NetBeans, Ruby and AppleScript
In the NetBeans.tv screencast NetBeans, Ruby and AppleScript, Mac Developer Tips blogger John Muchow describes how to use NetBeans and rb-appscript (a bridge to connect Ruby to the Apple Event Manager) to control scriptable applications on a Mac. This introduction shows how you can get started using Ruby as an alternative to AppleScript for scripting applications on Mac OS X.

Sun to Bring Java to iPhone
"Sun Microsystems is developing a Java Virtual Machine for Apple's iPhone and plans to release the JVM some time after June, enabling Java applications to run on the popular mobile device," according an InfoWorld article. "The JVM is to be based on the Java Micro Edition (ME) version of Java, said Eric Klein, vice president of Java marketing at Sun, on Friday afternoon. Apple had not shown interest in enabling Java to run on the iPhone, but Sun plans to step in and do the job itself after having pondered Thursday's release of an SDK for the iPhone by Apple."

Rococoa
Offering a new route to using Cocoa classes in Mac Java applications, the new Rococoa project, "is a generic Java binding to the Mac Objective-C object system. It allows the creation and use of Objective-C objects in Java, and the implementation of Objective-C interfaces in Java." Using JNA to quickly wrap Objective-C calls, the project initially started as a QTKit wrapper to expose QuickTime functionality, Rococoa examples of which are provided on a QuickTime page. Fair warning from the project owner, though: "Rococoa is very much work in progress. Much is subject to change. A lot isn't good enough not to change. But given the recent deprecation of the Java-Cocoa bridge, it's the best I've got. Just mind your head. And please give feedback."

Java SE 6 Developer Preview 9
Apple has announced another developer preview of Java SE 6 for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Available to all Apple Developer Connection members, "Java SE 6 Developer Preview 9 is now available at https://connect.apple.com/ for 64-bit Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X v10.5.1 and later. This Preview includes Java SE 6 version 1.6.0_04. This Developer Preview does not change the default version of Java." Note that as the DP is being distributed via connect.apple.com, it is still subject to terms of the ADC NDA, and thus Apple has said details about the JDK 6 DPs should not be discussed publicly.
  (Feb 13, 2008)

Quaqua Look and Feel 4.1
The Quaqua Look and Feel project for Mac OS X has released version 4.1. "The Quaqua Look and Feel is a user interface library for Java applications which wish to closely adhere to the Apple Human Interface Guidelines for Mac OS X," automatically switching between appropriate looks for the Tiger, Panther, and Jaguar versions of OS X, and providing Swing implementations of NSBrowser and NSSheet. "Version 4.1 includes a FileChooserUI which roughly simulates the native file dialogs in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Except for panel backgrounds and frame borders, Quaqua still uses the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger design."