Looks like there's only room for one mobile Linux standards body in these here parts, and LiMo's recent momentum and partnership deals have apparently swept up the members of the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) -- the two groups just announced that as of July, LiPS will be folded into LiMo. That'll give the Foundation even more ammunition as it gears up to do open-source battle with Android and that fruit-flavored mobile whose name we keep forgetting. There's no word on what's going to happen to LiPS's 1.0 specs, but we'd guess they'll be folded into the LiMo platform -- now all we need are some actual phones.

In the wake of the LiMo Foundation's huge announcement that it has netted Verizon Wireless to sit on its board, everyone wants to know: what does this mean for Verizon's official (meaning non-"Any Apps, Any Device") lineup, and where does this leave Android? LAPTOP has posted a good summary of some pressing questions and answers, revealing that LiMo-based devices won't launch on Big Red until next year anyway -- so there's really nothing to sweat about in the short term. As the carrier's lofty board seat might have suggested, it intends LiMo to percolate through its entire product range, starting with dumbphones and moving to smartphones (it is Linux, after all) as time goes on. Finally, it emphasized that the move certainly doesn't spell doom for Android; for consumers, the worst case is that they'd have to bring their own Android handset to the table (assuming there are compatible, unlocked CDMA devices available), but if Verizon senses that Android demand is strong enough, there's still nothing stopping it from bringing some hardware into its official stable. Either way, the Age of Linux is upon Verizon customers, which we're thinking is probably going to end up being a good thing.

Following a new round of partnership announcements back in February, LiMo Foundation today added 8 new members, bringing the grand total to 40 -- and perhaps most notably, Verizon Wireless becomes the first American carrier to team up with the group and the Foundation's final board member (in other words, they seem to be taking this initiative pretty seriously). Other new players include South Korea's SK Telecom, France's SFR, Sagem, chipmaker Infineon, and Mozilla, suggesting that there'll be plenty of mobile Firefox support for LiMo's nascent platform. LiMo represents the largest Linux-based threat to Android's plans for world domination, having announced its initiative some time before Google while collecting a veritable who's-who of world players from NTT DoCoMo to manufacturers like LG and Motorola -- and with the depth of Verizon's commitment to this, evident by its nabbing of an actual board seat, we wouldn't be surprised to see LiMo-based products actually go beyond its Any Apps, Any Device initiative and get real on the carrier's official lineup.

The latest word on the street suggests that Verizon is getting ready to announce that it's throwing its formidable weight behind the LiMo Foundation, that "other" mobile Linux group that's attracted some serious muscle behind founding member NTT DoCoMo. With Verizon's Any Apps, Any Device initiative on tap for this year, a wide-open platform like LiMo makes perfect sense -- and as folks are pointing out, the move wouldn't preclude the carrier from jumping on the Android bandwagon just the same once the hardware and software have ripened enough for customer consumption. If this all goes down, it'd mark the very first American carrier to sign on with LiMo -- and since Verizon's European spouse, Vodafone, is already on board, the synergy's pretty obvious. What's more, media outlets (ours included) have gotten word that LiMo will be announcing several new partners in the morning, including a "major US wireless service provider." Wonder who that could be?

[Via mocoNews]

There's little doubt that Linux has quite a bit going for it in the mobile realm, but a recent report put out by ABI Research asserts that just about one in every five mid- to high-end handsets sold in 2013 will boast a Linux-based OS. Citing the mounting momentum behind LiMo Foundation as well as the alleviation of "issues with framework fragmentation and silicon requirements," the research firm is projecting Linux to be an integral part of some 20-percent of higher-end mobiles in just 5 years. ABI Research's VP even noted that "Linux OS solutions will be far more cost-effective than incumbent solutions, even when silicon requirements are taken into account, given that a fuller application layer will be included in the standard package and that the burden of customization falls mostly on the independent software vendor." Hey, you won't find us kvetching about the proliferation of open-source.

