News and New Product Briefs (1/20/99)

Judge says, ‘Work it out’

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Whyte wrote in his settlement offer to Sun and Microsoft on December 29, 1998 that he is ordering the companies to attempt to work together to solve at least the problem that Microsoft’s RNI causes — a class file that won’t run on any virtual machine other than Microsoft’s.

Whyte wrote that Sun’s Java Native Interface (JNI) “was designed to allow native code to run on any virtual machine on a given platform and to minimize the effort to port the native code to another platform.” Whyte also noted that Microsoft’s RNI approach does yield better performance results in some cases.

Both companies said each is willing to try and solve this issue.

A trial date has not been set.

Microsoft initiative aims for Jini

Microsoft announced Universal Plug and Play (UP&P), an initiative that seems to be targeted at Sun’s Jini initiative.

UP&P is designed to enable a wide range of devices (PCs, printers, cameras, etc.) to connect in a peer-to-peer method over home networks. It will be based on open standards, according to Microsoft spokesman Craig Mundie, such as TCP/IP and XML.

The initiative shares attributes with the 1992 Plug-and-Play initiative which allowed users to connect peripherals to a PC without having to reboot the system. UP&P will allow peripherals to be attached to a network, where they will “announce” their presence and start working with other devices on the network.

As to when this may occur, Web technology strategies analyst Seamus McAteer (with Jupiter Communications) said, “I don’t think [Microsoft] really know[s] when this stuff is going to happen. They just saw all the press Sun is getting with Jini and they said, ‘Let’s do something alternative.’ “

Mundie also said that at the time of its release, Windows 2000 will be UP&P-compatible. Microsoft will also offer a software upgrade for Windows 98 to make it compatible.

Better show outside of court

On Tuesday, January 12, the Justice Department’s Assistant Attorney General Joel Klein said that the government has “introduced compelling evidence” that demonstrates a widespread pattern of Microsoft’s anti-competitive behavior; behavior designed to “crush any threat to its operating system.” Klein added that the copious amounts of material (internal emails, expert testimony, etc.) adds up to an “extraordinary mountain; a mountain of evidence that this company did not compete on the merits.”

Microsoft chief corporate attorney William Neukom countered, accusing the government of doing the “bidding of competitors” to Microsoft, and of relying on out-of-context email content to build its arguments. He continued his posturing by saying when Microsoft gets its turn, “this case is going to change to facts and fair analysis.”

Microsoft’s first witness is Richard Schmalensee, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Judge closes court for pricing testimony

On Monday, January 11, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson closed the courtroom to hear testimony concerning Microsoft’s pricing strategy, assuring that the public will only receive very general summaries of the pricing information.

Jackson decided to release an edited transcript of the closed-court session, without confidential material, instead of deciding on a document-by-document basis what could or could not be discussed in open court.

Dell and Compaq, as well as Microsoft, had made a motion to protect the pricing information from the public. The government did not oppose the motion; it was looking for a compromise as to how some of the data could be used in open court.

The judge also rejected a motion filed by a 10-outlet media consortium to limit what data could be kept confidential.

OEMs did not want competitors to know what they’re paying for Microsoft products. A Compaq attorney also did not want details of its negotiating strategy with Microsoft released.

Microsoft sickened by cross-platform applications

On Wednesday, January 6, the Justice Department released some more Microsoft emails including one that called cross-platform applications a “disease” that threatened the company.

Jim Allchin, Microsoft’s senior personal and business systems VP, sent a memo in February 1997 to Bill Gates with the subject heading “Losing a Franchise — The Microsoft Windows Story (a new Harvard Case study).” Allchin wrote, “I’m sure this subject got your attention. It’s what I worry about every day when I shower, run, eat, etc.” He went on to warn Gates that the company was working across purposes on some key issues.

Allchin wrote, “The cross-platform vision and keeping Windows as the platform and the center of innovation fall into this category. In my opinion, Windows is in the process of being exterminated here at Microsoft.” He went on, “I assume the argument is that we have to do things cross-platform because Netscape is (or says they will). So, we move our innovations cross-platform and dilute Windows.”

