Need a Geeky Project This Holiday Season?

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.plugcomputer.org/' target='_blank'>http://www.plugcomputer.org/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"A plug computer is a tiny, low power server, intended to provide network-based services within the home. It is an always-on system, and can serve data and applications to computing devices within the home. It can also be a bridge between home computing devices and Internet-based services."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1293030388.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>The PlugComputer has been around for a while and in that time, the community that has sprung up around the wall wart sized device has been busy.&nbsp; The typical applications have been built for it such as acting as a web server or a NAS.&nbsp; In fact, the PogoPlug is based on the SheevaPlug design.&nbsp; Among the more interesting applications that have been developed is a custom Twitter client and automotive tracking software.&nbsp; Aside from commercial solutions, it looks like the PlugComputer speaks to your inner geek and makes for an excellent weekend project.</p>

[Jason Dunn]

Looks like a really neat device - but I'm surprised the reference doesn't have WiFi. Having it be a completely cable-free solution would seem to be pretty core...it would be really cool to see someone come up with a hard drive that would attach to this in some way. Even if it made it bigger overall, having something this small that you could have 500 GB+ in storage for backup on would be awesome!

[Philip Colmer]

My own wishlist for a device like this:

Support for Windows CE or perhaps the rumoured ARM version of Windows.
Support for HDMI
Wi-Fi or PowerPlug support
UK plugs!
Then maybe, just maybe, we might see the possibility of a new generation of (cheap) Media Center Extenders :).