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Commodore Gets Transparent on Callback Flip Phone Pricing, Drops $100 Ahead of June 30 Pre-Orders

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Tiered pricing brings base price on select models to $399, putting the smarter flip phone in more hands for less

DOVER, Del., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Following last week’s reveal of the Commodore Callback 8020, the first flip phone to balance the modern needs of smartphone users with the anti-doomscrolling ethos of dumbphones, Commodore has announced that a tiered pricing plan will be in place that will reduce the starting price for four of Callback’s five models down by $100. BASIC Beige, ProtoPET White, SX Silver, and the translucent blue Starlight Edition, will now have a launch price of $399. Due to the physical 24 karat gold applied to the device, and several other extras bundled with it, the collectible Founders Edition pricing will remain unchanged.

“Commodore’s founder, Jack Tramiel, built our brand’s legacy on a singular promise: technology for the masses, not the classes,” said Peri Fractic, CEO and President, Commodore International. “The worldwide response to the Commodore Callback has been an incredible endorsement of our vision. Alongside that excitement, many of you told us you wanted a more accessible entry point. We listened. Over the past week, we’ve worked tirelessly with our partners to find ways to lower the price while staying true to the product we’ve set out to build. We believe in being transparent with our community, so we’re sharing not only what’s changing, but why.”

The Commodore Callback 8020 is a premium, privacy-first, digital detox device built to block social media apps at the hardware level using patent pending technology, while still running 99% of essential Android apps, playing studio-quality Hi-Def music, and shooting with a premium Sony 48MP camera. To preserve all of this while reducing price, Commodore has completely re-engineered its component sourcing and packaging model.

The Behind-the-Scenes Realities

As part of Commodore’s effort to lower the price while preserving the quality and features that define the Callback, they examined three of the largest cost drivers behind modern mobile devices like this:

Privacy by Design: Most modern smartphone giants artificially lower their hardware prices by tracking your habits, harvesting your personal information, and selling your user data to advertisers. (Commodore understands that the customer is not the product, and does not monetize your data. It doesn’t even use tracking cookies on its website.)
 The RAM Crisis: Memory is one of the most expensive components inside any modern mobile device. The global tech industry is facing a massive silicon bottleneck. The explosion of new technologies has forced microchip factories to shift production to heavy enterprise hardware. As a result, pristine, factory-fresh mobile memory components have become incredibly expensive for consumer products. This factor was a significant contributor to the Commodore Callback’s original $499 pre-order launch price point.
 Accessory Bundling: Standard smartphone packaging often asks every buyer to pay for accessories, like earphones and chargers, that they may already own. Whilst on one hand appealing, it does add cost to the final box.

Introducing Tiered Callback Pricing

To address these challenges while reducing the launch price by $100, Commodore is introducing new options that give customers greater flexibility in how they configure their device at checkout.

Audiophile quality Hi-Def IEM earphones: Consumers can now choose whether to add Commodore’s custom-designed Hi-Def IEM earphones during checkout, rather than needing to pay for them when they may already own a pair they love. This allows the customer to save money, and reduce e-waste.
 Premium memory will be available as an option, with Callback defaulting to rigorously stress-tested “post consumer” high speed memory chips, backed by Commodore’s identical, comprehensive 1-Year warranty.

“By being transparent about component costs, market realities, and our refusal to sell user data, we are hoping to empower consumers to make the choices that are right for them,” added Fractic. “If you want a lower price that also reduces e-waste, you can do exactly that, and Commodore is absorbing some additional costs to help you get there. And if you want a private, distraction-free life without social media apps hijacking your attention, we’ve built the exact tool to do it. Consumers should have choice – whether that’s choice in pricing, or choice in how they engage with technology. Commodore is staying true to its roots, by delivering both.”

Commodore Callback 8020 pre-orders will begin on June 30. Buyers can save an additional $50 only on June 30 (effectively bringing the day one price on most models down to $349) by signing up to receive a launch day discount code at commodore.net/callback.

About Commodore International Corporation

Commodore International Corporation is the sole official steward of the original Commodore brand, carrying forward the legacy of the company founded in 1958. Originally established by Jack Tramiel and later known for pioneering the home computer revolution, the company entered a new chapter under refreshed leadership in 2025, maintaining continuous stewardship of the original brand and trademarks.  The company’s advisors include key veterans from the original Commodore team, such as Leonard Tramiel (son of Founder, Jack), and lead creators of iconic original systems such as the Commodore 128 and the bestselling desktop computer of all time, the Commodore 64. The company is focused on honoring Commodore’s legacy while bringing its pioneering spirit forward through modern computing experiences.

