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OpenMoko branches out with new $99 WikiReader device

by Paul Miller posted Oct 13th 2009 at 10:04AM

With the unfortunate downfall of the company's phone business, OpenMoko is looking for some slightly greener pastures. Its first new device hardly seems to hail from the same high-end Linux places that spawned the FreeRunner, and in fact you could say the $99 WikiReader is the antitheses of a high-end smartphone. It's a single purpose device with a monochrome screen and a simplistic touch interface and on the inside is an 8GB microSD card loaded up with three million of Wikipedia's finest hypertexts. The device can be searched or just browsed through clicking through interlinked articles, and there are even some parental controls to keep the chilluns away from Wikipedia's racier side. OpenMoko will have a subscription model of sorts available where folks can receive a new microSD card in the mail on a regular basis with the recent updates to the Wiki, though "power users" can update their cards themselves. The device is also relatively open to hackability thanks to its well known processor (similar to a Franklin dictionary) and easy access to the memory, but clearly OpenMoko is pointing this at people who don't even own a smartphone, not people who want to hack themselves another one. The device is available as of today.

Gallery: WikiReader hands-on

OpenMoko FreeRunner development canceled, staff slashed

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 6th 2009 at 10:53AM

We've always had a soft spot for the OpenMoko FreeRunner open-source phone, but it looks like quirky and charming weren't enough -- the company's discontinued work on handset's planned successor and laid off 50 percent of its staff in an effort to stay afloat. CEO Sean Moss-Pulz says that work will continue on a new-non-smartphone he's calling "Plan B," with plans to work on a new phone in the future -- we're guessing Android might figure prominently into that plan, since it's already been ported to the hardware and the rumor mill was already churning. We'll see.

P.S.- Along with the Dash Express, that's now two different FIC-built Linux devices that have met an untimely demise, and not for lack of effort or enthusiasm -- the beginnings of a trend, or merely a coincidence?

Update: OpenMoko pinged us to say that the current FreeRunner will still be produced and components will still be available for devs -- but it won't be succeeded by the planned next-gen model. Check a video statement from marketing VP Steve Mosher after the break.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Continue reading OpenMoko FreeRunner development canceled, staff slashed

FIC's 10.4-inch CW001 Mini-note splashes down in FCC database

by Darren Murph posted Dec 31st 2008 at 9:15AM

First International Computer -- which is a majority owner in Everex and the manufacturer of the first OpenMoko handset -- has delivered an intriguing little machine to us courtesy of the oh-so-revealing FCC. The FIC CW001 Mini-note will arrive on US soil packing a 10.4-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution display, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, 2.5-inch SATA II hard drive, dual USB 2.0 ports, a single ExpressCard slot, Intel's 945 GSE graphics, a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, an optical drive and a Windows-based (XP, presumably) OS. You'll also find an inbuilt microphone, headphone jack, VGA output, Ethernet socket, a 4-in-1 multicard reader and a 4-cell Li-ion good for around 4.5 hours of battery life. No telling if this will surface as yet another Cloudbook, but everything here hinges on the price. Then again, doesn't it always?

OpenMoko's Android-running Neo FreeRunner makes its blurrycam debut

by Donald Melanson posted Dec 29th 2008 at 9:11PM

The handset itself is hardly anything new, and we had a pretty good indication that Android was heading its way, but there's still nothing like a few good 'ol fashioned blurrycam shots to make a plan really come together. From the looks of it, the handset doesn't appear to have gone under any major changes for its new Google-fied incarnation, with it still packing the same 2.8-inch VGA display, 400MHz Samsung 2442 processor, GSM and GPRS connectivity as before, plus the usual built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, and AGPS, among other standard fare. Still not word on a price or release date, unfortunately, but according to the folks at iMAndroid, that is "just around the corner." In the meantime, you'll have to make do with the few more equally blurry pics available at the link below.

