| WindowsForDevices year-end review: Top technology stories of 2007 |
Jonathan Angel
JANUARY
MICROSOFT ADDS LBS TO GPS VIA SPOT Microsoft’s Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) group announced on Jan. 8 that location-based services (LBS) are now available via its MSN Direct transmission network. Garmin’s soon-to-be-released nuvi 680 will be the first GPS device to offer the new service. Details
FEBRUARY
MOBILE FLASH PLAYER TO DELIVER "VIBRANT VIDEO" Adobe Systems announced this week that the next generation of Flash Lite for mobile phones will include a Flash video player. Flash Lite 3 will support the same video formats as Adobe Flash Player, enabling operators, handset manufacturers, and developers to deliver "more compelling and engaging experiences" to mobile users. Details
MARCH
REAL-TIME VIRTUALIZATION TECH TARGETS DUAL-CORE XPE APPS Embedded software specialist SYSGO this week demonstrated Windows XP Embedded (Xpe) and a real-time separation microkernel running concurrently on "standard" dual-core processor-based x86 hardware. The PikeOS microkernel-based virtualization environment can combine hard-real-time responsiveness with Windows XP Embedded’s high-end functionality, while ensuring "safe and secure partitioning." Details
APRIL
FIRST 802.11G-BASED WIRELESS USB 2.0 HUB? Icron Technologies claims to have created the industry’s first wireless USB 2.0 hub based on the 802.11g WiFi standard. The WiRanger 4-port hub-and-dongle set brings seamless plug-and-play connectivity to multiple USB devices up to 30 meters away, including printers, scanners, hard drives, and MP3 players. Details
MAY
WINDOW XP EMBEDDED DST PROBLEM LIKENED TO AMNESIA A posting on the Windows XP Embedded team blog at MSDN provides a cute metaphor for an irksome problem. It compares certain Daylight Savings Time (DST) problems experienced with Windows XP Embedded (Xpe) devices to the dilemma experienced by Phil Connors in the movie, Groundhog Day. Details
JUNE
VIA DEBUTS TINIEST MOTHERBOARD YET Via CEO Wenchi Chen revealed a business card-sized motherboard billed as the "world’s first industry-standard form-factor for PC/phone convergence," at Computex this week. The "mobile-ITX" board measures 3 x 1.8 inches -- half the size of Via’s "pico-ITX" form-factor -- and runs Linux or Windows XP Embedded. Details
JULY
ROBOTIC DOG RUNS WINDOWS XP EMBEDDED Robosoft has announced a four-legged robot dog that runs Windows XP Embedded and reportedly offers "power ... far beyond standards seen to date." The "RobuDOG" also features ankle movement in its front legs, allowing it to kick a ball with more accuracy. Details
AUGUST
CAMERA RECOGNIZES LICENSE PLATES, RUNS WINDOWS XP EMBEDDED Appian Technology has introduced a camera that recognizes vehicle license plates, then reports the results to traffic and police authorities using integrated wired or wireless communications. The Stinger Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera is based on a 1.4 Ghz Pentium processor running Windows XP Embedded. Details
ROBOT CONFERENCE FEATURES HUMANS, HUMANOIDS"Dexter" is a robot said to walk more like a human than any yet created. He and his wheeled cousin, "Monty," will be among the attendees at the RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition, to be held this October in San Jose, Calif. Details
SEPTEMBER
SUB-$10 PROCESSOR DOES HD VIDEO, RUNS WINDOWS CETexas Instruments is sampling an ultra low-cost dual-core (RISC/DSP) processor with an integrated high-definition (HD) video encoder. The chipmaker launched its sub-$10 TMS320DM355 SoC (system-on-chip), which runs Windows CE, at the IBC video broadcaster’s convention in London this week. Details
FREESCALE SYNCS UP WITH FORD Freescale Semiconductor has announced the availability of "automotive grade" versions of its i.MX31 "multimedia applications processor." Shipping now, the processors will also be available later this month as part of the Windows CE-based "Sync" infotainment systems in 2008-model Fords. Details
OCTOBER
MICROSOFT OFFICIALS REVEAL EMBEDDED OS FUTURES Microsoft reportedly has been talking more than usual about the future of embedded Windows Oses. Recent revelations range from the short-term – the release of "Windows CE 6.0 R2" next month—to a long-term vision of "MinWin," the stripped-down kernel that will be at the heart of "Windows 7." Details
NOVEMBER
MICROSOFT STARTS CUSTOMIZING WINDOWS MOBILE Microsoft has come up with a new way to promote Windows Mobile to device makers and wireless carriers. Members of the Windows Mobile team, both in the U.S. And U.K., will help develop customized user interfaces (Uis) that enable these vendors to differentiate their offerings. Details
DECEMBER
"POOR MAN’S GPS" FOR WINDOWS MOBILE TRIANGULATES VIA CELL TOWERS Mexens Technology has released a new version of its wireless positioning software for Windows Mobile, providing "virtual GPS" to cell phones without any GPS hardware. Navizon Lite obtains a user’s position by triangulating among cell towers, with an accuracy of approximately a mile, according to Mexens. Details
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|