Motorola says it'll be launching the Motorola FLIPOUT in Europe this summer. It's a square phone with a pivoting design that opens to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. The FLIPOUT runs Android 2.1 with the MOTOBLUR social network integrator available on the home screen.
Tech specs include a 3 megapixel camera, CrystalTalk PLUS noise cancellation, Kodak photo software, WiFi, Bluetooth, an expandable memory and a 2.8-inch QVGA screen. Overall dimensions are 67mm x 67mm x 17mm; weight is 120g.
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ARM, Freescale, IBM, Samsung, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments have formed a not-for-profit software engineering company called Linaro. It plans to make Linux-based development faster and easier, with a focus on ARM chips.
The new partnership is committed to investing in open source projects that can be used by Linux-based distributions, such as Android, LiMo, MeeGo, Ubuntu and webOS. Its software and tools will be available for a variety of devices that utilise semiconductor System-on-Chips (SoCs), including smartphones, tablets, digital televisions, automotive entertainment and enterprise equipment.
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Nokia has announced a bicycle-powered mobile phone charger. Although it's not a new idea – we reported on a Kenyan bike-powered project last summer – it's a first for the manufacturer, which is aiming the device at developing markets where access to electricity can be limited.
A 10-minute ride will produce enough power for around half-an-hour of conversation. The charger uses a dynamo to produce the power, with a handlebar mount holding the phone in place. It's expected to be available later this year.
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