Arasan Chip Systems has released what it calls the world's first CE-ATA host hardware development kit. The CE-ATA Host HDK comes with Linux drivers, and aims to help manufacturers of CE-ATA controllers and hard drives build prototype platforms for testing their products, according to the company. (more…)

AMD is offering a free design for an embedded mini-motherboard incorporating its low-power Geode GX embedded processor. The Geode GX SBC RDK (single-board-computer reference design kit) includes schematics, board layout files, and documentation. (more…)

Wireless developers are dissatisfied with testing and debugging tools, and with wireless emulation tools, says Evans Data Corp. (EDC). Additionally, an annual EDC survey found wireless developers increasingly hosting on Linux, deploying server-side software on Linux, targeting smartphones and Java ME-enabled devices, and using open source or Linux tools. (more…)

EmDebian (embedded Debian) will be represented in the dot-org pavillion at this week's LinuxWorld tradeshow in London, and project leader Wookey (pictured at left) will help man the booth. Developers interested in discussing embedded Debian or embedded open source are invited to drop by. (more…)

Denx Software Engineering will ship a major new version of its freely licensed embedded Linux development kit in the weeks ahead. Embedded Linux Development Kit 4.0 (ELDK) will use a 2.6-series kernel source tree already available from Denx. Also available now are 2.6-series kernel images for several PowerPC development boards. (more…)

Team ASA is shipping an XScale-based Linux system designed to fit in a CD drive bay. The NPWR-SCE is based on an Intel storage processor, sports dual gigabit-Ethernet ports and a removable SATA hard drive, and targets military and EMS vehicles, NAS, iSCSI controllers, web servers, and “embedded Linux engines,” the… (more…)

Chip and boardmaker Via has partnered with an online retailer to create a car PC targeting in-car navigation and infotainment applications. The $300 “Voom PC” is supported by a media-oriented embedded Linux operating system, and is based on one of Via's newest, most powerful mini-ITX motherboards. (more…)

An R&D affiliate of the world's largest telephone company has achieved a stable release of a new Linux filesystem said to improve reliability over conventional Linux filesystems, and offer performance advantages over Solaris's UFS filesystem. NILFS 1.0 (new implementation of a log-structured filesystem) is available now from NTT Labs (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone's Cyber Space Laboratories). (more…)

Up to 15 million WiFi-enabled laptop computers running Linux and powered by wind-up dynamos could be distributed to school children in China, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, and Thailand by an idealistic project that originated within MIT's Media Lab, according to PC Magazine. (more…)

DeviceForge.com has published a whitepaper introducing an open source toolkit that lets mobile devices determine their locations with the aid of freely accessible, nearby radio sources, such as fixed Bluetooth devices, 802.11 access points, and GSM cell towers. Basically, the device reads the IDs of these local “radio beacons” (each of which has a unique or semi-unique ID), looks up their… (more…)

Digi International is shipping three ARM-based embedded CPU modules available with a variety of application-specific uClinux-based development kits. The ConnectCore 7U, ConnectCore 9P 9360, and ConnectCore 9P 9750 target access control systems, POS (point-of-sales/service), RFID readers, medical devices,… (more…)

Diamond Systems is shipping an extended temperature range PC/104 SBC (single-board computer) optionally available with built-in data acquisition circuitry. The “Elektra” is powered by a passively cooled “686-class” STMicroelectronics STPC processor that is clocked at 200MHz, consumes just 5.5 Watts, and runs Linux,… (more…)

US mobile phone customers would rather play music than games on their handhelds, yet gaming-derived revenues will remain higher until an ecosystem for widespread music distribution develops, says In-Stat. Delays could cause carriers to miss a rich revenue opportunity, the research firm says. (more…)

Persona Software plans to ship in mid-November the second edition of its “fixed-mobile convergence” (FMC) suite, which lets dual-mode phone users roam between cellular and WiFi networks. Personal OnePhone 2.0 adds support for Linux, Symbian, and Windows Mobile 5.0 phones, along with security and regulatory compliance features. (more…)

Kontron is sampling a mini-ITX board that supports Linux and targets cost-constrained, high-volume applications such as gaming, POS (point-of-sales/service), data communications, and medical equipment. (more…)