Spammer Humor

First person: Do you know how to save five spammers who are drowning?
Second person: No.
First person: Good!



You're trapped in a room with a tiger, a rattlesnake and a spammer. You have a gun with two bullets. What should you do?
You shoot the spammer. Twice.



What is the ideal weight of a spammer?
About three pounds, including the urn.



A man walked into a pub with his crocodile and asked the barman, 'Do you serve spammers here?'
'Sure do,' replied the barman.
'Good,' said the man. 'Give me a beer, and I'll have a spammer for my 'croc.''



What’s the difference between a spammer and an onion?
You cry when you cut up an onion.



How do you get a spammer out of a tree?
Cut the rope.



Why have scientists begun to use spammers instead of lab rats for research?
1. spammers are more plentiful.
2. They are easier to train.
3. Researchers don’t get attached to them.
4. There are some things a rat won’t do.




A man walking on the beach came across an odd-looking bottle. Not being one to ignore tradition, he rubbed it and, much to his surprise, a genie actually appeared.
"For releasing me from the bottle,
I will grant you three wishes," said the genie.
"But there's a catch," the genie continued. "For each of your wishes, every spammer in the world will receive double what you asked for."
First, the man wished for a Ferrari. POOF! A Ferrari appeared in front of him. "Now, every spammer in the world has been given two Ferraris," said the genie.
"What is your next wish?"
"I could really use a million dollars." replied the man, and POOF! One million dollars appeared at his feet.
"Now, every spammer in the world is two million dollars richer," the genie reminded the man, and then asked him for his third wish.
The man thought for a minute and said, "Well, I’ve always wanted to donate a kidney."




What's the difference between a spammer and a trampoline?
You take off your shoes to jump on a trampoline!




When spammers die, why are they buried in a hole 24 feet deep?
Because down deep, they are all nice guys.




What’s the difference between a spammer and a terrorist?
Terrorists have sympathizers.


What do you call a busload of spammers at the bottom of a lake?
... a good start.

What's the difference between spammers and sperm?
... one in 3 billion sperm have a chance to become a human.

What's the difference between a spammer and a catfish?
... one is a scum-sucking bottom dweller, and the other's a fish.

what's the difference between a dead dog in the middle of the road and a dead spammer in the middle of the road?
... there are skid marks before the dog.

Microsoft Announces Photosynth With Seadragon’s Amazing Digital Rendering And Zoom

Photosynth is an amazing new technology from Microsoft Live Labs that will change the way you think about digital photos forever.

Photosynth takes a large collection of photos of a place or object, analyzes them for similarities, and displays them in a reconstructed 3-Dimensional space.

With Photosynth you can:

Walk or fly through a scene to see photos from any angle.
Seamlessly zoom in or out of a photograph whether it’s megapixels or gigapixels in size.
See where pictures were taken in relation to one another.
Find similar photos to the one you’re currently viewing.
Explore a custom tour.
Send a collection to a friend.

Your brain knows that your eyes are about two inches apart. But when Photosynth does its magic, it doesn’t know where the cameras were, or which way they were pointing. Fortunately, when there are many cameras, and many features in common, the algorithms behind Photosynth can figure out not only where the features are in 3D, but where all of the cameras would have to have been, and which way they were aimed, consistent with the features they "saw".

The Photosynth client shows you the 3D pointcloud, but more importantly, it also shows you the original pictures overlaid on the model. Imagine a slide projector placed at each camera position, aimed where the camera was aiming, and projecting the picture that camera took. A screen is placed in the 3D environment at an appropriate distance from the projector. As you move around in the Photosynth environment, projectors turn on and off, giving you a changing perspective on a world built entirely out of the original photos.


Check it out here (http://labs.live.com/photosynth/)

Lead PHP Developer Jani Taskinen Quits

Jani Taskinen, one of the lead developers of the Zend Engine (the engine that powers PHP), as well as a lead developer for the thread safety system and other core components of the PHP project, has quit in a relatively cryptic message to the php-internals mailing list. Jani has been involved with PHP for about 6 years and his loss will undoubtedly be a big blow for the PHP project.

The text of that email message is here: "Thank you all for the last 6 years or so. It has been fun (sometimes)
and many times not so much fun. Unfortunately I have had enough and
I don't want to be associated with this project anymore.

I'm sure most people (the ones who matter) can understand why.
If someone doesn't, I could not care less. Take care.

Please do not reply to this email."

I don't know if this is real or not but Digg has a comment that might show the reason
http://digg.com/programming/Lead_PHP_programmer_quits#c2484943

IronPython 1.0 RC1 Released On CodePlex

Microsoft has shipped the release candidate for IronPython 1.0 on its CodePlex community source site. From the site: "We have just released IronPython 1.0 RC1. We’re anticipating that this build will be the same as 1.0 final unless we hear otherwise. We’re looking for any feedback, but in particular we’d like to know of any blocking issues discovered against this build or fundamental language incompatibilities. Please try out the latest build over the next 2 weeks and let us know if you encounter any issues as soon as possible. Additionally, if there are any 1.01 Alpha bugs on CodePlex that are blocking you please bring these to our attention so we can take a second look at them.


Our goal for IronPython 1.0 is to be compatible with CPython 2.4 We’ve fixed all known language incompatibilities and implemented a large number of the standard CPython built-in modules with a focus on those most used. RC1 includes one new module that hasn’t shipped previous (cPickle). We do have some issues remaining but we believe these will not affect compatability with CPython. In addition RC1 has several new 2.5 Python features that can be enabled with the experimental switch –X:Python25, but by default these are disabled:



PEP 308: Conditional Expressions
PEP 343: The 'with' statement. (as per PEP 343, you need to do ‘from _future_ import with_statement’ for enabling ‘with’ statement )
Other Language Changes
The dict type has a new hook for letting subclasses provide a default value with ‘_missing_’ method.
Both 8-bit and Unicode strings have new partition(sep) and rpartition(sep) methods.
The startswith() and endswith() methods of string types now accept tuples of strings to check for.
The min() and max() built-in functions gained a ‘key’ keyword parameter.
Two new built-in functions, any() and all(), evaluate whether an iterator contains any true or false values.
The list of base classes in a class definition can now be empty. "

You can download the release from: http://www.CodePlex.com/IronPython

E! Entertainment Television & Apple Announce the Debut of Hit Programs on the iTunes Music Store

E! Entertainment and Apple® today announced that hit programs from E! Entertainment Television are now available for purchase and download on the iTunes® Music Store (www.itunes.com). New weekly episodes of the second season of hit series “The Girls Next Door,” which debuts July 30 on E!, “The Soup,” E!'s irreverent look at the week's biggest, best and most bizarre moments and events in the world of pop culture, the new season of “Dr. 90210,” as well as all new episodes of “The Simple Life: ‘Til Death Do Us Part” starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will be available the day after broadcast for customers to purchase and download for just $1.99 per episode.

“This new partnership underscores our commitment to our E! Everywhere initiative, making E! content available to viewers on multiple platforms and on demand,” said Ted Harbert, president and CEO, E! Entertainment. “We're delighted to pursue this new programming opportunity with iTunes, allowing us to further expand the E! brand and reach even more entertainment fans.”

“We’re thrilled to expand our growing video catalog with this original content from E! Entertainment Television,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “With over 35 million videos sold, iTunes provides the best way for fans to discover, purchase and download video online.”

Season two of “The Girls Next Door” debuts on E! on July 30, taking viewers beyond the gates and behind closed doors to reveal the world of Hugh Hefner and his three girlfriends Holly, Bridget and Kendra, as it has never been seen before. The premiere episode will also be available to purchase and download on iTunes on July 31. “The Simple Life: ‘Til Death Do Us Part” follows the lives of Paris and Nicole as they undergo a crash course in marriage and motherhood, while “Dr. 90210” takes viewers inside the offices and homes of high profile Beverly Hills plastic surgeons. Past season episodes of “The Simple Life,” “The Girls Next Door” and “Dr. 90210” are also immediately available for purchase and download.

