You may not be into linux programming, but your memory is a goldmine! Thanks
If I can figure out how to interface with the buttons and/or touchscreen, then maybe something like embedded qt will make an interesting next step.
A comment on igorsk's blog says that the buttons/touchscreen and maybe other events come in via /dev/ttymxc1 but the protocol is not documented, so it'll take a bit of head-scratching. Still, I can control the display now, so there's progress :P