Sun has released a new version of xVM VirtualBox, its platform for desktop virtualization, and is also starting to offer enterprise support for the platform, the company said on Thursday.

XVM VirtualBox 2.0 comes with improved performance and platform support, adding support for 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

[ Stay up to date on the latest virtualization developments with InfoWorld's Virtualization Report blog and newsletter. ]

Sun has also developed a new user interface for the Mac platform. Mac users will also get better networking performance, as will users who are running Sun's Solaris OS. It has also improved overall performance on AMD-based systems.

To get enterprises interested in the platform, Sun now offers around the clock premium support with the xVM VirtualBox Software Enterprise Subscription, which start at $30 per user per year. Additionally, customers will receive a Right-to-Use License, allowing companies to deploy VirtualBox using their own software deployment tools.

XVM VirtualBox software lets users create "virtual machines" into which they can install their operating system of choice. Developers can for example build, test and run cross-platform, multitier applications on a single laptop or desktop computer, according to Sun.

Other programs that do the same thing include VMware's Player or Fusion, Microsoft's Virtual PC and Parallels' Workstation or Desktop.

VirtualBox became part of the Sun virtualization product when the company announced it planned to acquire Germany's Innotek in February this year. The 20MB VirtualBox is currently being downloaded about 15,000 times a day, according to Sun.

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) association plans to launch the upcoming second generation of its low-cost XO laptop in the first quarter of 2010, according to an official from the group.

The XO-2, an update to the original XO laptop that's designed for low-cost computing for kids in developing nations, will carry two 16-by-9-inch touchscreens and eschew a keyboard. It opens like a book and can either be held vertically for reading, or horizontal for laptop computing. When used horizontally, the bottom touchscreen displays a keyboard for typing.

[ See the related stories "OLPC's dual-boot laptop due out soon" and "Amazon to sell OLPC XO laptops." And get the latest on mobile developments with InfoWorld's Mobile Report newsletter. ]

The new design is based on the fact e-books are a necessity for schools and should make reading easier.

"The e-book reader is the most popular function of the laptop," said Matt Keller, director of Europe, Middle East, and Africa at OLPC, in an interview Wednesday.

The XO-2 was announced in May, but with scant details beyond a general 2010 time frame for its rollout. The new device will improve upon the XO, which has captured the world's imagination as a way to lower the cost of putting computers in the hands of kids around the globe, thereby narrowing the gap between modern and developing nations in terms of computing expertise.

The XO currently costs around $203 or $204 to make, said Keller, while the XO-2 will likely cost around $80.

OLPC's Web site says the goal of the project is to reach a price of $75 per laptop for educational buyers.

The key technology behind the new laptop is the touchscreen, which is being developed by Mary Lou Jepsen at Pixel Qi. The company says it already has several screen manufacturers interested in building its screens.

Sony is recalling 73,000 Vaio TZ laptops because of a possible manufacturing defect that may cause them to overheat, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

The recall relates to a problem with wiring near the computer's hinge, which could short-circuit and overheat in certain circumstances, perhaps burning the user.

[ Get the latest on mobile developments with InfoWorld's Mobile Report newsletter. And check out the special report on past Sony laptop battery woes that led to massive recalls. ]

One person has suffered a minor burn as a result of the latest defect, and Sony has received 15 other reports of overheating computers, according to the Commission.

The affected models are the VGN-TZ100, VGN-TZ200, VGN-TZ300, and VGN-TZ2000 -- although not all laptops in these series are affected. Sony suggests users contact the company to see whether their computer is part of the recall, and if so to stop using it immediately.

The overheating could be caused by misplaced wiring near the hinge, or if a screw in the hinge falls out and short-circuits the wires.

In 2006, Sony was forced to recall millions of laptop batteries used in its own and other manufacturers' laptops because they presented a fire hazard, causing some computers to burst into flames.

Sony isn't the only PC maker that has had to deal with battery problems. Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Acer have all recalled laptop batteries in the recent past.

The Commission has published one other laptop safety recall this year: In May, Dell recalled almost 1 million notebook electrical adapters because of a risk of fire and electric shock.

This story was updated on Sept. 4, 2008.

Amazon.com will start selling One Laptop Per Child's low-cost XO notebook computer as part of the Give One, Get One program OLPC developed last year, according to an official from OLPC.

The non-profit organization started Give One, Get One as a way to raise money to send laptops to school kids in poor countries. The idea is that a person pays for two of the XO laptops developed by OLPC. One is sent to the buyer, and another is donated to a child in a developing country.

