Linux Computer in USB Key Form-Factor

PMBjornerud writes "A start-up located in the French Alps near Grenoble is readying a tiny ARM-based Linux single-board computer (SBC) in a USB key form-factor. Calao's USB-9260 USB key-sized SBC measures 3.3 x 1.4 inches (85 x 36 mm). It is based on an Atmel AT91SAM9260 processor, an SoC (system-on-chip) powered by an ARM926EJ-S core clocked at 190MHz. The SoC targets "advanced applications such as GPS application processors," according to Atmel. Here is a Spec sheet PDF. With a 10/100 Ethernet port, firewall usage springs to mind. Other interfaces are 2 USB host ports and room for an expansion card. Which should allow some creative uses. "

imagine

[trollercoaster (250101)]

a beowulf cluster of these!

Re:imagine

[Penguinisto (415985)]

a beowulf cluster of these!

...that's actually easy to do: you could fit a Beowulf cluster of 'em in a shoebox (or better yet, convert an old ATX case to hold a couple dozen or so).

/P

Re:imagine

[nanosquid (1074949)]

That sort of thing is not permitted in Utah, you insensitive clod!

Re:imagine

[SQLGuru (980662)]

Why isn't there a Grindel cluster or Grindel OS or something for all of these Beowulf clusters?

Layne

Re:imagine

[dbIII (701233)]

Why isn't there a Grindel cluster ... Beowulf

It would be missing an ARM.

Interesting

[2names (531755)]

C'mon, you didn't find that funny? ARM...get it? ARM? Anyone?

Is this thing on? [tap tap]

Re:imagine

[stoolpigeon (454276)]

Grindel? Is this a localization thing? I have never heard of Grindel - Grendel, but not Grindel.

But does it..

[mulvane (692631)]

Run Windows Vista?

Honestly...

[AltGrendel (175092)]

...I'm not sure anything could.

Re:

[Penguinisto (415985)]

Run Windows Vista?

Sure! You just have to plug it into one of the MSFT-recommended expansion packs [alienware.com]...

/P

OBLIG: Imagine a beowolf...

[martyb (196687)]

Just imagine a beowolf cluster of these... Seriously!

The SBC had TWO usb host slots into which TWO of these could be plugged (back-to-back) and EACH of these could have TWO more! And so on and so on. Sure there'd be power considerations (duh).

So, more realistically, plug a multiport USB hub into your PC, and plug one of these into each of the ports... instant cluster!

Yes, I know, there's probably has no _practical_ use like this (190 MHz; 64MB SDRAM), but just for the geekiness of it, I'd love to see someone DO it!

Re:OBLIG: Imagine a beowolf...

[mabhatter654 (561290)]

It's like a tidied up Gumstix. For small computers those guys rule the market right now. All the power of a WinCE or Palm in a tiny little board. They are missing USB hosting and video for the complete package. But they have Bluetooth and robot servo control... kinda makes up for it.

Re:OBLIG: Imagine a beowolf...

[caseih (160668)]

I disagree. I presume the device can run with only power (ie standalone). If so, and if it was cheap enough, stick one of these inside a Linksys WRT54GL case, attach it to an ethernet port, and you have a very nice parental filter dansguardian box. The Linksys itself isn't powerful enough to run dansguardian (not enough ram), but this device has sufficient ram. Or it could be used to augment the capabilities of linksys itself, like to do a PBX, or something.

network analysis tool?

[apodyopsis (1048476)]

With Ethernet on one end, USB2 on the other and stacks of ARM9 power?

I bet that security researchers turn it into some kind of network analysis tool before I can say "whippit".

And then the hackers get their hands on it.....

I bet your there are waaay more uses for a sexy little gizmo like this then the manufacturers realize.

beowulf posters take note

[by Anonymous Coward]

There is a right way, and a wrong way to do a beowulf post.

First of all, you do not put the word "imagine", or "beowulf" in the subject line. Your subject line MUST pertain directly to the subject at hand. In this case, the subject is a USB key computer that runs LINUX. It is also important to use the word "these" instead of the word "those".

I have taken the opportunity to display a properly formatted beowulf post, conveniently reproduced below:

Subject: USB Key form factor computer

Imagine a beowulf cluster of these!

Israeli companies have been making them for years

[Organic User (1103717)]

Many Israeli companies have been making computer-on-a-stick for quiet a while now. For example, Yoggie [yoggie.com] has been making some running linux to be used for security applications. I pick up a regular computer-on-a-stick for about $40USD 3 years ago in Tel Aviv.

firewall? duh?

[Wakko Warner (324)]

"With a 10/100 Ethernet port, firewall usage springs to mind."

Maybe if you're retarded. How effective is a 190 MHz computer with a single 10/100 interface?

Hardhack?

[Telvin_3d (855514)]

After seeing this and a few other things tagged with 'hardhack' I decided to find out just what a 'hardhack' is. Turns out that it's a shrub http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardhack [wikipedia.org]. Who knew?

Re:Hardhack?

[Dial-Up (842218)]

Psh. How hard could a shrub be to hack? It's a kind of dirty, but with a little digging, you can easily get root.

A few more (less legal) appliactions come to mind

[Opportunist (166417)]

Let's see. A computer that can easily be hidden inside your pocket. With a network interface.

All you need now is a UPS uniform and a target.

Re:

[tigerc (628630)]

I think the only advantage of this particular linux usb key is it's size. Otheriwse, the gumstix are a helluva lot more powerful and almost as small (think size of a gumstick). Anyway, gumstix also has a variety of expansion boards. I'm waiting for the gsm module so I can make something off the OpenMoko platform or a cobbled together iPhone.

Re:

[by Anonymous Coward]

The Gumstix may have a higher clock, but they use the XScale microarchitectrue. The 926 is the same architecture, but the microarchitecture has superior performance, particularly with regard to memory access. I'd be interested to see real world benchmarks between the devices.

Re:Firewall

[Andy Dodd (701)]

Yeah, except that all gumstix products put Ethernet on a daughterboard using a Hirose connector that's a complete non-starter in a severe high-vibration environment.

This thing still uses an RJ45 connector which means it still can't be used in such a severe environment in its off-the-shelf form, but it's much easier to desolder a connector and solder a jumper cable to something like a MIL-C-38999 and pot the whole thing in epoxy than try to ruggedize those Hirose connectors (hopeless).

Re:Firewall

[ringfinger (629332)]

This seems like the ultimate in upgradable technology -- just unplug an old one and plug in a new one. Put this in a car as the on-board computer, then you could pull it out and plug it into another machine to perform diagnostics or upgrade software. This seems extremely useful to me.

Re:A Linux Computer on a bootable USB disk?

[Ungrounded Lightning (62228)]

Saw one at a trade show a couple years back - using one of the dime-sized disks for memory.

Appears as a drive to the system and launches a full-screen window displaying its own X server's screen buffer when plugged in (to a Windows, BSD, or Linux box).

Has enough power storage in a capacitor to automatically save state when suddenly unplugged - so you can just pull it out, take it somewhere else, plug it into another box (perhaps with a different underlying op system), and pick up right where you left off (cursor position, keystroke, and all).

Was intended to be licensed to manufacturers and to sell for $100 for kids to carry between school, library, and home. I think they eventually got a model to market for $125 with a flash drive.

Don't recall the name right now (a somewhat simian word) but there have been a number of stories about it on Slashdot.

The one in THIS article isn't it. Doesn't seem to have any mass storage onboard.