Mimer Information Technology is readying a new version of its SQL database for mobile devices. Mimer SQL Mobile 9.3, due before July, adds a host of features aimed at making the product work better on mobile phones, the company said. (more…)

Asian Linux distributor TurboLinux today announced the “global launch” of its combination PMP (portable media player) and Linux boot device. When plugged into a PC, the “Wizpy” player launches users into their own localized, personalized Linux-based operating system environment. (more…)

[Updated 5:00 PM PDT] — Palm has used Linux to build a “new class” of mobile device. The Foleo aims to expand the email, Internet, and productivity application capabilities of mobile phones such as the Palm Treo, by adding a full-size keyboard and a larger screen. (more…)

Sharp has developed what it claims to be the “world's first” dual-mode tuner module for mobile devices capable of receiving both DVB-H and T-DMB terrestrial digital broadcasts. The VA3B5EZ915 features a compact, thin profile package and the “industry's lowest power consumption,” according to the company. (more…)

MontaVista plans to open a seventh European office, and add executive staff to offices in Germany and the U.K.. The new office will be based in Finland, while the new executive hires include directors of business development and field operations for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Asia), according to the company. (more…)

Symbian will still lead the smartphone market in 2012, with 44 percent market share, while Linux swells to 41 percent and Windows Mobile languishes at just six percent, a new report from Berg Insight predicts. The report runs counter to several other recent analyst reports, however. (more…)

A project maintaining lightweight Linux distributions targeting experienced users says it will support a new passively cooled PowerPC- and FPGA-based mini-ITX motherboard. The CruxPPC project will collaborate with ACube Systems to support ACube's Sam440ep, an Amiga-oriented board that shipped last month. (more…)

A client-server software specialist in Germany is offering a freely downloadable, server-oriented Linux distribution for Sony's Playstation3. Helios's unnamed PS3 distro installs in less than 10 minutes, and showcases the company's cross-platform file-, print-, PDF-, and… (more…)

Embedded Linux OS and tools vendor MontaVista will host a three-day developer conference and partner expo in California this fall. Set for Oct. 8-10, in Santa Clara, MontaVista's “Vision 2007 Embedded Linux Developer's Conference” boasts sponsors that include Freescale, IBM, Intel, and Texas Instruments (TI). (more…)

[Updated Jun. 1] — Yoggie Security Systems has squeezed a hardware firewall for Windows into a USB key sized form-factor. The “Yoggie Pico” runs Linux 2.6 along with 13 security applications on a 520MHz PXA270, a powerful Intel processor popular in smartphones and high-end consumer devices. (more…)

A startup in Alameda, Calif. plans to release a kind of holy software grail the third or fourth week of June. Lina said its dual-licensed Lina virtual Linux machine will run more or less normal Linux applications under Windows, Mac, or Linux, with a look and feel native to each. (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. Some require free registration. (more…)

Quad Micro Works is prepping a second release of its Linux-based multipurpose home network, gateway, and server appliance. The new “Square One Personal Server” will integrate an 802.11g access point, along with a 4-port router and file, print, and Web servers. (more…)

Japan's largest embedded conference of the year reportedly featured a growing number of Linux-related demonstrations, compared to previous years. Linux appears to be making inroads among Japanese consumer electronics vendors, and to be gradually taking marketshare away from iTron, long the top Japanese embedded operating system. (more…)

A new book from Addison Wesley offers to demystify the design of effective user interfaces. In User Interface Design for Mere Mortals, author Eric Butow suggests that successful UIs are enjoyable to interact with, but also save time, eliminate frustration, and minimize user effort. (more…)