They've posted a survey on their blog to test the waters. They say that getting Boxee embedded on a specialized Apple-TV-like box will take "a long time" but it sounds like they're certainly considering it. As of now, Boxee's revenue model is pretty non-existant.

Right now, you can only use Boxee on a computer (which you can of course hook up to your TV), or on an Apple TV (if you haven't played with Boxee on Apple TV, hit up our guide this instant. It's awesome). I personally would love to see a Boxee box, as it pipes in just about every streaming video service one could think of wanting (Hulu, Netflix, etc) while it serves up your downloaded and ripped video very competently with no restrictions. [Boxee Blog]

It turns out that crappy old PCs are kind of a hot commodity nowadays; numerous software projects have succeeded in dressing up retired computers for purposes that often didn't even exist when they were first wheeled out of Circuit City. Here are a few suggestion for your dumpy old rigs:

Make a browsing machine for your grandmother and/or kitchen

The most straightforward, obvious use for an old PC is to wipe it clean and install a lightweight, browsing-oriented OS. With a modest PC, you can run the web-app-inclined gOS, which is essentially a modern, stripped down Linux distribution with a modern web browser and lots of links to cutting edge online services.

For older hardware, there's always Damn Small Linux. This superlight distribution will boot straight from a CD in about a minute on just about any box you can find — and it's fast. It'll make your Pentium feel like a Centrino 2. Until you try to play YouTube.

What it can salvage
gOS has room to breathe on just about anything from about 700mhz and 256mb of RAM. It's based on Ubuntu, so it's not the lightest distro, but it get good mileage out of your hard. DSL will run on anything, seriously.

How you do it
Download, burn to a CD and pop in in your computer. Both will ask you if you'd like to install or just run from a CD. Give them a try first, but you'll get your best results running from a hard drive.

gOS download page
Lifehacker's gOS Post
DSL download page

Make a professional grade home router

For people who want to rule their home networks with an iron fist, Monowall a FreeBSD-based operating system that flips any PC with two network cards into a superrouter. If that sounds boring to you, I completely understand — but if full bandwidth monitoring and control, easy setup VPNs and a complementary web server with a remote interface perk your ears up, then you should give Monowall a shot. And step outside for a few minutes a day.

What it can salvage
Got a 486? It'll work, with 64MB of RAM. If your hardware is less than five years old, though, you should probably aim a little bit higher than making a Linksys out of it.

How you do it
Again, this is a wipe>install situation. m0n0wall is based on FreeBSD, which is based on Unix. None of that matters much, though — the m0n0wall team has designed a pretty straightforward installation routine.

m0n0wall download
m0n0wall HowTo page

Create a media center PC

There's no reason to spend money on a Windows Media Center PC if you've got an Athlon XP or Pentium 4 machine with an s-video port at hand, because you can do better with the free XBMC Live. Without modern hardware you won't have much luck playing back HD video, but virtually everything else — music, standard def video, streaming content — will play beautifully. The interface is very intuitive and gives a solid set-top box feel.

What it can salvage
Recently obsolete PCs. Don't expect to get a good experience on a 1GHz Athlon or Duron system, but anything newer can handle the load.

How you do it
Like most of the other hacks here, this one is a start-from-scratch project. If you want to run it within Windows or Linux there is also an option for that. The full, OS-replacement XBMC Live is ideal, however.

XBMC Live download
XBMC HowTo
Note: Boxee is a much more polished and feature-rich fork of XBMC that runs on Linux and OS X currently, but it's in a semi-public alpha. Use this link for Gizmodo readers to skip the line a bit and get invited into the alpha.

Run a server

An obvious use for old PCs for years, running a web server has now gotten easy enough for anyone. Apache is the de facto free web server, but it's a pain to set up. Enter XAMPP, a super-simplified click-and-run version of Apache. Forward a few ports on your router and get yourself a static DNS and you've got your very own website, with as much space as you've got on your hard drive and as much transfer as your ISP will let you get away with. If you have no need for a website, you can host your music, video and files for easy access from anywhere.

