Microsoft Emacs.Net

A recent post over at meta-douglasp hints at something that Microsoft appears to have in the works: Emacs.Net. For many UNIX and Linux folks, emacs is probably old hat. For the rest of us, here is a quick overview.

Emacs is an text editor that is very popular on UNIX and is often used to write software, configure systems and edit just about anything. Emacs is mainly used by technical people, and is easy to configure, extend and tweak if you are technically inclined. I haven’t used emacs much in the past decade, but it is a handy, light-weight editor that also scores high on the geek cred scale. As far as UNIX file editors go, emacs dates back to 1976 and has been developed in a fashion that retained it usefulness as it has been extended. To contrast with some other tools, emacs has endured the test of time and appears to keep on going. For more on Emacs, please check out the wiki.

Which brings us back to Microsoft and their premier development editor: Visual Studio (VS). I’ve been using Microsoft’s VS for the past decade and overall, each version has gotten bigger, slower, more unwieldy, buggier and less usable. That is a shame because Microsoft has been cramming tons of work into adding features galore. I think on paper, VS ships a great spec: There are all kinds of really neat looking features, functions and capabilities. But, over time, this editor has gotten worse as far as actual usability and productivity of the user.

My long running joke is: Visual Studio was designed by and for executives. Now, I don’t think executives use Visual Studio, or if they do it’s very few and very rarely. What I do mean is: MS executives drive production direction and approve the product. Then, at other companies, executive dictate their software will be developed with Visual Studio (VS). In truth, that’s pretty much how it happens. The people with the least amount of hands on technical knowledge (executives) often make technical calls such as this (sad but true). What’s really sad is the MS executives don’t really know what they are shipping (Visual Studio), and the other-company executives don’t really know what they buying.

A related item: Microsoft .NET. Years ago, when the internet was really starting to take off and executives were rubbing their wallets thinking “how can I cash-in on this internet craze?” Meanwhile, Microsoft executives were really starting to sweat how they were going to complete with Netscape and remain competitive in this new internet based world. The MS Windows team was worried about future prospects (i.e. who needs windows is everything is done in a browser), as was the MS Office team (i.e. complete with web apps), the MS Developer division (i.e. native applications), and pretty much anyone else who drank the cool aid, or was a quick follower of FUD (In all fairness, there really was a lot going on in the industry and at Microsoft at this time, but I’m trying to keep it high-level).

All this brings us to .NET, which Microsoft hoped would provide competition to Java (also an interpreted and web-tacular language.) .NET could also (theoretically) help out the office team if they wanted to market web-based office applications. And .NET could (theoretically) help the developer division remain competitive by developing a Cool.New.Thing! A bunch of languages (J#, VB.NET, etc) that all use the same run time (CLR) which could be made to run on different platforms (Cool! CRL is its own abstraction mechanism and runtime). Basically, a bunch of different executives (and teams) were jazzed about what .NET could do.

In the spirit of Dogfooding, the Microsoft Developer division developed a massive all-in-one developer tool to end all developer tools written in .NET. Initially, many people (or at least the executives) thought this was a grand idea. Now that this has been completed, I do have to say this tool is a 100 ton whale that cannot get out of its own way. (That’s just my opinion… and the opinion of many other C++ developers). Also, .NET really has become something of a boondoggle for Microsoft. Overall, it’s very functional and provides all kinds of cool capabilities. But…

.NET also brings some problems: it’s auto handling of garbage collection (like java) is really pretty good, but not nearly as good as custom developed allocation and deallocation written in C++. Also, .NET imposes a performance hit b/c the CLR is a complete runtime which… runs on top of the Windows runtime. But, the biggest problem with .NET is: its actually not being used as much as good old fashioned C++. And that’s a travesty. Specifically, MS spent many millions of dollar designing, developing and marketing a product (.NET) that people by and large don’t want. And MS has been spending years trying to push C++ developer, teams and products away from C++ (as builds on the bad decisions that created .NET, and continues to mitigate Microsoft FUD). Don’t get me wrong, there are a bunch of people that write applications for .NET, but when you look at industry statistics: there are more people, teams and companies writing applications is good old fashioned C++, than in .NET. Since it took a while (years and years) for Microsoft to realize this, they are now quickly trying to re-invest in their native C++ toolset. So now, Microsoft executives are saying something akin to: Hey, we were just kidding! C++ is a great language! You can use .NET or C++. Really, we love both!

