Is Dell cooking up an Android-powered netbook?
Um, okay? Straight out of the left-most corner of left field, software provider Bsquare has just outed Dell's newest netbook -- or so it seems. The same company that recently announced that it was bringing Adobe Flash to Android has just revealed that it'll be doing likewise for "Dell netbooks running Google's Android platform." Specifically, it'll be Flash Lite 3.17 making the leap onto these heretofore elusive machines (casually referred to as the Mini Inspiron 910, or Mini 9, in the release), but details outside of that are mum. Consider our interest piqued. Full release is after the break.
Update: Dell just pinged us with an adorably terse response: "The Bsquared news release erroneously mentioned Dell and is being recalled. Dell does not offer an Android based netbook." Well then.
Bsquare to Port Adobe Flash Lite on New Google Android Netbook for Dell Leverages Bsquare's Android Competency to Improve the Adobe(R) Flash(R) Lite Experience on Dell's Mini Inspiron 910
BELLEVUE, WA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/06/09 -- Bsquare Corporation (NASDAQ: BSQR), the leading software solutions provider to the global embedded device community, today announced it is porting Adobe's Flash Lite 3.17 technology onto Dell Netbooks running Google's Android platform.
Adobe is a leader in rich internet and user interface technology for mobile devices. Flash technology ships on over 800 million devices worldwide with more than one million designers and developers using Adobe Flash to build video and rich media applications.
Netbook and Nettop computers offer the functionality and efficiency of traditional laptops, but with lighter weight and better portability.
Research firm Gartner estimates that worldwide shipments of netbooks will increase by 50 percent to 7.8 million units in 2009, while overall computer sales are expected to decline. Industry analysts also predict that Android will gain traction on smart devices, such as the ultra-portable Dell Mini Inspiron 910, which are used in a range of industries.
"Integrating Adobe Flash technology with the functionality of Google's Android platform on the full range of Netbook devices will allow our OEM customers to meet the high expectations their customers have of this new industry segment," said Bsquare's CEO Brian Crowley. "As the Netbook and Nettop market segments expand, our Adobe Flash Lite port to Android is just one of the software products we will offer our OEM and ODM customers."
In the last 12 months since its acquisition of NEC America's Adobe Flash Technology Consulting and Distribution business, Bsquare has worked on over 40 different customer devices including handsets, set top boxes, digital signage, consumer devices and netbooks. Bsquare has built an Android competency in its professional engineering services group through customer engagements and by hiring top talent in the field.
About Bsquare
Bsquare is an industry leader with a proven track record in providing engineering services and production-ready software products for the smart device market. Since 1994, Bsquare has provided device manufacturers with software solutions for personal navigation devices, point-of-sale terminals, handheld data terminals, smart phones and many other device categories allowing them to get to market more quickly and cost effectively. Bsquare acquired the TestQuest testing automation tools in November 2008. The combination of TestQuest's testing automation products and Bsquare's industry leading software and hardware products and services offer the best of class device development solutions to the embedded and mobile device development community. Now device developers building consumer mobile or vertically targeted embedded devices can rely on the highest quality development expertise from Bsquare, plus the most feature rich testing automation tools from TestQuest, to accelerate their devices to market while minimizing development costs and errors. For more information, visit www.bsquare.com : .
