The Linux operating system is not just for nerds. Even though you
may not realize it, chances are you probably have a version of Linux
running right under your nose. It’s found its way into a multitude of
devices, both large and small.
Today, Sept. 17, 2011, is the 20th anniversary of the date when the first Linux
kernel (version 0.01) was released and uploaded to an FTP server by
Linus Torvalds in Helsinki. Although Torvalds had been working on the
code since April, 1991 (recognized by some as the birthday of Linux),
it wasn’t until September of that year that he released the first Linux
kernel to the world. That early iteration consisted of a mere 10,239
lines of code.
Fast-forward to the present day, where the Linux kernel 2.6.35
contains more than 13.5 million lines of code, and controls gadgets,
devices and instruments you might never have expected. Take a look at
our gallery below and be surprised by the ubiquity of this useful,
versatile and compact operating system on its 20th birthday:
1. TiVo
Underneath the digital video recorder TiVo's user-friendly and
popular interface is a modified version of Linux. We have a hunch that
those Linux underpinnings are responsible for TiVo's snappy response and
smooth video playback.
2. Android
The Android operating system is showing up in multitudes of
handheld devices. It was created by the Open Handset Alliance, headed up
by Google. Lots of smartphone providers place their own brand of user
interface enhancements on top of Android, and there's a lot of tricky
programming called middleware in between, but underneath? Good old
Linux.
3. AT&T MiFi
This pocket-sized device gives users a mobile access point that
makes it so multiple people can use a single 3G connection. That gives
any Wi-Fi device the ability to go online practically anywhere. What's
in it for you? Imagine never having to pay a $12.95 Wi-Fi charge in a
hotel again, thanks to Linux.
4. Large Hadron Collider
When it's time to answer big questions, physicists are turning
to Linux to run the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and
highest-energy particle accelerator. Just what questions are they trying
to answer with this $9 billion scientific instrument? They're trying to
understand some of the deepest and most fundamental laws of physics,
such as the structure of space and time.
5. Refrigerator (Electrolux Infinity I-Kitchen)
Why would you need Linux in your refrigerator? How about
running a touchscreen on the front, storing your contacts and calendars,
recipes and reminders, and letting you keep your family organized with
electronic Post-it notes? And, some refrigerators are smart enough to
remind you that it's time to buy more milk.
6. Sony Bravia HDTV
We tested the latest Sony Bravia connected TV, which brings you
your favorite video-on-demand service from Netflix or Amazon and a lot
more. That's thanks (in part) to its Linux underpinnings. Of course, it
can show you the latest 3-D video, and the one we tested was even smart
enough to turn itself off if there was no one sitting in the room.
7. Chumby
This little supersmart alarm clock runs more than 1,000 apps,
and it's all made possible by Linux under the hood. Don't let its
diminutive size fool you -- this gadget can display video, call up your
favorite Pandora Radio channels and remind you of appointments. Best of
all, it's fun.
8. GPS (Tom Tom)
Bet you didn't know that GPS unit on your car's dashboard was
running Linux. Humming away inside many Garmin, Tom Tom (and other) GPS
navigators are versions of Linux. Now if the accuracy of the maps could
measure up to that sharp Linux code running inside, we wouldn't have to
recalculate so often.
9. Kindle
The electronics reader that made e-reading famous is the Amazon
Kindle, and displaying its E-Ink screen with enough speed to make it a
pleasure to use is -- you guess it -- starts with an "L."
10. Self-Driving Car
Self-driving cars, otherwise known as autonomous vehicles, are
not perfect yet, but they're getting there. Many of them are running
Linux, and researchers are using the operating system to find their way
toward someday eliminating the need for traffic signals, driver's
licenses, and maybe even rules of the road.
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