Microsoft to Release Hadoop Connectors for SQL Server, Parallel Data Warehouse

New Hadoop connectors will provide interoperability between SQL Server, PDW and Hadoop environments.

In the age of big data, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) says it is moving forward with plans to help customers better store, manage, and analyze both structured and unstructured data – in particular, data stored and managed in Hadoop environments.

A TechNet blog by Microsoft's SQL Server Team detailed the company's plans to release a community technology preview (CTP) of two new Hadoop connectors: one for SQL Server and one for the Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW) solution.

PDW is Microsoft's high-scale enterprise data warehousing solution for enabling self-service business intelligence using SQL Server. The new Hadoop connectors would provide interoperability between SQL Server, PDW and Hadoop environments.

In describing the interoperability benefits for customers, Microsoft claims the Hadoop connectors would enable customers to easily integrate Hadoop with their Microsoft Enterprise Data Warehouses and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions to gain deeper business insights from both structured and unstructured data.

Microsoft also released the second Appliance Update (AU2) to PDW – an update that the company says delivers features such as richer programmability and four new connectors for heterogeneous BI and ETL (extract, transform and load) environments. The update will refresh the full appliance with both hardware and software updates.

In the Technet blog, the SQL Server Team said the Appliance Update is Microsoft's response to the most demanding customer needs for data warehouses by including features that were requested by customers, including multi-statement batches, T-SQL variables, temporary tables, conditional logic and control flow statements.

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Microsoft's SQL Server Team also said that PDW is also taking significant steps forward with a strategic alliance between Microsoft and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) and the release of the Dell Parallel Data Warehouse appliance. The new Dell appliance scales beyond 600TB with a starting price under $12,000 per TB, and offers "white glove service" through Microsoft's Critical Advantage Program (MCAP) support service for appliances.

Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW) Appliance Update 2 also includes new connectors for SAP Business Objects and Informatica, enabling customers to use Parallel Data Warehouse seamlessly in heterogeneous BI and ETL environments.

MicroStrategy has also certified high-speed connectors for PDW, according to the Microsoft SQL Server Team blog.

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Facebook Messenger

Checking Facebook messages on your phone is now one-tap easy.

Facebook has published a new free app for iPhone and Android, Facebook Messenger, that unbundles its private message service from the all-in-one Facebook app. Rather than trying to combine your entire online life into one app, it goes the other way: Messenger, when started, goes straight to your Facebook messages, so you can read and reply to them without having to navigate through all of Facebook.

Messenger also pushes messages to the forefront of your phone with optional settings that provide multiple ways for your phone to notify you that you’ve got a new message. On Android it can vibrate, blink, play a sound, or play a ringtone.

SOCIAL NETWORKS

The way people connect digitally.
If you’ve spent as much time as I have tapping though the Facebook app impatiently trying to check messages while the Facebook app tries to load photos and notifications instead, Messenger is a very practical gift. You tap it and poof, up pops your Facebook inbox. That’s it. For me, it’s great because my Facebook inbox contains timely messages from people who want to make plans with me, but who aren’t the professional colleagues in my separate e-mail account, or the guy waiting in the car outside sending me text messages I need to see right this second. I can ignore my Facebook inbox for hours until I have the attention for it. Then, I can check those messages with one thumb-tap while doing something else in the real world. I’m much less likely to get hit by a bus thanks to this thing.

I wish more app developers would think this way: Instead of trying to combine everything on the Internet into one mobile interface, create separate apps for stand-alone functions that people perform often and want to do in a hurry. Let the phone’s home screen be the thing that contains and presents them all. Whoever coded this app at Facebook might not win geek points for programming prowess, but they’ve made Facebook more convenient for a lot of users. Can I next get an app that jumps straight to my groups?

My only skepticism is that the Messenger name might confuse potential users into thinking it’s an instant messaging app, like MSN Messenger or BlackBerry Messenger. Why not call it Messages? To any Facebook user, that would be obvious.

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7 apps to make you feel like a better PERSON!

While the Web can be a prime locale in which to nurture said ills and watch them flourish in "real time," turning one's soul into an eight-byte mess, it can also serve as a way to keep tabs on your own bad habits -- essentially taking on the work of the long-gone angel who once perched upon your shoulder.
Read on for seven apps and services that will at least make you feel like a better person as you live your life in line with the seven deadly sins. We admit it, though: We largely subscribe to Billy Joel's famous axiom that "the sinners are much more fun."

1. Gluttony
Being that we reside in America (aside from everyone reading CNN International, yo), otherwise known as "the land of plenty," there's a good chance everyone reading this is a glutton of some sort. In this case, we're going to forgo the obvious "FatBooth" recommendation and instead address smokers, aka gluttons for self-punishment.
If your lungs are aching to ache, might we suggest downloading Quitter, a free iPhone app that tells you how much money you're saving by not smoking? Sure, all that cash could lead you to indulge in No. 2 on our list, but we're just getting started...

