Linux Devices

Open source phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 May 2009 08:00:00 +0000

GizmoForYou, a hacker community, launching Linux hardware/software kit for building a modular touchcreen smartphone. Based on the OMAP35x-based Gumstix Overo Earth single-board computer (SBC), the Flow phone offers modules including GPS, 3.5G cellular, Bluetooth, WiFi, and a camera.

The core of the product is the Flow motherboard, which is designed to integrate the separately available Overo Earth module. Other modules attach to the motherboard, including a 3.7-inch 640 x 480 Sharp LS037V7DW01 touchscreen LCD and Flow Sharp LCD module.

Connectivity modules include GPS, USB, and a choice between a plain GSM cellular module and a HSDPA-ready 3.5G/GPS/GSM/GPRS module. Additional options include a 1GB MicroSD card, camera, power supply, battery, and enclosure, with various options available on several of the modules.

Flow motherboard features are said to include:

* 2 x 70 pin connectors for the Overo module from Gumstix
* 80-pin connector for the GSM, GPS, and 3G modules
* Stereo amplifiers
* 2 x speakers and GSM audio amplifier for speakers
* Microphone and GSM preamp for Mic
* PIC16LF877A UI Init (with Bootloader preloaded)
* 2 x general-purpose buttons linked to the UI Unit
* Orientation sensor
* Light sensor
* Level translation for GSM serial connections
* 3G USB HS power supply
* Luxeon 1W LED for the camera flash features
* Dual SIM/MicroSD slot (experimental)
* Camera connector and camera power management
* Power management circuits fully controllable by the UI unit
* Additional pins for connecting external power sources
* Dimensions -- 3.0 x 2.6 inches (76 x 65mm)
* Operating system -- Linux

USB monitor run on linux

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:05:00 +0000

Linux users should soon be able to use USB-connected monitors. DisplayLink has released Linux versions of its USB monitor and has partnered with Novell and the Linux Driver Project to develop drivers for desktops and mobile devices. DisplayLink’s chips are embedded in a growing number of USB-connected monitors, such as Mimo Monitors' little Mimo 710 enabling one or more high resolution displays to be connected via a standard USB 2.0 port.

Previously available only on Windows and Mac, the drivers can now be developed for Linux devices now that the source code library has been released under GNU Lesser General Public License v2 (LGPL). The library should enable the development of Linux X Servers, drivers, and other applications that work with the DisplayLink-compatible technology. As a result, USB-to-monitor attachments should be available on Linux devices including netbooks, notebooks, mobile Internet devices (MIDs), mobile phones, embedded displays, embedded devices, and digital signage.

A DisplayLink driver compresses graphics using adaptive compression technology that automatically balances compression methods based on the content, available CPU power, and USB bandwidth. The data is then sent out through the USB port to a monitor or other device with an embedded DisplayLink DL-120 or DL-160 chip, which include a USB port on one side and an analog, DVI, or FPI (LVDS) video port on the other. The chip decompresses the stream and enables instant cloning or extending of a desktop among multiple displays.

To accelerate deployment and development of Linux drivers and other software, DisplayLink has established partnerships with both Novell and the Linux Driver Project (LDP). Company is expecting to launch this USB monitor as soon as possible.

Linux Foundation relaunches Linux web site

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:58:00 +0000

The Linux Foundation (LF) has followed up on its acquisition of Linux.com with a promised relaunch of the site. The revamped Linux.com now offers blog hosting, a how-to section, user reviews for products in the directory, and an Ultimate Linux Guru contest.

The LF announced its acquisition of Linux.com from SourceForge in early March. While the LF has assumed control of the site, SourceForge will continue to sell advertising. Linux.com, which saw 21 percent growth in traffic in 2008. It offers industry news and forums devoted to Linux information, software, documentation, and technical answers across the server, desktop/netbook, mobile, and embedded areas.

The redesign aims to "mirror the Linux community process by hosting a collaborative framework where users and developers can connect and increase the collective Linux knowledge and resources for new and advanced users alike," says the LF. Inaugural Linux.com sponsors include Intel, NetApp, Novell, and Red Hat. Each year, Linux.com will award the top-scoring guru as the "Ultimate Linux Guru," says the LF.

