The new GeneXus version enables you to easily create, design and maintain web 2.0 type applications, without requiring knowledge of programming languages like Java or .NET. GeneXus takes what the programmer knows about the business, synthesizes it in a knowledge base, and generates the code automatically. GeneXus has a user-friendly development environment with elements that are customizable and very intuitive to use. These same aspects allow users to learn how to use it in a very short time. It also allows the entire development team to work in an integrated manner, as it automates the flow of many tasks with the aim of simplifying the process of creating applications. This is possible because it features a workflow tool and a Wiki-style document editor. In addition, GeneXus makes it easy to reuse code and integrate applications developed by third parties (GXextensions, user controls). Other new features, such as the use of patterns and objects for capturing data or storing parameters (data providers and data selectors), allow for a significant reduction in development times.
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''We immediately cried out, "Bullshots!" when we sighted these screenshots released with Battle Rage: The press release today, but then we remembered that a PC version of the fighter is also in the works.
With a quick comparison comparing the image resolution with other screens for Wii games (and a bit of common sense), we were able to confirm our suspicions that these shots are, indeed, too good to be true. That said, if graphical detail isn't a primary concern for you, jump into the gallery for three new screenshots of the four-player arena combat game.''
As part of its effort to recast itself as an innovative retailer, AT&T is putting its cell-phone business on the table -- Microsoft's Surface table, to be exact.
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On Thursday, the telecommunications giant became the first to use the table-like touch display in a retail environment. AT&T stores in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Francisco will feature the 30-inch display. If the pilots go well, there are plans to deploy it across AT&T's 2,200 retail stores in the U.S.
'Transform' Shopping
Both companies said the use of Microsoft Surface "will transform the way consumers shop for mobile devices." Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, added that Surface can provide shoppers with "an entirely new, unique and personalized shopping experience."
Microsoft said Surface, previously shown at trade shows, gives users "the opportunity to interact with devices and content in a way that feels familiar." Interaction can include touch, gestures, or even the recognition of devices placed on its surface. For instance, coverage maps can be displayed at national, state, local or even street levels, and users can scale and move the maps with gestures and touch.
Customers can review the features of a specific mobile device simply by placing it on the table display, which will recognize the model and display a graphical overview of its particulars. Two devices placed side-by-side will result in a display that compares them.
During the pilot phase, Surface can recognize eight AT&T phones and display information, including the LG Shine, the BlackBerry Curve 8310, and the Samsung BlackJack II.
'Wickedly Cool'
Even before customers get used to this new form of retailing with Surface, new features are being planned. The companies said in the future customers will be able to add ringtones, graphics, video and other media or services to their phone by "grabbing" the items with their hands from a menu and "dropping" them into a mobile device that has been placed on the table.
Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said he's also heard that there are plans for Surface to recognize your individual phone, not just the model. Surface, he said, "is wickedly cool," adding that he'd "love to have one in my house."
"Wow" factors like these can improve the retail experience, he noted, but the "jury is still out as to whether this will help sales."
But he noted that, "even if it's just whiz-bang and sparkles," it could be worthwhile to AT&T if it simply helps salespeople learn about their company's products and services. In the U.S., Greengart pointed out, cell phones are often sold through retail outlets, but they are some of the world's most complicated devices and come with complicated service plans -- and salespeople are often not up-to-date about either.
Over the next few weeks, Google will be rolling out a new feature that allows Google Docs users to access their documents even without an Internet connection. For now the change only applies to the word processor, but similar capabilities are expected to become available for spreadsheet and presentation documents once the initial trials are complete.
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This move wasn't unexpected. The updated Google Docs take advantage of the company's Google Gears library, a programming tool that allows Web application developers to synchronize online data with files on the user's local hard drive. It also intensifies the burgeoning competition between Google and Microsoft, which offers Web-based collaboration features similar to Google Docs in the form of Microsoft Office Live Workspace. Some pundits feel that online services like Google's are the Number One threat to Microsoft's dominance of the productivity software market. Myself, I remain skeptical.
