This is kind of exciting — in a geeky sort of way. The open source Pandora handheld is just about ready to launch judging by the latest demo videos posted on the project’s blog. I always knew the Pandora guys were basing the gaming device on Linux and using emulation software, but I had no idea that they were going to also provide a full desktop environment as well. You could say… it’s more of a pocketsize netbook now (about the size of a Nintendo DS). Expected MSRP is $330. MORE »

It was nearly five months ago when Hulu first announced the release of Hulu Desktop for Windows and Mac. Now the Hulu Labs team has added a Linux version to the mix with 32 and b4-bit packages available for Fedora and Ubuntu. Attached here is a demo of Hulu Desktop running on Ubuntu that I created [Watch in HD]. Quick impressions: the Hulu Desktop UI is snappy, intuitive, and offers a better navigation and playback experience than Hulu.com. All Hulu needs to do now is publish a .deb / .rpm repository URL so the Linux OS package managers can download software updates automatically.

Cooliris is announcing the release of its first Firefox Add-on compatible with the Linux platform. The new add-on has been tested and confirmed to work with Ubuntu 8.04, Fedora 10, and OpenSUSE 11. Requirements: Firefox 3, Flash 10 plugin, and the latest proprietary driver for your NVIDIA or ATI graphic card (Intel integrated graphics work “but with issues”). For those unfamiliar, Cooliris is a Flash-based application that ships as a Firefox add-on which provides users access to a variety online content sources like Hulu, YouTube, and Flickr. What’s more, Cooliris showcases its available content via a unique 3D navigation interface with dynamic pan and zoom. MORE »

GeeXboX 1.2 has been released on the world! This is the final release of the free Linux Home Theatre PC distribution before GeexXbox gets a visually stunning overhaul in 2.0. This long awaited update includes several new features the community has been clamoring for. MORE »

Big news today for all the Apple product hack lovers. Andrew Kippen at Stage Two Consulting (Boxee’s marketing partner) has tipped me off that as of this morning ATV Bootloader has added the XBMC and Boxee plugin to ATV USB Creator. So what does this mean to the average joe? Andrew says: “AppleTV will play any type of content you want.  ISO, CUE, BIN, MKV, AVI, OGG, whatever format, codec, container you want.  It will also be able to access most streaming media from places like CNN, BBC, Cnet, Rev3, Last.fm, and more.  Before the end of the year you’ll be watching Hulu via your AppleTV…” It should be mentioned that all these new fantastic capabilities will not be enabled through the Apple TV interface, but via separate platforms. In essence, you’ll be launching OS X ports of XBMC / Boxee as stand alone applications from a USB flash drive (see attached video demos below to see them in action). MORE »

Freedom Fry — “Happy birthday to GNU”
Mr. Stephen Fry introduces you to free software, and reminds you of a very special birthday.

Sorry I’m a little late on this one. On September 2nd GNU celebrated its 25th year of existence. As an advocate for software freedom, the promotion of the free GNU/Linux operating system, and the catalyst to the whole Open Source software movement, the GNU Project deserves some time in the spotlight on their birthday for their contribution to the technological landscape it helped shape, to this day protects (with a variety of GPLs), and all the applications/programs created under their philosophy that we all benefit from in our everyday lives (mostly without even knowing it). MORE »

Orb Networks today announced that it has added support for Intel® Atom(TM) processor Z5XX series-based Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) to its award-winning media access service. Orb is making it easier for users of Moblin-based (http://www.moblin.org) mobile linux devices to find and enjoy content from their PC while on the go. MORE »

Kudos to Dell for adding support for these popular codecs and technologies out of the box. Multimedia support has been a long time bug-a-boo (mostly on the legal end) since Dell decided to launch their Ubuntu Linux PC lineup last year. However, that’s now changed. Dell is now bundling support for popular multimedia codecs (including DVD playback of studio flicks), Bluetooth, HDMI, fingerprint reader, Dell wireless, and even pre-installing proprietary ATI video graphic drivers (instead of opting for the generic open ATI drivers) on select systems (note: many of Dell’s Linux systems use Intel’s open graphics chipsets, in case pre-installed proprietary drivers are an issue for ya). At this point, I can’t see anything holding back Dell from rolling their lineup to the mass consumer market, instead of a side offering, which is currently the case. I guess we’ll have to see.

Current Ubuntu line-up: XPS M1330n, Inspiron 1525n, Inspiron 530n. There’s also word that the XPS M1530n and the new Studio 15n will be unveiled this August running Ubuntu (just in time for LinuxWorld). Rumor has it that the Dell E Netbook will also be added to the mix. Personally, I’d like to see the line expanded to include the XPS ONE.

UPDATE: Regarding the side offering bit: If you roll over Dell.com’s Laptops or Desktops drop-down menu under Products in the header, you’ll now find a link to “Open-Source PCs” that takes you directly to Dell’s Ubuntu PC offering. Nice!

CherryPal, Inc., maker of green, affordable, easy-to-use personal computers, today formally launched its CherryPal™ cloud computer, the most energy efficient and affordable desktop computer available. CherryPal is a completely new type of PC that has no moving parts, contains 80 percent fewer components, uses only two watts of power, and is highly secure. The CherryPal, which is currently available for pre-orders, retails for $249 and requires no monthly subscription fee and no other hidden costs. MORE »

It appears that Roku might be smarter than we give them credit for. The company has just released GPL code for its $99.99 Netflix Player that’s got the hacker community buzzing — in particular, the MythTV community. MythTV developers are sizing up the Netflix Player box and coming to the conclusion that it’ll make a perfect low-cost, HD capable MythTV front-end. According to the specs, Netflix Player runs Linux, provides connectivity via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, can decode MPEG-2 / MPEG-4 / DivX / H.264 / JPEG, and offers HDMI out at 1080i or 720p. Sounds ideal to me. Now the hard part for the developers is figuring out how to port existing code from a project like MediaMVP Media Center or starting from scratch. All in all, pretty exciting stuff. [via/via/via]