Major new Linux.com features are said to include:

* News -- original content and analysis, plus content from LF workgroups, including FOSSBazaar and MoblinZone.
* Community -- new user blogs and reviews, and tools for promoting Linux and open source related groups
* Distribution Central -- showcase of original content from each of the major community distros, with contributions from Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu, and contributors including Jono Bacon, Joe Brockmeier, Paul Frields, Martin Krafft, and Karsten Wade
* Learning -- centralized repository for Linux documentation, including Man Pages and how-to tutorials from the Linux Documentation Project, plus technical Q&A forums
* Directory -- user-contributed and user-reviewed database of Linux applications, Linux-compatible hardware components, books, hosting, and other Linux-related professional services; plus aggregated Linux application downloads to create an application store.

Hybrid Linux mobile phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:23:00 +0000

Germany-based ROAD has upgraded its multifunction, Linux-based mobile phone. This phone can act as both a GSM cellular phone and a WiFi-driven PDA and web browser, and it offers a dual SIM-card option. The new mobile phone offers a redesigned 5.1 x 2.5 x 0.9-inch case, a faster 512MHz Marvel PXA270 processor, and much more RAM and flash, with allotments of 128MB and 1GB, respectively. The device also includes not only an SD card, but also the option of dual SIMs, for use with two different phone numbers.

The phone provides both a standard phone keypad and a 63-key QWERTY mini-keyboard. The device includes quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) cellphone with EDGE, WiFi and Bluetooth radios, a two megapixel camera, and a USB 2.0 interface. ROAD has added Outlook synchronization and the MS-compatible Softmaker office suite. A Linux SDK is also said to be available for developing third party applications.

Specifications

* Processor -- Marvell PXA270 @ 512MHz
* Memory -- 128MB RAM
* Flash -- 1GB flash and expanded up to 32GB
* Display -- 128 x 160 color phone display (with lightness-sensor); 640 x 240 color TFT touchscreen
* Input -- 21-key phone keypad; 63-key QWERTY mini-keyboard; 4 x external PC control keys
* Cellular -- GSM quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) with EDGE/GPRS class 12; dual SIM-card option
* WiFi -- 802.11b
* Bluetooth -- Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, class 2
* USB -- 1 x micro-USB 2.0
* Camera -- 2 megapixel
* Applications:
o PIM-Pack (list, contact, calendar, tasks)
o Remote access client
o Messaging client email/SMS
o Web browser
o Softmaker Office Office-Pack (MS-compatible):
+ TextMaker word processing
+ PlanMaker spreadsheet
+ Database
+ PDF-Viewer
+ Drawing program
+ Calculator
+ Notes
+ Audio Player
+ Video Player
+ Games
+ PIM synchronization for PCs
+ Online software updates
* Battery -- Akku 1800mAh Lithium-Polymer (charges via USB)
* Battery life -- 4 hours active, 7 days standby (phone); 5 hours active, 30 days standby (phone off)
* Dimensions -- 5.1 x 2.5 x 0.9 inches (130 x 64 x 24mm)
* Operating system -- Linux 2.6.x with Qtopia-based ROAD graphical desktop and optional SDK

Linux based portable media player

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:38:00 +0000

BlueRadios announced a near-eye portable media player (PMP) with a Kopin SVGA micro display. The WiFi-enabled WiPC (Wireless internet PC) weighs three ounces only, offers the viewing experience of a 15-inch display, runs Linux, Android, or Windows CE/Mobile, and consumes one Watt of power. The PMP provides access to Internet-based content including audio and video.

The Kopin "Golden-I" color liquid crystal micro display provides 800 x 600-pixel resolution and "superb magnifying optics. The WiPC offers built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, and "3.5G" modems, and a "cellular handset" capability is planned for a future release. Interactivity is available via voice recognition command and control, as well as a jog wheel and an "optical finger mouse. The WiPC offers a full web browser, with access to multimedia content, streaming media, and the ability to open PDF files. The GPS receiver is backed up with navigation and Location Based Services (LBS) support, and videoconferencing is also said to be available.

