Introducing WSO2 Gadget Server

Today we officially launched the WSO2 Gadget Server. Paul posted his thoughts on this new Apache Licensed product a few days back.

"Portals have become the main tool for pulling together the vital information your users need - whether its company information, executive dashboards or technical status updates. The WSO2 Gadget Server is a new kind of portal that is simpler and more effective. Based on HTML and Javascript, a Gadget is the web-based equivalent of a portlet. Hundreds of gadgets are already freely available because of iGoogle, the personalized homepage for Google, which uses the same Gadget specification. The WSO2 Gadget Server brings Gadget technology into the Enterprise - making it easy for your team to build stunningly effective portals in record time."

Here's a quick introduction to get you started once you have downloaded it.

WSO2 Gadget Server - Bringing people and information together

• Executive Dashboards
• Customer Portals
• Internal customized home pages
• Content aggregation sites or
  
• User interfaces to any SOA application
  

We are just days away from the official release of WSO2 Gadget Server v1.0 and have been busy adding the final touches. We now have ample documentation to get one started. Not that Google Gadgets and the WSO2 Gadget Server are hard to figure out, but we want our users to know exactly what this tool is capable of and to help them gain its full benefits.

We just published an article by Nuwan in OT (Authoring, deploying and using XML Gadgets in WSO2 Gadget Server), which should help Gadget Developers get started with WSO2 Gadget Server. Whether you are a Google Gadget veteran or just starting out, this will be helpful to get your Gadgets added to the Gadget Server's Portal and Gadget Repository.

I have also done a screencast, which is a video tutorial highlighting some core functionality within a few minutes. Stay tuned for that as well.

If you want a sneak peak and want to get started while you wait for the official release, we have a Release Candidate available here.

WSO2 Gadget Server is an Apache 2.0 licensed free and open source software and paid support will be provided by WSO2 when required.

Google Wave: Powered by Google Web Toolkit

Cool!!

On Dumb Growth and Smart Growth

Why Dubai Defaulted — And What America Should Learn From It - Umair Haque - HarvardBusiness.org

"Dubai was the poster child of dumb growth — and America was the aging spokesman. But what both discovered, the hard way, is that dumb growth is just a mirage in the desert. What America — and every other nation — should learn from Dubai's mistakes is this: the 21st century demands a smarter kind of growth than the 20th."

Writing Custom Host Objects for WSO2 Mashup Server 2.0

Using a Javascript Host Object, the process of creating a Mashup can be made easier by mapping Java logic to Javascript. While the WSO2 Mashup Server ships with several useful Host Objects by default, you can enhance the functionality by writing your own as well. This latest article by Ruchira focuses on a step by step process of creating a new Host Object.

Read the complete article >>

More about Javascript Host Objects >>

SOA for People

What if you can have a portal that requires nothing else but the URL of a Gadget to render it in your personal page? What if you can have a Service hosted anywhere, written using any programming language, and all it takes is the URL of that Service's Gadget for someone to have it embedded in their portal page?



That's the promise we plan to deliver on in just a few days with WSO2 Gadget Server. Based on the Google Gadgets Specification and built on top of the award winning WSO2 Carbon Platform. We plan to make the portal truly Service Oriented. A first class SOA citizen.

Apache Asia Roadshow 2009

I'll be talking about "Apache Shindig, from Server Side Portlets to Open Social Gadgets" along with Nuwan, on Friday the 4th. Hoping to see you all there.

Have a look at the rest of the line up here.

Mashup technologies in real-world banking

Mashup technologies in real-world banking, an interesting blog post I came across today, illustrates a potential real world use for Mashups in banking.

Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off ...

A really good cover of Louis Armstrong's Let's Call The Whole Thing Off. This was in my YouTube "Recommended for You" list. YouTube knows me so well ...  :)

Verse
Things have come to a pretty pass
Our romance is growing flat,
For you like this and the other
While I go for this and that,
Goodness knows what the end will be
Oh I don't know where I'm at
It looks as if we two will never be one
Something must be done:

Chorus - 1
You say either and I say either, You say neither and I say neither
Either, either Neither, neither, Let's call the whole thing off.

You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off

But oh, if we call the whole thing off Then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

So if you like pyjamas and I like pyjahmas, I'll wear pyjamas and give up
pyajahmas
For we know we need each other so we , Better call the whole off off
Let's call the whole thing off.


Chorus - 2
You say laughter and I say larfter, You say after and I say arfter
Laughter, larfter after arfter, Let's call the whole thing off,

You like vanilla and I like vanella, You saspiralla, and I saspirella
Vanilla vanella chocolate strawberry, Let's call the whole thing off

But oh if we call the whole thing of then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters, I'll order oysters and cancel
the ersters
For we know we need each other so we, Better call the calling off off,
Let's call the whole thing off.


Chorus - 3
I say father, and you say pater, I saw mother and you say mater
Pater, mater Uncle, auntie, let's call the whole thing off.

I like bananas and you like banahnahs, I say Havana and I get Havahnah
Bananas, banahnahs Havana, Havahnah, Go your way, I'll go mine

So if I go for scallops and you go for lobsters, So all right no contest we'll
order lobseter
For we know we need each other so we, Better call the calling off off,
Let's call the whole thing off.

Ten Lessons from Military to markets By Dr. Uditha Liyanage

Source: Ministry of Defence - Sri Lanka | Official Defence News Provider

Who and where you want to be?" (Role and scope) are the twin questions that need to be answered, in depth. Then, only then, should you ask, "Where do you want to go and how do you get there?" (Goal and path)

Figuring out the competitor's thinking pattern and belief system or competitor ideology assessment (CIS) is often not attempted deliberately. An analysis of the competitor's response patterns, over time, in multiple situations, and a reading of the ideology and life styles of the competitors' key decision makers could make such an assessment possible.

Best read so far this week :)