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Soyea's MID Z5 features an Atom CPU, 3G, and a significant price tag

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 1:01PM

Sure, there are some of us who like to play around -- and a first-generation Android MID might be lots of fun to those folks -- but how about the peeps out there that need a portable Internet device with serious muscle? Soyea's Z5 features a 5-inch (800 x 480) resistive touchscreen, 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, WiFi, 3G (from China Telecom) and Bluetooth 2.0. A dual boot device, this bad boy eschews the cell phone OS du jour for both Windows XP and Linux -- and since you're liable to fall in love with this thing (and quickly max out the storage) the included microSD slot should take the sting out of the mere 8GB SSD. But that ain't all! It also rocks stereo speakers, a webcam, a VGA port, and mini USB. Of course, a device this serious has a serious price to match -- expect to pay 5,999 Chinese yuan (roughly $879) from Amazon China. Available in black and white, we have one more pic for you after the break.

[Via Electronista]

Continue reading Soyea's MID Z5 features an Atom CPU, 3G, and a significant price tag

Homebrew head-mounted Linux system for telepresence, looking silly

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 29th 2009 at 5:59PM

Sure, viewable eyewear (such as that made by Vuzix) might look like fun, but even with the display balancing on the bridge of your nose you need to find a place to wear that video source. What our man Pascal Brisset did is design a Linux system around a Gumstix Overo Fire computer-on-module, a Vuzix VR920 head-mounted stereoscopic 640 x 480 display (complete with 3D tilt sensor and 3D magnetic compass), WiFi, and Bluetooth modules -- the whole shebang resides in (and on) the eyewear, just the thing for secure telepresence and augmented reality applications (or just extra-private web browsing). And he did it all for under a grand. In order to implement his design, Pascal had to design and custom manufacture a digital-to-analog video converter board using direct-to-PCB inkjet printing. As Hack A Day notes, one can easily question the wisdom of "a pair of microwave transceivers and a LiPo battery strapped directly over one's eyes and brain," but that's the price of progress, right?

[Via Hack A Day]

ACCESS and Emblaze Mobile unveil ELSE INTUITION, the Linux-based mobile OS of your dreams

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 7:14AM

It's been a long, long time since Emblaze Mobile and ACCESS engaged in holy cellphone matrimony, and the fruit of that relationship is finally coming to bear. It's called ELSE INTUTION, a Linux-based mobile platform that comes with such a hyperbolic press release that we can't help but think every other mobile manufacturer should just pack up and go home. It's said to match the functionality of "top ranked MP3 players, best-in-class GPS devices, and more, while maintaining an exceptional ease and simplicity of use." Golly. At this point we only have a few images to go by, and though they do look plenty nice, we wouldn't consider our minds blown just yet -- particularly those of us with a left-handed bias. Remember, ACCESS is the company that turned Palm OS into Garnet OS and then failed to win anyone over with its Access Linux Platform, so what could go wrong here? What's it going to be, readers: WebOS or ELSE?

Update: Another right-handed pic (ironically taken on an iPhone) added after the break.

[Via AV Watch]

Continue reading ACCESS and Emblaze Mobile unveil ELSE INTUITION, the Linux-based mobile OS of your dreams

Linus Torvalds gives Windows 7 a big thumbs up

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 3:14AM

You know Microsoft, when you setup a big Windows 7 booth across the street from the Japan Linux Symposium you're just asking for trouble.

[Thanks, Mitch W.]

Uruguay becomes first nation to provide a laptop for every primary school student

by Darren Murph posted Oct 18th 2009 at 12:29PM

Uruguay's been a huge fan of the One Laptop Per Child initiative for quite some time, and while we're still unsure if it's the entity's biggest customer, the aforesaid nation is certainly doing some serious business with Nicholas Negroponte and Company. After the first swath of youngsters received their green and white XOs back in May of 2007, the final smattering of kids have now joined the proud group of laptop-toting tots in the country's circuit of primary schools. You heard right -- every last pupil in Uruguay's primary school system now has a laptop and a growing love for Linux, and we're told that the whole thing cost the country less than five percent of its entire education budget. So, who's next?

