All the news: DB2 Express-C with PL/SQL, new TPoX version, DS 3.1, and hello to all PMs

I am in between business trips and there is not much time for looking deeper into any specific problems. But I wanted to touch base on few things that are new:

• DB2 Express-C, the free to download, free to use edition of DB2 LUW now includes the Oracle compatibility. That is, you can develop and use PL/SQL packages with DB2, for free, even in production. Although it still says "9.7.4" at the DB2 Express-C download site, when you click through it then offers DB2 9.7.5 for download. I just tried it.
• A new version of TPoX, the open source XML database benchmark, has been released. Most changes are to the workload driver. I know that some of you use the workload driver not just for TPoX and DB2.
  BTW: The DB2 Technology Explorer/Management Console includes a so-called Workload Multiuser Driver (WMD) that can be handy, too.
• IBM Data Studio 3.1 is out since few weeks and Data Studio will replace the DB2 Control Center in the near future. There is a so-called Administration Client (which is small) and a Full Client. Both have a different download size and a different function set. An overview of what is included and which database servers in addition to DB2 are supported is listed at this Data Studio V3.1 features document.

Last but not least I would like to say Hello to all Project Managers (link to Dilbert comic). Dining out and working in large projects never will be the same again...