Allchin continued by writing that Microsoft’s current direction with Internet Explorer 4 “will not be very integrated into Windows.”

Allchin summed up by writing, “I consider this cross-platform issue a disease within Microsoft. The alternative is to say ‘NO’ and push even harder on Windows.”

Gates replied, “Cross-platform demand is not coming from statistics. It is coming from the free-lunch syndrome we have allowed to develop. All of a sudden people think that there is no drawback to being cross-platform. No drawback in size, speed, interface, richness, testability.” Gates continued, “To some degree this is true because machines have enough memory now that a ‘duplicate run-time’ is not overwhelming.”

Gates finished with, “I can say I am more scared than you are, but that is not what will help us figure out where we should go.”

WebMacro Framework 0.75.3: ‘Things you don’t care about should get out of your face’

The WebMacro Framework 0.75.3 is a server-side servlet development toolkit for Java written by Justin Wells and Yuen-Ping Leung at Semiotek Inc.

It’s a toolkit that follows this philosophy: “Things that you don’t care about should get out of your face.” So programmers get to think like programmers (and not worry about Web design issues) and designers get to think like designers (and not have to worry about programming issues).

WebMacro brings the traditional Model/View/Controller framework to servlet development. With it, developers can:

• build Web applications with ordinary Java objects, such as hashtables, vectors, arrays and custom classes.

• manipulate these objects using a controller written in Java code.

• create views by constructing HTML/XML templates, using a simple and intuitive script syntax to place information from the model objects directly into your HTML or XML document.

WebMacro provides extensive support for all three levels of the MVC architecture:

• Developers write a controller and register it with WebMacro’s servlet.

• The script language uses introspection to let developers view the information generated by the controller without having to know how it was created or how it is stored.

• The model component architecture manages the storing and retrieving of information, as well as the caching and concurrency of commonly accessed resources.

WebMacro is covered by the GPL, although you can purchase a less restrictive license.

https://www.webmacro.org/

A Java-based chat application

Markus Peter offers Spin Chat, a completely Java-based chat application for both the server and clients.

Spin Chat (version 2.2 is stable, 2.3 is the development version) was originally developed on Linux. It features:

• full color customization of every screen element (different text groups, buttons, scrollbars, and so on);
• a user list that switches on or off easily, and can be displayed on the right or left of the screen;
• an on/off button bar with predefined actions;
• automatic user logon;
• multiple channels;
• built-in spam control;
• graphical administration tools;
• I18N; and
• remote administration/configuration capabilities.

The software comes with a free object-oriented database. There is a free trial version. Chat Pack 1 costs US90 / 44,000 yen / 330 euro.

https://chat.spin.de/

…and a Java finger client

Victor Rehorst and a group of students at the University of Guelph crafted SkyeFinger 0.11, a finger client written in Java 1.1, as part of the Skye Project, a suite of platform-independent Internet software.

Currently SkyeFinger is freeware, but it may go GPL in the future. There’s a download version for Unix flavors and for Win32 systems.

https://lithiumprod.ml.org/skyefinger/

Monash University comes out with JavaBlue graphical teaching tool

JavaBlue 0.8.5 is an environment designed to make programming in Java simple, as well as to instruct users in how to use the object-oriented paradigm.

Blue is an integrated teaching environment and language, and JavaBlue provides a Blue-like environment for Java language.

With JavaBlue, you get:

• a fully integrated development environment;
• a graphical class-structure display;
• graphical and textual editing;
• a built-in editor, compiler, virtual machine, debugger, and class browser;
• an easy-to-use interface;
• interactive object-creation abilities and object calls; and
• testing capabilities.

JavaBlue comes with an online tutorial that covers everything from installation to the basics, from inspection to class creation, from debugging to building applications.

JavaBlue was a research project in the Blue group at Monash University’s School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, and was designed by Michael Cahill, Michael Klling, and John Rosenberg.

It was tested on Solaris, Linux, MacOS, Windows 95/2000. An evaluation pre-release is available.

https://www.sd.monash.edu.au/javablue/

So you want to embed 3D models…

Paul Houle’s Freedom VR 2.0 is a Java applet for embedding 3D models and photographic panoramas in Web pages without plug-ins.

