Linux based Navigation System

There are several navigation system in market but Dash Navigation's "Dash Express" is only navigation system based on Linux-based mobile phone platform. Dash Express Navigation System shares both hardware and software components from Neo FreeRunner mobile phone which is first mobile uses linux as a platform.

The Dash Express is positioned as the first in-car navigation system to feature a continuous connection to the Internet. The Dash network monitors available wireless options and chooses the best pick between cellular radio and Wi-Fi to download traffic data, map updates, and other information from the Internet. The always-connected architecture enables an interesting "user-influenced" traffic monitoring system, in which Dash computers anonymously transmit location information to the Dash network, which can advise drivers of best routes, the company says.

The Dash Express is based on the Neo FreeRunner design. Neo1973- one of the very first Linux-based phones to feature a user-replaceable OS -- with a faster processor, new 3D graphics acceleration, WiFi, 850MHz triband GSM capability, and 3D accelerometers. Dash Express uses the Neo FreeRunner's hardware design minus the 3D graphics acceleration, accelerometers, and Bluetooth, and adds 3GB of flash storage (instead of 256MB), as well as a stronger GPS receiver and larger antenna. Both the Dash Express and the Neo FreeRunner will be manufactured by OpenMoko's former parent company, First International Computer (FIC)- one of the world's largest consumer electronics and PC manufacturer.

Features of Linux based Navigation System:

* Two-way Internet access via Wi-Fi or cellular communication
* Navigation and mapping features
* Unlimited Yahoo local search
* Traffic routing system combines data from traditional traffic sources with anonymously gathered traffic information from other Dash-connected drivers
* Routing service provides up to three options to each requested destination based on flow patterns rather than incident data
* Service is claimed capable of automatically alerting drivers when a faster route becomes available

Specification of Linux based Navigation System:

* Processor -- Samsung S3C2442 (400MHz)
* RAM -- 128MB
* Flash -- 3GB
* Display -- 4.3-inch diagonal WQVGA Color TFT LCD 480 x 272
* Audio -- "high-quality" audio codec
* USB -- 1 x version 1.1
* Cellular -- tri-band (900MHz) 2.5G GPRS/GSM with SIM card locked in the case
* WiFi -- 802.11b/g
* GPS
* Battery -- Rechargeable lithium-ion with up to two-hour battery life
* Dimensions -- 4.8 x 4.1 x 2.8 inches (122 x 104 x 71 mm)
* Weight -- 13.3 ounces (377 grams)

This navigation system price is $600.

eSlick : Linux based Ebook Reader

I am not sure in such a recession how many people can go for a product like this, but still Foxit has come up with its new product eSlick, a linux based ebook reader. Based on ARM processor this ebook reader is one of those luxuries which is meant to lure techy geeky chaps to spend some dollars to prove themselves more geeky. I find ebook reader as devices which came out of jealousy from IPods by the people whose main hobby is reading instead of listening music. Although eSlick is a cheaper model available but still $230 its too much for me. Its costlier than my IPod thing..


The eSlick ebookreader has pretty basic features: E-ink technology, 2GB SD card, PDF concerter and viewer from Foxit. The eSlick is quite the basic reader you might want to get. The eSlick claims for supporting 8000 pages of book reading in a single charge. The supported formats for eSlick are PDF and TXT but it comes with Foxit's PC-based PDF Creator software. This creator software can convert any printable document including TXT, PPT, DOC, XLS, and HTML to PDF document format. eSlick also supports USB to connect to other devices for downloading of data.With a built-in MP3 player, Foxit eSlick enables you to enjoy your favorite music while reading your favorite books or documents. After downloading your MP3 files to your computer and transferring them via USB to your eSlick, you can simply press the "Music button", go directly to the MP3 folder and select the specific music to play.

Specifications listed for the eSlick eReader include:


* Display: 6" E Ink® Vizplex screen 600 x 800 pixel resolution, 4-level gray scale
* Internal Memory: 128MB
* Storage Memory: SD Card (2GB included. Supports up to 4GB)
* Supported Formats:
- eBook Formats: PDF, TXT, Any printable document(after converted to PDF using included software)
- Sound Formats: MP3
* Weight: 6.4 ounces (180g) battery included
* Size: 188mm × 118mm × 9.2mm (7.4"x4.7"x0.4")
* Color: Gray(Black back), Black , White (Light Gray back)
* Connectivity: USB2.0
* Operating System: Embedded Linux

Browser for Linux devices

Mozilla Labs has announced the release of first version Fennec browser for mobile devices for PC desktops based testing. Both Arm and x86 ports of the browser had been released .Fennec is available for a number of platforms including Maemo, Linux, Windows, Macintosh and Windows Mobile.



With this release mozilla is trying to jump in head on competition with Safari's rendering engine Webkit , which has from sometime emerged as the default browser for all the small and handheld mobile Internet devices.

Release notes for Fennec on Official website say about the browser that "This is an early developer release of the mobile version of Firefox, for testing purposes only, intended to:

* get wider community feedback on our approach to the user experience
* engage Mozilla community teams, including localizers, add-on developers, and testers
* get feedback from Web developers"

Although previous release of Fennec were targeted for being tested on Nokia N810 internet tablet but in second release mozilla labs has tried to cover a number of platforms for the purpose of wider range of assessment for users.

