Five years after Java 6, Oracle has just released Java 7! This is the first release of Java since Oracle bought Sun Microsystems. This new version of Java introduces a lot of new features, but some of the languages new features will be introduced in Java 8 as stated by the "Plan B". In this version, there some great new language features, as stated by the JSR 334 : We will also see the new NIO.2 API (specified by the JSR 203). A new bytecode instruction has been added to the virtual machine, InvokeDynamic. You can download Java SE 7 on the Oracle website. I think it was time now for Java to have a new version with some refreshing, and it's IMO a good new version that we have now. I just hope that the next version,  Java 8, will be here in less than five years to give us the closures.