Current fans of Google Docs will surely appreciate this new feature, but I still have a hard time seeing how a Web-based application could ever replace traditional word processing software for serious business computing. I have a hard enough time getting all the capabilities I want out of alternative office suites, such as OpenOffice.org.
And then there are the security and liability concerns. Having access to your documents from any computer anywhere is a powerful productivity enhancement, but quite frankly I work with a lot of documents that should never leave the walls of my office-- and I'm just small potatoes. Google, Microsoft, and other online application providers will have to demonstrate a serious commitment to document security before they can attract enterprise customers to these services, especially given the current regulatory climate.
How comfortable are you with shifting your business computing off the desktop and into the network? Do you see browser-based applications becoming viable alternatives to the apps of old? Or are they just another flash in the pan we call "Web 2.0"? Sound off in the PC World Community Comments.
SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc.'s stock soared 20 percent Friday, restoring $28 billion in shareholder wealth as Wall Street renewed its love affair with the Internet search leader after weeks of worry about an online advertising slowdown.
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Driven by stellar first-quarter results that surprised industry analysts, Google shares surged $89.87 to finish at $539.41. It marked the biggest one-day gain since Google's initial public stock offering in August 2004, leaving the shares at their highest closing price since January.
Google had lost favor with investors as Web surfing data and the faltering U.S. economy raised concerns that people aren't clicking as frequently on the Internet advertising links that generate most of the Mountain View-based company's revenue.
The trend threatened to chip away at Google's earnings because the company typically gets paid by the click.
Although there were signs of decelerated clicking in the United States, Google more than offset any negative effects by expanding its foreign business and tweaking its online ad system in a way that helped reap more revenue per click.
The first-quarter performance reinforced the belief that Google is a "must-own stock," American Technology Research analyst Rob Sanderson wrote in a Friday note.
"While (economic) concerns won't be completely dispelled, we believe the growth story remains intact and investors will again fall in love," he wrote.
Dinosaur Securities analyst David Garrity also is convinced that the worst is over for Google's stock, which was down 35 percent in 2008 before the first-quarter earnings changed investor sentiment.
"We think (Google's stock) has seen its 2008 low. Onward and upward," wrote Garrity, who expects the price to hit $750 during the next year.
Friday's rally still left Google shares well below their peak of $747.24 reached less than six months ago. At that point, Google's market value stood at $235 billion, about $66 billion, or nearly 40 percent higher, than at Friday's close.
Whether Google's stock can get back to where it once was will depend largely on how much more the company's earnings and revenue growth tapers off. With the company's annual revenue headed toward $20 billion, it's becoming more difficult to produce the hefty gains that excite investors.
For instance, Google's first-quarter revenue climbed 42 percent. That's impressive, but well below the 63 percent growth in 2007's first quarter.
Google's profits could be squeezed later this year if it has to spend more money to upgrade the data centers that power its search engine and other online services like e-mail, said Collins Stewart analyst Sandeep Aggarwal. He said he thinks additional investments probably will be needed, given some of the data centers are three or four years old.
Microsoft Corp.'s bid to acquire Yahoo Inc. also could create a more formidable competitor to Google. Recognizing the threat, Google is trying to help Yahoo thwart Microsoft's takeover bid by using its lucrative advertising system to place commercial links on Yahoo's Web site. The potential partnership, in the midst of a test scheduled to be completed next week, would likely face intense antitrust scrutiny.
If nothing else, analysts believe Google wants to delay a combination between Microsoft and Yahoo for as long as possible to give it a better chance to widen its lead in the Internet search market, which currently generates the biggest chunk of online advertising.
Google ended the first quarter with a 60 percent share of the U.S. search market, up from 58 percent at the end of the fourth quarter, according to comScore Media Metrix. Yahoo was in second at a 21 percent share followed by Microsoft at 9 percent.