With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated video and podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod® and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac® and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and videos online. The iTunes Music Store features a selection of over 9,000 music videos, Pixar and Disney short films, a variety of hit TV shows, and more than three million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent labels.

Pricing & Availability
iTunes 6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download from www.apple.com/itunes. Purchase and download of songs and videos from the iTunes Music Store requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. Television shows are $1.99 (US) per episode, and music videos and short films are $1.99 (US) each.

AMZN: Alexa Site Thumbnail Web Service from Alexa Internet Now Available for Developers

Alexa Site Thumbnail Web Service from Alexa Internet Now Available for Developers; New web service allows software and web developers to incorporate thumbnail images of web site home pages directly into their applications

Alexa Internet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), today launched the Alexa Site Thumbnail web service. For years Alexa has been crawling more than 18 million web sites collecting home page images along with a vast amount of other information about the web. Now, using the Alexa Site Thumbnail web service, software and web developers can obtain programmatic access to URLs for these images in Alexa's collection, which they can use to incorporate thumbnail images of web site home pages into their own applications. Developers can sign up and get started using the Alexa Site Thumbnail web service today at the Amazon Web Services web site http://aws.amazon.com/ast. The Alexa Site Thumbnail web service is sold through Amazon Web Services LLC.

"Developers are constantly looking for ways to make their websites more visually appealing and to save their users time," said Alexa Vice President of Engineering Niall O'Driscoll. "In just minutes and inexpensively, developers can use the new Alexa Site Thumbnail web service to achieve both these goals."

The Alexa Site Thumbnail web service enables developers to enhance web sites, search results, web directories, blog entries, and other web real estate with images of web site home pages that Alexa has collected from crawling the web. Including web site thumbnail images improves the user experience by allowing end users to preview sites before clicking through to the web site.

Alexa has millions of images available and is adding more daily. The Alexa Site Thumbnail web service allows developers to customize the size and format in which Alexa's thumbnail images can be displayed in their own applications. There is no minimum fee or start-up cost to use the Alexa Site Thumbnail web service.

Pro Ajax and Java Frameworks

As a Java developer, you want a guide that shows you how to add Ajax functionality to your web applications with a minimum of effort. Well look no further than Pro Ajax and Java Frameworks. In this book, recognized Java experts and authors of the best-selling Apress title, Foundations of Ajax, will show you how.

The authors begin by recapping Ajax basics. Then they unveil a comprehensive Java/Ajax toolkit. Tools include JSEclipse for code editing, Venkman for JavaScript debugging, and Dojo Compressor for code compression. They also explain Log4js (and other tools) for JavaScript logging, JsUnit (and others) for testing, and various libraries like AjaxTags, DWR, and Script.aculo.us for rapid code development.

The last part of the book shows you how to build up a series of professional Java/Ajax applications. These will incorporate some of today’s most popular frameworks—Spring, JSF, Struts, and Tapestry—giving you all you need to incorporate Ajax into your everyday work and become an Ajax expert!

By Nathaniel T. Schutta
Ryan Asleson
ISBN: 1-59059-677-3
336 pp.


Table Of Contents
CHAPTER 1 What Is Ajax?
The Rise of the Web Application
And Then There Was Ajax
The XMLHttpRequest Object
Methods and Properties
An Example Interaction
Avoiding Common Gotchas
Ajax Patterns
The Fade Anything Technique (FAT)
Auto Refresh
Partial Page Paint
Draggable DOM
Summary

CHAPTER 2 Development Tools
JavaScript Source Code Editor
JSEclipse
NetBeans JavaScript Plug-in
JavaScript Compression and Obfuscation
The Dojo Toolkit’s JavaScript Compressor
Inspecting a DOM Structure
Mouseover DOM Inspector
Debugging Ajax Requests
NetBeans HTTP Monitor
Firefox FireBug Extension
JavaScript Logging
Log4JS
Lumberjack
JavaScript Debugging Tools
Using Venkman
Testing Tools
JsUnit
Selenium
Summary


PART 2 Libraries and Toolkits
CHAPTER 3 Java-Agnostic Toolkits
Prototype
$()
Working with Forms
Manipulating the DOM
Try: Simplified Browser Detection
Ajax Support
script.aculo.us
Effect
Autocomplete
Dojo Toolkit
Animations.
Effects
dojo.io.bind
Taconite
Taconite on the Client Side
Taconite on the Server
Getting Started with Taconite
Summary

CHAPTER 4 Java-Specific Frameworks
DWR
Installation
Installation Verification.
JavaScript Templates.
AjaxTags
The Ajax “Killer Application”
AjaxTags Autocomplete Component.
Other Options
Summary


PART 3 Web Frameworks
CHAPTER 5 Struts and Ajax
Struts Design
Ajax Validation
Struts Validation
Struts and Ajax Integration
Ajax-Powered Validation
Implementing Struts
Struts and Ajax Design Considerations
The Future of Struts.
Struts 1.3 and Beyond
Struts Shale
Struts Ti
Summary

CHAPTER 6 Tapestry
What Is Tapestry?
Getting Started
Calling the Server
Tapestry Forms
Tapestry Exceptions
Tapestry and Ajax
Tacos Components
Setting Up Tacos.
Using a Component
Enabling Debug Information
Modifying the Form Example.
Summary


CHAPTER 7 Spring and Ajax
What Is Spring?
Just Another Framework?
Aspect-Oriented Programming and Dependency Injection
Getting Started with Spring
Ajax and Spring.
The Inventory Control Application
Summary

CHAPTER 8 JavaServer Faces
What Is JSF?
Getting Started with JSF
Dynamic Navigation
JSF Taglibs
Validating and Converting
Developing JSF Applications with an IDE
Other JSF Technologies
Apache Tomahawk
Facelets
Shale
Seam
The JSF Life Cycle
Restore View
Apply Request Values.
Process Validation
Update Model
Invoke Application.
Render Response
JSF and Ajax
JSF Ajax Components
Summary
INDEX


Sample Chapter: Ch. 01 - What is Ajax?

Amazon link is here

Lance Bass Comes Out Of The Closet, Proclaims He Is Gay

Lance Bass, band member of 'N Sync, says he's gay and in a "very stable" relationship with a reality show star.

Bass, who formed 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, tells People magazine that he didn't earlier disclose his sexuality because he didn't want to affect the group's popularity.

"I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything," he tells the magazine.

Lance Bass is involved with Reichen Lehmkuhl of "Amazing Race."

Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 To Run On AMD64

The Debian project confirms December 2006 as the date for the next release of its distribution which will be named Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 alias 'etch'. This will be the first official release to include the AMD64 architecture. The distribution will be released synchronously for 11 architectures in total.

At this stage, the upcoming release will ship with Linux 2.6.17 as its default kernel. This kernel will be used across all architectures and on the installer. A later version may be selected during a review in October.

New features of this release include the GNU Compiler Collection 4.1 as default compiler. X.Org will replace XFree86 as implementation of the X Window System X11. Secure APT will add extra security by easily supporting strong cryptography and digital signatures to validate downloaded packages.

T: AT&T Second-Quarter Profit Rose 81%

AT&T Inc. (T) said Tuesday its second-quarter profit rose 81%, citing progress in integrating the operations of the former AT&T with SBC Communications and increased contributions from Cingular Wireless.

AT&T's profit rose to $1.81 billion, or 46 cents a share, in the three months ended June 30 from $1 billion, or 30 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding merger-related charges, AT&T reported earnings of 58 cents a share - up 34.9% from the same period last year.

Revenue rose 53% to $15.8 billion from $10.3 billion last year. The year-ago results don't include the operations of the former AT&T.

Apple Mighty Mouse Is Here

Apple® today introduced the wireless Mighty Mouse, a new version of its popular multi-button mouse, now with the added freedom that only wireless connectivity can provide. The new wireless Mighty Mouse offers a reliable, secure connection to Macs and features a new laser tracking engine that is 20 times more sensitive than standard optical mice for better tracking on even more surfaces. Priced at just $69, Apple’s wireless Mighty Mouse includes up to four independently programmable buttons and an ingenious Scroll Ball that lets users scroll in any direction.

