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Century Embedded Technologies Upgrades Linux PDA Solution
PIXIL PDA Offers OEMs and Developers an advanced Commercial-ready Solution based on an Open Platform and Linux Standards
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - November 21, 2001 - Century Embedded Technologies, a leader in graphical application technologies for embedded Linux, today announced the release of PIXIL PDA v1.1, a commercial-ready PDA solution based on Linux, Nano-X, and Century's PIXIL OE (Operating Environment). Significant enhancements include a new look-and-feel, Bluetooth support, and a companion desktop Personal Information Manager (PIM). PIXIL PDA also includes support for email, web browsing, and games.
PIXIL PDA v1.1 advances standard applications for organizing personal and business information. All applications interact through Century's PIXIL Applications Registry and Interprocess Communications Mechanism, allowing applications to share and search data without having to use the same data format. "Our inter-applications communications technology allows new applications to be added to the PIXIL platform and have their data shared between all applications, regardless of the new application's data formats," said Gregory Haerr, CEO of Century Embedded Technologies and Nano-X project leader.
PIXIL PDA v1.1 is based on the recently announced open source PIXIL OE that easily adapts to modern pervasive devices with multiple form factors and connectivity requirements. Providing a base platform for solutions, PIXIL OE offers developers a Linux standard for smart connected devices. The complete PIXIL PDA v1.1 flash memory requirement is less than 6.5Mb.
"We are delivering a set of applications that provides a complete solution, with Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless connectivity operating on a handheld device." said Gregory Haerr, CEO of Century Software. "PIXIL PDA v1.1 extends the functionality of our recently released open environment targeting smart devices, PIXIL OE. Providing enhanced features, complete applications, and a modern look and feel, PIXIL technologies usher in the next generation of embedded Linux-based PDA offerings."
Applications Management
PIXIL's screentop applications manager, which provides application launching, file management and the registry, has been enhanced to allow complete customization of the screentop, with settings stored in an XML-compatible format. Handwriting recognition has been enhanced, along with a graphical system configuration utility, providing user access to newly included power management, time/date, and display settings.
The new PIXIL Desktop boasts a complementary set of applications that share data with their PIM counterparts resident on the handheld device. PIXIL Desktop provides a comprehensive solution that will maintain addresses, scheduled appointments, a to-do list, and notes, synchronizing the user data between the PIM suite and desktop. The PIXIL Desktop also has a graphical update utility that allows the PDA system to load updated software and facilitates the addition or removal of programs with simplicity and ease.
Connectivity
PIXIL PDA's new connectivity options include support for Bluetooth, a graphical network configuration utility, and enhanced support for 802.11b. Most Compact Flash and PCMCIA wireless networking cards are supported. The graphical network configuration utility simplifies connectivity and allows quick configuration to multiple wireless Internet connections as well as a direct connection to a network. Internet connectivity via serial PPP is supported through direct line or modem. Ethernet connectivity is supported through Compact Flash adapters with dynamic DHCP or fixed addressing. Network system startup and shutdown is enabled through the graphical interface, allowing easy connectivity for novice users.
Internet connectivity and email access is also supported in PIXIL PDA 1.1. The included ViewML Internet Browser offers a lightweight, small footprint web browser with a runtime memory requirement of less than 2.5 Mb.
Configurations and Availability
Century offers two configurations for PIXIL PDA v1.1. A binary-only configuration provides commercial-ready deployment capabilities on top of the open source PIXIL OE platform. A second configuration, known as the PIXIL PDA Certified Platform, includes porting to a new environment by Century Embedded Technologies, producing a supported system image with complete source code for a fixed fee.
PIXIL PDA 1.1 is available now. Supported architectures include x86, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS, and SH. For sales and licensing information, please visit http://embedded.centurysoftware.com/pixil/ or contact cetsales@centurysoftware.com or (801) 268-3088. Century also offers custom engineering services, maintenance and support for the PIXIL product line.
About PIXIL™ Technology
PIXIL provides a complete suite of embedded solutions for advanced Internet appliances such as PDAs, WebPAD™ devices, cellular phones, smart handhelds, and thin clients. Developed for multiple form factor flat panel devices with requirements for wireless communications, networking, web browsing, power management and GUIs, PIXIL offers a fully integrated architecture leveraging the open standards of embedded Linux. PIXIL's modular framework, with fully optimized pre-defined components offers ready-to-use and easily customized applications.
About Century Embedded Technologies
Century Software Embedded Technologies, a newly created division of Century Software, Inc., is a leading developer of core applications technologies for the worldwide embedded Linux applications market. These technologies include: graphical windowing system development and runtime environments; customized Internet browsers and HTML viewers; embedded and Internet appliance multimedia technologies, including MP3 audio and MPEG video players and recorders; PDA/WebPAD runtime and development suites, PIM suites; and set-top boxes. Complete solutions These core technologies are designed specifically to allow chip manufacturers, hardware board vendors, and their customers to build embedded applications on x86, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS, SH and other microprocessor architectures running on either the Nano-X or the X Window System. Based in Salt Lake City, Century Software was founded in 1985 and is privately held. Century Software's CEO, Gregory Haerr, is the founder and chief maintainer of the Nano-X Project, and founder of the ViewML Project.
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Century Software, Century Embedded Technologies, and PIXIL are trademarks of Century Software, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark owned by Linus Torvalds. WebPAD is a registered trademark of National Semiconductor Corporation. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Contacts:
Jill Ratkevic
1 (408) 209-5181
jillr@centurysoftware.com
Jon Beutler
1 (801) 268-3088 x145
jonb@centurysoftware.com
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