You don't have to be a programmer to be under Java's influence. It may be on your phone, on your portable media player, or simply in the Web pages you're visiting daily, so Sun's Java is as easy to find as the air we are breathing. I know some may not consider this to be important, but Java got a new update, and I have to tell you about it...



If you didn't know that by now, Sun's Java is a platform allowing the development and running of programs written in the Java programming language. Its greatest advantage is portability, Java applications being able to run on virtually any operating system.

The Java SE edition of the platform is the most common one, being dedicated for general purpose use on desktop PCs, servers and similar devices, and its last update was done on the 10th of October, 2007.

Today, Java SE got up to 6.0.4, and it seems this release is so hot, that Sun's release notes page wasn't updated yet to have the fixes and novelties of this version available... so it's "update first, check fixes later".

The download link and any additional details you may be interested in, as well as the download link for Java Runtime Environment 6.0.4, which allows end-users onlyto run Java applications, but not to create them, are available on this page.

If you're still using Windows XP, but really love the idea of having a fully loaded desktop search solution at your disposal, you don't have to get Vista just for the capabilities of the search box, because Google Desktop is only a few clicks away...and has more decent system requirements, for sure!


Anyway, since Google Desktop is much more than just a search box, you can install and run it on Vista, too. If you're new to this application, here you have some reasons that may convince you give it a try...

What Google Desktop is, basically, an indexing operation of your hard drive contents, just like the company's server index for later retrieval web pages. This application provides full text search of your emails, files, and any web pages you visited so far.

By turning searches inside your computer into easier and faster searches, just like on the Web, Google Desktop can be a really handy program for those with their computers loaded with large quantities of various data, from text documents to family pictures.

As expected, version 5.7.801.1629, released earlier today, is free as usual, and requires Windows XP, 2000, or Vista, and at least a computer able to run the operating system installed on it without much trouble.

The last version of this application can be downloaded from here, but you have to know that Linux and Mac versions are also available, so everyone should be happy!

If I say "Mozilla", probably most of you would think I got hot news regarding Firefox 3, or maybe another great browser from them, such as Camino or SeaMonkey, but this time it's about the company itself. Why would I be interested in this? The reason is the fact that you don't see big software companies changing their CEO every day, and since this happened yesterday, you have to find about this, too.

Based in Mountain View, California, the Mozilla Foundation is the non-profit organization behind the open-source Mozilla project, and its CEO was, until today, Mitchell Baker. Baker was an attorney with Netscape Communications in the 90s, exactly in the period when Mozilla Organization was created, and she also helped create the Mozilla Foundation in 2003, after Netscape was bought by AOL.

Mitchell Baker is stepping down from her position, and her place is taken by John Lilly, Mozilla's chief operating officer, but she won't be quitting the foundation, retaining her chairman position and intending to remain an active member of the group.

According to a blog post by Baker, this is a change that will enable her to pursue other areas of interest, all for the "greater good" of the Mozilla Foundation. In the end, it's us, the users, who should take advantage of the good results that will probably appear in the future, so let's hope for the best...

"I'm thrilled with this development, both with John's new role and with mine. If you've got thoughts on the kinds of projects I want to set in motion, I'm eager to hear them. And don't be surprised if you see the Mozilla Corporation doing more faster-- that's a part of the goal. We're all committed to doing things in a Mozilla style and you should expect to see that continue to shine through all that we do, whether it's shipping product or developing a new initiative.", wrote Baker in the blog.