Welcome to LinuxDevices.com's Embedded Linux Newsletter June 3, 2004 by Rick Lehrbaum Editor-in-chief

Embedded project: a solid-state Linux mini-ITX recording studio -- This simple embedded Linux project builds a dedicated music recording and editing computer using a CompactFlash card instead of a hard drive, to eliminate hard disk chatter. It uses the latest release from the Agnula (GNU/Linux Audio) project, and the newest VIA Epia MII-12000 mini-ITX board. This embedded project is fairly simple, because it starts with an embedded distribution -- a "Live CD" -- and simply installs it onto CompactFlash.

Linux powers world's first "emotional lamp" -- Embedded Linux powers the first "emotional lamp," a WiFi-connected device that can be programmed to respond to real-world events by emanating sequences of gentle color. The lamp is available at prestigious Paris department store Galeries Lafayette, or direct, for 790 Euros (about $937). Find out all the details about the Violet Dal lamp -- surely one of the most cosmopolitan, elegant, and artistic embedded Linux design wins ever -- in our complete Device Profile.

Linux smartphone "killer app" ready for combat -- Linux appears ready to take on Microsoft and Symbian in the smartphone market, with Trolltech's launch this week of a mobile phone app stack delivering PDA-like features on feature-phone-level hardware. Qtopia Phone Edition supports keypad and touchscreen devices, and nearly any processor that can run Linux. "Phone manufacturers, particularly in Asia, are extremely interested in using Linux for their mobile phones," according to Trolltech CEO Haavard Nord.

Intel to release next-gen BIOS technology under open source license -- Intel plans to release the "Foundation code" of its next-generation firmware technology -- a successor to the PC BIOS -- under the Common Public License (CPL), an open source license, later this year. More than 20 years old, the BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) is the oldest software technology in PC platforms. Intel says its firmware Foundation code, a result of a project codenamed Tiano, "provides that the successor to the BIOS will be based on up-to-date software technology."

Next-generation BIOS boasts network, security features -- Speaking of next-generation BIOS-level firmware, Phoenix Technology has launched its family of next-generation BIOS firmware aimed at increasing the security and manageability of PCs, notebooks, servers, embedded devices, and the networks that connect them. The company also launched a pre-boot environment, firmware development tools, and key application components providing advanced device-based authentication and encryption features.

Intel adds three processors to embedded lineup -- Intel added three chips to its embedded processor lineup this week. The three include two in the Pentium family -- the 1.8 GHz Pentium M processor 745 (formerly code named "Dothan"), and the 600 MHz Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel Celeron M processor -- plus one in the XScale family, the 312/416/520 MHz PXA270.

OTHER NEWSWORTHY ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE PAST WEEK . . .

• How Mom, Pop, and Linux will take down SBC, Verizon, and the rest
  
• High-performance thin client reference design draws just 6 watts
  
• New mobile-optimized MLC flash technology adopted by SBC vendor
  
• Rugged Linux systems vendor integrates WAN cards
  
• Crossplatform USB/PCI driver dev tool gains PPC Linux support
  
• Tiny PXA255 SBC comes with Linux 2.6
  
• Flash drive on PMC card supports Linux
  
• Next-gen VIA mobo touts speed, security, MPEG-4
  
• Nine from IBM -- FindBugs, Linux migration, Perl, SendMail security, Grids, Eclipse . . .
  

. . . and that's not all. Click here for the latest breaking news.

• Article talkbacks
  
• Linux on PDAs
  
• Embedded Linux Q&A
  
• Real-time Linux
  
• GPL issues & discussion
  
• Embedded Java+Linux
  
• Little Linux systems
  
• General discussion
  

• Introduction & Overview ("start here")
  
• Embedded Linux Distributions
  
• Real-time Linux
  
• GUI/Windowing Software
  
• Java on Embedded Linux
  
• System-on-Chip Processors
  
• Single Board Computers
  
• Little Linux Systems
  
• Linux-Based "Cool Devices"
  
• Linux-PDAs and PDA-Linux
  
• Embedded Linux Market
  

You can access this year's previous newsletters here:   May 27,   May 20,   May 13,   May 6,   Apr. 29,   Apr. 22,   Apr. 15,   Apr. 8,   Apr. 1,   Mar. 25,   Mar. 18,   Mar. 11,   Mar. 4,   Feb. 26,   Feb. 19,   Feb. 12,   Feb. 5,   Jan. 29,   Jan. 22,   Jan. 15,   Jan. 8

Be sure to stop by LinuxDevices.com -- "the Embedded Linux Portal" -- for the latest news, articles, links, forums, products, companies, jobs, and buzz in the fast-moving "post-PC" world of Linux-based intelligent devices, Internet appliances, and embedded systems. You can contact us here.

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