TECH NOTES

April 30, 2008

Java Developers! NetBeans 6.1 Released…

Filed under: IT Tools & Code — Black Falcon @ 12:33 am

NetBeans IDE 6.1 Information

The NetBeans IDE is a modular, standards-based, integrated development environment (IDE) written in the Java programming language. The NetBeans project consists of an open source IDE and an application platform, which can be used as a generic framework to build any kind of application.

Release Overview

The NetBeans IDE 6.1 release provides several new features and enhancements, such as rich JavaScript editing features, support for using the Spring web framework, tighter MySQL integration, and an improved way of sharing libraries among dependent projects. The acclaimed support for Ruby/JRuby has been enhanced with new editor quick fixes, a Ruby platform manager, fast debug support for JRuby, and many other new features and fixes.

By popular demand, the bean pattern and JSF CRUD generation features that were missing in the 6.0 release have returned. In addition, early versions of new modules, such as ClearCase support, are available as plugins.

This release also provides improved performance, especially faster startup (up to 40%), lower memory consumption and improved responsiveness while working with large projects. See below for a list of features in this release.

Get the NetBeans IDE 6.1


NetBeans Website: www.netbeans.org

April 29, 2008

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of ZDNet Shows XP\SP3 Benchmarks

Filed under: IT Windows OS — Black Falcon @ 10:26 pm

April 28th, 2008

XP SP3 vs. Vista SP1 – Which is fastest?

In the TalkBack section on my post looking at SP3 benchmarks, _deitrich asked a really good question:

Adrian, how about a comparison of XP SP3 vs Vista SP1? Oui? C’est possible?

Good question! Fortunately I’ve already done a fair bit of the groundwork in that I used the Phenom 9700 system I have for benchmarking both XP SP3 and Vista SP1.

I benchmarked both operating systems using PassMark PerformanceTest 6.1 and bringing together the results from both tests allows me to answer _deitrich’s question.

Go here to read rest of article… and see the stats… http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1772&tag=nl.e539

Internet Writers, Authors! WordPress Gets An Upgrade…

Filed under: IT Tools & Code — Black Falcon @ 10:10 pm

I have been using WordPress for quite some time now and it has been a pleasure to use the new interface, though I am still looking for some of the options I am used to seeing on certain forms. Nontheless, the upgrade makes what was originally a somewhat difficult and\or ambiguous user-interface much smoother and cleaner to work with.

And for those of you who have purchased or upgraded to MS Office 2007, you should try the blog interface option which supports several popular blog-sites, including WordPress. Just fill out a few configuration requirements and you are linked via the Word application.

If you have been considering doing some writing, whether it be just to blog your thoughts or something more serious, you can’t go wrong with the WordPress offerings. Both the hosting of your blog and the edition available for self-hosting are completely free of any charges.

WordPress 2.5 Is Top Choice for Blogging

Go here to see screen shots… http://etech.eweek.com/content/web_technology/wordpress_25_is_top_choice_for_blogging.html

Go here to sign up for a WordPress account… http://wordpress.com/

Posted by Jim Rapoza on April 17, 2008 11:07 AM

With the recent release of WordPress 2.5, the popular open-source blogging application has greatly improved its already good administration and blogging management interface and has made it much easier for bloggers to add widgets and do extensive customizations of their blogs. That’s right, the best blogging platform just got better.

WordPress 2.5 represents the first major overhaul of the administration interface in a long time and while I never hated the old interface, I have to admit that this new one is a major improvement. Based on the improvements in this release, on top of the already very strong capabilities of WordPress, it’s become even clearer that for anyone planning to start a new blog or looking to change platforms, WordPress should be the first choice.

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Software Engineering: “The Cone of Uncertainty”

Filed under: IT Software Engineering — Black Falcon @ 1:33 am

Most technical managers in IT still do not know how to go about defining a rational time estimate for a software development project. And yet, over 30 years of continuous research by software engineering analysts has consistently proven that by applying software engineering principals, standards, and methodologies, technical managers would be able to meet their project deadlines more consistently with lower defect rates, higher productivity, and higher morale among their staff.

