24Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou 1 Comment

Linux Server-in-a-Plug is here…..only $100

embedded OS, Linux, Opensource
Marvell Semiconductors is now shipping their SheevaPlug linux machines. Little tiny Linux boxes the size of a plugin adapter. The SheevaPlug draws about 5 Watts of power, comes with Linux, and boasts completely open hardware and software designs. At $100 the platform is available in single quantities, and is priced within reach of students, hobbyists, and tinkerers. This looks like the perfect embeded platform for all sorts of stuff. Think home automation, security monitoring, ultra low powered file servers, ad-hoc mini clusters, not to mention robots and such .....there is no end to it.Its hardware design is completely open -- everything from schematics to Gerber files will be available on a marvell's website -- and ARM ports of several popular Linux distributions are already running, and included. More importantly, Marvell…
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18Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou No Comments

Sugar interface on a USB stick…..

Fedora Core, Linux, Opensource, Redhat, Ubuntu
Thanks to Sugar Labs you can now have your Ubuntu 8.10 or Fedora 10 linux distributions with sugar on it.....Shweet :-).  Yep you heard right, go here and grab your OLPC XO inspired 1GB USB stick image and boot all those old PC's into sugar. According to Walter Bender (the creator of Sugar OS) a new version dubbed Sucrose 0.84 is on its way soon. Complete article (including interview with Mr. Bender) is over at XConomy.
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18Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou 43 Comments

How to get Admin rights in OSX Leopard using single user mode…

Apple, Leopard, Macintosh, OSX, osx Server
Here is a quick way to gain access to that leopard machine you don't remember the admin password to. Yes I know this can be used by all the kiddies out there, but lets hope they are smarter than that. To start, reboot the machine into single user mode by holding down command-s before the chime (on the white screen with gray apple logo). Once in single user mode you need to mount the HD in read-write mode using the following commands:/sbin/fsck -fy/sbin/mount -uw /Then we need to start the directory services by issuing the following:launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plistFirst thing we need to do is to create the new userid (I call it newadminusername, you can use whatever you want). It is important to assign the user a Realname (which is…
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18Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou No Comments

LaserTouch….Multitouch using a projection TV and Lasers….

multitouch, Opensource, Technology
Yep you heard right....freaking lasers.....yummy. These guys have managed to turn a rear-projection TV into a multitouch surface using IR lasers. Absolutely fantastic as it (using lasers) makes the whole design a lot simpler and gets rid of the the tracking problems associated with regular IR LED based tables and ambient IR light. Although the original laser idea comes from arbi.trario.us gang, stuffing everything inside a 16" deep tv is a nice touch :-).Hacked Rear Projection TV into Multitouch from IDEO Labs on Vimeo.Below is a good rundown of the pros and cons of this setup vs. FTIR:ProsExcellent tracking results, even with lots of ambient IR light.Zero-force: Feels very natural to work with.Comparatively easy to build.Comparatively cheap to build.Comparatively fast to build.ConsAlready “sees” the finger slightly before it touches the…
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18Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou No Comments

3D scanning for cheap(er)…..

Technology
Well 3D scanning is coming within reach, slowly but surely. 3d3solutions announced their FlexScan3D solution that uses a simple projector and an SLR type digital camera to create a 3d mesh.Using one or two digital cameras and a white light (presentation) projector FlexScan3D will scan a wide range of objects, faces, and body parts quickly and accurately.The projector or laser puts reference patterns on to the scan target to aid accurate digitalization. The scene is captured using a camera or video camera. FlexScan3D’s 3D triangulation engine takes these images and creates millions of measurements of the scene. The process to acquire the data needed to create a 3D model is then completed in seconds.FlexScan3D software is offered in 3 different packages: FlexScan3D Single, FlexScan3D Duo, and FlexScan Complete. Cost ranges…
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18Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou 2 Comments

Duplicate your Ubuntu Installation….

CLI, Linux, Ubuntu, Unix
As good as Ubuntu (and linux) are in general, once in a while you just get to a point where you need a reinstall. That's when the realization kicks in that you've got far too many packages installed since the initial Ubuntu install. It's okay, there is a way out. Make sure you have a USB key.On Ubuntu Workstation (with graphical interface):Run Synaptic package manager. Once inside Synaptic, go to File/Save Markings As menu option and choose a filename and location (USB stick). MAKE SURE YOU ALSO CHECK THE BOX "SAVE FULL STATE, NOT ONLY CHANGES". This will save a text file that contains every single package installed on your system (through apt system and all it's variants....manual compile/installs are something else). Now you can go ahead and reinstall the…
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13Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou No Comments

Disk for Iphone….Turn your IPhone (IpodTouch) into a portable HD.

Apple, Google, Linux, MacFUSE, Macintosh, Opensource, OSX, osx Server
MacFUSE project has grown a lot since we last covered it here and here. MacFuse 2.0 is here and it's looking really nice. MacFUSE is the mac implementation of FUSE (File-system in USEr space) filesystem originally developed for Linux. For those of you who've not heard of this gem before, MacFUSE allows you to extend Mac OS X's native file handling capabilities via 3rd-party file systems. Pretty much anything that has some order to it can be turned (viewed as) into a filesystem (ie: sshfs, youtubefs). As a user, installing the MacFUSE software package will let you use any 3rd-party file system written atop MacFUSE.Disk for iPhone is a MacFUSE based filesystem that allows you to read and write files on your iPhone. It uses the MobileDevice API (like iTunes)…
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10Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou 3 Comments

Would you like your PC over IP?

Apple, Disruptive Technology, Linux, Macintosh, OSX, Technology, Windows
Imagine if you could hide your 16 Core, Quad GPU, Nitro burning gaming PC in the closet in the basement. What if you could build the next University lab where all the highpowered CAD workstations where humming away in the machine room and you could actually "teach" in a quite classroom/lab. Fill in the rest of the scenarios yourself. The next wave in thin client computing is here and it's name is Teradici. They don't really make a end user product (they just make the custom compression chipsets), but companies like Leadtek have end user products on the market now.Integration of Teradici's PCoIP remote enterprise desktop technology in Leadtek's WinFast VP200 enables delivery of a high-definition graphic and multimedia experience across standard IP networks, unmatched by any thin client on…
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01Feb 2009 by Many Ayromlou 2 Comments

WinterCity ’09 – Pi-Leau by Close-Act

Flickr, Photography, Toronto, TPMG
Dutch street theatre troupe, Close-Act, transformed Nathan Phillips Square into a mythical under-water world that floats high above the audience. I had a chance to see the show twice (Friday and Saturday Night) and have to admit.....It was amazing. Themes of global warming and environmental struggles were evident, but at its heart this is a story of forbidden love that combines theatre, music, fire, dance and incredible props. It will be here for another two shows next weekend, so if you live in Toronto (or are visiting), definitely drop by City Hall and check out the show. It's about 1 hour and well worth it.
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