Nokia Releases New Software Development Kit For Mobile Platform

A new version of the software development kit (SDK) for mobile devices was released by Espoo, Finland-based Nokia Inc.

Christened ‘Series 40 6th edition SDK’, the new SDK supports the Nokia WebKit Open Source Browser, which was previously available on the S60 smartphone platform. The Browser makes it possible for developers to target Series 40 feature phones with a web look and feel that customers are familiar with, such as Pointer user interface, Incremental Page Rendering, Page Overview and Visual History browsing, besides the Minimap browsing which allows navigating full-size web pages.

The SDK also supports Adobe Flash Lite 3.0 platform. This platform makes available to the developer features through which graphical mobile content can be delivered to the customer. Streaming video, image rendering, mobile 3D graphics and scalable 2D vector graphics is made possible through the Adobe Flash Lite 3.0 platform integration with the SDK.

Finally, a new feature of the latest SDK is its support for location API (JSR-179). Developers can leverage this facility to provide to customers location-aware applications that can deliver navigation and context-based services.

The first mobile device based on Series 40 6th Edition is the Nokia 7510 Supernova. This mobile will be delivered to the markets worldwide in the coming few weeks.

Read more about the latest SDK release from Nokia here.

Latest Version Of Visualization Suite From ILOG

Gentilly, France-headquartered ILOG Inc. has released the latest version of its Java-based visualization suite – ILOG JViews. According to the company release, version 8.5 of the JViews suite gives developers new features that can enhance rich internet (RIA) as well as desktop applications.

JViews 8.5 provides support to the Eclipse platform offered by Sun Microsystems for Java-based applications. The Graph Layout module specifically designed for Eclipse offers native integration with Eclipse’s Modeling Framework (EMF), Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF) and Graphical Editing Framework (GMF). Visualization has thus been given a new spin by bringing together diagrams, charts, graph layouts and map displays all in one place.

Additionally, ILOG has collaborated with Alberta, Canada-based ICEsoft Technologies wherein JViews 8.5 inherits Ajax-push capabilities of ICEfaces, ICEsoft’s flagship product. Developers can now provide real-time graphical updates in tune with the changes in the underlying data.

ILOG Inc is a world leader in Business Rule Management Systems (BRMS), supply chain applications, and optimization and visualization software components. The company was founded in 1987 and employs 850 people worldwide. The company has recently been acquired by IBM, as part of the latter’s strategy to gain a foothold in the domain of Event Management Systems.

Read more about the latest release from ILOG here.

Asus Offers Premium Service For ‘Enthusiast’ Motherboards

Taipei, Taiwan-headquartered ASUSTeK Computer Inc has announced a new service for owners of certain classes of motherboards. Christened “Asus Premium Service” (APS), the program offers a limited warranty service allowing cross-shipment on its top-shelf motherboards: the Republic of Gamers (ROG) series such as Crosshair II Formula, Maximus II Formula, Rampage /Extreme /II Extreme and the Striker II NSE / II Extreme / II Formula, and the P6T series such as P6T Deluxe and /OC Palm.

Of these, P6T Deluxe and Rampage II Extreme are X58 iCore7 motherboards that house Intel’s latest iCore7 series CPUs.

The offer stands for a period of one year after purchase. Customers wanting to avail of this service are required to return the defective / non-functional parts within 14 days of submitting the warranty replacement request.

Founded in 1989, the company is a leading manufacturer of PC motherboards, and has a preferred business relationship with Intel for all its CPUs. Asus has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, mainland China, Mexico and the Czech Republic with a total monthly production capacity of 2 million motherboards and 150,000 notebook computers.

Read  more about the new service from Asus here.

Microsoft Working Out Deal To Buy Yahoo Chunk

According to a Sunday Times, London edition news-item, Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft Corporation is in talks yet again with Santa Clara, California-based Yahoo! Inc for a possible acquisition of the latter’s search engine business. The sum involved is reported to be USD 20 billion.

Founded in 1995, Yahoo! Inc’s is the second-most visited website in the US, and the most visited website in the world. The company was a target for acquisition by Microsoft in February 2008 at a price of USD 44.6 billion for the entire company. This bid was rebuffed by Yahoo. Subsequently, the company’s CEO Mr. Jerry Yang stepped down as CEO in November 2008, following negative growth in revenues.

In the latest deal being worked out, Microsoft is said to be interested in buying only one chunk of Yahoo’s business – its search engine. Under the new terms, Microsoft would extend USD 5 billion to a new team comprising Mr. Jonathan Miller from AOL and Mr. Ross Levinsohn from Fox Interactive Media. The duo are said to raise another USD 5 billion from external investors. The USD 10 billion cash will be used to buy convertible preference shares and warrants, which would give Microsoft a holding in excess of 30% of Yahoo.

It has been reported that Microsoft will then leverage its new strength in the board to negotiate for a 10-year operating agreement to manage Yahoo’s search business, and also receive a two-year call option to buy the search business for USD 20 billion.

The initial outgo for Microsoft in this deal thus stands to just USD 5 billion, a fraction of the earlier aborted USD 44.6 billion deal.

Read the Sunday Times, London news-item here.

Fujitsu Releases Latest Version Of Its XBRL Software

Minato, Tokyo-based Fujitsu Limited announced the latest version, version 10, of its XBRL software – Interstage XWand.

Interstage XWand is a business software that helps companies present their financial data in the industry-standard eXtensible Business Reporting Language, or XBRL, format. Using the software makes it easy for any company to create, validate, report, collect and analyze financial data, thus simplifying and speeding-up financial reporting, and improving transparency of its financial reports to its stakeholders, besides complying with SEC regulations. The SEC has now made it mandatory for companies using GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and with market capitalization exceeding USD 5 billion to use XBRL for financial disclosure, beginning fiscal year 2009. This would then be made mandatory for all companies from fiscal year 2011 onwards.

Version 10 of the software has incorporated XBRL Formula 1.0. Formula 1.0 is an extension of the XBRL 2.1 specification, where calculation methods between different data items are defined, besides allowing detection of errors in data values.

The first version of Interstage XWand software was launched by Fujitsu in 2003, and has since been sold to customers in 23 countries.

Read more about the latest XBRL version release from Fujitsu here.

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