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The Novell-backed Moonlight project released the final Moonlight 2, an open source Linux/Unix clone of Microsoft's Silverlight framework that offers improved media streaming via open source media codecs. Novell and Microsoft also announced they will continue their Moonlight collaboration, and extend Microsoft's patent covenant to Moonlight distributors other than Novell.
Barnes & Noble's Android-based Nook e-reader device was rooted by a site called NookDevs. Meanwhile, Intrinsyc revealed that it led the systems integration of the delayed Nook, which has has suffered from some early negative reviews, and Spring Design's lawsuit against Barnes & Noble over the Nook is moving forward.
Cisco announced a Linux-based WiFi router touted as the first 802.11n dual-band clustering access point for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The Cisco AP 541N Wireless Access Point includes 802.11n, gigabit Ethernet, “robust” security, voice roaming, and clustering technology, enabling a single point of administration for multiple access points.
Via announced two motherboards using its Nano processors and VX800 northbridge/southbridge. The mini-ITX Epia M800 and nano-ITX Epia N800 both support HD video and offer a wide variety of I/O connections, according to the company.
Diamond Systems announced software development kits (SDKs) that include solid-state IDE flashdisk modules. Preloaded with Linux 2.6.23, the bootable modules plug directly into Diamond's boards, supplying all required drivers, the company says.
Lanner announced a Linux-ready network appliance that sports up to 8GB of RAM and seven Ethernet ports. Featuring LAN bypass on two of its ports, the FW-7580 supports a variety of Intel CPUs, has a 40-character front panel display, and offers both hard disk and CompactFlash storage, the company says.
Gumstix announced four product packs for its Texas Instruments OMAP3530-based Overo computer-on-modules (COMs). The packages, which include EVM, Wireless, Network, and Breakout packs, combine different versions of the Linux-ready Overo COM with various expansion boards, cables, and other peripherals to meet a wide range of design requirements, says the company.
[Updated, Dec. 17] — Cherrypal has released a device touted as the “world's first $99 laptop” and announced an upgrade to a previously released netbook. The “Africa” has a seven-inch display and runs Linux on a 400MHz ARM or MIPS processor, while the “Bing” has an Atom N280 and offers five hours of battery life.
Fluffy Spider Technologies (FST) announced a new version of its Linux-ready “FancyPants” lightweight embedded graphics framework for consumer electronics. FancyPants 3.0 adds Android support, 3D effects, virtualization and multi-processor support, and “Lua” scripting, and it decouples UI design from underlying code, enabling more third-party control over UI modifications, says FST.
Google confirmed it is testing an in-house Android 2.1 phone, which reports claim is the FCC-approved, HTC-manufactured “Nexus One,” says eWEEK. If the Google-branded phone is sold commercially, as some reports suggest, Google can take comfort by an IDC study that says mobile Internet traffic will double in four years.
The call for papers to the eighth annual Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE 8x) has been extended to Dec. 24. Scheduled to be held at the Westin LAX on Feb. 19-21, the event offers presentations covering embedded topics, such as netbooks, Moblin, and improving embedded start-up time, say the organizers.
On behalf of the developers of the BusyBox embedded utilities collection, the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) filed suit against 14 consumer electronics companies for violating GPLv2 licensing requirements. The lawsuit covers almost 20 Linux-based products, from companies including Best Buy, Samsung, Westinghouse, and JVC, says the SFLC.
Acrosser is shipping a fanless 1U network appliance that runs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.x. The AR-R5100FL is a 19-inch rackmount system that incorporates an Intel EP80579 (“Tolapai”) SoC with Intel QuickAssist technology, along with six to ten gigabit Ethernet ports, and dual USB, serial, and SATA ports.
Acromag announced an industrial PC with an internal carrier card, designed to accept up to four SCSI II-interfaced I/O modules. The IOS-7200 runs Linux or Windows on an AMD Geode LX800 CPU, uses hard disk or solid state storage, has a CompactFlash slot, and runs fanlessly, according to the company.
Stanford University researchers have demonstrated a way to turn ordinary paper into a battery, which may be crumpled or pressed into any form. It's said the low-cost technology promises greater durability, higher efficiency, and faster energy transfer than traditional batteries.