Features and specification of PMP

* Processor -- Multitask-enabling dual-core processor
* Flash -- 16GB microSD card and SIM socket card-holder
* Display -- Kopin SVGA (800 x 600) liquid crystal micro display (LCD).
* USB -- 1 x USB on-the-go (OTG) port, also used for recharging internal Lithium battery
* Communications:
o 2G/3.5G cellular modem
o GPS
o Bluetooth
o WiFi
o FM (Tx/Rx)
* Other features:
o Voice recognition command and control
o Optical finger mouse
o Text to speech and vice-versa
* Power -- 1 x rechargeable Lithium cell battery; consumes 1 Watt
* Weight -- 3 oz (85g)
* Operating system -- Linux, Android, Windows CE

Linux based Waterproof panel PC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:39:00 +0000

IEI Technology announced a rugged, Linux-Based, IP67-waterproof panel PC aimed at marine, avionics, military, mining, engineering, and industrial applications. The Sailor-12A and sunlight readable Sailor-12ASR run on 1.6GHz Intel Atom processors, and offer 12.1-inch, 1024 x 768 touchscreens and 802.11b/g/n WiFi.

The Sailor-12A is equipped with a die-cast aluminum enclosure that helps to dissipate heat, enabling fanless operation. The sealed IP67 and NEMA6 compliant chassis, touchpanel, connectors, and optional cables are waterproof, and the system is "designed for high reliability, shock and vibration tolerance, use under an extreme range of temperatures and in harsh environments. The Sailor-12A uses the same Atom N270 and Intel 945GSE + ICH7M chipset typically found on netbooks. The device's WiFi radio supports 802.11n standard, which offers up to twice the range of 802.11g, as well as faster speeds of 300- to 600Mbps. Storage options include a CompactFlash II slot and a 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive (HDD) bay.

The 12.1-inch touchscreen is said to offer an ambient light sensor for automated screen adjustments to optimize viewing. The optional Sailor-12ASR adds to that with Anti-Reflection (AR) technology and "advanced deep dimming to black" for better readability in sunlight.

Technical specifiaction

* Processor -- Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz with Intel 945GSE + ICH7M chipset
* Memory -- up to 2GB 533MHz DDR2
* Flash expansion -- CompactFlash II slot
* Storage -- 2.5-inch SATA HDD bay
* Display -- 12.1-inch, 1024 x 768 TFT LCD; 400 nits high brightness rating (1,000 nits for ASR model); 500:1 contrast (700:1 for ASR model); anti-reflection, edge lighting, and auto-dimming on ASR model
* Keypad -- Membrane keypad with LCD on/off, brightness, volume, and auto dimming controls
* WiFi -- 802.11 b/g/n with internal antenna
* Power consumption -- 33W
* Dimensions -- 13.6 x 11.8 x 3.0 inches (345.3 x 300.4 x 77mm)
* Weight -- 9 lbs, 4.15 oz (4.2 kg)
* Operating temperature -- 14 to 122 deg. F (-10 to 50 deg. C)
* Operating system -- Linux, Windows CE 6.0, and Windows XP Embedded

Palm Pre - Linux based smartphone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:27:00 +0000

Palm is preparing a low cost follow-up to its upcoming Palm Pre, offering the same Linux-based WebOS operating system. At the well-received unveiling of the Palm Pre smartphone in January, Palm stated that it planned to release several phones based on WebOS, but since then has released no further details. The 3G-enabled Palm Pre may well be be the first Linux-based smartphone aside from Android phones from HTC and Samsung to offer an "iPhone"-like smartphone experience.

Despite possible production troubles, early reports on the Pre continue to be positive, as suggested by the high marks given to the smartphone in the Laptop Magazine article. The general consensus among the analysts was that while WebOS could possibly be extended to mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and possibly even netbooks, a la Android, Palm is focused on smartphones for the near future.