“We cut the cord on our popular Mighty Mouse to give consumers even more flexibility when using a Mac,” said David Moody, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Mac Product Marketing. “A Bluetooth-enabled Mac desktop with an Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mighty Mouse is the ideal cable-free setup at home or in the office, and the wireless Mighty Mouse is the perfect travel companion for the MacBook user on the go.”

The wireless Mighty Mouse is available immediately through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $69 (US). The wireless Mighty Mouse easily connects to the latest Macs with built-in Bluetooth wireless technology, and requires Mac OS X “Tiger” version 10.4.6 or later to customize buttons for one-click access to Spotlight, Dashboard and Exposé or to launch applications.

AMD Buying ATI Technologies (ATYT) For $5.4 Billion

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. on Monday agreed to buy ATI Technologies Inc. for $5.4 billion, a deal that will open a new front in AMD's rivalry with Intel Corp.
AMD said it will pay $4.2 billion in cash and 57 million of its own shares for ATI, a maker of graphics processors and so-called chipsets that support microprocessors, which are the brains of PCs.
The transaction will broaden AMD's revenue stream, letting it tap into more consumer electronic products, a fast growing part of the semiconductor market.
ATI's chips are used in computers, digital televisions, video-game consoles and cell phones. It sells its chips to among others, AMD and Intel, AMD's much-bigger rival for PC and server chips.
"This combination offers AMD a broader and stronger product line in its competition with Intel," RBC Capital Markets analyst Steve Arthur said in a research note.

MSFT: Public Betas of Exchange Server 2007 And Forefront Security for Exchange Server Released

Microsoft Corp. today announced availability of the public betas of Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007 and the new Forefront Security for Exchange Server. Exchange Server 2007 builds on the leading e-mail, messaging and calendaring server with new features for improved security, remote and mobile access, compliance management, and unified messaging. Forefront Security for Exchange Server helps provide advanced protection against viruses, worms and spam, and is the first product available under the recently announced Microsoft Forefront brand for business security products.
Exchange Server 2007 beta 2 is available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/beta2, and Forefront Security for Exchange Server beta can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/serversecurity/exchange/download-beta.mspx.
“Today we enter the home stretch of delivering an unparalleled messaging solution, providing our customers with a cost-effective way to meet their most challenging messaging needs including compliance management and protection against constantly evolving security threats,” said Dave Thompson, corporate vice president of the Exchange Business Unit at Microsoft. “In conjunction with Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange will provide our customers with the advanced anti-virus and anti-spam protection needed in today’s world.”

Exchange Server 2007
The feature-complete Exchange Server 2007 beta 2 is a milestone toward general product availability scheduled for late 2006 or early 2007. This version of Exchange Server includes several new enhancements, including advanced built-in protection to improve e-mail reliability, management tools that help reduce the cost of running messaging environments, new mobility features, and unified messaging capabilities.
Exchange Server 2007 beta 2 delivers the following:
• Built-in protective technologies enable confidential business communications while helping to meet compliance regulations.
• Increased productivity for employees is enabled by anywhere access to e-mail, voice mail, calendars and contacts from a variety of clients and devices.
• New levels of operational efficiency are possible through capabilities that optimize hardware and networking investments and features that help increase productivity for administrators.
As part of Microsoft’s global efforts, Exchange Server 2007 will support 11 languages, including new support for Brazilian Portuguese and Russian. Language support in Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access has also been increased; its support for 47 languages is nearly double that previously offered.


Forefront Security for Exchange Server
Forefront Security for Exchange Server is the next generation of Microsoft Antigen for Exchange, which was released to market in early June. Forefront Security for Exchange Server integrates with Exchange Server 2007 to provide advanced protection, optimized performance and centralized management, helping customers deploy and maintain a secure messaging environment.
The Forefront Security for Exchange Server beta delivers the following:
• Advanced protection against viruses, worms, phishing and other threats by utilizing up to five anti-virus engines simultaneously at each layer of the messaging infrastructure
• Optimized performance through coordinated scanning across edge, hub and mail servers and features such as in-memory scanning, multithreaded scanning processes and performance bias settings
• Centralized management of remote installation, engine and signature updating, reporting and alerts through the Forefront Server Security Management Console
“We are evaluating Exchange Server 2007 for its unified messaging, built-in security, and management capabilities, and we are simultaneously evaluating the new Forefront for Exchange Server product to provide the critical layer of security and protection from viruses and spam.” said Brandt Faatz, executive director of End-User Services, Hewlett-Packard IT.


Product Availability
General availability for Exchange Server 2007 and Forefront Security for Exchange Server is scheduled for late 2006 or early 2007. Both products will be available through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing program and worldwide partner channel. Forefront Security for Exchange Server will be available as a stand-alone product or as part of the Exchange Enterprise Client Access License package. More information about Exchange Server 2007 can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/preview/default.mspx. Additional information about Forefront Security for Exchange Server can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/forefront.

Oracle Certifies New Release Of PeopleTools With Oracle Fusion Middleware

Oracle today announced the general availability of Oracle's PeopleTools 8.48, the latest version of the PeopleSoft Enterprise development tool that enables PeopleSoft customers to develop, deploy and maintain their PeopleSoft Enterprise applications. Additionally, Oracle continues to invest in the PeopleSoft products by certifying PeopleTools with Oracle(r) Fusion Middleware, Oracle's family of world-class middleware products, to help customers extend the business value of their current investments and facilitate an upgrade to Oracle Fusion Applications, if a customer chooses to do so.
PeopleTools 8.48 provides customers with an expanded ability to adopt a service oriented architecture (SOA) and also allows customers to create and natively support Web services and integrate legacy or custom applications with PeopleSoft Enterprise applications. New Web services functionality, including PeopleTools Service Designer, coupled with PeopleTools Integration Broker, will help lower costs, make it easier to integrate with PeopleSoft applications and simplify the creation and deployment of Web services. For example, by offering wizard driven configuration and deployment, PeopleSoft customers can rapidly develop and deploy Web services for use within a SOA. Services published from PeopleTools Service Designer and Integration Broker can be consumed by Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL Process Manager for Enterprise Web Services Orchestration and Business Process Automation. Further, Pagelets and Services published from PeopleTools can also be integrated into Oracle Fusion Middleware Enterprise Portal to provide a single point of access to all enterprise applications.

Also new in PeopleTools 8.48 is PeopleSoft Change Impact Analyzer, an analysis workbench that allows users to interactively explore and understand impacts before taking patches or making changes to their applications. This tool helps significantly reduce the amount of time spent on identifying and understanding the impact of a particular change will have to an application. PeopleSoft Change Impact Analyzer can be leveraged in conjunction with PeopleSoft Change Assistant, the standard set of tools for applying system updates and easing upgrades.

By expanding upon existing integration of PeopleTools with Oracle Fusion Middleware, PeopleSoft customers can leverage new functionality such as Oracle XML Publisher. Now embedded in PeopleTools, Oracle XML Publisher augments PeopleSoft reporting technologies and offers end users more options for customized reports. Oracle XML Publisher enables end users to create reports, letters, invoices, checks and fill out government forms through standard desktop tools such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat, generating multiple output formats such as PDF, HTML, RTF, EFT and EDI.

With the latest release of PeopleTools, customers can also extend the value of their PeopleSoft investments with improved visual compare and merge and increased platform support. Visual merge offers the ability to see where you have applied customizations, and with this additional functionality, users are able to merge changes automatically as they choose to upgrade. Oracle is committed to supporting a broad range of platforms for PeopleSoft customers. PeopleTools 8.48 has expanded support for SQL Server 2005, Linux on IBM zSeries for PeopleTools Application Engine and PeopleTools Process Scheduler and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.

"Oracle continues to deliver on their commitment to extend our PeopleSoft Enterprise investments," said Tyler Best, CIO, Vanguard Car Rental USA Inc., operator of the National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands. "With new reporting, enhanced upgrade capabilities and Web services functionality coupled with the certification with Oracle Fusion Middleware, we can be satisfied that our investments will continue to be supported to Fusion and beyond."

Availability
PeopleTools 8.48 is available now at no cost with standard maintenance and additional items including XML Publisher have a limited use license.