[ Get the latest on mobile developments with InfoWorld's Mobile Report newsletter. ]

This year, OLPC opted to team up with a Web e-tailer instead of running the program itself, said Matt Keller, director of Europe, Middle East and Africa at OLPC, in an interview Wednesday.

Amazon.com will start selling XO laptops under the Give One, Get One program in late November, around the time of Thanksgiving in the U.S. Sales will likely extend through to around the end of December.

"We're a small group of people," said Keller, explaining the rationale for working with Amazon.com.

OLPC is run by a small group of people, he said. There are a few thousand volunteers that help out with software development and other projects, but the core group itself is just 25 people.

A low-cost XO laptop from the One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC) that carries both Windows and Linux will be out within the next month or so, according to an OLPC official.

The dual-boot XO laptop was originally expected to be available in August or September. The new device will allow users to boot up the OS they prefer, either Microsoft Windows XP or the Linux-based Sugar OS originally found on the XO.

[ See the related story Amazon to sell OLPC XO laptops. And get the latest on mobile developments with InfoWorld's Mobile Report newsletter. ]

The new device is important to the spread of the XO around the world. OLPC started as an attempt to build a $100 laptop and work with governments to pass them out to kids in poor nations around the world. But some governments have said they don't want the XO laptop, no matter how cheap it is, unless it has Windows.

"Some countries have been adamant about using Microsoft software," said Matt Keller, OLPC's director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, in an interview Wednesday.

A high-level government official in Egypt was among the first to tell OLPC that his country only wanted the XO if it could run Windows.

Now that OLPC has announced the dual-boot version of the laptop, Egypt plans to use them in schools, Keller said.

There has been some disagreement at OLPC about working with Microsoft and speculators have attributed some high profile departures from the non-profit to its decision to put Windows on the XO. Views differ widely between software developers who believe the source code of an application should be made freely available to users, and those makers of proprietary software who view the source code as a secret ingredient to be guarded.

In OLPC's case, the question came down to reaching out to kids, said Keller.

"We're all about educating kids," he said. "We're willing to work with anyone who shares that vision."

OLPC's goal is to make sure nobody misses out on the benefits of computing. The fear is that the price of a PC is keeping too many people in developing countries from learning how software, the Internet and communications via computing can improve their economies, job prospects and lives. To prevent poor countries from falling further behind the modern world in computing, a number of organizations are working to increase their access to computers.

Microsoft has launched a number of programs with governments in developing countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, to build computer labs in rural areas and send Microsoft employees to train people how to use software and write programs.

Sixty-hour work weeks with no overtime or comp time, a BlackBerry hitched to your belt 24/7, mandates from managers who have no clue what you actually do ? all for a job that could be outsourced tomorrow. Is it finally time for technology workers to form a union and demand better working conditions?

After all, if Hollywood writers can organize effectively, you'd think IT workers would have a shot. As with Teamsters in the transportation industry, when IT walks off the job, everything comes to a grinding halt.

[ Stuck in a miserable IT job? Check out How to keep your tech career afloat and learn about today's most marketable skills ]

Unfortunately for would-be organizers, most experts agree that the odds against an IT union are long. Unions don't exactly appeal to the classic techie temperament.

"We're talking about people who are really lone gunmen," says Bill Pfleging, co-author of "The Geek Gap." "They're good at what they do, they're paid well, and they can go wherever they want to ? none of these things are a good fit for working in a union environment."

Then there's the sheer diversity of technical workers ? from help desk personnel to programmers and developers to network and software engineers ? each with their own, sometimes conflicting, issues and concerns.

But that's not stopping some geeks from trying. For example, the Washington Alliance of Tech Workers (WashTech) has been fighting for IT workers' rights for more than 10 years.?

"How much do you think your employer really values your work when they think they can just ship it off to India or China?" asks WashTech director of communications Rennie Sawade. "The union is trying to stand up for your right to be able to work in America and have a job." WashTech is now seeking people to help organize and recruit members, says Sawade.?

So far WashTech, which is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America, has had limited success. In November 2005, it organized approximately 1,100 employees at a Cingular (now AT&T) Call Center in Bothell, Wash. The union is currently negotiating with AT&T over benefits; salary discussions are slated for next year. WashTech also has 243 at-large members, mostly software engineers.

