Aigo has started shipping what appears to be the first mobile Internet device (MID) based on the Intel Atom. The Linux-based Aigo P8860D is based on a soon-to-ship “M528” MID from Gigabyte, and features an 800MHz Z500 Atom, 512MB RAM, and a 4.8-inch touchscreen. (more…)

Zilog announced a 32-bit RISC system-on-chip (SoC) based on an ARM9 core. Targeted at embedded control, connectivity, and security applications, and available with a Linux BSP (board support package) and tools, the Encore 32 Series Microcontroller offers USB, LCD, and SPI interfaces, and an integrated memory controller, says Zilog. (more…)

Nokia-owned Trolltech announced a new name for both itself and the latest version of its Qtopia development platform for Linux consumer electronics devices. Trolltech is now “Qt Software,” named for the cross-platform development framework upon which Qtopia (now called Qt Extended 4.4) is based. (more…)

Toshiba upped the ante for 2.5-inch solid state drives (SSDs), sampling a device packing 256GB of MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash storage. The “THNS256GE8BC” has a 3.0 Gb/sec. (more…)

A Singapore-based startup called Fonemesh is preparing a mesh networking client for mobile phones, starting with the Linux-based OpenMoko Neo FreeRunner platform. The Fonemesh software identifies other Fonemesh users who are in WiFi range to set up a direct mesh connection for IM chat, VoIP, and file transfer, says Fonemesh. (more…)

PMC-Sierra is shipping new GPON (gigabit Ethernet passive optical networking) system-on-chips (SoCs) for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments. The second-generation GPON ONT optical network terminator, gateway, and OLT (optical line terminator) products feature PMC-Sierra's Linux-ready GigaPASS architecture, and are available with Linux reference designs, says the company. (more…)

Chennai, India-based EmbWise has ported its Linux SDIO stack to two ARM-based system-on-chips (SoCs). Its SDIOWorx stack is now available for Freescale's i.MX31 and i.MX27 multimedia SoCs, which are primarily targeted at the personal media player (PMP), personal navigation device (PND), and video surveillance camera markets, says EmbWise. (more…)

Sanyan is shipping an Intel-based ATX motherboard and an AMD-based single-board computer (SBC), both of which run Linux. The T601 ATX board has a Core 2 Duo clocked to 1.6GHz, and the T502 SBC offers an AMD Geode LX clocked to 500MHz, says the company. (more…)

TQ Components released a 2.95 by 2.4-inch computer module with a Freescale i.MX31 SoC (system on chip) and Altera FPGA (field programmable gate array). The TQMa31 runs Linux, with 256MB of RAM, 1 GB of flash, plus CAN, I2C, SPI and serial interfaces, says TQ. (more…)

Axiomtek is shipping an EPIC format single-board computer (SBC) for digital signage, digital video recorder (DVR), point-of-sale (POS), and gaming applications. The Linux-compatible EP840 supports Intel's 45-nm Core 2 Duo (“Penryn”) processors and is equipped with a Mobile Intel GME965 chipset, says… (more…)

The Multicore Association has released a standardized application programming interface (API) for inter-core communications on “closely distributed” multi-core systems. The new Multicore Communications API (MCAPI) attracted plaudits from Freescale Semiconductor, which posted a publicly available source code example, and from VirtuaLogix, which says its VLX virtualization products will support it. (more…)

Avalue is shipping a module using Kontron's ETX “computer-on-module” form-factor, targeting industrial applications. The Linux-compatible ESM-910ETX supports dual-channel LVDS for simultaneous display from two sources, has an Intel Celeron M processor clocked at 600MHz, and uses dual-channel DDR2 memory, the… (more…)

Portwell has announced a network appliance that uses Intel's EP80579 SoC (system on chip) and targets security and IP telephony applications. The CATO-3000 features seven gigabit Ethernet ports, PCI Express x4, 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard drive expansion, and Intel's QuickAssist technology, says Portwell. (more…)

The GNOME project has formally released the mobile version of its Linux desktop environment. GNOME Mobile is based on the GNOME 2.24 desktop that was released this week, and is targeted at mobile phones, handhelds, and other devices with constrained display, input, and system resources. (more…)

KDDI has announced a Linux-based IP set-top box (STB) that converts and transmits TV and Web content to the Japanese carrier's cell phones. Based on Motorola's VIP1830 hardware platform, the “Au Box” also plays back music stored on the phones, and offers CD ripping, says KDDI. (more…)