SOSensible Blog

Electric Ink Books

2008-09-28T00:00:00-06:00

Here we have the new trend in books. Electronic books that actually are more fun than a paper and ink book. This is the new cool for book reading like the iPod is to music. Of course when I got started the new cool was the Sony Walkman portable cassette player. (No picking on the old guy or you might get hit with the cane. LOL)

Lets take a look at the Sony® Reader. These readers can hold over a hundred books. The Reader has memory expansion and the electronics history of a great company for electronics. The interface is easy to master it uses the owners computer to acquire and transfer books or the memory slot.

What do these readers have in common. Both of them are great full strength outside in the sun reading devices. Most devices like this have been hard to use outside in the sun and these are great outdoor readers. Of course if you are the pool side reader they do not promise to be water proof so be careful in that area. The average cost of books can range from say 2 dollars for classics to twenty five dollars or so. Basically Amazon declares the average cost of a book to be around 9 or 10 dollars. I would say you experience may vary but it should be a clear savings vs the price of printed books. Considering the cost of the unit this is a good thing. Initially the price was someting that made me not interested but seeing the price and features in the iPod it has made me reconsider.

Now lets take a look at the Amazon Kindle. While it will cost you 50 more dollars than the Reader it has a nice set of special features worth considering. These include
Whispernet™ (service like cell phones without any signup or subscriptions that works where cell phones work), spinning navigation buttons, download RSS feeds, Magazines and News Papers. That set of extra features sounds like it is worth the extra ticket. I also heard last week one of the technical publishing companies is working on getting all of their books to the Kindle. I would love to have all of my technical books on a divice like this! It would be so nice to walk into a client site and have my entire library on this device for me to look up information. Getting my RSS feeds on a device like this... just makes my mind spin.

With all that said we have not set a final decision as which device we think we will get. Yes there is a stong front runner but until we know we will do a bit more research. Of course either company could send us a demo for review! We hope this is of value to you also as you look at what is coming in the world of technology. No, neither of these devices can work as a replacement for you iPod. There is no cover flow yet on either of them. They do both have incredible battery life. It will be interesting to watch this technology continue to evolve. Say... Adobe? What do you have out there? Is there something coming up in the PDF realm for such readers?

Social Tolerance in OS

2008-09-04T00:00:00-06:00

Here is a question that seems good for me to ask (and yes I know my blog doesn't support comments at this time... comments welcome but I don't have time to manage spam).

What is the right way to handle tolerance in open source libraries. With the current fame of the Rock Star design of the jQuery web site it has become apparent that this is a issue of question. There are a number of considerations.

Should the open source library seek the community at large or a targeted audience?
Should the expressions of a library express a disire to be 'fun' above a respect for what is considered strongly 'offensive' to others in the same community?

Apparently the social stir inspired a removal of the Rock Star on jQuery... but did it inspire them to express to those offended that they cared or that they just didn't want to deal with the objections? Did the jQuery leadership choose to express they were still sovereign of the ability to preserve fun? (aka, the easter egg snippet)

No one is being asked to share my conservative tastes or views. Yet, it seems time for me to consider that my association with the community can be a friendly one but certainly not a direct association. My relationship with the jQuery community is something I wish to publically define so my values are not a confusing matter. (P.S. If none of this matters to you... just ignore me on this, we all have views others don't share.) Yet, for me it is best to be an outsider looking in with this persistant need to what is in my mind use the jQuery platform to make a social statement.

At CFUnited they offer BOF sessions. Ray did a session this year on Sci-Fi. I am not against Sci-Fi but they seemed to have the understanding of segmentation. I was not even upset that he might have pulled some people from my BOF, LOL. My suggestion is if you are willing to make public social connections they come with a package. I don't do pictures of certain prophets out of respect and or tolerance. I don't have to agree to respect those who feel that way as people. The same way it seems respect for people's views on Rock music doesn't keep someone from listening to it or enjoying it. It does seem odd the 'need' to identify jQuery with Rock.

It's not my job to figure out so best regards to all the leaders. May you continue advancing the great library and we will continue to use it. You are doing a great job with the technical side and perhaps this social flaw is the equalizing side of what makes all things balanced, eh?