Despite the challenges ahead, Google still has ample opportunities to grow as advertisers shift more of their spending to the Internet from other media like newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
The Internet is expected to capture about 7 percent, or $44 billion, of the total worldwide advertising market this year. Analysts say the percentage of Internet advertising lags behind the amount of time consumers are spending online, suggesting that marketers will need to ramp up their spending even more if they want to reach potential customers.
Google also has been adding more advertising vehicles to supplement its search engine. Just last month, the company bought DoubleClick Inc. for $3.2 billion in an effort to sell more graphical advertising. And Google is starting to show more video advertising through its increasingly popular clip-sharing site, YouTube.com.
Finally, the first quarter represented a tipping point in Google's maturation into an international company that's becoming less vulnerable to the ups and downs of the U.S. economy. Google collected most of its first-quarter revenue outside the United States, the first time that has happened in the company's 9 1/2-year history.
Besides diversifying its business, the higher international revenue should also help boost Google's profit because it should keep company's tax rate slightly lower than it has been in past years.
Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt left little doubt he expects the company to prosper as he hailed the first quarter results.
"It's clear we are well positioned for 2008 and beyond, regardless of the business environment we are surrounded by," Schmidt told analysts.
The owner of the hottest cyberspace property is in town to announce that it’s time for Indians to log into Myspace, his creation.
Well to the unaware lot, Myspace is a social networking site that offers an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos for teenagers and adults internationally.
“Myspace is very expressive in nature. And Indians are very creative and this reflects in our art and culture,” commented Amit Kapur.
But when most Indians have turned into facebook and orkut addicts and myspace — the world’s number one social networking site now has come to India. Why such a delay? “We had to manage a couple of internal issues and create a strong base before launching into India.”
However with facebooking and orkut, the popular applications are having a pet, throwing food, binge drinking and other things. But with myspace, things are a little more serious and constructive.
The site has various communities where like-minded people come together. And creating music and forming bands is the trump card. On Myspace, musicians and artists are allowed to upload up to six MP3 songs.
The uploader must have rights to use the songs (eg their own work, permission granted, etc). Unsigned musicians can use MySpace to post and sell music, which has resulted in the creation of about 150 to 200 million bands.
MySpace music has been around since it’s debut in 1998 and the first original artists to sign up on MySpace occurred in December 1998. With such a strong background in music internationally, will it be the same for India?
“Music would certainly be an easy entry point, because it is in our DNA. Myspace is more about expressing oneself. However, India has more to offer than Bollywood and cricket. I think there is a strong cultural preference in fashion, dance, writing and other art forms. So the potential is enormous,” concluded Amit.
Mumbai-based tracking software maker Micro Technologies is set to garner business worth Rs 70 crore over the next couple of months through the sale of its lost notebook tracking system (LNTS) to telecom service providers.
While Micro Technologies announced on Wednesday that it has received an order for deploying the software for MTNL's 20 lakh subscribers in the Mumbai region, it is close to inking more such deals.
"MTNL has placed orders for its 14 lakh subscribers in Delhi. Airtel is also likely to seek the software for its subscriber base in Delhi NCR (about 25 lakh subscribers) and Gujarat. Moreover, BSNL has decided to deploy the software for its customers on a pan India basis," said a source at Micro Technologies. These deals are expected to be closed in the next three months.
It is also learnt that Aircel has closed a deal with Micro Technologies to use the software in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu Aircel has 50 lakh subscribers. Aircel also plans to use the software for its subscribers in its other two circles, namely North-East and North India.
The LNTS software, when deployed in a mobile handset, reads the change in case a SIM card is replaced and sends an SMS to the company (telecom service provider) server. The server updates the online account of the registered user in the company database. Moreover, it sends an e-mail to the user and an SMS alert to the user's alternate phone number.
The software is compatible with Nokia 60x series, N-series, E-series, and Windows based mobile phones.
Micro Technologies started selling the software in a retail format about a year back, but analysts feel it 'has not taken off in a big way.'
The company clocked 1,25,000 subscriptions in one year while the average monthly subscriber base of mobile phone users stands at 8 million as per data from Cellular Operators Association of India.