The Pre features WiFi, GPS, 3-megapixel camera, 3.1-inch touchscreen, and Palm's homegrown WebOS Linux phone stack. Offering a rounded design with a keyboard that slides out on a curved slider, the Pre is slightly smaller than the first Android phone, the HTC G1, and it offers a more cramped thumb-oriented QWERTY keyboard compared to the landscape-style slide-out of the G1. Yet, the design appears sleeker than the G1, especially with keyboards extended. In addition, the Pre offers design innovations like a "gesture area" underneath the screen where one can swipe and flip away at the UI without obscuring the screen.

The Pre ships with 8GB of internal memory, of which 7.4GB is available to users. A microUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed support is also said to be available. The 3.1-inch HVGA touchscreen offers 320x480 resolution and 24-bit color, accelerometers, and two additional sensors: a proximity sensor and a light sensor for automatic dimming. The Pre uses Sprint's EVDO 3G network, but a UMTS HSDPA model will come out later that will be aimed at Europe and other international markets, said the company.

The Pre's Linux-derived WebOS leverages industry standard technologies, including CSS, XHTML, and JavaScript, and will offer an open development environment, said Palm. WebOS is said to provide gesture-based UI that includes a card metaphor for sifting through screens and applications. It also offers unified messaging technology called Synergy, which aims to integrate information from multiple sources such as calendars, contacts, and messaging applications into combined, logical views.

WebOS is said to offer extensive synchronization features, as well as persistent connections between applications and the web, providing updates in the background. Other touted features are said to include multitasking with easy switching between multiple open applications, a multi-touch interface with gesture and touch tricks, universal search, and unobtrusive notifications.The Palm Pre is scheduled to be available in the U.S. exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009, says Palm.

Linux based Internet Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:46:00 +0000

Livio has announced a Linux-based Internet radio that plays back customized streams from Pandora, as well as approximately 11,000 other stations. The Livio Radio includes 802.11 wireless networking, an RJ45 port for wired Ethernet, plus "thumbs-up" and "thumbs-down" controls for rating songs. This radio looks like an old-fashioned table radio, but includes both wired and wireless networking, and has an ARM-based SBC (single board computer) inside. In addition, the Livio is claimed to be the first hardware device to include both front-panel buttons and a remote control that let a user inform Pandora -- via thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons -- whether they like the music they're hearing.

The Radio play back approximately 11,000 Internet radio stations from around the world, streamed in Real Audio, Windows Media, or MP3 formats. To use the device, an owner must register it with both the Reciva and Pandora websites, and use a web browser to build a list of stations they want to hear. From that point on, the stations appear in the Livio radio's menus, and must be selected using the device's rotary control and the three-line display.

Hardware as well as software details are not unveiled as yet but it may be like all Reciva-compatible radios. According to Reciva, the Stingray and Barracuda include support for SD card readers and a USB host port, the latter being used to add networking capabilities. The company says the SBCs also support graphical LCD and OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays, though all Reciva radios seen to date have used single- or multiple-line character displays. This radio will be available soon.

Linux router

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:58:00 +0000

The linux based router offers a standard private WiFi signal, but then provides a smaller amount of bandwidth for public use that can be shared by fellow users. The router is designed by a company known as Fonera. All router users can share each others' excess bandwidth for free, without monthly charges, and the routers can even be set up to share local and networked files with authenticated users.

This Fenora router measures 3.7 x 1.0 x 4.3 inches (93.5 x 25.5 x 110mm), excluding its detachable 1.5dBi antenna. The router provides 802.11b/g WiFi for up to 54 Mbps, as well as dual Ethernet ports, one for the broadband modem and one for the LAN. The new USB port can connect fellow Fonero users to file or print servers, or can hook up external webcams. Users can also attach a 3G USB modem dongle to take advantage of 3G connections, bridging WiFi and 3G networks. The Fonera router supports WEP 64bit/128 bit, WPA, WPA2 and WPA mixed authentication, and offers automatic security firmware updates.

New features of Linux router

* Upload photos to Flickr, Picasa, and Facebook via USB automatically even when attached PC is shut down.
* Hard drive network sharing and backup menu.
* Enhanced torrent client that fixes crashes and offers choice of port for automatic opening within firewall.
* Enhanced 3G support.
* Enhanced file browser.
* Improved Dashboard design that can now be browsed with Internet Explorer.
* More space for new applications.
* Multi-partition disks can be labeled.
* Static DHCP leases supported.
* Support for access by Nintendo DS.
* WiFi-WAN compatible with more access points.

