Atmel is shipping a low-cost embedded processor claimed to offer more bandwidth than other ARM9 chips, thanks to parallel buses and distributed DMA. The AT91SAM9263 targets data- and graphics-intensive applications, and is available with an AT91SAM9263-EK evaluation board that supports Linux. (more…)

This whitepaper discusses telephony server middleware aimed at de-coupling cellular modems from mobile phone operating systems. It was written by Blane E. Rockafellow, who co-founded TapRoot Systems, a telephony server specialist that has partnered with Microsoft, MontaVista, Trolltech, and Symbian. (more…)

Smartphones are beginning to move out of their traditional business-user niche, and into the mainstream, reports market research firm Telephia. Additionally, Western Europeans are acquiring smartphones at twice the rate of their U.S. counterparts, a new report from the firm suggests. (more…)

Some Linux- and Samba-based network storage appliances may not work with Windows Vista, writes Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols over at Linux-Watch.com. The solution is to configure Vista to use NTLM instead of NTLMv2 authentication, or else update the storage appliance to Samba server 3.0.22 or higher. (more…)

Logic Product Development (LPD) is shipping a small, component-like board integrating a Freescale i.MX31 applications processor with memory and I/O functions. The i.MX31 SOM (system-on-module) and associated development kit will support Linux soon, the company says, and target medical, industrial, wireless, and consumer… (more…)

O'Reilly has published a book for Linux users interested in learning to build their own kernels. Linux Kernel in a Nutshell describes how to build and install Linux 2.6 kernels, starting with downloading the source. (more…)

Foreword: This whitepaper discusses telephony server middleware that aims to de-couple cellular modem functionality from mobile phone operating systems. It was written by Blane E. Rockafellow, who co-founded TapRoot Systems, a telephony server specialist that has partnered with Microsoft, MontaVista, Trolltech ((more…)

Research firm In-Stat has published its annual list of emerging and hot technology market trends for the year ahead. The firm's list includes “heterogenous multi-architectural processors,” wireless HDMI, PVRs, WiMAX, UWB wireless USB, ZigBee, and 3G, GPS, and DTV in China. (more…)

Kontron in January will ship an “ultra-rugged” laptop aimed at “off-road” applications. The 13-pound NotePAC is based on an Intel Core Duo processor, runs Linux, and tolerates rain, blowing dirt, temperatures well below zero, and atmospheric explosives, Kontron claims. (more…)

The issue of whether binary-only kernel modules violate the GPL cropped up again this month on the Linux kernel mailing list, where Linus Torvalds thwarted an effort to ban them. Torvalds called banning binary modules “stupid,” and told kernel hackers they should base decisions on technical merit, not political agendas. (more…)

The Open Source Development Labs is touting recent advances that make Linux more “serviceable.” The organization says its member companies worked with the open source community to improve kernel dump (kdump) and System Tap (stap), two utilities that aim to help administrators debug production Linux systems without taking them offline. (more…)

It's not that long since Firefox 2 appeared, but the Mozilla Foundation is already hard at work on Firefox 3. (more…)

No Starch Press has published another book about how to write great code and succeed professionally. Code Craft: The practice of writing excellent code, by well-known C Vu columnist Pete Goodliffe, aims to help newer programmers develop professionally into outstanding programmers… (more…)

Security took center stage at the fourth annual technology conference of embedded software vendor Green Hills Software (GHS), reports VDC, which attended the event last week in Santa Barbara, Calif. VDC lauds GHS for pursuing security goals alongside more market-driven goals such as development cost, time-to-market, and new feature development. (more…)

Micro/sys is shipping an EPIC format SBC (single-board computer) based on an XScale processor and powerable by PoE (Power-over-Ethernet). The SBC4670 integrates a 520MHz PXA270 processor, memory, display controller, Ethernet, and a host of data acquisition and control I/O. (more…)