Thom Holwerda Archive

David Zeuthen (Red Hat) who wrote and maintains the HAL freedesktop library has announced a new Policy Kit library to manage administrative policies and privileges in a Linux desktop in a desktop neutral, uniform and centralised manner. More about this on his blog.

"The Java programming language has had an unprecedented run of success for vendors, customers, and the industry at large. But no programming language is a perfect fit for every job. This article launches a new series by Bruce Tate that looks at ways other languages solve major problems and what those solutions mean to Java developers. He first explores Active Record, the persistence engine behind Ruby on Rails. Active Record bucks many Java conventions, from the typical configuration mechanisms to fundamental architectural choices. The result is a framework that embraces radical compromises and fosters radical productivity."

Intel demonstrated two quad-core processors Tuesday, 'Clovertown' for servers and 'Kentsfield' for PCs, directing attention toward the future during a more troubled present. Pat Gelsinger, a senior vice president in Intel's Digital Enterprise Group, demonstrated both processors in a speech at the company's Intel Developer Forum here. Both chips are built using Intel's 65-nanometer manufacturing process and will ship in the first quarter of 2007, Intel representatives said.

During a presentation on IBM's involvement with Open Source, Andreas Pleschek from IBM in Stuttgart, Germany, who heads open source and Linux technical sales across North East Europe for IBM made a very interesting statement. "Andreas Pleschek also told that IBM has cancelled their contract with Microsoft as of October this year. That means that IBM will not use Windows Vista for their desktops. Beginning from July, IBM employees will begin using IBM Workplace on their new, Red Hat-based platform. Not all at once - some will keep using their present Windows versions for a while. But none will upgrade to Vista."