In my life time, I have seen many little linux-microcomputers that will allow you to do more hacking with less space.
Sorta like the ultra-tiny SheevaPlug, this BUG is an open-source linux-based microcomputer that already comes with accelerometer, camera, and even a GPS module so you can build the next generation gadget-device with it.
I happen to like it a lot, maybe I will get one soon to start hacking it.
BUG is a baby monitor. BUG is a security system. BUG is a GPS device. BUG can read barcodes, draw pictures, update your twitter feed, and control robots. BUG is a platform for learning, rapid prototyping, and experimentation. BUG is just about whatever you want it to be. So, the BUG can be anything, but what is it?
BUG is a set of tools that lets you create personalized gadgets and devices. It’s open-source and modular, letting you literally snap together the device you need. Backed by a community of enthusiastic developers, BUG development continues to grow more exciting and diverse.
Because BUG is open-source, it doesn’t impede your creativity. If you’ve got an idea for a gadget, it’s easy to throw it together. For example, your garden is being chomped on by some unseen entity. Snap a motion-detector and a camera onto the BUGbase, write some Java, and you’ve got gadget that’ll catch the family of deer that roams through your yard. Unhappy with Google maps street view? Snap on the GPS module and the camera, and code your BUG to take geotagged photos at specific intervals and roll your own. Got an RC helicopter? Snap on the vonHippel breakout-board module and the touch-screen module and code an interface to fly your helicopter on your BUG. Are you a cartographer? Snap the GPS and the touch-screen modules on, a smidgen of Java, walk to the corners of your property, and bang zoom, you’ve got a map.
