Let’s face it, embedded Linux just makes things more fun! The article below illustrates this pretty darn well too, if you ask me.

Earlier this year, I wrote a story called “Hacking Your Linux-Based Wireless Router” about using aftermarket firmware to expand the capabilities of Linksys WRT54G-series routers. Flashing a Linux-based firmware like DD-WRT to your WRT54GL, for example, adds features like VoIP, VPN, QoS, SSH, and IPv6 support. Thanks to the support of the Linux community and rights guaranteed by the GNU General Public License (GPL), users get more out of their hardware, developers build skills and acquire status in the developer community working on projects they’re interested in, and Linksys sells more routers. Everyone wins.
Embedded Linux like the kind found in the WRT54GL is popping up everywhere. It’s in mobile phones, MP3 players, PDAs, set top boxes, networking equipment—almost every NAS box we’ve tested ships with some form of the Linux kernel. If what I saw at Linux World Expo last week was any indication, its popularity in CE devices will only continue to grow. Motorola, the world’s second largest handset maker, indicated that 50% to 60% of its phones will be running Linux in the next few years…. Source: ExtremeTech