Sean Michael Kerner tag:blog.internetnews.com,2008-01-08:/skerner/21 2009-11-06T16:51:04Z Netstat -vat - A command line view of IT. Movable Type Enterprise 4.25 Google's Chrome browser updated for security fixes tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59135 2009-11-06T16:09:39Z 2009-11-06T16:51:04Z From the 'Auto-Update' files:Google is updating the stable version of its Chrome browser to version 3.0.195.32.The new release fixes two security issues and addresses a number of stability issues including a top crash condition and a bug that could... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Auto-Update' files:Google is updating the stable version of its Chrome browser to version 3.0.195.32.The new release fixes two security issues and addresses a number of stability issues including a top crash condition and a bug that could... The flaw stems from Chrome's setInterval JavaScript function usage.
"I think the root cause of this is also behind lots of the various 100 percent CPU reports seen on various sites (gmail, nytimes, etc) since it's very easy to leak a setInterval()," A Google developer wrote in the bug report.
That's a pretty serious flaw and it affected major websites including Google's own Gmail. I always wondered why Gmail behaved so erratically on Chrome and now I know.

As opposed to every other major browser vendor, Google has an automated update process for its users. As such existing Chrome users will automatically be updated to the 3.0.195.32 version without the need to click on their own to visit Google for an update.]]> Mozilla updates Firefox 3.5.5 for 'annoying' bug tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59134 2009-11-06T15:11:04Z 2009-11-06T16:08:04Z From the 'Quick Fix' files:For the most part, Mozilla issues updates to its open source Firefox browser for both security and stability related issues. That's not the case with the new 3.5.5 update out today.Firefox 3.5.5 has no listed... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Quick Fix' files:For the most part, Mozilla issues updates to its open source Firefox browser for both security and stability related issues. That's not the case with the new 3.5.5 update out today.Firefox 3.5.5 has no listed... Aha! So that's why I didn't notice any 'big' issues with Firefox 3.5.4 myself, I run Linux and wasn't (personally) affected by the GIF flaw. Seeing as GIFs are pervasive across the web, this can be one very annoying flaw that could potentially have triggered frequent crashes of Firefox.

The other two critical fixes are also crash related items, one of which is a  startup crash related to font handling.

No these are not major security issues but an annoying issues like these that negatively impact user experience is something that needs to be addressed rapidly - which is precisely what Mozilla has done.]]> Google brings Closure to open source JavaScript devs tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59131 2009-11-05T21:13:23Z 2009-11-05T21:50:36Z From the 'Open Source Development' files:Google builds a lot of its own tools as part of its development efforts. Sometimes we get all 'get lucky' and the tools become open source and available too.That's what has happened today with... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Open Source Development' files:Google builds a lot of its own tools as part of its development efforts. Sometimes we get all 'get lucky' and the tools become open source and available too.That's what has happened today with... In addition to the compiler, Google has also open sourced Closure Templates, a Closure Library and a Closure Inspector.  The tools all have the common goal of improving JavaScript.

Another interesting factoid about this whole effort is that Closure was not an official Google effort at first, but rather came out of Google engineers own 20 percent time (time that Google let's people work on their own projects).

Those pet projects are now used by Google in its own infrastructure and starting today available to anyone.
"Today, each Closure Tool has grown to be a key part of the JavaScript infrastructure behind web apps at Google," the Closure Tools team wrote in a blog post." That's why we're particularly excited (and humbled) to open source them to encourage and support web development outside Google."
]]> Cisco's Chambers & EMC's Tucci: Buddies in Bad Times tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59119 2009-11-05T15:24:51Z 2009-11-05T19:05:28Z Sean Michael Kerner "I trust Joe with my life," Chambers said.
Trust is a key component of the new Cisco/EMC/VMware partnership, for both the partners involves as well as for customers. All parties need to trust each other to do the right thing to get the best solution.

Cisco and EMC both have plenty of other partners, and in a limited way also have some overlapping solution and service sets. To actually get a 'one throat to choke' from the vendors that will be responsible for a joint solution is a big deal and in my view will be the real proof point for the success (or failure) of the new venture.

But why didn't Cisco just try and buy EMC? Or merge with them? Wouldn't that be an option?