This all brings us back to Microsoft’s rumored Emacs.Net. Since .NET really has a bunch of issues, and Visual Studio is written in .NET, and many C++ developers have gotten fed up with .NET… it’s time for a new tool: Emacs.NET. You may say: huh? It does seem a bit odd, but if I had to guess, I’d think this tool will be written natively (possibly, but probably not) and will have some interop with .NET but overall, this tool will be a clean slate design.. with the expressed purpose of: continuing to leverage Microsoft’s technologies (gotta include .NET so the executives sign off on it), while reconnecting with the core developer base (i.e. emacs endures, so lets make an emacs), and results in a new light-weight tool that can also be levered against Windows Server core, Powershell and by general technical folk.

But hey, these are just my best guesses because I really don’t know. And neither will Microsoft, nor the executives until all is said and done. Like I say: developing software is one massive feedback loop and you don’t really know where you are going, or how it will pan-out until the product ships.

Here is Mary Jo Foley’s commentary on Emacs.Net

Aptera Update + Video

The folks over at Popular Mechanics were able to finagle an exclusive test drive and interview of the upcoming Aptera Typ-1. For those uninitiated, the Aptera Typ-1 is an all-electric plug in vehicle coming to market in 2009 for under $30,000. Sometime thereafter, Aptera plans to market the Typ-2, a 300 MPG gasoline hybrid which shares the Typ-1′s body and features.

The more I keep up with this car, the more I believe this is the first real re-thinking of the automobile since its inception. I know this sounds a little over the top, but the Typ-1′s design is what I consider truly clean and innovative. In fact, I think if this car achieves satisfactory adoption, the rest of the auto industry could very well be shaken up. And that, in my opinion, is a very good thing when the status quo of auto makers today is entrenched in the production larger and larger oil belching monsters.

Looking at the 1907 Ford Model T and today’s 2007 Ford Explorer, I see similarity. Now, when I compare the Aptera Typ-1 and the 2007 Ford Explorer, I see much less similarity. And not just at first glance. Overall, the Aptera really is superbly different and better.

One interesting comparison: The Ford Model T got 13 to 21 MPG. The Ford Explorer gets 13 and 20 MPG. Hmm… maybe not all that much has changed at Ford.

Which bring us back to the Aptera, a true rethinking of what a car should be. The frame, for example, borrows heavily from the design of boats and planes, where space and weight are at a premium. The Typ-1′s suspension has been lifted from the pinnacle in automobile design: Formula 1. And, the typically boring act of ingress and egress has been improved with swing up doors (as seen on supercars). The driveability is very good, with stable yet responsive handling and strong acceleration. Visibility is also outstanding. The climate control system is a complete rethinking, which uses one heat pump for both cooling and heating.

Since Aptera was able to step back and design a truly revolutionary car, they went all out. Roof-based solar panels provide power and continual cooling, so the car’s interior always remains cool even when the car is powered off. Interior electronics are as impressive as they are functional. Standard fare 1900s-era dashboard gauges have been replaced with video screens showing vital stats and a 180 degree reward view. Traditional center-console old tymey knobs and levers have been replaced with a modern touch screen monitor.

Overall, this really is a massively clean slate design, where weight and aerodynamics have been drastically improved. The body and frame assembly appears to be very safe and solid, and weighs in at a very light 1480 pounds (A Honda Civic weighs rougly twice as much). So, the Typ-1′s 1480 pounds is very light by todays standard, but it’s highly advanced composite frame should provide more than adequate crash protection. And, the aerodynamic coefficient of drag is a mind-boggling 0.11.

The only possible semi-gripe I have is the limited seating: two adults plus one child. In truth, this is really not all that bad and should provide adequate human transportation capacity for many people. If/when the Typ-1 and Typ-2 really start selling, Aptera has a five-seater in the works. And I certainly do hope that both the Typ-1 and Typ-2 take off. Once they do, Aptera’s five seater could complete the auto industry shake-up thus forcing major auto manufactures to deliver truly revolutionary transportation for the future of mankind and our planet.

But, it all comes back to people. I think people voting with their pocket books is what’s required to pave the way for even more radical designs, with further decrease in weight and improvements in efficiency.

Here is the Popular Mechanics exclusive video, which includes their test drive, interview and analysis.

For my previous Aptera thoughts, please see: Aptera’s Sub-$30K, 300 Mpg Car and The Future of Cars.

