Open Source

QUICKLINKS: Android Watch; Neonode N2 unboxing;

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Android Watch: Tracking Google's mobile progress
Since formally announcing its much-anticipated Android open-source mobile operating system late last year, web services giant Google has played its cards tight to the vest. Even with the first Android-based devices slated to hit the market within the next few months, myriad developmental questions remain. Click here for a FierceDeveloper web exclusive spotlighting what we do know about Android, six months on.

> Neonode N2 unboxing. FierceWireless

> Motorola reorganizes handset business. FierceWireless

> Microsoft completes Danger acquisition, restructures. FierceWireless

> Tough going for iPhone in Europe. FierceWireless

> Nokia introduces mobile wallet phone. FierceMobileContent

iPhone Dev Team mulling open source decision

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

The iPhone Dev Team--the group of programmers responsible for AnySIM, a widely distributed and totally unauthorized iPhone unlocking solution--announced it is giving serious consideration to open sourcing the AnySIM software in an effort to keep pace with official Apple updates while avoiding potential hazardous binary patches. In an interview with Gizmodo, an iPhone Dev Team member said "All the core members of the team are OK with open sourcing it. Now we are checking to see if the community likes the idea and see if we can grow support for it. We want to be sure quality software, however, not have a bin-patch-mania of pieces of our hard work by other people. We are sure that open source people will submit their stuff to the tree so the software gets better…It opens a lot of possibilities for the future and anyone will be able to participate with quality code."

For more on the iPhone Dev Team's open source discussion:
-read this Gizmodo article

Related articles:
Apple to release unlocked iPhone in France
Apple working on third-party iPhone applications?
Apple at work on touch-screen PDA
Rumor: iPhone upgrades imminent
Hacking your iPhone: Windows users

Mozilla at work on mobile web browser

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Open-source development initiative Mozilla announced it is currently at work on a mobile web version of its Firefox browser for release sometime next year. "People ask us all the time about what Mozilla's going to do about the mobile web, and I'm very excited to announce that we plan to rock it," writes Mozilla vice president of engineering Mike Schroepfer on his official Mozilla blog. "Mozilla will add mobile devices to the first class/tier-1 platform set for Mozilla2. This means we will make core platform decisions with mobile devices as first-class citizens. We will ship a version of 'Mobile Firefox' which can, among other things, run Firefox extensions on mobile devices and allow others to build rich applications via XUL."

According to Schroepfer, the user demand for an enhanced mobile browsing experience is clear: "If you weren't sure about this before you should be after the launch of the iPhone." To accelerate the project, Mozilla announced the additions of two new developers, Openwave's Christian Sejersen and France Telecom's Brad Lassey.

Mozilla's announcement follows on the heels of a new version of Minimo, a mobile browser for Windows Mobile devices. Schroepfer said there are no plans to develop Minimo any further. In addition, Mozilla offers Joey, an application that enables users to clip and save text, photos, videos and related content from a PC for later access via mobile device.

For more on Mozilla's mobile future:
- read Schroepfer's blog

Related articles:
Opera, Minimo and Deepfish on WM
ARM, partners team on Linux-based mobile platform

ARM, partners team on Linux-based mobile platform

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Electronics solutions developer ARM announced a collaboration with software partners including Marvell, MontaVista, Movial, Mozilla, Samsung and Texas Instruments to create a Linux-based, open source mobile platform in response to accelerating consumer demand for access to the Internet and next-generation applications via mobile devices. Announced last week in conjunction with the fourth annual ARM Developers' Conference in Santa Clara, the collaboration will expand on the existing ARM architecture to deliver a standards-based platform based on Linux, Gnome Mobile and Mozilla Firefox that runs on ARM Partners' systems on chips. According to ARM, the initiative bolsters its OS and browser ecosystem while leveraging partners' ability to efficiently bring to market mobile products and technologies emphasizing graphics, video, multimedia and web capabilities.

