Is Java too verbose? Many tend to think so, which is why Oracle's Java architects are helping to make the syntax of Java more concise in the future.

It took a while, but Sun has finally realized that the SPARC/Solaris combo is not the future. Now the company is gearing up to build an ecosystem and revenue around its new crown jewel--Java.

Java revolutionized software development 30 years ago. Even with the rise of web apps, there's a bright future for Java desktop application development.

Java also is appearing in cars, printers and camcorders. Alan Brenner, Sun's vice president for consumer and mobile systems, said makers of medical devices are also taking a look.

The future of Java, part 1 "I would love to tinker with the Java language, but that’s not where I feel the pain now," said Java creator James Gosling during an early morning JavaOne session.

At the same time, the companies leading Java specs--not Sun--will decide in the future what kind of licensing to apply to a finalized spec, Kluyt said.

Fourteen years ago, a marketing genius at Sun Microsystems changed the name of a cross-platform experimental language from the very dependable-sounding "Oak" to the hyper-caffeinated moniker "Java ...

Although Sun Microsystems Inc. has used the JavaOne show here to demonstrate Java-enabled wireless devices running Java-based applications, the company also has offered a glimpse of opportunities ...

Andrew Glover turns back the hour glass for a retrospective on the major developments of last year, and reveals what those events tell us about Java development in 2008.