Hot and fresh from SystemBase's ovens are the new Eddy v2.1 Series embedded CPU modules for high-speed serial communication with real-time Linux. These small, Linux-ready 32-bit ARM9-based modules support high-speed RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 serial interfaces at up to 921.6Kb/s, tolerate an extended temperature range (from –40°C to +85°C) and are equipped with Ethernet and wireless interfaces. SystemBase says that developers can set up their designs on the Eddy-DK v2.1 hardware development kit and the software development environment LemonIDE for Lemonix. Lemonix is an embedded, real-time Linux operating system that has been revised to support real-time capabilities while retaining the stable traits and merits of the Linux kernel 2.6.x.
If Java's your gig, take note of the latest v6.0 release of Instantiations' CodePro AnalytiX, a code-review tool for Eclipse Java. Instantiations asserts that CodePro AnalytiX's new product features will “help developers decrease potential code security vulnerabilities early in the software development life cycle, improve Java code quality and reduce development costs through increased developer productivity”. Core product features include code audit, metrics, automated unit tests and team collaboration. New features include 25 new OWASP-based rules; two new audit-rule categories (Web services and threads and synchronization), mock objects to simulate the behavior of other objects safely and JUnit testing support for more Web application frameworks. JUnit test generation now supports most popular frameworks, including Spring, Struts and Enterprise Java Beans.
Although the title of Shai Vaingast's new book Beginning Python Visualization tells you something, the subtitle, Crafting Visual Transformation Scripts, perhaps tells you even more. Author Vaingast says that we are “visual animals” whose brains must sort, organize and transform data into images “before we can see the world in its true splendor”. Part of Apress' Beginning Series, Beginning Python Visualization illustrates how to turn many types of small data sources into useful visual data. Learning Python is simply an added bonus. Readers will learn to set up and use an open-source environment as an alternative to Excel for data visualization. The book is for IT personnel, programmers, engineers, hobbyists and others who are interested in acquiring and displaying data from sources such as the Internet, sensors, economic trends, astronomical sources and more.
Thanks to past efforts of LJ founder Phil Hughes, Drupal holds a special place in the hearts of our editors. Thus, I will preach the good Drupal word by informing you of Victor Kane's new book Leveraging Drupal: Getting Your Site Done Right. Publisher Wrox calls Leveraging Drupal “much more than a tutorial” and a “nuts-and-bolts living mentor and guide” that explains how to do what is really required to build a site that works. Kane's book covers Drupal topics such as theming, customization and best practices in Web development while including videos and code and theme samples at every step. Advanced topics include views, panels and content creation.
The company ToutVirtual bills itself elegantly as an “emerging leader” in virtualization based on its product VirtualIQ Pro. Now in version 3, the product is “a single, platform-agnostic management and automation console” for virtualization deployment, says the company. VirtualIQ installs on Linux and Windows and provides features such as server-virtualization assessment, asset management, performance management, capacity management and reporting, together in one product. Users can support Xen, Citrix, Microsoft, Oracle and VMware virtualization platforms from one console. New features in Version 3 include an updated UI, physical and virtual asset and inventory discovery, a physical-to-virtual migration analyzer and virtualization analytics. A free version supporting up to five CPU sockets or 25 virtual machines is available for download from ToutVirtual's Web site.
That Linux is the ideal OS for safeguarding data is logical. Meanwhile, the Blancco Kit from Blancco, Ltd., deploys Linux for exactly the opposite—to erase data safely from PCs. The recently upgraded Blancco Kit is a portable tool for performing data erasure at multiple sites, such as at dispersed warehouses storing obsolete computers. Blancco claims that “in a single day, just one engineer can erase 160 computers and share detailed reporting to meet compliance requirements”, as well as label the machines for resale or redeployment. The kit consists of a laptop PC with the Blancco Management Console and supporting applications, as well as a manual and label printer. The stylish aluminum case meets airline regulations as carry-on baggage.
The new version 8.0 of Arkeia Network Backup is a backup and disaster recovery solution dedicated to supporting virtualized server environments. Version 8.0 extends Arkeia's deployment support for physical backup appliances and traditional software to support for virtual backup appliances, which the firm says is an industry first. The product also introduces backup and restore of complete virtual machine environments, permitting both traditional and virtual machine platforms to be protected with the same consistent process. The Arkeia Virtual Appliance delivers Arkeia Network Backup as a system image for a VMware virtual machine. Other features in v8.0 include an improved graphical user interface, expanded reporting capabilities and integrated help system.
From the “I wish I had thought of that” department comes Location Based Technologies' PocketFinder, a GPS-based personal locator system. The combination device and service allows users to check the real-time location of a PocketFinder device carried by a person, pet or suitcase at any time via the Internet, telephone or smartphone. The company calls its product “the smallest known single-board GSM/GPS device”. Advanced features include tracking of vehicle speeds and designation of customizable alert areas, whereby a notification is sent when a device enters or leaves a specified zone. The PocketFinder is also integrated into the iPhone and Google Android platforms.