News Archive (1999-2012) | 2013-current at LinuxGizmos | Current Tech News Portal |    About   

Archive for December, 2006

Sub-$10 ARM9 SoC runs Linux, boasts fast data transfers

December 18, 2006

Atmel is shipping a low-cost embedded processor claimed to offer more bandwidth than other ARM9 chips, thanks to parallel buses and distributed DMA. The AT91SAM9263 targets data- and graphics-intensive applications, and is available with an AT91SAM9263-EK evaluation board that supports Linux. (more…)

Whitepaper looks at cellular modem abstraction under Linux

December 15, 2006

This whitepaper discusses telephony server middleware aimed at de-coupling cellular modems from mobile phone operating systems. It was written by Blane E. Rockafellow, who co-founded TapRoot Systems, a telephony server specialist that has partnered with Microsoft, MontaVista, Trolltech, and Symbian. (more…)

Smartphones moving into mainstream?

December 15, 2006

Smartphones are beginning to move out of their traditional business-user niche, and into the mainstream, reports market research firm Telephia. Additionally, Western Europeans are acquiring smartphones at twice the rate of their U.S. counterparts, a new report from the firm suggests. (more…)

Getting Vista to work with Linux NAS gadgets

December 15, 2006

Some Linux- and Samba-based network storage appliances may not work with Windows Vista, writes Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols over at Linux-Watch.com. The solution is to configure Vista to use NTLM instead of NTLMv2 authentication, or else update the storage appliance to Samba server 3.0.22 or higher. (more…)

ARM11-based processor module to support Linux soon

December 15, 2006

Logic Product Development (LPD) is shipping a small, component-like board integrating a Freescale i.MX31 applications processor with memory and I/O functions. The i.MX31 SOM (system-on-module) and associated development kit will support Linux soon, the company says, and target medical, industrial, wireless, and consumer… (more…)

New book explains how to build Linux 2.6 kernels

December 15, 2006

O'Reilly has published a book for Linux users interested in learning to build their own kernels. Linux Kernel in a Nutshell describes how to build and install Linux 2.6 kernels, starting with downloading the source. (more…)

Abstracting telephony: software servers for Linux mobile phones

December 15, 2006

Foreword: This whitepaper discusses telephony server middleware that aims to de-couple cellular modem functionality from mobile phone operating systems. It was written by Blane E. Rockafellow, who co-founded TapRoot Systems, a telephony server specialist that has partnered with Microsoft, MontaVista, Trolltech ((more…)

Report forecasts 2007’s hot tech trends

December 14, 2006

Research firm In-Stat has published its annual list of emerging and hot technology market trends for the year ahead. The firm's list includes “heterogenous multi-architectural processors,” wireless HDMI, PVRs, WiMAX, UWB wireless USB, ZigBee, and 3G, GPS, and DTV in China. (more…)

Ultra-rugged laptop targets off-road apps

December 14, 2006

Kontron in January will ship an “ultra-rugged” laptop aimed at “off-road” applications. The 13-pound NotePAC is based on an Intel Core Duo processor, runs Linux, and tolerates rain, blowing dirt, temperatures well below zero, and atmospheric explosives, Kontron claims. (more…)

Torvalds quashes binary kernel module revolt

December 14, 2006

The issue of whether binary-only kernel modules violate the GPL cropped up again this month on the Linux kernel mailing list, where Linus Torvalds thwarted an effort to ban them. Torvalds called banning binary modules “stupid,” and told kernel hackers they should base decisions on technical merit, not political agendas. (more…)

OSDL touts Linux “serviceability” improvements

December 13, 2006

The Open Source Development Labs is touting recent advances that make Linux more “serviceable.” The organization says its member companies worked with the open source community to improve kernel dump (kdump) and System Tap (stap), two utilities that aim to help administrators debug production Linux systems without taking them offline. (more…)

Firefox 3 alpha available

December 13, 2006

It's not that long since Firefox 2 appeared, but the Mozilla Foundation is already hard at work on Firefox 3. (more…)

Book helps would-be hackers write “excellent code”

December 13, 2006

No Starch Press has published another book about how to write great code and succeed professionally. Code Craft: The practice of writing excellent code, by well-known C Vu columnist Pete Goodliffe, aims to help newer programmers develop professionally into outstanding programmers… (more…)

Security takes center stage at annual GHS conference

December 13, 2006

Security took center stage at the fourth annual technology conference of embedded software vendor Green Hills Software (GHS), reports VDC, which attended the event last week in Santa Barbara, Calif. VDC lauds GHS for pursuing security goals alongside more market-driven goals such as development cost, time-to-market, and new feature development. (more…)

EPIC format PXA270 board does PoE

December 13, 2006

Micro/sys is shipping an EPIC format SBC (single-board computer) based on an XScale processor and powerable by PoE (Power-over-Ethernet). The SBC4670 integrates a 520MHz PXA270 processor, memory, display controller, Ethernet, and a host of data acquisition and control I/O. (more…)