The LiMo Foundation have been formed by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone have been established to develop a Linux-based open mobile communication device software platform. The LiMo Foundation will focus primarily on the joint development of a competitive Linux-based mobile platform, built around a common source code tree that can adapt to the evolving international market requirements. Members will work on the following:Establishment of safeguards to minimize fragmentationCollaboration on a mobile Linux developer ecosystemCo-operation with existing industry organizationsSecuring new members from across the industry: device manufacturers, operators, chip set manufacturers, independent software vendors, integrators and third party developers [Read]

The Washington Research Foundation is sueing Nokia, Samsung and Matsushita-owned Panasonic for violating a patent for Bluetooth technology, potentially putting the free wireless standard at risk. The Washington Research Foundation markets technology from the University of Washington, is seeking damages from the three mobile-phone makers for using a radio frequency receiver technology without paying royalties, according to court papers obtained. Edwin Suominen, a University of Washington scientist, was awarded a patent in 1999 for "simplified high-frequency broadband tuner and tuning method."Bluetooth was invented as a wire replacement by Ericsson engineer Jaap Haartsen in the mid 1990s and developed by engineers at Ericsson and four other companies that made it available at no cost through the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). [Read]

Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone announced today their intent to establish the world's first global, open Linux-based software platform for mobile devices. A world-class Linux-based platform aims to provide key benefits for the mobile industry including lower development costs, increased flexibility, and a richer mobile ecosystem - all of which contribute to the  [Read]