[Via Digg, image courtesy of oso]

Motorola quietly takes one step away from LiMo, looks to Android for consolation

by Darren Murph posted Oct 12th 2009 at 9:33AM

Man, remember LiMo? Amazingly, there are some 40 handsets on the market today based on the platform, but precisely none of them are boasting a profile as high as any one of the Android smartphones also on store shelves. As Motorola scrambles to re-make itself and prove that its CLIQ is a force to be reckoned with in the burgeoning Android phone sector, the company has also decided to remove itself as a "founding member" of the LiMo Foundation. The company recently noted that the outfit was sliding down to "associate member," stating that "at this time it feels that the Android platform gives it a richer, more consistent foundation with strong support for the ecosystem and developer community." That's a pretty damning statement to our ears, but we won't go so far as to call the breakup between Moto and LiMo official; we're guessing "it's complicated" would be entirely more appropriate here.

[Via phonescoop]

Australian power grid attacked by virus, Linux saves the day

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 8th 2009 at 4:46PM

This isn't the first time we've heard of an institutional virus outbreak -- even the crew of the International Space Station had a neat little scare not too long ago -- and now various outlets in Australia are reporting that Integral Energy, which supplies energy to homes and businesses in New South Wales and Queensland, has suffered a particularly nasty visit by the W32.Virut.CF virus. When all was said and done, the company had to repair all 1000 of the facility's desktops. Furthermore, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that the company's anti-virus software hadn't been updated since at least February. Between the lack of anti-virus updates and the fact that segregation between the company's main network and the grid was "typically none at all" this story has all the makings of a disaster. Luckily, the grid itself runs on Sun Solaris -- and when control systems became infected, how did they fix the mess? That's right: by replacing them with Linux machines. A word to the wise: they do make anti-virus auto-updates for a reason.

[Via The PC Report]

Video: Vstone's Robovie-PC robot gets Intel Atom inside, becomes world's most awesome computer

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 5th 2009 at 7:32AM

For a robo hobbyist, the process of developing a creation's custom programming can be a chore. Make a change on a computer, connect the bot, download the change, then set the little guy free and wait for him to fall over. When he does, tweak that custom programming, rinse, and repeat. The Robovie-PC from Vstone turns that on its head, with the robot itself becoming the computer. It has a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, dual USB ports, a VGA connector, and even Wi-Fi. There's a 1.3 megapixel camera on its head, which shows a lot of potential in the remote control demonstration vid below. Since the robot is the computer, able to run Windows or Linux, advanced functionality should be much easier to achieve. We're envisioning a little security guard who uploads images directly to the internet, or who taunts cats and takes pictures of their reactions. Naturally, those taunts won't come cheap; the 15-inch tall bot will cost ¥399,999, or about $4,500. That's quite a premium when compared to the company's $540 Robovie-nano announced a few weeks ago, but we think you should go ahead and splurge.

[Via Plastic Pals]

Continue reading Video: Vstone's Robovie-PC robot gets Intel Atom inside, becomes world's most awesome computer

Chrome OS coming to netbooks as early as next month?

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 1st 2009 at 7:37AM

We've heard vague allusions to Chrome OS hitting devices in the near future, but with Google's official stance that it won't be ready until sometime late next year, well, we were a little skeptical. Now we're hearing reports that Chinese netbook manufacturers are doing everything they can to get little Chrome lappies running a "preview edition" of the OS out onto the Asian markets by sometime next month, and we're still skeptical -- but intrigued. These devices from a company called Lemote run a MIPS-based CPU called the Loongson, which currently powers a custom flavor of Linux named, get this, Loonux. That OS has been receiving criticism for things other than its title, so it's not surprising that the company is interested in trying something new, apparently even if that new thing is still half-baked and rather doughy in the middle. That these devices currently sell for under $200 is even more intriguing, but even if they do indeed get a bit of shine next month don't expect to find one locally -- at least not for that price.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Lighthouse SQ7 MID brings voice recognition to Facebook, Twitter

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 29th 2009 at 1:07AM

If you're savvy enough to want to use the Facebook Mobile app, we're guessing you're savvy enough to get it up and running on your phone or portable -- so buying an additional device for responding to friend requests seems a little silly. Hopefully, AdelaVoice (a company that develops voice-enabled apps for the Internet and social networks) has more plans for its Lighthouse SQ7 than what we see here. Based on the Linux-powered SmartQ7 Internet tablet, the heart of this bad boy is a UI that allows you access to Facebook, Twitter, the web, and an image slideshow. But that ain't all! Taking advantage of Webkit's integrated voice recognition, this thing will let you input text through the mic -- perfect for posting to Facebook or tweeting sans stylus. Perhaps for some people these features might be a big deal, but we've been asking around -- and we have yet to find anyone who'll 'fess up. We have to admit, though -- what this thing does do, it seems to do pretty well. Tell you what, AdelaVoice -- add JDate and Classmates.com and we'll give the thing another shot, okay? Video after the break.

