Section: Hardware

Linux runs on everything from supercomputers to space rovers to the dusty Raspberry Pi lost in your drawer. Here is Linux hardware news and developments that have caught our eye.

[How to] Fix ‘Low Sound’ on a Macbook Running Ubuntu 11.04

Macbook users experiencing sound problems with heir speakers in Ubuntu 11.04 may benefit from the following 'fix'.

26 May 2011
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Bumblebee brings nvidia optimus GPU switching to Linux users

Ubuntu users with laptops housing NVIDIA's "Optimus" technology, which allows Windows users to switch between Intel integrated graphics and NVIDIA's own graphics chips as and when needed, may be interested to learn of a new open-source tool which aims to enable the feature on Linux.

24 May 2011
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5 ways to make using multiple computers and devices more efficient with Ubuntu

I hate cables. There, I have finally managed to start the article. But getting back to the cables, I have a mouse, which connects to my computer. Fair enough: that's a worthy cause for a cable. But then I got a second computer. Now what do I do? Just use the touchpad on one? Or do I get a second mouse and make my desk even more cluttered? A better option would be to have the mouse shared between the two computers.

23 May 2011

The Xtreamer Ultra HTPC may be powerful and cheap but runs a ‘refined’ version of Ubuntu styled like a Mac

Nothing screams 'win' like Ubuntu preinstalled on some sexy hardware. Sadly the Xtreamer Ultra, a relatively new HTPC from hardware manufacturer Xstreamer, manages to lose on both fronts. Aesthetically the device is a bit on the 'functional' side of style (it looks like a PS2 reimagined as a wireless router) and the Ubuntu 10.10-based OS it ships with is... well, we'll come to that...

22 May 2011

The Raspberry Pi is a $25 USB-Sized Ubuntu PC

Whilst modern smartphones are often dubbed 'PC's in your pocket' it's the recently unveiled 'Rasberry Pi' that can truly make a stake to that claim.

9 May 2011

‘Udev-notify’ provides Ubuntu notifications when connecting USB peripherals

Whilst the name of this app isn't the most memorable, what it does is. By default Ubuntu provides no feedback whether the connection of a peripheral device - such as a webcam or usb thumbdrive - has succeed or failed. Windows, for example, uses a set of audio notifications to relay such status. udev-notify brings a similar functionality, albeit a visual one using Ubuntu's Notification system, to your desktop.

9 May 2011
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Ubuntu-running dual-core ARM desktop ‘Trim-Slice’ goes on sale

Trim-Slice, 'the worlds first Tegra 2 desktop PC', is now on sale. Available in 3 versions - 2 of which run Ubuntu. More information, pictures and promo-video tucked away inside...

1 May 2011
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ASUS’ kinect competitor ‘Xtion PRO’ Supports development on Ubuntu

Microsoft's Kinect motion controller lit up the eyes of many Linux developers when it hit the shelves late last year - so much so that geeks everywhere were soon out hacking the hardware to run on Linux.

17 April 2011
Kogan Ubuntu 11.04 laptop: the agora pro

Kogan’s ‘Agora PRO 12″ Laptop’ available with Ubuntu 11.04, ships May

"The folks at Kogan are pretty good when it comes to Linux" said reader Paul when tipping us off to Australian (and UK) technogloy outfit 'Kogans' latest laptop. Available for ordering, but not shipping until late May, the new 'Agora Pro' ultra-portable comes with the latest and greatest version of Ubuntu so far - Ubuntu 11.04 - but is it a fitting shell for an operating system so, well, natty? Kind of.

14 April 2011

Hercules eCAFE Runs Ubuntu Netbook Remix – That’s Not the Interesting Bit

A pair of new ARM netbooks running Ubuntu have launched in the UK, described as the slimmest, lightest HD netbooks available.

31 March 2011
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How to get your Realtek card reader working in Ubuntu

This guide will walk owners of HP Mini 110 series and Compaq Mini CQ10-500 series netbook owners - along with any one else owning a device using a Realtek rts5159 card reader - through downloading and installing the required driver.

21 February 2011

Navisurfer II serves up Ubuntu in a fresh way

Have you gone the extra mile to install Ubuntu on every device you possibly can, even your kitchen toaster? When you get yourself a shiny new car, is the first thing you do customize it? Then the Navisurfer II is just what you need to "pimp your ride".

21 February 2011