British single-board computer (SBC) vendor Simtec has launched a developer discount program aimed at getting ARM-powered SBCs into the hands of Debian Linux developers. The “StrongARM Tactics” program offers at-cost StrongARM SA1110-powered boards to registered Debian developers willing to help debug and fix Debian's ARM… (more…)

PocketNow.com has previewed a Linux-based portable media player (PMP) expected to reach market early next year. The Neuros Audio 442 PMP currently ships with a proprietary RTOS, but will be switched early next year to a Linux firmware release described in the… (more…)

O'Reilly has published a book of practical C++ programming examples. C++ Cookbook presents solutions for commonly encountered programming problems, using O'Reilly's “cookbook” format — a question-solution-discussion format that both helps programmers solve immediate problems, and teaches them best… (more…)

A conference on free and open source software is seeking papers on embedded projects and technologies. FOSDEM (Free and Open Source Develpers' European Meeting) is set for Feb. 25-26 in Brussels, Belgium. The fourth-annual event will have an embedded track featuring papers on Linux, uClinux, eCos, RedBoot, and RTEMS. (more…)

Texas Instruments (TI) has teamed up Linux with two new highly-integrated system-on-chip (SoC) processors aimed at next-generation portable multimedia players (PMPs), digital video recorders (DVRs), and other video-oriented consumer devices. (more…)

IBM has published the following 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. Enjoy . . . ! (more…)

Board-maker Logic Product Development has released Linux BSPs and toolchains for a pair of Freescale development boards based on MMU-ful (memory management unit-equpped) ColdFire microcontrollers. (more…)

Belgian electronic payments specialist Banksys is shipping a Linux-powered secure payment terminal with cellular and WiFi networking. The Xentissimo is a portable, battery-powered device based on an SoC (system-on-chip) with dual ARM cores, the company says. (more…)

Chipmaker Via has updated its SDK (software development kit) for engineers interested in exploiting “military-grade security” features in its processors. The revised Via PadLock Security Engine SDK adds support for Via's C7/C7-M mobile and embedded chips, and offers a “comprehensive” set of security tools for… (more…)

Linksys last month switched the standard model of its ubiquitous WRT54G wireless router from Linux to VxWorks, starting with the “series 5” version. Now, Linksys is shipping a Linux-based WRT54GL model that it says it created specially for Linux hobbyists, hackers, and aficionados. (more…)

The Free Software Foundation has launched a website behind its proposed third version of the GNU GPL (General Public License). The site hosts a “process definition” document explaining how comments and discussion will be handled next January, when the first draft of GPL v3.0 is released. (more…)

[Updated Dec. 8, 2005] — A large global consulting firm has entered the market for embedded Linux mobile phone stacks. Wipro Technologies, of Bangalore, India, says its Linux-based Aqua mobile phone reference framework has been successfully deployed on Renesas's SH-Mobile line of application processors for 2.5G and 3G mobile phones. (more…)

Microcross says it has enhanced its Linux development kit for an ultra-small MIPS-powered SBC (single board computer) from Cogent. The GX-Linux Professional Platform for Cogent's CSB655 now supports the tiny board's USB host and PCI interfaces. (more…)

Intrinsyc is shipping a higher-powered, lead-free, larger version of its venerable “CerfBoard” Linux development kit. The CerfBoard 270 is based on an Intel XScale PXA27x (Bulverde) processor, and meets the EU's RoHS (reduction of hazardous substances) act requirements, the company says. (more…)

Kontron is readying a new member of its PC/104-expandable “speedMOPS” SBC (single-board-computer) family. The speedMOPSlcdPM, available with three mobile Pentium and Celeron processors, is supported by a Linux BSP (board-support package). (more…)