A growing number of Linux insiders have said that allegations about Google violating GPL licensing related to its use of Linux header files in Android are incorrect, with Linus Torvalds saying the claims “seem bogus.” Meanwhile, it has been reported that the chief legal scholar making the claims had formerly represented Microsoft, leading some to hint at a Redmond FUD ploy.

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The Linux Foundation launched a MeeGo Smart TV Working Group with partners including Intel, MIPS, Sigma Designs, Nokia, Amino, MIPS, and Nokia. Meanwhile, Amino, the maker of the first MeeGo IPTV set-top box, has published a white paper on MeeGo IPTV security, and Linpus says it developed a MeeGo stack for the new Fujitsu LifeBook MH330 netbook.

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AT&T announced it will offer the 10-inch Acer Iconia Tab A501 tablet beginning this summer, featuring Android 3.0 running on a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. The Iconia Tab A501 will provide 4G cellular networking, offer five- and two-megapixel cameras, plus Android Market support, says AT&T.

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Amazon.com opened its Appstore for Android, providing a service not offered by Google's Android Market: allowing users to sample apps before they pay for them. The Appstore launches with exclusive free downloads of “Angry Birds Rio,” and offers additional benefits such as its recommendation engine, but it already faces a lawsuit from Apple over its name.

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Sprint used the CTIA Wireless show in Orlando, Florida to announce two HTC products that are 4G-ready and run Android 2.3. The HTC Evo 3D phone is equipped with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, a glasses-free 4.3-inch qHD display, and stereoscopic five-megapixel cameras, while the HTC Evo View 4G tablet features a 1.5GHz Snapdragon, a seven-inch, 1024 x 600 display, and pen support, says the carrier.

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The LiMo Foundation says it has approved four mobile device class specifications for the LiMo 4 mobile Linux stack. Citing first-time tablet support plus three different smartphone specs, the Foundation projects commercial releases within multiple LiMo classes starting in the second half of this year.

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T-Mobile and LG announced a HSPA+ 4G smartphone running a stock version of Android 2.2, and also tipped a $530 price for LG's Honeycomb-based G-Slate tablet, said to be “coming soon.” The “T-Mobile G2x with Google by LG” includes a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, a four-inch display, an eight-megapixel camera, and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, says the company.

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Sprint's Nexus S 4G Android phone will offer the first pre-installed access to the Google Voice VoIP service — which will soon be available for download onto any CDMA-based Sprint smartphone. Sprint customers can use their existing numbers as Google Voice numbers, and have access to cheap international calls, call screening and routing, and personalized greetings features, says the carrier.

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Intel announced today that Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of its Ultra Mobility Group (UMG), will be leaving the company. While a reason for the resignation was not cited, it could be related to the chip giant's failure to obtain smartphone design wins for its Atom processor.

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Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against Barnes & Noble with the ITC and the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington over Android-based UI techniques used in the Nook-e-reader claimed to be covered under Microsoft patents. The lawsuit also targets Nook device manufacturing partners Foxconn International and Inventec, says the company.

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AT&T announced a version of the LG Optimus 3D “glasses-free 3D” Android 2.2 phone optimized for its HSPA+ “4G” network. The LG Thrill 4G features a dual-core 1GHz processor, a 4.3-inch display, a five-megapixel stereoscopic camera, 16GB of flash memory, HDMI output, and access to an “LG 3D Space” content repository, says the carrier.

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[Updated: 9:40 AM] — Sprint announced a WiMAX version of the Samsung Nexus S phone, and according to one report, will soon unveil a seven-inch Evo View 4G tablet and a 4.3-inch HTC Evo 3D smartphone, both running Android 2.3. Meanwhile, the carrier criticized AT&T's intentions to merge with T-Mobile, which would leave Sprint at a disadvantage in a market dominated by AT&T and Verizon.

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Portwell announced a COM Express Type II module that supports Intel's latest “Sandy Bridge” quad-core and dual-core Core i7/i5 processors. The PCOM-B217VG supports up to 16GB DDR3 SDRAM via dual sockets, and offers multiple PCIe lanes, four SATA ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, and eight USB ports, says the company.

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Intel has acquired Silicon Hive, a company that has specialized in developing programmable parallel processor technology for SoCs (systems on chip). The Dutch firm's intellectual property will be used to deliver “more differentiated Atom-processor based SoCs,” the chip giant says.

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Korenix is readying the JetBox 9435-w, a Linux-based industrial embedded Layer 3 VPN routing computer with an Intel Xscale IXP435 667MHz RISC processor, eight 10/100 Ethernet ports, and extended temperature support. The company also has begun touting its JetBox 9400- and 9500-series as suitable platforms for network video recording (NVR) applications.

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