OpenWRT on the Zipit Z2
projectgus has just announced that OpenWRT has been ported to the Zipit Z2.  The base install includes wifi support, ssh server and ZipIt-friendly console and there are nearly 3000 prebuilt binary packages available to install using the opkg package manager. As OpenWRT was designed to run on devices with small (<64M) ram (routers) it should run quite well and will be a nice base for people to use to build their own custom rootfs.
To be able to use the OpenWRT port you must have a u-booted zipit and be able to format an sd card as ext2 which means you'll need to have access to a computer running linux (or have a linux VM) that can write to sd cards (USB SD Card Reader/Writer most likely as most virtualization software, VirtualBox, VMWare and linux generally have problems with builtin sd card reader/writers, especially on HP computers). The reason you need to have a linux system is that the OpenWRT Zipit Z2 port is supplied as a tarball rather than a disk image.
The OpenWRT port contains mostly console/text programs however some graphic programs have been ported from the Ben Nanonote OpenWRT port.
You can find more details about the port on the projectpage
http://www.chainxor.org/openwrt-zipit/
Cheap Zipit Z2′s
Zipit wireless inc seems to be no longer supporting the Zipit Z2 as it was originally intended. in other words they no longer support the radiostations, sms, backgrounds, im etc. however this means you can now buy them cheaply from the authorized distributor. I don't know the price they are being sold at but here are the details as copied from the zipitwireless wiki.
Z2's on sale
Effective immediately, the Zipit Z2 is available for purchase at a very discounted price for those who desire repurpose the device with the Linux software available through this linux.zipitwireless.com forum and other public domain avenues.
To take advantage of this offer, please contact:
Edward Solomon President Proactive Distribution 1880 John F. Kennedy Blvd. 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103-7422 (215) 568-1700 ext. 245 (215) 568-1701 (fax) esolomon.at.proactivedistribution.com
Update: #zipit irc channel user iggykoopa sent an email and received a list of the prices back. for those that are interested the prices are very good.
1- 5 for $15.00 each
5 – 15 for $12.50 each
$10.00 each for any quantity above 15
Shipping is additional and billed at actual cost.
Zipit Now (Z3) Internal Photos now available
I am a bit late in posting this but the fcc finally posted the internal photos of Zipit Wireless's new pager device. You can find the relevant pdf's at https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=809720&fcc_id='VGUZWP1'
It looks like Valexonline has more cheap zipits for $14.95
It looks like valexonline have another batch of Zipit Z2's in stock. This time for $14.95 plus s&h.
http://www.valexonline.com/ZipIt_Wireless_Messenger_Z2A_p/6001.htm
Some people have too much time (and x-ray machines) on their hands
I was performing my normal morning procedures of making coffee, checking email and trawling the web looking for interesting items on blogs and in the news and stumbled on Geordy's latest blog post. I'm not sure why exactly he wanted to x-ray a zipit z2 although x-raying items does seem to be his new hobby and why the heck not at least it keeps him off the streets and out of trouble, at least until he irradiates half his block and gets attacked by mutants.
Wireless charging for the Zipit® Now™ device (previously known as the Z3)
Apparently the new Zipit Wireless Inc. two-way pager device that is aimed at doctors and other staff in hospitals is to get wireless charging ability using a battery cover made by wiprowess.
You can find a press release about this here or a post on wiprowess's blog.
I've also found another photo of the Zipit® Now™ device.
Possible photo of the Zipit Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution (the Z3)
It's not a very good photo but I was googling today and found an article in pcmag about the Zipit Wireless Inc. ECMS and it included a possible photo of the "Z3" hardware. I'm asking around to see if this is in fact a real photo of the Z3 but so far no response. you can find the actual pcmag article here.
Update: Just had it confirmed that it is the "Z3" otherwise known as the ECMS (and probably alot of other things too) -- here is a larger image of it. Images copyright 2011 Zipit Wireless Inc.
Zipit® Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution™
Yesterday Zipit Wireless Inc. and Verizon announced Zipit Wireless's new product. A two-way pager system for the healthcare industry. The announcement occured at the HIMSS 2011 conference in Orlando Florida.
You can read the press release on prnewswire. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/verizon-wireless-and-zipit-wireless-debut-two-way-paging-system-at-himss-2011-conference-116590568.html
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Verizon-Wireless-and-Zipit-prnews-2465680570.html?x=0&.v=1
FlashStock v0.1
Recently #zipit irc channel user mozzwald put together a series of scripts to make flashing from stock, (and .29) to u-boot and back again very easy. I have taken his from stock to u-boot script and made it a bit prettier (dialog) Â and rather than having to "add" the script to an sd card with EZ2S already installed I have created a "special" version of EZ2S with just the flasher script in it. I haven't made any real changes to mozzwald's logic or process so any errors in the flashing are all his fault 
not really:) -- i've used this last night to take 2 zipits from stock to u-boot so everything seems fine but as per normal if anything goes wrong fix it yourself, mozzwald, marex and I are not responsible for anything that happens in anyway.
You can download FlashStock v0.1 from here
WARNING: FlashStock is alpha grade software. It has been tested and used a couple of times but there is always a possibility that something could go wrong. If you aren't prepared to accept that it might go wrong then please don't use it.
[This is the first stage of making an "all for one, one for all" flasher sd card where you just extract an image file to a small sd card and it will flash from stock to u-boot and back again with all the stops (.29) inbetween.]
Bluetooth dongle for the ZipitZ2
#zipit irc channel user Uhrheberhas made a Bluetooth dongle for the ZipitZ2. He has only built the hardware so far but the software is on the way. You can find the instructions for making the dongle on his blog uhrheber.wordpress.com