Disqus
Motorola is in the process of investing in a company called VirtualLogix – their tech makes it possible for handset makers to use virtualization to run two OSes on a single phone – not unlike the virtual machines that we know and love in the PC world…
Apparently the idea is not actually to run two OSes, but more around security:
“Using virtualization, a handset maker can run one operating system that controls important basic phone functions, and separate it from another operating system that an end-user can customize and add applications to. Separating the two protects the basic phone functions from being corrupted by applications that a user may download.”
Sounds like somewhat of a cunning plan, especially now we are firmly in the era of the Smartphone…
At the moment VirtualLogix products are being used in another way – to reduce phone development costs:
“NXP Semiconductor, for example, is able to use one processor to run the wireless stack as well as the mobile Linux operating system, something that would normally require a separate application processor….It enables a phone to be built at a price under [US]$100 with full multimedia capabilities…”
Personally, I think this is another interesting take on getting things done in Mobile devices – an innvoative architecture, which could deliver some customisable, yet secure devices. And that is no bad thing.
[Via: PC World]
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
