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Stealth Computer announced a mini PC that packs Intel Core i7, i5, or i3 processors and includes a front-loading optical disk drive. The LPC-670 accepts input power from 12 to 20VDC, includes hard disk or solid-state storage up to 750GB, provides DVI-I and HDMI video outputs, and supports a variety of embedded operating systems, the company says.
The CentOS community project announced CentOS 5.6, which clones the vast majority of features in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.6, including its full embrace of the Ext4 filesystem. Meanwhile, Red Hat will announce a new cloud application-building platform at its Red Hat Summit May 3, based on technology acquired when it purchased Makara last year, says eWEEK.
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 “Honeycomb” tablet will be available for pre-order for $450 at BestBuy.com on April 14, with shipments scheduled for April 24. In other tablet news, the Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab is now shipping for $349, and Barnes & Noble (sort of) opened up its Nook Color e-reader tablet to Android developers.
Intel has formally announced its “Oak Trail” Atom Z670 processor, touting 35 different design wins and a three-Watt TDP, along with a Z650 version for embedded devices. The chipmaker also said its 32nm “Cedar Trail” will be released during the second half of this year, featuring improved graphics and even lower power consumption.
Datasound Laboratories (DSL) announced a rebranded version of an Aplex-manufactured box PC, adding a Firewire port, SPDIF, and optional TV-out. The ACS-2625 Box PC is equipped to run an Intel Core 2 Duo processor at up to 2.33GHz, and offers up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, two PCI slots, CompactFlash and SATA storage, dual-display capability, plus Ethernet, USB 2.0, and serial connectivity, says the company.
Doing its part to fight Android fragmentation, Cyanogen and his band of mobile hackers have released a modified version of Android 2.3.3 optimized for some 30 devices still awaiting carrier updates. CyanogenMod 7 (CM7) adds to Gingerbread with power-user features found in the previous Froyo version (CM6), and supports its first two tablets: the ViewSonic G-Tablet and Barnes & Noble Nook Color.
LinkedIn released the final LinkedIn for Android 1.0 app to help professionals view and manage LinkedIn connections. In other enterprise-related Android news, Google upgraded its security and device management programs for Android with three Google Apps updates, including a Device Policy update, a Google Apps Lookup app, and a Honeycomb tablet encryption feature.
GeckoSystems will show off its fourth-generation “CareBot” service robot at its “Mobile Robots in Motion” conference on April 13-14. Based on two dual-core Intel Atom-based Mini-ITX boards, with one running Ubuntu Linux and the other Windows XP, the latest CareBot features an updated GeckoMotorController 7.0 and a new GeckoImager 3.1 vision system based on Microsoft Kinect technology.
The GNOME Desktop project released a vastly overhauled version of the leading desktop Linux environment, said to be its biggest update in nine years. GNOME 3.0 features a new, streamlined GNOME Shell desktop, as well as improvements to search, user messaging, system settings, and the GTK+ libraries, plus a major revision of the Nautilus file manager, says the project.
Portwell announced a fanless, rugged in-vehicle infotainment and fleet management computer that measures only 7.72 x 5.74 x 2.13 inches. Equipped with a 600MHz Intel Celeron M processor, the PCS-8270 offers up to 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, a CompactFlash port, six USB 2.0 ports, and wireless modules including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and GSM, says the company.
Motorola's Android-based Xoom tablet and Atrix smartphone are experiencing slow sales, according to analysts. Differentiating in a crowded tablet market, advises one analyst, will be the key to the success of other Android tablets.
The Obama Administration's well-intentioned drive to quickly approve wireless broadband in rural areas could end up killing most GPS use in the United States, according to this eWEEK opinion piece. Opposition is said to be growing to the FCC's approval of broadband spectrum directly adjacent to GPS, which could cause disruptions from “receiver desensitization.”
Google's Android creator Andy Rubin said the open source platform will remain open despite suggestions to the contrary. Rubin disputes recent allegations that Google's non-fragmentation policy has been tightened, and denies any “lock-downs or restrictions against customizing UIs.”
Gartner says global smartphone sales will rise 57.7 percent in 2011 year-over-year, with the boom continuing through 2015 — bolstered, more than harmed, by tablet sales. This year, Android will take the lead in smartphone sales with 38.5 percent, and represent 48.8 percent in 2015, followed by second-place Microsoft Windows Phone, which will soar to 19.5 percent, projects the research firm.
Android platform fragmentation is worrisome to mobile developers, while Apple's iOS is seen to offer advantages in platform stability, app store management, and billing, according to a recent survey by Robert W. Baird and Co. Nevertheless, respondents appeared to be equally bullish on writing apps for either operating system, both of which beat other platforms such as BlackBerry or Windows Phone by a large margin in the “future outlook” category.