VOIP Caller ID

2008-08-23T00:00:00-06:00

Is it just me or are you tired of not having your caller ID listed? Well, this is my attempt to get listed even though I am using a VOIP solution. I went to List Yourself and listed my phone number and name in the system. There are a number of ways to validate the number. After doing what they said they told me my listing would be showing within 72 hours. This blog post will be delayed more than that and we will see how it goes. If someone else wants to try it just click on the URL in this post and give it a try. (My guess is that I am not the only one out there using VOIP with a meaningless caller ID.)

P.S.
Apparently now I have to wait for the individual carriers to pick up the number. So it's in the system but they may or may not pick it up. (If and when as they say.)

Speed Matters, Join Today

2008-08-15T00:00:00-06:00

OK, have you ever had someone tell you that you need to "get up to speed"?

Let's face it, our internet speed is sad. Let's look at the positive benefits rather than complaining. What ways can we benefit by faster internet? Well we would have better resources for health care, education and training, public safety, government services, economic growth and more.

Yes, now the part many will be waiting for... give me the negative you say! LOL... The country that invented the internet is 15th in average speed of the user of the internet! The way internet is marketed is very poor speed is 'normal' and better than poor speed is considered 'high speed'. It would be like saying a horse and buggy were high speed mode of travel. Yes, it is better than foot traffic but compared to a truck or car it just isn't high speed. There is nothing wrong per se with horse and buggy but that doesn't make it high speed or the right solution on a case by case basis.

So, where can you get more information? I AM GLAD YOU ASKED!

http://www.speedmatters.org/

Acrobat.com FREE services

2008-07-14T00:00:00-06:00

OK... sometimes we just miss things and the go right by us. It is likely others have talked about what is new and free from Adobe. Here is the URL and what is appears to be free on this service.

www.acrobat.com

Acrobat.com Information Details Home Page (and pages below) My undertanding is there is a total of 5 Gig storage for this service each account. There is a nice intro RIA style at the top of the info details page.

Buzzword - Online word processing that will exceed your expectations for online applications.
ConnectNow - Three people can meet online for full screen sharing, webcam, VOIP meetings.
Create PDF - This allows you to create 5 PDFs online.
Share - If there is stuff you want to share with others this tool will make it simpler.
MyFiles - With this some personal filse can be stored online and access them anywhere.

Now if all that wasn't pretty cool then consider getting this package in an AIR application! (I will get this running after doing the blog post.)

Acrobat.com for the Desktop

Also don't forget to check out the connect users group at the following link.

www.connectusers.com

Signature Tip

2008-07-10T00:00:00-06:00

Yesterday when chatting with a jQuery developer he passed me an email link to contact another developer. When I was doing the email the thought crossed my mind to put a link to linkedIn.com so he could get an idea of who I am without me spelling it all out in the email. ( light bulb comes on ) Why isn't my profile in the signature that get's autogenerated with every email I send?

OK, who has a linkedIn.com profile, or facebook... or coldfusioncommunity.com... or wherever. It seems to me we should add one key profile link to our signatures.
Here is the signature I now have for my company profile.

John Farrar SOSensible http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfarrar

P.S.

I just received my author copies of my new book.

ColdFusion 8 Developer Tutorial

UPS Tracking Tip

2008-07-09T00:00:00-06:00

OK, granted this isn't about software development. It is about where is the package you sent me!!! ( LOL )

I have my new books coming in ( ColdFusion 8 Tutorial ) and my personal copies are on the way. Yet, they didn't tell UPS to let me know where my books are each step of the way. I was wondering if there was a way for me to handle this. Go to this UPS page and it will tell you how to request your status for one to 25 tracking numbers via email. Now is that great?

Adobe Presenter Lives

2008-05-19T00:00:00-06:00

Yes, more presentation software. Each presentation software has it's own strengths and Adobe has a special winner.

Key capabilities

* Easily create professional Flash presentations and self-paced courses complete with narration and interactivity.
* Import and edit video in any format and export as SWF.
* Record and edit high-quality audio.
* Help ensure consistency with branding and customization.
* Deliver advanced quizzes and surveys with question pooling and randomization.
* Publish content as a PDF file, preserving all of your animations.
* Create AICC- and SCORM-compliant content.
* Integrate with Adobe Acrobat® Connect™ Pro software to deploy, manage, deliver, and track content.

http://www.adobe.com/products/presenter/

Adobe Open Screen Project

2008-05-02T00:00:00-06:00

These guys are getting more and more community oriented. Round of applause for Adobe please!

http://www.adobe.com/openscreenproject/

Now the nearly all the Flash technology is available to all. Rather than creating a mix of confusion they seem to have kept some minor control on the Flash player but other than that it seems to be open for anyone to use. Check out the link for current and more correct details.