Another CWA-affiliated tech union, Alliance@IBM, boasts roughly 300 dues-paying members, from IT specialists and programmers to scientists, says Lee Conrad, national coordinator for the union.

[ For the untold story of life in the IT trenches, read InfoWorld's investigative report: IT workers pushed to the limits ]

"Even though IT workers are considered a different type of animal, they're still impacted by the same things that hit the manufacturing industries 10 or 15 years ago ? pay cuts, downsizing, and loss of benefits," says Conrad. "We are seeking a union contract, a voice in the workplace, and more respect for IT employees."

But the alliance is still looking to secure a seat at the table with IBM management. So far, its most noteworthy accomplishment is staging picket lines outside the company's annual shareholder meetings.

A better alternative, say some, may be a professional organization modeled after the American Bar Association or American Medical Association. Less formal or rigidly organized than a union, it would allow technology professionals to speak with one voice on issues that affect them all ? such as maintaining limits on H-1B visas for foreign employees or offering tax incentives for companies that keep IT jobs onshore.

"The diversity of employers and job skills makes unionizing IT workers unrealistic, other than within certain large employers," notes Kim Berry, president of the Programmers Guild, a nonprofit that works to advance IT issues. "But clearly IT workers need a voice to level the playing field against the powerful industry lobbying groups, like ITAA, Compete America, and NFAP."

An impending update to Java might sound like just an incremental release, based on its cumbersome naming: Java Platform Standard Edition 6 Update 10 (Java SE 6 u10).? But the upgrade actually features technology considered critical to reviving the concept of client-side Java applets.

Applet startup times are improved and applets can be turned into desktop widgets via different improvements in Java SE 6u10. Java SE runs on desktops and servers. The upgrade had been slated to appear Thursday but a Sun representative on Wednesday afternoon said the release will be delayed until an as-yet undetermined time. A last-minute issue emerged during final testing.

Among the highlights of the update is Java Quick Starter, providing an enhanced runtime experience by significantly improving Java application and applet startup times, Sun said.

"We've structured the way the Java runtime starts up so the elements associated with starting an applet or starting an application produce results that are visible on the screen quicker," said David Bryant, senior director for Java marketing at Sun.

Sun with Java SE 6u10 also is offering a new method of getting Java software running faster, via Java Kernel. With this feature, users download a kernel featuring the most commonly needed Java Runtime Environment (JRE) components. When additional components are needed, they are downloaded as needed. Users no longer need the full 14.5-MB kernel.

"Now, you just install a 4.5MB initial piece of the Java kernel and that's enough to run common applications and applets," Bryant said.

Although Java initially was hailed in the mid-1990s as a way to run client-side applets, the platform instead became known for its server-side capabilities. But applets are useful in delivering Web application functionality such as charting and data analysis, Bryant said.

"Applets have swung back to being a popular way of delivering functionality through the Web," Bryant said.

The Java update has been viewed as a companion to Sun's new JavaFX technology for rich Internet applications.

"The release of Java SE 6u10 is important because it solves the JRE and Java application deployment issues," in which the entire runtime had been required, said Java developer Jim Weaver, of JMentor and author of a JavaFX blog. "These issues have kept rich-client Java from being feasible for most applications -- until now. I'm looking forward to a future that includes wide use of rich-client Java and JavaFX and I'd like to see Apple follow suit [and support the Java update on MacOS] so that Mac users can enjoy the same deployment benefits and JRE ubiquity."

Weaver noted that Google's new Chrome browser requires Java SE 6 u10 to run Java applets.

An analyst concurred that the update boosts JavaFX.

"The JRE is slimming down at the same time as alternative plug-ins like Silverlight and Flash/Flex are getting beefier, so it helps to make Java (with JavaFX) a competitive alternative to other RIA platform technologies," said analyst Jeffrey Hammond, of Forrester. But Sun still needs to work on getting JavaFX on mobile devices, something not addressed by Java SE 6u10, Hammond noted.

Another boost for applets is inclusion of a built-in Deployment Toolkit in Java SE 6u10. This ensures that users are running the most recent version of Java SE. This makes it easier to deploy applets or Java Web Start programs, Sun said.

Also highlighted is the capability to drag applets directly from a browser and run them as desktop widgets. This is being done by a new implementation of the Java Plug-in. "Browsers don't need to embed the Java [virtual machine] in them. Bryant said.

"My end users can take the mouse, drag that applet out of the browser, drop it on their desktop and now it's running as a desktop [application] outside the browser," Bryant said.?

