redpost/kit: hackable linux picture frame

The guys over at RedPost come right out and say it. They want you to hack their new digital picture frame and do whatever you want with it.

For starters, the RedPost/Kit is a gorgeous digital picture frame with a large 19-inch Hannspree LCD screen. A mini computer inside runs a modified install of the Damn Small Linux kernel that’s configured to display images or remote web pages. But the big news is that you can run your own Linux applications on it if you’re into that sort of thing.

The frame boots from a USB flash drive and also has a built-in 802.11b/g wireless connectivity for moving data to-and-fro. There’s also an EIDE interface and a Compact Flash slot for additional expansion. The fanless CPU means that it’s perfect for digital art installations and other applications where you’d like a whisper quiet all-in-one computer. Each frame is custom built from a plasma-cut steel case, and they come in a variety of room-friendly colors.

While the RedPost/Kit isn’t exactly cheap (models with the mini PC start at $549) it still looks like a really dramatic way to display your digital artwork on the wall. For the more adventurous, the open nature of the system makes it even more tempting.