During Cisco's first quarter fiscal 2010 earnings call, Chambers explained his strategy for when it makes sense to buy, build or partner.
"General rule of thumb, partner big to big, acquire big to small," Chambers said.
It's an idea that makes a lot of sense, as Chambers wants and need to be in control. If the general friendship between Tucci and Chambers did not exist, the partnership might still exist, but it just would seem as honest, would it?]]> Adobe updates Shockwave for 5 critical vulnerabilities tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59114 2009-11-04T15:58:34Z 2009-11-04T16:22:04Z Sean Michael Kerner Sun updates Java 6 for the 17th time tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59113 2009-11-04T15:28:22Z 2009-11-04T22:26:45Z From the 'Still Owned by Sun' files:If you're like 80 percent of all web users, chances are that you're running Java. Have you updated to the latest version yet?Yesterday, Sun released Java 6 Update 17, fixing multiple vulnerabilities. Among the... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Still Owned by Sun' files:If you're like 80 percent of all web users, chances are that you're running Java. Have you updated to the latest version yet?Yesterday, Sun released Java 6 Update 17, fixing multiple vulnerabilities. Among the... "The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Java Update mechanism running on non-English versions of the Windows operating system does not update the JRE when a new version is available," Sun wrote in its advisory.
Yeah, it's a simple item but an important one.

For many users, checking Java isn't something they think about. If a dialogue box pops up that says an update is required, well then it's likely they'll update.

Speaking about Java updates, Mozilla recently launched its own effort to help ensure that users have the most up-to-date plugins (and Java is a plugin for a browser too). So Firefox users have at least one other mechanism beyond Sun's Update checker to rely on.]]> Google Chrome 4 Beta debuts including bookmark sync tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59108 2009-11-03T15:44:33Z 2009-11-03T15:59:17Z From the 'Delicious Feature' files:Google's Chrome 4 web browser is now in Beta. Chrome 4 has been in the dev-channel cycle since August and has one key differentiating feature over its predecessors in the Chrome 3 browser series, bookmark... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Delicious Feature' files:Google's Chrome 4 web browser is now in Beta. Chrome 4 has been in the dev-channel cycle since August and has one key differentiating feature over its predecessors in the Chrome 3 browser series, bookmark... While having browser sync is not a new idea, delicious has been doing it for years and there have multiple add-on efforts for Firefox to include synchronization, Google's approach is a little different.

Google is directly integrating the sync into the browser and leveraging the power of the Google cloud to do it. This narrows the gap between desktop and cloud computing and brings Chrome into the Google online services fold.

Browser sync also give us a very early preview of what Google has in store from Chrome OS, it's netbook operating system. Chrome OS is of course based on the Chrome browser and I can see Google leveraging the same kind of sync XMPP engine on the desktop to sync and backup a whole lot more than just user's bookmarks.]]> Open Source Skype? Not yet, but soon tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59107 2009-11-02T21:02:35Z 2009-11-02T22:03:54Z From the 'Codecs, Codecs, Codecs' file:Is Skype going open source? Apparently so."Yes, there's an open source version of Linux client being developed. This will be a part of larger offering, but we can't tell you much more about that... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Codecs, Codecs, Codecs' file:Is Skype going open source? Apparently so."Yes, there's an open source version of Linux client being developed. This will be a part of larger offering, but we can't tell you much more about that... On the codecs side, as the open source Ogg Theora and Vorbis efforts continue to improve, I think that the gap between the proprietary patented codecs and open ones will narrow.

There are some other benefits to having an open source Skype, that could specifically benefit Linux users.

With an open source Skype the potential for more optimized integration in the future with PulseAudio and other Linux media sub-systems could ultimately make Linux a superior platform to Windows for Skype.  ]]> Google Back to Full Speed on Chrome browser dev tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59105 2009-11-02T19:39:36Z 2009-11-02T20:06:56Z From the 'Code Yellow Alert' Files:Google Chrome development is moving along full speed ahead. Why is this news? Well let me tell you...Early last week, Google developer Anthony LaForge (no not Geordi, he's working on the warp core still...)... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Code Yellow Alert' Files:Google Chrome development is moving along full speed ahead. Why is this news? Well let me tell you...Early last week, Google developer Anthony LaForge (no not Geordi, he's working on the warp core still...)... Should Microsoft be concerned? I think so.