2. Greed
Blew all your cigarette money on moonshine and snooker? Well, once you shamble back from the 1920s, alleviate your soul-crushing guilt by giving back: Sign up for Catchafire, a service that will match you up with a social good organization based on your skills -- whatever they may be.
Granted, you'll only be able to offer up your services (pro bono) if you have skills, which leads us to sin No. 3...

3. Sloth
This is a tough one, because the Internet basically breeds more sloth than the rain forest -- especially where that great time waster, Facebook, is concerned.For the students among you, we suggest checking out hoot.me, a Facebook plugin that turns the social network into a study group, allowing you to connect with other users and get homework help. For those of us whose school days are long gone, maybe just exercise a little self control -- or, if all else fails, have a friend change your password and bravely suffer the pangs of withdrawal.

4. Wrath
We can say it once, we can it say it 1,000 times: A public forum is not the best place to get out your rage -- unless you work in a field that encourages said rage, like the arts or talk radio (in which case we No. 5 you, carry on).
For the rest of us cubicle supplicants, here's a little toy to help you reign in your wrath: RageGage Connect, a USB gadget that hooks into your Facebook, allowing you to "punch" your friends and co-workers in effigy. Think of it as a really high-tech version of punching your pillow.

5. Envy
Your friend just posted an entire album to Facebook titled "My New Summer Condo!" Your former drama-school classmate just tweeted that he will be appearing on "Entourage." Your sister just Instagrammed a photo of her new convertible.
Aside from the fact that it seems like everyone you know is a total tool, you're feeling jealous of their success. Instead of busting out the voodoo dolls, do something that makes you feel better about you (cue the Muzak), like asking for a raise.
GetRaised will help you on your quest for fiscal feast by helping you create a letter outlining why your deserve a raise. Pro tip: "Because I do!" probably should not be included in the text of that letter.

6. Pride
Really proud of your poem/nature photography/"Buffy The Vampire Slayer" fan fiction? Well, then, post it in an anonymous forum. That should smack the smug smile off your face.
Or visit Opinionaided, a much more positive Q&A experience -- with badges for good advice given, etc. -- than, say, Formspring, if you need to talk about yourself but you're overly prone to crying.

7. Lust
As we said before, the sinners are much more fun, so we're not about to suggest using the Web to quell your lustier desires. However, if you are in dire need of some sort of cool down, here, look at these baby animals.

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Ruby on Rails chases simplicity in WEB Programming

Can one man and a mantra of "radical simplicity" change the world of Web development?

David Heinemeier Hansson, a 26-year-old Copenhagen native, has built a "framework" to help Web developers be more productive and has released the package of tools through an open-source project.
His software, Ruby on Rails, only out for a little more than a year, has started a buzz among the legions of developers and high-level executives that track the trend-driven world of software development.
News.context

What's new:
Ruby on Rails, a relatively new Web development framework, has become popular among programmers for its simplicity and productivity.
Bottom line:
Although created by just one person, the software is having an impact and getting noticed by pioneering programmers eager to spot hot, new trends. Some analysts are recommending it for new Web applications.
More stories on Web development tools
Hansson's quest to build a practical and productive Web development framework demonstrates how a single person can shake up the status quo, even in a development world where a few companies dominate.
The trick, said Hansson, is to "slaughter the holy cows," the well-understood ideas of computer science that dictate how programmers work. In many cases, software vendors design products for difficult problems, an approach that leads to excess complexity, he said.
His goal with Ruby on Rails is not to create a sophisticated development framework that the engineers at Google or Amazon.com will flock to. Instead, he has focused on creating templates and designs that tackle the unglamorous problems, such as making database modifications, that the great majority of Web developers face every day.
"The major delusion I want to shatter is that you can successfully use the same types and tools for solving the biggest problems in the world and have a pleasant time applying that to solving the normal problems of the world," Hansson said.
Ruby on Rails is not used nearly as much as other Web tools such as PHP, Java or Microsoft tools. But it has caught the attention of some of the influential programmers who help popularize new products.
David Geary, who has authored books on Java and sits on the technical committee for the latest Java Web programming model, has found that Ruby on Rails is five to 10 times faster than comparable Java frameworks. Like Java did a decade ago, Ruby on Rails is getting developers excited by making them more productive, he said.
Clearing the tracks
"No other alternative in enterprise computing has nearly as much mindshare as Rails," Geary wrote in a blog posting. "Will Rails hit a tipping point and become widely adopted in the near future? I am certain of it."
Listen up
CNET News.com reporter Martin LaMonica talks with Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson about why the software is getting noticed.
Listen now... (3.2MB mp3)
The vision of Ruby on Rails, or RoR, is to combine the speed and ease-of-use of scripting language PHP with the "clean," structured approach of Java, Hansson explained. That combination makes code quick to write and easy to maintain over time, he said.
"We're trying to fuse those two extremes (of Java and PHP) and be quick and clean," Hansson said. PHP applications are difficult to maintain, while Java Enterprise Edition software is a "complex monstrosity" that's hard to learn, he said.
There is currently one book on Ruby on Rails, but seven or eight are being written now. The first conference of Ruby developers last year had 60 people; this year there were about 200, the majority of whom were doing commercial development, Hansson said. He predicts 800 attendees will be at next year's conference.
The interest in Ruby on Rails is fueled in part by a larger trend toward scripting languages that aim to replace Java or Microsoft's C# language. Scripting, or "dynamic," languages such as Python, PHP and Ruby are simpler to learn, according to analysts and developers.

