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In the ugly dispute between Ning and Widgetlaboratory, the innocently bystanding users are (mostly) well. Widgetlaboratory used to sell widgets for around $30 per month and is the most popular widget creator on Ning. Users who have spent quite some money also on WL widgets to build up their social networks were left with nothing, when Ning decided to remove all widgets created by the popular premium developer because of some violation of Terms of use without notice. While the parties continue to “communicate via blogs” (Ning and Widgetlaboratory), the bold move is the one of WL to open source all their widgets and thus giving the users the control they need to keep up their networks.

We believe that our customers have the RIGHT to OWN their sites, OWN their site content, OWN their own code, and OWN the right to not be terminated, threatened or cajoled by ANYONE, especially a hosting-company executive.

Whatever the issue between the two vendors really is (and who is right), the users benefit from open source.

The http://lwuit.dev.java.net/“>light-weight user interface toolkit for Java ME (LWUIT) has been released as open source. Sun has selected GPLv2 and the classpath exception license, which allows developers to link this library statically or dynamically with other modules under other licenses.

LWUIT is a library that helps creating rich Java ME applications through a MVC (model view controller) approach. It supports visual components, theming, transitions, animation etc. Just like JavaFX. But while both LWUIT and JavaFX enable creating a better and more compelling user interface for mobile and other devices, there are really two target generations:

LWUIT will help Java MIDP and Swing developers to enhance the interfaces of new or existing Java ME applications on MIDP 2.0 phones. The LWUIT library which offers pre-made graphical functions and features that developers can quickly and easily assemble into a compelling interface. JavaFX Mobile is targeted at designers and scripters who are looking to create very rich, very immersive experiences across multiple screens like phone, PC, TV, etc. The level of interactivity and animation and control over the presentation is much higher than that enabled by LWUIT. JavaFX Mobile can also run on MSA-enabled devices i.e. smart phones and high end feature phones.

So it is nice to now have LWUIT for sprucing up existing Java ME programs. For new apps I still strongly suggest to consider JavaFX.

At Optaros, most retailers are asking us the following question:

“We’ve done product ratings and reviews, what social shopping features should we implement in 2009?”

The 2009 Social E-Commerce Guide answers the question:

• Suggested approach to plan for 2009
• 32 different options to consider with links to example websites
• Options categorized by adoption rate among retailers

Get it here.

WordPress have introduced an Open Source app that lets you write posts, upload photos, and edit your WordPress blog from your iPhone or iPod Touch. With support for both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress (2.5.1 or higher), users can now write and manage their blog on the go.

Download from the iTunes AppStore.

The interesting bit is the solution to prevent data loss when receiving a call. Wordpress for iPhone will recover your post after ending the call. You can take pictures on the phone and blog them instantly, iPod touch users are limited to pictures from the photo library.
See pictures of the app in action in the gallery.

(more…)

Optaros has written a streamlined web client for Alfresco based entirely on REST (web scripts) and ExtJS. It is called DoCASU, which stands for Document Access for Casual Users, and we’re making it freely-available as an open source project on code.optaros.com.

DoCASU 1.0 leverages the understanding gained from corporate user requirements and utilizes Rich Internet Application technologies such as the ExtJS AJAX framework. DoCASU is not intended to replace the already existing Alfresco web user interface, but rather offer an alternative for users who require a limited set of features for them to profit from simplicity and ease of use. Already today thousands of users at NXP, a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips, are enjoying the user friendly front end solution.

DoCASU is a showcase of what can be done on top of Alfresco’s Web Script approach with state of the art RIA technologies. Developers can take DoCASU as a start for even more comprehensive (or simplistic) user interfaces, purpose built front ends or just as the base for learning on how to build Alfresco user interfaces and applications leveraging Web Scripts.

It requires Alfresco 2.1.1 or later. The future DoCASU releases will include a drop zone for dragging and dropping files also for desktop interaction, tabbed navigation, configurable skins, usability improvements and more.

Read about the project and download the AMP from code.optaros.com. If you see things that need fixing, create a bug report or fix it yourself and let us know.

Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DOCOMO announced today their intent to unite Symbian OS™, S60, UIQ and MOAP(S) to create one open mobile software platform. Together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone they form the Symbian Foundation. Members will be able to use the components of this platform for free from the beginning and selected features will be open sourced over time.

This is an alternative development to Google’s Open Handset Alliance Android program, that recently was said to be delayed and then not to be delayed. WSJ also considers this an iPhone thread.

Nokia recently also acquired Plazes, a Berlin based location based social network platform operator.

Forrester Research’s Stephen Powers just released their report “Web Content Management And Open Source“.

As organizations embark on next-generation Web content management (WCM) initiatives, they want to avoid the mistakes made in earlier, more costly WCM projects. As a result, information and knowledge management professionals increasingly show an interest in open source WCM as a way of controlling software costs and increasing their access to product-specific expertise in the marketplace.

Later on Powers concludes that only Alfresco and Drupal have a satisfactory product offering, proven enterprise-level implementations, and a large — and passionate — community of developers and service providers.

Sounds like a good deal, right? All you have to do to help us set the record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours is get Firefox 3 now – it’s that easy. We’re not asking you to swallow a sword or to balance 30 spoons on your face, although that would be kind of awesome.

Please download Firefox 3 by 11:16 a.m. PDT (18:16 UTC) on June 18, 2008. That’s 11:16 a.m. in Mountain View, 2:16 p.m. in Toronto, 3:16 p.m. in Rio de Janeiro, 8:16 p.m. in Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Rome and Warsaw, 10:16 p.m. in Moscow, and June 19, 2008 at 2:16 a.m. in Beijing and 3:16 a.m. in Tokyo.

This IDC study contains a five-year forecast for worldwide revenue from standalone open source software.

“Revenue from standalone open source software is growing significantly,” said Matt Lawton, program director of IDC’s Open Source Software Business Strategies research program. “This is particularly important for independent vendors of open source software. However, we need to also provide some context. Standalone open source software is an important but small segment of open source software. Large vendors are realizing significant revenues indirectly from their activities with and support of embedded and complementary open source software. In addition, unpaid open source software adoption is significant but not included in our revenue estimates.”

EU-Wettbewerbskommissarin Neelie Kroes hat die Regierungen der Mitgliedsstaaten aufgerufen, frei verfügbaren Software-Lösungen den Vorzug vor kommerziellen Angeboten zu geben. Die Nutzung von Open-Source-Formaten sei “eine sehr kluge Geschäftsentscheidung”, sagte Kroes am Dienstag in Brüssel auf einer Konferenz der Organisation OpenForum Europe, die sich für offene Standards einsetzt. “Kein Bürger und kein Unternehmen sollte durch Entscheidungen einer Regierung gezwungen oder ermuntert werden, eine geschlossene Technologie statt einer offenen zu wählen”, sagte Kroes. Auch die EU-Kommission werde ihren Teil dazu beitragen, wenn es um die Verwendung von Software-Standards gehe.

http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/0,1518,558801,00.html