Linux headed for worldwide smartphone domination -- The Zelos Group, a technology research firm, has published a finding that predicts that Linux will dominate the smartphone market, beating out both Symbian and Microsoft. The report says Linux scores highest on two criteria that matter most to OEMs and carriers -- openness and low cost -- while Microsoft scored lowest in these areas. Zelos says Symbian beats Microsoft due to the flexibility of its licensing terms, and Microsoft prospects will be stymied to an extent by its desire to strictly manage how its brand is used.
CEO Interview: Dr. Inder Singh of LynuxWorks -- This interview with Dr. Inder Singh, CEO of LynuxWorks, is the second in LinuxDevices.com's CEO/CTO interview series. It addresses the emergence of Linux as a standard the embedded industry can unite around, real-time performance in the 2.6 kernel, how LynuxWorks is prepared to respond to copyright infringement cases, and much more.
Installing Debian Linux on a Pentium-M based mini-ITX SBC -- This article explains how to install Debian Linux on a Lippert Thunderbird mini-ITX motherboard based on a Pentium-M processor. Though not specifically an embedded project, it does involve a form-factor -- mini-ITX -- that's increasingly popular with embedded device and system developers. And, it involves an operating system -- Debian Linux -- that is the third-most popular source of Linux among embedded developers.
"Mini-Apache" touts security, targets embedded Linux devices -- Michael O'Brien, who wrote the hugely popular GoAhead Web server, has founded a company called "MBedThis," which has launched its first product, a "mini-Apache" for embedded devices featuring high security and a small memory footprint. AppWeb is the first in a planned family of web-enabling products from MBedThis.
X11-based Linux distro available for Zaurus and other ARM PDAs -- A new embedded Linux distribution with 2D accelerated graphics based on XFree86 is available now for the Sharp Zaurus SL-C700/750/760/860 and is currently being ported to other ARM architectures. The distribution -- Cacko Linux -- aims to make PDAs into more versatile, sublaptop-like machines by replacing Qtopia with X11.
LR101 achieves first release -- The LR101 Linux Router project has achieved its first release, after more than six months of work. LR101 aims to build a VPN router supporting all major routing protocols on a standardized hardware platform based on VIA mini-ITX motherboards running embedded Linux. The initial release includes configuration interfaces, add-ons, and extensions.
MacOS X apps on Zaurus project seeks developers -- Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller reports progress in the mySTEP project to run MacOS X applications on the Sharp Zaurus. Though not yet ready for production, the newest release brings more maturity and features, and Dr. Schaller invites anyone interested in integrating mobile, low-cost handheld computers with MacOS X-based IT applications to contact the project.
Embedded Linux powers Taiwanese video instruction system --Schools in Taiwan will soon use embedded Linux based systems to provide continuing education courses to teachers through inexpensive video-on-demand (VoD) devices. Additionally, by Q3 2004, some 100,000 educational VoD units are expected to roll out for use by Taiwanese students.
Philips rolls on with rollable displays -- Philips has developed actual prototypes of ultrathin, large-area, rollable, organics-based displays, and has begun to move the technology towards an "industrially feasible" production process. The displays combine active-matrix polymer driving electronics with a reflective "electronic ink" front plane on an extremely thin sheet of plastic. To advance the process of productizing the technology, Philips has formed an internal venture group named "Polymer Vision" within its Philips Technology Incubator.
"Pervasive Internet" will soon be pervasive, study finds -- Harbor Research has published a 210-page research report examining the current state of Internet-enabled device networking -- the "Pervasive Internet" -- at the start of 2004. The report asserts that "we are clearly on the verge of large-scale adoption" of pervasive Internet technology. This summary highlights the findings and features a large chart showing areas where the pervasive Internet will soon pervade.
Other noteworthy news items and announcements from the past week . . .
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