Asus has apparently altered the underlying Linux kernel in their new and popular eeePC. As per the Linux General Public License, they are required to provide the necessary source code for any such modifications. Guess what? They forgot to distribute the code.

The controversy surrounds the asus_acpi module, which is used to manage the hardware interfaces of the eeePC. Perhaps this was just an innocent omission. Apparently not, according to the discoverer, Asus intentionally removed references to the alterations they made. The end users are probably not going to kick up a fuss, but with this potentially being the best selling Linux laptop, ever, is it not a matter of time before someone takes action? [Cliff Hacks Things via Itwire]

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The LCDetar may be the ultimate laptop mod. By sticking an aging laptop into a guitar, a pretty standard music visualization display transcends to rock god status. Now if we could only fit a laptop into our Rock Band controller…and if our Rock Band controller could only produce music without the game… [techeblog]

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Windows are great, you can see things out of them, they shed light and they bring the cool breeze to you. Makoto Hirhara’s Bright Blind tries to bring some of these comforts to barren, windowless walls. The Bright Blind hangs on your wall and is constructed from electroluminescent sheets. The light dispersed gives the impression sunlight is creeping in, much like a real blind covered window would do.

Only thing is; there is no real sunlight behind the Bright Blind. It’s all a lie. One cleverly constructed illusion, even Eisenheim would be proud of its intricate illusionary detailing. If your residence is the local penitentiary, then we could understand the Bright Blind’s utility, but if not, just up and get some air, man. Added bonus, you get some vitamin D out of the real deal, no amount of electroluminescent sheets will give you that. At present, the Bright Blind is a concept, so if you are interested in purchasing, you have a wait on your hands. [Technabob]

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You didn’t want to stand out in the cold for your deals on electronics, risking death by trample to save a few bucks? We can’t blame you. So here are ten great deals you can get from the comfort of your own home during the internet’s version of Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Hit the jump for goodies like a $50 HD DVD player (UPDATE: questionable deal) and discounted iPods.

RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player
Location: Staples.com
Price: $50
Info: It’s a refurb, and it’s a 1st gen HD DVD player, but it’s rumored to run $50 cheaper than Staple’s usual price. And it’s a low commitment way to get into the HD DVD game. Note: model number is an HD DVD player, even though description looks like upconverter. Could be bogus, but more deals below!

Xbox 360 Premium Bundle
Location: Walmart.com
Price: $399
Includes: It’s the Xbox 360 Premium with Forza and Marvel Ultimate Alliance, but you get an extra wireless controller and your choice of games from a pool of some decent titles, including Mass Effect, along with an Xbox 360 messenger bag.

iPods Galore
Location: Bestbuy.com
Price: 16gb touch - $379, 160gb Classic - $332, 8gb Nano - $189
Info: Starts today and goes through next Sunday. Best deal on an iPod w/o student discount or refurb.

10% Off At Circuit City
Location: CircuitCity.com, In-store pickup only
Price: Save 10% on any order of $249 or more.

20% Cash Back At Paypal Retailers
Location: 15 Retailers including Barnes & Noble, HP, eToys.com, Overstock and Sharper Image.
Info: Get 20% cash back up to $50.

1TB Western Digital myBook external HD
Location: ZipZoomFly.com
Price: $219
Info: That’s a lot of porn, my friends.

Viewsonic 26″ LCD HDTV
Location: Staples.com
Price: $399
Info: That’s over $100 savings compared to standard online prices.

HP Photosmart C6280 All in One Printer
Location: Staples.com
Price: $100
Info: Also about $100 off standard online prices.

Plantronics 330 Bluetooth headset
Location: BestBuy.com
Price: $25
Info: Save over $25, get your Bluetooth on.

ClubIT Deals
Location: ClubIT.com
Info: We don’t know what they’ll have for sale yet, but deals should hit Monday morning at 12:30 AM PST.

