The open source Maemo platform, which is used on Nokia’s Internet Tablet devices, will soon support Trolltech’s Qt development toolkit. Nokia says that the GTK-based Hildon framework will continue to be used as the primary toolkit for Maemo’s user interface and core applications, but the Qt libraries will be distributed with Maemo so that third-party Qt developers can bring their applications to the platform.

Nokia is currently in the process of acquiring Trolltech and has some ambitious plans to bring Qt support to a multitude of mobile platforms. Nokia is particularly eager to enable development of applications that can target both Maemo and S60, a proprietary operating system used on Nokia phones.

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In an article by the Dow Jones Newswire, Joe Sims, vice president and general manager of T-Mobile’s broadband and new business division, said he had already seen prototypes of the company’s Android-based phone, which are scheduled to ship in this year’s final quarter. He goes on to state that T-Mobile may offer more than one product based on Android…

“I’m impressed,” Sims said. “We will have more than one product…(The move to an open platform) will be innovation across the board, not just one device.”

Linux is set to see strong growth as issues with framework fragmentation and silicon requirements are alleviated according to the latest report from ABI Research. The growing momentum behind the LiMo Foundation initiative, as well as the marketing boost that has been realized from the entry of Google’s Android solution has been further enhanced by Nokia’s support of the Maemo solution and its purchase of Trolltech. ABI believes that by 2013, nearly one out of every five mid- or high-end mobile devices will use a Linux operating system.

A new ABI Research study has found that Linux solutions will be at the center of the drive to bring more content-rich environments to users who currently utilize mid-tier devices. More importantly, it looks increasingly likely that mobile Linux solutions will be an important building block in enabling an application domain that embraces Web-based applications and blended Web/native applications.

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NTT DoCoMo, Inc. today announced that it will develop an operator pack for FOMA 3G handsets compatible with specifications established by the LiMo Foundation. DoCoMo expects to begin introducing handsets equipped with the operator pack in the second half of 2009.

The pack will contain a suite of Linux operating system-based software applications that implement i-mode, i-appli and other unique DoCoMo services. It will make use of existing assets developed by DoCoMo, including application software and MOAP (Mobile Oriented Application Platform) middleware now used in selected DoCoMo handsets. The new operator pack will incorporate elements of a Linux-version MOAP that DoCoMo has developed with NEC Corporation and Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.

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LinuxDevices.com is reporting that a Nokia-sponsored project is working to port Ubuntu Linux to the ARM architecture. The “Handheld Mojo” team has completed ARM builds of Feisty Fawn (dubbed “Frisky Firedrake”) and Gutsy Gibbon (”Grumpy Griffin”), with Hardy Heron compilation starting soon.

Mojo’s Ubuntu port for ARM can be tested in QEMU, an open source emulator that supports various ARM architectures. Or, it can be run in a chrooted environment from an SD flash memory card installed on Nokia’s Linux-based N8xx series Internet tablets. Since the ports are built for ARM Ltd.’s ARMv5EL and ARMv6EL-VFP architectures, they should also run on lots of other devices with ARM9 and ARM11 cores.

With a few exceptions, most Ubuntu software compiles fine for ARM, according to Andrew Christian, the engineering fellow at Nokia who leads the effort.

The public perception of open source software is changing fast, said Mark Shuttleworth, who leads distribution of the Ubuntu operating system (OS). A new version of Ubuntu, a version of the Linux OS, is released on Thursday.

Mr Shuttleworth said the success of the Asus Eee PC and the work of the One Laptop Per Child programme had driven awareness of open source.

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There are a lot of flavors of Linux on the market, each with its own unique features and quirks. Businesses are usually willing to pony up for one of the “Big Two”: Red Hat or Novell/Suse. Regular folks, on the other hand, are more likely to download one of the free alternatives.

Do you smell a market opportunity? Not Red Hat or Novell. Each company independently confirmed this week that you may as well keep those BitTorrent clients running: Neither Red Hat nor Novell has any plans to market a consumer desktop Linux product in the near future.

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The bit-twiddlers over at elinux.org have posted a howto and intall guide on getting Google’s Android OS up and running on a Nokia N810 tablet. If you’re feeling ambitious and the thought of spending a few hours of your life messing with ARM926 drivers doesn’t deter you, head over to the guide here with binaries and instructions available.

Update: elinux.org apprears to be having some server issues. you can view a cached page here.

[via engadget]

MLI was able to get a bit of hands on time with the Nokia N810 WiMAX edition at CTIA Wireless in Las Vegas this week. The N810 WiMAX edition is essentially the same hardware as the standard N810 but with the added WiMAX capability. The WiMAX differentiates itself visually with a darker color scheme. It also runs a new version of the Internet Tablet OS, which will also be made available to the N800 and N810 later this year.

Read on for our pictures of the device in action, plus a couple of bonus shots of the latest Nokia phones on display.

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IDG World Expo has announced that LinuxWorld Conference & Expo will include a new event, the Mobile Linux Conference, to address the increasing penetration of Linux into the mobile handset marketplace. During the conference, attendees will receive in-depth technical training, strategic insights, and hands-on experience in mobile Linux from industry experts covering topics including application development and deployment, power management, mobile initiatives, best practices, and more. LinuxWorld Conference & Expo is scheduled to take place August 4-7, 2008 at the Moscone Center.

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