DaniWeb IT Discussion Community http://www.daniweb.com/forums/ Tech support, programming, web development, and internet marketing community. Forums to get free computer help and support. en-US Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:17:35 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.daniweb.com/alphaimages/misc/rss.jpg DaniWeb IT Discussion Community http://www.daniweb.com/forums/ News Story Free software for your Mac, iPhone http://www.daniweb.com/news/story236804.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:24:08 GMT That's right, free. And if it's free, it's for me. Software promoter MacHeist is my new best friend, and for the next five days is giving away nanoBundle, a package of six Mac OS X applications including the highly-rated Twitterrific, which normally sells for US$15. In all, $154 worth of applications for your Mac OS X (10.4 or higher) for nothing. Nada. Gratis. Free, as in beer. But tap it while you can; the keg runs dry this Friday the 13th.

In addition to Iconfactory's Twitterrific, which is also available for iPhone, the nanoBundle includes two word processors (one of which is not fully unlocked), a cool looking game called Hordes of Orcs, a screen sharing utility called TinyGrab, and ShoveBox, a clever-looking utility that I intend to try out immediately. The tool, which normally sells for $25, provides a "box" into which you drop items that are important but cannot have your attention now. A URL you accidentally came across, someone's resume attachment, a picture of that used car you're selling. Shove them in the box for later action, or send them to your iPhone.

NanoBundle isn't the first MacHeist. Back in March MacHeist drew attention for offering an even larger bundle of apps worth more than $900 retail for just $39. The response was reportedly mixed, with some in opposition asserting that the software was being given away for too little. The move even spurred a group of independent developers to launch One Finger Discount, a coat-tail operation that offers a 20-percent (one-fifth) discount of the retail price. Hardly a similar reduction, but hey, whatever works. ]]> OS X EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread236804.html News Story Avoid Windows Denial of Service http://www.daniweb.com/news/story236614.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:01 GMT Microsoft on Tuesday is set to release six security updates, three of which it has deemed critical and apply only to versions of Windows other than Windows 7. Microsoft released advance notice of its Security Bulletin for November (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS09-nov.mspx),... Microsoft on Tuesday is set to release six security updates, three of which it has deemed critical and apply only to versions of Windows other than Windows 7. Microsoft released advance notice of its Security Bulletin for November, on Nov. 5. The bulletin itself will be released on Tuesday along with remedies, as per its normal patch cycle. Other alerts are labeled "important," one of which involves a denial of service vulnerability for Windows; the other two affect Excel. Redmond will reportedly release updates for Windows XP, 2003 and 2007 and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac OS X.

Save the one warning of DoS attacks, all the vulnerabilities involve remote code execution, as did the 13 patches released by Microsoft on October 13, fixing nearly three dozen flaws, all of them critical. A critical warning is one "whose exploitation could allow the propagation of an Internet worm without user action," according to the company, while one that is one step down at important, is said to be one that "could result in compromise of the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of users data, or of the integrity or availability of processing resources."

Microsoft on Monday also released an update to MS09-054, the part of its October patch-fest that applied to Internet Explorer. This one, which went somewhat under the radar, as explained on the company's technet Website, addresses the way pages are rendered. ]]> Windows NT / 2000 / XP EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread236614.html News Story Drag-and-drop GUI-testing for Windows 7 http://www.daniweb.com/news/story236035.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:13:47 GMT GUIdancer 3.2, the latest version of flagship automated GUI testing tool from Bredex, now "officially" supports Windows 7 and Vista, and includes additional enhancements to its library of pre-built test actions. It began shipping on Nov. 3. Before you decide that US$5785 is too much to pay for an automated keyword testing tool (more if you're subject to Germany's voracious appropriation tax), take a look at these demos of the software in action. You can also try the software for two weeks for free. There are versions for Linux and Windows; a Mac OX S version is in beta.

According to the company, new actions in GUIdancer 3.2 improve support for testing GUI-embedded tables, context menus--such as those that pop up when something is right-clicked--and the tabbed panes common in Web applications. Also, UI elements can now be collected using mouse clicks whenever GUIdancer enters Object Mapping Mode, during which the tool detects and indicates objects that can be mapped (and automatically tested). It is also now possible to switch between databases while GUIdancer is running; the tool previously required a restart. Support for testing dynamic web-application components also has been added.