What it can salvage
Anything that can run Windows or Linux, gOS and Damn Small Linux included. You can reach waaaayy back into your closet with this one.

How you do it
It's a matter of running the installation routine on your chosen operating system — there's no drive wiping or OS installing involved.

XAMPP Download
Port Forwarding Guides
Free Static DNS

Dealzmodo Hacks are intended to help you sustain your crippling gadget addiction through tighter times. If you come across any on your own that are particularly useful, send it to our tips line (Subject: Dealzmodo Hack). Check back every Thursday for free DIY tricks to breathe new life into hardware that you already own.

The hardware itself looks a lot like a beefy router. Connecting to the internet without the aid of a computer, it will feature USB ports for flash memory storage along with S-Video and/or HDMI out (it doesn't sound like the final specs are nailed down just yet, honestly).

But Verismo is promising a ton of partnerships that could make the PoD a sort of one-stop media streamer for BitTorrent and paid downloads alike. Plus, the UI looks speedy and easy to use in this demo. We'll be keeping an eye out for sure. [Verismo Networks via newteevee]

Specifications P22

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 1.86 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB

Chipset
Intel 946GZ + ICH7

Graphics
Intel GMA 3000

OS
Windows Vista Home Premium

Wireless LAN
802.11n

Bluetooth
Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Memory
1 GB DDR2 667

Hard Drive
160 GB SATA2, 5400 RPM

Optical Drive
Slim Slot-loading 16X DVD Super-multi

Ethernet
10/100/1000 Mbps

Front Panel
- HiFi Speaker
- Touch Sensor Power Switch (with LED Light)
- Touch Sensor Drive Eject Button

Rear Port Connector
- USB 2.0 x 4
- VGA out (adapter)
- Microphone x 1
- DVI-I Out
- RJ 45 x 1
- DC Power in x 1
- 5.1 Channel Digital Audio Optical Out x 1 (Sur. R/L)
- 5.1 Channel Digital Audio Optical In x 1 (Sub/Center)

Weight
3.92 lbs.

Intel ViiV Technology
Yes

Dimensions
9" x 7.2" x 2"

Accessory
- IR Microsoft Certified Remote Controller
- Stand for vertical placement
- SPIDF Adapter

The store, which will be integrated in Niveus' new Vista-based media centers, includes content from the big four (EMI, Sony/BMG, Universal and Warner). The majority of sales will be album-only, although I spotted a few singles going for $1.29 a pop. Another downside is that the store is Internet Explorer-only. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [via Electronic House]

I got the run down on the highest end model from Niveus, the Denali Limited Edition. Go big or go home, right? This thing has up to 4 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, CableCARD support, four TV tuners, Core 2 Duo, Ethernet, HDMI, HD DVD, Wi-Fi and that isn't even cracking the surface. The Denali also uses Niveus Glacier Passive Cooling that has no fans and uses a boatload of conveniently placed heatsinks to keep it nice and cool.

Niveus also makes a matching storage server that can store up to 5 TB of data and a disc changer capable of holding 200 discs and stackable (if you happen to own more than 200 DVDs and want them all in changers). The media centers are going to run anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000 and the storage unit and DVD changer will run closer to $3,000 each.

For those who aren't rich, Niveus also announced the Rainier media center. This is a chopped down version of the Denali and is a bit less with prices beginning at $3,500

Denali Product Page
Rainier Product Page

PCMag took a hands-on look of the XL2 and they seem to be thoroughly impressed. The XL2 is described as another step to media center nirvana by Sony. It surpasses its competitors in power and features and with the addition of a HDMI port this one of the better media centers out there, as long as you can afford it and your TV supports HDMI. Oh, and did we mention that it looks pretty? Oooooo, so shiny. – Travis Hudson

Sony Vaio XL2 Digital Living System [PCMag]

Product Page [Evesham]

LG LRM-519 Digital Media Recorder [Design Technica]

Product Page [B&O]

Genius-PC Media Center Box [Akihabara News]

The Kiss DP558 HDD/Ethernet DVD Player [OhGizmo!]