Mobile Linux plan underway

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has launched an initiative to accelerate the adoption of Linux on mobile devices, reports Portal IT.

"We believe that the Mobile Linux Initiative will create the ideal forum where device manufacturers, network operators and developers can focus specifically on Linux and open source applications to move mobile handsets to the next level of functionality and profitability," said Stuart Cohen, chief executive of OSDL.

Some mobile phone producers already use Linux on their devices, with Motorola saying it has sold over three million Linux handsets.

"Today, Linux is suitable chiefly for higher-end phones with powerful processors and larger amounts of memory. Part of the OSDL group`s technical work will be to spread the software to more widely used but less powerful devices," said Bill Weinberg, OSDL`s open source architecture specialist.

Samsung has unveiled a mobile phone with 3GB memory - the largest yet seen in a mobile, reports Techworld.

The SPH-V7900 phone can also function as a portable storage device for computers, Samsung said. It can hold 700 music files and store up to 2 400 contact details.

It also features two cameras video playback, an MP3 player, e-mail function and a file viewer supporting MS Office files, PDF format documents, text and jpeg images.

ZDNet reports that Intel has unveiled a future technology designed to cut PC boot-up time. On show at the Intel Developers` Forum in Taipei, the technology, called Robson, aims to cut the time taken to launch an application. Robson pulls data and applications off a flash memory card and Intel software, rather than the PC`s hard drive.

Mobile users could experience a longer battery life with the technology, because the hard drive would not have to work as hard.