GUIdancer 3.2 now includes more than one hundred pre-defined test actions for testing Java or HTML applications simply by drag-and-drop. The approach requires no code and no knowledge of the coding or the inner workings of an application, the company says. "A variety of checks and synchronization actions are available alongside other flexible actions to automatically test applications through the GUI," it said in a news release (pdf). ]]> Java EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread236035.html News Story Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 Available http://www.daniweb.com/news/story235390.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:26:04 GMT Firefox can finally orient itself, at least in terms of iPhones and MacBooks. Mozilla's latest browser, Firefox 3.6 beta 1, can now talk to accelerometers such as those in many Apple devices, thanks to orientation event objects introduced in the new Gecko 1.9.2 presentation engine at the browser's core. Also among DOM enhancements are drag-and-drop for file transfer and the ability for Web workers to self-terminate.

And that's just the beginning. The download of Firefox 3.6 beta 1 for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows contains thousands of bug fixes, including numerous repairs to CSS image rendering and text alignment.

There also were significant updates to XUL, and separate pages were created to advise extension and plug-in developers of how to update your work. For plug-in developers, you'll need to know that main () is no longer supported as an entry point. There are also some user interface changes and Mac OS X-specific mods, and with Gecko 1.9.2, the old Code Fragment Manager will be officially phased out. For extension developers, the add-on package has been modified, and there are UI and HTML 5 compliance improvements to deal with.

Firefox 3.6 also reportedly supports some aspects of Windows 7, including Aero Peek and taskbar thumbnails (does anyone like these?), but will not support Jump Lists when released later this year. ]]> HTML and CSS EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread235390.html <![CDATA[News Story How to Dump AT&T in 30 Seconds]]> http://www.daniweb.com/news/story235171.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:21:34 GMT If you're yearning to break free from Apple-sanctioned iPhone carrier AT&T (and you don't mind trading your warranty for the privilege), then reach out and touch George Hotz. The iPhone hacker yesterday posted a video showing an iPhone call on T-Mobile, and Wednesday is expected to post the code that made it possible.

Hotz, who goes by the hacker alias GeoHot, drew attention earlier this year when he posted "purplera1n," a so-called "jailbreak" for iPhone 3GS (OS 3.0) that lets the phone run code other than that expressly authorized by Apple or purchased at the AppStore. The hack was quickly made ineffective by Apple when it released OS 3.0.1.

While undeterred, Hotz skipped OS 3.0.1 when he went to work on blackra1n, which targets iPhones running OS 3.1.2 (including the third-generation iPhone Touch, but that one needs to be tethered). According to an Oct. 11 blog post announcing the release, Hotz claims that blackra1n can jailbreak an iPhone about 30 seconds.

His latest work, blacksn0w, will allow such jailbroken devices (running baseband 05.11.07) to be used on any GSM network. The 17-year-old told CNN in an interview that getting his iPhone to work with T-Mobile was what got him started on this project in the first place. ]]> Cellphones, PDAs and Handheld Devices EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread235171.html News Story Any function point specialists out there? http://www.daniweb.com/news/story234526.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:30:26 GMT Are you a certified function point specialist or play one on TV? Then the Counting Practices Manual version 4.3 might be for you. Unveiled today by the International Function Point Users Group (better known as IFPUG), the $100 CD contains the latest "body of knowledge used by function point analysts to measure the functional size of applications and projects for benchmarking and estimating world-wide for many domains and business areas," announced the group.

The "must-have" publication documents the Counting Practices Manual (CPM), which has been approved as an international standard under ISO/IEC 14143-1 Information Technology-Software Measurement. This revision, which officially replaces CPM 4.2 on Jan. 1, 2010, "further clarifies the rules and enhances the definitions and examples, thereby enabling a more consistent interpretation and application of rules." Major changes to the document involve Part 1, which copies the ISO-standard Functional Size Measurement Method (FSM) describing the process, definitions and rules. FSM methods are designed to allow measurement of the size of a software project by quantifying the functional requirements, often for the purpose of developing project estimates and evaluating risk.

Content formerly in Part 1 has been moved to Part 2 - The Bridge. Parts 2, 3, 4 and the Appendices have been updated and enhanced with additional examples and guidance, IFPUG said. To purchase CPM 4.3, visit the IFPUG order page. It is also available to current IFPUG members as a free for download on the member side of the IFPUG website. Members get it for free. ]]> C++ EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread234526.html <![CDATA[News Story Intel Hot on Flash's Trail]]> http://www.daniweb.com/news/story234462.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:24:18 GMT While the competition is hard at work on a 100-core processor (http://www.daniweb.com/news/story233646.html), Intel this week reported advances in phase-change memory (PCM) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-change_memory), a type of non-volatile memory that is seen as a possible next-generation... While the competition is hard at work on a 100-core processor, Intel this week reported advances in phase-change memory (PCM), a type of non-volatile memory that is seen as a possible next-generation replacement for flash.