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SOURCE Commodore International Corporation

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InfoComm India 2026 Opens in One Week: Global Product Debuts, Live AI on the Show Floor and an iPhone 17 to Be Won

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India’s largest Pro AV show returns to the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, 16–18 September 2026, across its largest floor yet. Entry is free — register now, and save 20% on ticketed sessions while spots last.

MUMBAI, India, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — One week out from InfoComm India 2026, India’s largest Professional Audiovisual (Pro AV) and integrated experience technology trade show, visitors have a final window to register and lock in their agenda. Building on a 2025 edition that drew 12,606 business attendees from 36 countries, the free-to-attend 2026 show — at the Jio World Convention Centre (JWCC), Mumbai, from 16–18 September — occupies its largest footprint yet, with over 160 exhibitors, 130-plus new product launches and embedded AI running live across the show floor.

Day One: Opening Ceremony and India’s next digital leap

The show opens on Wednesday 16 September at 10:30 AM with the Opening Ceremony and Main Forum on the Smart Tech Stage. Dave Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, Chief Executive Officer of AVIXA, delivers the Welcome Address, followed by the flagship Opening Session, “Leading India’s Next Digital Leap: Technology, Infrastructure and the Intelligent Enterprise,” headlined by Gopi Thangavel, Group CIO of Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Entry is free, but seats are limited and allocated first-come, first-served — arrive early.

See new products before they hit the market

Across its largest footprint yet — Pavilion Halls 1–3 at ground level and Jasmine Halls 1 & 2 on Level 3 — InfoComm India 2026 brings over 160 exhibitors and 130-plus new product launches, including global debuts and multiple Asia-first unveilings across display, audio, collaboration and control, for the enterprise, education, government and broadcast sectors. Among the launches to see first:

Arihant Infosys — MeetCube Pods: self-contained, AV-integrated meeting pods that make any office video-call-ready for hybrid work in hours (Booth TG01).Comcon Technology — Point Source Audio: the India launch of Point Source Audio’s professional microphone and audio range (Booth TB10).Techaagam — UNITY™ Collaboration Switcher Series: a USB-C collaboration switcher with BYOM/BYOD support for Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms (Booth G27).

AI, running live on the show floor

More than one in ten products at InfoComm India 2026 feature embedded AI — running live on the floor, not on a slide deck — from AI-powered cameras and intelligent audio to predictive AV management. With India’s Pro AV market on a US$14 billion trajectory by 2030 (AVIXA IOTA 2025) and AI a primary driver, the show is the place to assess what is genuinely ready to specify. Highlights include:

Shure — IntelliMix: AI-powered audio and collaboration technology for intelligent, scalable meeting rooms (Booth D01).Stapes India: a daily live-demo theatre of AI voice-tracking microphones and AI PTZ auto-tracking cameras for smart conferencing and classrooms (Booth TC31).

In-booth experiences to plan around

Samsung (Booth E01): a mime-artist activation built around the newly launched Samsung Spatial Signage 3D Display, pairing an AI-powered 3D visual experience with a surprise live act (12:00 PM and 4:00 PM, 16–17 September).Jabra (Booth K10): fireside chats “The AI Era” and “Voice AI,” plus interactive quizzes, gifts and a daily booth lucky draw.Fohhn (Booth TH05): “Fohhn Gallery,” an immersive audio experience for live sound.Interactive Scape with DISPLAX (Jasmine Hall 1, Booth TF32): live demos of Scape X® large-format multitouch collaboration.Italian Sound Design (Booth H37): a showcase of Italian audio brands K-ARRAY, KGEAR and KSCAPE.Wilyer (Booth TF33): live demos of on-premise digital signage and retail “Lift-and-Learn” displays.

Browse the full line-up of exhibitor booth activities and demos ahead of the show.

 

Special events, guided tours and networking

Beyond the booths, InfoComm India 2026 runs a full programme of special events. Guided Show Floor Tours — Education & Enterprise, and Live Events & Entertainment — offer curated, expert-led routes through the halls, while the Welcome Networking Event, co-hosted with AVIXA, brings the community together on the show floor. The Xchange LIVE community meet-ups (Newcomer, CTS, AV/IT and a Women’s Council session opened by AVIXA Chief Global Officer Sarah Joyce) are free to join, as is the Friday AV Futures programme for students and young professionals. Save 20% on ticketed sessions with code ICI26ALLE50 — first-come, first-served, and limited spots only.

