The latest offering from WIN Enterprises is the PL-80260 family of desktop networking platforms. The devices are designed to support routing, firewall/threat management, database and NAS networking applications in small- to mid-size businesses and remote enterprise offices. The 9.1"-wide devices are powered by energy-efficient Intel Atom processors and feature up to six Intel GbE LAN ports. The device pairs either the Intel Atom D410 single-core or D510 dual-core processor with the Intel 82801HM I/O Hub. Intel hyperthreading technology increases logical CPU threads, resulting in more efficient use of processor resources. The unit is RoHS-compliant. OS support includes Fedora 13, Debian 5.0.6, openSUSE 11.3, Windows XP Pro and Windows 7.
If you have far-flung assets that require monitoring, a potential solution might be Digi International's recently released ConnectPort X3 H programmable cellular gateway. The product is built for monitoring remote assets in harsh environments, including pipelines, agriculture, utility assets, research and others where exposure to volatile liquids, gases and severe temperatures is common. It also integrates with the iDigi platform, a cloud computing service that enables remote management and integration of devices and device information into a company's back-end systems. Key features include advanced battery power and a NEMA 4X/IP66 enclosure to protect the gateway from water, dust and dirt. Global connectivity is via GSM GPRS cellular networks.
Is your New Year's resolution to be a certified Linux guru? If so, browse on over to TestOut Corporation and check out its new on-line training course LabSim Linux+ Powered by LPI. The all-new browser-based course is designed to meet the revised and standardized certification objectives from CompTIA and the Linux Professional Institute (LPI), such that one can pass both of the new CompTIA Linux+ exams, LX0-101 and LX0-102. TestOut says that its on-line labs simulate a physical lab, letting students experiment with realistic, real-world scenarios from their own computers. The resources—labs, videos, demonstrations, and informational and self-exam materials—cover system architecture, Linux installation and package management, GNU and UNIX commands, devices, Linux filesystems and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.
Kiss Photoshop goodbye and go GIMP with Klaus Goelker's new book GIMP 2.6 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software, published by Rocky Nook. The GIMP is an open-source image editing tool for Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows that provides a free alternative to expensive programs, such as Photoshop. Goelker's book for beginners will take the reader from a sorry, unenlightened state directly to GIMP nirvana, covering topics, such as the basics of image editing, layers and masks, stitching panoramic images and preparing high-quality black-and-white images. The book follows a workshop format and has evolved from classroom materials that the author developed and taught in courses on image editing with the GIMP.
Scripting on a Linux/UNIX box is like playing an instrument. Okay, Sarath Lakshman says its more like cooking, and now that he has a new book out, called Linux Shell Scripting Cookbook, he gets to choose the metaphor. Regardless of whose metaphor you like, you may want to pick up Lakshman's book to master the powerful Linux shell scripting language, your tool for controlling the entire operating system. Written in a cookbook style, the aim of the book is to boil the lengthy man pages down into essential command-line recipes that cover most Linux commands and offer a variety of use cases and examples. Some of the many complex data manipulations covered include text processing, file management, backups and more. Utilities, such as sed, awk, grep and cut, also are covered.
The newest small-form-factor, rugged single-board computer from ADLINK is the Ampro CoreModule 745. This stackable PC/104-Plus SBC allows OEMs in military, avionics, transportation and other rugged markets to add a state-of-the-art Intel architecture controller to their systems without the need for a custom carrier board. The module supports a range of Intel Atom processors, from the power-efficient N450 running at 1.66GHz to the performance-oriented dual-core D510. The Atom's two-chip solution architecture with integrated memory and graphics controllers permit excellent performance with very low power requirements. With a TDP as low as 9W, the CoreModule 745 simplifies cooling requirements and enables conduction-cooled solutions for small sealed enclosures in space-constrained applications.
Could the longtime cult-favorite browser Opera finally make the big time with its new version 11? The company says that Opera 11 is big—a browser that, besides adding a layer of polish to features users have known and loved for a decade, will “change everything you know about browsing”. The key new features include tab stacking, numerous new extensions and visual mouse gestures. Tab stacking is a novel way to organize open tabs. Extensions personalize the browser and add functionality. Visual mouse gestures allow browsing commands via a flick of the wrist. Opera 11, with its 30% smaller footprint, is available for download on Linux, Mac OS and Windows platforms.
