Linux News: Development

The Early Stats on IE9
March 20, 2010

In the first series of comprehensive performance tests comparing Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 technical preview, released last week, to stable Web browsers in current use today, Betanews confirmed superb speed gains by the IE9 chassis in specific categories. Not everything in the new IE9 was faster than IE8.

Dev Hacks Emulator to Pick WinPho7's Brain
March 19, 2010

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series emulator has been cracked. Windows Mobile Developer Dan Ardelean, who works out of Italy, announced Friday that he had hacked into the emulator, which allows users to run the WinPho7 platform on a full-sized computer. Microsoft had unveiled the emulator and other products, including Internet Explorer 9, this week at MIX10, Redmond's conference for Web designers and developers.

Rethinking Failsafes for Critical Linux Systems
March 19, 2010

The Linux operating system is highly compatible with two hot computing trends: virtualization and cloud computing. Just as the 2001-2002 recession helped usher in Linux as a mainstream solution, virtualization may accelerate Linux usage during and after the current recession. Linux already has a powerful presence in the database and ERP realms.

Managing Enterprise App Performance With an Iron Fist
March 18, 2010

Aberdeen surveyed over 100 organizations between December 2009 and February of 2010 to identify the best practices enterprises are using that improve application performance management solutions' impact on end-user productivity and the business benefits of a "lifecycle" approach to application performance management.

A Tale of 20 Interns, 1 Project and 1 Fiery 'Mythical Man-Month' Debate
March 18, 2010

Few geeks are unfamiliar with the concept of the Mythical Man-Month from Fred Brooks' classic software engineering tome by the same name. It's a classic for good reason, which is probably why the debate has been so intense in the past week over a high-profile example that some say refutes it.

Microsoft Gives Devs a Glimpse of HTML 5-Friendly IE9
March 17, 2010

The newest version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer will feature full hardware acceleration and a new Javascript engine that engages multiple processor cores for faster rendering, the company has announced. The new version aso reverses the software giant's reluctance to adapt to HTML 5.

Mobile App Devs and the Quest for Cash
March 17, 2010

Everyone seems to be getting into the mobile app game -- but is anyone actually making any money doing it? While it may happen, it's rare that lone programmers sitting at home design apps that sell by the millions through Apple's iPhone App Store or the like -- but there is more than one way to make money.

Sniffing Out an HTML5 Conspiracy
March 14, 2010

Should the next version of HTML, the Web standard that embodies how pages are laid out and constructed, include explicit specifications for inline, 2-D dynamic graphics? There's valid arguments on both sides. One side believes that the ability to plot charts and animations would have been part of the original HTML standard anyway, had the technology existed on the back end in the beginning.

EFF Knocks Apple for Dumping on Devs
March 10, 2010

The first rule of Apple's App Club is: You do not talk about App Club. Any developer who writes an app for the App Store is forbidden from making any public statements about the iPhone Developer Program Licensing Agreement. Second rule of App Club is: Said developers also can't sell their apps to other app stores, even if that app is eventually rejected by Apple.

Tools for Putting Web Apps to the Cross-Browser Test
February 26, 2010

Web-based applications and cloud computing have presented new challenges for software developers. Most software makers are by no means tone-deaf to user concerns about security and usability issues, but even those software writers who are receptive to these worries must contend with hard-to-plug holes that can open up in cross-platform programs such as Web browsers.

Opera Hits Some Unexpected High Notes With New Beta
February 20, 2010

Recently we saw yet another daily build of what Opera Software was calling its "pre-alpha" of the Opera 10.5 Web browser, a product that the company certainly wanted folks to test, even though they were warned it wasn't even ready for daily use. With various software publishers' development schedules being organized so differently from one another, it's difficult enough distinguishing "previews" from "alpha previews."

Mobile Enterprise Strategies: We're All in This Together
February 18, 2010

As organizations enter 2010, it is no longer sufficient to simply provide mobile devices to employees and expect concrete business value to somehow magically appear. With the emergence of new mobile platforms, IT and operations departments are under intense pressure to support the business benefits of enterprise mobility.

Web Data Services in the Real World
February 14, 2010

Today, we examine a fascinating use-case for Web data services with Deutsche Borse Group in Frankfurt, Germany. An innovative information service recently created there highlights how real-time content and data assembled from various online sources scattered across the Web provides a valuable analysis service.

What Dreams May Come With Google's Super-Speedy Network?
February 11, 2010

What will developers and users do with Google's planned ultra high-speed broadband network? Google's answer can be summed up in four words: We don't know yet. "If the Internet has taught us anything, it's that the most important innovations are often those we least expect," Google spokesperson Dan Martin told TechNewsWorld.

Can't We All Just Get Along? Post-Merger IT Integration
February 04, 2010

Enterprises that have merged with or acquired the systems and assets of another company know how difficult it is to combine disparate systems -- platforms, databases and software solutions -- with its existing infrastructure. Mergers can be very disruptive, especially if the companies have standardized on differing platforms, protocols and encryption methods.

Windows Azure Graduates Into the Commercial World
February 01, 2010

Following a month of testing at no cost to customers, Microsoft's Windows Azure platform will become a paid service on Monday. The Azure platform is a set of cloud computing services that can be used together or independently on a pay-per-use basis. Originally unveiled in October 2008, the service has been free for customers during the month of January.