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Broadcom announced that it has ported Android and Windows CE to a ARM-based CPU described as “a PND [personal navigation device] on a chip.” The BCM4760 includes a GPS receiver and baseband, an ARM11 processor, a touchscreen controller, and an OpenGL ES 1.1/OpenVG 2.0-compliant graphics processor, the company says.
ZiiLabs announced an HD-ready media hub reference design incorporating its 1GHZ, ARM Cortex-A8-based ZMS-08 system-on-chip (SoC). The Zii SiVo Digital Home Platform provides 1080p Blu-ray quality HDTV and 3D graphics UI for low-power connected home devices, and offers a development kit for Android or ZiiLabs' Plaszma Linux stack.
Marvell announced a faster, wirelessly connected version of its tiny, Linux-based networking computer reference design, which plugs directly into a wall adapter. The Plug Computer 3.0 design adds WiFi, Bluetooth, and a built-in hard drive, and moves up to a new 2GHz Armada 300 version of its ARM-based Armada processors.
Skiff LLC announced a Linux-based e-book reader optimized for newspaper and magazine content, delivered via Sprint's 3G network. The Skiff Reader's display is claimed to be the largest (11.5 inches) and highest-resolution (UXGA) among e-readers, and the first to offer LG Displays' stainless-steel foil display technology, touted for greater durability.
Google shipped its first branded phone, the HTC-manufactured, Android 2.1-ready Nexus One, and announced a mobile web store. Initially available unlocked at $530 from Google or with a T-Mobile plan at $180, the Nexus One boasts a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, five-megapixel camera, and voice activated controls.
Palm has released a new version of its Linux-based WebOS operating system for its Palm Pre and Palm Pixi phones, with a variety of improvements including App Catalog downloads. Meanwhile, eWEEK reports on rumors that Verizon Wireless will soon offer modified versions of the phones called the Palm Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus.
Chinese portable media player (PMP) vendor SmartDevices announced an ARM11-based MID (mobile internet device) that comes with Android, Ubuntu Linux, or Windows CE 6.0. The V5 features a 4.3-inch display with 800 x 480 resolution, 1080p video playback, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a mini-HDMI port, according to the company.
Syabas Technology has posted specs for an upcoming IP STB (set-top box) that supports streaming Netflix downloads. The UPnP-ready “Popbox” offers Ethernet, WiFi, Component video, and HDMI connections, runs embedded Linux on a MIPS-based Sigma Designs SMP8643 processor, and will ship in March for only $129, according to DeviceGuru.
Samsung announced four netbooks using Intel's new N450 “Pineview” Atom. The N210, N220, N150, and NB30 include 10.1-inch “anti-reflective” displays and up to 12 hours of battery life, and two models run the Linux-based Phoenix HyperSpace fast-boot environment, the company says.
Freescale Semiconductor announced a “smartbook” tablet reference design that runs Linux or Android. The smartbook design is equipped with a Freescale i.MX515 SoC clocked at 1GHz, a seven-inch, 1024 x 600 touchscreen, plus WiFi, GPS, a three megapixel camera, optional 3G, and “all-day battery life.”
In 2009, mobile consumer devices including netbooks, e-readers, tablets, MIDs, PMPs, and mobile phones were increasingly dominated by embedded Linux or the Linux-based Android. LinuxDevices presents four updated showcases of story summaries for netbooks, phones, and other portable devices, recalls 2009 highlights ranging from the Kindle to the Droid, and looks in on new rumors about the Google Nexus One and Chrome OS netbook design.
Netbook shipments are expected to total 33.3 million units by year's end, for a year-over-year growth of 103 percent, says DisplaySearch. But in 2010, growth will slow to less than 20 percent, thanks to the new breed of notebook computers with ultra-low voltage processors and sub-$500 price points, the research firm adds.
The O'Reilly Open Source Convention (OSCON) has issued a call for proposals for its next annual show. Scheduled for July 19-23, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OSCON 2010 is looking for sessions and tutorials covering everything from open source developments in smartphones, to virtualization, to open source in education and government.
One Laptop Per Child unveiled a roadmap for its Linux-ready XO netbooks, and confirmed it will deliver a Marvell/ARM-based XO-1.75 version in early 2011, says eWEEK. OLPC also released images of a prototype XO-3 tablet due in 2012, costing under $100, and made of a single sheet of plastic.
Nvidia has confirmed it will release a version of the Ion GPU (graphics processing unit) compatible with Intel's new Pine Trail Atom platform. The new chip, which will reportedly boost performance substantially, will arrive during the first quarter of next year, adds the Engadget website.