Recently in Mobile Category

GPL licensing issues surround Android

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on August 17, 2011 11:36 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Here's an Open Source-related story from our new Android blog, Eyes on Android - Android could be badly bitten by GPL licensing

A story on SlashGear suggests submerged issues about Android's licensing are becoming ever less subterranean... Google challenges Lodsys but Android faces legal firestorm over source sluggishness

Basically, it says that not all Android parties have been playing the Open Source game by the Open Source rules. The website makes the point that some Android OEMs may be keen to have 'Open Source' kudos without fully bothering about their side of the bargain...

SlashGear's Chris Davies writes:
Continue reading GPL licensing issues surround Android.

Ubuntu power bump

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on May 3, 2011 11:57 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
ubuntu logo jpg.jpgCheck out an interesting Linux-related blog post, from Chris Edwards, about Ubuntu and power issues.

It is suspected that minor changes in recent subreleases of the 2.6 Linux kernel, used in Ubuntu 11, seem to be pushing up power consumption by 10 to 30 per cent. Suspicion has fallen on memory-management code and the clock timer interrupt...

Continue reading Ubuntu power bump.

Nokia outlines plans for Qt platform

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on February 23, 2011 10:47 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Nokia Qt Frameworks has set out its formal position in the wake of its parent company entering into a so-called "broad strategic partnership" with Microsoft to develop a new global smartphone ecosystem, writes Adrian Bridgwater.

After a series of keynotes and meetings with Nokia CTO Rich Green and Nokia's vice-president of application services and frameworks Sebastian Nyström, the official blog for the cross-platform application and GUI development framework confirms that, "Unequivocally, Qt is not dead - Qt will continue to live on through Symbian, MeeGo and the non-mobile Qt industries and platforms."


Continue reading Nokia outlines plans for Qt platform.

Marvell's open source Kinoma to rival Android

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on February 17, 2011 11:04 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The mobile phone market has another open-source software platform, this time from Marvell, writes Richard Wilson.

It joins a market already awash with open-source development environments, the biggest being Android, Mobile Linux and MeeGo.

Marvell announced the Kinoma platform at Mobile World Congress 2011. It follows the chip firm's acquisition of Kinoma, a mobile media software developer.

Continue reading Marvell's open source Kinoma to rival Android.

Imagination goes Android for META Linux kernel

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on December 10, 2010 2:53 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Imagination Technologies has announced Android support for its META multi-threaded processor family, including META connected application platform solutions.

The complete Google Android OS (Operating System) has been ported to run on the META Linux kernel and offers full SMP (Symmetric Multi-Processor) and hotplug features. Android for META runs standard binary Android apps and features an optimised port of the Dalvik VM (Virtual Machine) written especially for META.

"Only META-based SoC platforms can combine Android over one or more hardware threads with demanding real-time and native DSP algorithms all on the same SoC processor platform," says Tony King-Smith. Marketing director of Imagination.

Continue reading Imagination goes Android for META Linux kernel.

LiMo Foundation encourages development of mobile apps

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on October 19, 2010 8:59 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
LiMo logo NEW.jpgLiMo Foundation has joined the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) to encourage the development of mobile applications to run on the mobile Linux operating system, writes Richard Wilson.

The hope will be to match the application developer communities which have grown up around Google's Android platform and Apple's app store.

Continue reading LiMo Foundation encourages development of mobile apps.

IMEC Android app targets healthcare costs

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on October 7, 2010 11:43 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
IMECHere's an interesting one to note. Healthcare costs could be cut by an app for android phones that stores and displays electrocardiograms sensed over a wireless body area network (BAN), writes Technology Editor Steve Bush.

Hardware and software have come from consortium of: Belgian Lab IMEC, its Dutch subsidiary Holst Centre, and embedded software firm TASS.

Continue reading IMEC Android app targets healthcare costs.

ARM, Freescale, IBM, Samsung, TI set-up open source Linaro

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on June 15, 2010 2:17 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Linaro logo.jpgA group of semiconductor companies are co-ordinating their approachs to the growing use of Linux-based open-source software in mobile communications devices, writes Editor Richard Wilson.

ARM, Freescale Semiconductor, IBM, Samsung, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments have set-up a not-for-profit open source software engineering company to be called Linaro.

Continue reading ARM, Freescale, IBM, Samsung, TI set-up open source Linaro.

Renesas Electronics signs up for Symbian

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on June 7, 2010 4:12 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
TI DMVA1 video processor.pngRenesas Electronics has joined the Symbian Foundation and will use the open source mobile phone software environment to support its mobile chipsets.