AIR Marketplace FAQ

2007-11-17T00:00:00-06:00

AIR is personally a great hope for me. In the battle of Windows vs Mac vs Linux there is a great frustration. If you have one platform and get a PC built with another the software does not move to another! Adobe is changing the way things are done. They are doing what others have attempted.

In the mix Adobe is creating an AIR marketplace for people to promote the applications they write. Check it out at... http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/articles/air_marketplace_faq.html

RIA 2.0 or Web 3.0

2007-11-15T00:00:00-06:00

I couldn't resist the annoying terms. Yes I am tired of the 2.0 chatter also. With that said I am not tired of the wonderful advancements being made. We are adding some new categories on this site that will be covering many of the new products. Some will have to wait so we can get at the public betas. Others are ready to check out today. The following is a list of what you can expect to see on this blog going forward. If you click on the categories and feeds link on the side you can get your hot RSS feed today!

Product Reviews (like BuzzWord, MixBook, Geni.com and more)
Book Reviews
AJAX library reviews and news
And of course news about our projects like
- COOP (Including news on COOP Plug-in Libraries ... CPLs)
- CFish
- CFRouting
- etc....

We look forward to sharing the what's new and interesting.

Freespire 2.0 Schedule

2007-04-24T00:00:00-06:00

OK, first what is Freespire. (For most of the web world it sounds interesting just because the name has "free" in it. Freespire used to be the Free Opensource version of Linspire. Linspire was formerly known as WinSpire. (Microsoft tried to sue them for using "Win" in the name, and ended up funding the distribution with a large donation to buy out use of the name.) Anyhow, Linspire is a Linux distrobution for Desktop users. Freespire is the public no charge version of the same software base.

The next verions of Linspire and Feespire will be moving to the "Ubuntu" linux distribution line. You can details here about the next Freespire. Here is the release schedule.

Freespire 2.0 Alpha1 (1.1.57) - Released November 22, 2006

Freespire 2.0 Alpha2 (1.1.73) - Released December 7, 2006

Freespire 2.0 Alpha3 (1.1.84) - Released December 21, 2006 [Last Debain Sid core Release]

Freespire 2.0 Alpha1U (1.2.42) - Released March 8, 2007 [First release w/Ubuntu Feisty core]

Freespire 2.0 Alpha2U (1.2.49) - Released March 22, 2007 (New Sound Kernel Module - switched user now has sound )

Freespire 2.0 Nightly Builds available - Released April 10, 2007

April 19, 2007 - ubuntu Feisty Fawn planned release date

May 07, 2007 - Freespire 2.0 Beta planned

May 14, 2007 - Freespire 2.0 RC planned

May 2007 - Freespire 2.0 GM Release

As you can see, we are just around the corner from a live release!

NOTE: Flash 9 is standard now in this distrobution.

NOTE: They have a browser called Lbrowser 2.0... anyone know what this is? What is the code base for this?

Labs Pre CS3 Production Suite

2007-04-16T00:00:00-06:00

Lotsa cool stuff on LABS today!

Adobe After Effects CS3 - Create blockbuster visual effects and compelling motion graphics on both Windows and Mac.
- Take your inspiration to new heights: Create beautiful, sophisticated animations and effects more effectively than ever with Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional. Animate freely and with even more flexibility using new Shape Layers and the new Puppet tool. Use the new Brainstorm feature to naturally evolve animation variations based on parameters you choose.
Adobe Premier Pro CS3 - Get a free preview of Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, now available for Mac and Windows.
Adobe Soundbooth CS3 - The audio tools that video editors and designers need for everyday work.
- Editing audio quickly.
- Cleaning up noisy audio.
- Visually identifying and removing unwanted sounds.
- Recording and polishing voiceovers.
- Adding effects and filters.
- Easily creating customized music—without musical expertise.
- Integrates with Flash CS3, Premier Pro CS3, After Effects CS3 Workflow.

