Category: techno

Distributors found for open source phone

Looks like one of the first Open Source phones is about to go public!

The press release doesn’t give many specifics about the phone other than pricing. But here’s the specs from the Openmoko website:

  • 2.8″ VGA TFT color display
  • Touchscreen, usable with stylus or fingers
  • 266MHz Samsung System on a Chip (SOC)
  • USB 1.1, switchable between Client and Host (unpowered)
  • Integrated AGPS
  • 2.5G GSM – tri band (900/1800/1900), voice, CSD, GPRS
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • Micro SD slot
  • High Quality audio codec

And of course, with the phone being Open Source the phone will be powered by Linux software which opens up loads of possibilities for software customization and features.

Here’s the press release:

Openmoko Signs Five Distributors for Freerunner Open Source Mobile Phone

Distributors seize opportunity to reach significant markets with programmable mobile phone

TAIPEI, TAIWAN June 25, 2008 – Openmoko, creator of the first completely open mobile computing platform, today announced agreements with five distributors for the Neo Freerunner Open Source mobile phone. Today, Openmoko will begin shipping the next generation Neo Freerunner to Pulster, Golden Delicious Computers and TRIsoft located in Germany, Bearstech in France and IDA Systems based in India.

IDA Systems specializes in customized software development and retail sales of hand-held computer devices. Golden Delicious Computers is a specialist for mobile office solutions and was founded as The Handheld Linux Shop. TRIsoft, in business since 1985, has been focusing in recent years on mobile Linux devices. Bearstech offers expertise in Open Source architecture and complex internet projects, and Pulster specializes in online sales of mobile devices into industrial and education markets with focus on Linux-based solutions.

Continue reading Distributors found for open source phone

my bookmarks

Found Wordle today thanks to @Just_Pete.

Wordle takes any text and turns it into a word cloud. For those unfamiliar with a word cloud, you can see an example of one on the upper right hand side of my blog. That’s a word cloud of all the tags I use for various posts on my blog. The more I mention a word (or tag) the larger the font becomes. And thus, you end up with a word cloud showing how important or how many times a particular word is used.

It made a cool word cloud of my del.icio.us tags. I call it Presidential Lifehacks.

and here’s my latest blog post – The marbles are on a roll ::

and here’s all the text (currently) on the front page of my blog ::

Related ::

Wordle
del.icio.us
my del.icio.us
SSL :: The marbles are on a roll

Laugh for today

Apparently, 1 in 5 people in the world are Chinese. And there are 5 people in my family, so it must be one of them.
It’s either my mum or my dad.
Or my older brother Colin.
Or my younger brother Ho-Cha-Chu.
But I think it’s Colin.

Thanks to Chris and Geek-Speak for the joke.

Chris runs a great website across the pond with fun technology insights “for the rest of us” (Thomas has posted several items of interest there as well). It’s also been fun getting to know him on Twitter as of late. Be sure and stop by and say hello.

Related ::

More jokes from Geek Speak
Follow Chris on Twitter
Thomas’ posts on Geek Speak

Quote for today

“Church communities ought to be cauldrons of theological participation and imagination. that’s why we make churches… we are supposed to gather together in communities to engage in theological participation and imagination just as Christians have done all along.”

– Doug Pagitt
Aug 30, 2007
emergent village podcast

how to be interesting

Thomas shares a great post on how to be interesting.

  1. Take at least one picture everyday. Post it to flickr.
  2. Start a blog. Write at least one sentence every week.
  3. Keep a scrapbook
  4. Every week, read a magazine you’ve never read before
  5. Once a month interview someone for 20 minutes, work out how to make them interesting. Podcast it.
    Collect something
  6. Once a week sit in a coffee-shop or cafe for an hour and listen to other people’s conversations. Take notes. Blog about it. (Carefully)
  7. Every month write 50 words about one piece of visual art, one piece of writing, one piece of music and one piece of film or TV. Do other art forms if you can. Blog about it
  8. Make something
  9. Read:
    * Understanding Comics – Scott McCloud
    * The Mezzanine – Nicholson Baker
    * The Visual Display Of Quantitative Information – Edward Tufte

I think I’m a pretty interesting chap – but one trap I find myself sinking into is sharing so much with the world via the interweb that I don’t stop and take time to share that with others in real life. And other times, I forget to take the time to find out what makes other people interesting and sharing those things with others.

I think that’s one thing I try to do when we host dinner parties, or work on the something beautiful podcast, or introduce friends – make each person see what makes the other person interesting.

In other words – this person must have some qualities/values that I find to be interesting – so be sure and share those qualities with others when you introduce them.

And also, find the beauty in each person around you. Each person has a story. Each person has value. Each person already has “interestingness.” Find it & share it.

Something I’ve also found that helps add to a person’s interestingness is reading and responding to those random surveys on MySpace. I’ve found out so many random thoughts, ideas and history behind so many of my “acquaintances,” friends and family through MySpace surveys.

Twitter has also helped bridge the time/space gap between many (new) friends as well. In fact, many of the suggestions above can be done with 140 characters or less via Twitter, rather than a full blown blog… or you can incorporate the two together.

Related ::

Thomas’ blog post
the original post from Russell Davies
share your photos for free on flickr
get a free blogger (google) blog
get a free wordpress blog
get your own free Myspace profile
micro-blog for free on Twitter
Twitter tools for WordPress

something beautiful :: 1.4 :: matt wilson

for those of you who haven’t checked lately, or subscribed to the something beautiful podcast, this week thomas talks with matt wilson, who heads up the message trust, in manchester, england – along with andy hawthorne – the original founder and visionary.

wilson is also the author of “eden:called to the streets” and is an active blogger at faithscape21.blogspot.com.

and don’t forget to drop us an email for your chance to win shawn mcdonald’s CD, “roots.”

related links ::