"Today's consumers are very knowledgeable about technology, want to be connected to the Internet and access multimedia content and applications anywhere, at anytime, yet they do not want to be restricted by short battery life and inadequate features that will limit their experiences," said ARM executive vice president of sales and marketing Mike Inglis in a prepared statement. "By stepping up the collaboration among key stakeholders in the mobile market, we will be able to jointly deliver the devices and applications with the cutting-edge innovation consumers have come to expect."

For more on ARM's open source initiative:
- read this release

Related articles:
Palm in Linux limbo another 12-18 months
MontaVista Software to launch Mobilinux 5.0
Mobile Linux coming of age
Mobile Linux's march of the penguin

MontaVista Software to launch Mobilinux 5.0

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

MontaVista Software announced the new 5.0 release of its MontaVista Mobilinux operating system, which it says is the mobile OS now used in more than 35 million Linux-based mobile devices from manufacturers including Motorola, Panasonic and NEC. Offering handset makers a platform for common smartphone features like touch-screen control, e-mail, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, multimedia and Adobe Flash display, this new incarnation of Mobilinux also features built-in support for new I/O types, including full-featured Linux networking stack with IPv6 support.

Other highlights include:

MicroSELinux, a compact version of the Security-Enhanced Linux protocol developed by the National Security Agency
Fully configurable power management
Built-in connectivity to various software and device types;
Real-time performance features including high-resolution nanosecond times
Five-second startup
Small footprint configured to run in less than 14 megabytes
Support for single-core and multicore processors
Reduced phone-build costs
Ready-to-use middleware, applications, and tools supplied by MontaVista ecosystem partners
Linux 2.6.21 kernel support

Mobilinux 5.0 will be available worldwide beginning in November 2007. Initial platform support includes OMAP 2430 from Texas Instruments, with OMAP 3430 following shortly. Six additional platforms will be added early next year.

For more on MontaVista Mobilinux 5.0:
- read this release

Related articles:
Palm in Linux limbo another 12-18 months
Mobile Linux coming of age
Mobile Linux's march of the penguin

EclipseME 1.6.6 is out

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 19:01:36 -0500

Version 1.6.6 of EclipseME, the open source IDE for J2ME developers, is out. It boasts improved stability and a variety of small bugfixes. Blog

QUICKLINKS: Mobile WAP/XHTML development links; Sprint and WiMAX: Are these guys serious?; Much more...

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 19:01:35 -0500

Mobile WAP/XHTML development links. Blog

Opinion: Sprint and WiMAX: Are these guys serious? Blog

NET2Java goes open source. Blog

Samsung develops two-sided LCD screen. Release

Micro-USB may replace Mini-USB as de facto cell phone connector. Release

Cingular eyes video calling. Blog

Sprint picks up the Moto Q. Release

A huge collection of J2ME resources. Website

Windows Mobile email: Which option works best? Blog

New Release: EclipseME 1.6.0

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:01:38 -0500

EclipseME, the open-source J2ME development environment, has released version 1.6.0. According to the blog, the new version "sports an early release of the Antenna-like preprocessor support built into EclipseME" as well as numerous bugfixes. Website

QUICKLINKS: TypePad takes blogging mobile; Mobile AJAX will replace J2ME; Much more...

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 20:01:35 -0400

TypePad takes blogging mobile. Blog

Registration for Google Code Jam now open. Website

Mark Reinhold: "Yes, we really are going to open-source the JDK." Blog

Opinion: Mobile AJAX will replace J2ME. Blog

JSR286 (Portlets 2.0): First impressions. Blog

Insert your SIM card and this sexy rotary phone is ready to go. Article

Fake Blackberries a real problem in China. FierceWireless

Helio to open retail stores. FierceMobileContent

Nokia releases source for S60 Python

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:01:33 -0500

Nokia has decided to open source its S60 implementation of the Python programming language. The source is available under the Apache 2 and Python source licenses. Cool! Website