Raspberry Pi, the $25 marvel has taken the tech community by storm. The single-board computer, developed in the UK by Raspberry Pi Foundation comes with a 700 MHz ARM processor, Videocore IV GPU, and 256 MB RAM (earlier it was 128 MB RAM). While those specs are nowhere near compared to what the latest laptops, or even the newest phones offer, it’s ridiculously low price point is what makes it so amazing. Another interesting thing about Raspberry Pi is the fact that it will come with a Linux-based operating system (like Picotux - smallest Linux computer) and will include some useful tools to help users learn programming.

The credit card-sized computer went on sale on 29th February, and immediately after the launch, their official websites crashed due to heavy traffic. Though not confirmed yet, rumors suggest that there have been over 2 million inquiries and pre-orders. As the Raspberry Pi has managed to create a much-needed disruption in the market, Linux lovers are basking in the glory of this newfound penguinian achievement. And we, Linux supporters to the very core, couldn't help but chime in and dish out our own market ideas for the low-cost prodigy.

So, if you’re as excited about it as we are, here are some of the best places where Raspberry Pi could be used:

One of the most revolutionary uses of Raspberry Pi would be in schools. With an extremely low price point, public schools as well as schools in developing countries can benefit from the new invention. Moreover, as it comes loaded with educational apps, it would be an economical as well as an effective way of introducing kids to programming.

The $25 price tag would make computing accessible for many people who can’t already afford to buy a computer. While the iPads and the iPhones sell like pancakes, people in developing countries struggle to even get a glimpse of what a real computer is like. To them, Raspberry Pi would be a great boon as will help them buy their first computer without burning a huge hole in their pocket.

If you’re an entrepreneur planning to start an Internet cafe in your area, you must watch out for Raspberry Pi. Not only will it save you from the huge costs of bootstrapping your business, it will also help you avoid having to deal with virus-ridden sluggish computers. That said, not all Internet cafes would be able to flaunt the mini masterpiece as some Internet users demand complimentary applications like Yahoo Messenger and Gtalk which are not available on Linux. However, a great workaround to that problem would be to introduce them to the web versions of their favorite apps.

Notice those huge Windows-ridden computers in library? Oh, they’re so slow and sometimes filled with viruses. Raspberry Pi can serve as a great alternative to those antiques by providing efficient, basic computing that is exactly what a place like a public library needs. Furthermore, having the little device placed alongside a stack of books would be a great idea to save some space.

Cost cutting is the buzzword recently; and, there are barely companies who don’t think of doing it. Government offices, or even private offices for that matter, spend thousands of dollars on employees’ computers thus adding to the already increasing budget. A great way to save money in this scenario would be to switch to the low-cost Raspberry Pi. Not only will it save lots of dollars, it will also make your desk a little roomier.

If companies like Canonical or Red Hat realize the potential of the Raspberry Pi, they could also come up with their own single-board computer. As fellow blogger Techlaze suggests: there is a huge market for Canonical in this department. A $100 or less single-board device with similar specs and a custom version Ubuntu -- using Unity 2D perhaps -- they could bring in some hard cash to Canonical’s waiting-to-be-filled coffers.

Ultrabooks, the much-touted ultra-slim laptop computers, which Intel announced with great pomp and expectations, have finally started making their presence felt. Recently showcased at CES 2012, these Macbook Air competitors, if successful, may revolutionize the tech world just as the tablets did. At this nascent stage though, not much can be said about them; however, we at TechSource do wish ultrabooks ran Ubuntu instead of Windows.

Ultrabooks, despite being slim and sleek in design, offer the users a complete desktop that’s both usable and powerful. That said, it would be wrong to pit them head-on against laptops or even tablets for that matter. Ultrabooks target a completely different audience, which is, oddly enough, a niche that Chromebooks have been trying to get into for a long time. Chromebooks, which we covered earlier, haven’t reached the pinnacle Google expected them to, nor have they managed to impress many customers, thus making room for competitors like Ultrabooks, and even tablet computers, to steal the show. But how does the relatively mature Chromebook stack up against the emerging Ultrabook? Let’s see.

Ultrabooks, though slim in design, provide the user with a powerful, performing desktop. For example, the recently announced Dell X13 Ultrabook: this slim beast is powered by i5 and i7 processors and comes with 128GB solid-state drive (SSD).

Chromebooks, on the other hand, are powered by Chrome OS. The breezy web browser is the only thing you’ll find on a Chromebook, thus making the whole operating system feel super fast. Unlike Windows, which tends to slow down after a while, Chromebooks would perform the same way (or even faster!) even after 2-3 years. The only thing slowing down these machines is your Internet connection.

It is thus quite obvious that Chromebooks outmatch Ultrabooks in the performance department. I know, that the i7 processor is definitely faster than the Intel Atom-powered Chromebooks, but that performance comes at almost 3-4 times the price of Chromebooks. For the $300 Chromebook, you almost get the same performance you get on an i5 device with Windows Vista on it.

The Dell Ultrabook costs $999 whereas Chromebooks cost as little as $300. Though, you can purchase low-end Ultrabooks at even lesser prices, the ever-dipping price point of the browser-based notebook steals the show.

