Enter Spark, a seven-inch slate that comes running the Plasma Active UX, an open-source OS based on Linux kernel, KDE's multi-platform Plasma environment and a dash of Qt for good measure.

ENGADGET: Meet Spark, the 200 euro slate packing Linux-based Plasma Active UX

Curiouser still, these new phones will reportedly run on Wind River Linux rather than the new Linux-based version of the Palm OS that PalmSource is working on (probably because the new Palm OS won't be ready until next year at the earliest).

ENGADGET: Palm working on a line of Linux-powered, non-Treo feature phones?

If we had to guess, we'd probably say that it's Moto, since they already have a few different Linux-powered smartphones on the market and so would probably be receptive to the new Linux-based version of the Palm OS that's in the works, but LG's been pushing out in some interesting directions lately, so it wouldn't be shocking if it were them, either.

ENGADGET: PalmSource snags major new licensee

Note: While Android is based on a Linux kernel, the goal behind Tizen seems to be an even more open-source, flexible OS designed to be user-friendly and carrier-friendly.

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At the same time Samsung has always harbored ambitions to own its own OS, initially with Bada but now in partnership with Intel on the Linux-based, open source Tizen project.

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