Freedom VR 2.0 works with all major Web browsers on almost every platform, since it supports industry standards such as JPEG.

Version 2 offers better cross-platform reliability and performance, embedded hyperlinks in VR scenes, 2D navigation, and keyboard navigation — users can now spin an object from the keyboard. It also comes with a new JAR file format.

Freedom VR was developed on Linux. The source code is available and is released under the GNU public license.

https://www.honeylocust.com/vr/

Check if you have mail with Java

SkyeCheck 1.00 — written by Basil Murphy and part of the Skye Project — is a platform-independent Java 1.1 application that checks for new mail on a POP3 account.

Besides checking for mail, SkyeCheck also beeps and displays pictures if users have new mail, and allows users to set the delay between mail server polling.

A small, graphical option dialog is planned for the next release.

https://eddie.cis.uoguelph.ca/~oregano/software/skyecheck.html

…then read your mail with SkyeMail 0.4.1

SkyeMail 0.4.1 — another Java 1.1 application by Basil Murphy and the Skye Project — is an email client that lets users send, download, save, view, move, delete and organize email.

The program should also let users create and delete mail folders. As a precaution (since this software is still in testing), this version will not delete mail from the server. The author is afraid of a software SNAFU, and doesn’t want any testers losing important emails.

For the next version, look for an address book and a faster folder/message system.

It has been tested on Linux and Windows running the JDK 1.1.7.

https://eddie.cis.uoguelph.ca/~oregano/software/skyemail.html

Martin creates a Java clone of Microsoft’s WebBots

Joseph Martin offers dBots 0.1.2, a Java clone of Microsoft’s WebBots.

dBots lets developers write a bot. At present, dBots generates static pages, but in the future it may work as a Java servlet, so the bots can have the functionality of WebBots without requiring FrontPage.

dBots work through HTML comments. For example, by using two comment tags, the InsertBot bot, and the startbot and endbot command, you can command the bot to insert something (image, text, etc.) between the commands. When the original updates, the dBot-generated version will update.

To build new bots, developers create the class and then have it implement jamnv.dbot.BotInterface. This interface defines one method only — execute. The developer then overrides the execute method however he wants — it just needs to return a String when it is done.

Currently, available bots include the iBot (which inserts a text file) and UpdatedBot (which inserts the current time).

https://www.ice-works.com/martinja/projects.dbot.html

MindTerm 0.97: A Java-based SSH client

Mats Andersson offers MindTerm 0.97, a Java-based SSH client that can be used either as a standalone Java application or applet.

MindTerm is a multi-platform, Web-enabled version that includes a set of packages so developers can make their own SSH client and SSH-aware applications and applets. The set includes:

• A terminal package, a complete VT102 xterm terminal.
• A package for special/proprietary proxies.
• An SSH package with the SSH protocol and “drop-in” socket replacements that use SSH tunnels transparently from a Java application/applet. It also contains functionality to realize an SSH server.
• SSH-aware applications/applets that can speak to proprietary daemons behind firewalls.
• A security package that contains RSA, DES, 3DES, RC4 and Blowfish ciphers.

It uses a random generator and MD5 hash which makes the applet run from most browsers. It has added support for selecting terminal emulation modes in the local command shell, and there are several new terminal types (including xterm-color).

The source code is available for non-commercial use, under GPL. The site itself offers good instruction on using the software.

https://www.mindbright.se/mindterm

Let your users input geographic data with OpenMap 3.0.1

BBN Corp./GTE Internetworking announced OpenMap 3.0.1, a JavaBeans-based toolkit designed for building applications and applets that require geographic information.

With OpenMap, developers can quickly build applications and applets that access data from legacy databases and applications. OpenMap then provides the means to let users see and manipulate geospatial information.

OpenMap is a set of Swing components that understand geographic coordinates. These components enable users to show map data and handle user-input events to manipulate that data.

OpenMap is open source software.

https://openmap.bbn.com

Ciucci finds new exploitable in Microsoft’s VM

Fabio Ciucci, lead programmer for Anfy Java, has found a new threat to users of Microsoft’s latest Java virtual machine (JVM), the version hastily put out after Judge Ronald Whyte issued a preliminary injunction in the Sun/Microsoft Java licensing case.

