Mozilla, ARM and Samsung collaborate on Linux UMPC

Take some known innovators in the tech world, put them in a room with some felt-tip pens, paper and the command to mash up a few topical niches, and you might end up with the seven-strong group that today announced their intention to bring a Linux-based UMPC to the market in early 2009.

As well as Mozilla, ARM and Samsung, partners include Texas Instruments, MontaVista, Movial and Marvell Technologies - Microsoft, despite coining the UMPC moniker, is conspicuous by its absence - and the device they have in their sights is an open-source version of Nokia’s N800 Internet Tablet. Namely, a compact unit that relies on internet applications rather than demanding standalone software.

“You can attach to the web and do email and browsing without all the baggage of
a PC and Windows and Office. There are web-based alternatives to all that”
Jim Ready, CTO MontaVista

The eventual result would be a reference platform comprising of chip design, Debian-based Linux distro, MontaVista’s OS, Mozilla’s browser and then integrated hardware management and wireless networking along with a basic set of entertainment software. They expect to finalise the platform’s development early 2008.

ComputerWorld UK [via Tablet PC Talk]

Chinese Linux-powered phone with a GPS

It’s quite impressive to watch Chinese handset makers advancing so fast — I guess that’s one of the reasons Nokia and other leading phone brands keep investing in services.

Anyway, this is the first China-made device we’re featuring which doesn’t only sports a GPS receiver, but also runs on top of Linux OS. But there more in this candybar, which measures 110X52X16.5 mm and weighs only 85 grams. Above all, it’s notable to emphasize a decent (nothing too fancy) and unique design (or at least I’m not aware of any similar device), large 2.8″ QVGA 16 million colors touchscreen, 1.3 MP camera which can take both photos and videos (QVGA quality), Bluetooth, DivX-enabled media player, as well as the standard microSD memory slot.

Add the price in the equation — which according to my belief will not surpass $300 — and you have a winner, right?

[Via: Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]

Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum Releases Specifications and Roadmap through 2008

The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum announced the publication of specifications, that are part of LiPS Release 1.0, whose complete delivery is planned by the end of 2007.

In addition LiPS unveiled a roadmap of additional specification areas to be developed through 2008.

These LiPS Release 1.0 specifications documents represent the first public deliverables from working group activities since LiPS’ founding, and will help to improve interoperability across the Linux-based mobile telephony ecosystem – from software stack suppliers to mobile device OEMs to regional and global wireless operators.

The specifications published include the following: LiPS Reference Model, Address Book and Voice Call Enabler, and User Interface Services (Widget sets, Key Navigation and Text Input Method APIs– based on GTK). Before the end of 2007, the LiPS Forum will finalize the remaining elements of LiPS Release 1.0 by adding specifications relating to Telephony, Messaging, Calendar, IM, Presence and additional User Interface Services API specifications.

The emerging LiPS standards offer a range of benefits to the Linux-based mobile industry, especially in terms of reducing fragmentation, by informing and aligning OEMs, ISVs, operators and other consortia and standards bodies. “This first set of specifications represents real-world requirements as well as hard work on the part of key mobile ecosystem participants,” noted Haila Wang, president of the LiPS Forum. “Ongoing elaboration and adoption of the LiPS standards specifications will sustain the impressive growth of mobile Linux deployment, enhancing interoperability among devices and software, and streamlining time-to-market and rollout for Linux-based devices and services.”

“LiPS belongs to a new class of industry forums whose standards development model is closer to open source principles, i.e. standardization through public specifications and reference code implementations, rather than just paper-based,” commented Andreas Constantinou, senior analyst with VisionMobile and author of a forthcoming strategic report on mobile open source.

“LiPS release 1.0 will be important in helping Linux implementations converge, especially around telephony, PIM and UI services, where fragmentation is stalling otherwise unanimous manufacturer momentum behind mobile Linux.”

The completed specifications are publicly available on the LiPS Forum web site at http://www.lipsforum.org/.

Linux Heading to Mobile Phones

More than 127 million mobile phones will be enabled with commercial Linux OS by 2012, up from 8.1 million in 2007, according to the "Mobile Linux" report from ABI Research.

Shipments of devices using Linux as a real-time operating system (RTOS) replacement will pass 76 million units in 2012, up from nearly zero in 2007.

"Linux in the cellular phone is not a question of 'if,' but 'when,'" said Stuart Carlaw of ABI.
The main challenge Linux has faced in single-processor devices has been latency, but it is Mr. Carlaw's opinion that fixes are appearing.

"Innovative solutions such as PREEMPT_RT, the VirtualLogix virtual operating environment, and the use of RTOS executives over Linux kernels look set to deal with latency issues," said Mr. Carlaw. "However, the industry still needs to understand the total cost of ownership for Linux solutions, and it must create a common set of APIs [application programming interfaces] to enable economies of scale for third-party developers."