Canonical Ltd., commercial sponsor of Ubuntu Linux, says it’s porting Ubuntu to the ARM RISC processor architecture. Ubuntu on ARM will target netbooks and other emerging device categories requiring a “rich, always-connected, mobile computing experience, without compromising battery life.”
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Zilog, creator of the Z80 microprocessors that powered numerous circa-1980 microcomputers including the Osborne and Kaypro, has just introduced its first general purpose 32-bit microcontroller family. The “Encore! 32″ microcontrollers integrate ARM9 processor cores, are offered with Linux support, and target embedded devices.
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Transmeta, the turn-of-the-millennium startup that sought to “revolutionize mobile Internet computing” with an innovative “code morphing” CPU architecture aimed at replacing Intel processors in mobile devices — and former home to Linus Torvalds — is up for sale.
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A new version of MEPIS Linux, one of my favorite KDE-based distributions, is nearing final release. Roughly a year after the arrival of version 7.0, distribution founder and maintainer Warren Woodford has just issued MEPIS 8.0 beta 2, based on a Debian Lenny core.
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You’ve heard of SD, miniSD, and microSD cards. Now, get ready for Embedded SD — a new standard set for release this November by the SD Card Association.
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Two clever enhancements now in development will allow the ubiquitous — but slow — Bluetooth wireless technology to handle much larger amounts of data at much higher speeds, reports ABI Research.
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With an ARM vs. x86 battle raging in the mobile handset space, a similar confrontation appears to be looming in the market for robots and robotic devices, predicts market analyst firm ABI Research.
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Embedded designer Paul Thomas is showcasing a tiny, open-sourced computer at LinuxWorld in San Francisco this week. Would-be “Linuxstamp” enthusiasts can obtain pre-built boards for the hefty sum of $120 directly from Thomas, or they can download the design for free and build it themselves.
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The 1394 Trade Association has adopted a new standard for in-home networking of high definition (HD) multimedia content over coax. “1394 Over Coax” combines Ultra Wideband (UWB) communications technology with 1394 protocols, and supports data rates up to 800 megabits/second.
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Researchers at the University of Glasgow claim to have created a molecule-sized switch that offers vast increases in solid-state storage for devices such as MP3 players. The “breakthrough” molecule-sized switch can theoretically increase the number of transistors per chip from today’s limit of around 200 million to “well over a billion,” the team says.
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Embedded chipmaker STMicroelectronics (ST) has announced commercial availability of a portable “lab-on-chip” claimed capable of detecting all major influenza types within two hours — including the Avian Flu strain H5N1.
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MIT’s Technology Review magazine has just published its annual list of the top ten emerging technologies. Dubbed the TR10, these “revolutionary innovations” are “poised to have a dramatic impact” on computing, medicine, nanotechnology, our energy infrastructure, and more, say the magazine’s editors.
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An industry tradeshow focused on multicore microprocessors and related technologies will take place April 1-3 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Multicore Expo will feature keynote talks, panel discussions, in-depth technical sessions, case studies, and a vendor expo.
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Redpine Signals Inc. has introduced what it claims is the first handheld device-oriented single-chip controller to conform to the IEEE’s 802.11n Draft 2.0 standard. The “Lite-Fi” RS9110 consumes under 250 mW during receive operations at the maximum link rate of 65 Mbps, according to the company.
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WiMAX and Mobile WiMAX are poised to ramp up rapidly over the next five years. Nearly two billion dollars in annual chipset revenues are expected by 2012 — roughly 75 percent from base-station chipsets, and 25 percent from client device chipsets — according to a market study just published by In-Stat.
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In his Jan. 7 keynote talk at CES in Las Vegas, Intel CEO Paul Otellini focused on the continuing disruptive influence of the Internet on consumer electronics and entertainment. These changes create business opportunities for “those who embrace it,” he suggested.
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