According to a new set of stats from Net Applications, Chrome is gaining on IE (though very marginally). Net Applications pegged Chrome usage at 3.6 percent in October up from  3.2 percent to 3.6 percent in September. Yeaah it's small, but that's why Chrome Frame is so important to Google.

With Chrome Frame, Google's addressable footprint is (theoretically) as big as IE's. No, we don't quite know at this point how many people have downloaded Chrome Frame, but the opportunity is still large for Google.
]]> Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 doesn't know about:me, but it's fast tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59099 2009-11-02T15:02:22Z 2009-11-02T15:45:35Z From the 'Where Did the Features Go?' files:The first official Mozilla Firefox 3.6 Beta release is now available, bringing with it a whole bunch of improvements to the open source web browser. It's also (to my naked eye) missing... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Where Did the Features Go?' files:The first official Mozilla Firefox 3.6 Beta release is now available, bringing with it a whole bunch of improvements to the open source web browser. It's also (to my naked eye) missing... firefox.3.6_small.gifAmong them is the Taskfox/Ubiquity integration. Ubiquity (renamed Taskfox) is a Mozilla effort to have a command-line type tool for various browser and site actions.  At one point it was supposed to be Firefox 3.6, but it's not in the Beta 1 release.

Another (minor) item, I was looking for but didn't find is the about:me command. At one point about:me was supposed to be integrated into Firefox 3.6 but it's not in the Beta (though it is available as an add-on). The idea with about:me is to provide users with a simple command to show them information about their browser usage. A minor feature, but a nifty one that I for one sure hope lands in a future Firefox release.

Minor complaints aside, Firefox 3.6 fixes one big issue that has always bugged me about Firefox tab behavior. In Firefox 3.6 new tabs (when clicked from a link) are opened in the adjacent tab and not in new tab at the far end of the browser. FINALLY. 

The tab fix is one that I had hoped for in Firefox 3.5, but didn't make it in, it's great that it's in now. It also clearly gives us all hope that just because a particular feature isn't in one release, doesn't mean we won't see it sooner rather than later.]]> Where is PHP 6? tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59097 2009-10-30T19:24:22Z 2009-10-30T19:52:54Z From the 'Vaporware Language Release' files:Back in 2005, I wrote a story for InternetNews.com where I wrote that I expected PHP 6 to be out in 2006. Here we are three years later and guess what? No PHP 6.Back... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Vaporware Language Release' files:Back in 2005, I wrote a story for InternetNews.com where I wrote that I expected PHP 6 to be out in 2006. Here we are three years later and guess what? No PHP 6.Back...
Now that much of the 'guts' of PHP 6 is in PHP 5.x, something else needs to become the marquee feature of PHP 6. Sure, code cleanup and optimizations are always important too.

Now as 2010 nears as opposed to 2005, I'm not sure if PHP 6 will actually come out before Perl 6 does anymore. I'm also not sure that it matters.

The jump from PHP 4 to 5 was a big one and is still being dealt with by many organizations. I suspect that PHP 5.x will remain the top dog of the PHP world for some time to come.]]> The irony of Juniper Networks' new branding tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59094 2009-10-29T20:06:19Z 2009-10-29T21:33:44Z From the 'Competitive Irony' files:In 2006, networking giant Cisco Systems revamped it's corporate logo and its branding. At the time, rival Juniper Networks, put out its own anti-Cisco branding marketing initiative, printing up T shirts with a press release... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Competitive Irony' files:In 2006, networking giant Cisco Systems revamped it's corporate logo and its branding. At the time, rival Juniper Networks, put out its own anti-Cisco branding marketing initiative, printing up T shirts with a press release...
juniperwhite.jpgThe former Juniper logo (left), wasn't all that bad, but Juniper is trying to re-invent itself today with new technology including silicon, systems and software.

It makes sense to invest in research and development and that's what Juniper has done. It also makes sense to have a marketing effort to get the market aware of the new developments. So bringing this full circle, even though it is ironic that Juniper is now spending money to rebrand, the timing does make sense.

Make no mistake about it, branding does matter for technology companies. Though speeds and feeds matter, so too does the brand of the company that is making the technology.

