Zimbra to make HTML5 push in next version
VMware's Zimbra division has provided a preview of some of the enhancements it's working on for the next major release of the ZCS (Zimbra Collaboration Server), including an HTML5 Web client interface for both online and offline access to the product.
Currently, ZCS has both a Web interface and a desktop application, but the goal is to merge the two experiences so that users will be able to work both online and offline via the same client interface. Read more...
Mozilla yanks Firefox 16 one day after release
Mozilla yesterday took the unusual step of yanking Firefox 16 from distribution just a day after its release.
The company said a critical vulnerability triggered the move.
The bug was apparently overlooked by Mozilla while it was developing Firefox 16, or introduced by the fixes baked into the upgrade that started reaching users early Tuesday.
"Mozilla is aware of a security vulnerability in the current release version of Firefox (version 16). Firefox version 15 is unaffected," said Michael Coates, Mozilla's director of security assurance, in a Wednesday post to the company's security blog.
On Tuesday, Mozilla rolled out Firefox 16, which featured patches for 24 vulnerabilities, 21 of which were judged "critical," the open-source developer's highest threat ranking. Read more...
Oracle scales back plans for Java 8
Oracle is moving to drop a major component from its upcoming Java 8 release, in an effort to get the flagging Java development process back on track.
The component, known as Project Jigsaw, was an addition to the language that would have allowed Java developers to write and distribute programs as modules. It would also have made it easier to scale the Java platform to more types of hardware, ranging from large servers to small embedded devices.
On Tuesday, Mark Reinhold, chief architect of the Java platform group at Oracle, wrote in a blog post that despite repeated promises that Project Jigsaw would be included in Java 8, it is no longer feasible to have the technology ready in time for that version's planned September 2013 ship date.
"Steady progress is being made, but some significant technical challenges remain," Reinhold writes. "There is, more importantly, not enough time left for the broad evaluation, review, and feedback which such a profound change to the Platform demands." Read more...
Windows 8 goes to manufacturers in August, will ship in October
Windows 8, the next major upgrade of Microsoft's operating system for PCs, tablets and laptops, will be released to manufacturers in August and will ship commercially in October, the company announced on Monday.
Microsoft had previously said that the OS would be commercially available before the end of the year but hadn't given a firm shipping date.
When Windows 8 is released to manufacturers (RTM), Microsoft will also activate the Windows Store and start charging for applications, which during the test period have been free, the company announced at its Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto. Read more...
Everyone can play Diablo III this weekend
To say that there’s a lot of anticipation in the run up to the launch of Diablo III is a bit of an understatement. When the game arrives on May 15, Blizzard will be hard pressed to keep up with demand, and with that in mind the developer wants to stress test the Battle.net servers. Read more...
Late May claim for Windows 8 RC jibes with expected timetable
Microsoft will launch the "release candidate" of Windows 8 in late May or early June, according to a Saturday report by a Dutch blog.
That launch window for the Windows 8 Release Candidate, or RC -- a label for nearly-finished software issued one final time for bug review -- fits with earlier reports claiming the new operating system will go on sale this October.
On Saturday, the WinUnleaked.tk website asserted that, "We know the Release Candidate of Windows 8 will be shared with the public between the end of May [and] the beginning of June." It did not cite any sources for those dates, however.
A week ago, Bloomberg said that computer and tablet makers will have Windows 8-powered PCs and devices ready to sell in October 2012. Read more...
Microsoft releases SQL Server 2012 to manufacturers
Yes, we expected it to happen around this time, but the moment has arrived at last: SQL Server 2012 has been released to manufacturers.
Microsoft has been working on SQL Server 2012, previously codenamed Denali, for so long that we’re almost sad to see it take wings and fly. We’ve covered its community technology previews, its versions, its release candidate, and now its launch.
While SQL Server 2012 is out today, it’s already well known by the market. According to Microsoft, over 150,000 busiessness have tested the software. General availability of the product is expected starting April 1st, 2012. I asked Microsoft if they were being facetious, but no, they did pick April Fool’s day. If you want to snag an evaluation copy of SQL Server 2012, head here. Read more...
Microsoft drops ‘risky’ Windows 8 preview on World
Microsoft has released to the World near-final code for Windows 8 - its riskiest bet yet.
Officially called a Consumer Preview, but actually a beta, the next Windows 8 milestone will be the release candidate followed by release to manufacturing, Windows Division president Steven Sinofsky said Wednesday.
Microsoft chose the Android-dominated and telco, device and service-provider centric Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, to officially launch the Windows 8 beta preview.
So what is new since the Developer Preview handed out at the BUILD conference last September? More than 100,000 code changes, apparently, as well as a bunch of apps that have not been made public before.
Windows 8 has a dual personality, with the old Windows desktop alongside a touch-friendly “Metro” user interface, powered by the new Windows Runtime.
A common complaint about the developer preview was that usability of the Metro side was fine with touch, but poor with keyboard and mouse. All fixed now, according to Microsoft vice president Antoine Leblond. “We paid just as much attention to using Windows 8 with a mouse and keyboard as with touch,” he told the press at MWC.
