Well 2020 is over, phew! And holy cow, I know I'm late with this month's Annotated (because I'm a real human being and like to take vacation) but even so there's a lot of stuff in this month's edition! There's more Java and Tech articles than usual and a bunch of Java news. Hang on in there for 2021, remember to continue being kind to each other, and to yourself. (more…)

December is here, and if you celebrate the mid-winter holidays (or midsummer if you're on that side of the equator) you're probably thinking ahead to that. 2020 has not been... optimal... for many. Christmas (or equivalent) will likely not look the way we expected, or are used to. We have an "opportunity" (haven't you always hated boss-speak, it's not an "opportunity", it actually is a "problem") to try new things, create new traditions, or to simply take the chance to put less pressure on ourselves this year. Let's face it, we deserve a break. (more…)

In good news, banning myself from reading the newspapers and scrolling through Twitter on my phone at night means my levels of anxiety are significantly lower this month. In bad news, it means less content for November's Java Annotated Monthly. The silver lining is that you can have a more relaxed November, with less stuff-you-have-to-read. (more…)

Failing to sleep at night, and rediscovering RSS, led to a particularly large backlog of articles to process for this month's newsletter. As such, expect less annotating and more linking, I don't always remember what prompted me to add the item to the list at three o'clock in the morning. (more…)

September's here, and that means back to work, back to school. Or not. It feels like the world is applying a lot of wishful thinking and behaving as if everything is going back to normal. With so much uncertainty right now, it's a tempting approach for sure. Anyway this is supposed to be about Java. This month we have another huge edition for you, and it includes the inevitable look at Java 15, a bunch of news about Java 16, articles and videos on testing, Java / Jakarta EE, and Java libraries. (more…)

It's August, so here in Europe we're trying to relax a little for the summer. Honestly in 2020 it's more important than ever to attempt to recharge, where possible. If you want to use your valuable time to read and learn, August's Java Annotated should scratch that itch. If not, put all the links in Pocket and check them out later when you have more energy. (more…)

I'm finishing off this newsletter while also hosting the JetBrains Technology Day for Java, so this newsletter is sadly too late for you to join the live stream! But, you're in luck, because the videos will be available to view on YouTube by the end of the month. However, just because we were busy with this event doesn't mean the rest of the world stopped. You can find a summary of the interesting Java, JVM and community news here in your July Java Annotated Monthly. (more…)

May saw the 25th birthday of Java! And if you're into silver linings, one of the positives about lockdown/no travel is that all events were online, and not limited to the few people who could attend a handful of conferences. In fact, this whole "situation" (as people keep seeming to call it) has provided opportunities to create content that's much more accessible to a wider range of people. In other news, 2020 is the year that keeps on giving </sarcasm>. Be kind to those around you. (more…)

Well April sucked. May isn't going to be much better, even if here in Spain they are actually letting us outside to exercise now. Hang on in there. Distract yourself with the articles in this month's newsletter if you like, or focus on other things that matter more. Take care of yourself and those you love. Stay safe. Stay home if you can. (more…)

Well, what can I say? For much of the world it has been a terrible month (and let's be honest, we have not shown enough empathy for our friends in Asia who suffered this before us), and I'm not super optimistic about the next month or two. As usual, I'm compiling this newsletter from Spain, which you've probably read in the news is not doing well right now. Not surprisingly, a lot of this month's content is around remote working, but honestly work is the last thing on many people's minds right now, and rightly so. Stay safe. Stay home if you can. (more…)

It's only two weeks since the last Java Annotated Monthly and we have another huge issue! I'd like to say March's edition is dedicated to International Women's Day, and it can be if you like. To be honest, the inclusion of women contributors in this month's newsletter is, in fact, nothing special or new. It's the result of several years of hard work identifying new sources of videos and articles, intentionally expanding the people I follow on Twitter, and placing effort into amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. There is still plenty of room for improvement though so I will not relax and

Holy guacamole there's a lot in February's Java Annotated Monthly! And it's not only because it's almost two weeks late! It's also because apparently I was either bored or stuck somewhere with just my phone and read a lot of stuff.  Anyway now you have pages of things to read this Valentine's Day. (more…)