VA Linux has reported revenue of $42.5 million for the second fiscal quarter, 2001, an increase of 111% over the same quarter of fiscal 2000. VA Linux also reported a second quarter net loss, on a pro forma basis, excluding non-cash and non-recurring charges, of ($0.28) per share, compared to a loss of ($0.20) per share in the second quarter of fiscal 2000.

A PhD student has built one of the world's fastest supercomputers out of PC chips and open-source software. The design comprises 64 nodes, each powered by a 1GHz AMD Athlon processor and linked in a double helix shape. It uses the Linux operating system, tweaked for this application.

Look out PalmOS and Windows CE, here comes Linux. That's the warning given the two most-used personal digital assistant (PDA) operating systems as a flood of mobile devices based on the popular open source Linux OS reach mobile consumers.

"In fact, instead of Linus Torvalds on the stage promoting Linux at the event's initial keynote, it was none other than the president and CEO of IBM, Sam Palmisano. My initial reaction, after years of IBM-loathing, was to consider who had let the fox into the hen house."

Sharp is looking to Linux as the basis for the next generation of its Zaurus PDAs - at least as far as models sold outside Japan go.

"Wine isn't specifically mentioned, but the company [Corel] says it will continue to develop Linux applications and presumably this means the Wine contribution will continue. This means that a Microsoft controlled company is going to play a major role in the development of Wine. Is anyone looking at the antitrust implications of that?"

Kernel 2.4 brings some new features to this class of device. Linux already has run on a Palm Pilot, soon, with this technology, it may be networking your toaster with your fridge to your cell phone!

"The presence of a commercial aspect to Linux in no way hinders or reduces the development of free and open-source software. Indeed, the inverse is true: The more corporate IT departments involved in Linux, the broader the pool of talent from whom ideas can be drawn, the greater number of people who will be contributing code."

The company has started promoting its new z900 mainframe as the cost-effective antidote to power-hungry "server farms" ... IBM already had been telling potential customers that a mainframe computer could replace a vast "farm" of server computers that drive corporate Web sites and process transactions.

IBM will introduce programs to make Linux available on its iSeries servers. The company will also unveil technology to allow the iSeries to be partitioned for both OS/400 and Linux on the same machine, and will discuss similar partionability on its pSeries - its previous RS/6000 line - servers as well.