Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Wireless Wearable Linux Media Computer

Posted by Hemos on from the super-cool dept.

Number Five writes "Art+Com announces UrbanJunglePack, a wearable Linux computer designed for jounalists that uses a camcorder and microphone to record photos, sound, text, and video, which can then be transmitted back to a base station using a built-in wireless phone. " It's ready for testing-I'm willing to test.

3 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Hm, I wonder... by John+Fulmer · · Score: 3

    Linux is embedded in the device, not the user interface (which is JUST A PROGRAM). The UI would be more appliance-like, not a console.

    You know, I'm suprised at the number of people who equate Bourne shell==Unix! (or X==Unix for that matter). In systems like this, the OS is just there to handle the dog work of memory management, buffering, provide an environment for the UI, and communications.

    jf

  2. The REAL Value of Linux/Open Source by John+Fulmer · · Score: 3

    This is a great example of what I have been seeing as the true destiny of computer systems.

    Here you have an advanced system developed by a reletively underfunded organization. They apparently have hardware experience, and some development experience, but needed an OS for their system. Licensing a commerical OS for this would be very expensive for development and the limited number of systems they want to build. The cost per unit would probably have to be almost half again what they are currently asking just to pay for the the embedded OS and break even. Using an embedded version of Linux, however, severely reduces the development and manufacturing costs, and makes this possible.

    Linux, Open Source, and free software allow people and companies to do this. It makes the OS a very inexpensive commodity and enables development for things that would not be economicly possible otherwise.

    Ain't world domination grand?

    jf

  3. A reporter's POV by gavinhall · · Score: 3

    Posted by Mike@ABC:

    This could be pretty cool, but they could stand to do a little miniaturization on it. If I walked up to someone wearing that behemoth and started asking questions, they'd probably call a cop.

    Seriously, though, getting data to and from a person in the field is damn tough, especially audio and video. These folks could be on to something. If they could just build off of Via or Xybernaut's tech, though, they might save some space. Gotta keep the Linux, though...Windows boot up time is a drag when you've got breaking news.