In a joint announcement yesterday with Swiss memory maker Numonyx, the companies said they had demonstrated for the first time the ability to "stack multiple layers of PCM arrays within a single die," significantly increasing the space savings and reducing power consumption related to the technology.

Memory cells consist of a storage element and a selector. Several stacked memory cells make a memory array. By stacking PCM-cell arrays, the companies have demonstrated what they call a phase change memory and switch (PCMS), a vertically integrated memory cell. "The ability to layer or stack arrays of PCMS[es] provides the scalability to higher memory densities while maintaining the performance characteristics of PCM, a challenge that is becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain with traditional memory technologies," according to the statement.

At the center of the advance is the Ovonic Threshold Switch (OTS), which in essence is a thin layer of glass that changes its resistive state depending on the level of current being applied to it. Researchers deployed the thin film in a new way, with the "two-terminal OTS as the selector, matching the physical and electrical properties for PCM scaling." With the compatibility of thin-film PCMS, multiple layers of cross point memory arrays are now possible, the report said, giving way to layered arrays that when combined with CMOS circuits, can be used for decoding, sensing and logic functions. ]]> Motherboards, CPUs and RAM EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread234462.html <![CDATA[News Story Developers Say 'Hello World' to IT]]> http://www.daniweb.com/news/story234113.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:50:57 GMT Companies using IBM's Rational and Tivoli product will breathe easier today, thanks to new, integrated versions of nine tools that the company says will facilitate communication and closer collaboration between software development and support teams in the enterprise. What's more, prices will remain where they are, and the updates are free for current subscribers.

According to the company, the integrations are intended to address individual frustration points that it sees being experienced by teams, particularly those of the geographically dispersed variety, and improve efficiency for organizations using both through automation.

One of the four couplings involves Rational ClearQuest, which development teams use to track bugs and changes, and Tivoli Service Request Manager, used by support teams for logging help requests. The integration synchronizes trouble tickets in Service Request Manager with the ClearQuest's bug-fix tracker, reducing human error and adding traceability to service requests. Work orders are automatically kept in sync with ClearQuest, and can even be assigned to individual developers based on the suspect code, if known.

Also paired are Rational Asset Manager and Tivoli Change and Configuration Management Database, helping organizations deal with pre- and post-deployment issues. While Asset Manager keeps track of all the elements that go into development, such as servers, Web services and other components, it also now keeps people on the Tivoli side informed about the latest versions of everything.

Rational Test Lab Manager is now integrated with Tivoli's Provisioning Manager and Application Dependency and Discovery Manager apps, which keeps the test lab in sync with what's going on in the real-world production environment, and vice-versa. Each continuously gathers information on the other in real time, reports changes and can even create server and workstation images that can be provisioned to systems for deployment.

Finally there's Rational Performance Tester and Tivoli Composite Application Manager. This integration allows IT systems to peer inside performance-testing data and compare it with performance data from users. Discrepancies can be addressed by feeding the discovery details back to the lab's function and performance test cases for further analysis. ]]> C++ EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread234113.html News Story Amazon: New, Improved Cloud, Now With MySQL http://www.daniweb.com/news/story233896.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:08:11 GMT At the risk of coming off like TV's "Mad Men," Amazon Web Services really are New and Improved. The company today announced the addition of Amazon Relational Database Service, giving users of Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) access to a virtual instance of MySQL. That's the New part. Improvements include a family of high-memory instances and a price reduction of Linux-based EC2 compute time to 8.5 cents per hour from 10 cents. The 15 percent price drop takes effect Nov. 1.

"Many customers have told us that their applications require a relational database," said Adam Selipsky, vice president of Amazon Web Services, in a statement. "That’s why we built Amazon RDS, which combines a familiar relational database with automated management and the instant scalability of the AWS cloud." Existing MySQL applications can be "work seamlessly with Amazon RDS," according to claims, while the cloud automates common administrative tasks such as setup and provisioning, patch management and data backups, which are stored for a user-definable period. Database scaling--such as adding add more storage or changing to a larger or smaller DB Instance class-- can be executed with a single API call, the company said. Developers retain control of schema, indices and controls for performance tuning.

For less complex database needs, Amazon also offers SimpleDB, with which applications can store and retrieve data using simple Web services requests. As with Amazon RDS, provisioning and maintenance are automatic, as are data indexing and backup. Amazon also provides "geo-redundant replicas of the data," which keeps data available and helps improve performance. Scaling also is automated, the company said, as the cloud responds to changes in database traffic, and schema changes can be accomplished without changes to database code.

