Monday, July 9, 2007

Feds snub open source

Mobile-gadget makers are starting to take advantage of software-defined radio, a new technology allowing a single device to receive signals from multiple sources, including television stations and cell phone networks.

But a new federal rule could mean that radios built on "open-source elements" may encounter a more sluggish path to market--or, in the worst case scenario, be shut out altogether. U.S. regulators, it seems, believe the inherently public nature of open-source code makes it <A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6195102.html?tag=nl.rSINGLE">more vulnerable to hackers,</A> leaving "a high burden to demonstrate that it is sufficiently secure."

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