Freescale is supplying uClinux-based BSPs (board support packages) with two currently sampling ColdFire embedded processor families. The low-end, 32-bit MCF532x and MCF537x processors are based on ColdFire V3 cores clocked up to 240MHz, are priced in the low teens, and target HMI (human-machine interface) and other industrial and control applications. (more…)

TimeSys has added support for another Freescale communications processor to its suite of low-cost embedded Linux developer services. The company's subscription-based LinuxLink service is now available to customers of Freescale's MPC8548E PowerQUICC III communications processor family, the company says. (more…)

Access will ship a new version of its web browser for devices this spring. NetFront Browser v3.4 is described as a “versatile service platform,” on which multiple applications can seemlessly combine online and offline content. (more…)

Intel is guaranteeing extended lifecycle availability of its dual-core mobile x86 processors, in hopes of winning embedded and communications customers. Core Duo processors are now available through the Intel Embedded Architecture (IEA) support program, and are already being used in embedded applications, the company says. (more…)

Two DRM (digital rights management) schemes supporting ARM-based Linux devices are being demonstrated at 3GSM this week in Barcelona. Both are claimed to conform to Open Mobile Alliance DRMv2 specifications, aimed at creating a “seamless DRM-enabled digital-content ecosystem across consumer devices,” according to ARM's GM of embedded software, Lance Howarth. (more…)

Access subsidiary PalmSource revealed details of its Linux-based mobile phone operating system, Tuesday at 3GSM in Barcelona. Codenamed ALP (Access Linux Platform), the OS aims to provide an integrated, flexible software environment that can run legacy Palm OS application binaries, Java applications, and native Linux applications. (more…)

Linux smartphone pioneer E28 Limited has partnered with fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) infrastucture equipment pioneer Bridgeport Networks to demonstrate 3G/WiFi live-call handoff, at 3GSM this week in Barcelona. (more…)

Trolltech announced three design wins for Qtopia Phone Edition (QPE), its software stack for Linux-based phones. The wins include a dual-mode phone from Wistron NeWeb, a “peer-to-peer WiFi VoIP” phone from Accton, and a tri-band GSM/GPRS smartphone with camera and TV-out from Amoi. (more…)

Trolltech has updated Qtopia, its application stack for mobile phones and PDAs. Qtopia 4 features better multi-threading and text rendering, the company says, along with features inherited from last month's release of Qtopia Core, an embedded version of the Qt 4 graphics framework and cross-platform development environment released last summer. (more…)

[Updated Feb. 14] — Embedded RTOS and Linux vendor LynuxWorks highlighted the importance of open standards and open source software, off-the-shelf OSes, and reusable software, at a recent invitation-only media event. It announced two security-oriented OS products, and tipped plans to diversify its customer base by leveraging military/aerospace products in the commercial sector.

Dr. (more…)

Network processor vendor Cavium Networks and its hardware and software partners will offer product demonstrations at the RSA Conference on computing security next week in San Jose. Demonstrations include MontaVista's Linux Pro 4.0 and Intoto's IGateway communications platform running on multi-way Octeon processors from Cavium. (more…)

Tao Group says it is shipping a mobile phone version of its multimedia application stack for embedded devices. “Intent Mobile” supports Linux and other embedded OSes, and provides a Java virtual machine (JVM), audio and 3D graphics middleware, and an Internet-oriented application stack. (more…)

Over a dozen wireless and mobile gaming industry heavyweights are collaborating on an open gaming architecture in support of “premium quality” native games on mobile phones based on TI's OMAP processors. The key objective is to provide a framework for platform-independent gaming software, according to TI (Texas Instruments). (more…)

Microsoft today announced it will indemnify customers of its embedded operating system products more fully against legal threats involving intellectual property (IP). The move is seen by top embedded analysts as evidence that Microsoft views Linux and open source as its main competition in the embedded arena. (more…)

Canadian board design and fabrication house Techsol is shipping an ARM9-based version of its Medallion CPU module. The roughly two-square-inch SA2410 can be clocked from 12MHz to 266MHz, and comes with a Linux 2.6 kernel, drivers, and filesystem. (more…)