About Oracle Fusion Middleware
The company's comprehensive, standards-based family of middleware products, Oracle Fusion Middleware enables customers to adopt and manage service-oriented architectures (SOA) in heterogeneous computing environments. Oracle Fusion Middleware is now used by more than 30,000 customers - representing over 35 of the world's 50 largest companies and more than 750 of the BusinessWeek Global 1000. Oracle Fusion Middleware customers include leading organizations in the Financial Services, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Retail, Pharmaceuticals, Health Care and Public Sector industries. Oracle Fusion Middleware is also supported by 7,500 partners with more than 500 new ISVs, and hundreds of new VARs adopting the product over the past year.

About Oracle
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world's largest enterprise software company. For more information about Oracle, please visit the Web site at http://www.oracle.com

MSFT: Microsoft Completes Acquisition of Softricity

Microsoft Corp. today announced it has completed the acquisition of Softricity Inc., a leading provider of application virtualization and dynamic streaming technologies. Virtualization is a key technology for reducing the cost and complexity of IT management, and the addition of Softricity is another step in Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to make virtualization more broadly accessible and affordable for customers. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Originally announced on May 22, the acquisition of Softricity helps Microsoft customers reduce costly application management processes, accelerate application and operating system deployments, and create a foundation for a software services infrastructure. Softricity’s application virtualization technology can help significantly reduce the amount of application compatibility testing typically needed when deploying new applications, upgrades and patches. Applications are served centrally and delivered directly to the user’s desktop in an isolated, virtualized image, minimizing application-related alterations to the operating system and compatibility challenges with other applications.

Combined with Softricity’s software streaming functionality, virtualized applications can be dynamically sent over the network, effectively whenever and wherever a user needs them. The approach creates the option of a centrally managed software service in which applications are available when and where needed and are easily updated.

“With application virtualization and software streaming, Microsoft can now deliver virtualization at the application layer. This is an important part of Microsoft’s virtualization strategy across the platform, operating system, applications and management layers to help customers achieve self-managing dynamic systems,” said Bob Muglia, senior vice president of the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft. “Customers will now have access to new Microsoft® solutions to address application compatibility challenges, ease migration to Windows Vista™ and Windows Server®, code-named ‘Longhorn,’ and dynamically deliver application functionality.”

With the closing of this acquisition, Softricity becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, and integration of Softricity’s technologies into the Microsoft software delivery and engineering processes begins. Microsoft will soon make available the SoftGrid® application virtualization platform at a reduced price in the streamlined form of two core offerings: SoftGrid for Desktops and SoftGrid for Terminal Services. Both products will include the Softricity ZeroTouch™ Web-based access and self-service portal functionality. In addition, Microsoft’s Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 customers will be able to acquire Softricity’s SMS connector as a free download. Support for existing Softricity customers will continue uninterrupted via existing sales and services teams and partners. Microsoft will provide additional details on the delivery of Softricity offerings that support Windows Vista and Windows Server “Longhorn” at a later date.

IBM Extends Open Source Virtualization Solutions

Building upon the company's commitment to providing clients open solutions based on Linux and virtualization technologies, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced its extensive portfolio of middleware and systems platforms will support Novell's new SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 offerings. The new SUSE Linux Enterprise offerings incorporate the open source Xen™ virtualization software to help businesses increase server utilization and lower management costs.

IBM will support Xen technology as part of the Virtualization Engine portfolio on the company's Intel and Opteron processor based server and IBM BladeCenter systems. Additionally, IBM has plans to support SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 from Novell across its entire IBM systems hardware line and IBM middleware portfolio and provide services support.

Xen is an open source virtualization software that allows multiple operating systems to run concurrently on the same physical server, allowing customers to consolidate their current workloads onto a single server. Recent tests by Novell shows customers may have the ability to increase server utilization by nearly 70 percent, as well as help increase the efficiency of managing and provisioning Linux systems.

"This combination of SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 and Xen offers clients the most innovative open technology solution in the market today for running virtualized IT environments," said Scott Handy, vice president, Worldwide Linux and Open Source, IBM. "IBM is committed to Xen because we believe it is a powerful open source technology that will help accelerate a standard virtualization technology platform to enable high levels of simplicity across diverse platforms."

These announcements are the latest initiative in IBM's continuing strategy to embrace virtualization across its entire product portfolio. By 2007, IDC expects the virtualization market to reach $18 billion. Already, IBM offers products and services to help virtualize and manage more than 80 percent of a heterogeneous IT environment.

"IBM was an early supporter of the Xen project," said Ian Pratt, Xen project leader, University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, and founder of XenSource, the open source company leading Xen development. "Their contributions have spanned many parts of Xen to help us reach this latest milestone with Novell."

Jeff Jaffe, executive vice president and chief technology officer for Novell, said, "Novell is the first company to delivery fully supported Linux innovations like Xen virtualization technology. The combination of IBM's deep expertise with virtualization and our new distribution incorporating Xen is a powerful combination that can help clients reduce their total cost of ownership."

IBM will support Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 with Xen on its x86 and blade server systems immediately

FeedBurner Buys BlogBeat

FeedBurner.com, which syndicates Web postings for 200,000 publishers, said it has acquired blog analytics company BlogBeat.net for undisclosed terms.

FeedBurner manages managing headline syndication services and operates a growing Web site advertising network. The deal will allow the company to provide publishers with tools to better understand what headline feeds blog site visitors are reading.

Chicago-based FeedBurner, founded three years ago, said it has acquired the assets of BlogBeat, based in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. BlogBeat founder Jeff Turner has joined FeedBurner as its lead engineer for Web analytics.

FeedBurner has around 25 employees. It manages 346,000 syndicated feeds of blog posts, news stories, podcasts and other regularly updated Web information for 212,000 publishers, both large and small.

FeedBurner has received $10 million in funding to date from venture capital investors Portage Venture Partners, SutterHill, Union Square, Mobius and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

Juventus Relegated To Serie B, 30 Points Deduction

Juventus, Lazio, Fiorentina relegated

Juventus, Lazio, and Fiorentina were all relegated to Serie B on Friday after being found guilty of sporting fraud during the 2004/05 Serie A season.AC Milan were found guilty as well, but will remain in Serie A with a 15-point penalty to start the 2006/07 season. However, they will be banned from the Champions League

The three relegated clubs also received points penalties of differing severity on top of their demotion to the second tier of Italian football. Juventus were docked 30 points, Fiorentina 15 points, and Lazio seven points.

In addition, Juventus' Serie A championships from 2004/05 and 2005/06 have both been stripped and all four clubs have been banned from European competition for the 2006/07 season.

Milan were lucky to escape relegation. Juventus' 30-point penalty will make it near impossible to win promotion next season, ensuring that the Turin side are out of Serie A for at least two seasons to come.

Adobe Labs Releases Flex 2 Web 2.0 App JamJar

What is JamJar?
JamJar is a demonstration of a rich internet application built on Flex 2. It provides a graphical, private, persistent, and customizable canvas for small groups to easily exchange digital content.

Can the public use JamJar as a collaboration tool?
Yes. JamJar can be accessed by anyone with an Adobe ID (the same ID that is used by the Adobe Store and other services). Use of the service is free, funded by advertising. There are limits to how much any individual can use the service (see below) and bear in mind that this is an experimental technology that is subject to change. Please review the terms of use for a better understanding of use of this new technology.

How many people can I invite to a space?
With each JamJar space you can interact with up to 20 participants. Additionally, each registered user can decide to make one space a ‘public’ space which allows for open access to the space. When a space has been designated as ‘public’, it will have a space URL that can be posted to provide access to many individuals without inviting each and every person to that space. The checkbox for switching a space to a public space is in Connections Pod > Space Info.

How much content can I upload in a space?
Each JamJar space can hold up to 20 MB of content.

Are JamJar spaces really private?
JamJar was built so that by default the content of your JamJar spaces will not be searchable by internet search engines and can only be accessed by people that have been invited to the space. All password exchanges and file transfers that occur between a web browser and the JamJar servers are conducted over a secure line using industry standard SSL encryption.


