"Though it's been around for a while, AJAX is now a hot topic in the application developer community because it brings cross-platform rich user interfaces to web applications without having to use products like Microsoft .NET or Macromedia," said Steve Benfield (pictured) as he announced that his September 27 session at the Austin Java User's Group will be called "Injecting Life into Boring Web Applications with AJAX." Benfield plans, he says, to explain what all the AJAX fuss is about, dispel some myths and advise how best to take advantage of the trend.

Benfield, who is VP of strategy at ClearNova - based in Alpharetta, part of Georgia's growing technology corridor - championed AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript + XML) and took a Q&A with participants at his recent live SYS-CON.TV webinar on "AJAX and Rich Internet Applications," the archive version of which can be viewed here.

The Austin JUG session will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at theEmbassy Suites Hotel Austin-Arboretum, 9505 Stonelake Boulevard.

The September 27 discussion will include:

• How AJAX works;
• Uses and considerations for building AJAX-enabled applications;
• Pitfalls to implementing an AJAX framework;
• Comparison of an application made using HTML with one made with AJAX;
• A live demonstration and Q&A.