In the previous article, I touched upon embedded systems, their uses, and the importance of developed them in an open manner. Now I'd like to take a closer look at the technology involved, looking into the specifics of some of the approaches on the market right now. Real-time systems have been on the market for years because there has long been a need for systems to control industrial systems, robotics, and similar systems. When it comes to controlling hardware on a machine floor, where a scheduling latency could result in injury or death to those on the floor, guaranteed scheduling...

For years, there has been a sentiment throughout the industry that the desktop is where products should be targeted and that the home system is the center of personal computing. There is some truth in this: Great advances have been made in getting technology into the home sector, but it is foolish to think that it should stop with a single (or even multiple) personal machines in the house. In coming years, more services will be automated and centrally controlled via independent yet cooperating systems, all operating within the context of a larger system, whether that is the house, a...