OpenMoko working up Android-based handset?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 30th 2008 at 8:40AM

OpenMoko, the company most famous for its altogether open Neo FreeRunner, is reportedly quite close to kicking out an Android-based handset. Before you get all shocked and appalled, let's look at this rationally. If you'll recall, we actually got wind of such an occurrence way back in April of this year, and some of those very details are jibing nicely with what we're hearing now. Apparently a company dubbed Koolu will be looking to OpenMoko for the design, and we could see a device emerge as early as next month. Initial specs for the elusive mobile include a 400MHz / 500MHz Samsung 2442B CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, a 2.84-inch 640 x 480 resolution touchscreen, 802.11b/g WiFi, aGPS / GPS, inbuilt accelerometer, a pair of "hard" buttons, Bluetooth support, a 2.5mm headphone jack (boo!) and a microSD card slot. Obviously we'll have to wait and see if any of this pans out, but we'll be the first to cross our fingers and hope for yet another Android phone in the mix.

[Thanks, Charles]

OpenMoko's Neo FreeRunner is shipping, getting itself unboxed

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jul 15th 2008 at 4:41PM

If you're a Linux fanboy with a hankering for some mobile action, you'll be pleased to know that buyers of the retail, North American version of OpenMoko's Neo FreeRunner have started getting shipments. If you hit the read link, you'll be able to see one lucky owner unboxing his new toy, complete with a spares kit and debug board (this guy is getting into it, okay?). This set of photos should be a nice companion to that in-depth look at the OS we saw recently. Now we're going to be on pins and needles finding out what gets cooked up for that spacious 480 x 640 screen.

[Via Slashdot]

OpenMoko's FreeRunner interface gets peeked, inspected

by Darren Murph posted Jul 9th 2008 at 11:47AM

For those folks who don't mind -- nay, who strongly prefer -- a terminal screen on their smartphone, we know you've already thrown down the plastic on OpenMoko's FreeRunner. If you're going insane waiting to get your hands on it, what better to do than read through a remarkably thorough writeup detailing the user interface and all the goop behind the pretty scenes that makes this thing tick? Oh, and if you're just now getting up the courage to see what the brouhaha is all about, you've chosen the perfect time to get schooled. See that read link? Hit it.

[Via BoingBoing]

OpenMoko says "screw it," starts taking FreeRunner orders a day early

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 1:52PM

July 4 was the date, but hey, what's the harm in opening up the floodgates just a handful of hours early? Get past the lack of 3G, EDGE, camera, and a rock-solid set of tested, commercialized apps, and open-source phoning nirvana can now be yours for $399 on the plastic.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

OpenMoko Neo FreeRunner available for order July 4, shipping July 7

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted Jul 2nd 2008 at 9:15AM

Last we heard form Openmoko, it was packing and shipping the open-source FreeRunner for an early July release. So, here we are in early July and wouldn't you know it, the FreeRunner will be available for order starting Friday, July 4 with shipping to begin on Monday, July 7. As for details, we got 'em. The shipped version of the phone will come in both 850Mhz and 900Mhz Tri-band GSM flavors with a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen, WiFi, AGPS, GPRS 2.5G, Bluetooth 2.0, 128MB WSDRAM, and 256MB NAND flash. If you're down with all that, look to pay $399 on Friday at www.openmoko.com.

Openmoko FreeRunner looking good for early July release

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 22nd 2008 at 6:41PM

Unless you're very, very special, you haven't yet had an opportunity to run your hands over Openmoko's latest open-source creation, the FreeRunner, which was announced several months back with the hope of a spring release. Unlike the Neo1973 before it, the FreeRunner's said to be chock full of enough spit and polish to take on an audience larger than the original's hardcore developer base, and while a springtime date with destiny is now out of reach, it looks like they'll only miss the mark by a few days. A recent message from Openmoko's VP of marketing on the community listserv said that the retail phones should be packed and shipped by tomorrow and -- if all goes well, of course -- should clear customs by the first of July, meaning buyers should be able to get them delivered in the first week or two of the month. If they'd been able to squeeze in 3G, we'd hardly be able to contain ourselves, but even as it is, we suspect there's enough buzz to get units sold; let's just hope they're already hard at work on version three.

[Via The Inquirer Spanish]

The W.E. Phone -- OpenMoko-based Android device?

