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Emerson Network Power has joined the many companies basing devices on Intel's new, embedded-oriented Core processors. Newly announced products include the company's COMX-CORE COM Express Module, the MATXM-CORE-411-B 9.6 x 9.6-inch microATX motherboard, and the iVM7210 VMEbus processor board.
Mozilla announced that the final Firefox for Mobile (“Fennec”) 1.0 release is now available for Nokia's Maemo Linux-based N810 tablet and N900 phone — but with a “YouTube Enabler” in place of Flash. Meanwhile, the Android pre-alpha of version of Fennec may arrive as early as next month, says a report.
Intel and Micron announced they've begin sampling 25-nanometer NAND flash technology, which will enable mobile devices and SSD (solid-state disks) to pack significantly more memory. Manufactured by the joint venture IM Flash Technologies, the process involves “the smallest semiconductor lithography available in the industry,” according to the companies.
Qnap Systems has upgraded two of its Linux-based, SMB-focused network-attached storage (NAS) systems to incorporate Intel's D410 Atom processors. The two-drive, 4TB TS-239 Pro II and the four-drive, 8TB TS-439 Pro II also feature Qnap NAS 3.2 management software, with new iSCSI and virtualization features, plus support for VMware's vSphere4.
Diamond Systems announced that it has originated a new, mezzanine-style expansion standard for SBCs (single board computers), COMs (computer-on-modules) and other embedded products. Involving a single low-cost connector and expansion modules “three-fifths the size of a credit card,” the standard will be open and support any host form factor and processor, the company says.
Black Diamond announced it has been awarded a patent for FPGA-related technology found in its rugged, Linux-ready SwitchBack UMPC (ultra mobile PC). In the patented SwitchBack architecture, a Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA controls the Celeron CPU via a PCI-Express channel, enabling the device to be easily reprogrammed, says the company.
Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha announced during a fourth-quarter earnings call that Motorola is planning to offer “at least one” Android smartphone directly to consumers through Google, says an eWEEK report. The as-yet-unnamed device — to appear later this year — will be a follow-on to HTC's Nexus One, the first phone to carry the search giant's brand.
Movidius announced an Android version of a new “Myriad” multimedia coprocessor designed for real-time video editing on mobile phones. The MA1110 offers eight proprietary “Shave” processing cores delivering up to 20GFLOPS of processing power, says the company.
MSI announced an ATX-format motherboard based on Intel's P55 chipset that supports LGA1156-socketed Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. The “P55-GD85” offers connections including USB 3.0, SATA II, SATA III ports, RAID , PCI Express, PCI, and FireWire, and offers a Linux-based fast-boot OS called “Winki.”
Kontron announced an “AM4020” AMC module and a VPX format “VX6060” computing blade, both equipped with Intel's 32nm-fabricated Core i7 processor. The Linux-ready products are the first of many Core i7 systems Kontron plans to introduce this year in formats including AMC, CompactPCI, and COM Express, says the company.
[Updated, Jan. 29] — Apple's newly announced iPad has been touted as “magical,” “amazing,” and “revolutionary” by company officials. But, key deficiencies in the device provide opportunities for competitors, who can craft better tablets that run Linux or Android.
Kontron has updated its ETXexpress computer-on-module (COM) family with three high-end models. The ETXexpress-PC PP (“Performance Package”) modules move up to the Intel GM45 Express and Intel GL40 Express chipsets, accept 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and support CPUs up to a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400.
Enhance Technology announced an eight-disk, Linux-based network-attached storage (NAS) device, offering up to 16TB of SATA storage. The UltraShare NAS8000-P4 incorporates an Intel Xeon (Nehalem) CPU clocked at 2.0GHz, four gigabit Ethernet ports, and an optional gateway for expanding to up to 176TB.
Cypress Semiconductor announced a touchscreen device driver for Android and Linux that supports Cypress' TrueTouch touchscreen controllers, complete with “all-points” multi-touch signaling support. Meanwhile, “Cyanogen” has hacked a multi-touch interface for Google's Nexus One phone, and Google is upgrading the Android-based phone's spotty 3G support, says eWEEK.
Axiomtek announced a digital signage computer that includes a 46-inch display and a choice of Celeron or Core 2 Duo processors. The DSA-146 features a removable CPU board, an optional motion detection sensor, a Mini PCI Express expansion slot, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, an 80GB hard disk drive, and two speakers, the company says.