Plan your visit: show hours

The show runs 10:00 AM–6:00 PM on 16 and 17 September and 10:00 AM–4:00 PM on 18 September, with badge collection from 9:30 AM daily. With more to see than a single day allows, visitors are encouraged to plan a multi-day visit and map their route in advance via the exhibitor directory. Registering online in advance saves time at the door.

Win an iPhone 17

There is a prize for working the floor. Under the InfoComm India Lucky Draw — “Meet exhibitors and stand a chance to win iPhone 17” — visitors who register in the InfoComm India app and check in at exhibitor booths across at least two of the three days enter the live grand-prize draw for an Apple iPhone 17, held on Day 3, 18 September at 2:00 PM at the Buyers Lounge, Pavilion Hall (winner must be present). Start the moment you arrive; full qualifying steps are at www.infocomm-india.com. Terms and conditions apply.

Register free — and save 20%

Entry to InfoComm India 2026 is free. AV, IT and technology professionals can register for a free badge, and — to make the case internally — use the Convince Your Boss toolkit. Ticketed special events carry a 20% discount with code ICI26ALLE50 for the first 50 registrants. Experience India’s vision for the future of Pro AV.

#InfoCommIndia2026  #TechMeetsTribe

About InfoComm India

Since its inception in 2013, InfoComm India has grown into the country’s leading platform connecting manufacturers, distributors, technology providers, system integrators, consultants, end users, enterprise buyers and government stakeholders across the Pro AV and integrated experience technology industry. It is one of three marquee events operated by InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd across the Asia Pacific region, alongside InfoComm China in Beijing and InfoComm Asia in Bangkok. Each show pairs a comprehensive exhibition with a Summit conference programme offering education on the latest industry trends and best practices.

For more information, visit:

infocomm-asia.com | infocomm-china.com | infocomm-india.com 

About AVIXA

AVIXA® (the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) is the international trade association representing the professional audiovisual and integrated experience industry. Founded in 1939 and now home to more than 3,000 enterprise members representing over 20,000 AV professionals across more than 80 countries, AVIXA is the industry’s leading resource for standards, certification, training, market intelligence and thought leadership. InfoComm Asia serves as AVIXA’s flagship gathering for its communities across the region.

For more information, visit www.avixa.org.

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SOURCE InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd

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Astrogate Labs to Put India’s First Indigenous Optical Inter-Satellite Link in Orbit

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The company unveils its OISL capability and demonstrates AstroLink Micro, its 10 Gbps laser communication terminal, at Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, building on its space-to-ground terminals supplied to ISRO and targeting OISL flight readiness in 2027.

BENGALURU, India, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Astrogate Labs, an Indian deep-tech company building Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) systems for space and defense, is developing India’s first indigenous Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) terminal, targeting flight readiness in 2027.

Astrogate has supplied an indigenously developed satellite-to-ground lasercomm terminal to ISRO, making it the only Indian company to deliver this strategic technology to the national space agency.

The company’s space-to-ground laser communication terminals have reached TRL 8 – complete and qualified for flight. It also completed cross-compatibility testing with the University of Western Australia’s TeraNet mobile optical ground station, confirming interoperability with international ground infrastructure. 

The company has unveiled the OISL capability at Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, taking place from 7-9 September at BIEC, alongside a live demonstration of AstroLink Micro, its 10 Gbps space-to-ground laser communication terminal. Together they mark Astrogate’s extension from satellite-to-ground optical communications to satellite-to-satellite connectivity. 

“Some time back, laser communication from India was a research question. Today it is a product we deliver, with ISRO as a customer. OISL is the harder problem, and it is the one that decides who builds the connectivity layer for future LEO constellations. We are building it, with technology owned end to end in India,” said Nitish K. Singh, Founder & CEO, Astrogate Labs. 

Building the optical layer for future satellite networks 

As satellite constellations generate increasing volumes of data, conventional RF links face growing spectrum and bandwidth constraints. Optical communications use highly directional laser beams to deliver secure, high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity. Astrogate’s technology targets that bottleneck. 

Astrogate is targeting three markets with the terminal: satellite backhaul, sovereign defence constellations and orbital compute. With applications across commercial and strategic satellite networks, OISL represents a highly specialised and strategically important segment of the optical communications market.