Firefox 3 Beta 2 Released

If you are developer or tester type person who grabs the latest betas… then this is a heads up that Firefox 3 Beta 2 has just been released. This release is slated to be more secure, easier to use, more personal (improved UI), an improved platform for developers, has increased performance… and fixes over 330 memory leaks.

I am a big fan of Firefox. I also believe it’s in everyone best interest for IE competitors (such as Firefox and Opera) to keep pushing Microsoft. Besides, I like Firefox much more than IE. ‘nuf said.

New changes in this milestone are:

• Improved security features such as: protection from cross-site JSON data leaks, tighter restrictions on site-specific content using effective TLD service, better presentation of website identity and security, malware protection, stricter SSL error pages, anti-virus integration in the download manager, version checking for insecure plugins.
• Improved ease of use through: better password management, easier add-on installation, new download manager with resumable downloading, full page zoom, animated tab strip, and better integration with Windows Vista, Mac OS X and Linux.
• Richer personalization through: one-click bookmarking, smart bookmark folders, location bar that matches against your history and bookmarks for URLs and page titles, ability to register web applications as protocol handlers, and better customization of download actions for file types.
• Improved platform features such as: new graphics and font rendering architecture, JavaScript 1.8, major changes to the HTML rendering engine to provide better CSS, float-, and table layout support, native web page form controls, colour profile management, and offline application support.
• Performance improvements such as: better data reliability for user profiles, architectural improvements to speed up page rendering, over 330 memory leak fixes, a new XPCOM cycle collector to reduce entire classes of leaks, and reductions in the memory footprint.

For official details check out the What’s New section of the Release Notes

Here is the Firefox 3 Beta 2 download link (If you don’t want to Beta test, I highly recommend you stick with Firefox 2)

For a technical perspective on Firefox memory leaks (and memory usage), be sure to check out Pavlov, a Firefox developer.

150 MPG Toyota Prius

Since I have been writing a rash of car-related posts (Aptera’s 300 Mpg Car, Future Of Cars) this entry seems like a good continuation.

In the first quarter of 2008, A123 Systems and Hymotion plan to market a $9500 USD add-on for the Toyota Prius. This cost, which includes installation, is expected to increase your Prius’ fuel economy to 150 MPG in the city. Pretty dang impressive! If it works reliably and safely: I do have some minor qualms about installing a massive lithium ion battery in my car. I’m not saying the “massive lithium battery in the trunk” idea is completely bad… I just don’t want to Beta test or even production test that.

Also, please be aware that this fuel economy increase incurs the additional cost of electricity to recharge this battery. That’s right, when you park your Prius you will need to plug your car into an electrical extension cord to recharge this additional battery.

For more information and a Video of the Hymotion-equipped Prius.

Google Gets Ready to Rumble With Microsoft

The New York Times just posted a good story describing the upcoming fight between Google and Microsoft. I personally find the differences between these two monoliths very fascinating. Times are definitely heating up as Google continually grows its internet presence, while Microsoft rallies its deep desktop market hold. It’s Good stuff, check it out.

Aptera’s Sub-$30K, 300 Mpg Car Will Be Here In 2009

This is a brief update to a post I made a while back (The Future Of Cars)

Aptera has released an update on it’s upcoming 300 Mpg car. This car really approaches transportation from a very different vantage than does the rest of the auto industry. This car is slated to sell for $30,000 USD, and offers room for two. Here is a brief overview:

” Carlsbad (CA) – Today, a California car maker named Aptera Motors officially took the wraps off of two new car models which offer crazy fuel economy. The first model will arrive in Q4 2008 as an all-electric vehicle with a maximum range of 120 miles priced below $30,000. A true fuel-electric hybrid model will follow in 2009. Early tests indicate the hybrid model achieves 300 miles per gallon, making an affordable gas sipper within budget for many American families.

Designed to be as aerodynamic as possible for two-person occupancy, the radical new shell design looks more like something out of Blade Runner than a traditional automobile. The “Typ-1″ (sic) uses light-weight composite material for its construction, while maintaining the “two plus one” seating configuration, allowing for a child up to age 3 to be placed in the middle behind the two primary occupants. Additional cargo storage area allows for up to 15 bags of groceries, two bags of golf clubs, or even two seven foot surfboards (if the child’s seat is removed). “

If you are interested, check out Aptera’s update.

Here is a YouTube on the Aptera.

Here is the official site for Aptera.

