NEW PRODUCTS
SilkPerformer CloudBurst brings Micro Focus’ load-testing capability to the cloud. The testing software also introduces a new load-testing technology called Browser Driven Load Testing, which the company says reduces scripting time and maintenance, and more accurately emulates end-user loads on Web 2.0 applications.
CodeCompare is a free code-comparison tool being offered by Devart. CodeCompare integrates into Visual Studio and lets developers handle code-merging within the IDE. Links between text blocks help developers find changes easily; merging can be done even during debugging. The tool works with any version control system that supports external comparators.
Qualcomm plans to offer an augmented-reality platform and SDK to enable vision-based augmented-reality applications. Initially available for Android devices, Qualcomm’s augmented-reality platform will let developers build applications that merge reality and cyberspace. The SDK will be made available at no charge to developers for use in the development and distribution of commercial applications. The beta is coming this fall and will be available at www.qdevnet.com/ar.
Microsoft has patented a system that lets users install batteries without regard to positive and negative polarity. The device simply works regardless if the battery is installed positive-side-up or positive-side-down. The system, called InstaLoad, is intended to be commercially licensed by device manufacturers using what Microsoft describes as “fair and equitable terms.” Microsoft says that royalty-free licenses will be offered for battery-powered devices, like hearing aids.
Azul Systems is offering Zing, an optimized, elastic software platform for Java deployments. Delivered as a software package for x86, Zing transparently offloads Java executions from other platforms to x86 servers. The company says that Zing is designed and optimized specifically for virtualized environments, and it is ideally suited for deployments of Java applications in both public and private clouds.
UPDATES
In its first major update since 2006, Apache has updated the Tomcat Java Web server to support the latest Java specs. Tomcat 7 implements the Java Servlet 3.0, JavaServer Pages 2.2 and Expression Language 2.2 specifications for easier Web framework integration. Developers using Tomcat 7 will benefit from improved memory leak detection and prevention, as well as support for “aliasing” directories into an application’s URL space. Tomcat 5.x and 6.x will continue to be supported by Apache. Tomcat is released under the Apache Software License v2.0.
The latest version of Tcat Server, a Web application server from MuleSoft, supports the newly released Apache Tomcat 7. Tcat Server 6 is also tightly integrated with Windows services, letting Windows administrators run and manage Tomcat without being logged in the server. The software, which runs on Linux, Unix and Windows servers, costs US$595 per CPU per year. Other new features and capabilities include import and export of third-party server profiles; streamlined user interaction; simplified diagnostics data; and faster and easier deployment of Tomcat applications.
McObject says that its Perst object-oriented open-source embedded database will be supported on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 smartphone platform.
Veryant says that its isCOBOL Application Platform Suite 2010 Release 1 is “Compatible with Windows 7,” having met all of Microsoft’s technical requirements for compatibility and reliability.
PEOPLE
Jared Smith has been named as the new Fedora Project Leader at Red Hat. Smith is a long-time user of both Fedora and Red Hat, and has been an active participant in the Fedora community since 2007. He has primarily spent his time working with the infrastructure and documentation teams. He takes over from Paul Frields, who is remaining with Red Hat and is transitioning to a new operational role within the Red Hat Enterprise Linux team.