OISL allows satellites to communicate directly with one another, moving data across a constellation before it is routed to Earth. SpaceX has proven the architecture at scale: its 2025 Starlink progress report describes more than 13,000 bidirectional laser links operating as an optical mesh in orbit.

“The core building blocks of our OISL terminal – the Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking (PAT) system, the optical modem, stabilized coarse tracking gimbals and system-level integration – were developed and validated for Astrogate’s space-to-ground terminals, and carry over to inter-satellite links. That inheritance is what puts flight readiness within reach by 2027,” said Jayaraman Yogeshwaran, Co-Founder & CTO, Astrogate Labs.

About Astrogate Labs 

Astrogate Labs designs and manufactures indigenous Free Space Optical Communication terminals for space and other high-performance communication applications, integrating proprietary Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking systems, optical modems and other subsystems developed in-house. Headquartered in Bengaluru, with an office in Durham, England, the company has validated its technology with end-users including ISRO and the University of Western Australia’s TeraNet mobile optical ground station and is extending its portfolio from space-to-ground terminals to Optical Inter-Satellite Links.

Media contact:
Dhivya Abirami
Marketing & Communications
media@astrogatelabs.com
www.astrogatelabs.com 

 

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Guanlan AI Applications: Higher Accuracy, Lower Cost, Smarter Interaction

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HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — It’s over a year since Hikvision launched the Guanlan large-scale AI models. In a very real sense, today’s video systems ‘understand’ what they are looking at. They also know what has already been recorded and, thanks to the natural language innovations, what the user wants. These are the things that let a product fit the scenario it is deployed in – delivering operations that run more safely, at lower cost, and with less manual work.

AI detection and analysis: Alarms you can count on

Perimeter protection

The perimeter is where a wrong detection costs most. Legacy systems are easily triggered by animals, weather, and moving vegetation, burying real threats under manual assessment work.

Guanlan addresses this problem at the edge. DeepinViewX cameras run the model, cutting false alarms by 90% while detecting at twice the range of traditional cameras, with half as many repeated alarms on the same target. Whether using optical cameras for short perimeters, or thermal, radar, and fiber-optic sensing for vast distances, the AI helps reduce the noise.

Scenario-specific analytics

Beyond the perimeter, Guanlan moves past standard object detection to flag high-risk issues in specialized environments. Built for recognized operational risks, these applications typically reduce false alarms by 70% to 90%.

Safety & compliance: Examples include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) detection on construction sites, fall detection in care homes, and smoking detection in gas stations. In all cases, the system continuously monitors for risky behaviors and triggers instant alerts.Operational hazards: Examples include forklift detection in logistics parks, and early fire and smoke detection in mining sites using dual-channel thermal cameras.Specialized uses: Examples include animal detection for large farms and prohibited item detection at transport hubs – the latter powered by large X-ray and millimeter-wave models.

AI efficiency engine: Doing more with less

Saving storage with intelligent ROI compression

Conventional encoding treats every part of the frame as equally worth keeping. To deliver breakthrough video storage optimization, Guanlan Encoding brings the large vision model into the encoding pipeline. It uses precision Region of Interest (ROI) segmentation to preserve detail on dynamic subjects – people, vehicles, and other key objects – while applying heavier compression to static backgrounds. Storage savings average between 30% and 50%.

Searching video with just a few words

Finding a specific moment in recorded video has often been slow. An operator knows roughly what they are after and has no way to pinpoint it except by scrubbing a timeline.

AcuSeek removes that step. Built on a large multimodal model for natural language video search, it aligns image features with the meaning of a written phrase, so a description becomes a query. Results come back in seconds.

The next frontier: Software as an AI agent

Hikvision’s new HIKO AI agent, arriving on the HikCentral Professional platform and Hik-Connect app, changes the interaction entirely. It sits between the system and the user, turning complex configurations into simple conversational commands.

HIKO acts as an AI Assistant that carries out administrative instructions instantly – like setting up visitor access against a plate number or pulling an attendance report just by asking for it. It functions as an AI Guardian, replacing rule configurations with a natural language command (e.g., “Alert me when the passageway is blocked”), tagging each alarm with a written summary, and composing contextual audio warnings from the scene. Finally, as an AI Search engine, it reconstructs a person’s complete movement path – across video, door records, and ANPR reads – simply because the operator asked, “Where did the man in the blue shirt go?”

SOURCE Hikvision

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