$100 Linux wall-wart launches. Marvell Semiconductor is shipping a hardware/software development kit suitable for always-on home automation devices and service gateways. Resembling a "wall-wart" power adapter, the SheevaPlug draws 5 Watts, comes with Linux, and boasts completely open hardware and software designs, Marvell says. In typical use, the SheevaPlug draws about as much power as a night-light. Yet, with 512MB each of RAM and Flash, and a 1.2GHz CPU, the unobtrusive device approaches the computing power found in the servers of only a decade ago.
Furthermore, the platform is available in single quantities, and is priced within reach of students, hobbyists, and tinkerers. On the software side, the company says ARM ports of several popular Linux distributions are already running, and included. Mukhopadhyay calls the SheevaPlug an "ideal platform for in-home service delivery," and adds that he is looking forward to seeing what kinds of products and services are built on top of the device. Availability. Developing Gadgets for the Windows Sidebar. Windows Vista introduced the Sidebar – an anchored panel on the Windows desktop that can host mini-applications known as gadgets. These gadgets are fun to develop and can deliver real value to a user's desktop. Windows Vista ships with gadgets that can track stock prices, display news feeds, and deliver weather forecasts. The gadgets users will find most appealing, however, are those gadgets that deliver the specialized information they need to complete their everyday tasks.
These gadgets might not come with the broad appeal of a weather gadget, but will be gadgets that talk to corporate web services and backend systems to retrieve business information inside the corporate firewall. In this article, we'll take a look at developing gadgets for Windows Vista using DHTML, JavaScript, and CSS. We'll introduce the object model, and security aspects of gadget development.
By the end of the article we'll have built a real gadget. Sidebar Gadgets Windows Live Gadgets SideShow Gadgets The Manifest. Introduction to the Gadget Platform. Developing a Gadget for Windows Sidebar Part 1: The Basics. [ The Windows Gadget Platform/Sidebar is available for use in the following versions of Windows: Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008. It may be altered or unavailable in subsequent versions. ] The first of three overviews that describe how to create a basic gadget for the Windows Sidebar.
In this overview, we demonstrate a simple "Hello World" gadget and the steps required to install and display it in the Sidebar. Introduction Gadgets are lightweight HTML and script-based applications that provide the abillity to derive and present information or functionality from a variety of sources, such as local applications and controls, or websites and services. The Files A basic gadget consists of two files: Important It is highly recommended that all gadget HTML and script files be saved with UTF-8 character encoding. The following steps can be taken to ensure the encoding of these files: If the value in the Encoding drop-down is not UTF-8: The Steps The Example For Further Reference. Knight Rider GPS by Mio - Let K.I.T.T. give you directions!
You may remember that, some time ago, I blogged about an interesting little computer curio called the Space Cube. Quite simply, it’s one of the smallest PCs in the world, with each side measuring around 2 inches square. I wrote that it looked cool, ran on a 300MHz processor and that it probably wouldn’t be sold outside of Japan, if at all. Well, now, we’ve actually gone and got hold of one – the only Space Cube in the UK that’s running Linux, in fact. In the flesh it’s even more impressive than in pictures, inspiring awe and provoking disbelieving reactions across the PC Pro office. It’s actually quite difficult to comprehend just how small the PC is so, for your delectation, we’ve been taking pictures of the Space Cube next to some everyday objects.
So, we’ve established that it’s incredibly, impossibly small. But what’s inside? It’s fair to say that the Space Cube isn’t overloaded with storage space, either. The Space Cube’s chassis is, well, a marvel. So, would you like a Space Cube? Bug Labs.