer, running Lite Desktop and
infinite open-source applications. If you need more juice, you can scale up
to the CuBox-i2 ($80) or CuBox-i4 Pro ($140) without scaling up in size.

"As of today, we are the smallest computer in the world," CEO Kossay Omary
tells ISRAEL21c. "You do see computers getting smaller, but no competitor
has achieved this extreme size and efficiency. It's good news that the
market is moving in this direction, though, because it validates that we
chose the correct path."

Cofounder and CTO Rabeeh Khoury adds, "Given the open-source SDK [software
development kit] and tons of available software packages, our computers can
be used in a huge range of scenarios limited only by your imagination;
ranging from embedded, multimedia, education, cloud client, HMI and many
other fields, as well as all the fun projects you always dreamed of."

Foresight is 20-20

Omary, 41, and Khoury, 38, met as students at the Technion-Israel Institute
of Technology. Omary was raised in Nazareth, while Khoury grew up in
Tarshiha, just east of the northern coastal city of Nahariya.

They did not start SolidRun until they had gained solid design and business
management experience at the Israeli branches of top-flight computing and
consumer electronics companies including Intel and Galileo Technology
(acquired by Marvell in 2001).

In late 2010, the men joined forces to bootstrap their startup, today based
in the Tefen Industrial Park near Tarshiha.


"We saw a world trend of computers becoming smaller and more powerful while
using less power, and we also saw the trend toward digitizing," Omary says.

"We understood that in a few years there will be a lot of connectivity and
processing power everywhere, from digitized teaching to home automation. You
need a computer to manage all this. You can't put a big, bulky, power-hungry
PC everywhere, so we envisioned much smaller computing devices. You won't
even notice them as they do all kinds of smart things for you."

Now that IoT is the hottest buzzword, it is obvious that the duo's vision
was perfectly on target. They introduced their product at the right time to
catch this huge wave. "IoT is a growth vehicle, and so we're positioning the
company for that," says Omary.

Powering the IoT revolution

Home automation, for instance, requires sensors in every room for
temperature and lighting, and controllers to initiate actions such as
locking doors, opening shades and warming the oven.

"Everyone will have 10 connected devices sensing stuff and controlling
stuff," says Omary. "We want to be a leader in providing the technology for
this revolution."

All the CuBox models, including the original version, are sold worldwide via
SolidRun's Internet site and through distributors in Europe, North America,
Asia and Australia. The company is seeking its first VC funding as it looks
to vastly expand its distribution network.

The 10 SolidRun employees comprise five Arab Israelis and five Jewish
Israelis.

"As a high-tech company, we don't categorize ourselves in a sectorial way,"
stresses Omary. "It just so happens that Rabeeh and I are of Arab descent.
But we do wish for others from Arab society to learn from our experience as
entrepreneurs in the high-tech industry, and we always offer advice to
anybody who wants to discuss their ambitions and plans."

For more information, see www.solid-run.com <http://www.solid-run.com/>  or
http://cubox-i.com/ <http://cubox-i.com> .

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