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Google confirmed it is testing an in-house Android 2.1 phone, which reports claim is the FCC-approved, HTC-manufactured “Nexus One,” says eWEEK. If the Google-branded phone is sold commercially, as some reports suggest, Google can take comfort by an IDC study that says mobile Internet traffic will double in four years.
Fluffy Spider Technologies (FST) announced a new version of its Linux-ready “FancyPants” lightweight embedded graphics framework for consumer electronics. FancyPants 3.0 adds Android support, 3D effects, virtualization and multi-processor support, and “Lua” scripting, and it decouples UI design from underlying code, enabling more third-party control over UI modifications, says FST.
Stanford University researchers have demonstrated a way to turn ordinary paper into a battery, which may be crumpled or pressed into any form. It's said the low-cost technology promises greater durability, higher efficiency, and faster energy transfer than traditional batteries.
Acromag announced an industrial PC with an internal carrier card, designed to accept up to four SCSI II-interfaced I/O modules. The IOS-7200 runs Linux or Windows on an AMD Geode LX800 CPU, uses hard disk or solid state storage, has a CompactFlash slot, and runs fanlessly, according to the company.
Acrosser is shipping a fanless 1U network appliance that runs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.x. The AR-R5100FL is a 19-inch rackmount system that incorporates an Intel EP80579 (“Tolapai”) SoC with Intel QuickAssist technology, along with six to ten gigabit Ethernet ports, and dual USB, serial, and SATA ports.
Timesys announced that its LinuxLink embedded Linux development framework supports NetLogic Microsystems' MIPS32-based Alchemy Au1250 and Alchemy Au1300 system-on-chips (SoCs). The LinuxLink framework provides access to hundreds of open source Linux middleware packages, as well as automated development tools for processors used in mobile consumer electronics, says the company.
Via announced a Linux-ready chipset claimed to be the industry's most power-efficient supporting Microsoft's DirectX 10.1. Including the VN1000 northbridge and VT8261 southbridge, the chipset supports up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, provides smooth HD video playback, and includes dual-channel support for displays including HDMI and DisplayPort, the company says.
Dell announced new Ubuntu Linux-ready OptiPlex desktops, including a power-efficient model claimed to be the “world's smallest fully-functional commercial desktop.” In addition to the 9.4 x 2.6 x 9.3-inch, Intel Core 2 Duo-ready OptiPlex 780 USFF desktop, Dell announced a 13-inch Vostro V13 laptop that also offers Ubuntu.
HardKernel is shipping a developer-focused handheld game device that runs Android and offers source code, schematics, and a debug board. The $350 Odroid is based on a Cortex-A8 Samsung S5PC100 clocked to 833Mhz, and offers 10GB of flash, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 720p video via HDMI, plus WiFi, Bluetooth, and accelerometers.
Intrinsyc has announced a SOM (system on module) and carrier board built around Freescale's i.MX35. The Linux-ready “CerfBoard 35” includes the processor, 256MB of DDR2 RAM, 64MB of NOR flash, and 256MB of NAND flash, while the carrier adds a bevy of ports and a connector for an optional touchscreen display, the company says.
Android modder Cyanogen has exploited Motorola's Droid phone and gained root access, letting developers customize the smartphone with features such as multi-touch, says eWEEK. Meanwhile, Droid by Motorola was named Best Gadget of the year by Time, and Google released its Google Goggles visual search app for Android.
Devon IT announced a thin-client notebook computer based on Dell's Latitude E5400. The SafeBook E5400X includes a 2.2GHz Intel Celeron CPU, a 14.1-inch display, 1GB of RAM, and will “soon” be offered with its Linux-based DeTOS operating system, says the company.
D-Link is readying a Linux-based IP set-top box (STB) based on the open source Boxee home entertainment stack. The singularly styled “Boxee Box DM-380” incorporates WiFi, Ethernet, USB, and HDMI out, as well as analog and digital audio outputs, says the company.
Toradex announced a Pico-ITX-sized carrier board intended for a previously released, credit-card-sized COM (computer on module). The “Daisy” accepts the company's Robin module, adding real-world interfaces that include VGA and TV output, 7:1 audio, SATA, five USB ports, and a microSD expansion slot, the company says.
Samsung Electronics announced the availability of an SDK for its “Bada” mobile operating system. The kernel-configurable Bada platform can be based on a Linux kernel or another real-time OS (RTOS), and it incorporates an Eclipse-based IDE, a GNU tool-chain, and a service-centric UI framework based on Samsung's TouchWiz UI.