Chrome, Chromebook’s raison d’etre is a powerful, nimble browser that makes the notebook work real fast despite its relatively low-end specs. That said, when you want to get something done, you can’t always rely on a browser-based computer. Sometimes, you need Windows, Mac, or Linux to run high-end applications like video editors, or even games. This is where Chromebook is still lagging behind. People can’t be on the web all the time, and they need something with which they could work offline. Ultrabooks, in this department, completely outsmart the struggling Chromebooks.

If you’ve seen Chromebook’s reviews, you must have noticed that the little browser-based notebook is quite well designed. The nicely styled keyboard, the smooth finish, and a brightly lit display are enough to make even a full-fledged laptop user go green with envy.

That said, Chromebook’s charm pales out when compared to the stylishly designed Ultrabooks. For example, the recently announced Envy Spectre by HP will make your gadget lust reach new heights. The i5-powered beast features a Gorilla Glass chassis (scratch-resistant) and has a 1600x900 Radiance Display. Similarly, most of the notebooks in this genre feature a shiny aluminum design along with a chiclet-style keyboard. Not only does this -- to a limit of course -- succeed at curing some seriously Mac-envy, it also makes the Ultrabook an attractive-yet-powerful gadget. The winner here undoubtedly is the shiny new Ultrabook.

Though Ultrabooks target a market similar to the one Google is targeting, it would be wrong to proclaim the slim gadget as a Chromebook-killer. Chromebook is, and perhaps always was, a niche product, especially for those who have successfully migrated their tech life to the web. For the rest, a good old netbook or even a laptop does the job. Ultrabooks, on the other hand target the whole laptop market; so, it is quite unlikely that the twain will ever be at loggerheads.

With millions of devices already sold, the iPad 2 merely reinforced Apple's position as the leader of the tablet market. While Apple is busy selling the latest iPhone 4S, Amazon is having a tough time keeping up with the insane demands for its upcoming tablet called Kindle Fire.

Touted as the iPad-killer, Amazon's Kindle Fire comes packed with almost the same amount of features as the iPad 2 but at an unbeatable price of $199. Many experts have predicted that once it is out, Kindle Fire might do to iPad what the Android did to the iPhone.

Here's why we, at Tech Source, believe that this Amazon's latest offering might make a huge dent in the tablet market by surpassing the dominant iPad 2.

Prices for iPad 2 start at $499. At $499, what you get is a Wi-Fi-enabled iPad 2 with two cameras. Amazon's Kindle Fire on the other hand, comes at an incredibly low price of $199, which itself, is its biggest selling point. I know, many people argue that the Kindle fire doesn't have camera or 3G, but folks, do we really need a camera on a tablet? People look ridiculous when they take pictures with their iPads.

A tablet device is all about the content. You can make a cheap $200 Android tablet and sell it to say 10,000 people. But when you have to sell it to millions, the content becomes the prerogative. The iPad sold millions of devices because it managed to bring engaging content directly into the consumers' hands. In order to outmatch content like that, any competitor needs to have a huge repertoire of quality content. And, Amazon currently has more quality content than Apple. The Kindle Fire offers unlimited streaming of movies and music to its Prime customers. They've also announced high quality Whispersync-enabled magazines for the device, making it even more lucrative to the consumers. Furthermore, with millions of books to choose from, Kindle Fire also doubles up as a great reading device.

The Kindle Fire's price tag may be cheap, but that is no way reflected in the performance and build-quality of the device. The 7-inch tablet comes with a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512 MB RAM, and 8 GB of internal storage. The device has a solid Gorilla glass coating and it weighs only 14.6 ounces. The iPad 2 on the other hand, weighs 21.28 ounces, and has a 1GHz dual-core A5 processor. The specs in both the devices are almost the same; however, the price differs by as much as $300.

Apple has millions of apps in its App store but Kindle Fire, as of now, suffers from a dearth of quality apps. That may change however, as once the device is released, many app developers will definitely come up with some quality apps. Remember that Android too came in late, but now it has taken over Apple in the number of apps downloaded.

The Kindle Fire features a super fast web browser called Silk that crunches web pages using the cloud. The result is that pages load way faster than they would usually load on a normal browser like Safari or Chrome. Here too, Kindle Fire wins the round, because, after all, who doesn't love speed?

The Kindle Fire is the first tablet device that is completely cloud ready. If, at all, you run out of the 8GB space on your device, don't worry, you can store as much data as you want right into Amazon's cloud servers. Currently Amazon has no data caps or charges for this service.

Finally, Kindle Fire comes with the amazing Whispersync technology that syncs your data across all the devices you own. Imagine you are watching a TV show on your Kindle Fire and the battery runs out. You can then resume watching the show right where you left off from your computer using Amazon's streaming services. Apple's yet to come out with a match for this little marvel.