Amazon charges no up-front fees for its Web services; you pay only for the resources you use. ]]> MySQL EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread233896.html News Story 100-Core Processor on Tap http://www.daniweb.com/news/story233646.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:39:19 GMT Thought you were bleeding edge with your quad-core PC? Think again. A company called Tilera today announced that it's working on a chip containing 100 processor cores, which it says could be seen by 2011. It's part of its new TILE-Gx line of 64-bit multi-core processors, the first of which--a 36-core chip--will be sampling by the end of 2010, the company said today in a statement. With its top-end TILE-Gx100, Tilera claims to outstrip Intel's next-generation Westmere processor in performance-per-watt by a factor of 10. Other models will contain 16 and 64 cores, and will sample in early 2011.

But all those cores won't do much good without applications to exercise them, right? So Tilera also offers Multicore Development Environment, a simplified multi-core Eclipse-based IDE that can target SMP Linux 2.6, Zero Overhead Linux, Bare Metal Environment and hybrid systems. The package includes an ANSI C/C++ compiler, system simulator, GNU command line tools and graphical multi-core application debugging and profiling.

The breakthroughs in multi-core technology are the result of an architecture under development since 1990. TILE-Gx chips share local cache across all cores, and a proprietary two-dimensional interconnect eliminates the need for an on-chip bus.

“We believe this next generation of high-core count, ultra high-performance chips will open completely new computing possibilities,” said Tilera CEO Omid Tahernia, a 21-year veteran of Motorola who joined Tilera in 2007 after running the DSP division of Xilinx. “Customers will be able to replace an entire board presently using a dozen or more chips with just one of our TILE-Gx processors, greatly simplifying the system architecture and resulting in reduced cost, power consumption, and PC board area. This is truly a remarkable technology achievement...[and] ushers in a new era of many-core processing.” Tell me, Tilera, would that be the "Tile Era?"
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]]> Getting Started and Choosing a Distro EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread233646.html News Story Will SharePoint 2010 Be Sold Separately? http://www.daniweb.com/news/story233553.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:48:24 GMT With all the coverage of last week's Windows 7 launch, it was easy to overlook news of the forthcoming release of SharePoint Server 2010, the next edition of Redmond's collaboration platform. A public beta is expected next month, which according a speech given by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer last week will demonstrate significant new functionality. What Ballmer didn't directly confirm in his speech was recent speculation that that by June of 2010, the platform will no longer ride along with Windows Server products, but instead be offered stand-alone.

Helping to fuel the speculation about platform status of SharePoint 2010 was talk of a set of new cloud-based APIs; support for business connectivity services, permitting developers to connect application or Web-service data with SharePoint or Office client apps; REST, LINQ and ATOM support; an improved SharePoint designer; social tagging and "backstage" life-cycle management links with Office; and integration with Visual Studio 2010. Also new will be hosted and on-premise versions.

Speaking at Microsoft's SharePoint conference in Las Vegas on Oct. 19, Ballmer himself referred to the tool as a platform, implying that it had evolved hast its previous status as merely a server application. "SharePoint 2010 will transform efficiency by connecting workers across a single collaboration platform for business.” The update is scheduled for general availability "in the first half of 2010," which typically means June.

The new tools also reportedly will simplify Website creation with native support for video, audio and Silverlight, as well as content management and adherence to WCAG 2.0 . SharePoint Online also will support Excel and InfoPath Forms Services, "which make it simple to use, share, secure and manage interactive forms across an organization," the company said.

Last but not least, SharePoint 2010 adds everyone's favorite UI land-grab: the ribbon. ]]> Windows NT / 2000 / XP EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread233553.html <![CDATA[News Story Craigslist: Developers' Jobs and Other Jobs]]> http://www.daniweb.com/news/story232973.html Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:48:52 GMT Craigslist hosts classified ads of all kinds, including lengthy lists of developer's jobs in New York and the San Francisco Bay area. But another type of job listing was in the spotlight today, and it's nice to know there's at least one person out there who's thinking clearly.

A judge in Illinois yesterday threw out a case brought against Craigslist for facilitating prostitution, simply because people listed what were alleged to be such services on the company's no-frills Websites. That would be like blaming gun makers every time someone is shot to death, or suing makers of aluminum bats for the risk they pose to amateur pitchers. Oh wait, those are both happening.

But a cooler head prevailed in the Craigslist case, which was brought by Cook County Sheriff's office. John F. Grady, the U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, ruled in a 20-page judgement (pdf) that Craigslist can't be blamed. "Intermediaries are not culpable for 'aiding and abetting' their customers who misuse their services to commit unlawful acts," the judge wrote in his dismissal of the case. Citing the Communications Decency Act, an early Congressional attempt to regulate online porn, shields companies from liability because of the way people use their services.