Developing High Transaction Database Systems

Paul Nielsen has written an informative post that chronicles lessons learned from developing a high transaction (35K tps) database system. Here are some topics that he touched, which I’ve always advocated:

1) Use your database as a database. Too often, large projects incorporate a massive middle-tier that turns a system into a quagmire of complexity (poor reliability/extensibility), sluggishness (poor latency), slowness (poor throughput), and un-maintainability (first step to failure). I’m not saying: don’t use a middle tier. I am saying: use your database as a database, and use your middle-tier for as little as possible (i.e. use your middle tier for what your database cannot already do). A database’s power draws upon the foundation of ACID: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability. In my opinion, way too many projects waste man-centuries attempting to get a massively complex middle-tier + database to achieve what a database can do alone (or with a thin middle-tier). Too many projects try to reinvent the middle-tier into a database. Too many projects fail to leverage the proven functionality already contained in their database. Too many projects don’t understand what their system foundation really is (hint: the database). Using your database as a database really is a much bigger topic.

2) Use common senses database denormalization. I have seen some really wacky architectures that merge bunches of tables into one table for reasons such as: convenience (“simplifies development!”), performance (“scales better”), ignorance (“how else could we have done it”). Denormalization is not all bad, and I’m sure not a stickler for doing normalization exactly by the book. But, a certain amount of clear thinking is required when architecting a database. And, when something overly cleaver is attempted, there is a good chance that both performance and convenience will both be degraded.

3) Be careful with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 CLR. One of the major architectural additions to SQL Server 2005 was inclusion of the CLR (Common Runtime Language). I’m not saying the CLR is all bad, but… it was a major addition that brings sizable complexity to the table. And as experience shows: be very careful of opting-into interacting with massively complex systems. Especially when it comes to performance. Microsoft does illustrate some scenarios where CLR is considered to offer clear performance advantages. So my best advice is: Understand best practices and test your own system using real data.

4) When done right, Iterative Development is gold. Since my professional start developing software and systems: All my successful programs have been run using some form of intuitive, common sense Iterative Development. And all my less-than-successful programs have been run using some less stellar development methodology, which ended up reflecting more Waterfall than anything else. I do feel Iterative is very intuitive, and is actually how I ran programs when I was first pushed into running programs, and before I had any experience (the good old days!). When done right, I think Iterative development could be called Intuitive development.

5) High transaction SQL Server systems: be aware of Index Fragmentation. Index fragmentation is especially bad when it comes to range operations, such as: Show all records After Date (Or, Between two Dates). If you have high index fragmentation, you do many range-based operations, and have a large database then you are taking a potentially sever performance hit. Here is a good overview of MSSQL 2000 and MSSQL 2005 Index Fragmentation.

6) Developers must spend time testing. From my experience, developers should spend roughly half their time testing their own code. This testing includes unit testing, sub-system/system testing, and performance testing. When your technology-stack includes a debugger, spend seriously-focused time in the debugger. The debugger is your friend and an awesome way to understand exactly what your code is doing under different situations.

Here is the 35K TPS post by Paul Nielsen.

Vista SP1 Improvements

Microsoft has finally posted a reasonably descriptive overview of what’s included in Vista SP1. As I’ve already blogged, I think Vista is more than a little slow and bloated. I know other people who are concerned with Vista’s reliability, but unfortunately I have not yet gotten there (I find Vista’s performance too lacking to have used it enough to run into reliability issues).

Update 3/23/2008 – On my laptop, I upgraded RAM to 4GB, and purchased two fast hard drives: one for Windows + Pagefile, and one Development tools + MSSQL.  Performance is now much better, and usually satisfactory.  I’ve also installed Vista SP1 and don’t have any complaints so far, so I’m leaning toward thumbs up.  Prognosis: faster hardware on Vista is better, and SP1 agrees with my computer.  I still hope Vista SP2 dials up the performance a bit more, but… I’d really like Windows 7 to focus on performance and simplification.  Note to Microsoft: Please don’t change the driver model in Windows 7!! Enough already, of upgrade pain and compatibility woes!