The Amazon Kindle Fire is available now, and you could get one HERE. I already got mine :-)

However, we here at TechSource believe that running Ubuntu 11.10 (or higher) on Ultrabooks might actually be more profitable. Here’s why:

Have you ever used an Intel desktop with Linux? If so, I’d wager that you rarely had any major issues with the drivers. This is because, unlike NVIDIA and ATI, Intel’s graphics drivers are open source, making Intel-based graphic cards a heaven to work with. Also, Intel has been making significant contributions to the open source world, thus making it a great chum of penguin. Ubuntu, which almost runs flawlessly on Intel desktops, will be a great contender for the OS spot on these lightweight monsters. If any of the Ultrabook manufacturers managed to see potential in Ubuntu 11.10, there are chances that it’ll make our dreams come true.

The Macbook Air costs around a $1000. Now, to beat a price like that, Intel has to do a lot of hard work, especially if it is serious about taking up 40% of the laptop market. Intel has announced that the Ultrabooks will be low-cost and may cost less than a $1000. If Intel somehow gets Ubuntu on its devices, they could save a lot of money. If manufacturers are planning to market it as a low-cost device, they should play hardball with Microsoft. With the “professional” versions of Windows 7 priced very high, they will have to make some tough choices as to which operating system they use. Of course, we know that Windows 7 is going to take the spot anyway, but some manufacturers can get innovative and use Ubuntu on them. Using Ubuntu will significantly lower the price making the product much more affordable.

If you’ve seen the latest screenshots of 11.10, it’s way different from the Unity we all whined about. The interface has changed a lot, and yes it looks quite classy so to speak. As far as the stability goes, only time will tell. Nevertheless, Unity is quickly maturing into something that can actually deliver in the tech market. Now is the perfect time to invest in Ubuntu.

Intel is currently eyeing Windows 8 that is yet to be released. Well, since it’s a Microsoft product, there are some pretty good chances that they’ll screw up badly this time. The new experimental UI, no matter how modern it is, might not go down well with many users. Ubuntu can become the perfect alternative to Windows 8, if somehow Canonical manages to make Unity stable enough for mass consumption.

With Android’s huge success, the tech industry has finally seen that Linux is something that can gain massive mainstream popularity. If the investors somehow manage to see things from this angle, Ubuntu could surely end up on an Ultrabook someday.

We all know that Linux can make a low-spec machine run like a marathon champ without making us pay a single penny. Manufacturers can make those i5 processors run to their full potential by putting Ubuntu on their devices. A normal user who has used Windows before might be pleasantly surprised at the performance capabilities of Ubuntu and Linux in general.

Ultrabooks will be released around the end of 2011, and many people have already dissed off the idea of them being a success. However, there are others who believe that Intel will pull it off and takeover most of the laptop market. Whatever the case maybe, we definitely want to see at least one manufacturer going with Ubuntu. I’ve got my fingers crossed!

One reason why the iPad has been so successful is due to the fact that its operating system (iOS) has one of the most easy-to-use user interfaces ever designed. So, no matter how great the hardware maybe, the operating system still matters a lot.

If Ubuntu wants to enter this market, it has to work hard on the UI area so that it feels just as good on a tablet as it feels on a desktop.

Here are some of the reasons that may make Ubuntu popular on tablets and some reasons it won’t.

* Familiarity

Ubuntu’s interface is a blend of two of the most popular desktops around. Windows or Mac users who’ve used Ubuntu usually experience a level of familiarity that makes their switch easier. While with the recent Ubuntu versions, the element of familiarity might have shifted more towards Mac than Windows, it’s nevertheless a great thing to have. Having a tablet that behaves more like a desktop might actually be quite appealing to a whole new userbase. Of course, with the newer versions like Natty and Oneiric, Ubuntu has made its UI more suited for mobile devices making it a good contender for tablets too.

* It’s free

Maybe I couldn’t think of a more obvious reason but having something that’s free is a great thing for both consumers and manufacturers. Ubuntu being free can be installed on any tablet device, including Galaxy Tab (see video) thus making it a great OS for small-time manufacturers who are waiting eagerly to break in to the tablet market. With little tweaks, indie companies could sell completely functional tablet computers to millions of Linux users worldwide.

* No trouble of patents (hopefully)

Apple has been chasing Google with a knife since they first heard about Galaxy Tab. One of the reasons Apple sued them is because they think that Android copied iOS’s patented UI. Of course, with Ubuntu, that won’t be a big problem since Ubuntu has a completely unique and open UI, which so far hasn’t managed to violate any patents. Having an Ubuntu-powered tablet will save a small-time gadget manufacturer a million-dollar lawsuit and the trouble of visiting court every day.

* Unity

As contentious Ubuntu’s new Unity UI may be, it has definitely managed to strike a chord amongst users who were looking for a more unified interface that would work across all devices. As Unity keeps maturing, it will certainly be great to have one user interface across all devices. To add to the fun, Ubuntu already has built-in syncing capabilities that would make things easier for users who own multiple devices. One can only imagine how great it would feel having the same interface across all devices you own.

* Not yet mainstream

Go out on the street, find a random person and ask him/her if they’ve ever heard of Ubuntu. Chances are, 95% of the time their response will be negative. Even though we are very much aware how powerful Linux is, the average user is wary of trusting anything that’s new. Adding to that, the belief that ‘Linux is for geeks’ is still dogmatically widespread amongst the technical users and non-technical ones alike.

