SD Times On The Web

Web 2.0 Conference offers collaboration lessons
At the Office 2.0 Conference, Dr. Sukh Grewal of General Electric describes how the use of Web 2.0 concepts, especially social networking, helped him to come up with a service to assist and organize GE employees.
9/5/2008 6:00PM EST

Zend Framework update focuses on AJAX integration
Improvements to the Zend Framework, according to the company, include making it easy to integrate AJAX and JavaScript with PHP applications. Interoperability with the SOAP Web services protocol has also been added.
9/5/2008 2:01PM EST

Instantiations updates GWT interface designer
GWT Designer 5.1 keeps backward compatibility with FGWT 1.4.62 while adding Java 1.5 capabilities and bi-directional code generation for internationalization. Integration with MyGWT is also supported.
9/5/2008 4:00PM EST

Microsoft talks BizTalk 2009 and beyond
The next version of BizTalk will take advantage of functionality added to the company's application platform stack since BizTalk Server 2003 R2. It will be able to integrate with Visual Studio Team Foundation Server for ALM functionality.
9/5/2008 8:30AM EST

Google rocks the Web with browser release
The latest product from Google is the Chrome browser, which has been created with a variety of open-source components, and can run plug-ins and tabs as isolated processes.
9/4/2008 6:00PM EST

Sony Ericsson releases a pair of mobile SDKs
Project Capuchin and the Xperia X1 phone received their own SDKs from Sony Ericsson. Project Capuchin is an API that combines Flash Lite and Java ME technologies for mobile application development.
9/4/2008 4:00PM EST

Future for Amazon's Web services revealed
Amazon revealed plans for the future of its Web and cloud computing services. Chief among those plans is compliance with various regulations and Windows Server support to its cloud computing service.
9/4/2008 2:48PM EST

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Windows & .NET Watch: How does your garden grow?
Software developers must be flexible in the methods they use to create their products. Because developing software is a constantly changing process, it might be wise to switch to an agile development program over a static one.

Zeichick's Take: Dilbert and Wally will rejoice: ISO 9001 is being updated for 2008
There's a new version of the ISO 9001 quality standard coming. The proposed draft, ISO 9001:2008, is an incremental evolution over the previous version, ISO 9001:2000. It should be out in October or November.

Java 7: Sun's good grooming
While Java 6 may be considered forgettable, Java 7 is a must-have for Java developers. Improvements include better modularity, enhanced parallelism and better bug detection.

From the Editors: Don't fracture .NET
The way .NET is being developed is troubling, and Microsoft should aim for an evolutionary, not revolutionary, approach before it ruins the framework. Also, the era of 64-bit Windows is upon us, so get ready.

SOA Watch: The truth behind ESBs
Enterprise service buses are being overused by vendors, creating problems caused by a lack of awareness as to how to properly use them with SOAs. Planning the growth of a SOA is more important than slapping a technology, like ESB, on it.

Letters to the Editors: 'Midori' a fishing expedition
One of our readers wasn't convinced that Microsoft's Midori was a huge deal, and he thinks that Microsoft has no real plans for it. Other readers chime in on the possible futures of multicore development.

Apple drinks Microsoft's milkshake
Microsoft still dominates the market, thus making it the most attractive choice for budding developers. But recent moves from Apple to its Macintosh and iPhone lines have made it an upstart competitor to Microsoft's position in software development.

Short Takes: What're Rudder and Rector up to?
Microsoft is keeping a low voice on "Midori," but having Eric Rudder and Brent Rector working on it tells us that it's much larger than the company would care to admit. Also, our editors critique streaming Olympic coverage and the hassles of switching cable providers.

Protocol Buffers: Reinventing the past
Despite XML's widespread use, companies are still looking for faster ways to transfer data across systems. Google's Protocol Buffers, which the company has been using for years in its own technology, may be the best solution available.

Zeichick's Take: Recommended read: 'Design Concepts in Programming Languages'
MIT Press' massive new tome is excellently researched, thorough and a must-have for your deskside bookcase. Just make sure the shelf is sturdy enough for its 1,322 pages: This is not a book to carry in your hand luggage for your next plane trip.

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EMBEDDED NEWS

Wind River unveils test automation framework
Due by the end of September, Wind River Test Automation will include collaboration tools as well as data collection and planning features. The company says that special builds and additional test harnesses won't be required.