The Fenora router is available in the USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan at Rs. $63.

Linux based Navigation System

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:36:00 +0000

There are several navigation system in market but Dash Navigation's "Dash Express" is only navigation system based on Linux-based mobile phone platform. Dash Express Navigation System shares both hardware and software components from Neo FreeRunner mobile phone which is first mobile uses linux as a platform.

The Dash Express is positioned as the first in-car navigation system to feature a continuous connection to the Internet. The Dash network monitors available wireless options and chooses the best pick between cellular radio and Wi-Fi to download traffic data, map updates, and other information from the Internet. The always-connected architecture enables an interesting "user-influenced" traffic monitoring system, in which Dash computers anonymously transmit location information to the Dash network, which can advise drivers of best routes, the company says.

The Dash Express is based on the Neo FreeRunner design. Neo1973- one of the very first Linux-based phones to feature a user-replaceable OS -- with a faster processor, new 3D graphics acceleration, WiFi, 850MHz triband GSM capability, and 3D accelerometers. Dash Express uses the Neo FreeRunner's hardware design minus the 3D graphics acceleration, accelerometers, and Bluetooth, and adds 3GB of flash storage (instead of 256MB), as well as a stronger GPS receiver and larger antenna. Both the Dash Express and the Neo FreeRunner will be manufactured by OpenMoko's former parent company, First International Computer (FIC)- one of the world's largest consumer electronics and PC manufacturer.

Features of Linux based Navigation System:

* Two-way Internet access via Wi-Fi or cellular communication
* Navigation and mapping features
* Unlimited Yahoo local search
* Traffic routing system combines data from traditional traffic sources with anonymously gathered traffic information from other Dash-connected drivers
* Routing service provides up to three options to each requested destination based on flow patterns rather than incident data
* Service is claimed capable of automatically alerting drivers when a faster route becomes available

Specification of Linux based Navigation System:

* Processor -- Samsung S3C2442 (400MHz)
* RAM -- 128MB
* Flash -- 3GB
* Display -- 4.3-inch diagonal WQVGA Color TFT LCD 480 x 272
* Audio -- "high-quality" audio codec
* USB -- 1 x version 1.1
* Cellular -- tri-band (900MHz) 2.5G GPRS/GSM with SIM card locked in the case
* WiFi -- 802.11b/g
* GPS
* Battery -- Rechargeable lithium-ion with up to two-hour battery life
* Dimensions -- 4.8 x 4.1 x 2.8 inches (122 x 104 x 71 mm)
* Weight -- 13.3 ounces (377 grams)

This navigation system price is $600.

eSlick : Linux based Ebook Reader

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:46:00 +0000

I am not sure in such a recession how many people can go for a product like this, but still Foxit has come up with its new product eSlick, a linux based ebook reader. Based on ARM processor this ebook reader is one of those luxuries which is meant to lure techy geeky chaps to spend some dollars to prove themselves more geeky. I find ebook reader as devices which came out of jealousy from IPods by the people whose main hobby is reading instead of listening music. Although eSlick is a cheaper model available but still $230 its too much for me. Its costlier than my IPod thing..

The eSlick ebookreader has pretty basic features: E-ink technology, 2GB SD card, PDF concerter and viewer from Foxit. The eSlick is quite the basic reader you might want to get. The eSlick claims for supporting 8000 pages of book reading in a single charge. The supported formats for eSlick are PDF and TXT but it comes with Foxit's PC-based PDF Creator software. This creator software can convert any printable document including TXT, PPT, DOC, XLS, and HTML to PDF document format. eSlick also supports USB to connect to other devices for downloading of data.With a built-in MP3 player, Foxit eSlick enables you to enjoy your favorite music while reading your favorite books or documents. After downloading your MP3 files to your computer and transferring them via USB to your eSlick, you can simply press the "Music button", go directly to the MP3 folder and select the specific music to play.

