Bunnie Huang's Novena Open Source Laptop Launches Via Crowd Supply

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Bunnie Huang's Novena Open Source Laptop Launches Via Crowd Supply

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday April 2, 2014 @10:55AM from the laptop-of-the-people dept.

First time accepted submitter ogcricket (3557713) writes with news about a new laptop designed by Andrew Huang and Sean Cross. "Earlier this year, the two Singapore-based engineers fashioned a laptop made almost entirely from open source hardware, hardware whose designs are freely available to the world at large. They called it Project Novena. Anyone could review the designs, looking for bugs and security flaws, and at least in theory, that meant you could be confident the machine was secure from top to bottom, something that’s more desirable than ever in the post-Edward Snowden age....The original idea was simply to encourage others to build their own open source laptops at home. But now the pair are taking the project a step further. Starting today, you can order your own pre-built Novena laptop through the crowd-funding site Crowd Supply, and it will ship out in the coming weeks. Much like Kickstarter, Crowd Supply is place where you can put up money to help fund a company and then get a product in exchange."

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I guess I'll have to install my own bugs now... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:00 · Score: 0

Well, this sure takes the fun out of the NSA's game.
1. Re:I guess I'll have to install my own bugs now... by fizzer06 · 2014-04-02 11:30 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  the post-Edward Snowden age
  Shouldn't that read "the post-NSA age"? Or do we still blame the messenger?
2. Re:I guess I'll have to install my own bugs now... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:53 · Score: 0
  
  Nope NSA is still chugging along, Snowden has dropped his bomb nothing for him to do but wait. It is post Snowden (release of materials), it is yet to determined if the NSA is counting down it's days (unlikely anything serious will be done).
3. Re:I guess I'll have to install my own bugs now... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 05:28 · Score: 0
  
  Cool. I'm going to make exact copies of this thing to sell and undercut their price by a couple hundred bucks. I'll even use the same name. Since it's all open source and everything, they can't have a problem with that.
Great little IMX6 board with embedded FPGA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:03 · Score: 3, Interesting

I am working on Fedora builds for it -- pics of it on my bench here and here.
Great project, but.... by sunderland56 · 2014-04-02 11:05 · Score: 0

$1,995 for a laptop??
How does an open-source machine cost so much more than a closed, proprietary one sold by a for-profit corporation?
1. Re:Great project, but.... by H0p313ss · 2014-04-02 11:13 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  $1,995 for a laptop??
  How does an open-source machine cost so much more than a closed, proprietary one sold by a for-profit corporation?
  Volume
  
  --
  XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
2. Re:Great project, but.... by Charliemopps · 2014-04-02 11:14 · Score: 2
  
  Because this one is hand built by 2 guys, rather than manufactured by a combination of robots and Chinese teenagers that get pushed off a roof if they're not productive enough? (only the teenagers, they'd never push a robot off the roof)
3. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:24 · Score: 1
  
  $1995 for a small run, niche market laptop that you can be sure that the NSA doesn't own at the firmware level and has an onboard FPGA for hardware hacking. I doubt you'll find anything that open or that customizable for that cheap, but if you think you can do better, buy the mainboard for $500 and cheap out on the rest.
4. Re:Great project, but.... by msauve · 2014-04-02 11:34 · Score: 2
  
  But just the MB is $500 - there's not much done by hand on one of those. And it has 5-10 year old technology like USB 2.0 and SATA 2 (and it sounds like there's only a single one of those ports!).
  
  --
  "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
5. Re:Great project, but.... by Ralph+Wiggam · 2014-04-02 12:03 · Score: 2
  
  Because those huge evil for-profit corporations actually understand how to make a consumer product.
  These guys...not so much.
6. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 12:07 · Score: 0
  
  As far as I know, this is the only laptop that comes with an integrated FPGA, dual ethernet ports, USB OTG, etc. You're buying a hardware hacking toolkit, not a laptop. From that perspective, it's a great price.
7. Re:Great project, but.... by msauve · 2014-04-02 12:30 · Score: 2
  
  Don't be so sure. Bunny was the guy behind the Chumby (and related Insignia Infocast and Sony Dash devices), which was mildly successful for a while (the hardware was relatively inexpensive, but the service costs were apparently unsustainable).
  