Here are Vista SP1 improvements I find interesting:

• Adds support for Direct3D® 10.1, an update to Direct3D 10 that extends the API to support new hardware features, enabling 3D application and game developers to make more complete and efficient use of the upcoming generations of graphics hardware.
• Addresses issues many of the most common causes of crashes and hangs in Windows Vista, as reported by Windows Error Reporting. These include issues relating to Windows Calendar, Windows Media Player, and a number of drivers included with Windows Vista.
• An improved SRT (Startup Repair Tool), which is part of the Windows Recovery environment (WinRE), can now fix PCs unbootable due to certain missing OS files.
• Adds full support for the latest IEEE draft of 802.11n wireless networking.
• Improves OS deployment by enabling 64-bit versions of Windows Vista to be installed from a 32-bit OS. This will allow IT professionals to maintain just a single WinPE image.
• Improves patch deployment by retrying failed updates in cases where multiple updates are pending and the failure of one update causes other updates to fail as well.
• Enables reliable OS installation by optimizing OS installers so that they are run only when required during patch installation. Fewer installers operating results in fewer points of potential failure during installation, which leads to more robust and reliable installation.
• Improves overall install time for updates by optimizing the query for installed OS updates.
• Improved instrumentation allows additional data to be sent to Microsoft via the CEIP (Customer Experience Improvement Program) when enabled. This telemetry data led to the identification of numerous issues that are addressed in SP1 and resulted in improvement in the reliability of OS servicing.
• SP1 reduces the number of UAC (User Account Control) prompts from 4 to 1 when creating or renaming a folder at a protected location.
• Improvements in the Licensing User Interface and User Experience including more details in the help about activation and what happens if user does not activate; more detailed and descriptive dialog text; raw error codes replaced with easily comprehensible text.
• While not reflected in the initial release candidate this week, we will also be making changes effective with SP1 in how we differentiate the experience customers have using non-genuine versions of our software. This is based on feedback we heard from volume license customers in particular as part of our Windows Genuine Advantage program.
• Improves the performance of browsing network file shares by consuming less bandwidth.
• Improves power consumption and battery life by addressing an issue that causes a hard disk to continue spinning when it should spin down, in certain circumstances.
• Improves the speed of adding and extracting files to and from a compressed (zipped) folder.
• Significantly improves the speed of moving a directory with many files underneath.
• Improves performance while copying files using BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service).
• Improves performance over Windows Vista’s current performance across the following scenarios1:
  • 25% faster when copying files locally on the same disk on the same machine
  • 45% faster when copying files from a remote non-Windows Vista system to a SP1 system
  • 50% faster when copying files from a remote SP1 system to a local SP1 system

• Improves the time to read large images by approximately 50%.
• Improves IE performance on certain Jscript intensive websites, bringing performance in line with previous IE releases.
• Improves responsiveness when doing many kinds of file or media manipulations. For example, with Windows Vista today, copying files after deleting a different set of files can make the copy operation take longer than needed. In SP1, the file copy time is the same as if no files were initially deleted.
• Addresses a problem that caused a delay of up to 5 minutes after boot with specific ReadyDrive capable hard drives.
• Improves the effectiveness of a Windows ReadyBoost™ device in reducing the time to resume from standby and hibernate by increasing the amount of data stored in the ReadyBoost device that can be used during a resume cycle.
• Includes improvements to Windows Superfetch™ that help to further improve resume times, in many environments.
• In specific scenarios, SP1 reduces the shutdown time by a few seconds by improving the Windows Vista utility designed to sync a mobile device.
• Improves the time to resume from standby for a certain class of USB Hubs by approximately 18%.
• Improves network connection scenarios by updating the logic that auto selects which network interface to use (e.g., should a laptop use wireless or wired networking when both are available).
• Reduces the time it takes to return to the user’s session when using the Photo screensaver, making it comparable to other screensavers.
• Removes the delay that sometimes occurs when a user unlocks their PC.
• Improves overall media performance by reducing many glitches.
• Windows Vista SP1 includes a new compression algorithm for the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) that helps reduce network bandwidth required to send bitmaps or images via RDP. The compression, which can be selected by administrators via Group Policy settings, is transparent to all RDP traffic, and typically reduces the size of the RDP stream by as much as 25-60%, based on preliminary test results.

Microsoft also lists a bunch of other improvements. If you want to get it directly from the horse’s mouth, please follow this link. And then download the file named: Notable_Changes_in_Windows_Vista_SP1_ Release _Candidate.doc

Vista Usability (Drivers)

Last year when Windows Vista shipped, I enthusiastically installed this latest-and-greatest Microsoft Operating System on a couple of my computers. I was quickly dismayed to find it completely unusable on both computers because Vista drivers that I required were not available.

One of my computers could not see the internet because Vista didn’t ship with a driver for my network card. This was a bit of dark irony as Microsoft was really pushing the message: “Vista ships with bunches of drivers, and many more are freely available online!” Since my computer lacked a Vista network card driver, I couldn’t connect to the internet and… thusly I could not download new ones. So, in my situation, what good was it that Microsoft was busily posting new drivers on Microsoft Update? Hopefully, Microsoft documented this Lesson-Learned from Vista: When shipping a new Operating System, don’t forget the Network Card Drivers.