The newest Microsoft JVM is missing a patch from an earlier noted bug. The original bug was also not repaired in this version.

The applet can crash both Internet Explorer 4.0, 4.1, and the 5 beta, as well as Windows 95/98 operating system. It can be present in email attachments or on standard Web pages.

https://www.microsoft.com/java/vm/dl_vm31.htm

NetClue introduces component-based HTML renderer

NetClue introduced Clue 0.9, a 100 KB, Java 2-compatible component that acts as an HTML renderer.

The concept of Clue is to pull Web applications out of browser environments, so users don’t have to deal with browsers’ poor development environments and debugging tools, difficult to maintain states or session information, and unsecure source code exposed to users.

The Clue component 0.9 is written in Java 2 and compressed as a JAR file. It parses and renders Web pages, handling HTML files with syntax (or even semantic) errors like Netscape or Microsoft browsers do. It features intuitive APIs, and can be easily integrated into Java applications.

By including Clue in an application, it becomes Web-aware — a Web application that can run outside of the browser.

Clue 0.9 is free for software development. It can be used for free until developers are ready to distribute their applications that contain it.

https://www.coolclue.com/clue.html

Securing Java book online

John Wiley & Sons has put its book on Java security online.

Securing Java, by Gary McGraw and Ed Felten (ISBN: 047131952X) covers:

• mobile Java code and security
• the applet sandbox
• signed code
• a profile of malicious applets
• how applets attack security holes
• Java Card security
• the future of Java security
• a Java security FAQ
• Java vs. ActiveX
• a Java security hotlist
• how to sign Java code

And if you want a desk copy, the web site provides links to the places where you can order the book online.

https://www.securingjava.com/

Kalos Espresso 3.0 lightweight GUI kit for embedded apps

Espial Group announced Kalos Espresso 3.0, a PersonalJava-based, lightweight, graphical user interface toolkit for embedded Java applications.

Kalos Espresso, at a maximum footprint of 175KB (ROM), is optimized for minimal-resource environments — those designed to run on small Java-based electronic devices. It can be reduced further if the device/application it’s used for has a highly specific focus.

Other features of Kalos Espresso include:

• a huge collection of widgets, such as buttons, trees, tables, lists, and so on;
• data support for all sorts of formats, including text, images, pictures, audio, video, and so on;
• dynamic user interface adaptation that delivers a pluggable look and feel;
• a multiple application framework;
• support for diverse visual displays and various input devices; and
• utilities for data, component, and image resource sharing and management.

Kalos Espresso user interface components have been designed down to the pixel level (for resource-constrained environments) by graphic designers and user interface experts, which also makes them quite intuitive.

Through PersonalJava, it supports various input mechanisms by defining an InputMap that provides a mapping mechanism for inputs to Espresso components. Also, all Kalos Espresso components support transparency — interfaces that aren’t bound to rectangular components, a user interface framework, or a specific look and feel.

Its user interface rendering system lets device manufacturers maintain control of the device’s look and feel. They can customize the interfaces and not have to worry about how third-party applications will run, since Espresso-generated applications dynamically adapt to the manufacturer’s defined look.

Kalos Espresso delivers view-independent data management, which means the data being manipulated is separate from the visual representation. Data sources can be anywhere; thread-safe multiple data-access mechanisms keep the data from being corrupted. The mechanisms also optimize the thread performance in a distributed environment.

The system also includes transaction-based data updating and data-change notification facilities for further optimization of view/data exchange. It supports data items that can be shared across components, further reducing memory requirements.

At press time, the company had not listed a price.

https://www.espial-group.com/pages/products/esp-overview.htm

Maczeig Software releases MochaMail Java email system

Maczeig Software is showcasing MochaMail, an all Java, Web-based mail client system that is at the center of its Java-, Web-based mail service — MochaMail Online (a system like HotMail and Yahoo). MochaMail, a Java applet, is used through a World Wide Web browser like other Web-mail clients, but it looks and acts more like a traditional desktop mail client, such as Eudora or Outlook. It can be used with any POP3/IMAP4 mail server.

