The new year started a bit slow but is now really gaining traction. I have put up the latest development release - AEC 0.12.6RC2o - last night, so if you haven't already - go get it and update your systems!

As for me, I now finally have time to get the globalnerd.org successor, valanx.org, on its way. I expect the final switch to happen this weekend - so there will be some downtime around Saturday and Sunday this week. I'm very excited about the move and finally want to show the world what we have been working on!

So - stay tuned for some nicer looking site, more content and software.

While this years party turned out to be a rather quiet on my part, the people outside never fail to remind you that there is such a thing as partying too hard. If you have ever been to a New Year in Germany, you would know there are fireworks involved. And lots of them. They have started around 10 minutes early (with real action that is... they have started basically all day) and are only done about now - which is one o'clock. The streets outside filled with fog I can barely see farther than a hundred meters.

If I was ever hired as an engineer to develop some kind of military stealth fogging technique, it would involve declaring a holiday, allowing fireworks and putting a mandatory discount on alcohol. If you then put some taxes on the explosives, the thing even pays for itself!

All in all, I'm quite satisfied with 2008 (although the end did turn out to be rather rough) and it seems that 2009 might get even better. Ah well the optimism. But hey - if people can spend their cash on fireworks while we are in an official recession, how can you not be optimistic?

I hope you had some fine holidays and enjoyed your New Year celebration. All the best from the globalnerd staff/team/crazy people - and stay tuned for even more fine programming and service from us!

- David Deutsch

This caught me by surprise and unfortunately (or, well, not really that unfortunate) while I am in the middle of putting together the next stable release, but a rather grave security issue was found in the AEC Component (see for example here).

For the time being, I have decided to take down the stable release. I have already published a new development release that fixes this issue. I will work hard to also put on an updated 0.12.4.8 version, but it will take me a bit longer. So if you are concerned that your site may be targetted, please upgrade to the latest development release.

Let me also personally apologize for the mixup here. Please contact our support if you have any trouble with the new version.

Update 2008-06-21

I have finished an updated version of 0.12.4.8 for all those concerned with their security but don't want to go to a development version. Its pretty much equal to the stable release, just that the Security Fix is applied. You can find the updated stable release here.

One of the more mysterious parts of programming the AEC is figuring out why people use it. Either they tell you right away (which mostly goes in hand with telling you what is wrong with it), or they just leave to use another software.

This is why I decided to ask AEC users of prominent sites to just tell me. So without further redo, please say hello to Micah Frank of puremagnetik.com after the jump.

From a technology standpoint, the AEC is the cornerstone of our company's business model!