AMD has announced 550MHz and 533MHz versions of its Mobile AMD-K6-2+ family of processors featuring a new power management technology called “PowerNow!” AMD claims its new PowerNow! technology can extend the battery life of notebook systems by up to 30%. (more…)

ZDNet Linux editor Evan Leibovitch reports on a growing dialog between developers of the two most popular (and competing) Linux GUIs — GNOME and KDE. Although an increase in internal compatibility between these two GUIs would have the most significance to Linux on the desktop, it would also be beneficial to the use of Linux in embedded applications. (more…)

ZF Linux Devices, Inc. has announced the MachZ PC-on-a-Chip, a low power (< ½W @ 133MHz) device that includes a patented FailSafe System which allows it to boot and operate autonomously on application of power, even if system DRAM and Flash are unavailable. The MachZ comes with a comprehensive software suite that includes a fully implemented PhoenixBIOS from Phoenix Technology and a choice of a customized... (more…)

IBM has announced a one gigabyte version of the tiny CompactFlash compatible Microdrive. The miniscule magnetic media hard drive, approximately the same size as a pack of matches, complies with CompactFlash CF+ Type II standards. The device weighs less than an ounce. Being IDE command set compatible, the Microdrives supports Linux based operation. (more…)

Rebel.com (Ottawa, Canada) has selected Transmeta's Crusoe processor family as the CPU platform for a future line of Linux-based residential and small business gateways in its NetWinder OfficeServer product line. (more…)

M-Systems announced the extension of its Fast Flash Disk (FFD) 2.5 product line with new capacities now up to 2,432MB for IDE and 2,688MB for SCSI. This new maximum capacity is double the previous capacities for both product lines in the 2.5″ hard drive form-factor. The IDE and SCSI drives use flash memory as their media, but are otherwise functionally compatible with conventional magnetic media hard… (more…)

Red Hat today announced the Red Hat University Program, a global program to accelerate the use of open source solutions in the educational environment. Under the direction of the Red Hat University Program, an initial donation of over $350,000 in open source software and tools, including GNU Pro Dev Kits and Code Fusion packages, has been made to the following universities: California Institute of… (more…)

Bitmicro Networks Inc. has announced a new drive in the company's SCSI solid-state disk drive family. According to company sources, the E-Disk SUD35 represents the industry's first Ultra Wide SCSI Low Voltage Differential solid state flash disk. Bitmicro's E-Disks are fully supported under Linux. (more…)

Lineo has announced the addition of ARM core support to the company's Embedix product line. With this release, ARM cores are now supported within both Embedix Linux and Embedix uClinux. Lineo now supports the full spectrum of ARM CPU cores, including those with and without memory management units (MMUs). (more…)

Centura Software today announced db.star, a secure, high-performance ultra-small footprint open source database solution for embedded and mobile devices. db.star runs on multiple embedded OS platforms, including Linux, and is designed to facilitate instant access by mobile devices to enterprise information, dynamically and securely. (more…)

As part of its continuing efforts to measure and characterize the Embedded Linux Market, LinuxDevices.com is conducting an ongoing poll entitled “What do you value most about open source?” The picture is now starting to come into focus — and the results are surprisingly different from what many have probably assumed. (more…)

Cowboy Industries (Lewisville, TX) has created what might represent the world's first PowerPC-based single-board computers (SBCs) on the PC/104-Plus embedded computer form-factor. The company offers two variants of the new SBC, called the MORGAN and the SHIRE, based on Motorola's MPC750 and MPC7400 CPUs, respectively. (more…)

MontaVista Inc. laid claim to producing the industry's first mass-distributed embedded Linux CD, as 138,000 copies of a CD titled “Hard Hat Linux, Journeyman Edition” shipped within shrink-wrapped copies of the June edition of EDN Magazine. The special distribution of MontaVista's embedded Linux Cross Development Kit were included as a supplement to the magazine's June cover story, entitled “Linux strafes… (more…)

Lineo has announced opensource.lineo.com, a website dedicated to open source projects funded or maintained by Lineo and its employees. The site provides open source developers and community members with convenient access to high quality open source software designed for embedded Linux systems by concentrating the open source projects of… (more…)

Matthew Campbell today released ZipSpeak 7.1-1, a talking mini-distribution of Linux developed for use by visually impaired people. The new version adds support for several speech synthesizers, simplifies Speakup customization, makes Web browsing easier, and adds support for international keyboard layouts. (more…)