The phone's integration with MS Exchange automatically gives the server admin access to do remote wipes. All you have to do is configure the phone to receive email from an MS Exchange server and the server admin can wipe all your data at will.

Last week, David Coursey reported that Microsoft entertainment and devices boss Robbie Bach made the prediction in an analyst briefing that Linux on mobile will lose. Why? It’s choice is a bad thing for customers and that there is too much Linux in the mobile marketplace. By Bach’s count there are 17 variants of Linux available on mobile phones. He sees this as a bad thing for customers.

The Droid, the smartphone released Nov. 6 through a partnership between Motorola, Google and Verizon Wireless, has significantly outpaced other Android handsets in first-week sales, according to one analytics firm -- which said the feat makes the Droid the first viable iPhone challenger.

Things are looking increasingly bad for Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, and they may be looking bad for Palm, too.

With Linux being used as the foundation for numerous smartphone and mobile internet devices, it is tempting to suggest that this movement is going to open the doorway to desktop Linux. Tempting, but not accurate.

In China, the world's largest mobile phone market, smartphone sales for Q3 grew 11.3 percent quarter-over-quarter, reports CCID Consulting. However, Linux's share of the market declined, largely due to weakening volumes for Motorola smartphones, the Hong Kong-based market research firm reported.

A free Gnome-based Linux distribution for mobile devices such as smartphones and PDAs has achieved a major release. OpenedHand's Poky Linux 3.0 ("Blinky") is based on X11, GTK+, and the Matchbox window manager, and includes an impressive-looking new application framework and theme called "Sato 0.1."