If JamJar is secure, why does Firefox report that some content could be viewed by others?
JamJar is a secure web service that establishes an industry standard SSL connection for every session, including the log on process. The advertisements from Google are displayed in a separate frame within the browser window and these ads are not conveyed through a secure connection. Firefox detects this mixed environment and posts the correct alert notification.

How long can I keep shared content in my space?
Although JamJar is a technology demonstration, the JamJar team will strive to maintain the content of your space while the service is available on Adobe Labs. We intend to provide email communication with JamJar’s users when we become aware of changes that may result in your content being removed. Please be advised that you should always retain personal copies of all the content that is shared on a JamJar space to protect against unforeseen failures or changes to the environment.


Why are there ads in JamJar?
The Google Ads in JamJar allow Adobe to offer the service for free. Revenues generated from the ads help to pay for the server costs required to keep JamJar running. The content of the ads are driven by submitting the space title and space description as keywords to the Google ad engine. No other content is searched.


Can I get technical support for JamJar?
JamJar is a technology demonstration and no direct technical support is provided. However, there are a number of forums available from the Adobe Labs site, as well as, in-product information under the Help menu.


Can I use JamJar if I live outside of the United States?
Per the Terms of Use, the use of JamJar is intended for use in the United States. A valid Adobe ID, allows for access to JamJar from anywhere on the internet.


Are there other language versions available other than English?
At this time JamJar is only provided in English only.


What Flex 2 technologies does JamJar use?
JamJar uses both the Adobe Flex 2 UI framework as well as Flex Data Services (FDS). Within FDS, RPC services, the Flex Data Management Service, and Flex Message Service are used to talk to our persistence tier as well as our J2EE server app.


Can I build widgets for JamJar?
Although the widget architecture was designed with third-party extensibility in mind, we currently do not have a fully-developed 3rd party JamJar Widget SDK, nor do we have a process to test and deploy 3rd party widgets. We may add this capability in the future if developers show enough interest.

Get it here (http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/jamjar/)

Opera To Deliver Its Browsing Technology To IntAct IPTV Client

Opera Software today announced that IntAct, an Amino Technologies public limited company, will now sub-license Opera's Web browser technology as a part of its software stack. This pre-integration will enable IntAct-licensed set-top box (STB) manufacturers and operators to integrate the Opera browser into their products more rapidly and efficiently, cutting time-to-market and reducing cost.

As part of this sub-licensing agreement, IntAct will offer Opera-specific IP STB Software Development Kits (SDKs), allowing the Interactive TV development community to write a number of Interactive TV applications that leverage the benefits of the IntAct software stack with the Opera browser.

IntAct's software stack is already pre-integrated with the most popular middleware, conditional access and VOD servers, enabling a substantial reduction in time-to-market for OEMs, silicon providers, and network operators.

"Sublicensing Opera's Web browser technology means that customers can purchase a software stack that already contains the browser software along with a powerful tool which will allow them to integrate it easily with their customized UIs," says Karthik Ranjan, VP Sales and Marketing for IntAct. "Buyers can be confident that they are purchasing a proven solution; Opera's API has already been used to port Opera to millions of devices."

Opera's API is a feature-rich, high performance interface that allows developers to integrate Opera with their customized user interfaces and graphical toolkits.

"The combination of Opera and IntAct enables operators and set-top boxes manufacturers to deliver the most compelling end-user solutions to market more rapidly," commented Scott Hedrick, EVP Opera Software. "The IntAct solution including Opera provides an integrated software package enabling IPTV enhanced with full Web surfing and high performance Web application support."

Opera offers full web browsing and is a powerful execution environment for AJAX, Web applications and dynamic user interfaces. Additionally, Opera features its Extensible Rendering Architecture (ERA) to adjust Web content to suit any screen size and spatial navigation with any input device to easily navigate Web pages.

About IntAct
IntAct is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amino Technologies plc, and was established as a spin-off company in early 2006. IntAct licenses hardware designs and the IntAct™ IPTV software stack to operators, OEMs and semiconductor manufacturers, enabling them to supply IPTV set-top boxes and gateways for large scale deployments.

IntAct is one of the most widely deployed client software and management solutions for IPTV present in over 50 countries worldwide, with approximately 700,000 IntAct-enabled set-top boxes used by more than 500 companies in commercial deployments and trials.

For more information about IntAct visit www.intactos.com

About IntAct's software stack-Highly portable and can run across multiple STBs based on different CPU architectures (PowerPC, MIPS, ARM, x86, SHx, etc.)

-Supplied with the ability to remotely manage & control a variety of IP STBs on the network regardless of manufacturer.

-Flexible and allows operators to use either off the shelf User Interface Applications or develop their own UI through a variety of SDKs.

About Opera for Devices
Opera provides an optimized implementation of Internet technologies for handheld devices, digital TV and other devices, with innovative and powerful features that seamlessly adapt the Internet experience to suit varying screen sizes and input devices. In addition to being a full Internet browser, Opera is a high performance execution environment for Web applications and dynamic user interfaces based on interoperable open Web technologies such as AJAX. Read more

About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera's cross- platform Web browser technology is renowned for its small size, performance and standards-compliance, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.

SAP Misses Expectations; Shares Plunge

German software maker SAP missed analysts' expectations for licence sales, operating earnings and total sales in the second quarter, sending its shares down as much as 10 percent Thursday.

Shares of SAP (down $3.37 to $46.97) were down 7 percent in morning trading, by far the biggest decliner on Germany's blue-chip DAX index, which it helped to drag down by 2 percent.


SAP said sales of new software licenses rose 8 percent to 621 million euros ($790 million), missing all estimates in a Reuters poll of 24 analysts, whose forecasts averaged 675 million euros.
The world's biggest maker of business software held to its full-year targets, which include raising license sales - crucial for bringing in future lucrative maintenance and service contracts - by 15 to 17 percent

Merrill Lynch analysts had warned in a note earlier Thursday that's there were concerns that spending has dried up after recent profit warnings from Business Objects (BOBJ) and WebMethods (WEBM)

Overall, revenue is expected to rise 9% to 2.2 billion euros, the Walldorf, Germany-based software maker said. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had expected revenue of 2.29 billion euros for the Oracle Corp. (ORCL) archrival.

JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank

Feel scared of road-rage?. Fear no more since now you can buy a JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank.

Features:
Carries cargo or a crew of up to five internally or on the roof.
Piloted from within the armored shell or from an exposed standing position through the hatch.
6hp Tecumseh gasoline engine, top speed 40 mph.
Includes head/tail and turn signal lights, trim and underbody lighting.
400 watt premium sound with PA system, plush interior, and external camera.



Product Description
The JL421 Badonkadonk is a completely unique, extremely rare land vehicle and battle tank. Designed with versatility in mind, the Donk can transport cargo or a crew of five internally or on the roof, and can be piloted from within the armored shell or from an exposed standing position through the hatch, thanks to special one-way steel mesh armor windows and a control stick that pivots up and down to allow piloting from the standing or seated positions. The interior is fully carpeted and cozy, with accent lighting and room for up to five people. A 400 watt premium sound system with PA is mounted to project sound both into the cabin and outward from behind the windows. The exterior is a steel shell with a rust patina, and features head and tail lights, turn signal lights, trim lighting, underbody lighting, fixed slats protecting the windows, and a unique industrial-strength rubberized flexible skirt that shields and protects the wheels to within an inch of the ground, while still allowing for enough flex to give clearance over bumpy and uneven terrain. Master power, ignition, all lighting, and stereo features are controlled from a single switchboard to the left of the driver, again accessible from either the seated or standing position. Standard drive is an air-cooled, 6hp Tecumseh gasoline (unleaded only) engine, with centrifugal clutch, giving the Donk a top speed of 40 mph. This vehicle is not licensed for use on public roads, and is intended as a recreational vehicle only. Badonkadonks are produced on an order-by-order basis, with each one having it's own unique set of features. With your order is included unlimited consultations with the designer and manufacturer concerning all relevant options (a representative from NAO will contact you shortly after your order). Price does not include shipping and handling.

