* The availability of Java 2 Platform Standard Edition (J2SE) 5.0, which it called “the most significant enhancement to the Java platform in the technology’s nine-year history.” J2SE 5.0, which is available to developers via the Java Developer Kit and due for release this fall, features code enhancements to speed development, simplify debugging and improve programmer productivity.

* The Sun Developer Network, aimed at simplifying Java development, was announced, and the company said new members to the group will receive a three-year Java Studio Enterprise software subscription for $1,500 per year and a free Sun AMD Opteron processor-based workstation.

* Sun also announced Project Looking Glass, a 3D desktop environment and Java 3D technology for the open source community.

* The Sun Java Studio Creator, a visual development tool for generating Java code, is now commercially available. The tool is free with the purchase of a Sun Developer Network Standard subscription, which costs $99 per developer per year.

* Sun released the NetBeans 4.0 platform for preview. The solution features a new Java technology performance profiler.