STMicroelectronics (STM) has released a new chip in its Nomadik family of low-cost, multimedia-oriented system-on-chip (SoC) processors. The STn8811A12 runs embedded Linux and targets products such as personal media players (PMPs), Internet appliances, and video conferencing. (more…)

“Dexter” is a robot said to walk more like a human than any yet created. He and his wheeled cousin, “Monty,” will be among the attendees at the RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition, to be held this October in San Jose, Calif. (more…)

Michel Gien, founder of embedded virtualization specialist VirtualLogix, will give an hour-long presentation on the application of virtualization technology to Linux-based mobile phones and real-time applications, at LinuxWorld in San Francisco next week. The company will also demonstrate the technology on mobile handsets and digital multimedia, it says. (more…)

Microsoft's Windows Embedded team is offering “the biggest selection of [free] apps outside of Moscone Center,” in connection with next week's LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco. The “apps,” in this case, are appetizers, plus free beer and wine. (more…)

A France-based e-book specialist is readying a Linux-powered successor to its earlier Windows CE-based e-book reader devices. (more…)

Hardware debug tools specialist American Arium has revised its popular HS-1000 emulating “trace port analyzer” to handle “serial wire debug” (SWD) embodied in ARM Cortex processor cores. SWD, on the new HS-1000S debug tool, supplants 5-wire JTAG with 2-wire serial access, while reducing bill-of-material costs, according to… (more…)

More gigabytes of NAND-based storage will ship in 2007 than the sum-total of all DRAM shipped since 1970. This is one of many gems of wisdom found in newly-available online proceedings from Denali Software's recent conference on today's hottest memory and storage technologies, such as DDR DRAM and NAND flash. (more…)

Bytemobile Inc., a supplier of carrier-based data optimization technologies, and mobile phone software specialist Access Co. Ltd. are collaborating to “dramatically improve the web browsing experience for mobile devices.” The effort will involve integrating Bytemobile's mobile operator-based “embedded browser optimization” (EBO) technology with Access's NetFront embedded browser, the companies say. (more…)

U.K.-based Thorcom Systems Ltd is shipping a rugged, Debian Linux-based, in-vehicle computer intended for emergency first responders. The GPS-equipped VR2000 can serve as an application host, IP router, and vehicle locater in a wide range of mobile data, vehicle tracking, and in-vehicle communications and networking applications,… (more…)

In response to inquiries regarding a German court's ruling that Skype had breached the GPL, the company told LinuxDevices.com today that it “has not acted improperly.” The alleged violation was associated with the method by which Skype “distributed” GPL-licensed source code with a Linux-powered VoIP handset. (more…)

In its financial report for the quarter ending June 29, 2007, CSR (formerly Cambridge Silicon Radio) forecast continued growth in the Bluetooth market, particularly in new non-cellular areas such as PMPs, gaming consoles, cars, and cameras. Interestingly, the company said it is readying a Bluetooth chip with built-in software-based GPS. (more…)

IBM has published the following new technical articles, tutorials, and downloads on its DeveloperWorks and AlphaWorks websites. They cover a range of interesting (though not necessarily embedded) technical topics, primarily related to Linux and open source system development. Some require free registration. (more…)

Cogent Computer Systems has begun shipping an SODIMM-sized computer module based on Marvell's XScale PXA270 processor. The CSB726 “system-on-module” (SOM) is available with a development kit that includes a carrier board and a Linux 2.6 BSP (board-support package). (more…)

[Updated July 28] — A fast-spreading story out of Europe asserts that a German court has found Skype to have violated the GPL. The problem reportedly resulted from the way Skype “distributed” GPL-licensed source code in connection with a Linux-powered VoIP handset sold on its website. (more…)

TimeSys's 14th podcast episode, now available, debunks common misconceptions about real-time Linux. Developers Gene Sally and Maciej Halasz discuss real-time terminology, explain what is and isn't real time, examine the differences between “hard” and “soft” real-time, and explore the major contributors to latency issues. (more…)