手機(jī)領(lǐng)域近日少了一個(gè)操作系統(tǒng)平臺(tái)，但同時(shí)也新增了一個(gè)──惠普(HP)宣布將 WebOS 出售給 LG Electronics ，后者要將該操作系統(tǒng)應(yīng)用于智能電視；而 Firefox 瀏覽器軟件供應(yīng)商 Mozilla 則是宣布將推出自家手機(jī)操作系統(tǒng)。
諷刺的是，目前在手機(jī)操作系統(tǒng)領(lǐng)域，其實(shí)有越來越向 Android 與蘋果(Apple) iOS 集中靠攏的趨勢(shì)； Blackberry 與微軟(Microsoft)持續(xù)努力掙扎著想要讓各自的平臺(tái)擠上第一線位置，而英特爾(Intel)與三星(Samsung)將攜手推出的開放性平臺(tái) Tizen則仍在開發(fā)階段。
有鑒于此，Mozilla 在近日于西班牙巴塞隆納舉行的2013年世界移動(dòng)通訊大會(huì)(MWC)上所發(fā)表的新消息特別令人驚訝；這家瀏覽器軟件供應(yīng)商預(yù)告該公司將首度推出商用Firefox OS ，并將有第一批采用該操作系統(tǒng)的裝置問世，主要鎖定開發(fā)中市場(chǎng)的功能手機(jī)。
Firefox OS 看起來有點(diǎn)“圓形安卓”的感覺
C4desmc
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
本文下一頁：Firefox平臺(tái)的支持者們
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• 無意外沒驚喜，Gartner發(fā)布2012年手機(jī)市場(chǎng)十大排名
• 諾基亞收購地圖技術(shù)公司，給蘋果谷歌來“軟”的
• HP宣布將公開18億美元購得的webOSC4desmc
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已有18家橫跨9個(gè)區(qū)域市場(chǎng)的移動(dòng)通訊營運(yùn)商表示將采用Firefox平臺(tái)，以及由Alcatel One Touch、LG、中興(ZTE)等手機(jī)廠商生產(chǎn)的裝置；華為(Huawei)也承諾將在未來加入Firefox平臺(tái)手機(jī)供應(yīng)商行列。這些手機(jī)據(jù)說將采用 高通(Qualcomm)的Snapdragon處理器。
那些將支持Firefox操作系統(tǒng)的通訊營運(yùn)商則包括 America Movil、中國聯(lián)通(China Unicom)、 Deutsche Telekom、Etisalat、Hutchison Three Group、KDDI、KT、MegaFon、Qtel、SingTel、Smart、 Sprint、Telecom Italia Group、Telefonica、Telenor、TMN與VimpelCom；涵蓋的市場(chǎng)包括巴西、哥倫比亞、匈牙利、墨西哥、蒙特內(nèi)哥羅、波蘭、塞爾維亞、西班牙與委內(nèi)瑞拉。
Mozilla 也公布了線上應(yīng)用程序商店Firefox Marketplace ，將提供包括AccuWeather、Airbnb、 Box、EA Games、Facebook、Nokia Here、MTV Brasil、Pulse News、SoundCloud、SporTV、Time Out與Twitter等熱門軟件。
目前Firefox OS已經(jīng)內(nèi)建和支持的網(wǎng)絡(luò)和內(nèi)容服務(wù)
C4desmc
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
本文下一頁：Firefox OS以HTML 5架構(gòu)為基礎(chǔ)
相關(guān)閱讀：
• 無意外沒驚喜，Gartner發(fā)布2012年手機(jī)市場(chǎng)十大排名
• 諾基亞收購地圖技術(shù)公司，給蘋果谷歌來“軟”的
• HP宣布將公開18億美元購得的webOSC4desmc
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“無論是Android或Symbian──過去我們看到獲得產(chǎn)業(yè)支持程度最接近的操作系統(tǒng)──都沒有像Firefox OS那樣在早期開發(fā)階段就獲得這么高的支持度；”市場(chǎng)研究機(jī)構(gòu) Ovum 的分析師Tony Cripps 指出，新操作系統(tǒng)的下一步就是要在零售市場(chǎng)展現(xiàn)高品質(zhì)的終端裝置。
Firefox OS 是以 HTML 5 架構(gòu)為基礎(chǔ)，Mozilla 希望藉此與通常用較混合性方法支持該標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的其它平臺(tái)有所區(qū)別。在另一廂，惠普的 WebOS 也同樣是著眼差異化，而比競(jìng)爭(zhēng)廠商對(duì)HTML5有更深一層的支持，但最終還是放棄了這個(gè)平臺(tái)。
未來 LG Electronics 將把 WebOS 技術(shù)與工程人員納入智能電視部門，該公司所收購的是包括 WebOS 原始碼、各種相關(guān)文件以及工程團(tuán)隊(duì)；值得玩味的是，LG也是上述承諾將生產(chǎn)Firefox OS手機(jī)的廠商之一。
Firefox OS的終端硬件提供商
Source：ZOLC4desmc
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
本文下一頁：LG將WebOS操作系統(tǒng)用于自家智能電視
相關(guān)閱讀：
• 無意外沒驚喜，Gartner發(fā)布2012年手機(jī)市場(chǎng)十大排名
• 諾基亞收購地圖技術(shù)公司，給蘋果谷歌來“軟”的
• HP宣布將公開18億美元購得的webOSC4desmc
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據(jù)了解，LG將取得惠普收購自Palm的WebOS操作系統(tǒng)本身與使用者接口專利授權(quán)，而惠普將保有Palm的云端運(yùn)算技術(shù)資產(chǎn)，包括原始碼、相關(guān)人才、基礎(chǔ)建設(shè)與合約，此外也將繼續(xù)支持Palm的使用者。
LG Electronics總裁Skott Ahn 在一份聲明中表示，未來WebOS團(tuán)隊(duì)將成為：“全新的LG硅谷實(shí)驗(yàn)室之核心與靈魂?！本唧w來說，LG將把美國加州Sunnyvale與舊金山的 WebOS據(jù)點(diǎn)納入加入其全球研發(fā)團(tuán)隊(duì)；該公司目前在加州San Jose與Chicago也有據(jù)點(diǎn)。
在新收購軟件技術(shù)資產(chǎn)的同時(shí)，目前LG正積極開發(fā)自家智能電視單芯片系列；該公司并未透露這項(xiàng)收購案的財(cái)務(wù)細(xì)節(jié)，僅表示金額不大?；萜帐窃?012年初以12億美元收購 Palm，將移動(dòng)裝置采用的WeOS納入旗下；而惠普現(xiàn)在的產(chǎn)品則是Android與Windows平臺(tái)兼具。
LG把WebOS用在了智能電視上
Source：ZOLC4desmc
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
編譯：Judith Cheng
參考英文原文：Firefox goes mobile, LG buys WebOS，by Rick Merritt
相關(guān)閱讀：
• 無意外沒驚喜，Gartner發(fā)布2012年手機(jī)市場(chǎng)十大排名
• 諾基亞收購地圖技術(shù)公司，給蘋果谷歌來“軟”的
• HP宣布將公開18億美元購得的webOSC4desmc
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Firefox goes mobile, LG buys WebOS
