Blackdog
Original BlackDog
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| Manufacturer | Realm Systems |
|---|---|
| Type | Plug computer |
| Release date | 2005 |
| Operating system | Debian-based |
| CPU | Xilinx Virtex II-Pro FPGA containing a 400 MHz IBM PowerPC 405 Delta processor |
| Memory | 64 MB low power SDR SDRAM |
| Storage | 256 or 512 MB NAND Flash |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, MMC slot, Authentec AES3400 fingerprint reader, multicolor LED |
| Power | USB host-powered with small lithium polymer buffer battery |
| Dimensions | H: .50” W: 1.75” L: 3.5” |
| Weight | 1.6 ounces |
| Successor | K9 |
The BlackDog is a pocket-sized, self-contained computer with a built-in biometric fingerprint reader which was developed in 2005 by Realm Systems, which is plugged into and powered by the USB port of a host computer using its peripheral devices for input and output.
It is a mobile personal server which allows a user to use Linux, ones applications and data on any computer with a USB port. The host machine’s monitor, keyboard, mouse, and Internet connection are used by the BlackDog for the duration of the session. As the system is self-contained and isolated from the host, requiring no additional installation, it is possible to make use of untrusted computers, yet using a secure system. Various hardware iterations exist, and the original developer Realm Systems closed down in 2007, being picked up by the successor Inaura, Inc.
Identified as the BlackDog, the Project BlackDog, or Original BlackDog, the first hardware version was touted as "unlike any other mobile computing device, BlackDog contains its own processor, memory and storage, and is completely powered by the USB port of a host computer with no external power adapter required." It was created in conjunction with Realm System's Project BlackDog Skills Contest (announced on Oct 27, 2005) which was supposed to raise interest, and create a developer community surrounding the product. The BlackDog was publicly available for purchase from the Project BlackDog website in September 2005 for those who wished to enter the contest or to experiment with the platform. Production ended in mid January 2006 when the contest closed.
On 7 February 2006, the winners of the contest were announced for the categories: Security (the Michael Chenetz), Entertainment (Michael King), Productivity (Terry Bayne) and "Dogpile" (Paul Chandler). On Feb 15, 2006, during the Open Source Business Conference, San Franscisco, Terry Bayne was announced the grand prize winner of the contest and received USD50,000 for his creation "Kibble," a tool for building integration solutions between the host PC and the BlackDog device using a SOAP-based RPC mechanism to send arbitrary LUA code to be executed on the host PC from the BlackDog. At this conference, the second iteration of the BlackDog, the K9 was publicly announced.
Identified as the K9 Ultra-Mobile Server, or K9, this version was announced at the Open Source Business Conference in February 2006 with expected availability in the third quarter of 2006. However, company turbulences (see Company History below) prevented the K9 from being sold until early 2009 by Inaura, Inc.
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