Buy it from Amazon

Yahoo and Microsoft Messengers Can Now Contact Each Other Directly

Users of the Yahoo and Microsoft instant messaging programs can now contact each other directly.
The two firms have released software that ties the two networks into a huge community of 350 million users.

The trial software allows people to swap text messages but will eventually let people talk to each other too.

The move marks a break with the past when operators of the big instant message systems resisted calls to open up their networks.

Read the rest here

Joanne Colan New RocketBoom Host

Rocketboom is back!!
Joanne Colan steps up as the new host of Rocketboom. In her debut episode she tries to trade her way to a house. Will she be as successful as Amanda Congdon?

Catch the action here

MSFT Office 2007: New Visuals

The 2007 Microsoft Office system has a new intuitive user interface

The Office branding is consistently and seamlessly interwoven through the 2007 Microsoft Office Suite appearing in the new packaging, wizard graphics, help-about dialogs and splash screens.

The fresh, new product icons are a reflection of the meticulous attention to detail used in this release as they visually complement the ribbon and the branding style while still helping users quickly locate an Office program.

Take a look at the new icons here

IBM Donates E-Learning Software Code To Sakai

IBM announced it has donated e-learning software code to the Sakai Project, a group of learning institutions creating and deploying open-source course management, collaboration and online research support tools for higher education. The donation is part of IBM's overall support of open computing in education. Last year, the company announced that it will allow royalty-free access to its patent portfolio for the development and implementation of selected open software standards for Web services, electronic forms and open document formats in education.

IBM developed the donated code exclusively for Sakai to enable the tracking of learning content and help Sakai better support universities that adopt its collaboration and learning environment (CLE). IBM will also contribute the expertise of a senior architect to help speed the development and growth of Sakai software and of open-computing communities in higher education.

IBM's code donation will enable teachers using the Sakai environment to track consistently the progress of their students using Sakai-based courseware. For students, the IBM code will allow more freedom in how they access distance and self-directed learning applications. Since the Sakai environment is on the Web, students can learn and track their progress while in class, at home or anywhere else where they have a device connected to the Internet.

"Sakai was created on the premises that open standards and open source solutions lower costs, increase interoperability and enhance flexibility," said Chuck Severance, PhD, Executive Director of the Sakai Foundation and Chief Architect of the Sakai Project at the University of Michigan. "This generous donation will help Sakai offer the most comprehensive and accessible open learning CLE framework in higher education. IBM has been one of the early and most aggressive leaders in supporting open source in the education industry and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them."

At the recent Sakai Conference in Vancouver, more than 70 percent of surveyed attendees reported that they were planning on deploying Sakai in pilot, expanding their existing implementation or putting Sakai into production at an enterprise level.

"Open-source software and open standards can revolutionize the applications and technology for learning, just as Linux, Apache and Eclipse have transformed and standardized infrastructure software," said Michael King, director of market development, IBM Global Education Industry. "We believe an open cycle of innovation that leverages common platforms such as the Sakai framework will become the model for developing and broadly deploying new solutions for educational institutions."

IBM's donation will make Sakai's CLE framework compliant with SCORM courseware standards. SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model. It provides specifications for producing learning content that is interoperable and can be easily shared and reused. SCORM-compliant code allows developers to create learning content once and then deliver, launch, and track the content in multiple environments without rewriting the code.


About Sakai
The Sakai Project, a landmark venture announced in January 2004 to create open-source course management, collaboration and online research support tools for the higher education community, involves more than 90 universities, colleges and institutions of learning around the world. The project, begun through a collaboration involving the University of Michigan, Indiana University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the Open Knowledge Initiative and the uPortal Project, and funded by the Mellon and Hewlett Foundations, released version 2.0 of its software in 2005. The Sakai Software has been deployed as the primary teaching and learning system at the University of Michigan, with over 35,000 users. It is in a full parallel year at Indiana University with deployment to 90,000. Major pilot projects and rollouts are underway at Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley, MIT, Rutgers, Yale, UC-Merced, University of South Africa, Universitat de Lleida (Spain), Roskilde Universitetscenter (Denmark), Universidade Fernando Pessoa (Portugal), and others. For more information, please visit www.sakaiproject.org. For more information about SCORM, please visit www.academiccolab.org/projects/scorm.html.

Bacteria Can Form Nanowires

Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have discovered that under certain conditions, some very common bacteria can form nanowires. These bacteria were able to produce nanowires as small as 10 nanometers in diameter, but which can reach hundreds of microns in length. What is interesting here is that these nanowires are electrically conductive ones. This means that bacteria could be used to build microbial fuel cells or bacteria-powered batteries

“Earth appears to be hard-wired,” said Gorby, staff scientist at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who documents the seeming ubiquity of electrically conductive microbial life in the July 10 advance online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Read the rest here

Zidane To Speak About Materazzi Tonight

Zinedine Zidane is expected to speak publicly for the first time on his controversial sending-off in the World Cup final.
The Frenchman has so far not commented on the red card he received for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi in extra time in Berlin on Sunday.
Having retired after the match, Zidane, 34, may feel uninhibited by FIFA's investigation and free to speak out.

Zune Is Microsoft Ipod Killer

The Microsoft device is part of a complete line of Xbox-branded digital-media products, including a device that plays media, a software media player and an online media service. The project is being referred to internally at Microsoft by the code name Argo.
Gizmodo, received a tip claiming that the Microsoft player was code-named Zune and said that it wasn’t likely to have gaming features. Engadget scored the first purported photo of the device, which features a vertically oriented 4:3 aspect screen and iPod-like controls and styling.

Zidane Materazzi Headbutt Hammer Style

So the variations have already started here is a MC Hammer Zidane Materazzi Headbutt

5 Books Every Developer Should Read

Which books should you read/buy when you are a programmer? I have listed 5 books that have helped me a lot. The books that I have chosen are not specific to any language although some of the books have examples in one language only. Design Patterns has examples in smalltalk and C++ but since the code is not very complicated you should have no problem converting it to your language of choice. I have included links to sample chapters for the books where I could find them. For some of the books I have also provided links to the author's site; some of them have additional material so that you can look at that. I have also provided Amazon links so that you can read reviews. All of these books are rated 4 stars or higher. I have also provided alternate books if I felt that there were more choices for the same subject

Design Patterns
This book is one of the seminal books on patterns in software development. If you are a professional software developer, you must read this. If you are learning to write good software, this is a book that you will need to take on at some point

Design Patterns Site


Code Complete
Code complete provides the reader with an insight into how
to write good and easy to understand code. You will come away from this book with an appreciation of the thought process that should go into writing every class, routine, comment etc...

Software development steps are outlined clearly. Pitfalls to avoid are discussed and rewards obtained from good code is explained. The author tells you what you need to know and most importantly why you need this information. If one applies the ideas in this book, I think you will be a better programmer.

Sample Chapter: Chapter 1: Welcome (pdf)
Sample Chapter: Chapter 5: Design in Construction (pdf)

Code Complete Author's Site



The Pragmatic Programmer
The pragmatic programmer provides invaluable advice to those who are just starting to program, and those who have been programing for years. By following the authors' simple rules you should have gained some programming wisdom that a programmer would realize in a decade.

Extracts from the book
The Preface
Software Entropy
Programming by Coincidence
Evil Wizards
Balance Resources
Summary of the book's tips
Contents



Refactoring
This book will change the way you think about and working with exisiting code. It'll teach you that changing/modifying software is a fact of life. Martin Fowler does a awesome job of describing how to improve the design of existing code by performing various refactorings. Various design patterns are mentioned throughout the text, that is another reason why the design patterns book is so important

Sample Chapter: Refactoring, a First Example


UML 2 and the Unified Process: Practical Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, 2nd Edition
UML has grown. A few years ago, when UML was just getting accepted, a book on how to use it would have been much thinner. But the successful broad uptake of UML led to its semantic notation being expanded. What the authors give us here is a thorough exposition of UML 2.0 and how to use it. It also goes into the Unified Process for running a project, and how this can be documented in UML


Sample Chapter: Relationships



And here are a couple of more choices instead of the books above
Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices
AntiPatterns
Prefactoring
Ajax in Action
Head First Design Patterns

IBM Delivers Lotus Notes for Linux PCs

IBM Delivers Lotus Notes for Linux PCs, First Leading Collaboration Environment for the Linux Desktop

IBM today announced the availability of IBM Lotus® Notes® on Linux®, the industry's first business-grade collaboration software to support Linux on the desktop. Lotus Notes on Linux now provides millions of Lotus Notes users worldwide with software that enables an open desktop alternative to proprietary desktop operating systems.

