手机领域近日少了一个操作系统平台，但同时也新增了一个──惠普(HP)宣布将 WebOS 出售给 LG Electronics ，后者要将该操作系统应用于智能电视；而 Firefox 浏览器软件供应商 Mozilla 则是宣布将推出自家手机操作系统。
讽刺的是，目前在手机操作系统领域，其实有越来越向 Android 与苹果(Apple) iOS 集中靠拢的趋势； Blackberry 与微软(Microsoft)持续努力挣扎着想要让各自的平台挤上第一线位置，而英特尔(Intel)与三星(Samsung)将携手推出的开放性平台 Tizen则仍在开发阶段。
有鉴于此，Mozilla 在近日于西班牙巴塞隆纳举行的2013年世界移动通讯大会(MWC)上所发表的新消息特别令人惊讶；这家浏览器软件供应商预告该公司将首度推出商用Firefox OS ，并将有第一批采用该操作系统的装置问世，主要锁定开发中市场的功能手机。
Firefox OS 看起来有点“圆形安卓”的感觉
CgPesmc
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：Firefox平台的支持者们
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已有18家横跨9个区域市场的移动通讯营运商表示将采用Firefox平台，以及由Alcatel One Touch、LG、中兴(ZTE)等手机厂商生产的装置；华为(Huawei)也承诺将在未来加入Firefox平台手机供应商行列。这些手机据说将采用 高通(Qualcomm)的Snapdragon处理器。
那些将支持Firefox操作系统的通讯营运商则包括 America Movil、中国联通(China Unicom)、 Deutsche Telekom、Etisalat、Hutchison Three Group、KDDI、KT、MegaFon、Qtel、SingTel、Smart、 Sprint、Telecom Italia Group、Telefonica、Telenor、TMN与VimpelCom；涵盖的市场包括巴西、哥伦比亚、匈牙利、墨西哥、蒙特内哥罗、波兰、塞尔维亚、西班牙与委内瑞拉。
Mozilla 也公布了线上应用程序商店Firefox Marketplace ，将提供包括AccuWeather、Airbnb、 Box、EA Games、Facebook、Nokia Here、MTV Brasil、Pulse News、SoundCloud、SporTV、Time Out与Twitter等热门软件。
目前Firefox OS已经内建和支持的网络和内容服务
CgPesmc
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：Firefox OS以HTML 5架构为基础
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• 无意外没惊喜，Gartner发布2012年手机市场十大排名
• 诺基亚收购地图技术公司，给苹果谷歌来“软”的
• HP宣布将公开18亿美元购得的webOSCgPesmc
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“无论是Android或Symbian──过去我们看到获得产业支持程度最接近的操作系统──都没有像Firefox OS那样在早期开发阶段就获得这么高的支持度；”市场研究机构 Ovum 的分析师Tony Cripps 指出，新操作系统的下一步就是要在零售市场展现高品质的终端装置。
Firefox OS 是以 HTML 5 架构为基础，Mozilla 希望藉此与通常用较混合性方法支持该标准的其它平台有所区别。在另一厢，惠普的 WebOS 也同样是着眼差异化，而比竞争厂商对HTML5有更深一层的支持，但最终还是放弃了这个平台。
未来 LG Electronics 将把 WebOS 技术与工程人员纳入智能电视部门，该公司所收购的是包括 WebOS 原始码、各种相关文件以及工程团队；值得玩味的是，LG也是上述承诺将生产Firefox OS手机的厂商之一。
Firefox OS的终端硬件提供商
Source：ZOLCgPesmc
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：LG将WebOS操作系统用于自家智能电视
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• HP宣布将公开18亿美元购得的webOSCgPesmc
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据了解，LG将取得惠普收购自Palm的WebOS操作系统本身与使用者接口专利授权，而惠普将保有Palm的云端运算技术资产，包括原始码、相关人才、基础建设与合约，此外也将继续支持Palm的使用者。
LG Electronics总裁Skott Ahn 在一份声明中表示，未来WebOS团队将成为：“全新的LG硅谷实验室之核心与灵魂。”具体来说，LG将把美国加州Sunnyvale与旧金山的 WebOS据点纳入加入其全球研发团队；该公司目前在加州San Jose与Chicago也有据点。
在新收购软件技术资产的同时，目前LG正积极开发自家智能电视单芯片系列；该公司并未透露这项收购案的财务细节，仅表示金额不大。惠普是在2012年初以12亿美元收购 Palm，将移动装置采用的WeOS纳入旗下；而惠普现在的产品则是Android与Windows平台兼具。
LG把WebOS用在了智能电视上
Source：ZOLCgPesmc
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
编译：Judith Cheng
参考英文原文：Firefox goes mobile, LG buys WebOS，by Rick Merritt
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• 诺基亚收购地图技术公司，给苹果谷歌来“软”的
• HP宣布将公开18亿美元购得的webOSCgPesmc
{pagination}
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.
责编：Quentin
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