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Broadband & Mobile Featured Article
January 04, 2008
OpenMoko Unveils Neo FreeRunner
By Raju Shanbhag TMCnet Contributing Editor
OpenMoko has announced that it will unveil the Neo FreeRunner, a phone tailored for mass market consumers. OpenMoko is the originator of the Neo 1973, the world's first totally open mobile phone that continues to receive critical acclaim from the Free and Open Source (FOSS) developer community. Neo FreeRunner is based on the same free and open source principles as the Neo 1973.
When the original Neo 1973 was introduced in July 2007, it sold out within 3 days. It provided open source developers and hackers a hardware and software platform to build a completely new mobile device for both vertical markets and consumers. Neo FreeRunner is looking to build on that success of Neo 1973. Developers who bought the Neo 1973 have been eagerly awaiting announcement of the latest Neo sequel.
Neo FreeRunner maintains the look and feel of the developers’ Neo 1973 and features hardware improvements such as 2D/3D graphics. It also equipped with a faster 500MHz processor that boosts performance to enable video and audio processing. FreeRunner will come in two versions: a 850MHz tri-band and a 900Mhz tri-band. The phone is designed for worldwide use. Neo FreeRunner will include motion sensors that will cue functions based on detected user activity and will integrate Wi-Fi
(802.11 b/g) for online access anywhere.
Steven Mosher, vice president of marketing at Openmoko, said in a press release: “FreeRunner’s a significantly improved device from the Neo 1973. Our developers gave us great feedback as they explored the first version of the device. We added Wi-Fi, motion sensors, faster processing, and improved graphics, creating a compelling mass market device for open source development. The open source community was key in achieving that goal. Without them this remix of the Neo would not have been possible.”
OpenMoko has partnered with Jalimo, the open source project driven by the German software development company Tarent GmbH, to encourage FreeRunner development for mainstream Java applications and Java developers.
The FreeRunner will be previewed at CES (News - Alert) first to developers and then to end users as software for the new hardware features becomes available.
Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Mark your calendars! Internet Telephony (News - Alert) Conference & EXPO — the first major IP communications event of the year — is just days away. It’s not too late to register for the event, which takes place in Miami Beach, FL, January 23–25, 2008. The EXPO will feature three valuable days of exhibits, conferences and networking that you won’t want to miss. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!
When the original Neo 1973 was introduced in July 2007, it sold out within 3 days. It provided open source developers and hackers a hardware and software platform to build a completely new mobile device for both vertical markets and consumers. Neo FreeRunner is looking to build on that success of Neo 1973. Developers who bought the Neo 1973 have been eagerly awaiting announcement of the latest Neo sequel.
Neo FreeRunner maintains the look and feel of the developers’ Neo 1973 and features hardware improvements such as 2D/3D graphics. It also equipped with a faster 500MHz processor that boosts performance to enable video and audio processing. FreeRunner will come in two versions: a 850MHz tri-band and a 900Mhz tri-band. The phone is designed for worldwide use. Neo FreeRunner will include motion sensors that will cue functions based on detected user activity and will integrate Wi-Fi
(802.11 b/g) for online access anywhere.Steven Mosher, vice president of marketing at Openmoko, said in a press release: “FreeRunner’s a significantly improved device from the Neo 1973. Our developers gave us great feedback as they explored the first version of the device. We added Wi-Fi, motion sensors, faster processing, and improved graphics, creating a compelling mass market device for open source development. The open source community was key in achieving that goal. Without them this remix of the Neo would not have been possible.”
OpenMoko has partnered with Jalimo, the open source project driven by the German software development company Tarent GmbH, to encourage FreeRunner development for mainstream Java applications and Java developers.
The FreeRunner will be previewed at CES (News - Alert) first to developers and then to end users as software for the new hardware features becomes available.
Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Mark your calendars! Internet Telephony (News - Alert) Conference & EXPO — the first major IP
communications event of the year — is just days away. It’s not too late to register for the event, which takes place in Miami Beach, FL, January 23–25, 2008. The EXPO will feature three valuable days of exhibits, conferences and networking that you won’t want to miss. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!