[Via Best Tablet Review]

Continue reading Lighthouse SQ7 MID brings voice recognition to Facebook, Twitter

$38 Zipit Wireless Messenger receives Linux injection, becomes $38 netbook

by Tim Stevens posted Sep 28th 2009 at 8:32AM

Poor Zipit. As a $149.99 instant messenger client nobody got particularly excited about you. Even now, as a $38 IM client you aren't exactly in high demand -- but as a $38 portable Linux machine, well, that's another story altogether. The machines have been tweaked before, but the latest and greatest is this hack from Hunter Davis, who can turn a virgin Zipit Z2 into a full-featured Linux machine in under five minutes, as shown in the video below. To do the same all you need is Hunter's hacked firmware and a microSD card to throw it onto. Once completely tweaked you'll get full mouse support, WiFi connectivity, and even audio output so that you can rock some tunes on the go -- though the command-line interface won't make it the most compelling PMP ever. With only a 300MHz processor and 32MB of RAM we wouldn't go compiling our COMP-SCI 101 homework on here, but this little firmware refresh certainly makes for a tastier experience than before.

[Via lilputing]

Continue reading $38 Zipit Wireless Messenger receives Linux injection, becomes $38 netbook

Dell announces Moblin Mini 10v at IDF (updated with pricing)

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 1:25PM

Dell just announced the first shipping Moblin netbook, a developer-edition Mini 10v that runs Canonical's Moblin Netbook Remix. No pricing info yet, but it'll go on sale tomorrow, September 24, on Dell.com. We're told they have units on the show floor for us to play with, we'll be back with way more details soon.

Update: Dell tells us the Moblin Mini 10v will be $299 to start and available with the usual customization options, but that they're not really aiming it at consumers just yet -- the idea is to give Moblin developers best-of-class hardware to work on. That said, nothing's stopping you from snagging one tomorrow, since they won't be requiring proof that you're actually a dev. You sneaky Linux-loving dog, you.

Continue reading Dell announces Moblin Mini 10v at IDF (updated with pricing)

SGI announces Octane III personal supercomputer

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 22nd 2009 at 11:41AM

We've seen companies throw in with personal supercomputing platforms in the past, but if anybody makes a splash with the things we hope it's SGI. The new SGI -- that is, the mash-up of the old SGI and Rackable -- has just announced the Octane III, an office-friendly (one-by-two-foot) tower that can sit under a (fairly large) desk while permitting up to 80 high-performance cores with its nearly 1TB of memory. Options include Intel Xeon 5500 series, Dual-core Atom, or Xeon 3400 processors, and an NVIDIA GP-GPU card. If you're a system administrator with money to throw around and a burning desire to add a machine running Microsoft HPC Server 2008, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, or Red Hat Enterprise Linux to your network (and who isn't, really?) hit up the read link to talk to a sales rep. Prices start at $7995.

Show full PR text

SGI Unveils Octane™ III Personal Supercomputer

Octane III Delivers Unparalleled Performance, Energy Efficiency and Ease of Use to HPC Users in Office Environments

Intel Developer Forum 2009, San Francisco

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SGI® (NASDAQ: SGI) today announced the immediate availability of Octane™ III, the company's first personal supercomputer. This new product takes high-performance computing to a new level by combining the immense power and performance capabilities of a high-performance deskside cluster with the portability and usability of a workstation. The Octane III is uniquely suited for workplace environments and supports a vast range of distributed technical computing applications.

Octane III is office-ready with a pedestal, one-by-two-foot form factor, whisper-quiet operations, easy-to-use features, low maintenance requirements and support for standard office power outlets. While a typical workstation has only eight cores and moderate memory capacity, the superior design of the Octane III permits up to 80 high-performance cores and nearly 1TB of memory for unparalleled performance.

"Octane III makes supercomputing personal again," said Mark J. Barrenechea, president and CEO of SGI. "Our customers have been asking for office environment products with large core counts that are easy to use and whisper-quiet. Octane III brings all of this to the HPC professional, and enables a new era of personal innovation in strategic science, research, development and visualization."