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 1st 2008 at 4:04PM

We're not too sure what to make of Koolu's Works Everywhere (W.E.) phone, but if the company actually manages to deliver on its spec sheet, we'll be duly impressed. It looks like the W.E. will run Android on top of a newer rev of OpenMoko's Neo1973 / FreeRunner hardware, with a VGA screen, 400Mhz processor, tri-band cell radio, WiFi, 256MB of flash, GPS, and MicroSD expansion, but we're not buying it when the company promises compatibility with 700MHz networks in the future -- Verizon hasn't really said what system it's going to deploy on its new spectrum. What's more, the website says the W.E. Phone will only be made available to Google Apps customers through wireless ISPs in the summer of 2008 -- totally fishy. Considering the day, we called and confirmed that it's real, but we'll wait for some more details before we give in to that sweet Debian tartan weave.

[Thanks, Stephen]

Hands-on with FIC's OpenMoko-powered FreeRunner

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 8th 2008 at 4:27PM

So this is a really early version of the FreeRunner, but mad love to FIC for bringing it out for us all to play with nonetheless. The first thing you'll notice is that it's still sporting its predecessor's "Neo1973" branding, an indiscretion we were promised would be put to bed prior to the scheduled spring launch to OpenMoko's developer community. Anyone used to toting a smartphone of average size could totally get used to carrying the FreeRunner around, which we think is probably key to the device's success outside the enthusiast community. The current build of the software, though, is another matter entirely -- it's in a pretty raw alpha state right now and hugh swaths of core functionality appear to be missing. Then again, they've got a few good weeks until spring, and even then the FreeRunner will find its way into hackers' hands before the masses; they've got some solid-feeling, solid-spec'd hardware here and we're still really hopeful that the final product is going to rock.

Gallery: Hands-on with FIC's OpenMoko-powered FreeRunner

OpenMoko to unveil consumer-minded Neo FreeRunner

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 3rd 2008 at 12:21PM

So far, OpenMoko's Linux-based open source phones have amounted to little more than a twinkle in the eye of Joe Consumer, instead getting fast-tracked into the hands of developers who hope to make the whole package stable and functional enough for the average buyer to give a flip by the time they're widely available. We'd say that's a solid policy -- especially if these guys hope to fight the oncoming Android steamroller -- and the next volley is about to get fired in the form of the "Neo FreeRunner." The spiritual successor to the original Neo1973 (pictured), the FreeRunner is being billed as a "compelling mass market device" thanks to some key additions: WiFi, motion sensors, a faster 500MHz processor, and 3D graphics acceleration. OpenMoko's previewing the phone at CES next week with shipments following on to developers in the spring in two triband GSM versions, one with North America-friendly 850MHz and the other with 900MHz. Consumer sales are expected to happen after that (shortly after that, hopefully) once the dev community blesses it with solid code.

Dash Express powered by OpenMoko's neo open-source hardware platform

by Nilay Patel posted Jan 2nd 2008 at 1:06PM

We're already pretty high on the Dash Express, but the company sweetened the pot a little this morning by announcing that the unit is based on OpenMoko's Neo open-source hardware platform. The Dash Express is first commercial product to use the OpenMoko GT0X reference platform, which is an updated version of the hardware in OpenMoko's open-source Neo 1973 mobile phone. As you'd expect, the Dash Express also uses OpenMoko's Linux bootloader and kernel, but the Dash GPS software itself is apparently still proprietary. The love doesn't stop there, either: OpenMoko and parent company FIC Mobility actually helped design the Dash Express hardware, and FIC is going to handle manufacturing as well. All in all, a pretty solid win for the OpenMoko / Neo system -- let's hope it's a sign of even more good things to come.

OpenMoko Neo 1973 and Advanced dev kit finally for sale

by Ryan Block posted Jul 9th 2007 at 2:43AM

Naw, it's not really the truly open and hackable software-defined radio based cellphones we've long lusted after, but the OpenMoko Linux / GNU based GSM platform (and hardware) is finally up for sale. $300 brings home an OpenMoko Neo 1973 (aka Neo Base kit), perfect for getting your OpenMoko app dev project started. $450 brings home the Neo Advanced kit, "everything the mobile device hacker wants to get down and dirty with the first freed phone". Happy hacking.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]