Specifications listed for the eSlick eReader include:

* Display: 6" E Ink® Vizplex screen 600 x 800 pixel resolution, 4-level gray scale
* Internal Memory: 128MB
* Storage Memory: SD Card (2GB included. Supports up to 4GB)
* Supported Formats:
- eBook Formats: PDF, TXT, Any printable document(after converted to PDF using included software)
- Sound Formats: MP3
* Weight: 6.4 ounces (180g) battery included
* Size: 188mm × 118mm × 9.2mm (7.4"x4.7"x0.4")
* Color: Gray(Black back), Black , White (Light Gray back)
* Connectivity: USB2.0
* Operating System: Embedded Linux

Browser for Linux devices

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Mozilla Labs has announced the release of first version Fennec browser for mobile devices for PC desktops based testing. Both Arm and x86 ports of the browser had been released .Fennec is available for a number of platforms including Maemo, Linux, Windows, Macintosh and Windows Mobile.

With this release mozilla is trying to jump in head on competition with Safari's rendering engine Webkit , which has from sometime emerged as the default browser for all the small and handheld mobile Internet devices.

Release notes for Fennec on Official website say about the browser that "This is an early developer release of the mobile version of Firefox, for testing purposes only, intended to:

* get wider community feedback on our approach to the user experience
* engage Mozilla community teams, including localizers, add-on developers, and testers
* get feedback from Web developers"

Although previous release of Fennec were targeted for being tested on Nokia N810 internet tablet but in second release mozilla labs has tried to cover a number of platforms for the purpose of wider range of assessment for users.

There has been some tremendous gain in performance of Javascript engine in the new release. This is a major field for various browser activities these days. But still it has to compete with Webkit's javascript engine. Though this release is a good head start for mozilla in every terms for start of penetration in MID space.

Samsung Android phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:27:00 +0000

Samsung seems to make announcement of its first Linux based Android phone . This Linux based phone will be a first release of Android phone from World's number two OEM after NOKIA. Samsung comes second after Nokia in the smartphone market share worldwide. This release of Samsung's Android Phone is a real booster for Android and OHA dominance over other mobile platforms like LIMO.

Samsung is core member in both the prominent industry collaborations namely LIMO and OHA of Linux based Open Mobile Platforms. An insider report which says about Samsung working on Android phones release seems that the equilibrium seems to get tilted towards OHA & Android.

Report also reveals that there has been addition in workforce of Samsung's Android Phones Development team. Though different in expected looks from HTC G1 this Samsung Android phone is rumoured to be launched in Q2 by the same carrier T-Mobile in USA. No confirmations has been from either side.

Samsung Android Phone is supposed to be a touch screen smartphone with support for various Google services. It will be really nice to see whether Motorola comes up with Android Phone before Samsung or not. Motorola has announced about its ongoing work for Android based Phone in early October of 2008.

Linux Camera on Moon Rover

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:30:00 +0000

One project for Linux camera is in for Google's Lunar X PRIZE competition. The paper describing feasibility & announcing participation in Google's Lunar X PRIZE competition discusses use of Open source software & a donated Elphel NC353L network camera for the purpose of capturing , compression and store/transmit of extremely high-resolution videos.

Author of the paper Anders Feder is a volunteer with Team FREDNET. The discussed Elphel camera device has also been previously used by Google for Books Library and Street view projects.

Team of the volunteers at Frednet is currently designing a remote-controlled robotic rover intended to be sent to the surface of the Moon. Futher updates on the project can been on the their blog.

Moca Medical Diagnostic Application

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:23:00 +0000

Well i think this application actually gives hint of what can be an imaginative use of development for Web 2.0 & free Linux software like Android. Moca is an Android based application for HTC G1 which merges mobile technologies & telehealth. It is designed to provide better medical diagnostic, screening, and therapeutic services in developing nations & remote under-served areas. This application is actually based on the fact that nearly 80% to 90% of world population is under some kind of network connectivity through tower infrastructures.

