Sun Microsystems, Inc. and the NetBeans open source community today announced that release 4.0 of the NetBeans integrated development environment (IDE) will be available tomorrow, December 15.

This release marks a monumental milestone for the project as NetBeans is the first open source IDE to support the new Java (TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition (J2SE(TM)) 5.0 language features, and is the first IDE to base its project system entirely on Apache Ant. Other key features include a new Java technology performance profiler and refactoring capabilities, as well as additional mobile development support.

The NetBeans IDE offers modular, standards-based Java technology development for Linux, Macintosh, the Solaris(TM) Operating System, and Windows platform. With this release, all key functionality is included with the initial download of the software, rather than via the addition of a series of plug-ins. Plug-ins are available to further extend the functionality of the NetBeans IDE. The NetBeans 4.0 IDE includes the following updates:
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Sun Microsystems, Inc. , the creator and leading advocate of Java(TM) technology, today announced the availability of the Sun Java(TM) Studio Enterprise 7 development platform. This release offers a virtually unmatched new “Code- Aware” collaboration technology to enable teams of developers to work together more effectively in today’s distributed world. The Sun Java Studio Enterprise 7 product also delivers an array of functions including innovative capabilities for modeling and tuning enterprise applications — all in a single, tightly integrated enterprise development environment. The product can be downloaded at http://wwws.sun.com/software/products/jsenterprise .

The new release includes three major features that were not available in previous releases:

• “Code-Aware” Collaboration, which enables distributed teams or workgroups to interact and work dynamically together in a highly productive manner.
• Comprehensive support for the Unified Modeling Language (UML), which reduces complexity and increases visual clarity across software development projects, ensuring a sound architecture is established and communicated throughout the enterprise.
• An Application Profiler, which provides a powerful and efficient means of analyzing application performance, enabling developers to identify and resolve potential performance-related issues well before any production deployment.

Hundreds of BitTorrent, eDonkey and DirectConnect Servers Targeted Worldwide.

The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. today announced that its member companies have filed suit against individuals operating servers that index millions of illegal copies of movies and TV programs used on computer networks such as BitTorrent. The MPAA and its members also are working closely with law enforcement and civil authorities around the world to shut down illegal servers on eDonkey and DirectConnect networks.

“The operators of these servers exercise total control over which files are included on their servers and even determine if some kinds of files aren’t allowed,” said John Malcolm, the MPAA’s Senior Vice President and Director of Worldwide Anti-Piracy Operations. “For instance, some operators won’t post pornography on their systems, but they have no compunction allowing illegal files of copyrighted movies and TV shows to flow through their servers. We are moving to stop that. The message today is clear: if you illegally trade movies online, we can find you and we will hold you accountable.”

BitTorrent, Direct Connect and eDonkey are all examples of newer kinds of “peer-to-peer” file-trading networks that have proliferated online in recent years. These kinds of P2P networks rely on servers termed BitTorrent “trackers,” eDonkey “servers” and Direct Connect “hubs” to index and efficiently deliver files of all kinds. The operators being targeted by these actions have helped online pirates steal hundreds of millions of illegal copies of movies and TV programs.

Beyond civil suits filed in U.S. and U.K. courts, the MPAA and its members are working with rights-holder organizations and local law-enforcement agencies in several other countries to pursue criminal actions against the people behind illegal file-trading servers based in those countries. Law enforcement officials in France, The Netherlands and Finland have already taken actions based on the information brought to their attention.

Computer software should not be protected by copyright laws designed for music, literature and other creative works, according to a lawsuit filed in a U.S. court in San Francisco.

Intellectual-property consultant Greg Aharonian hopes to convince the court that software makers can protect their products adequately through patents, which provide more comprehensive protection, but are difficult to obtain and expire in a shorter period of time.

The case seeks to clarify which laws the $100 billion U.S. software industry uses to protect its products. Currently, software makers like Microsoft Corp. use both copyright and patent laws to protect their creations, as well as “clickwrap” agreements that stipulate terms of use.

