Open-source company aims for cell phones

Trolltech, a Norwegian company that makes graphical user interface (GUI) software, plans an April launch for a version of its Qtopia software for Linux-based mobile phones, said Chief Executive Harvaard Nord in an interview. Qtopia, which was selected for Motorola's A760 phone, includes graphics components, games, Internet programs, a personal information manager and other modules.

Qtopia is designed for higher-powered smart phones with 16MB of memory, 16MB of flash memory and a 130MHz processor, Nord said. It doesn't come with Java software, but supports IBM's J9 package and others. Some handset manufacturers have licensed Qtopia, but it will only be widely in 2005, beginning in Asia, Nord predicted.