* Lack of apps

Even though it might seem quite tempting to own an Ubuntu-powered tablet, the lack of apps will surely be one of the biggest issues. Both Android and iOS, have millions of apps which is completely different market in itself. These apps let the users add to existing functionality of the operating system making the user experience even more engaging. For Ubuntu, as of now, the lack of quality apps doesn’t make it as enviable as an iPad or a Galaxy Tab.

* Manufacturers

Ubuntu, if at all ever decides to enter the tablet market, will face the same problems it has faced on the desktop front. The lack of manufacturers who are ready to invest in a tablet that’s powered by Ubuntu is not that hard to predict. Maybe Dell can make an investment on this front, but the chances are slim.

What do you think of Ubuntu running on tablets? Will it work? Will it fail? Just let us know what you think using the comments section below.

Ubuntu, slowly but steadily, is gaining prominence in the Microsoft-dominated world of desktop, laptop and netbook computers. While this gradual rise may not be enough for your next-door Joe to switch to Ubuntu, it does however give the devoted Linux user some decent choice while buying his or her new laptop.

Recently, laptops and netbooks have started showing up in the market and are pre-loaded with Ubuntu. Though this may not be any different than buying a Windows-based laptop and replacing the OS with Ubuntu, it does offer a few advantages. Buying an Ubuntu-powered PC allows you to overcome the initial hiccups many new Linux users face, which are mainly related to hardware incompatibilities.

So, if you are planning to purchase an affordable but capable Ubuntu-powered laptop, here are some nice ones you can add to your wish list:

This is one of the most popular computer companies when it comes to making Ubuntu-powered machines. For about a year or so, they have been designing computers especially for Ubuntu and to be honest, they are actually quite good at it. System 76 makes sure that you have a completely functional Ubuntu desktop from the moment you first boot the device. They sell netbooks, laptops, servers and desktops that are reasonably priced with professional tech support included.

Being a Linux-centric company, you are offered a lot of choices while buying a System 76 computer. For example, if you are planning on buying a 15 inch laptop, you get to choose the amount of processing power, memory and disk space you want in there. You also get to choose to include a laptop bag as well as add extra warranty, battery and AC car adapter. By default, you get a one year limited warranty with full technical support.

Every System 76 laptop, desktop or netbook ships with the latest version of Ubuntu with Flash pre-installed. And mind you, every piece of hardware in that machine works flawlessly with Ubuntu. What's more, they are the folks that manufacture the world's most powerful Ubuntu device, which is Serval Professional. System 76 currently ships in UK, US and Canada. Shipping is done usually within 10 days from order. Prices might be slightly over your budget but don't forget that you get full technical support with it.

Kogan is an Australian company that has been manufacturing consumer electronics for quite a while. In the FOSS community, they are well known for making low-priced Linux-based netbooks and laptops. We've already reviewed their Chromium-based laptop before and we've been quite disappointed by it.

However, the latest offering from the Aussie consumer electronics giant manages to impress us quite a lot. The 12-inch laptop comes with 1GB DDR2 RAM (expandable to 4 GB), 250 GB Hard Disk and a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Processor. The specifications are nowhere near the high-end computers that are in the market today. But, being a budget laptop, we cannot complain. Priced at just 350 USD, this little device comes with the latest version of Ubuntu pre-installed. Even though the 3.5-hour battery life leaves a lot to be desired, a fully functional low-cost laptop might appeal to the Tuxians looking for a decent secondary device.

This is a laptop manufactured by a company called Genesi and is targeted towards developers and advanced users. The sleek 10.1-inch laptop comes with an 800Mhz A8 ARM Cortex processor, 16GB NAND Flash, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It comes loaded with Ubuntu 10.10 ‘Maverick Meerkat’ and weighs about 2 lbs. Like Kogan Agora Laptop, Efika MX is not a full-fledged performance machine. However, if you're looking for something really affordable then this is your best bet. Efika costs only 200 USD and can be ordered from the Genesi website.

These are two new devices, which were recently showcased at CES 2011. Manufactured by a Chinese company called Nufront, these laptop computers run the latest version of Ubuntu. One is 10-inch and the other is a 14-inch laptop, both sporting a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor. The 10-inch version comes with full-size VGA, two USB ports, HDMI output, and an SD card. The 14-inch one comes with 3 USB ports, built-in Ethernet, HDMI and hi-res screen. Both the devices are expected to land in the market soon. On the pricing front, expect the devices to be cheaper than the ones with Windows. So, if you are planning to get a good secondary device, you might want to wait for these. Apart from running Ubuntu, Nufront also plans to launch devices running Android operating systems.

Here's a video demonstrating the main Nufront products, which were showcased at CES 2011:

Although the Tegra 2 chip with integrated dual-core processor has recently been released, NVIDIA is already poised to announce its successor at the Mobile World Congress next month. According to Mike Rayfield of NVIDIA, Tegra 3 may incorporate a quad-core processor with main focus of supporting Android smartphones and tablet PCs.

Described as computer on a chip, Tegra is packed with a built-in ARM architecture CPU, GPU, northbridge, southbridge, and memory controller. Since it is designed for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, the chip is energy efficient but powerful enough to handle demanding tasks and applications.