Openwave's client business sold to Purple Labs
Announced June 30, the deal puts US$30 million of Purple's cash into Openwave's hands. Purple intends to expand its presence in the mobile software business while Openwave will focus on its network-based services.

Microsoft reveals next-gen Windows Embedded
With a release to original equipment manufacturers due before the end of the year, Microsoft is previewing the successor to Windows XP Embedded, which includes features such as the latest versions of Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player.

Palm developers get device-testing service
A new service from DeviceAnywhere allows users to manipulate a virtual Palm phone as if they were actually holding it, allowing them to test a device without exposing design features.

Nokia's mobile road map still hard to follow
Until Nokia's deal with Trolltech closes, developers will have to wait to see what Nokia's long-term plans are. Qt has been examined as a possible lead platform for making applications on Nokia phones.

UIQ update ships
The newest version of the handset OS should allow device manufacturers to expand their product lines. The goal is to increase UIQ's penetration into mass markets.

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TEST & QA REPORT

ECLIPSESOURCE

Good Communication Starts With Good English
Any guide to leadership puts communication at the top of the list of good management skills. And good written communication skills start with a command of the language. Whether or not English is your first language, we all might have something to gain by brushing up on grammar and sentence construction.

EdNotes: Ganymede Around the World
Two of the winners were from the United States, two were from Brazil and four were European. More than 600 of you participated in the Ganymede Around the World Contest, and gave your reviews via blog, message or in a recording to the Eclipse Foundation, in exchange for a chance to win one of eight prizes, which included free passage to an Eclipse conference.

Playing Catch-Up With This Week's Report
Last week saw the debut of the uTester Community, which puts software testers in touch with organizations in need of application testing services but lack the staff in-house.

Eclipse-a-Palooza: August 27, 2008
Piggy-backing on the Ganymede Around The World Contest, I've cherry-picked some of the better Ganymede-related (English-language) blog entries for this week.

Software Testing: The Stepchild of Innovation
Few would disagree that R&D efforts have given rise to countless technologies. But when it comes to research and development budgets, software testing often gets short shrift.

Classic Tips: Yes You Can! (Access Classes of One Plug-in From Another)
I was once asked the same question three times in the period of a single week: "Can classes in one plug-in access classes in another, and if so, how?" This question seems to crop up more during RCP development, but the answer is the same for building any plug-in.

A Peek Into China's Tech Sector
As the world turns its attention to the 2008 summer Olympic games in the northern Chinese city of Beijing, I thought it would be a good time to share the story of Brian Schwarz, a western journalist granted rare access to one of China's offshore development centers in the eastern city of Shanghai.

EdNotes: UML Creator at EclipseWorld
World-famous computer scientist Ivar Jacobson will deliver a keynote at EclipseWorld 2008, which takes place Oct. 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency, Reston, Va. His afternoon speech is one of two keynotes on the opening day of an event considered one of the leading conferences for enterprise Java developers using Eclipse.

Open-Source Tools: Asked and Answered
I asked and you answered. Many of you wrote in about my column two weeks ago titled, "Functional Testing Tools, the Open Source Wave," in which I described open-source alternatives to commercial test products contained in a Forrester research report. Thanks to each and every one of you for taking the time to write, particularly those to whom I didn't have time to reply personally.

Eclipse-a-Palooza: August 13, 2008
In May of 2007, I suggested that Googlipse sounded like something you might get from kissing a jellyfish. Maybe some others did too, because the project fizzled.

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Bug Tracking Keeps Software Fixes On Course
Here’s a test: Can you list all the issues your software team is working on now? Can you sort them...

Principles of Agile Architecture
The benefits of Agile methods are becoming more obvious and compelling. While the most popular practices were developed and proven...

SPECIAL REPORT

Help wanted
Hiring is a critical part of maintaining a strong workforce, and there are certain personalities you should be able to identify before choosing whom to hire. Several experts give their advice on the subject.

Best practices? Or bestest practices?
In developing software, an incremental approach and focus on constant improvement are parts of consistently successful best practices. These techniques force coders to be more diligent, which in turn raises the quality of programming.

Zero tolerance for bugs
Static analysis provides a thorough examination of code, allowing testers to see problems and descriptions of their impact on security. Drawbacks include false positive/false negative issues and a lack of a consistent implementation.

Bugs gone bad
A wide variety of bugs can cause problems for your system. Here is a list of types of bugs and exploits that companies should keep an eye out for.

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