Moca provides an Android application for medical screening which integrates a Linux server application and the open source OpenMRS medical records database. The Moca app is designed to be used by nurses and careworkers who work from clinics or mobile vans from remote areas sent out to remote villages.

Moca choosed Android as its target platform because of it being open source which may lead to lost cost handsets. Also Moca developers choosed Android because of its high end camera feature & advanced application development environment.

To deal with the various problems related to existing global cellular framework Moca developers provide innovative technolgies for packetization, synchronization, and multimodal communications . For more you can visit mocamobile website.

HP Offers Pre-Installed Desktop Linux

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:29:00 +0000

HP has finally come up with pre-installed Linux based Desktops for SMB business. Anyone interested in a Linux-powered work desktop, though, will be able to put the SLED-powered dc5850 to use. While HP would sell you desktop Linux on a business PC in the past, it had to be 'ordered.' Now, you'll be able to get it 'off-the-rack.'

The dc5850 is a small form-factor desktop. It comes with a wide variety of AMD processors. These range from the 2.2GHz AMD Sempron LE-1250 processor to the quad-processor 2.3GHz AMD Phenom X4 9600B processor. The system can hold up to 8GBs of RAM, but typically comes with 512MB to 2GBs of RAM.

You also get a variety of choices for your graphics. These include integrated AMD Radeon 3100 Graphics; NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS or the ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT. You also have many hard drives to choose from. The one thing the drives have in common is that they're all fast. At the low end, there's a 80GB 7,200 rpm drive and you can go up to a 500GB 7,200 rpm drive or a smaller, but faster, 160GB 10,000 rpm drive. You an also pick from one of three removable SATA drives.

Maemo 5 SDK pre-alpha released

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:55:00 +0000

Nokia's Internet tablet Nokia N810 off late is in quite a buzz among Linux devices. Now Maemo.org has released pre alpha version of its Maemo 5 SDK . This open source release of SDK is featured with supports of hardware-based graphics acceleration for TI OMAP3 processors. Maemo SDK 5.0 also has supports for hi def cameras and cellular connectivity.

This advance Maemo SDK release also includes support for 3D graphical libary Clutter, PulseAudio, Tracker, Libcanberra, and OpenMax. Clutter is supposed to be used for a soon-to-be revamped UI and also a new multimedia framework (called "Midas") is also in pipeline through repository updates from NOKIA. There are supposed to be some backward compatibility hitches coz of addition of support for OMAP processors.There are also major updates in Glib, GTK+, GUPnP, Telepathy, BlueZ, the X server and some of the renewed Hildon components. Release notes can be referred for further information of SDK release.

Android Development Hardware

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Google has reportedly started providing an unlocked version of the Android based T-Mobile G1 to registered Android developers from its website. This network and bootloader unlocked kit namely "Android Dev Phone 1" is available at cost of $400 to the existing registered Google Android
members & developers. This release is basically aimed to provide developers a real hardware platform to test their applications on."Android Dev Phone 1" is available in USA, UK, India, Japan, Germany, Canada, Taiwan, France, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Finland. This can be used with any SIM card & also with custom builds of ANDROID OS . Development kit namely Android Dev Phone 1 features same specification as of T-mobile HTC G1. According to Google Android Dev Phone 1 comes with stack compatible with Android 1.0. More updates on same can be found here

Android 1.0 ported to Nokia N810

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:54:00 +0000

Now this can be considered as news of weekend. Google's much hyped Linux based mobile phone stack Android is ported on Nokia N810 tablet. Some week back there was news of Linux was ported to IPhone. Now this news can again be taken in same taste. This shows the penetration & attempts of Linux hackers to make Linux run on various proprietary devices.

This hack was done by Beijing based consulting firm NthCode. NthCode specializes in Linux device development, in markets that include mobile phones, set-top boxes, and "converged" multimedia devices. The NthCode team also did a comparative study between Android's Linux kernel and the mainline kernel and found the differences to be "significant." Google had changed 75 files and added an additional 88, making substantial changes in emulation, power management, Netfilter, debugging, memory handling, and other areas.

Video of Android booting on Nokia N810 tablet can be seen below :

But still there are few things left to be done. Most important of all is making ANDROID applications work & secondly to make wifi work on Nokia N810.