Windows 8 uses the four corners of the screen as hot areas, on the grounds that it is easy to move the mouse there, so bottom left becomes the Start button - although the button itself is missing - top left a kind of alt-tab for switching between running apps, and so on. Read more...
Leap-day Visual Studio beta provokes ‘passionate’ response
The early details of Microsoft's latest Visual Studio beta build, notably its changes to the layout and working environment, has provoked a storm of responses just days before its February 29 release.
"There's a lot of excitement about this release and a lot of passion about colors, designs, styles and icons. Know that we are listening to all your comments here, across social media. Keep the comments coming, both good and bad. We are reading them all," reads an update to developer user-experience director Monty Hammontree's introductory posting on the Visual Studio blog. Read more...
Firefox 10 relieves add-on updating pain
Mozilla today patched eight vulnerabilities in Firefox as it shipped the latest iteration in its rapid release schedule.
Firefox 10, sixth in the line of updates that have been rolling off the development line every six weeks since mid-2011, fixed half a dozen flaws rated "critical," Mozilla's highest threat ranking, and another two labeled "high."
One of the notable vulnerabilities addressed in Firefox 10 could open users to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks because the browser did not properly run a security check when calling untrusted scripting objects, said Mozilla.
"The fix enables the Script Security Manager (SSM) to force security checks on all frame scripts," an accompanying advisory noted. Read more...
LinkedIn open sources search engine
Joining its fellow social-networking companies in the public release of internal code, LinkedIn has opened sourced software obtained in October with its acquisition of the IndexTank search-engine software provider.
"We are looking forward to seeing IndexTank thrive as an open-source project," wrote LinkedIn director of engineering, and former CEO of IndexTank, Diego Basch, in a blog post announcing the release.
At the time of the acquisition, LinkedIn indicated that it was interested in using the IndexTank's software, a well as the company's engineers, to improve the search functions for its own website. IndexTank has implemented search systems at other Web companies such as Reddit, Automattic's WordPress site, BitTorrent and TaskRabbit. Read more...
FBI rejects FOIA request for Carrier IQ info
The FBI has denied a request for the release of information regarding its use of Carrier IQ's software, saying that releasing the information could interfere with ongoing law enforcement operations.
The response does not make it clear whether the agency is using Carrier IQ for investigative purposes, or whether the documents it has, are related to an investigation of the controversial software.
The request under the Freedom of Information Act was filed Dec. 1 by Michael Morisy, co-founder of MuckRock, a website that helps people file FOIA requests with the government. Morisy asked the FBI for any manuals, documents or other written material it might have related to the FBI's use of data gathered by Carrier IQ. Read more...
Apple signs point to iOS 5 release in two weeks
Apple will likely release iOS 5, the next version of its mobile operating system, in two weeks.
Signs point to the week of Oct. 10, with reports focused on Oct. 12 as the release date for iOS 5. That date fits with Apple's past practice of opening the download gates for its operating system several days before the on-sale launch of the next-generation iPhone, dubbed iPhone 5 by most analysts and pundits.
Earlier this week, Apple issued invitations to an Oct. 4 event tagged with the less-than-cryptic phrase, "Let's talk about iPhone."
If Apple repeats the schedule it used last March for the iPad 2, the new iPhone will go on sale the week following the Oct. 4 introduction, most likely either Thursday, Oct. 13 or Friday, Oct. 14. Read more...
Apple’s new Lion beta bakes in iCloud
Apple's iCloud has floated a bit closer with the release of a new beta of Mac OS X Lion version 10.7.2 that integrates the cloudy services package into the OS itself.
It's been a busy few days for Apple's beta-shippers. Last Friday, they released the latest betas of iTunes 10.5 (beta 
and iWork for iOS (beta 3), and on Sunday they reased the new 10.7.2 beta.
This beta, build 11C55, includes iCloud integration that previously needed to be installed separately by devs who wanted to work with the service. Now all devs have access once the OS is installed. Read more...
No pain, some gain: Ubuntu Oneiric Ocelot examined
Ubuntu 11.10, just released as its first beta differs only slightly in its looks from its 11.04 predecessor – a fact that will be welcome news to penguins still reeling from that earlier version's grand re-boot.
That earlier release shed GNOME 2.x, ignored GNOME 3.0 and set its brand-new Unity interface as the default.
Unfortunately, while the Unity desktop has potential, the initial release was rough enough around the edges that I suggested at the time waiting for a few more releases before embracing it.
While the first beta of 11.10, called Oneiric Ocelot, is also a little rough at the edges and features some curious design decisions, the version of Unity here is more stable and it is faster than the version that shipped with 11.04. In other words, Unity is making progress, albeit slower than many would like.
Dash changes: expanded capabilities with windows-style resizing
One of the areas that has seen a considerable makeover in the last six months is Unity's Dash. First and foremost, the Dash button has been moved from the top panel to the Unity launcher and its capabilities have been extended. Read more...