About
this
Domain:
Back a few years ago I, along with others,
did some work to modify existing XFree86
pen tablet drivers to support the pen interface in Fujitsu pen-based
PC's.
This site was created to distribute these drivers and related software.
Today, It is simply my personal website -- like a very infrequently
updated blog.
About
Me:
I am an Aerospace Engineer and Technology hobbyist.
I enjoy
discussing technology and educating others about
technology and science. To this end, I occasionally write
articles and post
them on the Commentary Pages
or the
Review Pages.
I also do presentations
for small
groups (Local computer users groups,
business groups, etc.)
About
this Server:
Linuxslate.com
has moved to OnNow.net.
OnNow
supports Open Source Projects, so
Linuxslate.com Supports OnNow. Check them out for your
hosting
needs.
30 Sept 2008
Linuxslate.com has received a Motorola ZN5 for review. A full
review will follow shortly, but for now, here's an Unboxing Video.
Enjoy:
Please keep checking back for the full review.
----
23 Sept 2008
A
few quick thoughts on the T-Mobile / Google G1 "Google Phone", "HTC
Dream", 1st Andriod Phone, (or whatever you want to call it) that was
announced today, and previously mentioned in my "Super
Phones" article:
It
shares a lot with the iPhone - both in terms of features that are
present and features that, at least for the launch, are missing.
I
think it really is valid competition for the iPhone, and in some ways
it's ahead: Google Maps with compass mode and street view look a
generation ahead of Google Maps on the iPhone. Playing standard media
formats, and using the DRM free Amazon MP3 store makes it far more
consumer friendly than the iPhone/iTunes combination. I also
like the customizable homescreen, and slide up icon menu.
Including a QWERTY keyboad and memory card slot
are 2 huge hardware advantages.
Some
of the missing features are Bluetooth profiles such as A2DP, OBEX, HID,
etc., video record, and as far as I know, voice dialing or voice
control. There is also no current method (official or hack)
to
allow tethering.
It lacks a standard 3.5 (or even 2.5mm)
headset/headphone jack, instead using a proprietary connector for
audio, charging and USB.
For me the lack of standard
connectors is, perhaps not a show stopper, but, at least for
the
moment, when concidered along with the rest of the omissions,
will give me pause.
So what's a geek to do when he/she wants
working Bluetooth, camcorder, voice dialing, and standard connectors?
Well, you can wait for other Android devices next year, or, if you
don't need Accelerometers, 3G, GPS, and an "App Store", you may want to
consider the Motorola
ZN5 as an alternative. It's out now, and
Linuxslate.com is working on getting one for an in-depth technical
review.
----
18 August 2008
Several manufactures are readying new, feature rich
Linux-based mobile phones. Linuxslate.com has compiled a
guide that will mention a few
notable ones, and speculate about whether any of these
could potentially be the much anticipated
"iPhone-killer". Read
More...
----
24 July 2008
New
Commentary Posted. The Wallstreet Journal's All Things
Digital
posted a leaked Microsoft internal memo outlining Steve Ballmer's plans
for Microsoft's 2009 Fiscal Year. I can't help but to make some comments.
----
25 June 2008
New review Posted. The Wibrain B1L with Ubuntu Linux. How
does
the Linux based Wibrains stack up against the Eee PC, Pepper Pad 3 and
the Nokia Tablets? What should a new or prospective owner know about
this Ultra Mobile PC? Click
here for the article.
----
25 Jan 2008
Comming
soon: I have been working on a Web-based transcoder system
for
MythTV. It consists of some perl and html and requires mencoder and
ffmpeg. I'll be uploading it after I clean it up a bit.
----
25 Jan 2008 New
Review: Linuxslate.com reviews an inexpensive
Ethernet IP Phone currently being sold on Amazon.com.
----
03 Oct 2007
My first opinion peice in quite a long time. Please read my comments
relating to possible legal action over the Apple iPhone 1.1.1 Firmware
update issue.
----
12
Sept 2007
The forums
are now open! For now, you will have to email me to
register. Please post questions to those forums.
----
07 Sept 2007
Linuxslate.com
has moved to OnNow.net. OnNow supports Open Source Projects,
so
Linuxslate.com Supports OnNow. Check them out for your
hosting
needs.
For now, (most of) the old content has been restored, but
that, too will only be temporary. In the near future, there will
be a new, more professional site here, including:
More articles and reviews
A more dynamic blog-style front page
Forums !! At the moment I am planning
the following forums:
Linux on Modern Tablet PC's
Pepper Pad 3
Pepper Pad 2
Classic Fujitsu Active Pen Systems (1000,
1200, 2300, etc.)
Classic Fujitsu Passive Pen Systems (LTC-500,
etc.
Other Classic Pen Tablets (IBM, Ricoh, etc.)
Linux Based Mobile phone hacking (Motorola,
E28, others.)
MythTV on HP Media Center PC's
Rewiew Discussion
Other Cool Hardware to hack as it appears
----
20 Jul 2007
Linuxslate.com reviews a Linux slate - a really cool Linux slate - The
Pepper Pad 3. Read my "Non-Dumb" Review here.