Nokia Smart Home Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:47:00 +0000

Nokia unveils a linux device which can easily be out of the league a Nokia Smart Home Centre . This nano technology powered device is meant for controlling your home via a mobile phone or desktop PC. Nokia Smart Home Centre is a Linux Home Automation Gateway which uses Z-waves sensors & security radio to interact with other smart home devices.This device is meant for synchronising smart devices at home with a unique control interface.

Specifications listed for the Nokia Home Control Center include:

* 533MHz CPU
* 256MB RAM
* 6GB internal storage
* SD card reader with SDHC support
* 5 x gigabit Ethernet (4 x LAN; 1 x WAN)
* 802.11n WiFi (two antennas); Z-Wave
* GSM/GPRS
* 4 x USB 2.0 host
* 13.8 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches (350 x 150 x 35mm)
* OpenWrt Linux 2.6

The system offers a unified interface for devices including security systems, washing machines,self-operating lights,self-adjusting curtains,heating systems,smart refrigerators, and programmable thermostats.

Nokia Home Control Center features are also said to include:

* Automated responses to moisture, temperature limits , motion sensor triggering or luminance levels
* Linking of security, lighting, heating, and Internet systems
* Grouping of devices to control by location, function, and type

Device which is supposed to be shipped with OpenWrt Linux distribution comprise of fully featured 2.6 series linux kernel which features Linux server with file sharing cpabilities . Also this 550 gms (1.1 pound) device has web, email & media server capabilities. The product is expected to hit Europen Market in the last quarter of 2009.

Linux on IPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:06:00 +0000

For all Linux enthusiasts who were waiting for IPhone & Linux integration here comes a piece of news chunk which may pass a sheer wave of joy. IPhone hacker "Planetbeing" along with his team of hacker contributors Poorlad, Cmw, Saurik , CPICH and Ius has reverse engineered Apple's hardware drivers to get a thing initial port. Video of their work is shown below

The port contains drivers for serial, framebuffer and SerialOverUSB functions. Once OpeniBoot bootloader is installed, it lets iPhone user can choose between booting into the IPhone's native OS, or into a rudimentary linux port's console. When the console comes, user can use USB download a kernel and root filesystem to the phone . Being an initial port , developers plans to integrate support for stuff like accelerometer, WiFi,baseband functions,NAND write, sound and touchscreen. As a next step we may see may be Android being ported on IPhone using OpeniBoot bootloader as iphone-dev.org is luking for Android hackers to contribute for development.

Palm PDA Software on Nokia Tablets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:09:00 +0000

Many of the PDA lovers were waiting from a long time to have liberty of rich set of applications like PALM PDA devices to be present on there linux powered devices. But the fragmented nature of development of linux smartphones haven't resulted in any Linux device with a very rich set of applications like IPhone or Palm PDA. But after the acquisition of Access labs by Nokia there have been some integrated efforts on those fronts.

So here comes the result of efforts in form of Garnett Virtual Machines or Garnett VM for Nokia Tablets.

Now we can have the richness of Palm PDA Software applications on Nokia Tablets N 770 , N800, N810.

Garnett VM or GVM aims to let binaries of PALM PDA applications run on these Nokia Tablets. Thanks to GVM now you can have various application like Google Maps ,Pocket Tunes, EzFTP , SnapperMail etc & games like PacMan & Bejeweled on ur Nokia Tablets.

Good going Access & Nokia!!!!

Linux Devices

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Here i am starting a series of articles on the latest buzz in field of linux devices.

Linux has been considered as an Operating system especially for geeks/hackers. But now it has found place in range of small & handheld devices. Use of linux as an embedded operating system has grown much . From the beginning of decade there has been fragmented but continuous efforts by every kind of device manufacturer to use linux for there needs. So there have been a range of devices which can be termed as linux devices ranging from mobile phone to set-top boxes.But the best among them has been from the mobile phone OEM's ranging from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung etc.

The idea of this whole blog is to create a place to cater the needs of audience readers who want themselves to remain updated about the latest buzz in world of Linux devices.