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ZT Systems announced what it says is the first commercially available ARM-based development platform for the server market. The Ubuntu Linux-based R1801e 1U rackmount server employs SSD (solid state disk) storage and eight ARM Cortex-A9-based computer-on-modules (COMs), providing 16 600MHz cores while using less than 80 Watts, the company says.
Splashtop Inc. (formerly DeviceVM) released the first downloadable version of its Linux-based Splashtop instant-on companion operating system for Windows, and also signed a deal with Microsoft to make Bing the default search engine on all Splashtop products. Based on the Google Chromium browser, Splashtop OS (beta) is billed as a lightweight, web-centric OS optimized for notebooks and netbooks.
Enterprises looking for more energy-efficient server platforms shouldn't look to AMD's upcoming “Bobcat” architecture — at least not yet, according to an AMD executive blog. Meanwhile, x86 servers are increasingly being adopted instead of high-end RISC- or Itanium-powered alternatives, says Gartner.
More photos have been posted of an “LG Star,” rumored to be the first Android smartphone to offer a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. Meanwhile, a more imminent LG Androider called the LU3000 has been tipped in South Korea, and the FCC has posted details on two Samsung Android phones, one of which appears to be the rumored Nexus S.
Linutop released a new version of its small, fanless Linutop 3 PC, moving up from a 1GHz Via C7 CPU to a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 while dropping to under 16 Watts of power consumption. The Linutop 3 ships with 1GB or 2GB of RAM, 2GB of flash, gigabit Ethernet and serial ports, six USB 2.0 ports, and dual SATA ports.
Samsung's Continuum has a lot going for it, but the phone is essentially the same as the previously released Samsung Fascinate, but with screen size sacrificed for a largely useless secondary ticker display, says this eWEEK review. The Continuum is said to be the latest example of Android phone manufacturers taking iteration to the extreme.
French near field communications (NFC) chip manufacturer Inside Contactless announced an Android- and Linux-ready NFC system-in-package for short-range wireless transactions. SecuRead integrates the company's MicroRead NFC controller and open source Open NFC protocol stack with an Infineon Technologies security controller and a GlobalPlatform-compliant Java Card OS from Giesecke & Devrient, says the company.
Asus launched its Linux-based Asus Eee Note EA800 (previously Eee Tablet) e-reader, available now in Taiwan for about $230 and due in the U.S. in 1Q 2011, according to various reports. The Eee Note has an eight-inch, 1024 x 768 monochrome display with Wacom touchscreen technology, permitting 2450 dots per inch (dpi) pen input.
Advantech has surpassed Kontron to become the world's number two manufacturer of industrial PCs (IPCs), according to a report by the China Economic News Service. The company enjoyed year-on-year growth greater than 50 percent during the first ten months of this year, the report adds.
Tablets and smartphones are hampering worldwide PC sales, as is a lack of innovation, Gartner has announced. PC shipments are now expected to reach 352.4 million units in 2010 — a 14.3 percent increase over 2009 figures, but down from the research firm's original expectation of 17.9 percent growth.
The Brazilian subsidiary of Electrolux has joined with ProFusion Embedded Systems to develop a refrigerator that includes a Linux-based touchscreen computer. The Infinity I-Kitchen's computer is based on a 400MHz Freescale i.MX25 processor, offering a 800 x 480 display and an Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL) user interface.
Verizon Wireless has begun selling a new version of the Droid 2 Android slider with a faster 1.2GHz processor and quad-band GSM global roaming. Otherwise identical to the previous Droid 2, the Motorola Droid 2 Global is also said to offer an improved keyboard and lower battery life.
Philadelphia-area start-up Telikin has started taking orders for a “crash-resistant” computer with an 18.6-inch touchscreen and a custom Linux stack aimed at computer novices. Apparently based on the MSI Wind Top AE1920 all-in-one PC, the $700 Telikin computer incorporates a dual-core 1.8GHz CPU, 2GB of SDRAM, a 320GB hard disk drive, and four USB drives.
Habey USA announced an “Apple TV-style” PC that includes a dual-core Intel Atom D510 processor and an Nvidia Ion 2 GPU (graphics processing unit). The “EPC-6568” is offered today for approximately $260, but will be the subject of a Newegg.com “Black Friday” deal later this week, the company adds.
Walmart says it will be offering a 15.6-inch notebook for under $200 in its post-Thanksgiving “Black Friday” sale. The eMachines eME528-2325 includes a 15.6-inch screen, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard disk drive, an HDMI output, and a DVD drive, according to the reseller.