Pocket-sized PC runs Linux

May 14, 2007

Parisian startup Linutop has started shipping a compact, Linux-based computing appliance said to draw less than six Watts. Linutop's "Linutop" can serve as a standalone PC or Linux terminal, and targets web surfing kiosks in libraries, schools, offices, hotels, hospitals, Internet cafes, and family rooms.

Now that's a Pocket PC (Click to enlarge)

Linutop claims that its Linutop PC draws "less than 6 Watts" -- less energy than many computing appliances such as printers and scanners dissipate in standby mode. The device measures 3.7 x 1.1 x 5.9 inches (9.3 x 2.7 x 15 cm), and weighs 9.9 ounces (280 grams). Its compact wall-wart-style power supply incorporates a European-style plug.

Linutop is based on a 433MHz AMD Geode LX 700@0.8W processor. It has 256MB of RAM, and comes standard with a 1GB USB flash key as its main storage device. The lack of moving parts contributes to a long life cycle that generates less waste than less robust designs, the company said.


At 6 Watts, the Linutop is no hotplate
(Click to enlarge)
The Linutop's I/O includes four USB 2.0 ports and audio, along with a VGA port and 10/100 Ethernet, with USB WiFi optional.


Linutop desktop
(Click to enlarge)
On the software side, the Linutop PC is based on Xubuntu, a version of Ubuntu that eschews complicated, slow-moving window environments like KDE and Gnome in favor of Xfce. Interestingly, Xfce was also selected by Zonbu for its low-power, Via C7-based Zonbox, announced earlier this month along with a "carbon offset" program.

Other pre-installed Linutop applications include Firefox, AbiWord, Evince, Gaim, Totem, XDMCP (for interoperability with the Linux Terminal Server Project), and Etherboot. The environment is simple and easy, and users can surf the web within minutes of receiving their device, the company said.

Availability

The Linutop is available now, for European power outlets, in two configurations. A single Linutop with a 1GB USB stick is priced at 280 Euros (approx. $380). A pack of eight Linutops, each with a 1GB USB stick, is priced at 2,100 Euros (approx. $2,850).

Adapter does 200Mbps networking via AC wiring

May 17, 2007

Actiontec Electronics has released its next-generation powerline networking kit based on the HomePlug AV standard for distributing large multimedia and data files around the home without Ethernet cabling. "MegaPlug AV" adapters can network computers, set-top boxes, and other devices at 200Mbps over existing home electrical wiring, according to the company.


MegaPlug AV connection diagram

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According to Actiontec, use of the latest HomePlug AV technology enables throughput speeds that are more than twice as fast as the previous generation of HomePlug technology -- "at least double that of 802.11g wireless connectivity," and approaching wired-Ethernet levels. As a result, the network is suitable for high-speed transfer of data files as well as HDTV programs, movies, or other rich media. In addition, the new HomePlug standard provides enhanced 128-bit AES security, the company says.

Each MegaPlug AV kit comes with two Ethernet adapters that can be used either to build a new home network or to extend an existing network to areas of the house that are difficult to reach with Ethernet cabling or wireless signals. One adapter is needed for each device to be networked.

Setting up the network, according to Actiontec, is simple -- users simply plug one MegaPlug AV adapter into a power outlet near the broadband home router, plug the other into a power outlet near the PC or other Ethernet-equipped device, and connect both the router and the device to the respective adapters with the Ethernet cables included in the package. Each adapter measures 2.25 x 3.25 x 2 inches, making it small enough to be used without interfering with adjacent sockets, according to the company.

In addition to the two adapters and Ethernet cables, each kit includes a quick start guide, an installation CD, a user manual CD, and instructions for changing the encryption key.

The adapters are compatible with any wired- or wireless-broadband router or gateway and any PC, regardless of OS, the company says.

The Kit can be purchased from the company's website for about $170.

Big Blue boasts of "fastest chip ever"

May 21, 2007

IBM claims to have doubled the performance (or halved the power requirements, depending on your point of view) of its top-end processor for servers and mid-range systems. The dual-core "Power6" processor clocks to 4.7GHz, has 8MB of L2 cache, and breaks four widely used Unix performance benchmarks, according to the company.

The Power6 chip will appear initially in "System p 570" systems with two to 16 cores. The p570 reportedly broke SPEC 2006 benchmark records for integer, floating-point, Java, and transaction-processing, marking "the first time a single system has owned all four categories," IBM said.

IBM plans to roll out the Power6 processor in its "System p" and "System i" mid-range systems. These have traditionally run IBM's proprietary AIX version of UNIX, while also supporting multiple virtualized Linux servers running simultaneously alongside AIX.

The "thumbnail-sized" Power6 chip is built on 65-nm process technology, and integrates a generous 8MB of L2 cache, along with a pair of cores based on the Power6 architecture and connected by an SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) fabric.


Power6 die layout
Claimed Power6 features include:

• 300GBps processor bandwidth -- claimed to be 30 times greater than Intel's Itanium
  
• First UNIX microprocessor able to calculate decimal floating point arithmetic in hardware
  
• Low-voltage operation, for processor blade applications, and high-voltage operation for SMP server operation
  
• Separate power supply "rails" for circuits that can't support low-voltage operation
  
• Voltage/frequency "slewing"
  
• Dynamic clocking
  

Additionally, the Power6 chip offers virtualization capabilities said to support live migration of virtual servers between physical hardware platforms without downtime.