-----
08 Feb 2007
I have designed and constructed a "Keyboard Dock" for my Nokia 770
Internet Tablet. Yes, its kind of like the "Unslate", but it
really is a cool and useable accessory for the Nokia 770. Keyboard Dock for the Nokia
770
Internet Tablet
-----
05 August 2006 As mentioned in the previous post, I just
bought a
Motorola A780 mobile
phone. Since it has a touch screen, and runs Linux, it really
is
a Linuxslate.
I have
posted my first How-To for this phone.
It covers building (compiling) Moto4Lin on Fedora Core, and using it to
enable certain phone features. Moto4Lin
is a great
utility for not just the A780, but many Motorola phones.
Another
How-To will follow shortly. Get to the How-To from the Guides and Help page.
-----
05 August 2006
Linux is getting popular in the Mobile Phone business. From a PCMAG
article:
"...Motorola
will be
abandoning the familiar operating system used on its
feature phones, such as the RAZR, for a Linux- and Java-based solution"
"The
world No. 2
mobile phone maker, which debuted the Ming smartphone
in March this year in China, shipped more than one million Linux-based
units in China alone last quarter, according to research firm Canalys."
It's not just Motorola. Nokia has
also released a major
product
based on Linux, and there are indications that Nokia may release more
products based on Linux.
This growth of Linux in the mobile market recently hit home for me in
another way.
A Co-Woker was showing me his new Cingular 8150. It runs
Windows
Mobile. Interesting I thought. Cingular is not a
phone
manufacturer -- they are a Wireless Service Provider (WSP).
The
only prominent marking on the phone says Cingular. Cingular's
website does not mention the manufacturer. Why not?
The
phone is really made by HTC. HTC stands for "High Tech
Computer
Corp." -- No - Really. It
Does. On the other hand, I just bought a Motorola
A780.
It runs Linux. No need to try to hide that
name. The No. 1 and No. 2 Mobile phone
companies are
moving toward Linux, while the Microsoft OS is relegated to the "High
Tech Computer Corp." Ironic how things change isn't it?
-----
24 May 2006
The review of the Ecotest МКS-05 Portable Radiation Detector/Meter has
been posted. Follow
this link.
-----
14 May 2006
The site has been down for a few days due to some upstream network
connectivity issues. This is an informal, just for fun type
of
operation, so this kind of problem is to be expected. The
server
itself has been up for over 117 days with out a re-boot.
In other news, I have recieved my Ecotest МКS-05 radiation
detector,
and with the site being down, I sort of lost the incentive to start the
review. The positive offshoot of this is that I have had a
few
more days to evaluate the МКS-05, and thus the review will be better
when it does get published. Oh... and I have found
something else near me that is amazingly
radioactive.
(Actually 2 things, although one is only very mildly
radioactive). Look for the story in the Ecotest МКS-05 review
soon. Catch the links from the Radiation
Detector Buyer's Guide.
-----
14 January 2006 The Ulitimate
Pre-Built
MythTV box? Perhaps. Read about my
attempts to install
Linux for MythTV on the HP z555 Media Center PC. Oh... and
help
out if you can. Click the Link above, or you can get there from the Guides & Help Page.
-----
16 December 2005
I can't help wanting to talk about my new Nokia 770. I said I
wouldn't do a review since others have, so I decided to do something
that is not a review, but may also be useful to those considering
buying this cool Linux Slate.
Please read "Nokia 770 Internet Tablet paired
with the
Nokia N-GageQD vs. The Nokia 9500 - How does the combination
of a Nokia 770 Tablet and a medium range phone compare to a high-end
WiFi 'SmartPhone'?" Even though technically it
isn't a
Review, you can get there from Reviews.
-----
10 December 2005
I just picked up 2 Nokia 770's from CompUSA. I have only just
set
it up, but I can say:
WOW !! This seems to be the device I had always hoped
somebody
would release. I think Nokia really did it right -- Both in
terms
of the actual device, and the development
environment/philosophy.
I expect the software availability and functionality of this devices
(and subsequent derivative devices) to explode unlike anything we've
seen before. I do not plan on reviewing the device, since
others
have done excellent reviews already. I do plan on porting
some
existing apps, but probably not until after the US Holidays.
-----
20 November 2005
New Review Posted. The Tiger VuGo "Multimedia System."
Contact Me
You can contact me by sending email to any user name at this domain, or
sending email to:
Why is this a
graphic
instead of a mailto: link? Spammers and
viruses often scan webpages to look for email addresses. They
can
also scan webpages in infected computer's web
caches. (80% of spam is spread by infected Windows computers
- Reference.)
The scanners are usually simple text scanners, and
they cannot read the above graphic into characters like a human can.
The background is intened to both look cool, and possibly fool programs
that attempt to read the graphic.
Linux is a
trademark of Linus
Torvalds.
All
trademarks/tradenames are
the property of the companies
that own them.
Tux, the Linux
Penguin was
created by Larry Ewing.
As mentioned in the previous post, I just
bought a
Motorola A780 mobile
phone. Since it has a touch screen, and runs Linux, it really
is
a 