Craigslist already had banned advertising of illegal services prior to the case. The service drew attention in April when Phillip Markoff, a Boston man dubbed the "Craigslist Killer," was apprehended following a series of robberies in which he allegedly selected his targets from people posting such services. One such woman was murdered. All such deaths are tragic, yes, but you can't blame the phone company for telemarketers. ]]> C++ EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread232973.html News Story Make Virtual Apps For (and From) Windows 7 http://www.daniweb.com/news/story232409.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:10:26 GMT Keeping pace with Microsoft's latest releases, Xenocode this week unveiled Virtual Application Studio 2010, an update to its virtualization engine that supports Windows 7, simplifies app-publishing to the Web, and permits deployment to multiple platforms using a single executable, the company said. Microsoft this week began shipping Windows 7, and put out a final beta of Visual Studio 2010, which is set for general availability in March.

Virtual Application Studio turns an application into a self-contained executable, which can be e-mailed or transported on a USB drive and executed on any modern Windows PC without regard for what else might be installed. With just a few clicks, developers can virtualize their Windows-based applications for instant deployment to internal servers or the Web. The cost is US$40 per developer seat; there are no royalties.

Introduced in 2008, Virtual Application Studio 2010 now reportedly can execute vitualized apps on any version of Windows 7, can virtualize apps designed for it, and now permits applications to be launched directly from within a Web browser (via Spoon), reducing the time required by the traditional download-and-install process, the company said. A new platform merge function allows virtual apps to be customized based on the target operating system, allowing deployment to multiple platforms using a single executable. The new version includes application templates for Firefox, Internet Explorer, Office, OpenOffice and other popular software, which simplify the virtualization of applications. You can also now set expiration values for your apps, with the option to halt after a set number of days or executions. On that note, Xenocode also lets you download an evaluation version and see a demo of Virtual Application Studio 2010 at xenocode.com. ]]> Windows NT / 2000 / XP EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread232409.html News Story Wait, Windows 7 Costs How Much? http://www.daniweb.com/news/story232306.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:48:00 GMT With the price of Windows 7 topping out at US$320, Microsoft will be handing shoppers less cash at the end of its "I'm a PC" commercials. Price advantages of Windows-laptops over those from Apple evaporated further today as Microsoft's latest operating system hit store shelves and OEM factories.

In typical Microsoft fashion, there are six versions of Windows 7, something for everyone at every price point. All but the Starter Edition support 32- and 64-bit architectures. At $320 are the feature-identical Ultimate and Enterprise Editions. Both are available at retail and pre-installed through OEMs; volume pricing is available for Enterprise. Here's a question for Microsoft: If they're identical in every way, why offer two? The company says it's targeting one at corporations and the other at hobbyists. And?

Even more puzzling is the way Microsoft divided features of its Home Premium ($200) and Professional Editions, (both also available at retail or pre-installed). Home Premium limits system to RAM 16GB, while Pro permits up to 192GB (as do Ultimate and Enterprise). Home Premium also is limited to a single CPU (others max out at two), can't back up to a network drive or encrypt files, and lacks an XP Mode, which runs a virtual instance of Windows XP for apps not yet ready for Windows 7. Today's "home" users are a pretty sophisticated bunch; I don't think Microsoft gives them enough credit.

Windows 7 is still cheaper than Vista, which maxed out at $399. And if you're upgrading from a prior Windows version, the cost is about $100 cheaper. Also, if you're moving from XP, you'll have no choice but to do a clean install. Which means reinstalling all your apps, plug-ins, drivers and data. This is a serious bummer. Vista users can choose between an upgrade path or clean install. Either way, support will cost you extra.

Microsoft offers a pair of tools to help you determine compatibility with Windows 7 of your system and installed applications. For a full feature breakdown, refer to Wikipedia's Windows 7 feature comparison chart. ]]> Windows NT / 2000 / XP EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread232306.html News Story IntelliJ IDEA Goes Open Source http://www.daniweb.com/news/story231078.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:24:09 GMT One way to become the "ultimate" of something is to simply declare it. JetBrains, maker of the IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE, on Thursday began previewing IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate Edition, the latest version of its commercial integrated development environment for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. The "ultimate" designation is presumably to differentiate it from the Community Edition, which is now available as open source.

The company had previously offered a free version if IntelliJ IDEA for non-commercial use, but source code was not made available until now. Both are based on the forthcoming version 9 of the IDE, formerly code-named Maia. No release date was given.