Pricing and availability were not disclosed.

Mini Linux distro features X-free OpenGL graphics

May 01, 2007

A minimalistic Linux distribution that can run OpenGL-based applications without X is now available from New Zealand based hacker Zeljko "Zelko" Aksentijevic. Zelko said his "MyOS Miniature OpenGL development system" shows that Linux development systems can be simple.

Zelko said MyOS has been "stripped down of everything, but core necessary files to compile and run OpenGL/C code." It is distributed as a 12.8MB ISO image, and fits on a 1.44MB floppy disk when OpenGL development tools are removed, according to Zelko.

Zelko said MyOS offers "really all one needs to learn OpenGL." Additionally, applications written on MyOS can run on "any Linux," he said.

In order to run OpenGL applications without X, MyOS makes use of SciTech's interesting GPL-licensed SNAP/MGL drivers. The drivers use a portable, cross-platform, HAL (hardware abstraction layer) with an OpenGL API.

In addition to serving as a teaching tool, potential applications for MyOS listed by its creator include: USB key-chain Linux implementations, rescue Linux, secure information storage and processing systems, and embedded applications, such as mobile phones, PDAs, media players, public computers, ATMs, and "other systems or terminals that need to run safely without 'Hard Drive' or entirely from ROM chip."

MyOS could also serve as the basis for building a graphical windowing system on top of OpenGL, Aksentijevic suggests.

In addition to the SciTech drivers, other components of MyOS are said to include a stripped down and modified GNU GCC compiler, diet libc, Necromancer's windows manager, and of course, busybox.

Linux-powered gateway crams into USB key

A tiny, Linux-based gateway has won an award for hardware innovation at the 2007 Embedded World conference in Nuremberg this week. SSV Embedded Systems's "Tux/Stick" interfaces between USB-enabled PCs and various industrial and embedded networks, including LANs, WiFi networks, wireless sensor networks (WSNs), and in-car networks.

The Tux/Stick looks like a typical USB memory stick. And, one end does plug into a USB port, just like a memory stick, drawing power from the host PC and booting a tiny ARM9-powered processor running Linux.


SSV Tux/Stick
(Click to enlarge)
Beneath a removable cap on the Tux/Stick's other end, though, is a "miniature plug" of an unspecified nature. This plug accepts "media couplers" that provide various interfaces. Available interfaces include 10/100 Ethernet, SPI, USB host, and serial UART interfaces.

SSV says the Tux/Stick comes with "special USB drivers" that make the device look like an Ethernet connection or a serial UART to the host computer, while supporting the device's various communication profiles. The device can establish connections in an "ad hoc" fashion, according to the company.

Marketing Manager Jorg Neumann stated, "This award confirms the importance and market need for small and innovative embedded hardware products that enables a huge range of communication."

What's under the hood?

The Tux/Stick is based on SSV's tiny DNP/9200, a miniature ARM9-powered SBC (single-board computer) that comes preinstalled with Linux. The DNP/9200 processor module measures 3.2 x 1.1 inches (82 x 28mm), and fits into a standard JEDEC DIL (dual-inline) socket with 64 pins spaced at 0.1 inches.


DNP/9200 module
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The DNP/9200 SBC, in turn, is based on an Atmel AT91RM9200 clocked at 180MHz, and has 32MB of SDRAM and 16MB of flash memory. On-board interfaces include two UARTs, SPI, SSI/I2C, USB host and device, an 8-bit bus interface, and 20 GPIO lines.


DNP/9200 diagram
Additionally, the DNP/9200 SBC offers a "dock" that supports a Sony/Ericsson GSM/GPRS modem. Additional details can be found in our previous coverage, here.

Availability and pricing details for the Tux/Stick were not available by publication time.

Microsoft-Yahoo Siap Bersatu Jegal Google?

Microsoft-Yahoo Siap Bersatu Jegal Google?
Dewi Widya Ningrum - detikInet

Jakarta, Kabar Microsoft akan mencaplok Yahoo kembali merebak setelah keduanya disinyalir tengah memasuki taraf negosiasi jual beli. Untuk menjegal Google-kah tujuannya?

Seperti dilansir New York Post, Microsoft disinyalir tengah bernegosiasi dengan Yahoo. Bahkan Microsoft dikabarkan telah mengajukan tawaran senilai US$ 50 miliar guna bisa membeli perusahaan web portal tersebut beberapa bulan yang lalu. Saham Yahoo pun langsung bereaksi positif dan naik lebih dari 17 persen menyusul merebaknya kabar ini.

Sementara itu menurut Wall Street Journal, diskusi antara Microsoft dan Yahoo sudah berlangsung sejak beberapa bulan terakhir ini. Negosiasi itu disinyalir masih dalam tahap awal dan belum membuahkan kesepakatan yang jelas, apakah Yahoo akan diambil alih secara penuh oleh Microsoft atau membentuk joint venture.

