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Linux Wall Warts Small On Size, Big On Possibilities

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the yes-have-some dept.

davidmwilliams writes "Every geek and technology lover will undoubtedly have stumbled across online adverts for tiny headless Linux-powered devices that are barely larger than the power point they plug into. What can you actually do with them? Plenty, it seems!"

5 of 316 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Two (other) Words by mmcuh · · Score: 4, Interesting

    With infinite programming capabilities for encryption of recordings, offsite backups, and other sexy things you can think of. Hook it up to a small sensor that triggers the recording whenever a door opens and it can get really interesting. Computer, webcam, sensor, all fitting in your jacket pocket to install at home when you go on vacation, in the hotel room when you leave for a day trip, at the office when you leave for the weekend etc.

  2. Re:Did it really need 1 page? by skids · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Not to mention half the applications for something of this size are equally well filled by a reflashed OpenWRT wifi access point you can fish out of a dumpster for free. You don't need 512M of flash/ram to run an ssh gateway.

    --
    Someone had to do it.
  3. Re:oh man by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Torrent Slaves

    I wonder ... if somebody made an image with a self-registering Tor relay* that looked at the TCP congestion control state and throttled dynamically ... and then people started dropping $100 on these and plugging them in to random office buildings where a free data jack and power outlet were available - how many of them would still be operating after a couple years?

    * I know you said 'torrent slave', but it gave me the idea

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  4. Re:oh man by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    And I wonder, if you went into random office buildings and plugged some of these in, programmed to connect out to your master server (through their NAT, etc) sniff traffic, scour the local intranet and file shares and generally do some spying and acting as a jump point for your hacking, how many of them would still be operating after a couple years?

    * I know you said 'tor relay', but it gave me the idea

  5. Re:Did it really need 1 page? by SQLGuru · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My best ideas are to pair them with some old LCD screens and do something like this: http://www.panic.com/blog/2010/03/the-panic-status-board/