Public Wi-Fi hubs in New York City are now operating with 10-inch Android tablets to make them even more powerful than the public telephones the wireless machines are replacing. New Yorkers can now make phone calls, read emails, and get directions on Google Maps. The tablet computers will be installed in at least a dozen LinkNYC kiosks in the Big Apple and about 500 units will be set up by July.
Tablets will be added on NYC's Third Avenue between 15th and 42nd streets. In addition, they will be included on hubs installed in the future, while the full network will include over 7,500 Wi-Fi hubs.
LinkNYC is a program to provide free gigabit WiFi to hot spots throughout the metropolis, according to Android Police. The hubs are 9.5 feet tall and have 55-inch display screens on each side to show ads and information.
The Wi-Fi hubs have a few apps and ports for headphones in order to make private calls. They are also equipped with USB chargers so people can juice up their smartphones while doing a web chat.
After a minute of no activity the tablets time-out and the cookies are wiped out, according to The Verge. This helps to boost security in the most populated city in the United States.
The tech company Intersection custom-made the public WiFi tablets. It leads the group CityBridge that funds the LinkNYC kiosks that are built to be long-lasting and weather-resistant. The hubs have been tested in temperatures ranging from -4 to 104 degrees F.
In other Android news, Archos has unveiled three budget tablets. They have 7, 8 and 10-inch displays and are shipped with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow).
The display resolution of the two smaller tablets is 1920x1200. Meanwhile, the 10-inch unit has a resolution of 1920x1280.
All three Archos tablets have 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 2MP front camera, and 5MP rear camera. In addition, a MediaTek processor powers each model.
The Archos Oxygen tablets can be seen at the Mobile World Congress in Spain. They will be available in May with price tags ranging from $107 to $172.