TransMedia, makers of the cross-platform Glide cloud computing OS, announced the availability of a Twitter-like service that supports mobile embedded platforms including Android. Glide Engage is a rights-based social networking and micro-blogging service that enables users to share messages with cloud-stored attachments, says the company.

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Handset shipments improved slightly in the second quarter to 269 million units, but higher growth is expected later this year, says ABI Research. Meanwhile, DisplaySearch projected handset display shipments as falling by 11 percent in the first quarter, but sees big gains ahead, says eWEEK.

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An IDC study predicts that open source software will grow at a 22.4 percent rate to reach $8.1 billion by 2013, says eWEEK. Meanwhile, in its annual SEC filing, Microsoft has added Linux vendors Canonical and Red Hat to its list of rivals, and acknowledges the growing threat of Google's Android, says TechFlash.

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T-Mobile started shipping its second Android phone, the style-minded, HTC-manufactured MyTouch3G, writes eWEEK. Meanwhile, Laptop Magazine gave the smartphone and its Android 1.5 software a thorough review, and, while criticizing the camera and a few other features, dubs the MyTouch 3G “our current Android phone of choice.”

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Via Technologies announced a nano-ITX board designed for extreme-temperature industrial and embedded applications. Operable from -4 to 158 deg. F, the Epia N700-10EW includes a 1.0GHz Eden ULV processor, gigabit Ethernet, two SATA ports, four USB ports, four COM ports, plus Compact Flash and Mini PCI expansion, says Via.

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[Updated: Aug. 7] — Denx announced the first Xenomai User Meeting, which will co-locate with OSADL's Eleventh Real Time Linux Workshop in Dresden, Germany, on Sep. 28-30. The Xenomai meeting will showcase this real-time Linux extension alternative to PREEMPT RT — and maybe help make peace between warring camps.

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Timesys says its subscription-based LinuxLink development framework now supports a new dual-core, Freescale 8641D PowerPC-based single-board computer from Mercury Computer Systems. Mercury's Ensemble 5000 Series VXS HCD5220 offers dual PMC/XMC mezzanine sites and serial RapidIO, and is designed for sensor-networked environments such as radar installations and other military and industrial applications.

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Advantech has announced a mini PC and matching display designed for medical use. The PIN-M106 PC and PDC-190 display offer dust- and water-resistant enclosures and can be disinfected with alcohol, the company says.

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Palm filed a complaint with the USB Implementers Forum over Apple's attempts to block Palm Pre users from syncing to iTunes, says eWEEK. In other Pre news, the Linux-based smartphone is being sold by Amazon, hackers have developed a MiFi-like 3G tethering app, and a blogger accuses Palm of “anti-anti-Tivo-ization.”

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Portwell has announced a 1U appliance targeting VPN, firewall, and network management applications. The CAR-3000 supports Intel processors ranging from a Celeron 440 up to a Core 2 Quad, uses DDR3 memory, and has six Ethernet ports, the company says. (more…)

Novatel Wireless announced a new multi-network version of its Linux-based “MiFi” mobile hotspot, supporting HSPA, UMTS, EDGE and GPRS. The MiFi 2372 appears to be similar to Novatel's Europe-targeted MiFi 2352, but adds UMTS (CDMA) support, and is accompanied with a new OpenCGI API designed to program the device. (more…)

After its positive Q2 earnings report, Motorola announced it would release two Android handsets in the U.S. for the holidays. Meanwhile, rumors that Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint will field Motorola's Android phones have led to some “sunny expectations” about the struggling company among investment analysts, says a story in eWEEK. (more…)

Novell's new SUSE Studio web-based service for creating software appliances on SUSE Linux has been favorably reviewed by eWEEK. While SUSE Studio does not offer the breadth of features of rPath's rBuilder, Novell's product is much easier at appliance creation, says the review. (more…)

Icop has released a 3.1 x 2.0-inch processor module based on an x86-compatible VortexDX system-on-chip (SoC). The tiny VDX-6317-X draws under two Watts, and connects to an optional VGA/LCD development kit, says Icop. (more…)

Early-bird registration has been extended to Aug. 5 for the Linux Plumbers Conference (LPC). Scheduled for Sept. 23-25 in Portland, Oregon, the conference will feature keynotes and presentations from Linus Torvalds, Federal CIO Vivek Kundra, and Intel's Keith Packard, covering Linux “plumbing” issues such as kernel subsystems and core libraries. (more…)