An official with a software-industry trade group said not every software product is protected by patents.

“If you eliminated the ability to sue somebody for copyright infringement, you would eviscerate our ability to go against pirates,” said Emory Simon, counselor for the Business Software Alliance, which estimates that U.S. businesses lost $6.5 billion last year to piracy.

Aharonian argues in his complaint that software copyright laws violate the right to due process enshrined in the U.S. Constitution because they do not provide clear boundaries for appropriate use. That means industry players and courts do not have a clear idea of the rules.

In one well-known case, Lexmark International Inc. (LXK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) invoked copyright laws to prevent a competitor from making computer circuits that allow cheaper inkjet cartridges to work on its printers.

One court ruled in Lexmark’s favor in 2002, but an appeals court in October overturned that decision and allowed rival Static Control Components to sell its inkjet cartridge parts.

Source: Reuters

Microsoft offer even greater choice and convenience for digital photography customers, Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of an updated version of its Online Print Wizard, a feature that allows quick and easy ordering of prints from digital photos via Windows(R) XP.

In addition to the mail-order service, consumers can now pick up their photo prints directly from their nearest photofinisher in as little as one hour (pickup times may vary by retailer and location).

The Online Print Wizard has an extensible architecture that now enables photofinishing retailers to provide Microsoft(R) Windows XP users with the ability to order prints of their digital photos for pickup at any affiliated photofinishing retailer. This added service offering gives consumers even greater choice and convenience when ordering prints of their digital photos, and enables retailers to reach millions of current and potentially new customers.

Microsoft also announced today that Fujifilm’s Get the Picture Online service is the first to be implemented into the enhanced Online Print Wizard, enabling Windows XP users to order prints of their digital photos and pick them up at participating Fujifilm retailers, including Ritz Camera Centers Inc., Sam’s Club and Wolf Camera Inc. Fujifilm’s Get the Picture Online service is available via Windows XP beginning this week.

With the enhanced Online Print Wizard, photographers of all levels can enjoy a more robust digital photography experience with Windows XP. Once a photo or group of photos is selected in Windows XP, consumers can click on the Order Prints Online icon and choose to pick up their prints at the retailer of their choice, or have the pictures sent via postal mail to their home.
Currently available only in the United States, the Online Print Wizard can be accessed by consumers via the Windows XP desktop. Similar functionality incorporated into MSN(R) Photos and Digital Image Suite 10.

In addition to in-store pickup, consumers will still have the option to receive mail-order prints from the Windows XP desktop through Fujifilm, Ofoto Inc. and Shutterfly online services.

The Internet may soon see two new top-level domains: .jobs and .mobi. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) said Monday that its board had voted unanimously to begin discussions with the companies that have submitted bids–and a $45,000 application fee each–to operate those domain name suffixes.

ICANN gave preliminary approval to the .post and .travel top-level domains in October. Other proposed suffixes include .cat, .xxx, and .mail. ICANN has not extended final approval to any new top-level domains since adding .biz, .info, and .aero and four others in 2000.

Source: News.com

Stacks of hard-to-find books are being scanned into Google Inc.’s widely used Internet search engine in its attempt to establish a massive online reading room for five major libraries.

Material from the New York public library as well as libraries at four universities — Harvard, Stanford, Michigan and Oxford — will be indexed on Mountain View, Calif.-based Google under the ambitious initiative announced late Monday.

The Michigan and Stanford libraries are the only two so far to agree to submit all their material to Google’s scanners.

The New York library is allowing Google to include a small portion of its books no longer covered by copyright while Harvard is confining its participation to 40,000 volumes so it can gauge how well the process works. Oxford wants Google to scan all its books originally published before 1901.

“It’s a significant opportunity to bring our material to the rest of the world,” said Paul LeClerc, president of the New York Public Library. “It could solve an old problem: If people can’t get to us, how can we get to them?”
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Source: AP