  What consumer products constitute your bona fides?
  
  --
  "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
8. Re:Great project, but.... by Useless · 2014-04-02 12:36 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  How does an open-source machine cost so much more than a closed, proprietary one sold by a for-profit corporation?
  Volume
  OK: HOW DOES AN OPEN-SOURCE MACHINE COST SO MUCH MORE..
  
  --
  "Even Prophets don't know everything"
9. Re:Great project, but.... by khellendros1984 · 2014-04-02 13:00 · Score: 1
  
  Custom-manufacturing a board isn't cheap, especially in small production runs. A high volume of sales would mean larger production runs, which would lead to lower prices.
  
  --
  It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
10. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 14:52 · Score: 1
  
  I'm sure you can get it for $99 each if you buy a million of them. Just make sure to pay upfront.
11. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 15:14 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Fixed costs matter less per unit as you make more, so you can charge less per unit and make the same profit. Buying a $20,000 laser cutter will matter a lot more to your pricing if you are only going to use it to cut 10 sheets of metal rather than 10,000 sheets. It also takes less manhours to do administrative things like accounting when you already have a system in place and are able to simply add additional items rather than doing the entire process again. Not to mention everyone being new to the hardware manufacturing business, which leads to all sorts of inefficiencies.
12. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 15:27 · Score: 0
  
  The Novena is far from a consumer product. If that's what you're looking for, best look elsewhere. If you're looking for a sweet hardware hacking multi-tool, then the Novena is just the thing. Basically, if you don't immediately see why this is a great piece of hardware, then it's probably not for you in the first place.
13. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 19:29 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  OK: HOW DOES AN OPEN-SOURCE MACHINE COST SO MUCH MORE..
  It doesn't. If you buy 1000000 units you will be able to negotiate a price from a manufacturer that is competitive to other laptops that are produced in equivalent amounts. Assuming that you can fork out the money on delivery.
14. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 00:42 · Score: 0
  
  But just the MB is $500 - there's not much done by hand on one of those. And it has 5-10 year old technology like USB 2.0 and SATA 2 (and it sounds like there's only a single one of those ports!).
  $500 is a common price for a single four-layer PCB of 30 x 20 cm
  $2000 is a common price for 100 of them.
  (After checking with a manufacturer I used before the numbers ended up in that ballpark.)
  That you have to pay $500 only means that they aren't willing to fork out $1000 to keep a couple in store. If the target audience is the tinkerer everyone is going to end up making minor changes to them anyway.
  It is all about who the target customer is. Perhaps their target is the dude that orders one to tinker with, changes a few things and manufactures 100 to sell to hobbyists who aren't that used to tinker with hardware.
15. Re:Great project, but.... by drainbramage · 2014-04-03 00:58 · Score: 1
  
  It must go to 11.
  
  --
  No brain, no pain.
16. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 01:21 · Score: 0
  
  I just checked at pcbcart.com.
  With tooling cost a single four-layer PCB at 300x300mm costs around $500. Buy ten of them and you are down to $79 each.
  At 1000 pieces your are down to $21.
  Someone interested in the PCB is probably willing to pay $50 for it. If you can fork out $20000 it could be profitable to buy 1000.
  I'm know that I'm not willing to take the risk.
17. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 05:57 · Score: 0
  
  Which is exactly why this won't ever become anything or go anywhere. As a buyer I don't give a shit what their excuses are, I only care about the end result which is price and performance, neither of which this thing has.
18. Re:Great project, but.... by metamatic · 2014-04-03 07:23 · Score: 1
  
  Well then, sounds like you've identified yourself a business opportunity.
  
  --
  GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
19. Re:Great project, but.... by H0p313ss · 2014-04-03 08:01 · Score: 1
  
  Well at least I laughed, well played sir.
  
