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Everyone Needs a Personal Server

An anonymous reader writes "Intel Labs is prototyping a potentially revolutionary new 'personal server'. The tiny device -- smaller than a PDA -- comprises a hard disk, BlueTooth, a Web-DAV enabled HTTP daemon, and other technologies enabling the user to access and modify their files from any enabled PC within their "Personal Area Network." In theory, this would allow the worker to access their own data -- essentially to have their own PC -- at any suitable workstation as long as the personal server were nearby. This article at LinuxDevices.com provides background on the personal server concept, explains how the device will enable a truly mobile experience, discusses the basic technologies involved, and provides an architectural block diagram of the prototype, which is based on an XScale Processor running at 400MHz running an embedded Linux OS."

2 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. curious about Apple's move by dJOEK · · Score: 5, Interesting

    an iPod is already 2/3s of that
    add wireless and http and presto!

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  2. Re:Security by slittle · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd be more concerned with the security of the host I'm using, rather than the fact that the unit is wireless. If the host terminal isn't mine, it can easily be trojaned/sniffed by h4x0rz, employers, The Man, etc.

    If I were using this to interface with public machines (like at a library) I'd want the ability to re-image it with a known clean copy of the OS after every use. Removable media to keep my data out of public eyes wouldn't hurt either.

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