Key to this will be the company's next-generation multi-core CPU technology and graphics chips, writes Richard Wilson.

Continue reading Renesas Electronics signs up for Symbian.

New Japanese mobile platform to be compatible with Linux

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on April 28, 2010 11:16 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
A number of Japanese mobile phone industry companies - DOCOMO, Renesas Electronics, Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic Mobile Communications and Sharp - have said they are going to jointly develop a new application platform for mobile phones.

They say the platform will be compatible with both the Symbian and Linux operating systems and benefits will include improved processing speeds for high-quality video.

Continue reading New Japanese mobile platform to be compatible with Linux.

NXP works with Trusted Logic for open source NFC Android API

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on April 20, 2010 5:37 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
NXP has worked with Trusted Logic to create its first open source NFC Android API, writes Richard Wilson.

It will be used for mobile payments and transport ticketing applications. It can also be used for data sharing between Android phones.

The companies first ported the NFC technology to the Android OS last year. But they recognise the importance of using the open source community to define an industry standard for the integration of NFC technology within Android.

Continue reading NXP works with Trusted Logic for open source NFC Android API.

Nokia N900 dual booting into Maemo 5 and Android

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on January 27, 2010 3:12 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
One (mostly) open source mobile OS was not enough for one enterprising user. He has hacked his Nokia N900 to dual boot, into both the Debian-based Maemo (version 5)and the Linux and Java-based Android (version 1.6, "Donut").

Check out the video proof, as in "proof of concept", according to user bdogg64:



Continue reading Nokia N900 dual booting into Maemo 5 and Android.

LG chooses Moblin for GW990 smartphone

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on January 12, 2010 3:57 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
 

An interesting one from CES - LG is going the Linux route with its LG GW990 smartphone.

Continue reading LG chooses Moblin for GW990 smartphone.

ARM launches Android developer resource

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on November 17, 2009 4:42 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Android logo 3.jpegARM launched its Android Solution Centre today, created as a resource for designers and developers of ARM technology-based products running on Android, the open-source platform from the Open handset Alliance, writes David Manners.

The article continues:
There has been increasing interest in developing for the Android platform. The Motorola Droid is the latest entrance into the smartphone-on-Android market and an explosion of Android phones and applications is expected.
Continue reading ARM launches Android developer resource.

Vodafone 360 Samsung handset boosts Mobile Linux

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on November 4, 2009 3:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Vodafone 360 Samsung M1.jpgThe LiMo Foundation is heralding the launch of the Vodafone 360 Samsung M1, the second LiMo-compliant device built upon LiMo Platform release 2, writes editor Richard Wilson.

The first LiMo Platform release 2 compliant device was the Vodafone 360 Samsung H1.

According to Morgan Gillis, executive director, LiMo Foundation:
Continue reading Vodafone 360 Samsung handset boosts Mobile Linux.

Android 2.0 - the Éclair version

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on November 2, 2009 9:35 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks


Missed this one at the end of last week, but just to flag... Google has officially released version 2.0 of its Android device platform, codenamed Éclair.

Highlights of the new version include a revamped graphics architecture (for better hardware acceleration), support for Bluetooth 2.1, and two new profiles (Object Push Profile (OPP) and Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP)). There are also new framework APIs.

Continue reading Android 2.0 - the Éclair version.

Qt 4.6 for Maemo on a Nokia N900

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on October 16, 2009 3:56 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks


One to note maybe, for those tracking developments of Nokia's open source Debian-based Maemo environment, for smartphones and tablets.

The mobile phone giant has announced the creation of the official Qt port to Maemo 5 and published an initial Technology Preview release.

It means that developers can now use Qt - the open source cross-platform development framework - to target  upcoming Nokia N900 devices, as well as port apps to all Qt's other supported platforms. This includes Maemo 6, it states, as well as Symbian and Windows Mobile.
Continue reading Qt 4.6 for Maemo on a Nokia N900.

Intel talks Open Source

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on October 12, 2009 5:26 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Open Source at Intel.jpgJust to share what was new to me - Intel has an Open Source Software landing page on its website, bringing together different elements of its coverage: Moblin developments, tools and resources, events, multimedia, developer content, project contributions, etc.

You can find Open Source at Intel at http://software.intel.com/sites/oss/

They've also created an Open Source element of the Intel "blogosphere" (dread phrase). You can find their various blog posts that are filed under the category of Open Source at http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/category/open-source/


Vodafone's 360 H1 handset is first with LiMo, release 2

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 29, 2009 4:10 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Vodafone 360 H1.jpgVodafone's 360 H1 handset manufactured by Samsung is the first commercial mobile phone running the release 2 of the LiMo operating system.