  --
  XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
20. Re:Great project, but.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-04 03:41 · Score: 0
  
  I love that "H0p313ss" was followed in this thread by "Useless"
Re:Great little IMX6 board with embedded FPGA by glasshole · 2014-04-02 11:12 · Score: 0

#throughglass #notatool
Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by nctritech · 2014-04-02 11:13 · Score: 2

At the prices they're asking for one of these things, I really don't understand why anyone would buy one. You might as well buy a Raspberry Pi and PAY SOMEONE to make a fancy case and interface an LCD panel and battery to it. Geez. What were they thinking? I'm sure the ARM chip in this is better than a RasPi, but $1000 better? No freaking way.
1. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by Charliemopps · 2014-04-02 11:25 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed, they are way over priced. It may be that something like this can't be done cheaply enough at low volume, but I don't see how anyone would pay this much for something that's basically already out of date.
  I absolutely love the battery though. Seriously, can we be done with proprietary batteries now?
2. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 12:10 · Score: 0
  
  It may be that something like this can't be done cheaply enough at low volume,
  Note that the Raspberry Pi foundation's initial estimate for takeup was maybe 1000 units, for schools, and they still targeted a very low price point. Either these guys are charging what they think the market will bear or they need to speak to the RPi guys about cost control....
3. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by complete+loony · 2014-04-02 12:27 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  If you just want a laptop, this isn't for you. Think of it as a portable workstation with FPGA and other features for rapid hardware prototyping and hacking.
  Personally I think it would be more usable with the traditional clamshell design. Right off the bat, you're going to need another layer of protection for the screen and somewhere to store a keyboard before you can consider lugging this thing around.
  
  --
  09F91102 no, 455FE104 nope, F190A1E8 uh-uh, 7A5F8A09 that's not it, C87294CE no. Ah! 452F6E403CDF10714E41DFAA257D313F.
4. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by nctritech · 2014-04-02 12:35 · Score: 2
  
  That's the other thing: the design makes very little sense. It's not a laptop so much as an "ultraportable desktop." I can understand having a rapid prototyping system for hacking on, but it just seems like this is hard to justify excluding very niche markets.
5. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by msauve · 2014-04-02 12:38 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Think of it as a workstation with a processor as powerful as cell phone.
  
  --
  "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
6. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by complete+loony · 2014-04-02 12:41 · Score: 2
  
  And they basically designed it for their own niche market. So you're not wrong.
  
  --
  09F91102 no, 455FE104 nope, F190A1E8 uh-uh, 7A5F8A09 that's not it, C87294CE no. Ah! 452F6E403CDF10714E41DFAA257D313F.
7. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 14:20 · Score: 0
  
  >a custom designed portable computer
  >for a niche market
  Well what do you know, this computer may not be for you but someone's willing to pay a couple of thousand to get this.
8. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 19:29 · Score: 0
  
  Here's a little fun fact for you, the Raspberry Pi is NOT Open Hardware.
9. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by coofercat · 2014-04-03 00:28 · Score: 1
  
  That form factor is almost perfect for working whilst sitting on a train (trains: something we have, and use a lot here in Europeland). You plonk the main unit on the table and the keyboard in your lap - yes, yes, I know I could do that with an ordinary laptop, but that's not nearly as cool as something like this. You'd have to stuff the spare space behind the screen with a few arduinos and breadboards, lots of loose wires and maybe a few flashing LEDs for good measure though.
  The only thing that could make this form factor better would be to use a one-eye augmented reality headset, or full VR headset in place of the screen ;-)
10. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by ssam · 2014-04-03 00:48 · Score: 1
  
  RaspberryPI was designed to be cheap and makes various compromises, e.g. very low end CPU, low memory, USB connected 100MB ethernet, fussy PSU.
  Novena looks easily powerful enough for normal use, plus has nice features, FPGA, gigabit network.
11. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by nctritech · 2014-04-03 01:31 · Score: 1
  
  The question is this: is "open hardware" of this sort worth $1500? If so, to whom, and why?
12. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by nctritech · 2014-04-03 01:39 · Score: 1
  
  I'm willing to bet that the extremely high cost is due to extremely low volume. The motherboard-only deal being $500 makes me wonder how the cost difference for a "complete" unit is justifiable.
13. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by Electricity+Likes+Me · 2014-04-03 02:00 · Score: 1
  
