.Net

Open Source Updates 30 Nov 2007

1) PortableApps.com: Portable Software/USB
The goal of the PortableApps.com project is to make applications portable… taking high-quality, existing applications and packaging them up to run from a portable device (USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, CD, etc).

Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition 2.0.0.10 has been released in English, German, French and Italian packages. It’s the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser bundled with a PortableApps.com Launcher as a portable app, so you can take your bookmarks, extensions and saved passwords with you. It works from any removable media (USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, CD, etc) on any Windows computer (Windows 98 through Vista) or within Wine on your favorite Linux/UNIX distro. And, it’s packaged in PortableApps.com Format so you can use it on its own or with the PortableApps.com Suite.

New in this release:
- Firefox updated to 2.0.0.10
- Minor change to German launcher/installer

2) EclipseME
EclipseME is an Eclipse plugin to help develop J2ME MIDlets. EclipseME does the “grunt work” of connecting Wireless Toolkits to the Eclipse development environment, allowing you to focus on developing your application.

New in this release:
- Copy files for launch to temp directory to avoid locks and allow multiple emulator instances.
- Upgrade the Antenna preprocessor.
- Apply findbugs patch thanks to Luke (luctrudeau on Sourceforge) (Bug 1771116)
- Improve the handling of UEI debugger in server mode - Patch thanks to Antti (ak_n on Sourceforge) (Bug 1778417)
- Guard against unresolved classpath container entries (Bug 1809479)

3) WinSCP
WinSCP is a SFTP client and FTP client for Windows. Its main function is the secure file transfer between a local and a remote computer. It uses Secure Shell (SSH) and supports, in addition to Secure FTP, also legacy SCP protocol.

New in this release:
* FTP support.
* SSH tunnel support to allow indirect connections through proxy SSH host.
* Multiple files editing.
* Support for files with non-ASCII characters in names.

4) zenTrack - project/bug tracking software
Highly configurable bug tracking, project management, and help desk solution. Project focus is on configurability, usability, and clean code.

5) NUnit .Net unit testing framework
NUnit brings xUnit-style unit-testing to all .Net languages. Initially ported from JUnit, the current version has been re-written to take advantage of .NET language features. NUnit 2.4.5 fixes a number of bugs in the 2.4.4 release.

Open Source Updates 30 Nov 2007

Yahoo Widgets Get Flash

Yahoo is upgrades its Yahoo Widgets platform to accommodate Adobe’s Flash multimedia display technology.

Yahoo Widget Engine 4.5 can be downloaded on Yahoo’s widget download page, it allows developers to write widgets based on Flash. The existing HTMl support is also enhanced.

SAP has built enterprise widgets and a plug-in architecture, called SAP Widget Foundation. SAP plug-in allows you to query your SAP system.

More can be read here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140109-pg,1/article.html

Yahoo Widgets Get Flash

Online Ads In Pdfs

Yahoo and Adobe plan to put Ads in PDFs. Until now only static ads were possible in pdf’s.
More at : http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140083-pg,1/article.html

Online Ads In Pdfs

Random Qoutes

Start every day off with a smile and get it over with.
W. C. Fields

“The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.”
George Carlin

“If two wrongs don’t make a right, try three.”
Laurence J. Peter

“When I told my doctor I couldn’t afford an operation, he offered to touch-up my X-rays.”
Henny Youngman

“Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

“Sometimes it seems like God is difficult to find and impossibly far away. We get so caught up in our small daily duties and irritations that they become the only things that we can focus on. What we forget is that God’s love and beauty are all around us, every day, if only we would take the time to look up and see them.”
Matthias

“I don’t think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.”
W. Somerset Maugham

Random Qoutes

Google’s Print Ads And 2D Bar Codes And ZXing

Recently in the New York Times, google placed a small graphic as part of a Google Print Ad. hose of us who already know what it is pulled out our phones and “clicked” it with the camera, and were connected to the advertiser’s web site.
Engineering is also involved and we want to improve the quality and availability of barcode reader software available to developers and end users. So today I would like to announce the “ZXing” (from: “zebra crossing”) project, an open-source, Java, multi-format 1D/2D barcode reader which can be built into a reader application for Java and Java ME — and later, Android.

This project began as a 20% project and is not yet complete, so opening it up is a bit of an experiment. It’s not yet the Best Barcode Reader Ever, but it’s looking pretty good. For now we want to find those those who can make use of and help improve what’s here, so that those good ideas are shared to all developers and everybody wins.

What are 2D barcodes?
Print Ads barcode

This 2D barcode says “www.google.com” in a format called a QR Code. Another popular format is called DataMatrix.

2D barcodes are a way to encode information, just like conventional barcodes – but 2D barcodes can encode significantly more. This information can be read by devices with cameras, such as cellphones.

For example, the 2D barcode here contains the information “www.google.com.” When you capture a picture of it with your cellphone, special decoding software reads the encoded information, and, in this case, prompts your phone’s browser to visit a URL.

2D barcodes have been common in Japan for a number of years. In fact, Japanese business cards often feature barcodes containing contact information. Such barcodes are starting to gain popularity in other countries as well.
Can my phone read these codes?

To read 2D barcodes, your phone will need several things: a camera (ideally with a close-focus or macro mode) and the proper decoding software installed. Your phone will also need a web browser and data service to visit any encoded URLs.
Am I sending any personal information when I read the code?

No personal information is transmitted to Google by the act of scanning the 2D barcode. Note that once you have scanned a 2D barcode that contains a URL, your mobile web browser may launch to visit that URL, similar to typing a URL into your phone’s mobile browser.
Why would newspaper ads include 2D barcodes?

For advertisers, using 2D barcodes in newspaper ads can be an effective and flexible way to engage with potential customers. The benefit to readers is an easier, quicker way to get more information about businesses that interest them.
How can I add 2D barcodes to my print ads?

If you’re an advertiser who is interested in using 2D barcodes in a Google Print Ads campaign, please contact your Google representative.
Selected 2D barcode decoding software

You can find decoding software and lists of supported devices by visiting sites like these:

http://reader.kaywa.com/en
http://mobilecodes.nokia.com (for Nokia devices only)

Google’s Print Ads And 2D Bar Codes And ZXing