The Java platform and the Linux operating system are appearing more frequently in embedded applications thanks to their unique benefits. A combined Java-Linux platform accelerates the design process, reduces costs, and shortens time-to-market. However, developers do need to be aware of the tradeoffs they face and how to make the right choices for a specific application. (more…)

RadiSys Corp. (Hillsboro, OR) has signed a partnership agreement with MontaVista Software to promote the Linux operating system on RadiSys' embedded solutions. Under the agreement, MontaVista will provide Linux support for RadiSys' embedded solutions customers based on MontaVista's Hard Hat Linux products. (more…)

In this whitepaper, Randy Rorden discusses the advantages, benefits, issues, and trade-offs to consider when developing embedded systems based on a combined Java-Linux platform. Rorden writes . . . (more…)

Tokyo — (press release excerpt) — National Semiconductor Japan demonstrated 41 information appliances (IAs) powered by National's technologies at an IA Seminar in Tokyo, yesterday. The National Geode WebPAD reference platform running TRON (The Real-time Operating System Nucleus), a Japanese-originated operating system, was also demonstrated for the first time. (more…)

Houston, TX — (press release) — Conoco announced that it has achieved a technological and competitive milestone in seismic exploration, with the installation of the largest and most powerful Intel-based geophysical computer available in today's petroleum industry. Conoco's new supercomputer — considered to be among the most powerful supercomputers worldwide — is part of the company's state-of-the-art… (more…)

LinuxDevices.com has initiated the latest in its Embedded Linux Polls series. The new poll will assist Embedded Linux product, service, and training providers in understanding the needs of developers who use Linux in their embedded system projects. The new question posed is: “What are the most important software tools?” Respondents are asked to rate the value they place on eleven commonly used… (more…)

LinuxWorld — (press release) — Lineo, Inc., a provider of embedded systems, real-time and high availability Linux-based solutions, has announced Lineo High Availability Cluster, a solution providing customers with non-stop access (99.999%, or 5NINES availability) to mission critical services. (more…)

While not an embedded item, this news may be of interest to those keeping up with the latest Linux developments. You can now download a preview version of Eazel's Nautilus file manager software. It's called “Nautilus Preview Release 1.” If you're interested . . . (more…)

Thirteen companies have jointly announced the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL), which is termed “the industry's first independent, non-profit lab for developers who are adding enterprise capabilities to Linux”. The four core founders of OSDL — Hewlett-Packard, Intel Corporation, IBM, and NEC — have pledged to contribute significant equipment and funding to the lab over the next several years. (more…)

National Semiconductor Corporation and ViewSonic Corporation announced a strategic relationship whereby National's Geode WebPAD reference platform will form the basis of several of ViewSonic's new Internet appliances. The National Geode WebPAD platform is a hardware/software reference design that can be used to build both wired and wireless personal Internet access devices. (more…)

Montreal, CANADA / Lindon, UT — (announcement) — Opersys, Inc. and Lineo, Inc. today announced availability of the Linux Trace Toolkit (LTT) for Real-Time Linux. Although LTT has been available for standard Linux user-space tasks for many months, it has only now been modified to provide the capability to trace real-time Linux tasks running in the kernel memory space. (more…)

Back by popular demand — the “other” ZDNet weekly Linux Newsletter (the non-embedded one) . . . (more…)

San Clemente and Palo Alto, CA — (press release) — The RTC Group and LinuxDevices.com today released the technical program of the second Embedded Linux Expo & Conference, to be held October 27th, in Westborough, MA. The main keynote address will be given by Alex Morrow, IBM “Fellow”, and project leader of IBM's Linux Wrist Watch Project. (more…)

American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) announced Indium, a small form-factor Server Appliance board that fits within a standard half-height 5.25-inch drive bay. Multiple Indium boards can fit in a 1U rack mount chassis. The Indium Server Appliance board is basically a single-board computer in a 5.5″ x 8.5″ format, with onboard CPU, memory, dual-Ethernet, dual-USB, dual-SCSI ports, dual-serial, a VGA CRT/LCD… (more…)

Cambridge MA — (press release excerpt) — SyncML, the initiative sponsored by mobile technology industry leaders Ericsson, IBM, Lotus, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, Psion, Palm, Inc. and Starfish Software, today provided further evidence that the world is one step closer to universal data synchronization of remote data and personal information across multiple networks, platforms and devices. (more…)