You see anything we didn’t? Hit the comments and share your deals with the world. Or don’t, and create really bad karma.

Special thanks to dealighted and fatwallet. [photo]

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Even the jewelers at Tiffany’s would be impressed by the mix of precious stones and metals thrown into this PS2 controller neck pendant. The ridiculously geeky piece is constructed from 18k white gold, with 68.34ct of black diamonds lining the controller’s surface.

We were not so sure you could get 68.34ct of diamonds all in one place without owning a bank, but apparently we were wrong. Still, we are guessing the price is a little over the usual you would pay for a standard Playstation controller. Unfortunately, we do not know what the price paid was, but we are sure the rapper, Just Blaze, saved up for weeks to be able to afford the Playstation inspired bling. Now, if a neck pendant fashioned like a diamond clad PS2 controller does not earn him some serious rapper credibility, there is something wrong with the world. There you have it; crime doesn’t pay, rapping does. Perhaps we should start a Gizmodo rapper clan, all we would need is a rival clan to aim our witty slurs at…who could that be? [BGR]

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We have had our eyes on Sarcos for quite a while, as they are the wonder kids that have been promising us super powered exoskeletons. Well, true to their word, they have just released a video of a prototype exoskeleton in action; the result is simply amazing. The device will primarily be made available for military use, allowing soldiers to breakthrough conventional barriers of human endurance. Jump for the video.

The exoskeleton promises to make a difference to many areas of military and civilian life alike. As demonstrated in the video, soldiers will be able to do what they need to for longer. Meaning a soldier’s efficiency will be greatly increased. The further applications are yet to be tested, but refined models should be able to assist those with physical disabilities, not to mention the possibility for a commercial edition. I wonder what the price will be? It’ll surely be worth every penny, did you see how the arm floated upwards? Awesome. [LiveLeak, Thanks, Elvis. P]

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About the size of a hot tub, this portable nuclear reactor in development by Hyperion Power Generation could be buried in a small cement casing within the ground and provide maintenance-free power to 25,000 homes for 5-years.

An internal chemical reaction produced 27 megawatts of thermal energy powering an external steam turbine to produce electricity. A sort of nuclear battery, we’re not sure if it could, should or will ever come to fruition. But it’s certainly a neat idea…and the perfect accessory to take our summer grilling “to the next level.” [hyperion via sfreporter]

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The Rocker Kart is a bicycle alternative, retailing at £149.99 ($309), the three-wheeled kart lacks any form of visible steering, but that is where the Rocker gets interesting. Apparently, by leaning left or right a patented control mechanism comes into play, altering your course to follow the direction of your weight shift.

That sounds like a recipe for disaster to us, but as we all know such disaster can be equivalent to great fun, and so we want to try this baby out. The build of the device seems to be impressively well done, from the galvanized metal frame to the shapely front wheel, intended for better cornering and, of course, the bad ass flame design adorning the seat and frame. I see a Gizmodo Rocker Kart tournament on the horizon…I see Malik winning a Gizmodo Rocker Kart tournament trophy. I see dead people. [Product Page via Random Good Stuff]

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Here’s a quick reminder for those who may have overlooked this deal. Best Buy has a printable online coupon that offers you $10 off games that are $30 and up until Nov 28th. There are no other restrictions to the offer, so whatever system you have, this coupon will play nice with it. [coupon via bargainjack]

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Filed under: Laptops

A group of Linux users have spoken out against Asus and their apparent non-compliance with certain aspects of the General Public License attached to Xandros Linux distro that comes with the Eee PC. This flustered controversy centers around Asus modifying a module of the Linux kernel without distributing the source code, something that breaks the rules of the license. Your average Eee PC owner isn’t going to give a damn about such a trivial point, so end users can safely ignore this debate. As for whether Asus will step up and do what it should have done from day one, that’ll depend on how loud the developers involved make their case. Type harder guys!

[Via Slashdot]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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