Java Development Kit 1.1 launched without expected encryption APIs
At the JavaOne conference in San Francisco last week, JavaSoft Inc launched its Java Development Kit release 1.1, but the expected encryption application programming interfaces expected to appear with it were nowhere to be seen: when they do appear, said JavaSoft Inc, they will be basic APIs, and it will be up to the developer just how powerful the encryption is, avoiding the need for JavaSoft to get involved with any of the export licensing issues with the US government. When asked how powerful the encryption could be, Java architect James Gosling replied n; though we’re not doing anything illegal, added JavaSoft Inc’s vice-presient of technology and architecture Jim Micthell helpfully: what it actually amounts to, according to JavaSoft envangelist Miko Matsumara, is riding on the back of other vendors licenses, so that, for example, if an application is deployed using Netscape Communications Corp technology, the application programming interfaces will enable developers to put a wrapper round the object and deploy it, on Netscape’s paid-up license with RSA.
Allpen unveils NetHopper Enterprise Server
AllPen Software Inc, responsible for the embedded browsers for Apple Computer Inc’s MessagePad 2000 and eMate 300 mobile computers, as well as for US Robotics Corp’s Palm Pilot and Windows CE devices, was one of the more interesting companies on the floor of JavaOne. New last week was an embedded HTTP server called NetHopper Enterprise Server, which runs on Windows NT, 95, MacOS and Unix. AllPen appears to be doing much the same sort of thing as Spyglass Inc, but wouldn’t say how they compare because Spyglass is also one of its friends: just how close a friend though, we’re not sure quite yet.
Oracle readies ‘thin’ JDBC interface
Oracle Corp will have a thin version of the JDBC Java DataBase Connectivity interface by the summer, and Java stored procedures, triggers, methods and data cartridges in its databases by the year-end or early 1998, according to Steve Levine, director of server technolgies product marketing.
Asymetrix outlines plans for its Supercede Just-In-Time Java compiler
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Asymetrix Corp held a slightly ramshackle press conference to talk about its plans for its Supercede Just-In-Time Java compiler. It is working on full support for the 1.1 release of the Java Development Kit, and expects compliance in the third quarter this year, and by the year-end it expects to have a version of Supercede for Unix, written, we understand, with the help of its partner Visix Software Inc. Also by year-end Asymetrix says it will have a version for enterprise-wide distributed objects, Cobol integration – again with an unnamed partner – and data modeling capabilities.
Sun HotJava Views Webtop
Sun Microsystems Inc says it will have all of its enterprise applications as opposed to its engineering ones – running within its HotJava Views Webtop within 15 months.
‘Web tone’ quartet announces support for Sun’s Javabeans
Some more meat was put on the bones last week of somewhat obscure Web tone get together of IBM Corp, Oracle Corp, Sun Microsystems Inc and Netscape Communications Corp a few weeks back. The quartet announced support for Sun’s Enterprise JavaBeans and Java Platform for the Enterprise. Along with Corba and IIOP, Enterprise JavaBeans is one of central planks of the agreement, extending JavaBeans component technology to the server side.
Corel has a second Office for Java OEM customer in the wings
Corel Corp chief executive Mike Cowpland said the company will announce a second OEM customer for Office for Java this quarter, although it will be smaller that last quarter’s deal with Marimba Inc. Office for Java, the client side of which takes up 4Mb of disk space, and the server just 6Mb, made it to the beta testing phase last week.
Sun readies Java Performance Runtime for Windows
Sun Microsystems Inc is
readying a package called Java Performance Runtime for Windows, which comprises JDK 1.1, Symantec Corp’s Just-In-Time compiler and some class libraries, to enable the Java Development Kit to be used under Windows. It’s only intended as a stop-gap until Microsoft comes up with something better, according to JavaSoft’s Jim Mitchell.
Sun 100% Pure Java campaign
Sun Microsystems Inc was making a great deal out of its 100% Pure Java campaign at JavaOne last week, with the first to win that hallowed accolade being Corel Corp’s Office for Java, the other two being Oracle Corp’s WebForms and IBM Corp’s Host- onDemand software. Utah-based KeyLabs Inc will do the validation tests for $1,150 a shot, a process that should take between five and 10 days, says KeyLabs, so send in your hopefuls to https://www.keylabs.com/100percent. All the Pure Java successes are client applications so far, though JavaSoft Inc says that Corel Corp’s Office for Java server is being tested right now.
Sun adopts Lotus Infobus backplane
Sun Microsystems Inc has adopted IBM Corp’s Lotus Development Corp InfoBus backplane as the method for information sharing among JavaBeans components. We first heard about InfoBus Java application programming interfaces as a method used by Lotus’s Kona applets to communicate, and as they’re just JavaBeans, it’s an obvious choice. IBM Corp’s JavaBeans Migration Assistant software for the ActiveX tool, that converts ActiveX components to Java Beans has also been adopted by Sun Microsystems Inc.
Geoworks licenses Javasoft technology for its GEOS operating system
Geoworks Inc has licensed Java technology from JavaSoft Inc and plans to port it to its GEOS operating system so developers can build Java-based smart phone applications.
Gates would like Java to be just another language
Microsoft Corp chief Bill Gates used his keynote at Software Development West – which was taking place across the road from JavaOne at San Francisco’s Moscone Center – to tell us about all the great things Redmond is doing with Java. No, just joking, that’s how it was billed, but all we got was a history lesson of interpreted languages, the fact that Microsoft can get Java to run faster on Windows and that Redmond will support Java as much as it supports C/C++ and Visual Basic, because Bill wants us to think of it as just another language.