A good number of tablet computers and smartphones from top hardware manufacturers are already powered by Tegra 2, and most of which are scheduled for release this Q1. NVIDIA Tegra 2 is equipped with a Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU (1 GHz, 1MB L2 Cache), Ultra-low power (ULP) GeForce GPU, and 1080p video playback processor.

The next generation iPad and iPhone is said to feature a powerful dual-core processor. For Android to beat these two immensely popular handhelds, it must run on a more powerful hardware. Utilizing NVIDIA Tegra 3 with quad-core processor could easily give Android devices the edge over those made by Apple.

2010 can be easily considered as the year of tablet computers. It started with the release of the Apple iPad back in April that caused a massive appetite for tablets among consumers. The demand was so high that the market for netbook PC slowed down and manufacturers were scrambling to create their own tablet as a result. We could also say that 2010 is the year of Android smartphones. This year, Android ha eclipsed iPhone's popularity and has taken the lead in smartphone OS marketshare in the U.S.

Since we are talking about smartphones and tablet computers, here are our most popular gadget-related posts of 2010 (in no particular order):

The Cisco Cius is an enterprise-ready, Android-based tablet computer created by Cisco Systems. It was announced on June 29th at Cisco Live 2010 and will be released to consumers around the first quarter of 2011.

If you are looking for very affordable Android tablet computers, then you should check out this post. I have gathered several iPad-like tablet computers that are sold for as low as USD99.

The HTC Desire was among the first consumer devices to offer a large, full-color AMOLED display. It runs the Android operating system (version 2.2 'Froyo'). It is very similar to the Nexus One in terms of internal or hardware features.

The Avaya Flare is a high-end Android-based tablet computer that is primarily designed for business conferencing. It is equipped with unified communications software created by Avaya and offers Aura Conferencing and the Linux-based Avaya Aura Messaging software.

Available either with a single panel 14.1-inch touchscreen or with dual 14.1-inch touchscreens, the Kno Linux-based textbook tablet can be used as an electronic textbook, eBook reader, notebook, and web browser among others.

Formerly known as the Mini 5, the Dell Streak is a smartphone/tablet computer that runs Android operating system. It comes with a huge 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that is capable of 800 x 480 pixel resolution.

The Samsung Galaxy S was the first Android smartphone to be certified for DivX HD and was considered as the thinnest Android phone at the time of release. It utilizes PowerVR graphics processor -considered as the fastest graphics-processing unit in any Android phone to date.

Shogo is a Linux-powered tablet PC created by Realease, a Hong Kong-based platform provider. It has a 10-inch capacitive touchscreen and is available in two models: one is equipped with a Freescale i.MX37 (ARM 11) processor; the other model features a Freescale i.MX51 (ARM Cortex A8) processor.

The ASUS Eee PC 1015PE is a sleek and environment-friendly mini notebook computer that was awarded as the Best Choice in the Green ICT category. This is because of its superb energy efficiency, eco-friendly materials and packaging, and for using substantially reduced levels of hazardous materials during its production.

The Motorola Droid X is an Android-based smartphone has a large and stunning 4.3-inch touchscreen display. It is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, auto focus, dual LED flash, mechanical shutter capable of 1/1000a, and can record 720p HD videos at 24fps.

John Carl P. Villanueva made a list of some of the latest Android-powered tablet PCs. Some of the tablets that he has included have the potential to beat the Apple iPad.

This December, Google released the "still-unfinished" Chrome OS laptop computer. Dubbed as the Cr-48 (refers to an isotope of chromium), the 12-inch notebook is available as a test unit only and is not for sale.

In the world of information technology, black hat hackers (also known as crackers or cyber-criminals) are known as the bad guys or villains. Most of them break into computers or networks without authorization to steal money and classified and sensitive information, while others are doing it simply for the challenge or the thrill of hacking. To accomplish their sinister work, crackers often create malware (malicious software) like viruses and worms to gain control of computer systems.

I have gathered here a list of ten of the most popular cyber-criminals the world has ever known. These evil geniuses were involved in high profile hacking that possibly caused millions, if not billions of dollars in total damages. However, some of them have now turned to the good side and are using their talents for the benefit of mankind.

Without further delay, here are the top 10 most infamous black hat hackers of all time:

10. Jonathan James
At the age of 16, Jonathan James (also known as c0mrade) became the first juvenile imprisoned for cybercrime in the United States. James carried out a series of intrusions into various systems including the computers of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the US Department of Defense. James had installed an unauthorized backdoor in a computer server in Dulles, Virginia that he used to install a sniffer allowing him to intercept over three thousand messages passing to and from DTRA employees while collecting countless usernames and passwords. This intrusion caused NASA to shut down its computers for three weeks costing them $41,000 to check and secure their systems. Jonathan James committed suicide in 2008.

9. Kevin Poulsen
Kevin Poulsen (also known as Dark Dante) is a notorious black hat hacker in the 1980s. One of his popular hacks was a takeover of all of the telephone lines for Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM, assuring that he would be the 102nd caller, and the likely winner of a brand new Porsche 944. Poulsen went underground as a fugitive when the FBI started pursuing him, but was finally captured in 1991. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of mail, wire and computer fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and for obtaining information on covert businesses run by the FBI. Kevin Poulsen was sentenced to 51 months in prison, which at that time was the longest sentence ever given for cracking. He is now a free man and is a senior editor at Wired News.