The openness and flexibility of the Linux desktop combined with widespread availability of server software running on Linux has increased demand for tested and market-proven, desktop applications such as Lotus Notes. For the first time, IBM is delivering business-grade e-mail, group scheduling and thousands of high-value Notes applications that run on the Linux desktop. Combined with server support for Intel and mainframe Linux, IBM now offers end-to-end support for Linux on the Lotus Notes® and Domino® 7 collaboration platform.

According to a recent Evans Data Corporation survey of 400 developers who have worked or are currently working with Open Source software, Linux is expected to surpass Windows as the primary operating system for developing applications. With today's announcement, customers will be able to take advantage of the same security, flexibility and reliability benefits on the desktop now obtained by running Linux on the server. Linux is easy to install and configure on the desktop and will help Lotus Notes users integrate a wide array of software applications that are available for no charge or at a low cost from a variety of Business Partners and independent software vendors (ISVs).

IBM Lotus Notes on Linux is also a significant development for small and medium sized businesses (SMB). Since many SMBs and start-ups have the opportunity to start fresh without incumbent infrastructures in place, the Linux environment is a particularly appealing option from a flexibility and cost standpoint. In addition, Lotus Notes applications are available to solve a wide range of business challenges, from help desk operations to business process workflow. The ability to run Lotus Notes on Linux provides SMBs with an enterprise-level collaboration environment that can scale to fit their needs.

Delivery of Lotus Notes on Linux Desktop Expands Scope of 'Migrate to the Penguin' Rewards

In addition to addressing Linux customer demand, the arrival of Lotus Notes on Linux presents a new level of opportunity for the hundreds of IBM Business Partners who implement Linux e-mail and collaboration, and develop Linux-based applications. The 'Migrate to the Penguin' initiative offers Business Partners up to $20,000 for migrating customers from Microsoft Exchange to IBM Lotus Notes and Domino on Linux desktop.

"IBM Lotus Notes on Linux lends credibility to our mission of delivering open-based technology to customers," said Avinash Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Birlasoft. "Our practice helps IBM customers take advantage of this open world by securing the porting and testing of current applications safely so they work across a variety of platforms. IBM's use of the Eclipse framework as a client development platform brings significant value to our customers and it allows us to create customized solutions efficiently and cost-effectively."

As of today, the expanding base of Linux users will be able to run Lotus Notes 7 on Linux. The underlying Eclipse technology is also being used in the upcoming version of Lotus Notes, code-named 'Hannover.' The open-source Eclipse platform enables vendors to write desktop software that works across operating systems, without the extra work of recoding, and is the same technology being used by the IBM Lotus Sametime client.

Linux users can now experience the Lotus Notes 7 collaboration platform which includes more than 100 new and existing features to help manage an increasing volume of information and work more efficiently. These features include:

-- Enterprise-Level Messaging System -- Designed to be the most open and
interoperable enterprise collaboration platform on the market. This release
offers customers the greatest choice in collaboration architecture.
-- Rich Calendaring and Scheduling System -- Includes centralized
management of conference rooms and meeting resources such as audio-visual
equipment.
-- Expanded Mobile Support -- Increased support available for the mobile
user by providing the same offline capabilities as Windows.


IBM Lotus Notes on Linux is now available as part of version 7 and supports Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, Update 3. Support for Novell SUSE Linux Desktop for Enterprise 10 is expected to be available for delivery to customers within approximately 90 days from Novell SuSE Linux Desktop 10 availability. Current Lotus Notes licensed users can run their existing licenses on Linux desktop.

Robert Scoble’s Last Interview At Microsoft

Channel 9 has posted Robert Scoble's Channel 9 Exit Interview

Check it out here (http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=213207)

Robert Scoble’s blog URL has changed and now it can be found here (http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/)

Zidane Materazzi Headbutt

Here is the YouTube Zidane Materazzi Headbutt Video



It looks like Materazzi said something really nasty to Zidane and Zidane just wasted him

Intel To Have 32 Cores By 2010

Five years ago, Intel envisioned processors running at 20 GHz by the end of this decade. Today we know that the future will look different. CPUs will sacrifice clock speed over core count: The "Gulftown" processor, Intel's first "many core" CPU, will run at only two thirds of the clock speed of today's fastest Xeon CPU - but achieve 15x the performance, thanks to 32 cores.

"Dual-core" is a term Intel never really warmed up to. In fact, two cores per processor is just the first step on a ladder of increasing core counts that, as we believe today, will lead the microprocessor industry into another period of growth. Instead of promoting "dual-core", Intel typically talks about "multi-core" - a term the company internally refers to as project "Kevet" - and explains the press and analysts that "many-cores" - processors that potentially could hold "dozens of cores" - will be available sometime in the future.

Read the rest here

Opera Looking For Developer Input For Opera 10

After the successful release of Opera 9 and its record number of downloads, Opera is moving right along with the next version of the browser.

Opera, this week, will be working on the initial product roadmap for the next version of the desktop browser, and is looking to its users for input. In particular, Opera is looking to prioritize what features Opera users, especially web developers, are craving.

Operawatch has asked the question and almost 400 people have responded.
Here are some of the things that people want in the next version of Opera

Update Manager
Something similar to Places (in Minefield)
Feed Manager similar to Flock (Flock’s builds on Safari’s)
Option to increase only Text Size (via Site Prefs)
Improve Search Plugin Manager (Move them up and down, try Search Engine Ordering Extension for Firefox)
Build on Site Preferences (make every option such as Page Zoom Site Specific)
This may not be possible, but add a cooler icon or just make the O look better.
Ability to subscribe to Filter Lists in Content Blocker
Resizable Search Box
Doing something with favicons (It’s annoying when you use all your favicons for the Bookmarks and Search Plugins just because you cleared your Cache)
Easter Eggs
New Password Saving Feature described by Myk Melez here
http://www.melez.com/mykzilla/2006/02/improving-firefox-password-saving.html
Similar to “I’m Feeling Lucky” in the Address Bar.
Animation when you create or close or reorder tabs.
Something similar to Live Bookmark and Microsummaries (to quickly just glance at the news)

read the rest here

France Italy, Italy Is FIFA Soccer World Champion

France Italy 1-1
Zinedine Zidane scores in the 6th minute from the penalty spot, the ball hits the crossbar but goes in.
Materazzi scores in the 19th minute from a corner kick

Italy Is World Champion

Italy Is World Champion, they win after penalty kicks

Halo 3 Coming November 30th?

BestBuy and FutureShop are taking pre-orders for Halo 3
From the Best Buy site:

Halo 3 (XBOX 360)

Releases 30 Nov/07. A world in need of a hero. A mystery to unravel. In a time when the world needs him most, one man will step to the forefront to take his place in history.

Product Features
Action, adventure, suspense! What does this all mean?

We haven’t the slightest idea. Really - Bungie and Microsoft aren’t saying a word. At this point you’re either in or you’re out anyway.

Product Details

Web Code: 10075735
Mfr. Part Number: N/A
Instruction Manual Language English/French
Operating Language English


check out the details at BestBuy and FutureShop

Tech Words Added to Dictionaries

On Thursday, Merriam-Webster announced its latest update, and the new science and technology words added to the venerable dictionary include agritourism, biodiesel, mouse potato, ringtone and spyware.

And google is defined as a transitive verb meaning "to use the Google search engine to obtain information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web." While the entry retains capitalization in explaining the word's etymology--"Google, trademark for a search engine"--the verb google is lowercase.


