It seems
OpenMoko is back with their mysterious Project B. After the Freerunner, still the one and only free software mobile phone, didn't do quite as well as was hoped, they apparently needed to do a smaller project to hopefully bolster their viability as a company. They were quite quiet about what exactly this project was, until now.
Introducing the
WikiReader: a small Wikipedia-in-your-pocket with your basic sunlight-readable screen and an offline copy of Wikipedia (updatable via a memory card either by physical subscription or free downloads). The device is designed to be very low on power consuption, and it is claimed to operate for up to a year of "typical use" on two standard AAA batteries (rechargeable ones are usable, but not provided). Wikipedia seems to be somewhat
involved or at least friendly to the project (and why not, if it's a way to improve their reach).
The WikiReader is said to use free software and the source is to be released "later today", though it's not made clear if the software on the device can actually be user-altered. What with the statement on the source being under the heading "Developer Support" and OpenMoko's history of being quite open, I'd expect so, so perhaps the device will see some third party applications as well. The lack of connectivity and low specs would obviously limit the potential, though.
Even without altering the software itself, the device could presumably be used for a low-budget E-book reader through custom card images, though one should not expect the same experience as with the larger and more expensive e-ink based devices.
Personally, I'm not too interested; I carry a connected laptop around anyway, so I'm not perhaps very representative of their target market. I do wish OpenMoko well in finding a large enough interested niche to be able to continue their work on open hardware; maybe even get back into the phone business, now with some more experience under the belt.