8. Albert Gonzalez
Albert Gonzalez is a cyber-criminal accused of masterminding the biggest ATM and credit card theft in history. From 2005 through 2007, he and his group have allegedly sold more than 170 million card and ATM numbers. Gonzalez's team used SQL injection techniques to create malware backdoors on several corporate systems in order to launch packet-sniffing (specifically, ARP Spoofing) attacks, which allowed him to steal computer data from internal corporate networks. When he was arrested, authorities seized $1.6 million in cash including $1.1 million in plastic bags placed in a three-foot drum buried in his parents' backyard. Earlier this year, Gonzalez was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

7. Michael Calce
In February 2000, Michael Calce (a.k.a. MafiaBoy) launched a series of highly publicized denial-of-service attacks against large commercial websites. His victims include Yahoo!, Amazon.com, Dell, eBay, and CNN. He hacked Yahoo! when it was still the web's leading search engine causing it to shutdown for about an hour. Calce exploited websites primarily for pride and to establish dominance for himself and his cybergroup named TNT. In 2001, the Montreal Youth Court sentenced him to eight months of open custody, one year of probation, restricted use of the Internet, and a small fine.

6. Markus Hess
Markus Hess is a German hacker in the late 1980s that was recruited by the KGB and was involved in a Cold War computer espionage incident. All the way from Germany, he was able to access computer systems from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) located in California. By using LBL to “piggyback” to ARPANET and MILNET, Hess attack 400 U.S. military computers including OPTIMIS Database (The Pentagon), Anniston Army Depot, U.S. Air Force (Ramstein Air Base, West Germany), Fort Buckner, Camp Foster (Okinawa, Japan). He went to trial in 1990 and was found guilty of espionage. Hess was sentenced to a one to three year prison sentence but was eventually released on probation.

5. Vladimir Levin
Vladimir Levin is known for his involvement in the attempt to illegally transfer 10.7 million US dollars via Citibank's computers. In 1997, Levin was brought into U.S. custody, and he admitted to only one count of conspiracy to defraud and to stealing $3.7 million. The following year, he was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison, and ordered to pay more than $200,000. Of the stolen $10.7 million, Citibank claimed that only around $400,000 had been recovered. At the moment, Levin is free and now lives in Lithuania.

4. Robert Tappan Morris
Robert Tappan Morris is an 'accidental' black hat hacker infamous for creating the first ever computer worm on the Internet known as Morris Worm. In 1988, he created the worm while he was a graduate student at Cornell University with the original aim of measuring the size of the Internet or counting the number of computers connected to it. The Morris Worm spread rapidly and infected thousands of computers. The cost of possible loss in productivity caused by the worm at each system ranged from $20,000 to more than $530,000 as estimated. Without serving jail time, Morris was sentenced to community service, probation, and a fine of $10,000. He is currently a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the Institute's department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

3. Adrian Lamo
Adrian Lamo is widely known for breaking into a series of high-profile computer networks that include The New York Times, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and MCI WorldCom. In 2002, he added his name to the The New York Times' internal database of expert sources and used LexisNexis account to conduct research on high-profile subjects. The Times filed a complaint, and a warrant for Lamo's arrest was issued, followed by a 15-month investigation by federal prosecutors in New York. After several days in hiding, he surrendered to the US Marshals, and then to the FBI. Lamo was ordered to pay around $65,000 in damages and was sentenced to six months house arrest at his parents' home, plus two years probation. In June 2010, Lamo disclosed the name of Bradley Manning to U.S. Army authorities as the source of the July 12, 2007 Baghdad airstrike video leak to Wikileaks. At present, he is working as a threat analyst and donates his time and skills to a Sacramento-based nonprofit organization.

2. Gary McKinnon
Gary McKinnon has been accused of what one US prosecutor claims is the "biggest military computer hack of all time". Between February 2001 and March 2002, he reportedly exploited 97 United States military, Department of Defense, and NASA computers. McKinnon allegedly deleted critical files from operating systems that shut down the US Army’s Military District of Washington network of 2,000 computers for 24 hours. He supposedly deleted US Navy Weapons logs, causing a naval base's network of 300 computers unusable after the September 11th terrorist attacks. McKinnon is also charged with copying of sensitive data, account files, and passwords onto his own computer. He expresses that he was only looking for evidence of free energy suppression, a cover-up of UFO activity, and other technologies that may be useful to the public. At present, McKinnon is awaiting extradition to the United States.

1. Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick was once considered as the most wanted computer criminal in United States history. He was involved in a highly publicized pursuit by authorities that his misadventures were depicted in two hacker films: Takedown (a.k.a. Hackers 2) and Freedom Downtime. While he was a fugitive, he cracked dozens of computer networks and copied valuable proprietary software and stole corporate secrets from some of the largest cellular telephone and computer companies in the US. Mitnick also intercepted and stole computer passwords, altered computer networks, read private e-mails, and cloned cellular phones to hide his location. In 1999, he confessed to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of computer fraud and one count of illegally intercepting a wire communication. Mitnick was sentenced to a total of 68 months in prison and was incarcerated for 5 years that included 8 months in solitary confinement. He was released in 2000 and is now a well-known computer security consultant, public speaker, and author.

