Details emerge on new $299 Linux PDA -- LinuxDevices.com has obtained early details (including photos) of a brand-new Linux-based PDA that is due to hit the market this September, at a price of $299 (USD). Softfield, which took on support of the Agenda VR3 following the demise of Agenda Computing, said it will release the entirely-new MX-7 in early Sep., 2003. The device is based on a Motorola DragonBall MX1 processor (based on ARM920T CPU core) running at 200MHz. Thanks to its Qtopia application environment it should bear some resemblance from an apps perspective to the Sharp Zaurus, although apps may need to be recompiled to run on the MX1 processor. Story
Wiring a vintage teletype to the Internet using Linux -- Do you have an old teletype with a 5-bit serial interface sitting around that you've been itching to hook up to the Internet? If so, this article by Henry Minsky is just what you've been looking for. Minsky has caught the Mini-ITX motherboard form-factor bug big-time, arguing that the compact yet full-featured boards can now compete favorably with more traditional embedded platforms such as single-board computers (SBCs) and system-on-chips (SOCs), in terms of connectivity options, performance, power usage, development time, and flexibility -- and, especially, price. Story
Sena HelloDevice puts legacy serial devices online -- Sena Technologies' HelloDevice SS110 is a small serial-Ethernet converter with a wealth of network connection options thanks to the flexibility of a PCMCIA interface and a built-in wireless interface. Paired with Sena Technologies' HelloDevice visual integrated development environment (IDE), the SS110 can serve as part of a custom remote management, monitoring, or control solution. Learn more about the HelloDevice from this LinuxDevices.com "device profile." Story
Creditcard-sized XScale SBC boasts extensive embedded Linux support -- InHand Electronics Inc. announced immediate availability of the third generation of its tiny "Fingertip" single-board computer family. The credit card sized Fingertip3 is InHand's first SBC to be based on an Intel XScale microprocessor, and also provides substantially enhanced power management capabilities and an SD Card slot. Additionally, the board comes with extensive embedded Linux support. Story
Mobile Media sees Java, Asia driving Linux in mobile devices -- Mobile Media, a fortnightly newsletter for the mobile data industry, recently published an article by Mobile Media Associate Editor Pamela Clark-Dickson observing that Java and the Asian Market are driving the adoption of embedded Linux in mobile handsets and PDAs. Story
Embedded developer study probes debuggers, HW/SW focus, Linux IP concerns -- Evans Data Corp. (EDC) has released data on several findings from its recently completed survey of nearly 400 embedded developers. The data sheds light on: the value embedded developers place on real-time debuggers; how much time developers spend on hardware vs. software related issues; and, the role developers play in evaluating intellectual property (IP) issues such as SCO's recent claim that Linux violates its IP. Our coverage includes graphs and tables of some of the EDC data. Story
IDC study confirms demise of the "unconnected PDA" -- A new research study from market analyst IDC confirms that potential growth for the "unconnected PDA" market is shifting to voice-enabled devices including mobile phones and "converged mobile devices," which combine the data capabilities of PDAs with the voice communication capabilities of mobile phones. Story
Open Source Council Larry Rosen offers reassuring Q&A on SCO lawsuit -- The SCO lawsuit against IBM involving Linux has garnered huge amounts of press and generated lots of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD), but according to Larry Rosen, general council to the Open Source Initiative, it's hardly the "trial of the century." The OSDL has just released a Q&A document authored by Rosen, which sheds some light on a few of the issues. While not offering legal advice, the Q&A document is intended by Rosen to calm some of the current uncertainties. Story
Other noteworthy news items and announcements from the past week . . .
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You can access 2003's newsletters here: Aug. 14, Aug. 7, Jul. 31, Jul. 24, Jul. 17, Jul. 10, Jul. 3, Jun. 26, Jun. 19, Jun. 12, Jun. 5, May 29, May 22, May 15, May 8, May 1, Apr. 24, Apr. 17, Apr. 10, Apr. 3, Mar. 27, Mar. 20, Mar. 13, Mar. 6, Feb. 27, Feb. 20, Feb. 13, Feb. 6, Jan. 30, Jan. 23, Jan. 16, Jan. 9, Jan. 2
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