Linux Invades CES: Toys and joys the Linux way

Form factors shrinking with more mobiles on the way

The 2007 International Consumer Electronic Show is one of the ultimate tech-toy and gadget shows on the planet. There's something for nearly anyone, and while not quite a household word, Linux technology has gained rapid stature in the consumer-electronics industry, as demonstrated by vastly increased cognizance of both Linux users and Linux embedded technology.

When walking through the shows of prior CES shows, you could get the most amusing looks on people's faces when you asked the question, "Does it work with Linux?" Sometimes there would be the awkward stares, a pause, then the retort, "Excuse me? Linucks? What's that, please?"

Others would say, "Nah, why? Who uses it? Show me two users that aren't developers or cheapskate geeks, and I'll show you our new Linux product line." A few heads might nod if you substituted the brand "Mac" for Linux.

To continue reading, register here and become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

The 2007 International Consumer Electronic Show is one of the ultimate tech-toy and gadget shows on the planet. There's something for nearly anyone, and while not quite a household word, Linux technology has gained rapid stature in the consumer-electronics industry, as demonstrated by vastly increased cognizance of both Linux users and Linux embedded technology.

When walking through the shows of prior CES shows, you could get the most amusing looks on people's faces when you asked the question, "Does it work with Linux?" Sometimes there would be the awkward stares, a pause, then the retort, "Excuse me? Linucks? What's that, please?"

Others would say, "Nah, why? Who uses it? Show me two users that aren't developers or cheapskate geeks, and I'll show you our new Linux product line." A few heads might nod if you substituted the brand "Mac" for Linux.

Now that's all changed. We found a number of both Linux-based products, as well as a raft of OS-agnostic products worth mentioning.

Wolverine ESP
$399-499
www.wolverinedata.com

This handheld portable audio/video media player comes in two sizes based on storage, 80GB and 120GB, and is based on a Linux embedded kernel. Designed to display up to 60K hi-res photos, or play 240 hours of medium (not HD) videos, we were impressed with the crispness of Wolverine's display, and its light weight -- just a few ounces. I product targeted at the "pro-sumer" market, the Wolverine has easily-manipulated controls and easily understood functions.

Turbo Charge
$29.99
www.turbocellcharge.com

Not Linux-specific but rather designed to prevent premature baldness from tearing one's hair out when batteries die, TurboCharge contains a charged AA battery, which is used to hot-charge everything from mobile phones to iPods and other devices containing proprietary but rapidly chargeable batteries. It charged a Motorola mobile phone from near dead to topped-off in about eight minutes in our unscientific test. It's very small and terribly simple and useful to use.