  Commercial hardware assembly is hard - not to mention that since you're selling something you take on a bunch of liability as far as product quality goes regardless.
14. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by tlhIngan · 2014-04-03 03:04 · Score: 1
  
  Commercial hardware assembly is hard - not to mention that since you're selling something you take on a bunch of liability as far as product quality goes regardless.
  it's actually quite easy. So easy actually.
  If you want to talk about contract manufacturers, they're more than happy to assemble your hardware for you - including going from parts to finished product in the box (most CMs offer pick and place at a minimum, testing as an option, and final packaging and assembly as an option after there).
  CMs are well used to small runs (you almost always go local for that as the big CMs like Foxconn and Flextronics are meant for dealing in the 10,000 quantity to millions), and they're very helpful in guiding you through the build process and ensuring everything is there.
  What CMs will not do is redesign your product to make it easier to manufacture - if your product requires a million steps to assemble, they'll do the million steps (and charge accordingly). Which is why most designs go through another design pass called "Design for Manufacture" which seeks to redo the design taking into account what mass manufacture needs - sort of like replacing fiddly cable assemblies with flex or ribbon cables, switching out dozens of boards to a single PCB, simplifying the case design so it auto-aligns the board and components within, etc.
  Computer hardware assembly is a little more scattered, but given the number of whitebox PCs made in little mom and pop computer shops these days, also not a big deal.
15. Re:Holy smoking wallets, Batman! by H0p313ss · 2014-04-03 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  Think of it as a workstation with a processor as powerful as cell phone.
  ...for the price of a macbook pro.
  I love the idea and the spirit of the project, but it's just not economically viable.
  
  --
  XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
Botique design, low volume, initial pricing. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:16 · Score: 0

title says it all. If they had the volume of Raspberry Pi it would cost far less.
You mean... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:19 · Score: 0

...I can spend 3 times more to get a fraction of the performance in an enclosure that looks like it was hacked together in someone's basement?
WHERE DO I SIGN UP?
1. Re:You mean... by glasshole · 2014-04-02 11:35 · Score: 1
  
  Actually the enclosure is what bugs me. It seems clever but not very practical for anything other than display purposes. Though at $2k it pretty much is for collectable purposes only... which is a shame because I really love the idea and would buy a reasonably priced slightly better packaged one in a heart beat.
2. Re:You mean... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:54 · Score: 1
  
  Feel free to get you and 9,999 of your friends together, that will reduce the costs considerably.
  Get 99,999 friends and you'll be talking even more savings.
  You do realize it's open source, so you just need to be willing to commit.
Time to change the rallying cry... by Kenja · 2014-04-02 11:32 · Score: 3, Funny

Free as in a 200 year old single malt scotch. Beer just doesn't cut it at these prices.

--

"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Missing the point by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 11:38 · Score: 5, Insightful

I hear you about the price, and merely being open source and secure is not what makes this laptop awesome.
This isn't just a laptop, it's a hacktop. It's the equivalent of a portable electronics lab. It has GPIO headers and an integrated FPGA. There are no laptops in existence with these kind of features.
Bunnie started out just building the laptop for himself, as it's OBVIOUSLY not the most price efficient way to do things, but builders, engineers, and hackers wanted this. They know what they're getting.
1. Re:Missing the point by Kenja · 2014-04-02 11:43 · Score: 1
  
  Yea, it's a neat project, and I am somewhat tempted to back the project. I just wouldn't call the end result a laptop in the general sense.
  
  --
  
  "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Build it at home? by KermodeBear · 2014-04-02 11:46 · Score: 1

The original idea was simply to encourage others to build their own open source laptops at home
Yeah, um, let me see, I'll just fire up my clean room and source some rare earth stuff and plug in the old CPU creator I got at the garage sale, and I can bake screens in my oven I just add some plastic and finger paint and voila!

