Looking for the perfect gift for that geek in your life? Look no further.  The linksys NSLU2, aka the Slug, is a device that allows you to attach two USB devices from the factory, and that can be upped to basically the USB hardware limits any linux box would be subjected to with some hacking. This little device uses 10 watts of power and comes equipped with a 133MHz processor, that can also be “overclocked” to 266MHz with a pair of toe nail clippers. This thing has as much processing power, actually more, than the first Dell computer I bought back in the day for over $3,000.  All of this comes in a case that is smaller than most home routers.

From the factory, the NSLU2 is setup to support two USB hard drives. While this is “ok” for many people looking for a cheap NAS device, it is not enough for the average geek. If you spend $20 and a few hours, you can have a full blown Debian install on a flash drive and have a linux box that uses 10W and takes up no space….incredible. There are detailed instructions on how to install Debain on an NSLU2 and they work like a charm. Currently the Debian installer, they have official Debian support for the NSLU2 (crazy), but there are detailed directions on how to install it manual style.

If you don’t want to go that far, you can install any number of different pieces of software created by users for the NSLU2, by visiting NSLU2 Linux. New firmwares and other pieces of software enable the NSLU2 to do just about anything you can think up, without much work.

Conclusion? The NSLU2 by Linksys is the best piece of hardware a geek can own for under $100.

[tags]NAS, NSLU2, Linksys, Geek, Gift[/tags]

Just noticed that Xincom has finally released a firmware update for the DPG-502 Twin WAN router. The upgrade went as smooth as silk via my web browser after downloading the file and backing up the existing setup.  I love it when that happens. The new upgrade seems to have a number of different enhancements and revisions to the GUI interface.  Thanks for finally releasing the update Xincom.

[tags]Xincom, Twin WAN, Router, DPG-502[/tags]

Anyone have a good, entry-level, Digital, auto-ranging multi-meter they can recommend? I am in the market for something with as many features that can be packed into a decent quality unit with auto-ranging for around $50.

[tags]Recommendation, Multi-Meter, Digital, Electronics[/tags]