Octane III is easily configurable with single- and dual-socket node choices, and offers a wide selection of performance, storage, graphics, GP-GPU and integrated networking options. Yielding the same leading power efficiencies inherent in all SGI Eco-Logical™ compute designs, Octane III supports the latest Intel® processors to capitalize on greater levels of performance, flexibility and scalability.

"IDC research has shown a growing demand for high-performance deskside supercomputers, and the new Octane III personal supercomputer is designed to directly address the requirements of both the entry level HPC technical server market and the desktop workstation market with a high-performance cluster designed to help close the gap between the desktop and the data center," said Earl Joseph, HPC Program Vice President at IDC. "SGI workstations and servers have been highly regarded by HPC scientists, engineers and analysts, and the new system with up to 80 high-performance cores and 1TB of memory is certain to capture the attention of many HPC computing professionals."

Octane III is available in a variety of configurations:

* Ten dual-socket, Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series-based nodes
* One dual-socket, Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series-based workstation with advanced NVIDIA graphics and/or GP-GPU card support
* Nineteen single-socket, Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processor 3400 series-based nodes
* Nineteen single-socket, Dual-Core Intel® Atom™ processor-based nodes

"SGI's Octane III offers a solution for workstation users wanting to reach dramatically higher levels of performance with minimal investment. With the support of up to 19 Intel® Xeon® processors, HPC users looking to enhance their workgroup productivity outside the data center can also utilize the benefits of the Octane III for faster discovery and quicker simulations," said Richard Dracott, General Manager of High Performance Computing at Intel. "With certification from the Intel® Cluster Ready program, Octane III will provide a powerful, easy-to-deploy personal supercomputer."

For a simple, out-of-the-box experience, Octane III ships as a factory-tested, pre-integrated platform with broad HPC application support – powerful enough for the most complex applications in the world. These include fluid dynamics, quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, seismic processing, data analytics, rendering, visualization and computer-aided design, among many other HPC applications.

Octane III supports Microsoft HPC Server 2008, SUSE® Linux® Enterprise Server and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux operating systems. Linux configurations include SGI ProPack™ and ISLE™ cluster management software.

Octane III will be on display at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) at Moscone Center, San Francisco, Calif., on September 22-24, 2009, in Booth # 718 at the Technology Showcase in the HyperScale Community.

Availability and Pricing:

Octane III is immediately available with Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series or Intel® Atom™ configurations. The base configuration price starts at $7,995. For more information about Octane III, please visit http://www.sgi.com/OctaneIII.

ASUS adds textured pattern 'wow-factor' to purported Eee PC 1001HA

by Darren Murph posted Sep 21st 2009 at 12:09AM

Whenever an Eee PC roadmap leaks out, it's generally followed by a torrent of new machines that are just marginally different than the ones before. Granted, we've got Microsoft to thank for that, but it's still getting tougher by the day to keep all of these things from running together. Shortly after having a peek at the supposedly upcoming Eee PC 1201n comes this -- a smattering of hands-on shots of the purported Eee PC 1001HA. Slated to be available with Linux, Windows XP or no OS at all (saywha?), this here Eee could very well slot into the Seashell lineup given that bold pattern lathered on the chassis. Internally, you'll find the tired Atom N270, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and an ExpressCard-to-Zzzzzzz adapter. But hey, at least that 3-cell battery means you'll be computing for days on end, right?

LiMo Foundation could be close to bearing fruit for Samsung, Vodafone in a big way

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 10th 2009 at 8:14PM

The LiMo Foundation's platform is far from vaporware -- countless Japanese domestic market handsets run it in one form or another, which makes sense considering that NTT DoCoMo, NEC, and Panasonic are all counted among its founding members -- but outside the land of the rising sun, LiMo's had very little end-user impact even as it's collected big-name members and released several rounds of specs and whitepapers over the last year and a half. To a certain extent, that's by design; unlike Android, LiMo is as much about creating synergies for manufacturers and carriers as it is about giving subscribers flashy user interfaces, but a new Samsung for Vodafone leaked on Boy Genius Report today suggests that we might be getting flashy UIs nonetheless. We don't know what this phone will ultimately be called, but it doesn't take more than a couple glances to pick up on the fact that it's relatively high-end, equipped with an 8 megapixel cam and full AMOLED touhscreen. The social-oriented interface looks seriously tricked out with faces (hopefully of people the user knows) moving in and out in three dimensions -- usability is an open question, but at least it's pretty to stare at, which is really what a good phone's all about anyway, right? Word on the street is that this might be announced at a London event on the 24th, but here's our question: where's Verizon in all this?