So the question is then, “Why do so many managers insist upon using “wishful thinking” and\or bullying to get their projects through the development process?” Simply put, most managers are under severe time constraints by their own management in the business units and instead of learning the skills that would allow them to more successfully handle such pressures they instead use such constraints as an excuse to avoid the effort required.

Just as importantly, software development is an engineering discipline which requires precise approaches to its successful implementation and application. However, with the current fad that all technology is merely a commodity to accomplish a task, there is little incentive for technical managers to actually take the initiative to attempt the implementation of processes that would allow their projects to be handled in such a way.

To get a better understanding of the critical nature of software development and its requirements we can begin with an excellent piece from Construx Software that explains the uncertainty inherent in all software projects and if not accounted for from the beginning will most certainly make itself felt during the process.

Written by Stephen McConnell, a leading software engineering analyst, the concept of a “cone of uncertainty” is based upon years of research of software project failure by leading software engineering analysts. To date, there hasn’t been a single book or theory that has been able to refute any of the standards and methodologies in the software engineering process.

Once you complete reading of Steven McConnell’s piece you will understand why companies waste so much money on mediocre and failed project development.

By the way, I highly recommend the following books, both of them written by Steven McConnell:

Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art

Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules

Steve
Black Falcon Software, Inc.

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April 27, 2008

Learning Python… Taking a step backwards in time…

Filed under: IT Tools & Code — Black Falcon @ 11:02 pm

Being in the IT field as long as I have(35 years) you get to see a lot of “repeat performances” when it comes to technology. The old axiom, “The more things change the more they stay the same…”, can be found to be often quite true in our profession. However, to understand and experience it one must have been around long enough to see enough of the changes that have occurred over the years.

There is very little today that is radically new in terms of developing systems; you have an interface, the requirement of processing that input which is entered as well as retrieval of output for display, and this middle-tier processing existing against some form of database. These are the three standard tiers for any type of system. Remove one of these tiers and you can’t develop a system… any system.

Anything beyond such tiers in system development is nothing more than form and fancy footwork used to enhance interface experiences and performance.

No matter how many new technologies have been introduced over the years, eventually they begin to demonstrate some level of redundancy that simply can’t be avoided. And now with languages in the past few two or three years such redundancy is starting to play itself out to such an extent that to some of us it seems that the technological clock has been turned backwards… but with a twist.

We now have a new language fad called “dynamic languages”, which is simply an updated term for the original “interpretative languages”. These are the languages that originally started the entire pc based computing industry. And for those who remember it, the first major “interpretive language” on the PC was Bill Gates’ famous “GW Basic”; aka “Gee Whiz Basic”. And from those humble beginnings everything else came forth including the modern-day compiled languages that now incorporate phenomenal capabilities. However, even here we are stepping backwards somewhat with both Java and .NET since neither, on its own, produces purely, native assembler language. Each has its own form of p-code that runs against a virtual run-time-compiler such as Java’s JVM and Microsoft’s CLR.

Despite the tremendous gains in popularity for both developments, technicians are still very much drawn to a language by their personalities and nature. And this is the single largest factor for the reason that such a plethora of languages are still popular today no matter what platform they may run on or against; hence, the introduction of such languages as Ruby and Python, the two most popular “dynamic languages” currently sweeping the landscape.

Because of my own background with the older 4th generation database languages such as Dbase and the highly successful Foxbase+, I have always been drawn to those languages that are simply less scientific in nature, though I can develop in C# just as fluently as I do in VB.NET. However, back then, the idea that you select a language for its capabilities carried far more weight than today since Foxbase+ could not do graphics very easily while using some form of BASIC could not easily aid in the development of a solid database application.

This of course all changed over time and now all languages can do just about everything.

So why Python? Why even bother? Because its fun, its easy, and it can do a lot without all the eye noise that the C-like languages bring to the table with their curly braces and semi-colons.

