Random Java Stuff
Java Genetic Algorithms Package (JGAP) is (surprise) a genetic algorithm package for Java. JGAP 3.2 was recently released. Coolest feature: you can use JGAP to evolve a Robocode robot (more about Robocode).
After reading this post by Bill Pugh to OpenJDK’s quality-discuss mailing list, I immediately gave FindBugs a try. The Eclipse plugin for FindBugs is highly recommended. Getting FindBugs going is Maven is a bit more… interesting. I think you want the findbugs-maven-plugin, although there’s also a maven-findbugs-plugin. It seems findbugs-maven-plugin includes support for FindBugs 1.2.0, but I wasn’t able to consistently convince it to use that instead of 1.0.0. Good luck.
I promptly unleashed FindBugs on Apache ActiveMQ and found some minor issues and some more serious issues. Maximum respect to Rob Davies for fixing the latter collection.
Update: I unleashed FindBugs on JRuby. See JRUBY-1173.