Google wasn't the only company announcing new Android-based devices this week. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, several handset and mobile device manufacturers also announced new models and partnerships with mobile carriers for their Android devices, ranging from various mobile phones and tablets, to eBook readers.

Now that everybody has jumped on the Netbook bandwagon, a new mobile device parade is pulling into town. Led by Qualcomm, so-called Smartbooks are slated to debut in late 2009. Expected to be slightly larger than the iPhone, Smartbooks are mobile Internet devices (MIDs) that run Linux, Google Android and Windows. Here’s the scoop.

Mobile Internet devices (MIDs) have been the focus of much work and talk from chip giant Intel, which says its Atom processor will fit nicely into these smaller devices. In a recent interview with the AP, Intel chief Paul Otellini says MIDs favor Linux.

Sorry if I’m the only person who’s confused about Canonical’s mobile Linux strategy. The company has at least two Ubuntu software projects — one for Netbooks, the other for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) — that sound strikingly similar. So what’s the difference between Ubuntu for Netbooks and Ubuntu for MIDs? Canonical gave me some answers during OSCON 2008.

The LiMo Foundation, a non-profit consortium of mobile heavyweights prepping open-source phones, said a host of global carriers will roll out Linux-based phones sometime this year. And the new crop of devices won't hit just the high-end smartphone market, but also lower-cost feature phones.

At this year's Mobile World Congress(MWC) in Barcelona, while Microsoft announced its Windows Phone 7 Series this week, a number of other companies are announcing their new Android-based devices. The open source Android OS devices, which range from mobile phones and notebooks, to tablets and Internet Devices, include updates to popular well known handsets and several new mobiles.

Intel is rolling out a new line of Atom chips, which power most Netbooks, for mobile devices. With Android moving into Netbooks, you can expect a merger between the Netbook and mobile form factor very soon.

Six major global operators today affirmed their expectation of shipping mobile phones based on the Linux Mobile Foundation's (LiMo's) flavor of Linux during 2009. LiMo, meanwhile, announced its second, more ambitious spec, five compliant royalty-free reference implementations, and two powerful new board members, global mobile operators Telefónica and SK Telecom.

When Canonical announced plans to develop Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) with Intel back in mid-2007, I expected to test — or perhaps even buy — an Ubuntu MID sometime in 2008. But we’re now into early 2009, and the MID effort doesn’t appear to be paying dividends yet for Canonical. Here’s why.