[Via mocoNews]

Don't look now, but mid-2008 is almost here, and for those waiting intently for the release of a LiMo SDK, you're one step closer to having your dreams realized. Announced today, the LiMo Foundation has made available what it calls the "first globally competitive, Linux-based software platform for mobile devices." According to Morgan Gillis, executive director of LiMo Foundation, the consortium is hoping that R1 will "spur rapid innovation and contributions from all LiMo members," and it's restated that software development kits for Native, WebKit and Java operating environments are set to launch during the second half of this year. Not one to sit idly, the entity has also announced that Release 2 is currently "being specified and developed," and should escape testing and greet the real world in late 2008.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Not to be outdone by a powerful Android presence, the boys and girls at the LiMo Foundation have brought it strong with a series of announcements at Mobile World Congress. Yeah, the SDK is en route, but that's just the beginning; first up, and perhaps most notably in its effort to fight the Android juggernaut, LiMo has managed to sign up a slew of new partners. Most notable on the refreshed roster include ACCESS (which just hooked up with MontaVista, itself a LiMo member), Samsung, and carriers Orange and SoftBank.

The foundation is backing up its talk with some walk, too, in the form of several production-ready handsets: the U9, Z6w, Z6, E8, RAZR 2 V8, and RAZR 2 V8 Luxury Edition from Motorola (all devices that have previously been launched using MOTOMAGX, Moto's own special flavor of mobile Linux), the Samsung i800 which is destined for Orange's airwaves, and the N905i, N905iu, N705, N705iu, P905i, P905iTV, P705, and P705iu -- a mouthful of models from members NEC and Panasonic for Japan's NTT DoCoMo. Also rocking out at MWC are prototypes from LG and Aplix along with the Purple Magic low-cost flip from Purple Labs. Is it all enough momentum to give some balance to the mobile Linux landscape and serve as the yin to Google's yang? Seems like a strong possibility, but we'll have to hold our horses until developers are playing with the final tools and handsets are in wide circulation.

Read - LiMo Foundation unveils first LiMo handsets
Read - New LiMo Foundation members introduced

It looks like Android and the boys and girls over at the LiMo Foundation are lining up for a head-on collision -- a veritable mobile Linux explosion, if you will. The coalition is prepping to finalize its core software and programming interface by next month, but devs can get a head start now by grabbing a beta version of the SDK, ahead of the "significant" changes to Android's SDK promised in the next few weeks. Even better, LiMo's chief says that real, actual handsets running its wares will be available "very soon" -- and with companies like Azingo already ready and willing to throw together fully functional stacks, the world might just be big enough for two players in the mobile Linux arena after all.

While Android steals the overwhelming majority of attention, the LiMo Foundation has been plodding along creating a Linux-based mobile standard of its own with the backing of industry heavyweights like NTT DoCoMo, Samsung, and Nokia's new baby, Trolltech. That effort is finally starting to bear some fruit, with California-based Azingo announcing Azingo Mobile, now officially the world's first LiMo-based software stack. Targeted squarely at handset manufacturers, the platform is divided into four segments -- Entertainment, Internet, Productivity, and Communications -- that together form the basis for a modern, kick-ass handset with Linux roots. It's available for immediate licensing, though there's no telling how long it'll take before we actually see it on the street.

[Via Phone Scoop]

In a move meant to bolster its software development prowess, Nokia just announced the acquisition Trolltech. Who's Trolltech? Well, its software can be found in some 10 million devices. In fact, Trolltech's Qt is used by such familiar applications as Skype, Google Earth, and Photoshop Elements while their Qtopia was spotted on a hacked Archos 5 series earlier this month. By acquiring Trolltech's software development frameworks and application platforms, Nokia hopes to help developers create Internet applications that work on PCs and across Nokia devices. Specifically, Nokia claims that the move will "further increase the competitiveness of S60 and Series 40." The deal also grandfathers Nokia into the LiMo Foundation and its attempt to bring open-source to your handset. Hear that Android? The $153 million offer must still be processed through regulatory channels and approved by shareholders -- all expected before June in out.

Last time we checked in with these guys, papers had been signed, hands had been shaked, and promises had been thrown around, but that's about it. No product, no slick website -- just a handful of companies looking to come to some consensus on just how to get open source to the phone-toting masses. We still don't have any pretty phones or screen shots to look at here, but at least the committment is still going strong with the so-called "LiMo Foundation" officially launching this month. Star players include Motorola, Samsung, NTT DoCoMo, NEC, Panasonic, and Vodafone, so there's definitely some weight getting thrown around; outsiders can join the good times for anywhere from $40,000 to $800,000 depending on the amount of pampering and privilege demanded. LiMo will apparently be looking to recruit a few good companies to join its merry band of Linux promponents this month at 3GSM (and at those membership rates, why wouldn't they?) so we're cautiously bullish on some sort of open platform eventually getting birthed here. Whether the late '07 production goal will hold true, though, is another question entirely.