Tag Archives: ubuntu

Futuristic Raspberry Pi Desk Computer: PiDesk

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Here’s a fun project that uses two Raspberry Pi units. Frederick Vandenbosch made his PiDesk as his entry to Element 14’s Sci Fi Your Pi contest. The desk has a Raspberry Pi 2 B running Ubuntu MATE, while the futuristic furniture’s hidden controls are powered by a Raspberry Pi B+.

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The main controls are five capacitive touch points in the form of spots of conductive paint, which are hidden under the lower right portion of the desk’s surface. Strips of copper tape connect the spots to a capacitive touch chip, which in turn connects to the Raspberry Pi B+. A motor controller Pi add-on called a Gertbot handles the stepper motors that raise and lower the Pi 2’s screen. The Pi B+ itself takes care of the decorative LEDs.

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Finally, Frederik hid a wireless charger beneath the desk’s upper left corner, then he made a “magic lamp” using a NeoPixel ring. The ring’s LEDs are powered only when the lamp is placed over the concealed charger.

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Skip to 2:03 in the video below for a quick demo:

Frederik didn’t win Element 14’s contest – that honor went to a portable medical check-up kit – but his project is no less inspiring because it’s both fun and practical. Check out his website for more on his project.

[via Hack A Day]

Flash Drive-sized Computer Runs Windows 8.1: PC on a Stick

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Nowadays you can get cheap dongles that turn most HDTVs or any monitor with an HDMI port into a dumb terminal for an Android device. But recently Meego unveiled the T01, a dongle that can run not only Android, but Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu as well, thanks to its Intel Bay Trail system-on-a-chip (SoC).

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The Meego T01 is powered by the Intel Atom Z3735F/G processor, which has a 1.33Ghz quad-core CPU and 1GB to 2GB RAM. The SoC has been used in cheap HTPCs and Windows 8.1 tablets. The T01 has 16GB to 32GB of storage along with an HDMI out port, two microUSB 2.0 ports, a microSD card reader as well as support for Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0.  In other words… it’s a cheap HTPC. A tiny and cheap HTPC.

Aliexpress appears to be selling the Meego T01 for $110 (USD). I say “appears” because its brand and model are nowhere to be found on the product page, but the appearance and specs on there are exactly the same as those of the T01. Alibaba also has the Meego T01 listed on its site, but only for bulk orders. But like the recent flood of Android HDMI dongles, I wouldn’t be surprised if this compact Windows machine becomes available on Amazon or eBay soon as well.

[via Geek & CNX Soft]

Canonical to Showcase the First Ubuntu Phone at MWC

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Ubuntu Smartphone

The software development company best known for its Debian-based Linux operating system Ubuntu respected the promise it made last year, and announced that it would launch the first Ubuntu phone at the Mobile World Congress, next week.

Canonical failed to raise the funds for its ambitious Ubuntu Edge on Indiegogo last year, but that didn’t stop the British company from pursuing its dreams. They promised that they would make Ubuntu phones in 2014, and next week we’re going to see the first results. Smartphones running Ubuntu Touch will be made by Meizu, a pretty popular Chinese smartphone manufacturer, as well as by BQ, Spain’s second largest manufacturer of unlocked smartphones.

Images of a Meizu smartphone running what was believed to be Ubuntu Touch were leaked a few weeks ago, and the fact that Canonical now confirmed that the Chinese manufacturer will be making one of the Ubuntu phones stresses the authenticity of the leaks. Unlike Mozilla and its Firefox OS, Canonical wants to have a different approach with Ubuntu Touch smartphones. Firefox OS devices are low-end, thus far, but Canonical wants to take on Android devices directly, so it announced that the Ubuntu phones will be mid-range and high-end devices capable of satisfying the needs of the ones looking for performance.

Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Canonical, stated in an interview with CNet that “While we’re happy to work with household names, we want to be involved with partners for whom we can be a significant part of their story, rather than being appended to the more complicated story of other brands.”

Meizu only makes one line of smartphones, MX3 being the most recent and probably the most popular. BQ, on the other hand, makes Android smartphones, tablets and even e-book readers, but Canonical emphasized how important it is that the Spanish manufacturer has experience in making dual-SIM phones, suggesting that the Ubuntu ones may come with such a feature.

The way I see it, the only problem Canonical might have is the app ecosystem. There are plenty of apps for the desktop version of Ubuntu, but convincing the developers to port them to mobile devices may not be very simple. What I’m saying is that I’m afraid that the Ubuntu phones will suffer the same fate as the ones running Windows Phone.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Ubuntu Touch coming to Nexus devices and Canonical’s promise of making Ubuntu phones in 2014.