There has been some tremendous gain in performance of Javascript engine in the new release. This is a major field for various browser activities these days. But still it has to compete with Webkit's javascript engine. Though this release is a good head start for mozilla in every terms for start of penetration in MID space.

Linux Camera on Moon Rover

One project for Linux camera is in for Google's Lunar X PRIZE competition. The paper describing feasibility & announcing participation in Google's Lunar X PRIZE competition discusses use of Open source software & a donated Elphel NC353L network camera for the purpose of capturing , compression and store/transmit of extremely high-resolution videos.

Author of the paper Anders Feder is a volunteer with Team FREDNET. The discussed Elphel camera device has also been previously used by Google for Books Library and Street view projects.

Team of the volunteers at Frednet is currently designing a remote-controlled robotic rover intended to be sent to the surface of the Moon. Futher updates on the project can been on the their blog.

Maemo 5 SDK pre-alpha released

Nokia's Internet tablet Nokia N810 off late is in quite a buzz among Linux devices. Now Maemo.org has released pre alpha version of its Maemo 5 SDK . This open source release of SDK is featured with supports of hardware-based graphics acceleration for TI OMAP3 processors. Maemo SDK 5.0 also has supports for hi def cameras and cellular connectivity.

This advance Maemo SDK release also includes support for 3D graphical libary Clutter, PulseAudio, Tracker, Libcanberra, and OpenMax. Clutter is supposed to be used for a soon-to-be revamped UI and also a new multimedia framework (called "Midas") is also in pipeline through repository updates from NOKIA. There are supposed to be some backward compatibility hitches coz of addition of support for OMAP processors.There are also major updates in Glib, GTK+, GUPnP, Telepathy, BlueZ, the X server and some of the renewed Hildon components. Release notes can be referred for further information of SDK release.

Android Development Hardware

Google has reportedly started providing an unlocked version of the Android based T-Mobile G1 to registered Android developers from its website. This network and bootloader unlocked kit namely "Android Dev Phone 1" is available at cost of $400 to the existing registered Google Android
members & developers. This release is basically aimed to provide developers a real hardware platform to test their applications on."Android Dev Phone 1" is available in USA, UK, India, Japan, Germany, Canada, Taiwan, France, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Finland. This can be used with any SIM card & also with custom builds of ANDROID OS . Development kit namely Android Dev Phone 1 features same specification as of T-mobile HTC G1. According to Google Android Dev Phone 1 comes with stack compatible with Android 1.0. More updates on same can be found here

Nokia Smart Home Centre

Nokia unveils a linux device which can easily be out of the league a Nokia Smart Home Centre . This nano technology powered device is meant for controlling your home via a mobile phone or desktop PC. Nokia Smart Home Centre is a Linux Home Automation Gateway which uses Z-waves sensors & security radio to interact with other smart home devices.This device is meant for synchronising smart devices at home with a unique control interface.


Specifications listed for the Nokia Home Control Center include:

* 533MHz CPU
* 256MB RAM
* 6GB internal storage
* SD card reader with SDHC support
* 5 x gigabit Ethernet (4 x LAN; 1 x WAN)
* 802.11n WiFi (two antennas); Z-Wave
* GSM/GPRS
* 4 x USB 2.0 host
* 13.8 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches (350 x 150 x 35mm)
* OpenWrt Linux 2.6




The system offers a unified interface for devices including security systems, washing machines,self-operating lights,self-adjusting curtains,heating systems,smart refrigerators, and programmable thermostats.

Nokia Home Control Center features are also said to include:

* Automated responses to moisture, temperature limits , motion sensor triggering or luminance levels
* Linking of security, lighting, heating, and Internet systems
* Grouping of devices to control by location, function, and type

Device which is supposed to be shipped with OpenWrt Linux distribution comprise of fully featured 2.6 series linux kernel which features Linux server with file sharing cpabilities . Also this 550 gms (1.1 pound) device has web, email & media server capabilities. The product is expected to hit Europen Market in the last quarter of 2009.

Palm PDA Software on Nokia Tablets

Many of the PDA lovers were waiting from a long time to have liberty of rich set of applications like PALM PDA devices to be present on there linux powered devices. But the fragmented nature of development of linux smartphones haven't resulted in any Linux device with a very rich set of applications like IPhone or Palm PDA. But after the acquisition of Access labs by Nokia there have been some integrated efforts on those fronts.

So here comes the result of efforts in form of Garnett Virtual Machines or Garnett VM for Nokia Tablets.



Now we can have the richness of Palm PDA Software applications on Nokia Tablets N 770 , N800, N810.

Garnett VM or GVM aims to let binaries of PALM PDA applications run on these Nokia Tablets. Thanks to GVM now you can have various application like Google Maps ,Pocket Tunes, EzFTP , SnapperMail etc & games like PacMan & Bejeweled on ur Nokia Tablets.

Good going Access & Nokia!!!!

Linux Devices

Here i am starting a series of articles on the latest buzz in field of linux devices.

Linux has been considered as an Operating system especially for geeks/hackers. But now it has found place in range of small & handheld devices. Use of linux as an embedded operating system has grown much . From the beginning of decade there has been fragmented but continuous efforts by every kind of device manufacturer to use linux for there needs. So there have been a range of devices which can be termed as linux devices ranging from mobile phone to set-top boxes.But the best among them has been from the mobile phone OEM's ranging from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung etc.

The idea of this whole blog is to create a place to cater the needs of audience readers who want themselves to remain updated about the latest buzz in world of Linux devices.