Wind River has acquired the tools division of a long-time partner. The embedded giant will pay Real-Time Innovations (RTI) $10 million for its ScopeTools business unit, including 11 employees and IP (intellectual property) rights to RTI's well-known ScopeTools. RTI will re-focus around data-distributing middleware. (more…)

Trolltech says the emergence of Linux on developer and user desktops helped make 2004 a banner year for Qt, its cross-platform development framework. Qt provides a C++ API, along with compile-time translation software that lets developers build native applications for a variety of platforms from the same code base. (more…)

VA Linux Systems Japan has released a version of its open source Linux kernel debugging tool that supports the x86-64 architecture. Mini Kernel Dump (mkdump) is a Linux-based mini-kernel that runs underneath the Linux kernel, providing a stable environment for capturing and dumping crash dump data. It previously supported IA-32. (more…)

BargainPDA has reviewed an Anglicized version of Sharp's latest Japan-only Zaurus model, which boasts a 4GB hard disk drive. The review praises the SL-C3000's build quality and instant-on operation, while ruing the lack of built-in Wi-Fi and incomplete Japanese-to-English translation (for example, of user (more…)

A German-language conference on embedded Linux in industrial control and automation has issued a call for papers for its second annual event, set for March 31 and April 1, 2005, in Hannover, Germany. The Linux Automation Konferenz (LAK) is described as a “platform for technical exchange” between industrial automation, real-time, (more…)

George Tang Industrial used embedded Linux to build an eight-channel surveillance DVR (digital video recorder). The GDV-08 runs a 2.4-series kernel on a Via processor, and includes a LAN interface and CD-RW. It supports dual hard drives, and features scheduled recording, motion detection, and email/phone alarms. (more…)

Intel will add platform virtualization technology to its high-end chipsets in 2005, and to higher volume chips in 2006, according to a story at ExtremeTech. The technology — codenamed “Vanderpool” — may interest embedded developers, especially if it can simultaneously run Linux alongside legacy RTOSes (real-time operating systems). (more…)

Denx Software Engineering has updated its free embedded Linux SDK (software development kit). Embedded Linux Development Kit (ELDK) 3.1 includes native and cross-development tools, support for RTAI (real-time application interface), and tools for automating runtime creation. New features include improved native development tools, and support for newer versions of Linux. (more…)

This fascinating interview with two top executives of Jaluna — a company that has developed a sort of “VMware for embedded systems” that enables Linux to run alongside a real-time-control OS on gadgets like smartphones and set-top boxes — delves into the (more…)

Foreword — This Executive Interview includes two top officials at Jaluna, a Linux-oriented virtual platform software company that was France's fourth-best funded startup in 2004. (more…)

This article by a PhD student at Shanghai JiaoTong University (SJTU) Research Institute of Robotics describes an RTLinux-powered robot that placed fifth in the most recent RoboCup competition. The robot has two color cameras for visual sensing along with a (more…)

George Tang Industrial (GTI) used embedded Linux to build an 8-channel surveillance DVR (digital video recorder). The GDV-08 runs a 2.4-series Linux kernel on a Via processor, and includes a LAN interface and CD-RW drive. It supports dual hard drives, and features scheduled recording, motion detection, and email/phone alarms. (more…)

Foreword — This article by a PhD student at Shanghai JiaoTong University (SJTU) Research Institute of Robotics describes an RTLinux-powered robot that placed fifth in the most recent RoboCup competition. The robot has two color cameras for visual sensing along with a laser range finder (LRF) for goalkeeper location, and a wireless LAN allows communication among the robots on SJTU's team. (more…)

A Linux-based operating system for IP-TVs based on single-core DSPs (digital signal processors) will support a proprietary video codec claimed to perform better than H.264, VC1, and other commonly used codecs. The VP6.2 codec from On2 Technologies will be ported to Softier's MediaLinux OS, the companies say. (more…)

Several consumer electronics giants have formed a joint development association (JDA) tasked with developing content management and protection standards for manufacturers building consumer electronics devices, according to an article at DeviceForge. The Marlin JDA includes Sony, Matsushita (Panasonic), Royal Phillips, and Samsung, along with DRM (digital rights management) specialist InterTrust. (more…)