open source software

Intel buys Linux developer Opened Hand

Paul Mah — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:38:50 -0400

In yet another sign of the growing interest in operating systems tailored for mobile devices, Intel has acquired startup Linux developer Opened Hand. Opened Hand is a London-based firm that has created fundamental software for companies such as Nokia and the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). The Opened Hand team will be tasked with helping Intel develop its Moblin Software Platform. Moblin is an open-source software stack designed specifically to integrate Intel's own Atom processors with Mobile Internet Devices (MID), netbooks and embedded systems. Existing projects such as Clutter and Matchbox will continue to be led by Opened Hand employees.

For more about Intel's acquisition:
- check out this PCWorld article

Linux coming to lots of cell phones

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:59:56 -0400

How do you feel about penguins? If you're putting together long-term wireless strategies, you might want to make your peace with the flightless birds if a report by ABI Research is correct. They say that 331 million smartphones will be running Linux by 2012. To do this, manufacturers will have to do a bit of convincing where the FCC is concerned--the regulatory agency is worried that users will be able to make easy (and unauthorized) changes to radios controlled by open-source software. For most corporate users though, an open-source phone has the same promise as open-source server software: it means an easier path to mobile application development.

For more on Linux cell phones:
- read the full report at NetworkWorld

What's next?

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:01:39 -0400

The iPhone's out, the hysteria is waning, and people are trying to figure out how the newest form of cell phone will actually be used. Now what? With the speed of product introductions, I figure it's only a matter of weeks before something comes along that will help pull the market's attention in a different direction. LG and YouTube have announced their candidate, and I think they may well be onto something--not necessarily the YouTube phone, but the concept of marrying strong mobile applications with a solid device. As smart phones and other wireless platforms become more capable, it will make more sense to base product designs and buying decisions on the software that the phone brings to the party.

Of course, software is also at the heart of a decision that might limit the availability of low-cost devices. One of the factors in lower-cost platforms is their dependence on open-source software. Now, the FCC (with apparent help from Cisco) has written rules that will, at a minimum, make it more difficult for manufacturers to gain approval for Linux-based devices. The concern over software-defined radio security is legitimate: declaring that all software released under a particular intellectual property agreement isn't secure, is not. The FCC should get far more input from many well-balanced sources before releasing rules that, by its own admission, could have a significant impact on the availability of affordable mobile devices. -Curtis

FCC down on Linux devices?

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:01:36 -0400

Many of the mobile devices popular today use Linux and other open-source software to control the Software-Defined Radio (SDR) and other device features. A new set of regulations from the FCC would seem to make it more difficult for future such devices to win approval. At issue is the question of how hard it would be for someone to hack the software and re-define the radio functions: The FCC wants it to be nearly impossible and seems to believe the open-source nature of Linux makes it more likely that a hack could be developed. No devices have yet been denied acceptance, and industry vendors seem unlikely to give up less-expensive software without a fight.

For more on the FCC regulations:
- read the regulatory report at LinuxDevices.com

No more wireless routers?

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

A team of academics has developed software that may let organizations dump their wireless routers in favor of a mesh network made of the laptop computers that they already have and open-source software from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The new software implements a mesh technology in laptop computers spread more than 900 feet apart outdoors to allow roving computers to access the Internet without the need for either a network of access points or a 3G WAN connection. Developers hope to eventually extend the Wi-Peer software to include cell networks for a truly wide-ranging solution.

For more on the mobile mesh software:
- read the news story at Network World

How to go wireless via Linux

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:01:38 -0500

Going wireless using open-source technology is a big challenge in itself, but if you add in a user base of nearly 600,000 spread over nearly 2,000 site locations, it becomes just downright daunting. That's exactly what Australia's Victoria Department of Education (DET) faced when it decided to bring wireless on campus. Costing about $5 million, the organization made it all happen in just under six months. But that doesn't mean there were more than a few challenges. First DET had to find the right technology partner to work with their programmers who had their own kernel system in place. Then it had to convince it's chosen partner, Cisco, to change factory default settings on the new networking pieces. Then it was time to review, consider and review again the security map and code access issues.

Since the new network has been in place, DET estimates that it has saved at least 20 percent against a cable network and 50 percent due to open-source software. And all the open source efforts actually took place in a Windows heavy environment, a fact that wasn't lost on the major tech titan, says the DET tech leader.

To learn more about how DET tackled and solved these issues:
- read all about it in this wireless.itworld.com article

PLUS: How the University of Massachusetts went wireless and is reaping big rewards. Article