Major 'phone-makers ship Linux

Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic, Samsung & Vodafone are set to ship ’phones running Linux; read all about it here.

They say that “their Linux implementation will provide a global standard, and prevent the ‘fragmentation’ of mobile phone Linux” so they’re evidently not just in it for short-term marketing points. They plan to start their own (not named in article) Foundation to develop the details, set specs/architecture, retain reference source-code bases, etc.

Sounds good from here; let’s wait with ’bated breath to watch it roll out.

This is distinct from the existing MobiLinux ’phone systems, although Panasonic claim to have shipped “8 million” assorted Linux-based units thus far and Vodaphone speak in terms of offering “new services” with the platform rather than directly of/to any existing system(s).

Comments

every-application-is-part-of-a-toolkit at work

I have a LibreOffice Impress slideshow that I wish to turn into a narrated video. 1. export the slideshow as PNG images (if that is partially broken — as at now — at higher resolutions, Export Directly as PDF then use ‘pdftoppm’ (from the poppler-utils package) to do the same). 2. write a small C program (63 lines including comments) to display those images one at a time, writing a config file entry for Imagination (default transition: ‘cross fade’) based on when the image-viewer application (‘display,’ from the GraphicsMagick suite) is closed on each one; run that, read each image aloud, then close each image in turn. 3. run ‘Imagination’ over the config file to produce a silent MP4 video with the correct timings. 4. run ‘Audacity’ to record speech while using ‘SMPlayer’ to display the silent video, then export that recording as a WAV file. 4a. optionally, use ‘TiMIDIty’ to convert a non-copyright-encumbered MIDI tune to WAV, then import that and blend it with the speech (as a quiet b

new life for an old (FTX) PSU, improved life for one human

the LEDs on this 5m strip happen to emit light centred on a red that does unexpectedly helpful things to (and surprisingly deeply within) a human routinely exposed to it. it has been soldered to a Molex connector, plugged into a TFX power supply from a (retired: the MoBo is cactus) Small Form Factor PC, the assorted PSU connectors (and loose end from the strip) have been taped over. the LED strip cost $10.24 including postage, the rest cost $0, the PSU is running at 12½% of capacity, consumes less power than a laptop plug-pack despite running a fan. trial runs begin today.

boundaries

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Plantagenet Penguinista

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