A browser-independent architecture in Java SE 6u10 enables the plug-in to operate in the same fashion across a variety of browsers.

A modern look and feel is featured via Nimbus, offering enhanced user interface controls for developers. It is drawn using Java 2D vector graphics.

To improve graphics performance of Java applications on Windows desktops, the graphics pipeline in Java SE 6u10 has been rewritten to use Direct3D, a 3D API, for tasks ranging from fills and copies to translucency, gradients, and more advanced 2D operations. Runtime performance of Swing applications is bolstered as well via this improvement.

Sun had provided this download URL as the place to access the update. The release candidate for Java SE 6 u10 is available online.

Are you smarter than a goose? Sure you are — one on one. But when it comes to working efficiently, you and your colleagues can't touch the gaggle. According to author Ken Thompson, geese and other animals that naturally form groups have a lot to teach us about business. In a theory he calls organizational biomimetics, Thompson lays out the principles underlying nature's management strategies. So what can you learn from a bird or an ant? Take a gander.

Ants and Bees Ants use pheromones to transmit messages about predators. Bees wiggle around to tell their comrades the location of food supplies. Thompson says people, too, could benefit from broadcasting more whole-group communications. While mass emails may seem annoying, one-way bulletins can actually increase group efficiency by giving everyone access to information and letting them decide how best to act on it.

Geese When geese fly in a V, the birds rotate in and out of the lead position. This is both to conserve energy and, according to Thompson, because no single bird has memorized the whole route. Collective leadership is the norm in much of the animal world, he says, though rare for humans. In the context of business, groups with rotating leaders possess greater initiative, resilience, and agility than those led by one executive.

Worms The brain of the tiny C. elegans worm has a mere 302 neurons. It doesn't need any more, because some of those neurons have an exceptional number of interconnectors. Translate this to the workplace: If an issue arises, the best-connected group members can serve as guides and help the team avoid bottlenecking at the top. These "hub" people can also quickly fine-tune strategy when new information comes in.

1957: It's E-day, as Ford Motor Company introduces its newest make, the Edsel.

In an industry celebrated for its spectacular failures, the Edsel still takes the cake. Although as mechanically sound as other Ford products, the car was criticized from Day One for being too ugly, too expensive and vastly overhyped.

The 1958 Edsel was intended to be an intermediate-level brand, bridging the gap between the cheaper Fords and pricier Mercurys and Lincolns. The most-affordable Edsel (the Ranger) cost 70 bucks less than Ford's top-end Fairlane, while the most-expensive model (the Citation) cost more than a Mercury Montclair.

In the post-mortem that followed the Edsel's early demise, the faulty pricing structure was cited by Ford as a big reason the car failed. Sales weren't helped, either, by the fact that it rolled out of the plant at the beginning of a recession. But there was more.

The Edsel -- named for Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son who died of cancer in 1943 -- was the subject of an intense marketing blitz while still on the drawing board. The company promised an eager public something revolutionary, carefully baited the hook, and then failed to deliver. The Edsel was just another sedan on the basic Ford chassis.

Well, maybe not just another sedan. The classic barfly standard that everyone is good looking at closing time isn't true in this case. The Edsel was butt-ugly, period. A half century later, it's still butt-ugly.

Almost immediately after E-day, the superhype that had generated so much anticipation boomeranged on Ford. Automotive writers roundly trashed the Edsel, going so far as to compare the oval-shaped vertical grille to the female sex organ -- racy stuff for 1957.

Henry Ford II, who had opposed naming the car after his late father, believing it to be undignified, was no doubt furious and mortified. Robert McNamara, soon to become U.S. secretary of defense in the Kennedy administration, was president of the Ford Motor Company at the time and realized instantly he had a lemon on his hands. (A few years later, he'd be a little slower to realize that he had even a bigger lemon on his hands in a place called Vietnam.)

During the Edsel's first year, 1958, four models were produced and barely more than 63,000 were sold in the United States. Sales dropped in 1959, even though Ford had cut back to just two models, and on Nov. 19, 1959, barely two years after E-day, the company threw in the towel on the Edsel.

In one of those little logic-defying ironies, the Edsel today is a prized collector's item, fetching as much as $200,000 for a rare 1960 convertible.

Another victim of this historic automotive fiasco was the name Edsel itself. Although never a particularly popular boy's name -- rising to 400th on the 1927 list -- Edsel (from the Old German Adal, meaning "noble") has almost entirely vanished.

Source: Time magazine, Failure magazine