Google Becomes OpenID Provider

Yesterday Google announced "limited access to an API for [Google] OpenID identity provider".

Quote:

The initial version of the API will use the OpenID 2.0 protocol to enable websites to validate the identity of a Google Account user, including the optional ability to request the user's e-mail address.

This is a big news despite some criticism of the implementation and the fact that Google did not reveal its plans on becoming an OpenID relying party (i.e. granting access to Google's services based on authentication of OpenID credentials issued by other parties).

Besides the obvious endorsement of OpenID initiative the move paves the road to a better OpenID.

OpenID 1.0 was clunky and didn't get much traction. Version 2.0 cleaned up much of the design mess and gained industry momentum. OpenID 2.0 user experience is still somewhat handicapped - one needs to enter their OpenID URI, which is just too technical.

Google streamlines OpenID user experience by requesting either an email or nothing (a click of a button brings you to Google authentication service login page). The conversion of an email address into an OpenID URI happens behind the scenes.

While this might not be OpenID standard-compliant behavior per se, it is the behavior the users want. As such it should be a part of the next version of OpenID standard. Hopefully Google will help to make it happen.

Yahoo Unveils Y!OS

To make it clear, Y!OS stands for Yahoo! Open Strategy.

Here's how Yahoo! describes the initiative:

Through Y!OS, we're rewiring Yahoo! so that developers can tap into benefits once only available within Yahoo!. Namely, you can leverage the content, traffic, and user base of Yahoo! to extend your presence on the Web.

Whether you are just a small hobbyist or large company, the Open Strategy provides a new avenue for you to reach and connect with Yahoo! users like never before.

Y!OS consists of four major components: Yahoo! Applications Platform, Yahoo! Social Platform, Yahoo! Query Language, and OAuth Authentication.

Yahoo! envisions us to benefit from Y!OS in a number of ways:

• Use Yahoo! to connect potential users to your service
• Leverage Yahoo!'s built-in services to your benefit
• Promote your application to the largest online audience on the Internet
• Use Social Platform as a social-network-in-a-box
  

Y!OS allows to use a wide array of technologies for development for the Applications Platform.

LinkedIn Launches Application Platform

Jason Kincaid of TechCrunch reports that LinkedIn has launched its new application platform called InApps.

According to LinkedIn the applications can run on LinkedIn user’s home and profile pages, can be installed from the Application Directory, and have to be based on OpenSocial API.

A developer submits a request to add an application to LinkedIn. The request is reviewed and if everything looks cool (from LinkedIn's perspective) the application is made available in the directory.

Currently there are 9 applications in the directory.

A Web Applications Directory VToolbox is Launched

VToolbox is a directory of web applications, web-based tools, and web mashups.

In a quest for a thing of interest web populace can browse through 20 top-level categories or search for a certain application. Both the categories and actual entries currently look somewhat limited, which is understandable given the site age.

Web application owners and marketers can submit the URL of an application to be added to the directory for a review. The site claims that all listings are reviewed by humans and listed on search engine friendly web pages.

First Android-based Mobile Phone Available at T-Mobile

T-Mobile G1™ with Google™ - Black goes on sale.

The phone runs open source Android operating system being primarily developed by Google.

Android-based mobile devices will compete predominantly with Apple iPhone that is based on a proprietary platform.

Android platform can run a form of Java, which means it can tap into the vast pool of talent devoted to programming language number 1.

Google Releases Android Source Code

Android source code is finally made available to the public.

Android is a software platform and operating system for mobile devices, based on the Linux kernel, developed by Google and later the Open Handset Alliance. It allows developers to write managed code in a Java-like language that utilizes Google-developed Java libraries.

The code is stored in Git version control system that was initially created by Linus Torvalds for Linux kernel development. To access the code one has to use either Linux or Mac OS.

The move demonstrates Google's continued commitment to open source.

Java 6 Update 10 is Out

Java 6 Update 10 was made available for download a few days ago.

The two major features of the release are modular distribution model and redesigned Java plug-in for the browsers.

Modular distribution will allow to trim the size of the initial download package (the kernel) to a few megabytes. Other modules will be transparently downloaded and installed as required.

The new Java plug-in will make sure that applets run in separate processes from the browser. This will definitely improve overall applet stability, allow for flexible applet management and configuration, and may potentially affect (improve?) applet performance.

A user-friendly description of the release features can be found here. Full release notes are here.

Google App Engine to Support Java

According to an Indian news source Google App Engine will support Java.

The announcement was made by Prasad Ram, Director, Google R&D Bangalore during his keynote presentation at Google Developers Day event on October 18, at Chancery hotel, Bangalore.