MochaMail’s features include:

• the ability to create, send, read, reply, forward and delete mail;
• it can be used from any Java-enabled device;
• server-intensive processing;
• a personal address book;
• Windows-style online help;
• a spell-check utility;
• the ability to automatically insert signature text;
• the ability to view mail offline;
• an attachment-loading filter;
• the ability to view hypertext messages as HTML; and
• a high degree of customization.

For Windows 95/98/NT systems, it’s accessible from Netscape Communicator 4.06-4.5, Netscape Navigator 4.01-4.05 (through the Java 1.1 plug-in), Internet Explorer 4.0-5.0 (through the Java 1.1 plug-in), IE 3.02 (through the Java 1.1 plug-in), and HotJava 1.1.x.

For MacOS systems, it’s accessible from IE 4.0-5.0 (through MRJ 2.0), IE 3.02 (through MRJ 2.0), and HotJava 1.1.x.

For Unix systems, it’s accessible from Communicator 4.06-4.5, Navigator 4.01-4.05 (through the Java 1.1 plug-in), IE 4.0-5.0 (through the Java 1.1 plug-in), and HotJava 1.1.x.

MochaMail info: https://www.mochamail.com/

“How it compares to HTML” table: https://www.mochamail.com/compare.html

BeanHive Java virus found – son of Strange Brew

Austrian antivirus company Ikarus issued a warning about BeanHive, a Java virus that is more sophisticated than its predecessor, Strange Brew.

Ikarus’ George Wu said, “While Stange Brew was blocked by the Java security model and was mainly a topic for developers, BeanHive uses the browser to get full access to the user’s data.”

Wu noted that users can be infected invisibly, though; the program asks the user through the browser to accept the certificate Landing Camel.

After infection, the software’s “bees” try to contact their “queen” (the file BeanHive.class). When the bees make contact, the queen has full access to the PC.

In its current state, BeanHive has been published only as a demonstration and will not copy or delete data. But Wu says, “There are no limitations on the functions of BeanHive.”

https://www.ikarus.at/

Microsoft appeals order in Sun lawsuit

On Wednesday, January 13, Microsoft appealed U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte’s ruling that ordered it to change Internet Explorer 4.0, Windows 98, and Visual J 6.0 (any of its software that integrates the Java programming language), or stop shipping the products within 90 days.

In the Microsoft filing, the company accused Whyte of wrongly ruling that the compatibility requirements Sun imposed on Microsoft’s Java limited how Microsoft could distribute Sun’s technology. The filing said that Whyte “abandoned (his) role by ignoring the plain language of the agreement.” It also said that “Sun is effectively given control over future Microsoft products in which it has no intellectual property rights.” The filing also characterized the ruling as overly broad.

Microsoft lawyer Tom Burt said that the company believes the court treated the case as a copyright issue, instead of a contract dispute.

“We also believe the court applied incorrect legal standards and failed to properly consider all the facts in reaching a preliminary determination about the meaning of the contract,” he added.

Consumer electronics manufacturers support Java as digital TV standard

Sun announced that several companies involved in the digital television industry — Hongkong Telecom, LG Electronics, Matsushita, Motorola, OpenTV, Philips, Sony, and Toshiba — have agreed to form a working group to support development of the Java TV API, which will extend Java to allow for secure delivery of interactive television content and services.

This working group expects to deliver its first draft for public review by the end of Q199.

A Java TV API will potentially provide such interactive services as:

• Video-On-Demand;
• electronic programming guides;
• multi-camera-angle sporting events;
• audio/video streaming;
• conditional access;
• access to in-band and out-of-band data channels;
• tuner control; and
• on-screen graphics.

Philips Consumer Electronics CTO Roel Kramer said, “Java technology provides a natural de-coupling layer that allows the content industry to create compelling applications in a stable and rich environment, while enabling suppliers …to independently evolve the underlying product architectures, providing continuous improvement in functionality, performance, and product integration.”

OpenTV CEO Jan Steenkamp said, “The large Java developer community and the enormous market of digital television will accelerate the development of an entirely new class of applications and services focused on the living room and the enhancement of television entertainment.”