Cheap ARM netbooks have Linux forced upon them

cheap-ARM-netbooks-have-linux-forced-upon-them

[Doragasu] got his hands on one of these WM8650 Netbooks for around 50 euros (~$63.50) delivered. They come with a version of Android preinstalled, but he wanted to use them more like a computer and less like an Android device. So he set out to load Arch Linux on the ARM-based Netbook. This is possible because the hardware inside is actually pretty good. The 800 MHz SoC is accompanied by 256 … [Read more...]

Android on your netbook

android-netbook

Looks like there's a pretty easy way to install Ice Cream Sandwich, the newest version of Android, on your Netbook. Actually this is limited to a few types of hardware including netbooks like the eeePC. That's because the ISO files used during installation have been tailored to the hardware used on those devices. As with other Linux distros, the ISO file can be loaded on a thumb drive using … [Read more...]

Recovering a corrupted EEE PC BIOS

recovering_eeepc_bios

[Jeremy] had an ASUS EEE PC 1000HE netbook on his hands which had succumbed to a corrupted BIOS. In most situations, people replace a motherboard when the BIOS is damaged beyond repair, but considering the price of motherboards, especially those built for portable devices, he simply refused to go that route. Instead, he took it apart and did a little investigation to find out what SPI flash … [Read more...]

Add some LED enhancement to your netbook lid

blinken-lights-netbook-lid

[Mathieu] needed to open up his Acer Aspire One to do a hard drive replacement and decided to add a bit of pizzazz while he was in there. The image above is the lid of the netbook adorned with RGB LEDs and a spray painted stencil. He previously purchased a set of surface mount RGB packages on eBay and thought that they were perfect for this hack. after removing the case he found that by using … [Read more...]

Mini arcade cabinet looks as good as the real thing

mame_cab

[Ed] had a netbook he no longer needed and decided to make it into a mini MAME cabinet for some of his family members. MAME cabinets are pretty plentiful, but this one was so nicely done, we wanted to share it. He removed the monitor from an EeePC 901 in order to get some precise measurements, then went about crafting a mini cabinet from MDF. The whole thing was wrapped in sticky label paper … [Read more...]

Robot follows the rules of the road

This is a fantastic high school project. [Shmendrik213] built and robot a programmed it to follow common traffic rules. The robot drives itself with a DC motor, using one servo for steering and another to pan a webcam back and forth. The netbook that comes along for the ride is running a VB.NET program that can detect an upcoming intersection, read the street sign, and react based on other cars … [Read more...]

All that’s needed is a retro paintjob, miniMAME

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[Tim's] miniMAME's construction follows the "light and cheap" approach, using foam core board and hot glue. Sure it won't last a nuclear attack, but at least it's light enough to carry to a friend's house. With a removable netbook at the core, CCFLs, speakers, trackball, and mini arcade fighting stick, the project completely surpassed our expectations. For those looking to build a miniMAME, … [Read more...]