Micro Technologies aims at 30% growth in its enterprise business while it wants to maintain a growth rate of 30-40% in its retail business.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have penned a deal whereby BSNL's 39 million-odd subscribers across India will be able to access the first "EmoticonSMS" service later this year.
Jay Kim, vice president (APAC and Music Business) of RealNetworks is reported to have said that "EmoticonSMS" is another value-added service offered by Real that makes traditional SMS more engaging and fun. Kim said the agreement helps position BSNL as a market leader for value-added services in the country.
Currently, RealNetworks services are reported to be available to nearly 800.3 million subscribers through 89 different carriers across 44 countries worldwide. The services on offer include music on demand, games, video, personalization features, and messaging.
These include: the bound copy Pavilion dv3000 NB with ‘Mesh’ Imprint Finish, Pavilion dv2800 Artist Copy NB with ‘Asian Odyssey’, Pavilion dv2600 alternation NB with ‘Verve’ Imprint Finish, and appropriate copy Pavilion dv6800 NB with ‘Thrive’ Imprint.
The Pavilion dv3000 is a 13.3-inches wide-screen NB that deploys HP BrightView technology. It comes with a fingerprint clairvoyant for security, a congenital Web cam, and a limited ascendancy for absolute ascendancy over multimedia entertainment. It is now accessible for a amount of Rs 53,990.
Next, the Pavilion dv2800 Artist Copy NB (first apparent at Cebit 2008) sports a 14.1-inches wide-screen, and is adapted with the latest Intel Centrino Core 2 Duo Penryn 45nm processor. Other blueprint include: Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS 128MB video card; up to 4GB RAM; up to 250GB harder drive; DVD burner/HD DVD ROM; Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN affiliation with Bluetooth connectivity; and congenital Web camera. It is now accessible in the country for a artery amount of Rs 53,990.
Meanwhile, the appropriate copy HP Pavilion dv6800 NB with ‘Thrive’ Imprint sports a 15.4-inches affectation while the Pavilion dv2600 alternation NB with ‘Verve’ Imprint Finish a 14.1-inches screen. These NBs are now accessible for prices of Rs 54,990 and Rs 46,990, respectively.
Sony has introduced the world’s smallest HD camcorder that weighs just 10 ounces and measures 1.3 x 4.7 x 2.5-inches (WxHxD). Called HDR-TG1, the tiny handycam camcorder is packed in a durable titanium body and premium hard coasting, making it an ideal gadget for travelers to carry it safe and reduce the heavy-weighted burden while on the go.
Users can record 1920 x 1080 HD video and 4-megapixel digital photos and save them directly to Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo or 4GB PRO Duo Mark2 media cards. It features a 2.7-inch touch panel LCD screen, integrated microphone, face detection technology for both video and still images with up to eight faces support. It is compatible with Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound to save audio files.
This easy-to-use HDR-TG1 has the ability to automatically adjust focus, exposure, color control for natural-looking skin tones, and when photos are taken, flash control. The high-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 10x optical zoom lens, 2-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor and Exmor-derived technology helps to reduce picture noise.
“Sony was the first to introduce a travel-sized camcorder with 8 mm technology in the 1980’s, and it revolutionized the travel and electronics industries,” said Kelly Davis, director of camcorder marketing at Sony Electronics. “This new model is a great example of our expertise in miniaturization, as well as advanced imaging technologies with features like face detection.”
An incorporated BIONZ processing engine also comes with noise reduction capabilities to deliver high-resolution video and photos with natural color reproduction and rich details. It is believed that this engine powers the model’s dynamic range optimization feature to adjust under- or over-exposed areas in a picture.
Sony’s HDR-TG1 HD camcorder is slated to release in May this year for $900 (approx. Rs. 36,000). Wonder what kind of battery does it boasts?
Over the last three years, the number of developers of the Linux kernel has tripled, according to the Linux Foundation. A research team from the organization has reported that the growth of the open source operating system into new areas is attracting more hands-on code writing of the Linux engine.