I stumbled upon a website that showcases a 50-monitor setup powered by a 25 Linux cluster, which I think is awesome and could easily win any Linux workspace contest if qualified. The display is composed of fifty 21-inch touch-screen monitors that can run at a resolution of at least 12800x5120 (65,536,000 pixels). Meanwhile, the Linux cluster is made up of 25 Shuttle PCs. Here are some photos (click on the images to enlarge):

The 50-monitor setup

25-node Linux Cluster at the back of the display

Actually, the 50-monitor is a display prototype that was developed at the Gigapixel Lab at Virginia Tech. Andrew Sabri, a Virginia Tech alum involved in the project, is the one who shared the photos and noted that they would try to run some games on it. I hope he could give us some updates and more photos if they were successful in turning this setup into a gaming beast.

By the way, Andrew has also posted some images of a 24-monitor setup that successfully runs Quake 3 at 10240x3072 resolution and at 15-30 FPS. The display is powered by 12 Linux servers utilizing Distributed Multihead X (DMX) and Chromium (not the web browser). Chromium was used to distribute the OpenGL rendering from the head node to all of the servers. Here some images of the 24-monitor Linux setup:

Running Quake 3 using 24 monitors with a combined resolution of 10240x3072 pixels

12-node Linux cluster (2 monitors per server) at the back of the display

Best Load Balancing Hardware: A load balancing hardware is a device utilized for splitting the amount of network loads across different servers, somewhat the same way a software load balancer is used. It controls computers to respective servers in a network, built on conditions such as utilization of server processor, the number of server connections, and the total server capability. By using a load balancing hardware, one can reduce network downtime, effectively manage traffic prioritization, apply end-to-end application monitoring, supply user authentication, and provide protection or security against malicious attacks.

Load balancing works by sending network traffic to a shared IP (often called virtual IP or VIP), which is an address connected to the load balancer. The load balancer will decide on where to send the request from the VIP. The decision making is usually administered by a load balancing method or strategy, a server health check, and a rule set (in the case of a next generation device). The request is then sent to the associated server and will response if successful. The response will be relayed either back to the load balancer or straight back to the end-user relying on the kind of the device.

For performance, scalability, and reliability reasons, majority of websites with very high traffic uses some type of clustered server architecture. To equally appropriate the traffic to different web servers, a load balancing hardware solution should sit in the middle of the server cluster and the Internet. For additional level of dependability, it will also route traffic around a failed cluster node.

Cisco Systems Catalyst 6500
Cisco Systems is well-known for building networking infrastructure hardware that keeps the most demanding networks up and running. The best selling product of Cisco is the Catalyst 6500 system. It was made to handle with problems at layers 2, 3, and 4. Built on a modular chassis, the Catalyst 6500 is flexible to deal with everything from switching to firewall services to SSL and IPSec services.

Coyote Point provides the Equalizer line of products aimed at both the SME and higher-end markets. The E350si is its most popular product because it is loaded with features but comes at an affordable price. The layer 7 capability of the Equalizer makes it feasible to identify among users to direct them to the correct server. Other supported features include URL parsing, persistent cookies, and a virtual cluster technology that allows you to assign pools of servers to the highly or heavily utilized applications and services.

The BIG-IP line of products from F5 handles the application acceleration problem (or layer 7) and the network traffic management problem. Also, BIG-IP helps provide security and and protection against threat of network attacks such as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. F5 started the concept of application traffic management with the BIG-IP product line. Version 9 of the BIG-IP systems provides a suite of application acceleration and optimization features. F5’s Traffic Management Operating System architecture is specifically made to increase network reliability while enhancing end-user performance.

If you have used or know other excellent load balancing hardware, please share them with us via comment.

The Eee PC 1015PE is a sleek and environment-friendly mini laptop/netbook that was introduced by ASUS just recently. At the Taipei International Information Technology Show (COMPUTEX Taipei) this year, it was awarded as the Best Choice in the Green ICT category because of its excellent energy efficiency, eco-friendly materials and packaging, and for using considerably reduced levels of hazardous materials during its production.

For optimal power-efficiency, the Eee PC 1015PE is loaded with the exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine technology that allows the netbook to regulate power use based on the resources needed by the running application. According to ASUS, the battery life can reach up to 13.5 hours without recharging, which I think is pretty amazing in today's standard.

The Eee PC 1015PE mini laptop is powered by energy-efficient Intel Atom Pineview-M N450, N455, N470, N475 processors and supports up to 2GB SO-DIMM DDR2 RAM. You can load it up with up to 320 GB of hard drive, and you will have the option to use the 500 GB online storage provided by ASUS.

The ASUS Eee PC 1015PE is not only good on the inside but outside as well. Its aerodynamic shape, rounded curves, and slim look make it one of the best-looking netbooks I've seen lately. Plus, it comes in different color combinations including Midnight Blue, Milky White, Silky Red, and Jazz Black.

With its matte-finished lid, 10.1-inch LCD display, and palm rest, the Eee PC 1015PE is never a fingerprint magnet. Compared to the previous model, I think this is one of the biggest improvements in terms of design and usability.

