Technology News: Developer

Yahoo Lets FOSS Community Drive Its Traffic Server
November 04, 2009

In a move that resembles a major food vendor giving away its prize recipe -- minus the secret sauce -- to all of its customers and competitors, Yahoo on Monday donated the source code for its Traffic Server software to the Apache Software Foundation through the Apache Incubator Project.

Firefox 3.6 Tweaks Are Mostly Under the Hood
November 03, 2009

Promising faster performance and a bevy of new features, Mozilla on Friday released the first beta version of its Firefox 3.6 browser. Built on the Gecko 1.9.2 Web rendering engine, the new version contains numerous improvements for developers and users, Mozilla said, including support for what it calls "personas," improved responsiveness and faster startup time.

Frankencamera Could Herald a New Digital Photography Era
October 20, 2009

There's a pieced-together monster shaking up the campus of Stanford University this fall, and it's named after the legendary, lumbering creature that Halloween nightmares are made of. It's the Frankencamera, and it's here to change the way digital photography is done.

An Autumnal Tour of Linux Workshops
October 08, 2009

As the days get shorter and temperatures get cooler here in the northern hemisphere, it's clear Linux geeks' thoughts have begun to turn to the many delights of the season. Yes, there are pumpkins, hay rides and apple pie aplenty as October wears on, but for real Linux geeks, one of the keenest joys of the season lies elsewhere.

Google Lashes Out at Android Dev
September 29, 2009

Google sent shock waves through the Android community late last week by launching a cease-and-desist order at well-regarded modder Cyanogen for bundling some of its closed-source applications with his CyanogenMod ROM. CyanogenMod is a free, heavily optimized build of Android 1.5r2 that focuses on performance and reliability.

Fat or Fit? The Penguin's Bulging Waistline
September 28, 2009

"The kernel is huge and bloated," said none other than Linus Torvalds during a panel at LinuxCon, triggering a discussion that's still generating heat in the blogosphere. Every time a new feature gets added, the problem gets worse, he reportedly said. It is "frightening that thousands of lines of kernel code are changing daily," said blogger Robert Pogson, but "it works."

Should Operating Systems Be Intuitive?
September 24, 2009

Should computers be intuitive, requiring little to no learning or thinking? For that matter, is it even possible for them to be so? "Nothing is intuitive," said Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack told LinuxInsider. "Think about it: We have to be taught to use a toilet, how to use a fork and how to drive. Why do we expect computers to be some magic thing that does not have a learning curve?"

Linpus Hones Moblin-Based Linux Lite
September 23, 2009

Linpus Technologies on Tuesday released Linpus Linux Lite 1.2, a new version of its consumer Linux software based on Moblin version 2 that's been enhanced with improved social networking applications and power management capabilities. The first version of the Moblin v2-based technology was released earlier this year.

GroundWork Cuts Ribbon on MonitoringForge
September 16, 2009

GroundWork Open Source, a provider of commercial open source systems and network management software, has launched MonitoringForge, a hub for IT administrators and developers interested in open source monitoring tools. The new site aims to encompass the monitoring space as a whole, as opposed to focusing on specific products or applications.

Trade-Offs, Evolution and the Truth About Mobile Phone Development
August 25, 2009

It has been said that a great user experience in mobile phone offerings is a combination of good engineering, marketing and graphical and user interface design. More importantly, it is about keeping the balance between all these elements. This is why the term "trade-off" is a recurrent one in the mobile phone industry.

The Joy of Linux Myth Debunking
August 24, 2009

Debunking long-held myths is always a gratifying exercise, but never is that more true than when said myths have done our favorite operating system harm. It was with great glee, then, that Linux Girl came across not one but two myth-debunking conversations on the blogs in recent days.

Democratization of Data: Mass. Shares Transit Info
August 19, 2009

Massachusetts is planning to "democratize the data" behind its public transportation network. It's providing software developers with all the coding and background data they will need to develop iPhone applications and other high-tech aids incorporating MBTA subway, bus, train and regional transit information.

Google Gives Chrome Users Bookmarks to Go
August 18, 2009

Google on Tuesday announced a new feature that will let users of its Chrome browser sync bookmarks on multiple computers. Announced only a few weeks after its developers began working on the project, sync is yet another round fired in a browser war that appears to be drawing in even more players. However, it has also drawn some early criticism.

VMware Laps Up SpringSource
August 11, 2009

VMware is acquiring SpringSource, an enterprise and Web application development and management company, to eventually build out a Platform as a Service offering. Under the terms of the agreement, VMware will pay approximately $362 million in cash and equity, and it will assume approximately $58 million of unvested stock and options.

On Bugs, Viruses, Malware and Linux
August 10, 2009

Among all the reasons geeks choose Linux, security is often near the top of the list. And no wonder -- personal preferences aside on all the other many relevant issues, there's plenty of evidence to suggest our favorite operating system really is more impervious.

Speculation Sizzles Over Google's On2 Buy
August 06, 2009

Google will be acquiring video compression technology provider On2 Technologies in a stock deal valued at $106.5 million. The deal, which requires On2 shareholder and regulatory approval, is expected to close in Q4. Speculation over Google's plans for the On2 technology is rampant.