--
Love sees no species.
1. Re:Build it at home? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 13:32 · Score: 0
  
  For about $30k I could make CPUs at home, If you look at the dieshots from the visual6502 project, they are well within the resolution of todays high-end SLMs (the active imaging element in digital projectors).
  What I would need:
  * Painted clean-room [maybe? how much yield do you want?]
  * A HEPA filtration system [can build from high-quality vacuum cleaner]
  * An Argon laser [got it]
  * A high-end digital projector for SLM parts [would need to buy]
  * A microscope for projection (better make it triaxial for alignment) [got it, but would really be beter to dedicate one to the setup]
  * miscellaneous optics for coupling laser to SLM to microscope
  * Some photo-resist [got it, perhaps need different type]
  * A plasma DC-magnetron sputtering machine [already built one]
  * A micro-manipulator XY-stage for process bonding [got it]
  * A micro-manipulator XY-stage for photomask stepping [got it]
  * An ion implanter [would need to build]
  * Some empty DIP packages, or a mould for building such [where do you get?]
  * some gold for metal layer deposition and for wire bonding
  * A CO2 laser for wire bond welding [get from laser cutter supply shop]
  * Some P-type silicon wafers [where do you get?]
  * A spin coater [A motor and some time on my lathe, easy]
  * Various chemical washes
  * temperature controlled oven for RIE and other thermal processes
  * some PMDS precursor
  Oh you want a modern-era CPU?
  Ok, pound sand.
  But you don't need to go as far as making your own chips to build an open-source laptop.
  Did anyone else notice that it's not a laptop, it opens the wrong way, how you gonna use that on your lap?
2. Re:Build it at home? by gl4ss · 2014-04-02 20:34 · Score: 1
  
  you're ben, right?
  http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com...
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
"Feel Good" by digitalPhant0m · 2014-04-02 11:48 · Score: 0

For the low price of $1.9K you can buy karma wrapped as a useless pile of shit or your choice any top of the line proprietary laptops.
1. Re:"Feel Good" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 13:48 · Score: 0
  
  Evidently your reading and logic comprehension is failing if you think that a closed proprietary laptop satisfies the requirement for a laptop that is open source hardware.
But can it by Osgeld · 2014-04-02 12:53 · Score: 1

Run windows?
1. Re:But can it by steak · 2014-04-02 13:21 · Score: 1
  
  I think NT 4 had an arm build.
  
  --
  lose != loose
2. Re:But can it by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 14:20 · Score: 0
  
  Nope. x86, ALPHA, MIPS, PowerPC.
Love it! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 14:20 · Score: 0

As a proof-of-concept for a product with transparency built in from top to bottom, I think it's a wonderful idea and more relevant than ever these days.
But jesus christ is it ugly. Especially the "heirloom" edition.
I'm sure the price is justified, but it's also out of range for most people. I know their goal wasn't to make a laptop that would compete with existing products, but it seems cool enough that one wishes it was somewhat more affordable too.
Re:Great little IMX6 board with embedded FPGA by mellon · 2014-04-02 14:52 · Score: 1

So is the FPGA something a normal geek could ever get any use out of? It looks cool, but it also looks like the learning curve is nearly vertical.
Ignorance, story need fixed by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 15:23 · Score: 0

Anyone could review the designs, looking for bugs and security flaws, and at least in theory, that meant you could be confident the machine was secure from top to bottom, something that’s more desirable than ever in the post-Edward Snowden age.
Make me laugh... Any chance to name drop...
Lets completely ignore how the companies themselves put holes into there hardware and software. And how they ignore several attempts by security researchers and hackers warning of these hole, but their not getting patched, even worse they continue to release things that lack security. Or how most devices track and store everything you do. Let alone Uncle Sam deciding to steal or being handed the data. We didn't even get into the other hundred ways they can collect data even with a "fully secure" system.
The idea behind this sounds great, but it remains to be seen if it will be a success, it looks to be other kickstarter project that only a handful of people seem interested in, leading to the project dragging along before it becomes another artifact.
That's not a knock at the project but more about the reality that people seem as if they don't care about their personal privacy.
Update on an old theme by Cantankerous+Cur · 2014-04-02 15:37 · Score: 1

I wonder if "The Producers" is getting a modern version now...
1. Take money
2. ????
3. Profit!
1. Re:Update on an old theme by chrish · 2014-04-03 00:35 · Score: 1
  
  Step 2 is apparently "Sell company to Facebook" right now.
  
