The NIC and USB are obviously present.  ssh is highly expected (how else would you get in?), as is the ability to install anything that will fit in the 512 MiB of flash.  The audio output is missing, but if it supports any USB hub, you could connect an external USB drive and a USB amp like this one, and feed into your sound system.  Wonder what distro it’s using?

I’ve been using an old laptop to drive the audio for my whole house for several years.  This is not a great solution since it’s comparatively power hungry, loud, takes up space, and is dying.  With the wall-wart, that old system can disappear, and the wart can probably put out a lot better sound (with the USB amp).  I’ve considered replacing the laptop with an iTouch or some device, but I really like using the machine as a server for other purposes that a handheld would not support.

So far this system is just theoretical.  But I hope to get my hands on one of these and try it out.  Hmm, there are even USB monitors now; that could be interesting!

It would also make for a nice little backup server, hosting a drive for automated rsync.  There’s also the need for USB-powered eXtreme Feedback Devices (XFDs).  The ShivaPlug could handle some of that with a USB light or lava lamp.  Any other possibilities?  Let me know your experiences if you’re playing with one.

Thanks Jon for the link!