There are a couple of minor features not working because of lisc. issues. One example would be that soundbooth isn't saving files to MP3 in the labs version, but will in the live version in a few weeks. One thing to be enjoyed is a new generation of Help files in the CS3 suite. The technology is being called Know How. Check this out and you will be pleased about the improved experience when you take on learning the new features (or just learning for new users) the CS3 tools.

Adobe show us your WOW

2007-03-27T00:00:00-06:00

Well you can get packages in "Standard" or in "Premium". You can get full version or upgrade versions! Follow the links below and go in even deeper and you will see some examples of the technology in action. EXCELLENT product information pages!

The number one feature is "integrated workflow". The best of like of products from Adobe, Macromedia and Serious Magic have been integrated into a marvelous mix of products. And the Master suite is a product line to envy! (Oh if we only had the time and money to master all of the Adobe products!)

Here is an animated (Flash) based presentation of the new CS3 line! GREAT JOB

Here is a PDF showing the workflow for the web line of products. (others available also... browse around a bit)

Ordering details. (At this point)

The addition of the Serious Magic product line is going to take Adobe users to a new level of production! DVRack is now called OnLocation. If you need to get the shot right on location that is exactly what this product is about. See the digital video on your system monitor as you prep and shoot. It's like having a full production hardware rack on you computer. Now if that doesn't blow you away then you need to check out Ultra! Live keying and simulated motion tracking go to a new level in this line!

Personally I am not as much of a publisher. Yet Video and Web are two things that I love to work with when the tools work right! ADOBE IS GETTING THINGS RIGHT HERE!

NOTE: For all of us Visual Communcation Studio lovers.... look like we will see a new version in May according to this page. Look on the bottom!

Blue Ridge Mountain Chapter

2007-02-22T00:00:00-06:00

Well, it looks like we will be moving to the west end of Virginia! Radford VA in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains. More details will follow, but here are a couple of photos of the home where our family will be staying for a couple of years.

This is the Log House we will be enjoying. It is going to be a delight to live in such a goodly house.

This is the loft which faces the large windows in the image above. Looking out of the loft you can see the beauty of the mountains smiling right back at you.

This the kitchen that is located right below the loft. To the right of this view is the same beautiful view you see looking out the loft.

Expression of Imitation

2007-02-17T00:00:00-06:00

Microsoft has choosen to follow the Adobe lead. They are working on a line of products for web design to compete with Dream Weaver and assocated products. There are actually going to be 4 such products in the line. The line of products is called Expressions Studio. These are tools which implement Microsofts new XAML technology and other initiatives. Bottom line is this is how Microsoft will be approaching the market established and served by the minds of Macromedia! Adobe and MS are both busy aquiring technology to assist them in giving us cool tools and technologies.

Expression Blend
This tool works with the other Expression tools as well as Visual Studio. This tool sports both developer and designer interface modes. The underlying code is done with XAML.
Expression Design
This is the design tool for building graphics assets for the new Microsoft RIA. (Vector drawing, Dynamic live effects, workflow concepts)
Expression Media (Flash market)
Apperently this is a product formerly known as iView Media. This is a media organizer. It also is aimed at workflow integration.
Expression Web (Dream Weaver market)
Focus is to make the designer able to build standardized web sites that allow rich data and server side technology without coding. Of course there is a basic code interface for someone who wants to work with the code also. This appears to be mature technology from the start. (Anyone know where or if this is an aquired product?)

So we see that Microsoft approves of Adobe's scheme for doing business. Slightly different persona... and time will tell the quality. Yet, it appears the gloves are on and Adobe will have to compete for the market with a resourceful opponent. Let's hope the market stays diversified!

I have been FRAMED

2007-02-05T00:00:00-06:00

Well, you don't draw the best crowds at 8am (first session) on the second day of a conference! Seems all the starter sessions are low. Yet the crowd that came seemed to get the vision. Perhaps some of them will carry the concepts to other frameworks, and that would be good also! It was fun and I am glad I went.

There were several great sessions. The sustainability session was about my favorite personally.

Oh, this is my first post on the new SOS Blog software. This app and one other will be out for free very soon! I want to make sure that when people download SOS for the first time they have a couple of apps to go with it!