With Qualcomm more preoccupied by pumping out press releases than modern phone chipsets, it isn't possible to buy a CDMA 1x phone that does Bluetooth here in the US, we noted here (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/27975.html).

But a former Qualcomm employee, with the backing of IBM, has created a Swiss Army knife of a smartphone which boasts biometrics, Bluetooth on a smartphone/PDA that runs on Linux.

CDL's Paron is a practical industrial handheld capable of using GPRS 2.5G packet data networks, runs Opera and Trolltech Qtopia-based embedded applications, and boasts a biometric fingerprint sensor, 320x240 color screen and USB. It's also a phone.

The IBM influence is evident from the inclusion of DB2 and Websphere client software. The Paron was co-developed with IBM's Rochester lab. CDL already markets a Bluetooth access point and is building up a coherent wireless infrastructure, which you can read about here (http://www.cdlusa.com/products/3PSystem.shtml).

You can also read Rich Lehrbaum's excellent summary at LinuxDevices here (http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT7145548309.html).

Pervasive computing made real? Quite possibly. The official GPL Linux Bluetooth stack BlueZ (http://bluez.sourceforge.net/) rarely gets a mention, but it's mature, highly regarded, and one of the most strategic weapons in the software libre arsenal.

And CDL is another example of a start-up innovating around the Qualcomm monoculture. Thanks to lower economies of scale, CDMA phone manufacturers must pay a premium for their chipsets over the more popular GSM-based chipsets, which come from a choice of suppliers. (Think Wintel vs Apple economics).

But innovation can't wait, and it's refreshing to see start-ups providing the impetus for new wireless products and services that Qualcomm - engaged in fighting a pointless trade war - doesn't seem to think are a priority. Qualcomm isn't lacking in brainpower or expertise, but appears to be as conducive to innovation as IBM was when faced with the PC industry in the mid-1980s.

Embattled shareholders who've been promised the earth will doubtless disagree. Nirvana forever lies just around the corner. But jam today is much more interesting, we reckon. ®

Related Stories

Qualcomm monoculture is 'killing American wireless' (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/27975.html)
Gang of Four set W-CDMA royalty cap (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/59/27970.html)