Vodafone 360 is the mobile operator's newly launched social media and messaging service, writes Richard Wilson.

This is a high profile launch for the Linux-based LiMo mobile operating system which is competing with the likes of Google's Android operating system and Nokia's Symbian OS for designs into the next generation of smartphones and multimedia handsets.

"This is the first of a wave of R2 LiMo handsets due in the coming months," said Morgan Gillis, executive director of LiMo Foundation.
Continue reading Vodafone's 360 H1 handset is first with LiMo, release 2.

Intel talks Moblin - Imad Sousou interview

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 18, 2009 11:57 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
An interesting Moblin interview with Imad Sousou, director of Intel's Open Source Technology centre, on ZDNet. The Moblin initiative (short for Mobile Linux) is aiming to provide optimised Linux technology for netbooks and MIDs (mobile Internet devices).

Questions posed include:

  • There seems to be some confusion over what Moblin entails  -  it appears to be a full Linux distribution, but we have seen Suse and Linpus flavours, and Canonical are about to release an Ubuntu flavour. What is Moblin?
  • Will we see Moblin devices in the UK market soon?
  • What changes have been made since the first version?
  • Moblin is also tailored for MIDs, which is a segment that hasn't taken off yet. Will MIDs become more popular?

Read the full interview with Imad Sousou. It took place at the Open Source In Mobile 09 event in Amsterdam.

Copyleft and breaking the cycle of OS fragmentation

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on September 7, 2009 2:52 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
We've just updated the site with an interesting comment piece from LiMo. From Morgan Gillis, executive director of the LiMO foundation, to be precise. See Comment: Breaking the cycle of OS fragmentation

He begins:
The mobile software world is evolving at a rapid rate buoyed by the infusion of open source principles, methodologies, philosophies and licensing. While this is exciting and invigorating, it is also giving rise to a number of issues - some new, while others give us a sense of "déjà-vu".
Continue reading Copyleft and breaking the cycle of OS fragmentation.

LiMo signs up new members and new handsets

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on August 14, 2009 9:57 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
The LiMo Foundation has announced the newest round of LiMo-compliant handsets that have been released to market. Plus, Immersion and KDDI have signed up as members.

They are built for Japan's largest mobile operator NTT DOCOMO, by LiMo members NEC and Panasonic Mobile Communications.

Next-generation features including high megapixel cameras, rich media capabilities, and upgraded connectivity support resonate deeply with today's demanding mobile audience, delivering a richer, more immersive mobile experience.

Continue reading LiMo signs up new members and new handsets.

Androids getting busy

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on August 6, 2009 8:52 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Android logo 3.jpegMore Android developments to flag, as Google's venture into an Open Source mobile platform gains some momentum.

Check out these two items involving MIPS and T-Mobile:


MIPS moves closer to running Android on set-tops
MIPS Technologies has stepped up its plan to widen the market applications for Android platform beyond mobiles. Following its port of the Android platform to the MIPS architecture, the microprocessor firm is making the source code publicly available...
Read the full article >>

T-Mobile launches next-gen Android mobile phone in the US
The mobile phone market will be watching as T-Mobile launches its next generation Android mobile phone, myTouch 3G, in the US today. Designed by HTC of Taiwan, T-Mobile myTouch 3G is being presented as the "Google phone"...
Read the full article >>

How openness and Linux are unlocking innovation [Part 3]

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on July 21, 2009 4:12 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
LiMo Shikiar thumbnail.jpg Andrew Shikiar, Director of Global Marketing, LiMo Foundation

PART III: PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER: LINUX AS A CATALYST FOR OPEN MOBILE INNOVATION

Part I of this series on how openness and Linux are unlocking innovation outlined the many definitions that can be applied to the term "openness" and examined how Linux is impacting the evolving mobile ecosystem, while Part II examined the critical building blocks needed to build a truly successful open mobile ecosystem. This final segment will discuss how each of these factors is interrelated as Linux continues its role as the catalyst for innovation in the open mobile ecosystem.

Perhaps the most critical question for a developer is the size of the target customer base - for developers, the ideal platform would allow them to sell to the whole base of mobile phone users, not just a single brand or model.

Currently, iPhone developers are able to make money, as the number of developers is still relatively limited. However, even with the launch of new iPhones such as the 3G S, it is unlikely that the Apple subscriber base will grow at the same rate as the developer base and therefore, developing for the iPhone may no longer be financially viable for a hungry developer community.
Continue reading How openness and Linux are unlocking innovation [Part 3].

