I'd just like to point out how exciting this actually is, because it seems like the reviewers mentioned it but missed the point.
This isn't some vaporware product that some company is geewizzing us with that will likely never get released. The greatness here is that its completely open. Not "going to be open when we're done with it". You can download the schematic now. You can get a dev kit built by someone else now.
For $99 you can start automating your lavalamps right away. The internet of things starts with the plugs. Tres cool.
How will it help me automate my lavalamps? It plugs into a wall socket, but it isn't a wall socket.
It's no different from a hacked Linksys WRT54G or any hacked Linux powered home NAS, except in shape and openness.
And openness isn't a great distinction compared to a hacked Linux powered device, since their closedness has been worked around.
I don't see it as especially exciting - it has no ethernet-over-mains or wireless or switching or any other tech that makes it inherently geared towards home automation, it's just another linux powered print/disk/ssh/web server, isn't it?
Its open. That's the greatness. The dev kit is a little lacking but already it has GPIO pins if you wanted to do a relay and a usb port for a $20 spark-fun "usb-whacker" if you're too lazy for gpio.
The point is that with the schematic and the backing of Marvell, it will be easy for relatively small players to add cool innovative features with custom builds. Every time I find a place to buy a WRT54G, its different inside and takes a lot of googling and fiddling to get any linux at all on its tiny flash.
The Linksys WRT54G or any hacked Linux powered home NAS are finished products. This is an exciting beginning.
Note: I actually chose lavalamps as an example while looking at the little usb lavalamp on my desk and thinking about writing a tiny web app for this little box so that I could plug it into the usb port and have a "computer free web enabled lava lamp" anywhere in the house. The simple (usb to) serial commands to make the lamp come on and change colors would be super easy with this little device.
This isn't some vaporware product that some company is geewizzing us with that will likely never get released. The greatness here is that its completely open. Not "going to be open when we're done with it". You can download the schematic now. You can get a dev kit built by someone else now.
For $99 you can start automating your lavalamps right away. The internet of things starts with the plugs. Tres cool.