Nokia's Navigation Kit for the N800 Internet Tablet works great when used in a car in metropolitan outskirts. However, the unit seems a bit pricey for what you get, is ill-suited to outdoor use, and seems to struggle holding a fix when the battery gets low. (more…)

A vendor of tiny, Linux-based SBCs (single-board computers) will soon begin accepting pre-orders for cellular networking and GPS daughtercards. Gumstix said its “Goliath” daughtercards target remote data applications such as fleet tracking, as well as “hobbyists who want to build their own… (more…)

The next release of the Linux kernel will apparently gain an all-new scheduler said to deliver better desktop scheduling. Ingo Molnar's CFS (“completely fair scheduler”) implements a fair scheduling approach long advocated by Con “Conman” Kolivas, a practicing Australian medical doctor specializing in anaesthesia. (more…)

A company in China is selling network computers (NCs) based on an SoC (system-on-chip) of its own design. Beijing Peking University Unity Microsystems Technology Co. (PKUnity) says its PKUnity NC runs Linux on a Unity-863 CPU, built around a “self-developed” Unicore32 processor and Unicore-F64 FPU (floating point unit). (more…)

Emac has introduced a PC/104-sized single-board computer (SBC) built around an ARM9-based Cirrus EP9302 SoC (system-on-chip). The iPac-9302 SBC targets embedded data acquisition and control applications, and runs Linux, Windows CE, and the .NET Micro Framework. (more…)

An IP (intellectual property) vendor in Ljubljana, Slovenia has licensed a RISC/DSP processor and several cores to a British Virgin Islands-based company specializing in TV tuner chips. Beyond Semiconductor says E3c Inc. will use its BA12 RISC/DSP processor and associated cores in ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) targeting consumer electronics applications. (more…)

[Updated Jun. 11] — Open Kernel Labs (OK Labs) says its open source real-time virtualizing microkernel was used by Toshiba in a mobile phone widely available in Japan and Australia. Toshiba's W47T phone runs OK's OKL4 microkernel, and is distributed by KDDI, Japan's second-largest wireless carrier. (more…)

A new Linux kernel released over the weekend adds native support for Analog Devices Inc.'s Blackfin DSP (digital signal processor) architecture. The Linux 2.6.22 release supports six shipping Blackfin DSPs, along with several development boards. (more…)

A project to build an open, user-extensible Linux-based mobile phone has opened its online store for business. About 1,000 OpenMoko Neo1973 phones are available initially, primarily targeting hackers and developers, with general availability of a “mass market” phone expected… (more…)

New U.S. regulations went into effect today that could change how vendors of devices with software-defined radios (SDR) use open-source software. The new rules could impact manufacturers of mobile phones, WiFi cards, and other devices that use SDR technologies. (more…)

IBM has published the following new technical articles, tutorials, and downloads on its DeveloperWorks and AlphaWorks websites. They cover a range of interesting (though not necessarily embedded) technical topics, primarily related to Linux and open source system development. (more…)

Zonbu's Linux-based Zonbox network PC is “more than enough machine” for most casual home PC users, according to an early review. However, the $100 device requires a two-year, $13/month service contract, a lengthy commitment for such a novel business model. (more…)

Computers, television, and other consumer electronics will soak up nearly half of the electricity used in British homes by 2020, a report released this week says. According to the Energy Saving Trust (EST), this will overtake lighting and refrigeration, previously the largest domestic power drain. (more…)

Nokia has released updated firmware for its Linux-based N800 Internet Tablet. The fourth Tablet OS 2007 release this year — “4.2007.26-8” — brings a Skype client, Flash 9 player, and support for 8GB SD memory cards, while Nokia's own VoIP service beta installer has been removed. (more…)

Aewin has announced a highly integrated 3.5-inch form-factor single-board computer (SBC) that accepts either Pentium M or Celeron M processors. The EM-7302 runs Linux, offers modular PC/104 and optional mini PCI expansion, and targets embedded applications such as interactive kiosks, parking gate control, and medical equipment. (more…)