The Eee PC 1015PE may come pre-loaded with Genuine Windows 7 Starter Edition. However, you can easily replace it with a netbook-oriented Linux distro such as Easypeasy, Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR), Jolicloud, etc. since Eee PCs are known to support Linux.

If you want to buy a stylish, full-featured, and affordable netbook while at the same time do good for the environment, then you should get an ASUS Eee PC 1015PE.

In 2000, IBM researchers developed a wristwatch that runs Linux and X11. Their goal was to test the limits of the operating system and explore ways people can interact with tiny electronic devices. So what happened to this Linux-powered wristwatch?

I became so interested about this watch after googling for some "geeky wristwatches" because it has some really cool features that I thought were not possible back in the day. The IBM Linux wristwatch is powered by a Cirrus Logic ARM-based EP7211 processor, 8MB of DRAM, and 8MB of flash memory. It also features a touch sensitive display and a rechargeable lithium polymer battery.

Here are some other technical specifications of this Linux-powered wristwatch:

As reported by FreeOS.com, the Linux watch was conceived at IBM's T. J. Watson research center where different groups of researchers are continually exploring the numerous challenges that emerge in the field of user interface design, power management, input devices, wireless communication, sensors and models for co-existences for pervasive devices and wearables. A team of researchers with skills in hardware design, Operating Systems, displays, electronic and mechanical packaging, industrial design and user interface design, which was spread across multiple research IBM sites worked together to develop the wrist watch that would eventually run Linux and X11. They were led by Chandra Narayanaswami and worked persistently for about 18 months to achieve this feat.

Fast forward to 2010, and the Linux watch just vanished into thin air I think since I couldn't find any recent information about it. But if you know whatever happened to IBM's Linux based watch, please don't hesitate to share the info with us.

Did seeing the images above made you want to own a Linux-powered wristwatch? :-)

Are you tired of manually rocking your baby to sleep? If your answer is yes, then you should read on.

First, let me show you the code that you will use and break it down a bit.

For Linux users, you can use this simple shell script to automatically open and close the CD-ROM drive of your computer:

When you run that script, the CD tray will close and open forever and it can only be stopped by quitting the program manually.

So how will that help you put your baby to sleep? Just check out this video for some inspiration:

If you have a more clever way of putting a baby to sleep, perhaps you can share it with us via comment :-)

In the very near future, robots will become an indispensable tool that man can’t live without. Just like computers, it will do complicated and challenging tasks thus making things a lot easier for all of us.

We all know that majority of personal computers are still running Microsoft Windows operating system and that the year of the Linux desktop is still far from reality. However, many experts believe that in the field of Robotics, it’s going to be a whole different ball game. Soon, Linux-powered robots will dominate the market and will lead the new age of technology.

At the moment, there are already different kinds of robots that run on Linux. Though less powerful and not as talented as the robots that we’ve seen in movies, they are already capable of doing some basic to complex chores; from lifting heavy equipments to thinking on their own and learning from its environment.

LinuxDevices.com has put together an article about several Linux-based robot devices that are currently available and those that are still under development. Here are some of those robots that I find rather impressive:

A low-cost, user-programmable humanoid robot targeting educational and research applications, the HRP-2m Choromet was created by four companies, and uses technology from Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). It is user-programmable thanks to open software running on a user-space real-time Linux implementation.

* Aldebaran Nao

The Aldebaran Nao is a Linux-powered humanoid robot that also runs software from the open source Universal Real-time Behaviour Interface (URBI) project, enabling users to program Nao's behavior, emotional expressions, speech synthesizer, and collect data from its onboard video camera and other sensors.

* Neuronics Katana Robotic Arm

Neuronics's Katana Robotic Arm is aimed at industry, production, and research applications, and runs Linux with Xenomai hard real time extensions on a Freescale MPC5200-based control board.

More Linux-powered robots can be found HERE.

Perhaps the year of the Linux desktop may never happen. But in the future, who needs a PC when you can just tell your Linux-powered personal robotic assistant to produce and print a document through his printer-equipped body or play a movie through his eyes/video projector :-)

Of the many netbooks currently available with Linux pre-installed, and also those that are soon to be released, I only have 3 favorites. And, if I were to buy today, I will definitely get either one of the three. I'll share to you my current list of must have Linux-powered netbooks.

Dell E

Now, which one would you recommend?

Ultra-Mobile Personal Computers (UMPC) are so hot right now that major PC manufacturers are competing to create the lightest, fastest and sexiest-looking portable machines imaginable. Most of these emerging sub-notebooks are pre-installed with Linux, and I wasn't surprised.

Although consumers are still living in Windows world, computer makers now value Linux more than ever. It's really a huge gamble, but I think it's paying off. Mainstream consumers just don't care any longer even if most of these UMPCs come with Windows as an option. As long as they can surf the web, create documents, and write emails they are at peace with Linux.

I have here a list of some UMPCs that are already making waves. This might as well serve as a guide to those who are planning to buy one because I have also provided some important technical specifications on each one of them. So now, take your pick from these Linux-powered smokin' hot ultra-portable computers: