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Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Computer
All together now -- "Aww!" Marvell has just outed its Classroom 3.0 initiative here at CES 2012, with the star attraction being the cutie above. That's an Armada-powered plug computer known as SMILE, hailed as the "first plug development kit designed to turn a traditional classroom into a highly interactive learning environment." The device is capable of creating a "micro cloud" within a classroom, with the entire environment able to be controlled by the instructor. The hardware's being launched in tandem with an expanded One Laptop Per Child partnership, with the OLPX XO 3.0 trumpeted as the perfect companion product. It's capable of serving up to 60 clients at once, and it's based on Arch Linux for ARM; there's even a 5V Li-ion battery for back-up -- you know, in case that rambunctious kid of yours pulls the power. It'll be hitting kiddies and teachers alike this Spring, but there's nary a mention of price.
Cloud Engines updates Pogoplug's software-only version with OneView, enhanced iOS support
The smoke from Cloud Engines' Pogoplug Video recall (Pogo-un-plugged?) may still be settling, but on a better note, today the company has announced the first major update to its software-based version. To refresh your memory, it essentially turns any network-connected computer into a Pogoplug, allowing it to be accessed like a NAS drive (think iCloud, but with your drives). The new version's main advantage is OneView, which can display every connected computer's drives separately or compiled together sans duplicates -- iOS devices are also supported in this feature. You'll be pleased to know that the service is free, excluding video and off-LAN music streaming. Those features can be enabled by purchasing the premium version for a one-time fee of 29 bones, and unlike before, a single purchase will take care of your entire stable of devices. You'll find some screenshots of the software below, as well as a PR crash course in 'personal cloud management' just after the break. %Gallery-126839%
Cloud Engines recalls potentially flammable Pogoplug Video (update)
Looks like sharing videos over the cloud may be a risky task -- if you're using the box shown here on the left, that is. The Pogoplug Video hit the retail scene about two months ago, but Cloud Engines has already issued a recall after two devices nearly went up in flames. According to The Official Pogoplug Blog, the internal chip that handles video encoding can experience "thermal runaways" after long periods of use, which could cause the device to reach unsafe temperatures; this despite having a fan to keep things cool. The affected model numbers include Pogo P-11 through 14, and the company asks that owners get in contact to setup a return and refund. In the meantime, it also suggests that the units be unplugged -- a good idea if you want to avoid possibly burning the house down. Update: It appears that Cloud Engines' initial statement has been condensed and slightly modified. Zenverge, the chip's manufacturer, has also informed us that the silicon itself isn't exactly the problem. The end result remains the same, however: this Pogoplug is too hot for video.
Globalscale D2 Plug offers HD video, 3D graphics in little Linux / Android machine
So it's not going to replace your big-boy PC anytime soon, but Globalscale's latest plug computer, the D2 Plug, does deliver some decidedly desktop-like traits. The latest lilliputian Linux / Android kit touts Marvell's PXA510, a 1GHz ARMv7 processor that supports 1080p video playback and 3D graphics. According to its makers, the D2 Plug runs on two watts and features 1GB of DDR3 memory, 8GB of NAND flash, an SD card slot, eSATA port and multiple points of connectivity, including two USB 2.o ports, gigabit ethernet, HDMI, and VGA. It measures a mere 6.7 x 3.22 x 1.3 inches, and sports a $249 price tag -- not exactly a small price, but there are plenty of other mini PCs in the sea.
4Home, Marvell partner for energy monitoring plug computer
If you asked Intel what this is, the company would tell you it's an experimental power sensor; if you asked a storage guru, they'd ID it as the PogoPlug. Truth be told, it's a miniature Linux computer designed by Marvell -- who's apparently decided to beat Intel at the former function. Through a partnership with 4Home, Marvell's latest 2GHz SheevaPlug will become a smart meter that measures power consumption right from the outlet, ostensibly allowing you to figure out which blasted light the kids left on this time without shoving a pricey home automation kit into your walls. No word on how much it'll cost to keep tabs on your energy bill or when you'll be able to do it, but we'll ask those important questions and more when we see the device for ourselves later this week. PR after the break.
Marvell Plug Computer 3.0 packs in WiFi, Bluetooth and 2GHz Armada chip for miniaturized Linux bliss
Remember the SheevaPlug? Well, your "Linux computer the size of a wall wart" fantasies just got much more impressive. The new Marvell Plug Computer sports a 2GHz Armada 300 processor (none of that new Armada 610 hotness, sadly), WiFi, Bluetooth and a hard drive of sorts (Sheeva only offered 512MB of flash storage). The unit runs a few standard Linux 2.6 distros, and while it's marketed as a development platform for building embedded devices, the orginal SheevaPlug's $99 pricetag has us hoping for similarly good hobbyist-friendly things here.
Pogoplug second generation unboxing
We hope you like pink. Cloud Engines' new iteration of Pogoplug just landed on our doorstep, oddly enough packed with an unopened pack of microwavable popcorn (something tells us we're missing a joke here). We're still in the plugging-in-and-testing phase, but no point in depriving you of the unboxing fun while we do that, right? Right. Enjoy the gallery below. %Gallery-79946%