The venerable Merriam-Webster dictionary got an update Thursday. The new words and senses, currently available online, will be included in the 2006 version of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, due out this fall. Here are some technology and science highlights. The year notes the first known usage of the term.

avian influenza (n) 1980: a highly variable mild to fulminant influenza of birds that is caused by strains of the influenza A virus which may mutate and be transmitted to other vertebrates--called also "bird flu"

biodiesel (n) 1986: a fuel that is similar to diesel fuel and is derived from usu. vegetable sources (as soybean oil)

google (vt) 2001: to use the Google search engine to obtain information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web

manga (n) 1951: a Japanese comic book or graphic novel

mouse potato (n) 1993 slang: a person who spends a great deal of time using a computer

ringtone (n) 1983: the sound made by a cell phone to signal an incoming call

spyware (n) 1994: software that is installed in a computer without the user's knowledge and transmits information about the user's computer activities over the Internet

text messaging (n) 1982: the sending of short text messages electronically esp. from one cell phone to another

wave pool (n) 1977: a large swimming pool equipped with a machine for making waves



The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), which released its update June 15, also added Google as a verb, but it retained the capitalization. The OED also included a wide range of both quirky and commonplace tech terms that Merriam-Webster has not yet deemed dictionary worthy.


On June 15, the Oxford English Dictionary released a list of new entries added to the OED Online. Some tech highlights:

adware, n.
Biosteel, n.
chip and PIN, n.
codec, n.
cybrarian, n.
cybrary, n.
digicam, n.
geocaching, n.
Google, v.
hacktivism, n.
mash-up, n.
mesohyl, n.
nanobot, n.
pixelate, v.
rewriteable, adj.
screenable, n.
self-storage, n.
texting, n.
text message, v.
uninstall, v.

Ajax Design Patterns Book

O'Reilly has published their latest Ajax book: Ajax Design Patterns

This handy reference reveals how Ajax patterns can vastly improve your web development projects. It does so by investigating how others have successfully dealt with conflicting design principles, and then relaying that information directly to you. Includes sections on foundational technology patterns, programming patterns, functionality and usability patterns, and diagnosis/testing of Ajax applications.
Full Description

Ajax, or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, exploded onto the
scene in the spring of 2005 and remains the hottest story among web
developers. With its rich combination of technologies, Ajax provides a
strong foundation for creating interactive web applications with XML or
JSON-based web services by using JavaScript in the browser to process
the web server response.


Ajax Design Patterns shows you best
practices that can dramatically improve your web development projects.
It investigates how others have successfully dealt with conflicting
design principles in the past and then relays that information
directly to you.


The patterns outlined in the book fall into four
categories:


Foundational technology: Examines the raw technologies
required for Ajax development

Programming: Exposes techniques that developers have
discovered to ensure their Ajax applications are maintainable

Functionality and usability: Describes the types of user
interfaces you'll come across in Ajax applications, as well as the new
types of functionality that Ajax makes possible

Development: Explains the process being used to monitor,
debug, and test Ajax applications


Ajax Design Patterns will also get you up
to speed with core Ajax technologies, such as XMLHttpRequest, the DOM, and JSON.
Technical discussions are followed by code examples so you can see for
yourself just what is-and isn't-possible with Ajax. This handy
reference will help you to produce high-quality Ajax architectures,
streamline web application performance, and improve the user
experience.


Table of Contents

1. Introducing Ajax
Ajax and the Usable Web
The Rise of Ajax
Ajaxifying the Web: The Story of Portals
Webifying the Desktop: The Story of Office Applications
Characteristics of Ajax Applications
The Ajax Technologies
Anatomy of a Server Call
Ajax Trends
Conclusions

2. A Pattern-Led Tutorial
Ajax Technologies in a Blink
Ajaxifying a Web App: One Pattern at a Time
Projects and Katas
Conclusions

3. Ajax Design: Principles and Patterns
Desirable Attributes of Ajax Applications
Designing for Ajax
Ajax Patterns Overview
Anatomy of a Pattern
Ajax Patterns Demos
Conclusions


Part Two. Foundational Technology Patterns

4. Ajax App
Ajax App

5. Display Manipulation
Display Morphing
Page Rearrangement

6. Web Remoting
Web Service
XMLHttpRequest Call
IFrame Call
HTTP Streaming
On-Demand JavaScript

7. Dynamic Behavior
User Action
Scheduling

8. Extended Technologies
Richer Plugin


Part Three. Programming Patterns

9. Web Services
RESTful Service
RPC Service
Ajax Stub
HTML Message
Plain-Text Message
XML Message
JSON Message

10. Browser-Server Dialogue
Call Tracking
Periodic Refresh
Submission Throttling
Explicit Submission
Distributed Events
Cross-Domain Proxy

11. DOM Population
XML Data Island
Browser-Side XSLT
Browser-Side Templating

12. Code Generation and Reuse
Server-Side Code Generation
Cross-Browser Component

13. Performance Optimization
Browser-Side Cache
Predictive Fetch
Guesstimate
Multi-Stage Download
Fat Client


Part Four. Functionality and Usability Patterns

14. Widgets
Slider
Progress Indicator
Drilldown
Data Grid
Rich Text Editor
Suggestion
Live Search
Live Command-Line
Live Form

15. Page Architecture
Drag-And-Drop
Sprite
Popup
Malleable Content
Microlink
Portlet
Status Area
Update Control
Virtual Workspace

16. Visual Effects
One-Second Spotlight
One-Second Mutation
One-Second Motion
Highlight

17. Functionality
Lazy Registration
Direct Login
Host-Proof Hosting
Timeout
Heartbeat
Unique URLs

Part Five. Development Patterns

18. Diagnosis
Logging
Debugging
DOM Inspection
Traffic Sniffing

19. Testing
Simulation Service
Browser-Side Test
Service Test
System Test

Part Six. Appendixes
A. Ajax Frameworks and Libraries
B. Setting Up the Code Examples
C. Patterns and Pattern Languages
D. References

Download sample chapter 10 (Browser-Server Dialogue)

The Amazon link is here if you are interested in this book

Rocketboom Replacement For Amanda Congdon Announced

Internet cutie pie Amanda Congdon has left as host of popular video blog Rocketboom. That's the bad news.

The good news: There is a replacement warmed up and ready to go, for a perfectly seamless transition.

Check it out here

Opera 9 Available For Ubuntu (Easy Download And Installation )

Ubuntu Makes Opera 9 available for easy download and installation
After the launch of Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, Canonical is pleased to announce the availability of Opera 9 for Ubuntu. With just a few clicks of the mouse, all Ubuntu users can download and install the latest version of the Opera browser, which was released to critical acclaim on June 20.

With its innovative technology and ease of use, Opera is a perfect match for Ubuntu. The two organizations have similar beliefs and values that are woven into their products.

"Opera 9 provides the most advanced browsing experience on Linux today," said Håkon Wium Lie, CTO, Opera Software and long-time Ubuntu user. "We've had a Linux browser for a long time, but Opera 9 includes new optimizations specifically for the platform. I think Ubuntu users will like how easy it is to install Opera. It gives me yet another reason to love Ubuntu."

"As a part of our programme to deliver a choice of the very best applications available, we have worked closely with the Opera team, and are able to make the very latest version immediately," said Malcolm Yates, Partner and ISV Manager at Canonical Ltd. "With a few easy clicks from the Ubuntu desktop, all Ubuntu 6.06 LTS users can install Opera 9."

By using the Ubuntu Add / Remove Programs feature, users can choose to install a wide variety of applications. This announcement continues the drive to ensure Ubuntu gives real choice and real flexibility as well as an easy to use interface that everyone can use.

Ubuntu users can learn more about what the Opera browser can do at
http://www.opera.com/features.


About Ubuntu
Since its launch in October 2004, Ubuntu has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions, with millions distributed and in use around the world. Ubuntu will always be free, and will not have restrictive licenses associated with it. With these goals in mind at all times, Ubuntu aims at being the most widely used of all Linux systems, and is the centre of a global open source software ecosystem. Read more about Ubuntu at http://www.ubuntu.com.

The latest version can be downloaded at http://www.ubuntu.com/download/.