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Accelerated Memory Production (AMP), Apacer, and Diamond Systems unveiled a memory standard that's said to provide a cost-effective way of adding memory to rugged devices. RSODIMM satisfies reliability requirements affordably by simply adding 10mm of height and two mounting holes to the industry-standard SODIMM form factor, the companies say.
China Unicom announced its own Linux-based, Android-like WoPhone operating system, with initial phones to be offered by Huawei and Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment. The WoPhone announcement follows last week's news that China Unicom rival China Mobile will offer four Asus smartphones and a tablet running the carrier's new OMS 2.0 (OPhone) Android variant on a new TD-CDMA-ready Marvell PXA920 processor.
Yet another Atom processor has broken cover — this time offering 64-bit processing, the ability to use up to 4GB of RAM, and support for hardware virtualization. The 1.66GHz N570 will be offered first in SeaMicro's SM10000-64 server, which employs 256 of the chips in a 10U rackmount case.
Motorola's Atrix 4G smartphone provides a solid AT&T answer to Verizon Wireless' Droid lineup and the various Samsung Galaxy S Android handsets, says this eWEEK review. With features like a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and HSPA+ support, the Atrix 4G is dubbed the best Android phone from AT&T yet.
HTC announced it will launch an Android-based “world phone,” including both CDMA and GSM. Due this spring, the HTC Merge features Android 2.2, a 3.8-inch display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a five-megapixel camera, and appears likely to be heading for Verizon Wireless.
Freescale Semiconductor announced two new members of its i.MX53 family of Cortex-A8 system-on-chips: an industrial-focused, 800MHz i.MX37 and the consumer-oriented, 1GHz i.MX538. Also unveiled were a $149 “Quick Start” development board for the original i.MX535 SoC, as well as a 10.1-inch, $1,499 “SABRE” tablet reference design, both compatible with Android, Linux, and Windows Embedded Compact 7.
Toradex announced a Linux-based single board computer (SBC) with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom E6xx, and also debuted a PC based on it that's claimed to be “the world's smallest.” The “Topaz” SBC underlies the fanless, aluminum-housed “Xiilun,” which measures 3.50 x 2.36 x 0.63 inches, features up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and offers a bootable microSD slot, DVI-D, and four USB 2.0 ports.
Data Ltd Inc. (DLI) announced a vehicle-mount computer that comes with a dual-core Atom processor, IP54 sealing against liquids or dust, and a choice of 12- or 15-inch touchscreens. The DLI 9200 includes up to 3GB of RAM, up to 240GB of storage, plus connectivity including an optional GSM or CDMA cellular modem, the company says.
Verizon Wireless launched the Motorola Xoom Feb. 24 for $600 with a two-year contract, and the dual-core Android 3.0 tablet has earned solid reviews — although with concerns over the high price and lack of apps. Android tablets certainly have a long way to go, however, since Apple's iPad represented 93 percent of the 4.5 million tablet PCs sold in 3Q 2010, says ABI Research.
Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo says it will start selling an Android 2.2 phone that's claimed to be the world's thinnest, at just a third of an inch. The NEC Medias N-04C phone will be joined on the network by Sony-Ericsson's Android 2.3-based Xperia Arc SO-01C phone and LG's Optimus Pad L-06C tablet, the latter running Android 3.0 on an Nvidia Tegra 2.
As expected, Apple and Intel have announced “Thunderbolt,” a rebranded version of the latter's “Light Peak” technology. Initially available on three MacBook Pro notebooks, it offers 10Gb/sec. data transfer, the ability to daisy-chain six peripherals, plus both PCI Express and DisplayPort support, according to the companies.
Datalight released a new version of its Reliance Nitro file system aimed at embedded Linux devices. Reliance Nitro SDK for Linux 2.0 offers improved read and write performance, fast boot times, solid reliability, and a wide assortment of validation and testing tools, says the company.
A new Android Trojan is being repackaged in popular Android apps and distributed through app markets and forums serving Chinese-speaking users. Mobile security firms NetQin and Lookout Mobile Security have both issued alerts regarding the “BD.HongTouTou” Trojan, which has been found in repackaged titles like “RoboDefense.”
[Updated: Feb. 24] — OSADL (Open Source Automation Development Lab) is calling for papers for its 13th RealTime Linux Workshop (RTLWS13) in Prague on Oct. 20-22. Also announced were an “OSADL Academic Works” book series — starting with Roland Kammerer's “Linux in Safety-Critical Applications” — and two new academic partners, ZHAW's InES lab in Winterthur, Switzerland, and the RealTime Systems Laboratory (RETIS) in Pisa, Italy.
MSC Vertriebs announced an ARM-based Qseven module that appears to be the industry's first such device using Cortex-A9 cores. The MSC Q7-NT2 is built around a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 290 processor, supports 1080p video, offers interfaces ranging from gigabit Ethernet to I2C, consumes only five Watts, and offers extended temperature support, says the company.