Daily Dose: Microsoft Buys Skype for a Cool $8.5 Billion

After several weeks of rumors, Microsoft has officially announced their plan to acquire Skype. The $8.5 billion dollar buy is the largest Microsoft has undertaken to date. If the rumor mill is to be believed, Microsoft could be planning on integrating Skype into their current product lineup, including the Windows Phone.   

Liferay Previews Marketplace for App Developers

After 11 years of ongoing developing the Liferay Portal platform, the Liferay team has begun ongoing demonstrations of their new initiative, Liferay Marketplace. The new marketplace will allow app developers to sell their apps to a variety of customers.  James Falkner demoed the new Liferay Marketplace at today's (May 11, 2011) East Coast Symposium.  More information about the preview and specifics about the marketplace can be found on the Liferay site.  

Mandriva and Zarafa Join Forces

Two major Linux development teams, Mandriva and Zarafa, are joining forces.  If all goes according to plan, Zafara's Collaboration platform will be added to the Mandriva Enterprise Server 5 release.  Users of the Zafara Collaboration Exchange Platform enjoy access to Microsoft Outlook without the added expense of Microsoft's Exchange Server.  

Open Accessory Development Kit for Android

Finding the right accessories for your smartphone or tablet can be painful. Thanks to the Open Accessory Development Kit for Android, it doesn't have to be! With the introduction of the new platform, Google has made it possible for individuals to design their own hardware.  This level of compatibility across hardware types is achieved by allowing the interface to work with Arduino kits.  More information can be found on the Android Developers ADK web page.

Javascript Mistakes You Must Avoid

Anyone new to JavaScript should check out this comprehensive list of potential pitfalls. Thanks for the link Fawad Hassan.