"Open source has become the mainstream, and we continue to embrace it as an exciting challenge," said JetBrains CEO Sergey Dmitriev of the move. "In brief, we're not changing direction — we're moving forward." The company positions the Community Edition, which will be available under the Apache 2.0 license, as a good choice for developers of pure Java/Groovy applications or for doing Swing development. "It has all the crown jewels ofIntelliJ IDEA, including various refactorings and code inspections, coding assistance, debugging, TestNG and JUnit testing; CVS, Subversion and Git support, as well as Ant and Maven build integration." It differs from Ultimate in too many ways to list, but if you're working with PHP, Python, Ruby or SQL, the free version won't cut it. Also, it works with CVS, Git and Subversion, but if you're using a commercial CMS, you'll need Ultimate. Luckily, JetBrains publishes a full comparison matrix.

Ultimate 9 will include lots of new framework support, including Java EE 6 with JSF 2.0, JPA 2.0, Servlets 3.0, Bean validation; Android, Google App Engine and GWT; Adobe AIR and FlexUnit; JavaScript refactorings and debugging; Tapestry/OSGi; and PHP.

Version 9 pricing was not disclosed, but buyers of IntelliJ IDEA 8.x personal (US$249) or commercial ($599) will be upgraded for free. Visit the company's Early Access Program page to download the preview version of IntelliJ IDEA 9. ]]> Java EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread231078.html <![CDATA[News Story Net 'Neutrality' Not So Neutral]]> http://www.daniweb.com/news/story230982.html Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:58:39 GMT One might have titled this story "Beware of government bearing gifts." We should be exceedingly wary whenever law makers begin dabbling with something that's been working exceedingly well for decades. Today that thing is the Internet, perhaps the least-regulated industry in the U.S. today.

This week the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is considering a set of new (and as yet unpublished) rules that would impose regulations on how broadband service providers are allowed to maintain their networks. Shrouded in the innocuous veil of "Network Neutrality," the potential restrictions are anything but neutral, and could tie the hands of service providers and send investors running for the exits. And with investors go innovations and expansion.

You probably disagree. I did too, at first. Neutrality and openness are good things. Everyone should be allowed to operate on an even playing field. On the surface, the issue seems fair to all parties. But once you really think about what's being proposed--that cable and phone companies would not be free to manage their networks the way they wish--what's to keep them in the game? After all, they're the ones who took the risks of investing in and maintaining the infrastructure. Shouldn't they be free to regulate their own systems, provided they're not giving unfair advantage to one player over another?

It took a bit of digging before I found enough information in favor of leaving things alone before I could finally wrap my head around this. Most of what's out there is in favor of legislating "neutrality." But what does that really mean?

One analogy I came across that the absence of such legislation would be like phone companies telling you who you're allowed to call. That is incorrect. Carriers don't want to forbid anyone from accessing anything. Their aim is to keep control over how you access things on their networks, just as telcos currently control how your phone calls are routed over their copper. Without such management, phone calls would be very different today and bandwidth hogs could crowd out little guys like you and me with impunity. Would that be fair?

There's no need to rush this, and nearly a dozen recent letters to the FCC--from a bipartisan mix of state governors, 18 Republican Senators and representatives from the House minority leadership. -- have stressed this. One such letter, by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, informed FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski that the number of broadband subscribers in his state has grown by more than 1,000 percent since broadband regulations were eliminated in 2002, and that Internet service prices have declined by 50 percent, according to a report today in TulsaWorld.com.

The latest letter, which arrived Friday, was signed by "18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, 31 Blue Dog Democrats and 10 members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the FCC," according to a report in yesterday's Wall Street Journal. The letter was signed by 72 members of Congress in all, including Tim Bishop of NY's 1st congressional district (for my neighbors in Eastern Long Island).

The letter, in part, urges lawmakers “to avoid tentative conclusions which favor government regulation,” and cites concerns of reaching “conclusions based on slogans rather than substance and of policies that restrict and inhibit the very innovation and growth that we all seek to achieve.” Until there's a problem, government should laissez faire. ]]> PHP EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread230982.html News Story GWT With the Program http://www.daniweb.com/news/story229157.html Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:09:23 GMT With all the libraries available that have emerged, Java and Ajax applications practically build themselves these days. This week Java tool maker Instantiations added support for Ext GWT to GWT Designer 7.2 (http://www.instantiations.com/gwtdesigner/), the latest version of its Eclipse-based... With all the libraries available that have emerged, Java and Ajax applications practically build themselves these days. This week Java tool maker Instantiations added support for Ext GWT to GWT Designer 7.2, the latest version of its Eclipse-based drag-and-drop GUI-building environment that can be had for as little as $5 a month.

Also known as GXT, Ext GWT builds on the Google Web Toolkit, adding a slew of customizable UI widgets and CSS-based themes, plus full documentation and backward compatibility. It's made by Ext LLC. And if you're currently building Web apps and you haven't hard of them, a look at their JS Desktop for an idea. For a couple hundred bucks, their libraries might help you avoid reinventing the foundation.

