Foreword — Roman Pakholkov is founder and CEO of Promwad, a fast-growing independent product design center in Eastern Europe. In this fascinating interview, Pakholkov describes Promwad's history and early successes, with a special focus on the role of embedded Linux in the company's past and future. (more…)

Taiwanese network-attached storage (NAS) vendor Qnap Systems proudly announced the availability of Debian Lenny (version 5.0) for all of its ARM-based Turbo NAS models. Meanwhile, the company also tipped its hat toward x86 with a Linux-ready Intel Atom-based four-bay TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS for business users. (more…)

Armadeus Systems is shipping a low-cost system-on-module (SOM), available with a development board and a Linux community distribution. The “APF27” is built around an ARM9 Freescale i.MX27 system-on-chip (SoC) and a Xilinx Spartan3A FPGA, and offers a variety of I/O, says the French embedded firm. (more…)

Microsoft filed a patent infringement action against a vendor of Linux-based personal navigation devices (PNDs), and for the first time appears to target open-source Linux components. The company listed eight patent violations found in TomTom's Linux-based PNDs, three involving the device's use of the FAT filesystem. (more…)

LinuxDevices.com has launched its ninth-annual Embedded Linux Market Survey, and invites all readers to participate. Don't miss this opportunity to help shape the industry, by answering 22 quick questions about developer preferences and industry trends. (more…)

Italy-based Koan Software has revised its Linux distribution for embedded and industrial applications, and has joined the OpenEmbedded (OE) community. Version 4.0 of KaeilOS has adopted the OpenEmbedded (OE) build system, and for the first time the distro is offered as a free download. (more…)

SSV announced an x86-compatible computer-on-module (COM) that measures 3.2 by 1.1-inches (81 x 28mm), and targets TCP/IPv4-6 embedded networking applications. Attaching to custom I/O boards via “DIL” (dual in line) sockets, the DIL/NetPC DNP/2486 runs an IPv6-ready Debian Linux stack on a 300MHz Vortex86SX system-on-chip (SoC). (more…)

VMware has demonstrated Windows CE and Google's Linux-based Android stack running side by side on a single mobile device (left). The underlying “Mobile Virtualization Platform (MVP)” technology, which includes a “hypervisor” only about 20KB in size, is being evaluated by handset manufacturers, says the company. (more…)

[Updated: Feb. 26, 2009] — NthCode announced an embedded media player for IP-ready DVD players, TVs, and other Linux-based devices. NthCode Player automatically connects to home networks, and then catalogs available media, offering WebKit-browser access to media, plus feeds from BitTorrent and RSS, says the… (more…)

CellGuide has announced a GPS module that measures a scant 0.21 x 0.18 x 0.04 inches (5.4 x 4.6 x 1.1mm). Billed as the “world's smallest” GPS chip, the “Ramon” (left) includes a GPS processor and RF front end, and targets low-cost, high-volume devices. (more…)

Ronetix continues to add to its library of firmware for its Linux-friendly JTAG/BDM emulator and flash programmer. The PEEDI JTAG/BDM Emulator and Flash Programmer now supports MIPS32 processors, and in recent months Ronetix also added support for processors based on ARM Cortex-A8 and… (more…)

Freescale Semiconductor will introduce a new i.MX23x processor targeting handheld devices, at its upcoming 2009 Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) conference opener in Orlando, Fla., Jun. 22-25. Sponsored by embedded Linux provider MontaVista, among others, this year's FTF series will also visit Japan, Germany, China, and India later in the year. (more…)

[Updated: Feb. 25, 2009] — Chinese mobile ODM (original design maker) Yuhua is shipping a hardware reference design for a smartphone that runs the Linux-based Android mobile stack. The Xphone-SDK runs Android on a 624MHz PXA-310 SoC, with 128MB SDRAM and 256MB of flash.

Yuhua (known more formally… (more…)

Marvell Semiconductor is shipping a hardware/software development kit suitable for always-on home automation devices and service gateways. Resembling a “wall-wart” power adapter, the SheevaPlug draws 5 Watts, comes with Linux, and boasts completely open hardware and software designs, Marvell says. (more…)

Working through the OSADL, German embedded-systems vendor Denx is seeking community participation and funding for a Freescale MPC512x Linux BSP (board support package) suitable for inclusion in mainline Linux. Based on a PowerPC core, the MPC512x targets automotive telematics, building automation, medical diagnostics, surveillance, digital home, and gaming applications. (more…)