I admit that I have not really had the time to learn the Python language, though I have all the tools and documentation I require that could make me a credible Python programmer in a reasonably short period of time. Yet, to have the opportunity to return to a simpler time in this field when everything was more straightforward and less ambiguous than today while still having the power of a modern language at my disposal is a very tempting opportunity that I look forward to taking at some point.
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Microsoft Designing New App Deployment Technology

Filed under: Uncategorized — Black Falcon @ 1:18 pm

The Zen of Volta – IL Re-writing

Author Richard Blewett

IL Re-writing

This article was originally published by developmentor

On December 5th, 2007, Microsoft announced an incubation project they have been working on called Volta (http://labs.live.com/volta). The announcement focused on a new way of deploying applications written using conventional single-tier architecture to a multi-tiered client/server environment without having to rewrite the code. Along with the announcement, Microsoft posted a preview version of the Volta infrastructure for people to start experimenting with. This is not an official CTP or beta, simply a way for people to get an early view of what Microsoft is exploring and to be able to provide feedback.

The software preview requires Visual Studio 2008 and adds a number of new Volta project types:


The included samples are all web based and show off one of the main features of Volta: the ability to write an application in C#, and then have the Volta toolkit post-process the compiled code into JavaScript. This allows the application to run as a standard HTML-based web application, while still allowing the developer to build it in a comfortable environment. This feature is very similar to the Google Web Toolkit (GWT), which attempts to solve many of the same issues. However, Volta is far more ambitious as this article will demonstrate.

Go here to see rest of article… http://www.developerfusion.co.uk/show/7599/

Still Want Windows XP? – DELL & Lenovo To Continue Offering It

Filed under: IT Business — Black Falcon @ 12:36 pm

Dell to factory-install Windows XP after June 30

Gregg Keizer

April 25, 2008 (Computerworld) Dell will continue to install Windows XP on new PCs after Microsoft’s June 30 retirement date by taking advantage of a little-known clause in the downgrade rights that come with Vista Ultimate and Vista Business.

“Dell has the ability to exercise ‘Windows Vista downgrade rights’ on your behalf in the factory if … you’d prefer to have Windows XP Professional preinstalled on your PCs,” Dell said on its Web site.

According to Dell, it will factory install XP after June 18 when customers choose a “Vista Ultimate Bonus” or “Vista Business Bonus” option as they configure PCs. Dell will then install Windows XP on the machine, and include backup media for that OS as well as the installation disc for Windows Vista.

Although corporations that acquire Windows through volume license agreements, or who have signed up for Software Assurance, can downgrade any Windows software at any time, Microsoft has limited others’ downgrade rights: only owners of a Vista Ultimate or Vista Business license may downgrade to XP, and then only to XP Professional, Professional x64 or XP Tablet PC.

Microsoft originally put the responsibility on users’ shoulders for obtaining the installation media to replace Vista with XP, but last year it began allowing OEMs to include XP discs with new PCs or offer them as an after-sale option.

But although Dell’s newest move is unusual, it is not an end-run around Microsoft’s rules. In a document that spells out OEM options for Vista downgrades (download PDF), a FAQ section reads:

  • Q. Who can install the downgrade software or reinstall the original software?
  • A. An OEM (when authorized by end user), or the end user.

A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed late Friday that Dell was within its rights to factory-install XP on machines sold with a Vista Ultimate or Vista Business license.

“It’s standard practice for original equipment manufacturers, retailers and system builders to continue offering the previous version of Windows for a certain period of time after a new version is released,” she said in an e-mail. “Dell is exercising their right to offer Windows XP as an option. Microsoft will no longer offer the media for this process after January of 2009, but an OEM can provide [XP] as long as they have stock on hand.”

Go here to see rest of article… http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9080638&intsrc=hm_list

April 26, 2008

Security for Your Workstation… It’s a Necessity…

Filed under: IT Security — Black Falcon @ 4:49 pm

No matter what you may read, taking a proactive role in the security of your workstations is a necessity these days. Its not just teenagers anymore with modems but organized crime organizations along with state sponsored counter-intelligence units that are hacking their ways into sites… and workstations across the globe. You already know this if you have been keeping tabs on all the recent security threats in the media along with technical journals.

The “ars technical” article below highlights the necessary components for securing a workstation with two exceptions; they miss two very fine pieces of software that can aid in your efforts.

Grisoft Corporation, based in the Czech Republic, produces an excellent anti-virus tool that should be a part of any evaluation process. And Agnitum Software, based in Russia, does the same with their firewall offerings.

Steve
Black Falcon Software, Inc.