I installed Vista on another computer, and… Vista could not see my SATA hard drive. This really was unfortunate as this XP-based computer had been reliably using the SATA hard drive for years. This drive contained all my data: music, photos, videos, work documents, spreadsheets, application source code, databases, etc. So, even though I could boot Vista and access the internet, I could not actually use this computer for work, or for leisure. In this case, I could access Microsoft Update to check for new drivers but… none were available for my SATA hard drive.

I was a little disappointed, but mainly confused. The Microsoft’s PR machine was loudly broadcasting the news that Vista shipped with an amazing quantity of drivers. In fact the actual language was something like: “Vista ships with more drivers than XP had when it shipped”. On a large scale, I feel the Microsoft PR machine was really communicating this broader message: Run, don’t walk, to your favorite computer store and buy Vista today! Because this OS will work with your hardware, and you will be happy!

At least, that’s the message I took away from Microsoft’s marketing colossus. Looking back, I’d wasted a dozen hours and was considerably less than happy.

What I find slightly dishonest with this marketing tact is: statistics can be made to lie. Let’s look at the situation from a different and truthful angle. Vista did ship with a bunch of drivers, but many mainstream and very functional computers could not run Vista because drivers were not available. Bunches of people purchased Vista and quickly realized that drivers they needed were not available for their existing hardware. I wonder if anyone has readily available statistics showing that when it first shipped, Vista ran on a smaller percentage of available hardware than XP did when it first shipped.

Now that Microsoft has had a year to improve Vista, they’ve been working like the world’s biggest hive of busy-bees. I sincerely hope Microsoft’s extensive hierarchy of executives and management has been focusing on the right things. I guess you could say: that’s why they get paid the big bucks. And, that’s why we consumers are paying the big bucks to them.

In Microsoft’s defense, they have developed a bunch of drivers over this past year. And good new for me: the driver I require for my SATA hard drive (NForce2 SATA controller) has been developed (by Microsoft) and published a couple months ago (by Microsoft). So, I can now use that computer with Vista, but in all truthiness I think Microsoft was about a year late.

My personal opinion regarding non-cutting edge hardware: driver development is the responsibility of the operating system maker. Case in point: Nvidia was not going to develop my SATA driver because… Nvidia won’t see a dime of profit if they developed the driver (but Microsoft will profit from more Vista sales). In fact, Nvidia officially stated that nForce2 hardware was “too old” and they are only developing Vista drivers for NForce3. So, about a year after Vista ships… Microsoft finally develops and ships the NForce2 driver. Problem solved… about one year too late.

As I like to say: software is always a work in progress because it’s never really done. Instead, software continually delivers different levels of user satisfaction to different users. It’s up to the software maker to continually make the right decisions. Hopefully, Microsoft will re-focus on: the end-user, quality, performance, reliability and usability. If they don’t… I’m increasingly becoming enamored with Mac OS-X.

 

Google Charting

Google has released an open web API that provides a drop-dead simple means of adding graphs and charts to web pages. I really do find their implementation to be extremely elegant and powerful. Here are some sample charts and their usage urls. Good stuff!

Linear stripes Chart

Actual url: http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=lc&chd=s:UVVUVVUUUVVUSSVVVXXYadfhjlllllllmmliigdbbZZXVVUUUTU&chco=0000FF&chls=2.0,1.0,0.0&chxt=x,y&chxl=0:|Jan|Feb|Mar|Jun|Jul|Aug|1:|0|25|50|75|100&chs=200×125&chg=100.0,25.0&chf=c,ls,0,CCCCCC,0.2,ffffff,0.2

Pie Chart

Actual url: http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=p3&chs=220×100&chd=s:Hellob&chl=May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct

Linear gradient Chart

Actual url: http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=lc&chd=s:pqokeYONOMEBAKPOQVTXZdecaZcglprqxuux393ztpoonkeggjp&chco=FF0000&chls=4.0,3.0,0.0&chs=200×125&chxt=x,y&chxl=0:|1|2|3|4|5|1:|0|50|100&chf=c,lg,0,76A4FB,1,ffffff,0|bg,s,EFEFEF

Here is the blog post announcing the public release of the Google Chart API

And, here is the Google Chart API reference page