Now back to the news. With the addition of GXT 2.0.1 support, GWT Designer 7.2 adds multiple GXT-specific palette categories for Panels, Layouts, Widgets, Forms, Menus and Toolbars. It also provides WYSIWYG editing for all GXT components, properties and layouts, and adds several Ext-specific wizards for creating GXT Windows, Dialogs and Composites.


GWT Designer v7.2 also adds a multi-page CSS Style Editor as well as other CSS enhancements and continued support for GWT through 1.7.1, and stays in sync with GWT 1.7, which adds better support for Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 3.5 and Safari 4. The company also claims to have improved the tool's overall performance and specifically its parsing speed.

Current subscribers can upgrade to GWT Designer 7.2 at no additional cost. One-year subscriptions cost $79; a perpetual license costs $169 including one year of support. Try the tool for two weeks free at http://www.instantiations.com/gwtdesigner. ]]> JavaScript / DHTML / AJAX EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread229157.html News Story Moving to Ingres is Easier, Company Says http://www.daniweb.com/news/story228403.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:17:45 GMT With the release of Ingres Database 9.3 today, the company says it's now easier for developers to migrate their application to the open source system from MySQL, Oracle,SQL Server and Sybase. It does so, the company said, through "improved accessibility of table procedures from within the query" and support for positional parameter notations, making database procedure invocation more flexible.

“As the fate of MySQL is currently in the hands of the European Commission, open source community developers and our global business customers and partners are seeking a more stable, reliable open source database,” said Deb Woods, vice president of product management of Ingres, in a statement. She was referring, of course, to the Sept. 3 investigation launched by the EC into possible conflicts between Oracle and MySQL due to Oracle's pending acquisition of Sun Microsystems, which owns MySQL. Source code for both databases is available under open source licensing.

Also reportedly new in version 9.3 is a pluggable authentication modules (PAM) structure that allows the database to support more authentication mechanisms than before, and simplifies integration with programs that support multiple security services. Authorization programs can run either with no special privileges or with shadow group privileges, providing less security exposure, the company said. It's also compatible with Liferay, the open source portal and social collaboration platform. This is intended to simplify customization for large organizational structures, such as developing individual security permissions for separate business units.

Enhancements to ODBC, JDBC and .NET Data Provider capabilities give 9.3 the ability to automatically start multiple Data Access Servers "to improve scalability in environments where large numbers of .NET and JDBC applications are connecting to Ingres," reported the company. Ingres also now includes a JDBC driver properties generator, further simplifying setup. ]]> Java EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread228403.html News Story Write Once, Run on Most Mobiles. Really? http://www.daniweb.com/news/story228328.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:17:33 GMT Can't decide whether to develop for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, or Symbian? You may not have to, if the latest "write once, run anywhere" claim from Recursion Software bears fruit. The company today unveiled Voyager 7.2 Pervasive Software Platform, and says that developers can use the tool to target those platforms as well as Windows Mobile and LiMo and Maemo Linux-based devices with a single code base.

Apps built with the platform can execute on smartphones, netbooks and PCs and share contacts and other personal information, location data and media files," the company said, opening the door to simpler collaboration, data collection and fleet and asset management and other mobile application development. According to 2Q 2009 stats from market researcher Canalys, the top three mobile platform makers (Symbian, RIM and Apple) account for 85 percent of the market. Add in Microsoft and Google and you're at better than 96 percent.

Helping to do its magic is a location-aware messaging system that Recursive says enables peer-to-peer collaboration without the need for a host PC, server or cloud. The system can communicate and form decentralized groups over "any Telco or WiFi network," it reported. The messaging is part of an abstraction layer that also encompasses C/C++, Java, .NET and numerous other platforms. News of the updated platform came from the 2009 CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment conference, running now through Friday at the San Diego Convention Center.

The cost? Well, you can download a 30-day evaluation version for free (registration required). ]]> C++ EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread228328.html <![CDATA[News Story Microsoft, Palm Launch 'App Stores']]> http://www.daniweb.com/news/story228088.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:55 GMT Microsoft and Palm today separately advanced web sites designed for developers to post and sell (or give away) applications for their respective mobile platforms, playing catch-up with Apple, whose App Store (http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/) celebrated its one-year anniversary in July.... Microsoft and Palm today separately advanced web sites designed for developers to post and sell (or give away) applications for their respective mobile platforms, playing catch-up with Apple, whose App Store celebrated its one-year anniversary in July. Redmond also unveiled a series of new phones this week based on Windows Mobile 6.5, its latest version.

