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. (more…)

Foreword — This detailed, fact-filled editorial lays out the facts surrounding Nokia's announced intention to buy out its partners and release Symbian to open source. Author Andreas Constantinou, one of the smartest new voices commenting on the wireless market, then looks at what the news really means for the industry. Enjoy . . . ! (more…)

Lightweight graphics stack company Fluffy Spider Technologies (FST) has forged an alliance with a Taiwan-based company specializing in multilingual fonts. FST and Arphic Technology will work together to develop “intuitive multilingual interfaces” for a variety of Linux-compatible consumer electronics devices and… (more…)

Win Enterprises is shipping a 1U, Core2 Duo-based network appliance with eight Ethernet ports. The Linux-compatible PL-60760 targets firewalls, VPN gateways, IDS/IPS (intrusion detection and prevention systems), NAC (network access control) systems, and UTM (unified threat management) applications based on Linux and… (more…)

MSC Vertriebs has announced a COM (computer-on-module) targeting image processing or automation. The COM Express-format CXB-CD9455 module has Intel's Celeron M or Core Duo processors, five PCI Express x1 expansion lanes, an onboard TPM (trusted platform module), dual SATA ports, and eight USB ports, says MSC. (more…)

[Updated Jun. 25] — Following today's news that Nokia will release Symbian as open source, LinuxDevices spoke with Ari Jaaksi, Nokia's director of open source. We asked Dr. Jaaksi how the move affects the company's Linux strategy, participation in Maemo.org, and its strategy regarding Trolltech tools. (more…)

[Updated 2:15PM] — Nokia will buy the rest of Symbian, and release the smartphone OS under an open source license. The OS will be governed and owned by a Symbian Foundation formed by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Ericcson, Panasonic, Siemens, AT&T, LG, Samsung, STMicroelectrics, TI, and Vodafone. (more…)

[Updated Jun. 26] — Motorola and Kodak announced a cameraphone that combines Motorola's “ModeShift” interface with Kodak imaging technology. Available in China next month, and later this year elsewhere, Motorola's MotoZine ZN5 mashes up a 5-megapixel camera with a multimedia smartphone. (more…)

Google now expects Linux-based Android phones to ship in the fourth quarter instead of the second half of this year, according to a report. Reasons for the delays reportedly include language glitches, last-minute changes from Google, and issues over carrier branding. (more…)

Marseilles, France-based Nexvision has announced a network IP (Internet protocol) video camera design that incorporates the Texas Instruments (TI) DaVinci TMS320DM6467 processor. The Linux-based CamHD hardware/software reference design is equipped with an Altera Cyclone III FPGA (field-programmable gate array), and boasts a… (more…)

Embedded pioneer and MontaVista founder Jim Ready has clarified his company's marketing messages regarding the challenges of using Linux without commercial support in embedded systems. The clarification follows an attack by GreenHills CEO Dan O'Dowd, who opportunely misconstrued the messaging in order to ridicule embedded Linux in general, Ready suggests. (more…)

[Updated: Jun. 23, 2008] — Australian research group NICTA and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed a clarinet-playing robot that runs Linux. The “Robo-Clarinet” won first prize at the Artemis Music Orchestra competition for autonomous, embedded musical instrument performances. (more…)

India-based E-con Systems has announced a Marvell PXA270-based system on module (SOM) that sells for as little as $75. The SODIMM-sized eSOM270 comes pre-installed with Linux, includes 64MB or 128MB of RAM, and has a camera interface and a LCD controller, E-con says. (more…)

A style-conscious Samsung digital camera and personal media player (PMP) is built on a MontaVista Linux platform, it was revealed by a reader. Shipping since last year, the Samsung i70 features 7.2-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, and Samsung's ASR (Advanced Shake Reduction) technology. (more…)

[Updated 12:21] — Timesys won Best in Show at the 2008 Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) for its Online Linux Factory. San Juan Software won the other Best in Show for its ZigBee controller platform, and Nuvation won an award for an air-hockey-playing “Flexis AC Face-off” robot (pictured). (more…)