Android debuts, Sep 24, 2008

T-Mobile, Google, and HTC announced the first phone based on the Google-sponsored Android Java/Linux stack. The T-Mobile G1 is due to ship on October 22 for $180, with 1GB of flash, a 3.2-inch touchscreen haptic display, a keyboard, and WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

Bug Labs will ship its tiny, open-source ARM11-powered BugBase and three add-on modules in October, and will switch to Poky Linux. Meanwhile, a recent review finds the hackable Linux-based platform to be intriguing, but currently too "flaky" for typical consumers.

Clarion announced a Linux-based personal navigation device (PND) based on an 800MHz Z500 Intel Atom processor, with 512MB of RAM and a 4.8-inch 800x480 touchscreen. The ClarionMind has a GPS receiver, but no map database of its own, instead connecting to Internet-based map sites.

McAfee has promised to help protect Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) running Moblin Linux from the dangers of the "open Internet." The security software vendor has also promised to deliver encryption software to protect data on stolen laptops that run Linux on Atom processors.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a phone from HTC that could be the first phone to ship with the Linux-based Google Android stack. The 5 x 3-inch HTC Dream sports a slide-or-swivel QWERTY keypad, touchscreen with haptic feedback, WiFi, and Bluetooth.

A new netbook for European schools runs Linux on a Chinese-designed processor. With a generous 10-inch, 1024×600 display, the 2.4-pound Emtec Gdium boots Mandriva Linux from removable USB flash keys, running it in 512MB of DDR2 RAM on a 900MHz Loongson-2F processor made by STMicroelectronics (ST).

Digi-Key has picked up a low-cost evaluation board aimed at low-volume embedded developers, hobbyists, and students. The U.S.-based distributor of single-board computers and other embedded development products says TI's $150, 3-inch-square Beagle Board offers a unique opportunity to evaluate ARM's Cortex A8 and TI's OMAP3 architectures.

German industrial PC vendor Janz Automationssysteme AG is now supporting the RTAI and Xenomai Linux real-time extensions for its latest industrial computers.

Openmoko has begun shipping its Linux-based, open source Neo Freerunner phone to five newly announced distributors, in Germany, France, and India, says the company. The Neo Freerunner features an open hardware design, and a Linux-based operating system that users are free to modify.

Enea has upgraded its Linux-compatible interprocess communications (IPC) services software for distributed telecom systems. Linx now incorporates features that improve service availability, says Enea, including protocol/feature negotiation, priority messaging, and support for the new in-service upgrade capability in Enea's carrier-grade Element middleware.

A Hong Kong-based manufacturer is shipping a Linux-based ultra-mini PC (UMPC) laptop for only $250 ($180 in volume), which appears to give it the lowest price yet for a Linux laptop. Bestlink's Alpha 400 offers a 400MHz CPU and a 7-inch, truecolor display.

A vendor of power-efficient multicore PowerPC processors that run Linux and other embedded OSes will be acquired by Apple. Its purchase of P.A. Semi could signal Apple plans to migrate its desktops, servers, and embedded consumer products back to PowerPC.

The Firebird Project has ported its lightweight, open-source database to the ARM architecture. The project is looking for help testing a new Firebird 2.1 RC2 release, which in addition to ARM support, adds database triggers, temporary and monitoring tables, common table expressions, and recursive queries.

The "Podzilla" open source application suite was ported to a relatively inexpensive line of flash-based mp3 players. Originally developed by the iPod Linux project, the software now runs on SanDisk's $100-$150 Sansa e200 devices, reports Sebastian Duell, chief SansaLinux project developer.

Firmware company General Software announced that it is selling customized, quick-booting versions of its Linux-compatible BIOS firmware to the medical device industry. The company says its "Embedded BIOS with StrongFrame Technology" can boot to lilo (Linux loader) in less than a second.

Wind River's 4Q 2008 earnings results showed expected revenue growth to $84.3 million and a net loss of $2 million. However, Linux bookings were up 66 percent, with Linux expected to deliver $150 million in revenue for fiscal 2009, about 41 percent of the company's projected $365 million total.

Nokia promised to support Microsoft's cross-platform multimedia plugin across its major mobile device products. The Finnish mobile-phone giant will add Silverlight support to Symbian S60 smartphones, Series 40 devices, and Linux-based Nokia Internet tablets, it said.

Novell has updated its Linux distribution for administrators wishing to manage and customize point-of-sales/service (POS) systems. SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service (SLEPS) supports Linux-compatible equipment such as NCR's RealPOS 80XRT terminal, and can be used in large, "multi-tier" POS environments such as major retail chains, Novell said.

Texas Instruments (TI) will join the Linux Foundation in order to "collaborate with industry leaders who define both technical and operational best practices around open source software," it announced. TI's open source strategic marketing manager, Eric Thomas, will join the Foundation's board alongside new members Larry Augustin and Chris Schlaeger.

Berlin-based VoIP phone vendor Snom will show off its new line of Linux-based cordless VoIP phones at this week's CeBIT 2008 Conference in Hannover, Germany. Snom will also launch its Snom Hacker Shootout program to encourage hacker community involvement in addressing VoIP security issues.