中国Linux校园联盟 分享开源乐趣

This riveting tale describes the development of a fairly amazing Linux device. Andrey Filippov's latest paper describes how at the behest of an unnamed client, his small Utah-based company fit GPS, DMA-enabled storage, and multi-camera synchronization into its Linux-powered camera, which has an open hardware design.

Garmin has posted Linux source code for its Nuvi 8xx and Nuvi 5xxx-series GPS navigation devices. The Nuvi 8xx offers a 4.3-inch, 480x272 display, and appears to be based on a Marvell PXA-3xx processor, Gnome Mobile Linux, and GeoClue location technology.

Forbes has published an interview with LiMo Foundation executive director Morgan Gillis. The LiMo chief speaks out on Nokia's acquisition of Symbian, competition with Android, the fold-in of the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum, and a projected 10 new LiMo handsets to be announced this month.

OpenMoko will start selling its Linux-based Neo FreeRunner phone online on July 4th, says the company. Billed as a completely open source, hackable hardware platform, the Neo FreeRunner will receive updated software with new location-based applications in August, says OpenMoko.

A commercial RTOS and tools provider will host an event for embedded Linux developers on August 6th, during the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco. "Wind River Developer Day" will offer sessions on the mobile device market and Carrier Grade virtualization, along with Wind River product tutorials and demos.

Timesys announced an alliance with Logic Embedded Product Solutions to support Logic's System on Modules (SOMs). LinuxLink software subscriptions are initially available for Logic's i.MX27 and i.MX31 SOMs and related "Zoom LV" development kits, which are based on the Freescale system-on-chips (SoCs).

The IEEE may be taking its time ratifying its 802.11n standard, but that does not appear to be slowing the momentum of the 300- to 600Mbps technology, says ABI Research. The market research firm forecasts 802.11n access point shipment growth from 6 million this year to 88 million in 2013.

Kontron announced a Linux-compatible mini-ITX motherboard based on a 1.6GHz Intel Centrino Atom processor. The KTUS15/miTX targets solar- or battery-powered applications, vehicle PCs, point-of-sale/interest kiosks, medical, multimedia, rugged tablets, industrial automation, and other embedded device applications.

Via Technologies has announced a third motherboard using its tiny 3.9 x 2.8 inch pico-ITX format. Available with a 1GHz C7 or 500MHz Eden ULV processor, the P700 boasts an onboard DC-DC adapter, and comes with two daughterboards that add real-world I/O connectors.

NetGear has announced an 802.11g WiFi router and access point made to be hacked. Seemingly created in homage to LinkSys's hacker-friendly "WRT54GL," the WGR614L offers fairly generous complements of CPU power, RAM, and Flash, and supports several commercial and community-supported alternative Linux-based router distributions.

[Updated: Jul. 1, 2008] -- Purple Labs has acquired Openwave's mobile phone software business. The $30 million deal brings the mobile software firm's cross-platform browser and messaging client technologies to Purple Labs, which is known for its LiMo (Linux Mobile) Platform-compliant phone stack.

[Updated Jul. 2] -- Motorola has quietly started shipping a new Linux-based "PDA" phone. Available now in China, and also approved by the FCC for use in the U.S., the MotoMing A1600 builds on the popular A1200, long a top-selling smartphone, especially in China.

STMicroelectronics (STM) and NXP announced a management team for their joint venture (JV) targeting mobile processors. When it launches in the third quarter, ST-NXP Wireless will incorporate both firms' mobile and wireless businesses, which together generated $3 billion in 2007, say the companies.

IronKey Inc. has announced that its line of encrypted USB storage keys is now available for all major Linux operating systems (OSes). IronKey devices come in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB models, offer military-grade hardware encryption, and do not require driver installation, says the company.

Calao Systems has started shipping half a dozen expansion modules for its tiny USB key-sized Linux computer. The company has also launched a new low-powered USB computer that runs FreeRTOS, and offers CAN and LIN (local interconnect network) bus expansion.

Recursion Software is beta testing a cross-platform development environment for Java and Microsoft .NET developers building messaging and communications applications. The Voyager platform helps developers write a single code-set for mobile devices natively in either Java or .NET for "playback" on any supported platform, says Recursion.

[Updated: Jun. 26, 2008] -- The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum announced that it will fold its standards-development activities and membership into the LiMo Foundation in July. The merge appears to bring British Telecom and Telecom Italia to LiMo, along with several key technology vendors.

CodeSourcery has started shipping a new, more optimized version of its GNU-based toolchain for the MIPS architecture, it says. Sourcery G++ for MIPS now supports all MIPS cores, as well as "non-position independent code," for a claimed performance boost under Linux.

Nokia's Symbian purchase and subsequent open source release will put pressure on Linux phone stack vendors and Microsoft alike, writes Andreas Constantinou in a thought-provoking guest editorial. An open source Symbian release, when and if it happens, could even offer a few things Android and LiMo won't, he suggests.

The Open Group has scheduled its annual Real-time and Embedded Systems (RTES) Forum for July 21-25 at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago. The group has released a preliminary agenda, with session topics including security, MILS, and "dependability through assuredness."