Five important security apps for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows

By Ars Staff | Published: April 24, 2008 – 10:55PM CT

Introduction

No matter what OS you use, you need to think about security. But what happens when you don’t have time to think? Turn to Ars!

We’ve got you covered with five freeware or shareware security tools for Linux boxes, Macs, and Windows machines, all recommended by Ars staffers. Running behind a firewall and a NAT router can keep many threats at bay, and skeptical computing can keep most people safe on the Internet, but it never hurts to have a toolbox of well-crafted apps that you can reach into should your machine be breached.

Windows

A quick note on security suites: we don’t believe in them. There is no security suite out there that properly takes care of two or more security needs; a company usually gets good at one aspect and wants to expand into another for the sake of growing their business. We have not yet encountered a truly solid security suite, although some companies are slowly getting there.

The idea here is to keep expenditures down to a minimum while still addressing the top five security software categories (in no particular order) for a Windows PC.

Go here to see rest of article… http://arstechnica.com/guides/tweaks/five-security-apps-linux-osx-windows.ars

Go to our security link to see all of the article’s tool-links as well as Black Falcon Software’s recommendations… (right-side menu bar)

Ubuntu 8.04 – Ready To Challenge Windows?

Filed under: IT Industry Trends, Uncategorized — Black Falcon @ 4:23 pm

Ubuntu 8.04 Is Ready to Take On Windows
By Jason Brooks
2008-04-25

Ubuntu’s deep software catalog, focus on usability and active community combine with long-term support to put desktop Linux’s best face forward.

Canonical has marshaled the best of what the open-source world has to offer in Ubuntu 8.04, a Linux-based operating system that’s capable of mounting a serious challenge to Microsoft Windows on mainstream desktops and notebooks.

During my tests of Ubuntu 8.04, both in its final form and in a series of test releases that led up to the official launch April 24, I’ve been impressed enough with the distribution to award it the eWEEK Labs Analyst’s Choice designation.

As with any would-be Windows rival, Ubuntu 8.04 faces an uphill battle for hardware and software certifications, although the move by Dell in 2007 to begin preloading Ubuntu on some of its notebook and desktop PCs points to progress on the hardware front.

As for software, the continued improvement of open-source alternative applications such as the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, Firefox Web browser and Evolution groupware client go a long way toward providing users with the tools they require to get their work done from a Linux-based desktop.

Go here to see rest of article… http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Ubuntu-804-Is-Ready-to-Take-On-Windows/

April 25, 2008

ASP.NET Technicians! Having Trouble With Your Web-Site & Firefox?

Filed under: IT Tools & Code, Uncategorized — Black Falcon @ 12:13 am


ASP.NET is an excellent development environment for creating web-sites with… even with its idiosyncrasies. However, making an ASP.NET site work with the Firefox browser can be a maddening experience; especially when you find the changes required are so slight and often ambiguous as a result.

This experience has happened to me more than I care to remember. And recently, I had the pleasure of reliving the anxiety associated with one of these tiny “gotchas” in one of my web-pages. It worked just fine in Internet Explorer but once I tested it under Firefox, I knew I was going to be in for another long debugging session.

What was the problem? Something we most likely take for granted as ASP.NET developers; the use of the “Element.innerText” property to extract information from a label control. Seems fairly innocuous enough as this property appears to be pretty standard fare for accessing portions of text in the HTML-DOM. This would be true except for the fact that Firefox has never heard of the “innerText” property and as a result doesn’t support it.

Firefox doesn’t do a lot of things we have all gotten used to with Internet Explorer, such as supporting my favorite scripting language, VBScript. Sorry, but I never liked JavaScript… However, I love Firefox and do a lot of testing with it against my own web development.

After a frustrating hour or two of research I finally found two articles on the Code-Project that not only solved this problem by providing a JavaScript function to emulate the “innerText” property but may help a lot of us ASP.NET developers in general experience a whole lot less pain when it comes to using our JavaScript skills with the Firefox browser.

So if you are currently undergoing one of these experiences with Firefox than rush over to the links below and find out if they are “the cure for what ails ya!”…

Steve
Black Falcon Software, Inc.

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/scripting/JavaScript_Tips.aspx (part 1)

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/scripting/JavaScript_Tips_-_Part_2.aspx (part 2)

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