In my view, technology brand equity is an equation involving the reality of performance with the perception of value that is inherent in the brand itself.]]> Google Chrome development slows to fix bugs tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59092 2009-10-29T19:47:41Z 2009-10-29T20:05:26Z From the 'Rapid Release Cycles' files:Since its first release a year ago, Google's Chrome browser has been updated at a rapid pace -- perhaps too rapid.This week, Chrome developer Anthony Laforge issued a 'Code Yellow' alert and put all... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Rapid Release Cycles' files:Since its first release a year ago, Google's Chrome browser has been updated at a rapid pace -- perhaps too rapid.This week, Chrome developer Anthony Laforge issued a 'Code Yellow' alert and put all... In my view, the risk of super-agile development is that key bugs can get overlooked, which is why prioritization is so important.

This Code Yellow incident might just be an isolated case or it could potentially be indicative of some larger code quality concerns within Google. In any event the fact that it was recognized and is being dealt with is a good thing.

Overall though, Google Chrome itself is getting slower, for other reasons.

Extensions for Chrome actually slow down Chrome's performance. It's something that Google developers recognize and are now working on. Extensions are currently in the dev-channel build of Chrome and not yet fit for broad consumption, but the plan is to move them into the beta builds soon.

Google has pitched Chrome on the merits of its speed since day one. It'll be interesting to see as time goes on how many trade-offs (if any) need to be made to continue to make both the browser and browser releases themselves faster than before.]]> Microsoft wants open source Eclipse to work with Windows 7 tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59077 2009-10-28T13:30:20Z 2009-10-28T13:50:39Z From the 'Resistance is Futile' files:Microsoft has thousands of developers building code for its platforms using Visual Studio. Thousands more use open source Eclipse based IDEs to develop their code and Microsoft wants them to target Windows platforms too.To... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Resistance is Futile' files:Microsoft has thousands of developers building code for its platforms using Visual Studio. Thousands more use open source Eclipse based IDEs to develop their code and Microsoft wants them to target Windows platforms too.To...
"The Eclipse Tools for Silverlight (Eclipse4SL) plug-in is an open source, cross-platform plug-in for the Eclipse development environment that enables Eclipse developers to build Silverlight Rich Internet Applications (RIAs)," Microsoft explains in a blog post.

That's right, it's an open source Microsoft effort for Silverlight and no it's not Novell's Mono. The Novell Mono effort is an open source effort to provide Silverlight to Linux users, but with all of Microsoft's own open source Silverlight efforts, I'm beginning to wonder about its future relevance. After all, if Microsoft itself is already doing open source releases of Silverlight related tools why is there a need for another (similar) effort?

The other important thing to remember about today's Microsoft Eclipse announcements is the practical reality for many Eclipse based IDE developers. For years I've been told (and seen for myself) Eclipse based IDEs (from IBM Rational and others) running on Windows desktops.

So while Eclipse itself is open source, many of its users have long been using Windows as their desktop development environment anyways. As such it only makes sense to have a solid degree of Windows interoperability.
"We are always working hard to find new ways to provide more choice and opportunity for developers in our ongoing journey to foster interoperability between Microsoft products and other technologies," Microsoft's Vijay Rajagopalan wrote in a blog post. "We are hoping that today's announcements give developers the additional choices and opportunities they're looking for, and that they amount to yet another reason why choosing Microsoft platforms means keeping all the options open."
]]> U.S Department of Defense takes a shine to open source tag:blog.internetnews.com,2009:/skerner//21.59075 2009-10-27T20:45:24Z 2009-10-27T22:00:01Z From the 'Do Ask and Do Tell' files:Open Source software has a role to play in the national interest and national security of the United States. That's the gist of a new U.S Department of Defense (DoD) Memorandum providing... Sean Michael Kerner From the 'Do Ask and Do Tell' files:Open Source software has a role to play in the national interest and national security of the United States. That's the gist of a new U.S Department of Defense (DoD) Memorandum providing... So, no the DoD is not 'going open source.' They're already using it.

This new memo is not a wholesale directive encouraging the DoD to use more open source either. All it's doing, in my 'civilian' point of view, is restating some common sense policies that are already in place.

Open source software can and should be considered for DoD bids and it can be used to help protect the national interests of the U.S.]]>