Nokia last month released a Linux-based handheld computer aimed at mobile power users and gadget enthusiasts alike.
 
About the size of a disposable camera, the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet runs a mini desktop Linux distribution put together by the phone maker. The interface is a 4-inch touch screen, which is used to access Web browsing, e-mail, some office productivity applications, as well as an RSS news reader, a digital music file player, and tools for viewing movies and photos. Future releases are said to include applications for presence management and VoIP.

The tablet has an 802.11-based radio, allowing users to get on a corporate wireless LAN or Wi-Fi hot spot. The device also has the capability to get online via a Bluetooth-enabled Nokia phone - the Bluetooth link, acting like an invisible cable, allows you to dial up a 'Net connection over the cell phone. The gadget is Nokia's first release of a product running on a Linux-based operating system.

In addition to its release of the tablet, Nokia also pledged that it would offer full patent support for the Linux system. This "legally binding" patent statement will allow Nokia technology to be used with the further development of the Linux kernel.

The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet is slated for shipping in the U.S. and Europe at the end of the summer, and will cost $350.