Universal USB Installer Makes a Persistent Thumb Drive Version of Any Linux OS [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5574276/universal-usb-installer-makes-a-persistent-thumb-drive-version-of-any-linux-os

Windows: Having a full Linux operating system on a USB thumb drive is pretty neat. Having that OS customized, with your own favorite apps and all your settings intact, is far more helpful. This Windows tool makes that possible.

Universal USB Installer is a stand-alone application that automates the process of downloading, formatting, and installing a Linux OS to a USB drive, as well as implementing a variable amount of "persistence." "Persistence" means that when you swap out Firefox for Chrome, change keyboard shortcuts, store files in your home directory, or make other changes to your portable Linux, they stick from boot-up to boot-up—which isn't the case with most portable Linux distributions.

If you've already downloaded a Linux installation ISO and run Universal USB Installer from the same directory the ISO is in, the app will find it and use it for the installation, rather than download another copy. Most useful of all, your USB drive can still be read by Windows when you're done formatting, so creating a "Storage" folder on the drive gives you some room to maneuver whenever a simple storage space is needed.

Universal USB Installer is a free download that runs on Windows systems. If you've found another tool for making persistent USB Linux systems, you'd better believe we want to hear about it in the comments.

Universal USB Installer [USB Pen Drive Linux]

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Nokia N900 Hacked With Froyo, While Androids Are Still Waiting [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5574253/android-froyo-hacked-onto-nokia-n900

Nokia would be doing much better if they'd announced last week that along with ditching Symbian for high-end devices, they were adopting Android too. Sadly, they're sticking with MeeGo—but as this video demonstrates, you can Androidize it yourself.

Froyo is rolling out gently across some of the Android phones already in people's hands, but just because you bought a Nokia N900 instead doesn't mean you miss out on all the fun.

The video plods along in some places, but does manage to show that everything's running smoothly, minus the icons in the status-bar "curtain." .[DailyMobile]

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Chrome Passes Safari To Become #3 Most Used Browser In U.S. [Browsers]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5574383/chrome-passes-safari-to-become-3-most-used-browser-in-us

According to StatCounter, Chrome just edged out Safari to become the third most widely used browser in the United States, claiming 8.97% of the market share to Safari's 8.88%. I guess people really responded to that potato gun speed test.

Chrome has been beating Safari globally for a while now, commanding about 9% of international market share to Safari's 4% or so. And Chrome's growth isn't just bummer for the browsers it's leaving in the dust—it's holding back Firefox, too, keeping Mozilla's browser just shy of the 25% market share mark. [Business Wire via BGR]

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mSpot Beats Google to Cloud-Based Music Service [Music]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5574406/mspot-beats-google-to-cloud+based-music-service

Putting our music collections in the cloud would be a wonderful thing. So wonderful, even, that Google and Apple have been working on doing just that for months. But why wait? mSpot's letting you Android users do it now.

mSpot has been streaming movies to all four major carriers for some time, but today they announced that they were jumping to the front of the line for cloud-based music on Android handsets.

Here's how it works: any unencrypted music files you own are stored in the cloud, to be played back at any time on your Android phone or PC. The first 2GB you upload are free, while 10GB will cost you $3.00/month and 100GB (a whopping 80,000 songs) will go for $14.00/month.

The catch is that mSpot doesn't have a deal in place with the major record labels, who may be a bit nonplussed to see their content spread widely without additional royalties. But until they make a legal case of it—and until Google and Apple finally release their own services—mSpot will remain the biggest cloud-based music game in town. [mSpot via Media Memo]

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16GB iPhone 4 Parts Cost $187.51 [Iphone 4]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5574423/16gb-iphone-4-parts-cost-18751

The components that make up the 16GB iPhone 4 cost just under $188, according to iSuppli. For some perspective: that's more than Droid or the 3GS. Most of that added price seems to be built into that fancy retina display.

That screen—likely produced by LG—cost a disproportionate $28.50 per unit, according to iSuppli. The A4 processor—from Samsung, and the same as in the iPad—cost $10.75, and the new gyroscope chip came in at an estimated cost of $2.60.

It's not clear how much profit Apple's clearing with each unit—iSuppli doesn't take into account the marketing, design, manufacturing, etc. costs, or how much AT&T contributes—but it's safe to say it's at least in line with previous models. [Businessweek]

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