Rick Merritt
Mozilla showed FireFox OS running with support from four OEMs and 18 carriers as LG Electronics bought HP’s WebOS for use in LG's smart TVs. SAN JOSE, Calif. – The mobile world lost one platform and gained another this week as Mozilla rolled out its mobile operating system and Hewlett-Packard sold WebOS to LG Electronics, which will re-purpose it for its smart TVs.
Ironically, the shifts come at a time when mobile systems are increasingly consolidating around Android and Apple iOS. Blackberry and Microsoft continue to struggle to make their platforms viable top-tier candidates. Tizen, an open-source alternative from Intel and Samsung, is still a work in progress.
In that light it’s surprising what traction Mozilla revealed at Mobile World Congress this week. The browser maker previewed the first commercial build of its Firefox OS and the first wave of Firefox OS devices, generally targeting feature phones for developing markets.
Eighteen mobile-operator partners across nine launch markets said they will adopt the platform, using devices from Alcatel One Touch, LG and ZTE, with Huawei pledging to join the group in the future. All the devices use Qualcomm Snapdragon chips so far.
The operators include América Móvil, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Hutchison Three Group, KDDI, KT, MegaFon, Qtel, SingTel, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia Group, Telefónica, Telenor, TMN and VimpelCom. The will sell devices in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela.
Mozilla also announced the Firefox Marketplace. It will include popular apps such as AccuWeather, Airbnb, Box, EA Games, Facebook, Nokia Here, MTV Brasil, Pulse News, SoundCloud, SporTV, Time Out and Twitter
“Neither Android nor Symbian--the closest benchmarks in terms of broad industry sponsorship that we’ve previously seen--have rallied the level of support that Firefox OS has achieved so early in its development,” said Tony Cripps, principal device analyst at market watcher Ovum, noting that the next milestone will be showing high-quality devices in retail markets.
HTML 5 gets and loses mobile proponents
Firefox OS is built on HTML 5, a fact Mozilla hopes will distinguish it from other platforms that take a more mixed approach to supporting the standard. Ironically, HP’s WebOS also based its differentiation on a deeper embrace of HTML5 than its competitors.
LG Electronics will fold the WebOS technology and engineering staff into its smart TV efforts. LG acquired the WebOS source code, documentation and engineering teams. Ironically, LG also is one of the companies committed to making handsets with Firefox OS.
LG will get licenses for WebOS patents HP acquired from Palm for the OS and user interface. HP will retain ownership of Palm’s cloud computing assets, including source code, talent, infrastructure and contracts, and it will continue to support Palm users.
The WebOS team will become “the heart and soul of the new LG Silicon Valley Lab,” said Skott Ahn, president of LG Electronics Inc., speaking in a press statement. Specifically, LG will add Sunnyvale, Calif., and San Francisco sites to its global R&D locations, in addition to its existing U.S. sites in San Jose and Chicago.
The new software assets come at a time when LG is also ramping up its efforts to design its own family of SoCs for its smart TVs.
The companies did not disclose terms of the deal but said they were not material. HP bought Palm for $1.2 billion in early 2010 to acquire its WebOS for mobile devices. The company is now edging toward a mixed portfolio of Android and Windows systems.
責(zé)編：Quentin
