Stories by Paul Krill

GitHub embraces Windows developers

Looking to make its GitHub social coding and coding-hosting site easier to use for Windows application builders, GitHub beginning on Monday will offer a native graphical Windows client for developers and designers.

Microsoft's Visual Studio 11 lineup adds Windows Phone, Azure tools

Microsoft on Friday shared final product lineup and specifications expected for its upcoming Visual Studio 11 IDE, featuring accommodations for the Windows Phone mobile OS and Windows Azure cloud platform.

We're not waiting for Android 5 'Jelly Bean,' developers say

Unconfirmed reports say that Android 5 "Jelly Bean" could be released this fall, featuring such improvements as Chrome browser integration, better enterprise security, better power management, and maybe dual-booting support for Microsoft's Windows 8. Google did not respond to requests for comment about its future OS plans.

Mozilla readies app marketplace for public beta

Mozilla Marketplace, which is Mozilla's entrant in the online application store arena, is set to move to a public beta stage in a few weeks, a company official said on Tuesday.

Xamarin adds Android designer to Visual Studio

Xamarin, with an upgrade to its Mono for Android SDK on Monday, is adding a drag-and-drop, graphical designer for building Android application interfaces within either Microsoft's Visual Studio or Xamarin's own MonoDevelop IDE.

In Pictures: 9 Cloud development platforms on the rise

These turnkey development services get your apps up and running quickly, saving you from infrastructure tedium

Google shares Codie award for best cloud application/service

This evening's annual Codie awards for business software features a three-way tie in cloud computing, with Google, Keynote Systems, and Scribe Software all winning in the Best Cloud Application/Service category.

C keeps its lead over Java, but index's accuracy is questioned

The C language, which displaced Java as the most popular language in the Tiobe Programming Community monthly assessment in April, has maintained its number 1 spot in the May report released this week. But a high-profile member of the PHP community is questioning the accuracy of the index itself.

Open source Java moving to Linux, AIX on PowerPC

Open source Java will be brought to the PowerPC architecture for Linux and IBM's AIX OS under a proposal floated this week that could eventually benefit the different Linux distributors.

Microsoft revamps UI on Visual Studio IDE upgrade

Microsoft is making changes to the user interface for the planned Visual Studio 11 IDE, which impact coloring, icon usability, and application of the Metro look and feel.

Plantronics seeks developers for headset apps

Headset maker Plantronics this week is kicking off a campaign aimed at enticing developers to build line-of-business applications for the company's devices.

Oracle urges removal of older Java versions due to security risks

Oracle, in making Java Platform, Standard Edition (SE) 7 the default runtime environment for Java this week, is emphasizing that older versions of Java be removed for security purposes.

Developers fear they'll be stifled by judgement in Oracle-Google suit

If Oracle prevails in its contention that APIs can be copyrighted, software developers could be stifled in how they work and innovate, say observers of the ongoing Oracle-Google trial, in which Oracle claims Google improperly used Java technology in the Android mobile software platform.

Code it again, Sam: Microsoft's Casablanca ties C++ to the cloud

Microsoft with its "Casablanca" project is making accommodations for C++ developers who want to take advantage of cloud computing.

Agile: How it became a way of life at HomeAway

Agile software development, billed as the most contemporary way to build software, has faced its share of criticism over the years. But at HomeAway, which provides a worldwide marketplace for vacation rentals, agile has simply become the way the company's 250 software developers conduct themselves.