Mercury Computer Systems announced a Linux-based engineering development kit (EDK) for a 7-10 pound computer that targets small ground, naval, and air vehicles. The “ruggedized” PowerBlock 50 (pictured at left) supports multiple processors to provide “well over 100 GFLOPS of processing power,” according to Mercury. (more…)

Sun Microsystems officially launched OpenSolaris (OS) today. Available pre-built as a combo live/install CD, the initial binary distribution download of OS 2008.05 features a GNOME user interface, highly fault tolerant ZFS root filesystem, IPS package managment, and “DTrace” tuning tools. (more…)

VirtualLogix announced a high-availability (HA) option for its Linux-friendly, real-time, embedded virtualization technology for carrier infrastructure. The “vHA” version of VLX for Network Infrastructure (VLX-NI) provides fault recovery and system management services across virtual and physical domains, and aims to extend HA into lower-end commodity device markets. (more…)

The IBM Linux Technology Center has posted a two-part podcast interviewing IBM Distinguished Engineer Paul McKenney about the Real-Time Linux Project. Topics include hard- and soft real-time Linux, programming languages, hardware platforms, new real-time applications, and future additions to the mainline. (more…)

[Updated May 6] — Open Kernel Labs (OK Labs) has upgraded its microkernel operating system (OS) and Linux-friendly virtual machine environment for embedded devices. (more…)

A Japanese embedded Linux development firm will market a Swedish embedded SQL database for the Japanese market. The partnership between Lineo and Mimer Information Technology includes plans for Lineo to distribute Linux versions of Mimer's SQL Embedded database. (more…)

Sunlink International has announced a Windows CE-based PMP (personal media player) with a built-in “pico projector.” The battery-operated, index card-sized “SunView Mobile PMP” features an adjustable-focus FLC (ferroelectric liquid crystal) projector claimed capable of casting a 54-inch VGA (640×480) image up to two meters (6.5… (more…)

Diamond Systems has announced an SBC that represents a novel variation on the four-year-old EPIC form-factor. Intended for data acquisition (DAQ) applications, the Neptune offers a choice of three ETX-format CPU modules, along with PC/104-Plus expansion and 32 analog inputs with automatic calibration, says Diamond. (more…)

Linux desktop distribution vendor Xandros and Web content management firm Viyya Technologies have announced they will jointly market integrated, Linux-based software for “netbook” and Mobile Internet Device (MID) devices. (more…)

Adobe hopes to make its Flash technology as ubiquitous on devices as PCs. Under an “Open Screen Project,” it will remove restrictions on Flash file formats, open Flash server protocols, and give away the player along with the APIs needed to port it to new devices. (more…)

A value-added reseller of mobile computers and PDAs has ported Linux to a ruggedized, “military-grade” PDA. SDG Systems is offering the “Nomad” from Tripod Data Systems (TDS) pre-installed with Angstrom Linux and Qtopia PDA Edition, and bundled with a toolsuite and build environment based on OpenEmbedded. (more…)

MontaVista Software announced that its Carrier Grade Linux distribution supports P.A. Semi's “PWRficient” dual-core 2GHz PowerPC processor. The news comes only a week after Apple revealed plans to acquire P.A., a fabless semiconductor firm.

P.A. Semi (more…)

Raza Microelectronics, Inc. (RMI) is shipping a new low-end XLS MIPS64-based processor called the XLS208 that offers dual 1GHz cores and comes with a Linux-compatible evaluation board and software development kit (SDK). RMI also announced that Macraigor's hardware debugging tools will support both the XLR and XLS processor lines. (more…)

Evans Data Corp. (EDC) has published the full result set from its annual survey of embedded systems developers. Priced at about $20,000, and entitled “Embedded Systems Development Survey 2007,” the 180-page report addresses topics including embedded Linux platforms, working with multicore processors, and mobile development. (more…)

Board and chipmaker Via is gearing up toward releasing Linux driver source code and product documentation for its popular x86-compatible chipsets and peripherals. The company has launched a website where Ubuntu 8.04 and SUSE 10 binary graphics drivers can be downloaded, with source code and documentation to follow, it says. (more…)