ZiiLabs announced dual- and quad-core Cortex-A9 SoCs (systems-on-chip) clocked at 1.5GHz and aimed squarely at the Android tablet market. The dual-core ZMS-20 and the quad-core ZMS-40 also supply 48 or 96 Stemcell media processing cores, respectively, supporting 1080p video playback, HD video calling, and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics, plus DDR3, LPDDR2, HDMI 1.4, and OpenCL technology, says the company.

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Wind River announced a partnership with GoAhead Software whereby the two companies will become “preferred integration partners,” selling GoAhead's OpenSAFfire middleware to embedded Linux customers. The company also announced a “Wind River OpenSAF Quickstart” professional services and technical support package for its OpenSAF customers.

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[Updated: May 12] — Tilera unveiled a roadmap for its Linux-ready Tile-Gx multicore system on chips (SoCs): 16, 36, 64, and 100-core versions of a networking-focused Tile-Gx 8000 series; an upcoming, multimedia-focused Tile-Gx 5000 series; and a Tile-Gx 3000 series aimed at cloud server applications. Tilera also announced Wind River Linux support for its TilePro and Tile-Gx SoCs.

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[Updated: May 11] — At the Google I/O conference, Google announced Android 3.1, an update that fixes bugs, tweaks the UI, improves USB support, and adds an Arduino-based Android Open Accessory gadget control platform. Briefly tipping an upcoming “Ice Cream Sandwich” release that will integrate Android 2.x and 3.x, Google also announced Android Market movie rentals, an 18-month Android upgrade program, and an [email protected] home-automation framework.

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Google has taken the wraps off its “Music Beta by Google” streaming music service, the search engine's bid to challenge Apple's iTunes and Amazon.com music services. Users will be able to upload their personal music collections to Google's servers, which will stream it to computers, Android tablets, and smartphones, the company says.

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Sealevel Systems is shipping a ruggedized, 8.4-inch touch-enabled flat-panel computer aimed at HMI (human machine interface) and control applications. The SeaPAC R9-8.4 runs Linux or Windows CE on a 180MHz, ARM9-based Atmel AT91SAM9263 processor, provides Ethernet, USB, CAN, RS232, and RS485 connectivity — the latter connecting to optional modules — and offers a temperature range of -22 to 158 deg. F, says Sealevel.

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Wyse introduced a mobile thin client using AMD's dual-core G-Series T56N processor, with integral Radeon HD6310 graphics, and soon to be available with SUSE Linux. The X90m7 offers a 14-inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking, 2GB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage, plus a “2G/4G capable” ExpressCard slot and optional smart card reader, the company says.

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Freescale Semiconductor announced a faster, 1.5GHz version of its quad-core QorIQ P2040 processor called the QorIQ P2041, claimed to deliver up to 10Gbps performance and ship with a Linux BSP. The P2041 system-on-chip (SoC) is available in a newly announced, 1U MR-630 networking appliance from Lanner called the MR-630, equipped with 12 or 16 gigabit Ethernet ports and aimed at the unified threat management (UTM) market.

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The MEPIS project announced the release of the Debian Linux based SimplyMEPIS distribution. SimplyMEPIS 11 moves up to Linux kernel 2.6.36.4 and the KDE 4.51 desktop, switches from OpenOffice.org to LibreOffice 3.3.2, and provides FireFox 4.0, which was recently recompiled to run much faster on Linux.

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HP announced a revamped version of its Mini 210 netbook that includes upgraded audio plus color that's skin-deep. Still with a choice of Intel Atom processors and Windows 7 operating systems, the device now includes a social-media-centric upgrade to the available, Linux-based QuickWeb operating system, according to the company.

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STMicroelectronics (ST) announced a new member of its dual-core Cortex-A9 SPEAr1300 SoC (system on chip) line that adds a 2D/3D-accelerating ARM Mali 200 graphics processing unit (GPU). The SPEAr1340 also includes a hardware video accelerator, supporting up to 1080p at 30fps, and it can handle multiple concurrent video flows for surveillance applications, says the company.

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U.K. games developer David Braben has launched an OLPC-like foundation called Raspberry Pi, hoping to sell a tiny ARM/Linux computer aimed at K12 computer education for as little as $25. Braben demonstrated a single board computer (SBC) prototype running Ubuntu 9.04 on a 700MHz, OpenGL-enabled ARM11 processor with 128MB SDRAM, HDMI, USB, and SD connectivity, supporting 1080p video.

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Samsung and AT&T announced new details on their 4.5-inch Android 2.2 smartphone, said to be just over a third of an inch thick. The Samsung Infuse 4G will be available May 15 for $200 plus contract, and features a 1.2GHz Hummingbird processor, HSPA+, an eight-megapixel camera, and (possibly) the ability to load apps from third-parties.

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Is an Android smartphone worth $300 plus a two-year contract? In the case of the Samsung Droid Charge, which offers Verizon 4G bandwidth, a beautiful 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, and an eight-megapixel camera, the answer is just maybe, says this eWEEK review.

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Researchers at Microsoft Research claim to have come up with a way to turn any wall into a touch-sensitive surface. The technology, which relies on the body's ability to deflect electromagnetic radiation, could provide a new way for devices to be controlled from anywhere in the house, according to a report in MIT's Technology Review.

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