Microsoft's new site, dubbed Windows Marketing for Mobile, includes a bare-bones landing page from which you can view your application purchase history or visit the user forum or developer community. At launch, Microsoft claimed to offer 246 mobile applications, and 753 independent software developers and vendors building more. Popular mobile applications available now include Facebook, MySpace, Netflix, Twikini, WunderRadio and ZAGAT, the company said.

But don't bother going there now to shop. You can only buy stuff from a device running Windows Mobile 6.5, which was first available on a phone just yesterday. DOH! Not only does Microsoft shut out 99.9 percent of current its user base, but also fails to address an obvious usage pattern--buying something through a PC browser (where it's faster and easier than through a handheld device) and then deploying it to the device. Fortunately, if you're a user of Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 and want to buy apps online, there's an app for that.

As limited as Microsoft's site is, at least it's a site. That's more than Palm can claim. The company's on-again, off-again App Catalog as of today is apparently off again. Under development since July, the latest "official" launch date was supposed to have been Sept. 24. The company today announced that its e-commerce beta program went live today, and that "[d]evelopers selected to participate in the beta program have the opportunity to make their applications, both free and paid, available to consumers." Developers have been submitting applications since August.

Also today, the company announced that the Palm developer program would include webOS in December. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall a day when Palm's developer programs would [I]precede[/] the device, or at least accompany it. Now, there's an "unofficial" Palm App Catalog web site that keeps track of the official one. This cannot portend good things for Palm, which should read and heed the Palm Pre tag line: "Thinking Ahead is a Beautiful Thing." ]]> Windows NT / 2000 / XP EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread228088.html News Story AnthillPro Piles on Code Analysis Tools http://www.daniweb.com/news/story227926.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:08:00 GMT Urbancode today unveiled AnthillPro 3.7, the latest version of its build and deployment automation tool that piles seven popular source code analysis tools onto its list of third-party integrations. There's also support for the GIT repository and DB2 and PostgreSQL databases, the company said today in a statement. Anthill Pro 3.7 began shipping on Sept. 15, but had not been widely announced.

Among the most significant features in 3.7 is its plug-in API, which permits organizations to build integrations with third-party or proprietary tools of their choosing, the company said. "With plug-ins, users can create, customize and rapidly update integrations," and most subsequent integrations will be implemented as plug-ins, said the company.

AnthillPro 3.7 now integrates with Checkstyle, CodeSonar, Coverity Prevent, FindBugs, Fortify 360, Klocwork Insight and PMD. The integrations allow users to detect defects earlier, enforce their code quality standards, and build quality from the beginning, the company said. Integration steps vary from product to product, so Urbancode has compiled this list of product-specific steps to get each of the source-code analyzers working. Pretty slick.

Also new is the ability to access AnthillPro from the command line, and to impersonate user agents for greater security and control of permissions given to agent scripts, according to the reports. This is a major update, as you'll see from the extensive release notes. ]]> C++ EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread227926.html News Story Win7: To Migrate or Not to Migrate? http://www.daniweb.com/news/story227854.html Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:47:04 GMT With the release of any new OS release, the question facing developers is whether or not to port existing applications. Often the answer hinges on two major factors: Will the operating system be widely adopted and what's downside of doing nothing?

In the enterprise the decision is often made for you, when policy dictates whether the company will upgrade its desktops to something new. According to a survey of 450 developers conducted by Visual Studio Magazine published this month, almost two out of every five (38.9%) are currently developing for Windows 7 or plan to do so within the next three months. That, despite the fact that not all of Win7's promised capabilities will be present in .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack, which is included with the release. The Multi-Touch UI, ribbon toolbars and other major functionality will have to wait until next year when .NET 4.0 comes out.

While UI whistles and bells are a major focal point of Windows 7, most of the developers surveyed were more interested in better performance. When asked about their "level of excitement about specific Windows 7 features," the top two responses were improved security and optimized I/O handling. Tied for third place were a "power-efficient infrastructure" and an "updated graphics stack and high DPI support."

Will Windows 7 be the must-have OS that XP was, or will it fall flat in the enterprise as Vista did? I'll admit I'm rooting for Microsoft. After all, Apple's OS fortunes certainly turned in the 1990s with System 7, the focus of which was not on look and feel, but on performance and peer-to-peer functionality. Perhaps Microsoft will be as fortuitous when Windows 7 arrives in stores on Oct. 22. The way I see it, Windows 7 is already widely referred to as "Vista fixed," meaning that Vista's coming whether the world wants it or not. So you might as well get to work. ]]> Windows Vista and Windows 7 EddieC http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread227854.html