  --
  - chrish
First time submitter? by Rigel47 · 2014-04-02 16:12 · Score: 0

"First time accepted submitter "

Umm.. applause? Seems kind of high and mighty for a site most use as a time killer.
$1995 for an open source laptop? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 17:03 · Score: 0

I don't have that source of cash. And if I do, I would get an Intel Atom motherboard, and put together
one myself for a lot less than $1995
Re:Great little IMX6 board with embedded FPGA by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2014-04-02 17:14 · Score: 1

FPGA = Field-Programmable Gate Array: an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing—hence "field-programmable"...
(I didn't know what that stood for; surely I'm not the only one.)

--
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
Is all the firmware open? by Burz · 2014-04-02 17:28 · Score: 1

I have toyed with the idea of installing CoreBoot on my Thinkpad as a way to enhance security. The Noveena doesn't appear to have a BIOS, however, and there is little mention about firmware in their pitch... I'm more concerned about this than who designed the motherboard traces.
I'm not much of a hacker, but I do love the overall concept here. Hopefully they will divulge more details as the time progresses.
1. Re:Is all the firmware open? by 517714 · 2014-04-02 21:35 · Score: 1
  
  More details than this? http://www.kosagi.com/w/index....
  What do you want, his sister's phone number too?
  
  --
  The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
2. Re:Is all the firmware open? by CanHasDIY · 2014-04-03 01:27 · Score: 1
  
  More details than this? http://www.kosagi.com/w/index....
  What do you want, his sister's phone number too?
  Depends, is she hot?
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Nothing new by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 17:55 · Score: 0

They make no-frills development boards for ARM devices for a fraction of the cost for every major generation,
BGA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 17:59 · Score: 0

I would be impressed if they make it without BGA components. I can't interchange components with this device like ever other development board out there.
Re:Great little IMX6 board with embedded FPGA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-02 19:24 · Score: 0

So is the FPGA something a normal geek could ever get any use out of?
I guess that depends on the interface available to the 'normal geek' and what you consider to be a 'normal geek'.
If the geek wouldn't even touch assembler and only moves around in high level languages and thinks that the compiler generates good enough code that can't be optimized better then he/she will probably not have the interest to look at the FPGA. (Will still have use of it though since since someone else can write hardware accelerated Vorbis players or whatever.)
For someone who like to learn new stuff it shouldn't be harder to learn how to program the FPGA than it is to learn a new programming paradigm.
Verifying that the hardware conforms to the open s by goulo · 2014-04-02 21:21 · Score: 1

The idea is cool, but how could one verify that all the delivered hardware actually conforms to the open source hardware designs? I.e. in principle one can review the open source designs, looking for bugs and security flaws, but I'm not sure I grok how one can be sure that the physical hardware you receive - built by someone else - was actually produced from those designs, as opposed to (e.g.) having some hidden backdoor. What am I missing?
Designer should choose his words more carefully by 517714 · 2014-04-02 21:25 · Score: 2

“The motherboard, battery board, and display adapter board are designs from whole cloth,” Huang told us. “Every trace on those PCBs was placed by my hand.”
Let us hope he means the third definition rather than the second from http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/...
2. (figuratively, used attributively or preceded by various prepositions) The fictitious material from which complete fabrications, lies with no basis in truth, are made.
3. Something made completely new, with no history, and not based on anything else.

--
The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
The final step in the shipment process... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 00:34 · Score: 0

...to go the NSA site in San Antonio to outfitted in undetectable root kit chip for U.S. spying. I guessing that they replace some chip with one that appears to be normal. I imagine that stock these model to you get quickly, not knowing the one originally shipped is not the one you received. YOU CANNOT HIDE FOR THE NSA!
ROFL... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 00:59 · Score: 0

"You can purchase a version of the machine, including the aluminum case, high-definition display, and motherboard for $1,195. For $1,995, you also get a battery and a 240 gigabyte solid-state hard drive. "
And at those prices, there is absolutely no reason at all to buy one.
Re:Great little IMX6 board with embedded FPGA by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 01:36 · Score: 0

