Pearson Technology has selected a 22-page book chapter on Busybox to help it launch a new line of downloadable book excerpts on hot topics. The chapter, available now for $10, is excerpted from Embedded Linux Primer by Christopher Hallinan, due for release in 2007. (more…)

Novell will reportedly launch a “real-time” version of Linux in October. SUSE Linux Enterprise Edition Real-time (SLERT) will be available only with a “consulting engagement,” and will target “soft” real-time applications tolerant of interrupt latencies as slow as 27 microseconds, according to a story at CNET. (more…)

Neuros Technology is offering Linux hackers first dibs on beta units of its next-gen DVR (digital video recorder). The Linux-powered device can record MPEG-4 video from cable or broadcast TV, DVDs, etc., and transfer it to portable media players, or serve as a network music player. (more…)

Fast-food chain McDonald's is reportedly piloting Linux-based electronic signage at a location in Chicago. The Golden Arches at Archer and Rutherford is using content-managed digital signage for menu-board promotion, dining- and play-room adver-tainment, and customer information collection, according to an article at… (more…)

American Arium has revised its hardware-assisted debugging software for ARM-architecture processors. SourcePoint 6.3 mainly adds support for ARM11 ETMs (embedded trace macrocells), when used with the company's flagship HS-1000 JTAG probe. (more…)

Standard Microsystems Corp. (SMSC) is sampling a highly integrated chip claimed to be the industry's first “network multimedia co-processor.” The LAN9131 essentially adds a dedicated, Linux-based data-plane computer to existing and new device designs, enabling them to stream multiple high-definition (HD) channels… (more…)

Embedded Linux specialist SDG Systems is shipping a Linux-ized version of a ruggedized, “military-grade” PDA from Tripod Data Systems (TDS). SDG's Linux port for the Recon-X is based on a 2.6.15 kernel, and includes technical and warranty support. (more…)

Intel and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) claim to have jointly built the world's first electrically pumped hybrid silicon laser using conventional chip-fabrication technologies. (more…)

Computer vision specialist Tyzx is shipping a relatively low-cost, standalone, Linux-based stereo 3D vision system targeting high-volume commercial and defense robots, automobiles, and person-tracking security systems. (more…)

A 28-page book chapter about loadable Linux kernel modules and device drivers is available for free download. Entitled “Kernel Modules and Device Drivers,” the chapter is excerpted from the second edition of Linux for Embedded and Real-Time Applications, by Doug Abbott. (more…)

Freescale, one of the world's largest device-oriented semiconductor manufacturers, is being acquired by a private equity consortium in a transaction valued at $17.6 billion. The company was formed in 2004 when Motorola spun out its semiconductor division, and is a leading supplier of silicon to Motorola and other cellphone manufacturers. (more…)

Kontron has added a larger LCD option to its line of thin-client HMI (human-machine interface) subsystems. The [email protected] Micro Client, which is based on the company's ETX-format SBCs (single-board computers), integrates a 15-inch touchscreen LCD and is available with Linux on a bootable CompactFlash card. (more…)

LynuxWorks has revised its commercial embedded Linux distribution, and updated the Linux application binary interface (ABI) in its proprietary RTOS (real-time operating system). BlueCat Linux 5.4 is based on a 2.6.13 kernel, for improved determinism and lower latency, while LynxOS 4.2's ABI is based on glibc 2.2.93. (more…)

Computer vision specialist Tyzx is shipping a relatively low-cost, standalone, Linux-based stereo 3D vision system targeting high-volume commercial and defense robots, automobiles, and person-tracking security systems. (more…)

IBM has published the following new technical articles, tutorials, and downloads on its DeveloperWorks website. 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. Enjoy . . . ! (more…)