HP acquires cloud startup Eucalyptus
HP has revealed plans to buy cloud startup Eucalyptus Software, with Eucalyptus CEO Marten Mickos joining HP to manage the company’s cloud business.

The deal is expected to close in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2014, and Reuters reported the acquisition will be for less than US$100 million. Eucalyptus offers an open-source cloud system that enables enterprises to build cloud-computing services in their own data centers. Eucalyptus’ products add interoperability with Amazon Web Services to HP’s existing cloud portfolio of Helion Cloud and OpenStack.

HP’s CTO and current cloud head Martin Fink will remain as the director of HP Labs, shifting his focus to next-gen research.

The Windows Dev Center Partner program
Microsoft has announced the Windows Dev Center Partner program, designed to provide middleware providers devices, software, marketing support, event support and more.

“At Microsoft, we’re more focused than ever on creating the most compelling, accessible, powerful, and overall enjoyable app development platform, and we recognize the critical role middleware plays in such an ecosystem. This new program is designed to promote that goal,” the company wrote on its blog.

As part of the program, developers will get everything they need to support and leverage the Windows platform, be featured in the company’s Partner spotlights, have early access to releases, and receive marketing and promotional support.

Salesforce donates $6 million to SF schools and Code.org
As part of the Middle Grades Leadership Initiative for the San Francisco Unified School District, the Salesforce.com Foundation is donating $5 million to San Francisco schools and another $1 million to Code.org.

Two million of the $5 million grant will go toward the Principal’s Innovation Fund, and the rest will go toward technology and infrastructure for schools. In addition, Salesforce will provide 5,000 volunteer-hours for tutoring, mentorships or chaperoning.

The $1 million grant to Code.org will go to expanding computer science education to more schools across the nation.

“With our financial resources and the volunteer efforts of Salesforce.com employees, the Salesforce.com Foundation is proud to help prepare San Francisco students for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Suzanne DiBianca, president of the Salesforce.com Foundation.

Stony Brook CS researchers develop programming language for AI applications
Researchers in the Computer Science department of Stony Brook University have developed XSB, a programming language initially designed for artificial intelligence applications.

Based on a dialect of the Prolog language, the development of XSB began with research by professor emeritus David Scott Warren in the early 1990s. Faculty are currently at work on improving flaws and computational issues in Prolog and XSB. Prolog has been featured in recent AI applications, including IBM’s Watson, software for the Buran spacecraft, the Clementine data mining application, and the Nokia N900 UI state management application.

More information is available at the XSB website.