US mobile phone customers will at last gain the option of a Linux-based handset later this year, when operators begin offering a high-end Motorola Linux/Java smartphone aimed at business professionals. (more…)

A new project is developing a Linux port for Archos portable multimedia harddisk player/recorders. The LinAV project began in April, and has focused initially on the AV3xx-series devices, so far releasing a working kernel and a build environment for graphical applications based on the nano-X API. (more…)

Sony has used Linux in a $700 universal remote with a color LCD touchscreen display and a host of gee-whiz features. The RM-NX7000 “Navitus Remote Commander” replaces most any infrared remote after sniffing its beam, and can control stereos, TVs, DVDs, satellite receivers, and more. (more…)

Kontron has upgraded its CompactPCI (CPCI) single-board computer (SBC) to Intel's new 1.8 GHz Pentium M 745 processor. The 1.8 GHz Pentium M offers performance equivalent to a 2.8 GHz “Office Intel Pentium Processor,” but it can be passively cooled because power dissipation is reduced by roughly 50 percent, according to Kontron. (more…)

Sony has used Linux in a $700 universal remote control with a high-resolution color LCD touchscreen display and a host of gee-whiz features. The RM-NX7000 “Navitus Remote Commander” can replace most any infrared remote after receiving its beam, and can control stereo components, TVs, DVDs, satellite receivers, and more. (more…)

An extended temperature Arcom PC/104 board based on a 400MHz Intel XScale processor now supports a hard, real-time Linux operating system from FSMLabs. Arcom is now supplying the Viper board with an evaluation version of RTLinuxPro, and FSMLabs will also distribute the board with RTLinuxPro preinstalled. (more…)

Enea is shipping a packaged SDK (software development kit) for telecom and datacom equipment makers that includes embedded Linux, a proprietary RTOS (real-time operating system), and tools to help the two operating systems work together on complex multi-processor systems. The “Orchestra” SDK also includes a graphical IDE (integrated development environment) that works with both OSes, and a real-time… (more…)

Impassioned battles between Linux and Windows partisans are no longer confined to the desktop and server arenas. With the growing ubiquity of smart devices, the device arena offers action every bit as intense, justifying massive vendor technology investments, high-dollar PR campaigns, and generous helpings of technical hyperbole from both… (more…)

Microcross has added support for two more embedded processors to the newest version of its graphical tool suite based on the Slickedit IDE (integrated development environment) and GNU tools for Linux application development. Visual GNU X-Tools now once more supports Renesas SuperH chips and adds support for NEC V85x chips. (more…)

Motorola has announced its third mobile phone based on Linux and Java software. The A780 is expected to ship in Q4, 2004, and will woo enterprise and home users with features such as a PDA-like quarter-VGA color touchscreen, claimed 240Kbps GPRS data download speeds, Bluetooth networking and synchronization, PDF and Microsoft… (more…)

Siliquent has introduced two chips supporting 4GB and 10GB Ethernet, respectively, along with iWarp, iSCSI, and TCP/IP Offload. The SLQ1004 and SLQ1010 target equipment for unified Ethernet networks integrating LAN, remote storage, and IPC (inter-process communication) traffic. (more…)

Taiwan Commate Computer Inc (Commell) is shipping a half-sized PCI-ISA SBC (single board computer) available with fast and low-voltage versions of Intel's Pentium M and Celeron M processors. The HS-870P PISA board runs Linux and targets tough environment applications with high performance and low power requirements. (more…)

Chipmaker IDT has revised the free Linux distribution for its MIPS-based “Interprise” embedded communications processors, which target a wide range of networking device applications. The distribution is now based on a preemptible 2.6-series Linux kernel and includes support for PCI Express and other advanced features, IDT says. (more…)

Black Duck Software has closed a $5 million funding round, co-led by General Catalyst Partners and Flagship Ventures. The company, which sells open source software intellectual property (IP) management services to software developers and vendors, plans to use the money to hire key personnel and promote its “protexIP” services. (more…)

The Open Group, along with IBM, has published a 500-word, two-sentence document that it hopes developers will endorse. The “Developer Declaration of Independence” enjoins corporations, governments, organizations, and individuals to adopt and protect open standards in order to promote interoperability among all vendors and give IT customers freedom of choice. (more…)