New Products
As if gamers didn't need another fix, CodeWeavers recently released Linux and Mac versions of CrossOver Games 8.1, an emulator that allows one to play Windows-based games without a Windows license. The new version 8.1, code-named Zombie Mallard, adds support for the fervently anticipated new game Left4Dead 2 to the existing roster of games, which includes World of Warcraft, EVE Online, Guild Wars, Prey and the Half-Life series. CodeWeavers says that it is pleased to enable its customers to “do their bit to stave off the effects of the apocalyptic zombie plague sweeping this nation”. CrossOver Games is available for download, either directly or via its authorized resellers.
Gene Sally's new book Pro Linux Embedded Systems (Apress) goes beyond just porting embedded Linux to new hardware to cover tuning Linux and leveraging open-source code to build more robust, feature-rich embedded applications. The guide is a resource for employing technologies and techniques typically reserved for desktop systems. Readers will learn the anatomy of an embedded Linux project as well as how to create an embedded Linux development environment, configure and build an embedded Linux kernel, configure and build open-source projects for embedded systems and minimize resources and boot times. In addition, the book explores open-source resources available to improve development.
If you're looking for a comprehensive resource on artificial intelligence, pick up the new third edition of Peter Norvig and Stuart Russell's book Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Targeted at computer professionals, linguists and cognitive scientists interested in artificial intelligence, this work is an exhaustive treatment of the theory and implementations of AI. Key topics include intelligent agents, solving problems by searching, informed search methods, game playing, agents that reason logically, first-order logic, building a knowledge base, inference in first-order logic, logical reasoning systems, practical planning, planning and acting, uncertainty, probabilistic reasoning systems, decision making, learning from observations, learning with neural networks, agents that communicate, perception, robotics and more.
RunRev Ltd. has boosted the feature set of its new Revolution 4.0 for application and Web development, available for the first time in a free version. RunRev says that Revolution offers “dramatic time and resource savings over traditional tools such as Flash, Silverlight, Java and C++”. The new version 4.0 also offers direct deployment to the Web without recoding or writing a line of HTML. Revolution is a modern descendant of natural-language technologies, such as Apple's HyperCard, which enables software construction to nonprogrammers. Revolution 4.0 has three editions for different skill levels: the free revMedia, the enhanced revStudio and the revEnterprise for mission-critical applications.
Coyote Point has bulked up the feature set of its EQ/OS Version 8.6, the latest iteration of the traffic management operating system that drives its Equalizer GX series product line. The series ranges from the entry-level E250GX load balancer to the enterprise-class E650GX all-in-one application delivery appliance. Core enhancements include 802.1Q VLAN support, which can double aggregate network throughput (up to 2.6 Gbps for the E650GX); overhaul of the failover subsystem; cluster-cloning capability; an expanded toolset for intelligent load balancing of VMware Infrastructure and a new energy-efficiency capability to power servers on and off automatically.
Comtrol Corporation says its new RocketLinx ES7506 industrial managed PoE plus switch “changes the game when it comes to where you place your devices”. Designed for applications such as IP surveillance, security and transportation, where power sources are not conveniently located, the RocketLinx ES7506 offers four Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) ports delivering up to 30 watts and supporting the new IEEE802.3at standard. “When setting up an IP camera or wireless access point, for instance”, says Comtrol, “you can choose the optimum location for the application, versus mounting the device closest to an available power source”. Tasks such as configuring ports, rebooting a failed device or implementing green power scheduling can be controlled via SNMP, Web interface or the included RocketLinx NetVision management software. Additionally, the switch features two uplink ports that support redundant ring network topologies, which enable network failure recovery at less than five milliseconds.
Brethren map freaks should download the new version 1.9 of gvSIG, a free and open-source desktop Geographic Information System (GIS). gvSIG is designed for capturing, storing, handling, analyzing and deploying any kind of referenced geographic information, in both vector and raster formats, in order to solve complex management and planning problems. Version 1.9 sports a range of new features, including improved symbology and labeling, enhanced raster handling, geoprocessing with line layers, table joining, new data transformation tools and additional languages (US English, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Greek, Swahili and Serbian). gvSIG is available for Linux, Mac OS and Windows platforms.
WSO2 recently announced the launch of its WSO2 Cloud Platform, which it calls “the industry's most comprehensive platform for extending a service-oriented architecture (SOA) into cloud computing”. The new WSO2 Cloud Platform features a family of WSO2 Cloud Virtual Machines. WSO2 SOA products are available as WSO2 Cloud Virtual Machines running on the Amazon Elastic Computing Cloud (EC2) or as VMware ESX virtual machines. Further, WSO2 Cloud Connectors enable IT developers to provide fast, secure cloud services. And finally, the multi-tenant WSO2 Governance-as-a-Service empowers IT professionals to manage governance in the cloud. All WSO2 Cloud Platform services are based on open software standards and support applicable interoperable protocols and relevant open data standards.
Please send information about releases of Linux-related products to newproducts@linuxjournal.com or New Products c/o Linux Journal, PO Box 980985, Houston, TX 77098. Submissions are edited for length and content.