Ubuntu Touch enter the mobile operating system fray

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But, The Ubuntu Inc.’s approach to the current mobile market is quite unique and smart too. Ubuntu has got some plans to build some smart phones, which are powerful enough to double as the desktop...

Ubuntu desktop and mobile icons redesigned, united at last

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Canonical's been working for years to turn Ubuntu into a universal OS for whatever sized screen you use, be it of the television, desktop or mobile variety. Recently, the company showed off the next step in this evolution: unified icon designs for mobile and desktop Ubuntu implementations. In keeping with current UI trends, the new icons have flatter, more stylized appearance when compared to the old desktop iconography. System tiles are less colorful and more reserved in appearance, while apps and folders have been punched up with a flashier look to set them apart visually. Of course, the new icons won't actually make their way into a Ubuntu for awhile, as the goal is to get them into the 14.04 release for mobile (13.10 is the current version). Should you want more background on the production of the new icons, there's an hour-long video discussing it after the break. Don't forget the popcorn.

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Source: OMG! Ubuntu!

New ‘experimental’ emulator makes Ubuntu mobile OS development easier

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Ubuntu's touch-based (read: mobile) OS is still finding its footing with users (and a hardware home to call its own), but the outfit's paving the way for developers to get onboard. An experimental emulator for the mobile OS has just been released that apes much of the feel, and occasionally the look, of Android's own emulator for desktop. As it's currently a work-in-progress, not all of the functionality is available at the outset. ADB, SSH access and serial console are all turned 'on' by default, but you'll need to fuss with the emulator to enable things like Powerd and "a few other services." There are also some non-responsive UI bits to deal with, since the provided keyboard layout is somewhat unworkable, but no doubt future releases will see these rough edges ironed out. That said, it's a good way for devs and non-devs alike to glimpse the Ubuntu experience on mobile.

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Source: OMG! Ubuntu!, Ubuntu

Ubuntu Edge Smartphone Misses $32 Million Crowdfunding Goal

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The goal all along had been the creation of a new smart phone that was able to interface with a personal computer. But unfortunately the allotment of funds by donation never amounted to the required...

Ubuntu Edge Indiegogo campaign ends with over $19 million outstanding

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Ubuntu Edge Indiegogo campaign closes with over $19 million in funding outstanding

When Canonical took to Indiegogo to crowdfund its Ubuntu Edge smartphone, the $32 million it sought seemed like an incredibly lofty goal. And, one that's now proven unattainable. Despite quickly selling out of the lowest pledge tier that included a handset, reducing the price of more expensive tiers, then doing the same again as the deadline loomed, the campaign has closed over $19 million shy of its goal. Still, raising just over $12.8 million is a record of sorts, depending on whether you believe a failed effort qualifies. In total, a handful of high-cost bundles were pledged for, 5,674 backers coughed up enough for a lone Edge, and many more thousands offered small sums in support -- or, some just really wanted a T-shirt. We're not convinced the journey ends here, though. After all, there's clearly some desire for the Edge. Will we see investors step in to make it happen? Or, perhaps Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth will finally see fit to pump some of his own substantial reserves into the project.

A project update from Shuttleworth can be found at the source link. In addition to thanking backers, he says that "the support and publicity has continued to drive our discussions with some major manufacturers," adding: "Watch this space!"

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Via: Android Police

Source: Indiegogo

Ubuntu Edge raises record-breaking $10 million, enters Guinness Book of Almost

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Ubuntu Edge

$10,311,220. It isn't sufficient to greenlight Canonical's innovative hybrid smartphone, but it is just enough to beat the sum raised by the Pebble smartwatch and thereby steal the crowdfunding record. Well, sort of, at least. It depends on whether the amount pledged is all that matters, regardless of whether the project actually comes to fruition -- as happened with both the Pebble on Kickstarter and Indiegogo's previous record holder, the Scanadu Scout. More importantly though, Ubuntu Edge may have reached the point where it'll have a second chance even if it doesn't achieve the required backing of $32 million: Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth told the BBC that some manufacturers have noticed all the hubbub and have come "out of the woodwork" to discuss taking the Android / Ubuntu concept forward, such that August 21st may not prove to be a terminal deadline.

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Source: Ubuntu Edge (Indiegogo)

Mobile Miscellany: week of August 5th, 2013

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Mobile Miscellany week of August 5th, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a smartphone inspired by TopGear's 2012 supercar of the year, leaks of a water-resistant handset for T-Mobile and an Android smartphone from LG that sells for under $100 outright. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 5th, 2013.

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