The kernel forms the core of the Linux system and is the result of one of the largest cooperative software projects ever attempted, according to the three Linux Foundation researchers. The Linux Foundation issued the report this month.
The report sheds some light on the role investment companies make in the Linux open development environment compared to the Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Free Trial. Security Software As A Service From Webroot. Latest News about Microsoft Windows closed environment. The continuing growth of Linux has a lot to do with the changing economics of software development and what fuels today's Web 2.0 innovation, the report writers concluded.
"Knowledge about the inner workings of Linux are important today. Nearly all people touch Linux every day by using the Internet, mobile phones, TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO) Latest News about TiVo devices and GPS Latest News about global positioning system (global positioning system) receivers," Amanda McPherson, marketing E-Mail Marketing Software - Free Trial. Click Here. director of the Linux Foundation, told the LinuxInsider. McPherson was one of three authors of the report.
The report tracked the individuals and corporations contributing to the Linux kernel development. Researchers found that the numbers of different individual developers and sponsoring companies have been increasing over the different kernel versions. For instance, the individual development community has doubled in the last three years.
Despite the large number of individual developers, a relatively small number are doing the majority of the work. Over the past three years, the top 10 individual developers have contributed almost 15 percent of the changes. The top 30 developers have contributed 30 percent.
More than 70 percent of all kernel development is done by developers who are being paid for their work, according to the report. Researchers also found that a small number of companies is responsible for a large portion of the total changes to the kernel. However, there is a long list of companies making significant changes.
Driving Forces
The origin of the white paper is rooted in articles from Jonathan Corbet of LWN.net, according to McPherson. He focused on a data management tool for the Get command used to automate the process of loading software updates from Linux repositories to the various Linux distributions.
Greg Kroah-Hartman of Suse Labs/Novell contributed additional research on the topic. McPherson joined the writing team to expand the concept into a white paper.
Two factors are responsible for Linux's expansion into new market areas, according to McPherson. One is the increasing use of Linux on desktop computers; the other is the use of Linux embedded into products and as the operating systems in mobile devices, including sub-US$300 laptops and hand-held computers.
"Linux continues to succeed in the sever market. It stole market share from Unix," she explained.
Why Kernel Research?
The Linux kernel is one of the largest individual components on any Linux system. It envelops one of the fastest-moving development processes and involves more developers than any other open source project, according to the researchers. The white paper discusses how that process works, using nearly three years of kernel history, as represented by the 2.6.11 through 2.6.24 releases.
The Linux kernel manages the device's hardware, runs user programs and maintains the overall security and integrity of the entire operating system. By comparison, the kernel is a much smaller software segment on a full Linux system, explained the report's authors. For example, large components of the Linux OS come from the GNU project, the GNOME and KDE desktop projects and the X.org project.
However, the core determines how well the system will work and is the piece which is truly unique to Linux, the report's authors said.
Rigid Upgrade Path
Starting with the 2.6.x series, developers placed the Linux kernel on a relatively strict, time-based release model. At the 2005 Kernel Developer Summit in Ottawa, Canada, developers decided that kernel releases would occur every two to three months. Also, each release would be designated as a "major" release containing new features and internal application programming interface changes.
Developers agreed to the fast release cycle to more quickly get new features distributed to users in a stable form with minimal delay. New code -- features, device drivers, etc. -- is available in a stable kernel within a few months of its completion, minimizing or eliminating the need for distributors to backport developmental code into stable releases, according to the report.
The results are kernel updates with fewer distribution-specific modifications, yielding higher stability and fewer differences between distributions. This contributes to a more stable release because there is a smaller list of outstanding bugs. For problems which turn up after a kernel release, the "-stable" branch exists as a way to quickly get fixes out to the community, noted the report.
Kernel Prep
Developers prepare submissions to the Linux kernel by breaking their changes down into small, individual units, called "patches." These patches usually do only one thing to the source code.
Also, the patches are built on top of each other. This modifies the source code by changing, adding or removing lines of code. Each patch should, when applied, yield a kernel which still builds and works properly.
The average time between Linux kernel releases is 2.7 months.