Revealed: Skype on Linux-based Intel mobile internet gadgets, Jan 08, 2008

Skype is developing a version of its VoIP app for Intel's Mobile Internet Device (MID) concept handheld. Want to see what the software and the chip giant's hardware looks like?

German phone maker Road has announced its answer to Nokia's Communicator. Dubbed the HandyPC, the phone-computer combo is based on the Linux operating system and Trolltech's Qtopia GUI. It's a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE device with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on board too.

LG UK has launched an 8GB HDD-based alternative to Apple's iPod with the catchy name 'MFJM53'. But there's nothing pedestrian about the player's design, with its clean lines and its 1.77in, 262,144-colour, touch-sensitive OLED screen.

Nokia has begun shipping its Linux-based Nokia 770, the so-called "Internet tablet", according to the Finnish giant's direct-sales website.

Sharp is not pulling out of the US PDA market after all, the company has revealed, at least not to the extent that it had previously indicated.

The device was based on 206MHz Intel Strong ARM CPU and ran version 2.4 of the Linux kernel from Embeddix. It included Insignia Solutions' Jeode PersonalJava virtual machine and a desktop interface from Trolltech. It had a 16-bit 3.5in colour screen, 64MB of RAM, CompactFlash slot and SD/MM card slot.

News of the machine's demise appeared this week on Sharp's Zaurus Developer Network online forum. One developer revealed that the 5500 had been officially end-of-lined in Germany, and had been told unofficially that it was being killed of throughout Europe too.