February 2011 Summaries

Google Summer of Code (GSoC), now in its 7th year, is accepting applications from open source projects to act as mentoring organizations, with a deadline of March 11th, 2011. This program connects university students worldwide with mentors from various fields, such as academia and software development, offering students a stipend and practical experience during their break. Since its inception in 2005, over 4,500 students from 85 countries have participated, guided by more than 300 mentoring organizations. The initiative not only provides students with valuable work experience but also helps organizations attract and retain new developers. This year, experienced mentoring organizations are encouraged to refer smaller groups that could benefit from the program. Accepted organizations will be announced on March 18th, after which students have a window to engage with them before student applications open on March 28th. More information can be found on the GSoC site, including FAQs and a Mentor Manual.

In an effort to make federal income tax data more engaging and comprehensible, Andrew Johnson and Louis Garcia developed a website, whatwepayfor.com, which utilizes public data to estimate U.S. taxpayers' contributions to the federal budget. Building on this initiative, Google Creative Lab collaborated with Eyebeam to launch the Data Viz Challenge, inviting designers and developers to create innovative visualizations of tax data using an API developed by Johnson and Garcia. The challenge, open to U.S. participants until March 27, 2011, offers a $5,000 prize for the best visualization, aiming to demonstrate how data visualization can transform raw information into accessible and insightful content. The goal is to encourage creative interpretations that not only make tax data more engaging but also enhance public understanding of how tax money is allocated.

Native Client, an open-source technology designed to execute native compiled code safely within web browsers, has reached a significant milestone with the release of an updated SDK supporting the Pepper plug-in interface. This release enhances portability, security, and accessibility by including comprehensive Pepper interfaces for compute, audio, and 2D modules, as well as implementing auto-update and sandbox features to improve security. Although the Application Binary Interface (ABI) is not yet stable, developers can begin creating Native Client modules for Chrome applications, with future updates promising support for 3D graphics, file storage, and networking capabilities. Developers are encouraged to engage with the Native Client community for ongoing updates and support through the blog and discussion group.

Google has announced a change to the disk space management policy for open source projects hosted on Google Code, aiming to simplify the process by consolidating the quota system. Previously, projects were subject to separate 2-GB limits for components such as source code and downloads. The new policy introduces a single unified disk quota of 4 GB per project, allowing developers to allocate this space according to their project's specific needs. This update is intended to provide more flexibility and ease of management for open source developers using the platform.

Google's Public Data Explorer, launched in collaboration with various data providers, offers an intuitive platform for visualizing over 27 datasets comprising more than 300 data metrics on topics ranging from labor productivity to government debt levels. The platform now supports user-generated data through the introduction of the Dataset Publishing Language (DSPL), an XML-based format that facilitates the creation of rich, interactive visualizations. Users can upload datasets via the Google Labs interface, allowing for their integration into the Public Data Explorer, where they can be visualized, embedded, shared, and published. This expansion aims to enhance public understanding of complex data and promote informed, data-driven decision-making, with ongoing updates expected to introduce more datasets, visualization features, and DSPL extensions.

Google has released version 2.2 of its Plugin for Eclipse and Google Web Toolkit (GWT), introducing several new features aimed at enhancing developer experience. This update integrates the GWT Designer directly into the Eclipse Plugin, offering a WYSIWYG Ajax UI designer that simplifies UI development. The latest GWT SDK introduces initial support for HTML5 features, including the Canvas element for dynamic 2D rendering and audio/video embedding, though these APIs remain experimental. Additionally, the CellTable widget now includes built-in functionalities like default column sorting and adjustable column widths, reducing the need for boilerplate code. The update encourages developers to use Java versions newer than 1.5, as continued use of Java 1.5 will generate warnings. These advancements are designed to facilitate the creation of robust web applications using Java-based tools and ease their deployment on Google App Engine.

Google App Engine's 1.4.2 SDK release, dated February 11, 2011, includes updates and enhancements to several existing APIs, focusing on ease of application development, maintenance, and scalability without the need for server maintenance. Key improvements involve the XMPP API, enhancing applications' interaction with users by sending notifications about sign-ins, sign-outs, and status changes, alongside the ability to set presence details. Additionally, Task Queue API improvements allow for increased task processing rates of up to 100 tasks per second and the capability to specify maximum concurrent requests per queue, alongside a new API for programmatically deleting tasks. The release also includes support for JAX-WS and Django 1.2, and updates to the App Engine Roadmap, with additional minor features and fixes detailed in the release notes for Java and Python.

Google is set to participate extensively in the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, where thousands of industry professionals gather. The company plans to showcase its range of technologies, distribution platforms, and monetization solutions designed to assist game developers in creating high-quality games and expanding their reach. Google has organized two developer days with focused sessions, covering web technologies like HTML5, WebGL, and Native Client, as well as Google's cloud solutions and YouTube APIs on February 28th. The following day, the focus shifts to Android, featuring discussions on audio, graphics, compatibility, the new NDK, and utilizing App Engine for secure data serving. Google representatives will also present at various GDC summits and the main conference, discussing topics such as mobile monetization and gaming on smart TVs. Attendees can visit Google's booth to interact with experts, explore the latest Android devices, and enjoy the Google TV lounge, with opportunities to receive a pass to an exclusive Google GDC party.

Google is organizing a G-Saudi Arabia event on March 19th and 20th, following the success of previous G-days in Cairo and Amman, where 97% of attendees expressed positive feedback. The event aims to engage Saudi Arabian developers, academics, entrepreneurs, and professionals with lectures and informal interactions facilitated by Google engineers. The first day focuses on developers, while the second day targets entrepreneurs interested in learning about Google's products like AdWords and Google Apps. Feedback from past events highlighted participants' appreciation for Google's influence in the region, the opportunity to interact with Google staff, and the overall event organization, while also suggesting improvements like slowing down coding sessions and offering more technical content. These insights have been considered for enhancing the upcoming G-Saudi Arabia event, aiming to foster dialogue and innovation among Arab developers and entrepreneurs.

Since the launch of Google TV, developers have been encouraged to optimize their websites for television, which presents unique design challenges given the need for a 10-foot user interface and TV-friendly controls. To assist developers, Google has released new templates and a UI library to facilitate site optimization for TV. These resources include two HTML5 and Flash templates aimed at video content but adaptable for other multimedia, and the Google TV Web UI Library, which provides TV-friendly controls such as D-pad navigation. The library is available in both jQuery and Closure versions, and developers can access it along with documentation and tutorials under the Apache 2 license. Google encourages feedback and interaction through their developer forum, reflecting their commitment to supporting web developers in this area.