Measuring at just 2 x 2 x 2.2 inches this is the smallest Desktop PC. And it's running Linux, one more point for Linux coolness.

The open source movement gave rise to Linux and spawned a generation of collaborative coders. Now it's extending its reach to the hardware industry.

I'm a fan of many kinds of offbeat open source efforts, and the idea of community contributions can be applied to any number of pursuits, as seen previously in this post. This week I came across a few eyebrow-raising open source stories worthy of another short roundup. Here, you'll find four unusual examples of left-field open source in action.

gDesklets is another great tool like Google Gadgets for bringing mini programs called desklets such as weather forecasts, news tickers, system information displays, or music player controls, onto your desktop, where they are sitting there in a symbiotic relationship of eye candy and usefulness.

Linux computers are everywhere. Oh, you may not think you’re using Linux, but if you have a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) recording your television shows or a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device or a Wi-Fi AP (Access Point) on your home network, chances are you’re running Linux. None of those devices are as cute or as downright odd as the leather-wrapped Chumby alarm clock.

The iPhone doesn't run Linux, but Intel has begun work to help improve the operating system for future devices of its ilk.