Las Vegas, NV; CES — (PR excerpt) — Phoenix Technologies today unveiled a feature-rich, standards-based, Internet access and connectivity software stack targeting connected digital devices, including popular consumer electronics such as DVD players, set-top boxes, and Internet appliances.

Phoenix FirstView Connect 3.2 is a powerful, complete software platform (including a Phoenix-developed embedded Linux implementation) that enables digital device manufacturers to introduce robust, interactive Internet functionality — as a primary or secondary function — into their consumer electronics devices quickly and affordably. Providing industry-leading, standards-based support such as HTML 4.0, CSS 2.0, DOM 2,0, Javascript 1.4 and Flash 5 with a small code size, FirstView Connect is ideally-suited for adding new value to both traditional and next-generation digital devices.

FirstView Connect enables an entirely new set of consumer electronic devices such as set-top boxes, DVD players, game consoles, PDAs, home Internet appliances, and smart phones to deliver compelling, real-time Internet media, content, and services. The solution delivers the very latest in multi-media capability, including the ability to blend on-disc and online enhanced DVD features and much more.

The company has been particularly active within organizations such as the DVD Forum to develop and promote enhanced standards and technologies that link digital media with real-time Web connectivity for new interactive experiences. In addition, Phoenix is working closely with technology leaders to provide turnkey solutions for the consumer electronics sector. Several concept products based on FirstView Connect were demonstrated at CES in Las Vegas.

The FirstView Connect 3.2 software development kit (SDK) includes a core “Content Delivery Engine,” customizable browser and email applications, an integrated Linux operating system, fast-boot BIOS software, secure Internet connectivity, and much more (see diagram).

According to Bob Gager, senior director of product marketing at Phoenix, the FirstView Connect SDK includes a Phoenix-developed embedded Linux operating system and comes with libraries compiled for x86 hardware. However, it can also support other implementations of embedded Linux (such as MontaVista Linux, demonstrated at CES), other embedded OSes (e.g. VxWorks and NetBSD), and other hardware architectures (non-x86), via the included source code and supported APIs. Additionally, the sample included applications (web browser and email client) can easily be customized using the included source code and tools.

Phoenix helped launch the PC industry over 22 years ago with the commercial licensing of a PC compatible BIOS, and has shipped over one billion units to date.

 
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