SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the next-up-are-mcot-msofa-and-mrecliner dept.
Reported last week at the BBC, CNet and IEEE Spectrum is the news that ARM is launching a new OS targeting low power, low footprint devices.
The operating system, called mbed OS, is meant to resolve productivity problems that arise from fragmentation—where different devices in the so-called “Internet of things” (IoT) market run on a hodgepodge of different protocols. ARM is looking to consolidate those devices under a single software layer that's simple, secure, and free for all manufacturers to use.
(Although the IEEE article reports that "this is the first operating system ARM has ever developed", that slightly glosses over the history of RiscOS by Acorn, of which ARM was a subsidiary.)
The software comes as a free "mbed OS" and a licensable "Device server". Although parts of the OS will be open source:
ARM says it wants to retain control of other parts to ensure mbed remains unfragmented
More technical details at the mbed developer site. One oddity is the Online Toolchain, which provides the device IDE and version control online.
(Score: 2) by Blackmoore on Tuesday October 07 2014, @05:46PM
well it is cashing in - but it looks like this is attempting to solve the issue with hardware differentiation - say between one set of Arm chips and the next.
as it stands right now you basically have to encode specifically for the device; and when those chips change; or you move to the next iteration of the chip you have to go back and change the code to work again. it's a right PIA.
so - lets see what developers do with this.