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Trolltech blesses Qtopia with finger-friendly touch, Outlook sync support
Mobile Linux flagbearer Trolltech appears to be carrying on at a nice clip in the wake of its acquisition by Nokia, and for its Qtopia Phone Edition platform, things just got a little sweeter. The company is using MWC as its stage to announce version 4.3, which is actually a good deal more revolutionary than its one-tenth increment would lead on. Biggies in the new build include a new UI theme designed to be finger-friendly (which makes total sense considering Trolltech's endorsement of the keypadless Neo1973 as the hackable, Linux-based mobile of choice for the moment), the "Qtopia Sync Agent" which ushers data between a Qtopia device and Microsoft Outlook, and support for Real's Helix DNA media engine, among other things. The goods are already available in beta, open source form from Trolltech's site, so hack away.[Via Geekzone]
Qtopia up and running on Archos 5 series, with how-to
We already knew that hacking of Archos 5 series players was picking up some considerable steam, but it now looks like that effort has produced the first genuinely useful (to some) hack, with the Linux-based Qtopia platform now up and running on at least some of the devices. Better yet, there's already a complete how-to available to guide you through the process, although, as always, it's not exactly suited to those concerned with warranties and whatnot. What's more, while the hack is intended primarily for 5 series devices like the Archos 605, some users have apparently also had success with the 604 WiFi (as seen above), although that seems to be a slightly more complicated process. If you're still not deterred, you can hit up the links below for the full rundown and relevant discussion.Read - How-To: Install QtopiaRead - Archos.Fans.com Discussion[Image courtesy of kb, thanks Justin and Ebby]
Trolltech sells its last Greenphone, recommends Neo1973
Seeing the quirky, totally open Greenphone exit stage left brings a tear to our eye, we admit, but at least the torch to a promising successor. Trolltech -- maker of the Greenphone and the Linux-based Qtopia platform it runs -- has announced that they've sold clean out of the handsets having accomplished its reason for existence: hyping Qtopia itself. Trolltech readily admits that it's a software company, and now that Qtopia's out there in developers' hands (and possibly now with a strong ally in Motorola), it returns to its software roots and points in the direction of OpenMoko's up-and-coming Neo1973 open source phone for future devs looking to follow in the Greenphone's footsteps. Of course, the consumer version of the Neo isn't out just yet, but Trolltech says it hopes to be making announcements about support for additional devices in the near future -- so any way you slice it, the spirit of the Greenphone plods happily on.
Motorola hooks up with Trolltech for MOTOMAGX development
When you pair one of the stodgier manufacturers in the biz with a company whose claim to fame is a bright green hacker's delight, good things are bound to happen, right? Trolltech has announced that it'll be providing its Linux Software Development Kit -- based on the same Qtopia Core that powers the Greenphone -- to Motorola in support of its MOTOMAGX platform. MOTOMAGX looks to likely succeed both Synergy and JUIX as Motorola's mainstream platform of choice in future products, meaning that Trolltech could find its way into a market orders of magnitude larger than that for devices running Qtopia alone. Of course, if Trolltech wants to bust out a 3G Greenphone in the meantime, we're not about to complain.
Trolltech gets cozy with OpenMoko, ports platform to Neo1973
Trolltech and OpenMoko are pretty much the two patron saints of open source phoning at the moment -- and seeing how it's a nascent market (to say the least), hooking up is probably the right move to make. Trolltech, maker of that crazy green (and aptly named) Greenphone, has ported its Qtopia Phone Edition software stack to OpenMoko's hardware, giving hackers tooling around with their Neo1973s another platform with which to play. Concurrently with the announcement, Trolltech has revealed that its entire Qtopia reference platform is now available under version 2 of the GPL; previously, parts of the package were only available under a commercial license, so this is a pretty big win for the open source community. Whether this all translates to a better experience once the Neo1973 moves from developer platform to retail device remains unclear, but it certainly can't hurt -- and it might mark the passing of the open source torch from the Greenphone to OpenMoko's efforts.[Via MobileBurn]
Trolltech announces pricing for Greenphone kits
The good news: the Greenphone really is available for purchase. The bad news: Trolltech wasn't joking when they said the phones would be heading straight to developers with nary an end user in sight. The Greenphone is only available as part of one of three software development bundles put together by the company, ranging in price from $695 to $890; to be fair, those aren't unheard of prices to pay for an unbranded, unlocked smartphone these days (SDK or no), but when you take a good, hard look at the candybar's specs, there are clearly better buys on the market. That being said, bright green smartphones running Linux have a certain appeal to them that we're having a hard time denying. Quantities are apparently limited, so consumers hoping to deny actual developers from getting their hands on a kit best get in touch with Trolltech on the double.
Trolltech's Linux-based "Greenphone" for developers
Why wait for Access Linux or a garden-variety consortium to come to market, when Trolltech's got us covered right now with their Qtopia smartphone platform? Of course, devices running Qtopia have been few and far between, and unless you're willing to hit up France for one of your own, tracking down a handset is likely an exercise in futility. Trolltech has been feeling your pain and looks to introduce their "Greenphone" as part of several software development kits they'll be offering starting next month. We had a chance to hit up their launch event last night and snapped a couple shots (our apologies for the quality) and we have to admit, even though this thing is targeted squarely at Qtopia developers, it could just as well be decent looking handset for the masses. The quadband GSM / GPRS Greenphone includes Bluetooth, 64MB of RAM, 128MB of ROM with a miniSD slot for expansion, and a QVGA touchscreen sitting atop a 317MHz XScale; we're even digging the ecto-green exterior. Interested parties best be on their toes -- the phone won't be offered alone, and SDK packages will be available in strictly limited quantities.
