The Raspberry Pi comes with a 700MHz ARM11 processor, 128MB of RAM, composite and HDMI ports for video, removable media and a USB 2.0 port. If you add a 16GB SD card, a USB hub connected to a mouse and keyboard, and a monitor, whammo, you’ve got a fully-functioning PC. It can even decode 1080p30 H.264 video. That thing you see sticking off the board is an optional 12 megapixel camera module.

While there are other low-cost alternatives, this is an impressive piece of kit for what it is. I’d like to see this everywhere, powering schools, libraries, and Internet cafés all over the world. You can check out more about the Raspberry Pi over at its website, or check out the video below.

I hope to soon be able to walk around with a supercomputer the size of a MacBook Air.

[via CrunchGear]

Palro gets its ingenious name by combining “pal” and “robot.” I know, what will those crazy Japanese scientists think of next, right?

This little humanoid ‘bot stands about 16 inches tall and weighs 3.5 lbs. It’s got 20 joints, five mics, voice recognition, mono speakers, a 3MP camera, Wi-Fi, a USB port, a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of internal memory, and 4GB flash memory. It runs on a version of Ubuntu Linux, and has a built-in  gyro-sensor, accelerometer, eight pressure points in its feet as well as a distance sensor.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Fujisoft plans on selling about 1,000 Palros to start out with on March 15 at $3,300 (USD) a pop. These will first be offered to research institutions, but don’t worry, if you’ve got the dough, you’ll be able to get one later in 2010 for yourself.

[via CrunchGear]

Dell is offering a one-day only deal for the base model of their highly-rated Inspiron Mini 9 netbook computer for just $199 bucks! The Mini 9 runs on Ubuntu Linux and features a crisp 1024 x 600 resolution 8.9″ color LCD screen, wireless connectivity, an ample Intel Atom N270 processor, and a 4GB solid state drive (plenty for surfing the web, checking e-mail, office apps).

The special deal is good from 12:00am to 11:59pm Central Time, today, 2/27/2009. To get the $199 deal, follow this link to the Dell Home site .

While it certainly can be used as a digital picture frame, RedPost’s real mission is to replace wasteful paper-covedred bulletin boards with an electronic version. Pretty much anything that can run in Firefox can be displayed as a Sign.

Like its predecessor, the Signbeta packs a substantial 19-inch LCD screen and looks great hanging on a wall. But this year’s model runs much faster, has 4-times as much memory and comes in a sexy polished aluminum case. Oh yeah, it also is ready to go out of the box.

Within minutes of plugging in the Signbeta, you’ll be up and running. It runs RedPost’s Wicker, a customized version of Ubuntu Linux which boots off a USB flash drive.

The $599 system is powered by a speedy VIA C7-D 1.5 GHz NanoBGA2 Processor, and has 1GB of memory this time out. Under the hood, there’s a VIA UniChrome Pro AGP graphics chipset to power the display. Connectivity is provided by built-in 802.11b/g wireless networking, as well as 10/100 Ethernet, USB 2.0 and PS/2 ports.

You can check out all the details over on the RedPost website. Let the hacking begin!

Built by software engineer (and self-proclaimed geek) Eric Burke, the Android PC is inspired by the green ‘droid head on the Android logo. Complete with beady little eyes and a pair of rubbery antennae, the iconic dome design is crafted from sturdy steel hemisphere.

Under the hood, the Android PC is powered by a VIA NanoBGA C7 processor running on a Mini-ITX mobo, and comes with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed.

If you want to get your hands on this one-of-a-kind system, you’d better head on over to eBay right away and get your bids in before the auction ends later today.

According to the builder, the guts of the old Pentium 3 tower are being used to power this Ubuntu Linux computer. He claims that the system really does work, and despite its cardboard construction, it has yet to spontaneously burst into flames.

I’d be happy to send him a lighter and some accelerant if that helps him achieve his goal faster.

[via flickr]