Android x86 Live on CD

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on July 20, 2009 12:48 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Android Live.jpgThanks to Engadget for this one. The gadget site writes:
A dedicated duo of hackers has been hard at work porting Google's other operating system to x86, and they've just released an .02 version of their Android LiveCD build.
That means you're now free to boot and run the 'droid from your optical drive, install it in a virtual machine, install it for real on your old laptop, whatever -- just don't get upset if it bugs out on you. Anyone gonna do some 'sploring?
The read-me file for the download

How openness and Linux are unlocking innovation [Part 2]

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on July 17, 2009 4:32 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
LiMo Shikiar thumbnail.jpg Andrew Shikiar, Director of Global Marketing, LiMo Foundation

PART II: KEY REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL OPEN MOBILE ECOSYSTEM

Part I of this series on how openness and Linux are unlocking innovation, outlined the many definitions that can be applied to the term "openness" and examined how Linux is impacting the evolving mobile ecosystem. However, to fully appreciate that impact, a greater understanding of ecosystems, particularly the open mobile ecosystem, is needed.

For openness to successfully generate innovation, it has to create a rich ecosystem that both attracts developers and enables them to thrive and prosper. Currently, various platform providers are vying for the attention of the third-party developers by revealing APIs and providing software marketplaces.

The developers themselves seem to be gravitating towards platforms they believe are "cool" and which will eventually generate profits. However, the history of some prominent web and mobile platforms such as Mobile Java, Palm, and Windows Mobile has shown that if the open ecosystem is not consistent, the developer community collapses.

Continue reading How openness and Linux are unlocking innovation [Part 2].

How openness and Linux are unlocking innovation [Part 1]

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on July 14, 2009 4:53 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
LiMo Shikiar thumbnail.jpgAndrew Shikiar, Director of Global Marketing, LiMo Foundation

PART I: WHAT IS "OPENNESS" AND WHERE DOES LINUX FIT INTO AN OPEN MOBILE LANDSCAPE?

The term "openness" can be defined in a number of ways within the mobile industry.

  • An operating system is said to be open if it exposes its APIs to third-party developers.
  • If these third-party developers can develop services without undue reliance on device manufacturers and operators for certification, verification and signing, it can be said that the development model is open.
  • Open distribution occurs when content providers and developers can directly market and deliver applications to the consumer without requiring approval from the network operator or device manufacturer.
  • In a broad sense, "openness" also refers to the extent to which the platform, interfaces, and development language are standardized and easy to understand and use.
Perhaps most important is an open market in which third-party developers can have a free and viable opportunity to capitalize on their efforts.

Continue reading How openness and Linux are unlocking innovation [Part 1].

Linux at heart of Intel's mobile plans, following Nokia deal?

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on June 25, 2009 1:20 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
intel atom on wafer - detail 168 x128.jpgIntel and Nokia announced this week that they are to work together to develop mobile chipsets and a Linux-based mobile computing platform for future netbook products.

The collaboration, which is more than a straight silicon supply deal, is the most significant design-in for Intel's Atom mobile processor technology, reports Elexctronics Weekly Editor Richard Wilson.

The companies said they would work together on open source mobile Linux software projects. Intel will also acquire a Nokia HSPA/3G modem IP license for use in future products.
Continue reading Linux at heart of Intel's mobile plans, following Nokia deal?.

MIPS processor architecture gets Android

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on June 3, 2009 12:30 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Android logo 2.jpegMIPS Technologies has ported Google's Android operating system to the MIPS processor architecture, aiming to expand the use of Android beyond phones, into digital TVs, mobile internet devices, digital picture frames and set-top boxes.

"Initially finding success in the mobile phone market, Android is now set to move into other digital consumer devices," said the processor firm. "Android's ready-to-use software stack provides a device-agnostic application development platform, and a common framework for the industry."

The source code will be made publicly available within 60 days, according to MIPS, whose licensees are demonstrating Android products at Computex in Taipei.
Continue reading MIPS processor architecture gets Android.

Site update: OKL hypervisor runs Linux and RTOS on Motorola's QA4

By Alun Williams - Electronics Weekly.com on April 1, 2009 2:06 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
News from Embedded Systems Conference 2009, in San Jose: "Accomplished for the first time in a commercially available phone, Chicago-based Open Kernel Labs's mobile virtualisation solution enabled Linux and an RTOS to run side by side on a single ARM processor."

The firm produces the 'virtualisation' software: code which controls access to hardware resources, allowing both the RTOS and Linux to run separately as though there were the only operating system on the processor. Such software is also known as a hypervisor.

Read the full article: OKL hypervisor runs Linux and RTOS on Motorola's QA4

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