Today’s topics include a price drop on the OnePlus 2 smartphone, the introduction of a new Logitech group video conference system, an app update to the Microsoft Band 2 and Comcast’s new WiFi Pro service for small businesses.
OnePlus has lowered the price of its OnePlus 2 smartphone to $349. This is a $40 drop from its original price of $389 when it was launched in the United States in August 2015.
The company announced the lower price in a Feb. 8 post on its Website, explaining that increasing production and sales figures inspired the price reduction.
OnePlus originally offered the phone through an invite-only system from another buyer or from the company. But in December the company dropped the invitation policy and made it available to anyone who wanted to purchase one.
Logitech officials see an opportunity to fill a need in the video conferencing space between expensive, high-end systems and PCs equipped with a Webcam.
The company on Feb. 8 unveiled its new Logitech Group offering, which combines a high-definition video camera with a full duplex speakerphone and is designed for groups of up to 14 people. With the Group offering, Logitech is providing the hardware and enabling it to run software from other vendors, such as Microsoft and Cisco Systems.
Band 2, the latest version of Microsoft’s fitness-focused wearable, has learned a new trick to help runners and cyclists track their workouts longer between charges.
An update to the Microsoft Health companion app allows Band 2 owners to switch on a new power-saving mode. Instead of continuously tracking a user’s location, the Band 2 can sample location in intervals, resulting in a four-hour battery boost, according to Microsoft Devices Group.
Business communications giant Comcast unveiled WiFi Pro, a wireless Internet service aimed at small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) and enterprise branch offices that includes cloud-based controls, marketing tools and other advanced capabilities.
It provides two high-performance commercial WiFi networks—a private network for employees and a guest network for visitors and patrons—providing additional security. It also leverages the latest AC chipset to support faster WiFi speeds and expanded range.