Bug Labs Adds New Modules

For those who like to open their gadgets or make their own, Bug Labs is the company to watch. It sells an open-source minicomputer and accompanying modules, including a touch screen, a camera, a GPS unit, and a motion sensor that can be easily added to the base. And at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the company announced five new modules:

* BUGprojector, a mini pico-projector module, incorporating DLP® Pico™ technology from Texas Instruments. With a native resolution of 480x320 pixels, stereo playback and a brightness of 9 lumens, users can project videos, photos and presentations on the go.

* BUGsound, an audio module, providing a flush-mount 20-mm speaker and omnidirectional microphone with hardware stereo codecs and four 3.5-mm stereo jacks for third-party inputs, outputs, headphones and microphones. Use BUG as a portable music player, speakerphone, audio processor or more.

* BUG3g GSM, a 3G mobile radio with SIM card input, enabling BUGs to connect to any high-speed GSM network. Users can place calls, send and receive SMSes or transmit data, opening a world of possibilities for mobile and telephony applications.

* BUGwifi, a dual-function 802.11b/g wi-fi and Bluetooth™ 2.0 + EDR radio, offering yet another wireless data connectivity option for the BUGbase, while providing a gateway to a variety of peripherals such as keyboards, mice, headsets and more.

* BUGbee, a low-powered 802.15.4 radio, enabling BUG developers to create short-range personal area network (PAN) applications for home automation, sensor networks, automotive and more.

The company says that pricing will be available in the coming weeks.

Security Flaw Found in Linux

A bug found in Debian Linux, from which the popular Linux version Ubuntu is derived, puts at risk a number of cryptographic keys generated on Debian systems between September 2006 and May 13, 2008, according to security researcher H.D. Moore. The keys placed at risk include the type typically used to protect e-commerce transactions. The bug resulted from the deletion of a section of code that was responsible for providing the random numbers that are the foundation of the keys. As a consequence, keys generated could be vulnerable to attackers.