FPGA = Field-Programmable Gate Array: an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing—hence "field-programmable"...
(I didn't know what that stood for; surely I'm not the only one.)
Hand over your geek card, poseur. Security will arrive shortly to escort you out.
Great! This is very useful. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-03 03:01 · Score: 0

I don't think I need it as a laptop, but a $500 workstation with a large Spartan6 and quad core ARM, as a development machine is excellent.
I assume the FPGA has direct access to the (or some) DDR memory? Really useful.
Open Laptop , Hmm Can you say NSA Intercept by dontgetshocked · 2014-04-03 03:02 · Score: 0

And how do you suppose you stop the NSA fro intercepting your pc and adding their own little spyware?
Bunny makes a Novena by Geste · 2014-04-03 03:27 · Score: 1

Bunny: "Bless me father, for it has been 3 years since my last confession. I confess that I have not been attending Mass regularly and have had impure thoughts about proprietary technologies!"
Father O'Reilly: "Why that is fairly serious. I suggest you say a Hail Mary twice a day for two months."
Bunny: "OK, Father."
Father O'Reilly: "Oh, and can you make a Novena?"
Bunny: "Why sure, Father! Give me the schematic and I can make anything!"
1. Re:Bunny makes a Novena by TangoMargarine · 2014-04-03 07:13 · Score: 1
  
  novena
  
  --
  Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
I don't know that I would call that a laptop. by Rhipf · 2014-04-03 03:57 · Score: 1

Based on the picture in the article I wouldn't call that a laptop (open sourced or not).
As an April fools joke by EmperorOfCanada · 2014-04-03 04:03 · Score: 1

As an April fools joke they should have announced that all the bloatware on the machine would also be opensource.
Minnowboard Max: Open-Source Computer from Intel by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-04 14:39 · Score: 0

Intel Releases $99 "Minnowboard Max," An Open-Source Single-Board Computer
http://slashdot.org/submission...

"Not to be outflanked by rivals, Intel has released the $99 Minnowboard Max, a tiny single-board computer that runs Linux and Android. It is completely open source - you can check out the firmware and software here(1) - and runs a 1.91GHz Atom E3845 processor."
http://www.minnowboard.org/mee...
http://newsroom.intel.com/comm...
http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/...
(1) http://www.minnowboard.org/
You're the only one (on meds) by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-07 23:17 · Score: 0

Zontar's "touched in the head": schizophrenic multiple personality disorder http://slashdot.org/comments.p... + manic depression http://slashdot.org/comments.p... now go take those meds, you whacko!
Zontar = sockpuppeteer & lying libeler by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-15 04:43 · Score: 0

"You barge into discussions with your off-topic hosts file nonsense" - by Zontar The Mindless (9002) on Friday April 11, 2014 @09:51PM (#46731153) FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...

You said my "APK Hosts File Engine" is a virus/malware http://slashdot.org/comments.p... but it's EASILY PROVABLE it's not, right there in that link too.
Now PROVE YOUR FALSE ACCUSATION above: Show me a quote OR POST of me posting off topic on hosts where they did NOT apply... go for it!
---
You avoided backing up your accusation where YOU said I say you are Barbara, not Barbie = TomHudson (same person http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... , & sockpuppeteer like you) -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
Funny you can't back up your "bluster" there either, lol...
---
Why, Lastly?
You're crackers! See here multiple personality disorder http://slashdot.org/comments.p... + manic depression http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
APK
P.S.=> So, THIS quote below is my policy on sockpuppeteers like you Zontar = TrollingForHostsFiles (your sockpuppetry):

"The only way to a achieve peace, is thru the ELIMINATION of those who would perpetuate war (sockpuppet masters like YOU, troll -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... ). THIS IS MY PROGRAMMING -> http://start64.com/index.php?o... & soon, I will be UNSTOPPABLE..." - Ultron 6 FROM -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Which quite obviously, I am, since none of you DOLTISH TROLLS are able to validly technically disprove my points on hosts enumerated in the link to my program above of how hosts give users of them more speed, security, reliability, & anonymity... period!
(Trolls like YOU that use sockpuppets http://slashdot.org/comments.p... (your sockpuppet "alterego" TrollingForHostsFiles) & TomHudson - Barbara, not Barbie too http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... before you)
... apk