This is a great news. The only question now is when.

Earlier I commented on limitations of GQL, which is a proprietary query language used by Google App Engine.

Flash Player 10 is Out

Jon Rose of InfoQ reports the availability of Adobe Flash Player 10.

Flash Player 10 is available for a range of Windows, Mac, Linux, and Solaris operating systems.

Quote from Jon's post:

Flash 10 [brings] four main improvements that should interest developers: Pixel Bender, 3D Effects, Advanced Text Layout, and changes to File Reference API

Flex 4 will allow to effectively leverage the new features. It will be released next year.

Echo 3.0.beta2 (Echo3 beta 2) Released

Tod Liebeck, the lead developer of Echo framework (?), posted to Javalobby on Echo3 Web Framework & EchoStudio Beta. It's hard to tell from the post content, but it actually is an announcement of beta2 release of Echo3 framework. According to Nextapp's website, Echo 3.0.beta2 was released on October 9.

It's been about a year and half since the last time I had a cursory look at Echo, version 2 at that time. Having refreshed my memory with the latest version, I came to the same conclusion as a while ago: UI lacks a designer touch.

Don't get me wrong. The windows are beautiful and most widgets are of run-of-the-mill quality...

What I'm talking about are tab panes. They look bad unless you are nostalgic of 1990s HTML look and feel.

It's of paramount importance for a component-based framework to have a polished set of UI components right out of the box. There are several frameworks in the space that are reasonably well-honed on the server side. Polished UI is what gives a competitive edge to such frameworks nowadays.

All said, Echo guys are doing a great job. If they want to gain mainstream adoption, here's my message: have a look at ExtJS for inspiration, then hire a designer and have them create a beautiful UI experience on top of a functional and robust engine that's already there.

Update on SpringSource Spring Maintenance Policy

Adam FitzGerald of SpringSource commented on my previous post that FAQ for the SpringSource Maintenance Policy has been updated to cover some of my concerns. Here's the relevant quote from the FAQ:

When SpringSource makes binary releases to the community will they be available in the Maven repository? Will they be tagged in the source control system?
Yes, the releases will available to the Maven repository just as we have done in the past. Yes, we will publicly tag the release in the source control system.

While the FAQ entry deserves a better wording (mixing binary releases and source code in one bucket is confusing, the entry will be more comprehensible if split in two), I can infer that the source code will indeed be tagged with version information.

This clarification acknowledges that SpringSource is playing by the rules and lifts any uncertainty about SpringSource's commitment to open source.

Groovy 1.5.7 and 1.6-beta2 Released

According to Andres Almiray October 9 marked the release of versions 1.5.7 and 1.6-beta2 of Groovy language. Quote:

Groovy 1.5.7 contains mainly bug fixes (61 bug fixes), but also some minor API improvements (20 improvements) backported from the1.6 branch, whereas Groovy 1.6-beta-2 brings a wealth of novelty (68 bug fixes and 38 improvements and new features).

Hopefully a release of Grails framework based on these versions will be out soon.

SpringSource Updates Spring Maintenance Policy

According to Rod Johnson the most controversial provision of the original Spring maintenance policy on 3-month availability window for binary releases of the framework has been revised.

The new provision promises regular unrestricted binary releases:

We are amending our maintenance policy in the light of community feedback. We will make regular binary releases from the Spring trunk available to the community, with no 3 month window. For each version of Spring, community releases will be available while it remains the trunk or until the next version is stable.

While this is definitely a step in the right direction, there still remains the issue of source code tagging. The new policy is vague on whether the release tags will be available in the code repository. A safe conservative assumption for now is that they will not be.

This lands SpringSource on a slippery ground. While they still abide by the "letter" of open source by making the head (the latest and greatest source code) available in the code repository, they cheat on the "spirit". By not providing a way to access older releases - via tags - SpringSource effectively cuts off any potential competition and makes it difficult to maintain an in-house branch of the framework in larger IT shops. The reason for that is versioning (or rather the lack thereof).

What SpringSource is currently doing around commercialization of Spring is not healthy for open source. I'm downgrading the framework until SpringSource reconciles their monetization strategy with commonly accepted open-source practices.

SpringSource dm Server 1.0.0 is Generally Available

According to SpringSource SVP Engineering Peter Cooper-Ellis SpringSource dm Server 1.0.0 reaches GA.

Both the community version and a trial of the enterprise version can be freely downloaded. The source code of the community version, distributed under GPL 3, can be obtained from the same page as well.

I'll check back in a year to see what the adoption pattern is.