RMI Corporation says it is now shipping a 700MHz version of its Au1250 Media Processor, along with a Linux-compatible development board (pictured at left). Previously clocked from 400MHz to 600MHz, the power-thrifty SoC (system-on-chip) now offers DVD-quality playback while running other tasks, says RMI. (more…)

A Swiss vendor of digital media player (DMP) hardware-software reference designs has switched to Linux. BridgeCo's third-generation “JukeBlox” design is based on a custom ARM9 SoC, and has already been adopted by several major AVR (audio-visual receiver) and table radio vendors, the company claims. (more…)

At CES, Wistron NeWeb Corp. (WNC) is showing a hybrid GSM/VoWiFi phone that runs Linux. The PDA and Dual Net Phone-GW4 boasts a 2.5-inch touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard. One rumor claims it will be ported to Google's Android platform by March. (more…)

In a move reminiscent of Google's “Android,” Yahoo! has announced its own toolkit aimed at improving mobile phones as Web services clients. Early proponents of Yahoo! Mobile Widgets include phone vendors LG and Motorola, with Linux phone stack vendor Access also looking at the technology. (more…)

Linux mobile phone software and services provider Celunite has changed its name to Azingo, and will contribute components to the Linux Mobile Foundation's common integration environment (CIE), it said. (more…)

At CES yesterday, Intel CEO Paul Otellini talked up Menlow, the company's platform for Linux-based Mobile Internet Devices. He also demo'd the first-ever Intel Architecture (IA) system-on-chip (SoC) for consumer electronics, a “Canmore” processor available later this year for Internet-enabled set-top boxes,… (more…)

Linus Torvalds will discuss Linux in mobile phones, GPL licensing issues, his focus on desktop Linux, and other topics of the day in a podcast to launch at 9AM PST/12PM EST. (more…)

Motorola has announced a personal media player (PMP) and related broadcast transmission equipment based on the emerging wireless TV broadcast standard, DVB-H (digital video broadcast, handhelds). (more…)

A Chinese firm will introduce a line of Linux-based ultra-mini PCs (UMPC), one of which is said to be the size of a pack of playing cards. LimePC says its self-named product suite will be based on Freescale Semiconductor's MPC5121e system-on-chip (SoC). (more…)

A semiconductor firm announced a satellite-friendly, high-definition (HD) set-top box (STB) decoder chip that runs Linux. STMicroelectronics's STi7111 SoC (system-on-chip) is said to combine a decoder, network interface, and an integrated demodulator, enabling it to handle satellite transmissions as well as IP network input. (more…)

A new Linux-based portable media player (PMP) is equipped with a 0.44-inch, head-mounted OLED microdisplay visor with 800 x 600 resolution. Dreamax's Indicube i-800 PMP offers an experience equivalent to sitting seven feet from a 54-inch screen, the vendor claims. (more…)

An embedded, object-oriented database management system (OODBMS) has been deemed compatible with the Android mobile device platform. McObject says its open source “Perst” OODBMS for Java objects was verified compliant by the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), the industry group overseeing the… (more…)

Future X Technology of Taiwan has announced a compact development platform based on Freescale Semiconductor's i.MX21 system-on-chip (SoC). Presently known only as the “Freescale i.MX21 3.5-inch TFT handheld,” the device allows creation of portable devices that run Linux, according to the company. (more…)

Ralink Technology says it is now sampling a pair of single-chip 802.11b/g/n wireless networking subsystems. The RT3080 targets mobile devices and offers Linux support, while the RT3070 interfaces via USB, and targets PCs, access points, and other devices, Ralink says. (more…)

[Updated Sep. 16] — A Sunnyvale, Calif.-based start-up announced a WiFi- and GPRS/GSM-equipped navigation device based on a newly upgraded Linux-based mobile phone platform. Dash Navigation's “Dash Express” borrows both hardware and software components from OpenMoko's forthcoming Neo FreeRunner mobile phone, and… (more…)