David Heinemeier Hansson
Creator, Ruby on Rails
Research company Burton Group recommends that corporate customers consider Ruby on Rails for new Web development projects. The tool set is particularly useful for "Web 2.0-style" applications that may be hosted, said Burton Group analyst Richard Monson-Haefel. Ruby on Rails allows developers to build interactive Web pages using the AJAX set of development techniques.
But because Ruby on Rails takes some unconventional approaches, notably in databases, it does have some limitations, he said.
"It's really only practical in cases where you have complete control over the database schema or you're doing a new 'green field' application," Monson-Haefel said.
For Hansson, his decision to not support common database features, notably programs

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Microsoft updates HOSTING package

Microsoft on Tuesday released a software package aimed at hosting companies that includes the latest version of the company's database and .Net programming software. Microsoft Solution for Windows-based Hosting version 4.0 includes SQL Server 2005, which was released late last year, and ASP.Net 2.0, the most recent edition of its Web development software. The package also includes Visual Web Developer Express Edition, a free Web development tool.
"We're giving service providers the ability to easily host software-as-a-service applications and target the developers who are building them," said John Zanni, director of worldwide hosting at Microsoft, in a statement. In the past two years, Microsoft has boosted its efforts to convince hosting companies to use Windows-based software rather than Linux and other open-source components which are often used.

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Microsoft readies Atlas AJAX tooling

Microsoft intends by the end of the year to release a commercial-grade tool for building Ajax-style Web applications.


The Ajax tools are being developed under the code name Atlas, which has been available for several months on a prerelease basis.
On Monday, Microsoft said it expects to release supported and certified Atlas products that work with its flagship tool, Visual Studio 2005, and its Web development framework, ASP.Net.
Atlas is a set of components for writing applications using Ajax, a Web development technique for building interactive Web pages that automatically deliver information from Web servers to browsers.
The company said it will fully integrate the Atlas software into the next Visual Studio version, code-named Orcas, which is due some time next year.
What was called Atlas will now be recast into separate products, said Scott Guthrie, a general manager of Web development tooling in Microsoft's developer division, in a blog posting.
The set of client-side JavaScript libraries, or prewritten components, will be called Microsoft Ajax Library.
Server-side components that integrate with ASP.net will be called ASP.Net 2.0 Ajax Extensions. A third product, called Atlas Control Toolkit, is a set of free shared-source components.
Guthrie said Microsoft is determining which features will be put into the Atlas tools' 1.0 version, which will work with multiple browsers and operating systems. He added that the company will launch a beta and "release candidate" later this year.

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Microsoft HINTS at general plan for IE 8

Microsoft will continue to prioritize security and ease of use in the forthcoming Internet Explorer 8 and will seek to improve Web development with current standards compatibility, according to the company.

At Microsoft's Mix '07 conference in Las Vegas this week, IE platform architect Chris Wilson recapped Microsoft's development priorities in the making of Internet Explorer (IE) 7 and outlined some of its goals for the next version of its browser.
Wilson said Microsoft intends to create a follow-on version, IE 8, within two years of IE 7's release, which came out in October.
The priorities Microsoft set for IE 7, Wilson said, are the same for IE 8: strong security, ease of use and Web development improvements.
"It's clear we have a lot to do with the Web developer platform," he said addressing an audience of mostly Web developers at Mix.
Specifically, he said Microsoft will invest more in layout and adhering to the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) 2.1 specifications. He also said Microsoft wants to make its browser object model more interoperable "to make it easier to work with other browsers and allow more flexible programming patterns."
In addition, he said the Ajax Web programming style needs more client-side application programming interfaces to allow developers to create more powerful applications.
"There's work in the standardization bodies to do local storage and get better security models," Wilson said, adding that Microsoft is working with the W3C on standardizing HTML version 5 and XHTML version 1 and 1.1.
He said adherence to standards is increasingly important to Web site developers but Microsoft is in a "challenging" position as it introduces more standards compliance.
Because previous versions of Internet Explorer strayed from standards, new versions of Internet Explorer, such as IE 7, have caused some Web sites to not work for end users, he said.

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