Demikian rangkuman laporan Vnunet yang dikutip detikINET, Minggu (6/5/2007). Mengenai kabar merger ini, baik pihak Yahoo maupun Microsoft enggan mengomentari hal ini.

Posisi Yahoo dan Microsoft di bisnis mesin pencari internet saat ini, masing-masing bertengger di peringkat kedua dan ketiga setelah Google.

Akuisisi ini, jika terjadi, memungkinkan Microsoft untuk menghadapi rivalnya Google di bisnis pencarian online. Akuisisi ini juga akan menjadi yang terbesar yang pernah dilakukan Microsoft.

Beberapa analis bersikap skeptis menanggapi kabar ini. "Menurut saya, ini (akuisisi) tidak akan terjadi," kata analis Matt Rosoff dari Directions yang mempelajari bisnis Microsoft.

"Saya tidak tahu apa yang akan diperoleh Yahoo dari transaksi ini, termasuk orang-orang yang tidak mau bekerja untuk Microsoft," lanjutnya seperti dilansir AFP.

Sebenarnya kabar Microsoft akan mengakuisisi Yahoo ini sudah mulai terkuak sejak setahun lalu. Saat itu salah satu sumber terdekat Microsoft yang enggan disebutkan namanya mengatakan bahwa Microsoft tengah melobi Yahoo agar pihaknya bisa membeli saham penyedia mesin pencari itu.

Akankah keduanya melebur dan bersatu menjegal Google?
(dwn/rou)

India Kejar Laptop Rp 100.000

India Kejar Laptop Rp 100.000
Wicaksono Hidayat - detikInet

Jakarta, Laptop dengan harga US$ 100 (sekitar Rp 909.000) saja sudah dianggap mimpi yang nyaris mustahil, kini India justru berani mengejar laptop US$ 10 (Rp 90.900). Mungkinkah?

Impian yang mungkin dianggap tidak mungkin itu dicanangkan oleh Kementerian Tenaga Kerja India. Dua buah desain telah ditelaah oleh kementerian itu.

Satu desain dari Vellore Institute of Technology dan satu lagi dari Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Demikian dikutip detikINET dari Times of India, Sabtu (5/5/2007).

Apakah rancangan itu sudah cukup murah? Sejauh ini, tanpa biaya buruh, biaya pembuatan laptop termurah yang bisa dirancang adalah US$ 47.

Namun seorang pejabat India mengaku optimistis. "Biaya yang terlihat cukup membesarkan hati. Kami berharap bisa turun hingga US$ 10. Kami juga akan mencari kemungkinan perusahaan India yang memproduksi komponennya," tutur sang pejabat.

Sebagai bandingan, proyek laptop termurah saat ini adalah US$ 100 yang dikedepankan oleh Nicholas Negroponte. Itu pun harganya sudah naik menjadi US$ 175.

Di sisi lain akademisi di Amerika Serikat sudah mulai mengembangkan ponsel US$ 10. Ponsel itu akan dikembangkan untuk penyebaran teknologi di negara berkembang.

Laptop US$ 10 yang 'dikejar' India kemungkinan akan menggunakan komponen lawas atau yang sudah tidak digunakan pada laptop model terbaru namun masih menumpuk di gudang. (wsh/wsh)

MacBook hacked in contest at security event

VANCOUVER, B.C.--Shane Macaulay just got himself a free MacBook.

By Joris Evers, CNET News.com

Macaulay, a software engineer, was able to hack into a MacBook through a zero-day security hole in Apple's Safari browser. The computer was one of two offered as a prize in the "PWN to Own" hack-a-Mac contest at the CanSecWest conference here.

The successful attack on the second and final day of the contest required a conference organizer to surf to a malicious Web site using Safari on the MacBook--a type of attack familiar to Windows users. CanSecWest organizers relaxed the rules Friday after nobody at the event had breached either of the Macs on the previous day.

Macaulay teamed with Dino Dai Zovi, a security researcher until recently with Matasano Security. Dai Zovi, who has previously been credited by Apple for finding flaws in Mac software, found the Safari vulnerability and wrote the exploit overnight in about 9 hours, he said.

"The vulnerability and the exploit are mine," Dai Zovi said in a telephone interview from New York. "Shane is my man on the ground."

Apple spokeswoman Lynn Fox declined to comment on the MacBook hack specifically, but provided Apple's standard security comment: "Apple takes security very seriously and has a great track record of addressing potential vulnerabilities before they can affect users."

Dai Zovi plans to apply for a $10,000 bug bounty TippingPoint announced on Thursday if a previously unknown Apple bug was used. "Shane can have the laptop, I want the money," Dai Zovi said. TippingPoint runs the Zero Day Initiative bug bounty program.

A TippingPoint representative said the company would pay, after looking at the vulnerability. "If it is an actual zero-day in Safari that's fine with us," said Terri Forslof, manager of security response at TippingPoint.

The successful hack comes a day after Apple release its fourth security update for Mac OS X this year. The update repairs 25 vulnerabilities.

CanSecWest organizers set up the MacBooks connected to a wireless router and with all security updates installed, but without additional security software or settings.