Sun Microsystems said Tuesday it will work with developers of the open-source operating system Linux to improve its compatibility with Sun's own hardware and software.
The announcement followed related news that Sun would grant open access to the source code underlying the Java programming language.
Linux, a variant of the UNIX operating system, has been seen as a potential threat to Sun's own commercial UNIX software, known as Solaris. By contrast, Linux is available for free on the Internet and has been distributed to more than 8 million users.
Developers and end users can now download a copy of Linux that's compatible with Sun's UltraSPARC computer workstations from Internet sites worldwide.
"Every copy of Linux used is another win for UNIX and open standards," said Ken Okin, Sun's vice president and general manager of workstation products.
The term open standards refers to software not controlled by any one company, but open to modification by any party wanting to build products that fit industry-wide standards.
Sun also said it intended to add Linux compatibility to its Solaris operating environment. ____
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Radiation-proof Pentiums: Computer chip giant Intel said it will license its Pentium processor design to the US Department of Energy in a royalty-free deal for the development of custom-made, radiation-proof processors for space and defense purposes.
The Department of Energy will use the design to develop a custom, radiation-hardened version of the Pentium processor for satellites, space vehicles, and defense systems. Radiation hardening protects systems and applications from cosmic rays and other radiation that could affect the reliability of electronics.
The agreement will save US taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in microprocessor design costs, Intel said, and provide the government with a nearly tenfold increase in processing power over the highest performing technology in use today.
Intel said it would license the design to the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The laboratory is responsible for microelectronics research and development. ____
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Reading pen for dyslexia: An Israeli high-tech company says it can help people with dyslexia overcome reading problems with the swipe of a talking electronic pen.
The Quicktionary Reading Pen, recently launched in the United States by Jerusalem-based WizCom Technologies, is a battery-powered, hand-held scanner that reads text, defines and displays it on a small screen, and then recites it aloud.
People with dyslexia, a signal-scrambling learning disability, can move the pen-shaped device over a word they have trouble reading and hear it on a speaker or a headset. The pen's memory is crammed with 200,000 definitions, stores up to 100 scanned words, and can be adjusted for left- or right-handed users.
"This product enables you to access the text and get it out by voice ... any place -- on the airplane, in the bathroom, near your desk, wherever," said WizCom chief executive officer David Gal.
Copyright© 1998 Reuters Limited.
