Taiwanese company Openmoko announced the availability of WikiReader, a portable device that contains three million English language articles from everybody’s favorite online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. It turns on instantly, has a touchscreen, and does not require an Internet connection to function.

Updates to the Reader are provided quarterly and are available for free download. Yearly subscription plans with updated microSD cards are available for $29, and the device itself is available for purchase on Amazon.com or the Wikireader website for about $99.

Neo1973, one of the first mobile phones based on the OpenMoko open source project for a free mobile phone operating system, has just been approved by the FCC. Developed by First International Computer, the Neo1973 packaging includes a 100 to 220 volts adaptor plug, USB charger + cable, USB A to mini B cable, stylus, earphone, battery and SD memory card.

• Size: 120.7 mm x 62 mm x 18.5 mm
• Weight: 135 grams
• Screen: 2.8″ 480×640 pixels at 285 ppi
• Flash: 128/256MB
• CPU: Samsung s3c2442 Soc (400MHz)
• SDRAM: 128MB
• Connectivity: GPRS 2.5G (no EDGE support), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi 802.11 b/g
• GPS: u-blox GPS built-in
• System: OpenMoko Linux, full source available
• Applications: Basic u-boot included. You can develop your own apps!
• Sound: Record/playback, 2×1W stereo speaker, 2.5 mm jack

The manual has tons of other details. Check out OpenMoko for more information on the OS.

Source: FCC

OpenMoko is making everything much simpler. While waiting for Android or the new open Symbian mobile OS, they have released their FreeRunner smartphone, which has a Linux based OS and it’s said to be open in hardware and software.

OpenMoko’s open platform will pretty much let you do whatever you want with their new handset. As long as you know what you are doing in terms of mobile OS and applications. With this Linux platform the FreeRunner will have, you will get lots of options to choose from and this might be strange to cope with at first. After all how many of us get buyers block when facing too many supermarket choices? But why not being able to choose from more?

If you get an OpenMoko smartphone you will be offered three software stacks to work with. The original OpenMoko software was built on top of GNOME Mobile and Embedded technologies with the GTK+ toolkit included.
A different stack has been built on top of Trolltech’s Qtopia mobile environment while the third software stack will be based on FreeSmartphone.org APIs.

So on the FreeRunner you will get a choice of software, some minutes and SMS messages and unlimited data. I am speculating on the plan’s details but I am sure you will have three software versions to choose from.

But don’t mind me trying to explain to you which is which. Get a FreeRunner for a test drive and choose the perfect OS for you. Further more, if you are a developer or programmer, I am sure you already have an idea of what I am talking about, and can’t wait tweaking your favorite
OS on your next OpenMoko handset.

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Neo is OpenMoko’s 100% Linux-based open-source phone. The handset which looks like a child’s toy, will get its second version soon, most probably by March to April of 2008. Future plans for the Taiwan-based company include developing open-source handsets extensively, such that two-thirds of the company’s income would be earned from them, with the remaining third earned from collaborations. Speaking of collaborations, OpenMoko is also cooperating with device vendors to produce hardware devices. The company is reportedly in partnership with Dash for the development of the Dash Express portable navigation device.

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As all the major players get ready to flaunt their techwares at the upcoming CES 2008, OpenMoko has been quietly making improvements to its runaway success, the Neo 1973. OpenMoko’s newest baby, Neo FreeRunner, is all set to woo us with huge improvements over its predecessor. The new device will run on the same open-source GNU/Linux development platform but with a faster 500MHz processor, 2D/3D graphics, WiFi of the 802.11b/g variety, and motion sensors, everything crammed into the same package as the Neo 1973. The FreeRunner comes in two versions, 850MHz triband and 900MHz triband, aimed at worldwide use.

Speaking on the FreeRunner, Steven Mosher, Vice President of OpenMoko, comments, “We added WiFi, motion sensors, faster processing, and improved graphics, creating a compelling mass market device for open-source development. The open-source community was key in achieving that goal. Without them, this remix of the Neo would not have been possible.”

There is no information on pricing but the developers will have a chance to play around with it before the FreeRunner makes it into our hands. It will be previewed at a closed press-only Lunch@Piero’s during CES.

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