Peter and I saw the AIR bus our way out of the Adobe SF offices last night, parked in the back alley. We had only seen pictures of the inside - this was our fist glimpse of the outside.
For info, http://onair.adobe.com/
Posted by jdehaan at 09:59 AM | Comments (7)
Just finished the notes for the sneak peeks - Live blogging from MAX 2006.
Read the complete notes on the post here:
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/dehaan/archives/2006/10/day_3_sneak_pee.cfm
Please note this is pretty much completely unedited. And very long.
Going to stretch out these fingers. Ouch!
Posted by jdehaan at 10:02 AM | Comments (1)
[Note: the below is unedited live blogging - please excuse all the typos and bad spelling. ]
Time to spare while I wait, so todays notes get an intro.
It's the final day, and the best general session at MAX is about to begin. For the first time in the three days, I have a "low" wireless connection to the network. But, alas, actually connected. Point being I MIGHT be able to post this during or right after the session.
The entry music (speakers in the hallway leading to the warehouse these things take place in) on day 1 was crashing waves, day 2 was birds chirping, and today - crazy clown music. Not sure if I should ready anything into it.
[Aside: Soundbooth, mentioned in the Day 1 keynote is now on Adobe Labs: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/soundbooth/. This is really great stuff, especially if you're a Flash or video person, so check it out.]
But this is the exciting one folks. I'm in my typical position way in the back, with fingers limbered up and ready. And without further ado, the sneak peek notes:
Marc Eaman, Corporate evangelist
Going to bring up smart people computer scientist and product teams to show you some great stuff from the Labs. Risky because flying without a net - no backup systems. Show you the coolest and greatest technologies dreaming up.
Logistical slides:
* Can't promise that everything shown today will make it into an Adobe product or service.
* Will take advantage of SMS voting - competition! Vote for your favorite (real SMS system that uses CF and Flex). Let us know who you think does the best job.
* For the first time this year, invited key developers and partners to participate in the sneak. Developers will show what they're working on too.
* Prize will win an XM satellite radio with a subscription.
First guest - Connect.
Peter Ryce - "Connectionist" and Dean Chen, Computer Scientist
Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional
* Dean and him are 60 miles apart, and when they want to get together use Yahoo IM. Show chatting back and forth.
* Yahoo has plugins (latest) which use Flash. So he is selecting his name out of the buddy list and launches Connect meeting right out of Yahoo Messenger. Then these guys are sharing a PDF (I mean, what else? PDF the planet, people).
* Plugin SDK for Yahoo used to develop this.
* Something different about meeting room - the documents are not FlashPaper - they are actual PDFs inside the Connect room (PDF rendered inside Flash Player inside the Connect meeting room).
* They can step through pages, zoom into the document. Pretty cool!
That's it from the Connect team.
Tim Buntel - ColdFusion
* Tim promises not to make any Vegas jokes.
* Showing Scorpio features coming up.
* But he IS going to show the CF team photos from last night in some compromising positions.
* Tim says something is wrong with the server! He want's to show the photos! But he needs a super powered human ... YOU COULD USE SCORPIO MAN! Whoo! Save our application, Scorpio Man!!
* Ben Forta is his favorite favorite super hero - (Ben on stage in super hero suit)
* Tim needs help, needs to find out what's happening to the app.
* "This is why we don't allow product managers to write code" says Scorpio Man
* Can see a page - neato summary page that shows info about the app - can see response times, memory usage, canned reports to show a quick snapshot of what's going on, memory usage, database info (queries active, what's fast, slow, errors), set different alerts and settings. If want info sent to me, or execute things, can do so.
* Goes to summary page/request page. See partyindex.cfm - sees tags and functions executing in template, and there's a problem in the cfquery. Particular line of code with problem showing on line 69 - can quickly go and fix it.
* Tries to show images, but they're hideously manipulated! Someone has scaled the image! Quickly changed, saved, and...
* Images of Bill Gates!!!
And that's the end...
Hart Shafer, Soundbooth
* Looking to build a product without audio expertise, but need to get some audio work done.
* Task based controls.
* Built in sprit of apps like CoolEdit2006 and SoundEdit16 (woot).
* On click interface.
* Plays WAV file. Grab handle to trim.
* Can do quick edits, can see the fades in the wav form.
Quck action button to do default fade, change vol.
* Single click to normalize the file. Every file needs to do these things right up front, so very easy to do.
* Any selection can be quickly changed - just select it and you can change just that selection separately.
* Make a selection and cut and paste the selections.
* History so you can go backwards and forwards to use specific edits.
* Task based interface. Plays file. You can hear a sound effect. The squeak at the beginning is too loud. You could try to use equalizers, but they're difficult to get in and isolate the sound like that. One of the tasks is to remove a sound. And you can see a spectral view, you can select in frequency and time. Don't need to know exactly what's happening - you can look in the spectral view and you can actually see it. And so you can select it and JUST hear the squeak!! (applause). And you can drag a volume down and made the squeak quieter.
* Make a selection on the small sound, and use tools on them. So you can select the squeaks and remove them by just deleting them from the spectral view. (more applause)
* Tools for specifically removing rumbles, squeeks and so on.
* Create music with Soundbooth.
* Choose the variation of a particular piece of music, duration.
* Instead of choosing preset variation, you can go to auto variation mode - you can go and drag it around, make it the same length of a video file.
* Can also adjust parameters of the sound. Intensity slider, modifier sliders, can change what the track sounds like.
* From a single score, you can make a bunch of sounds to match a mood.
* You can create keyframes to adjust the intensity and mood. So if mood changes in the video, you can keyframe and "animate" the audio to match your movie.
* Can customize and fit with the mood of your project.
* Playing "slow dirty funk" music (you know, it's Vegas).
* Wants to go use the music in Flash. Opens a QT movie that has the soundtrack added.
* Goes in markers panel, and you can add them staticly, while recording, while playing.
* Add name/value pairs to use in Flash.
* Export as FLV, and embedded into the video. Or export as XML and use however in Flash.
* Can drop in FireFox -- ooooh, this is in labs today (see link at top).
* Hart wants your feedback. What will be most useful. Come try out!
Hart actually finished with ONE second left! Good goin Hart.
Danielle Beaumont, Fireworks
* Fireworks team in middle of adding a bunch new functionality in FW.
* Rapid prototyping and taking that prototype and dropping it into Flex.
* Scanario: client asks you to prototype a Flex slideshow app. Want a fleshed out design, and that can take time. FW wants to make that process quicker and cleaner.
* Starting with new common library in FW. Allows you to make smarter objects.
* When drag onto canvas, PI has png files with layered info, using JS you can add attributes.
* Can change state of the buttons. in PNG file states have been added (down, over, etc).
* Adding a Flex component onto the canvas. Window component. Has 9Scale in the symbol to help with scaling issues.
* Showing the difference between something with 9Scale and without.
* Adding more design elements - thumb scroll, adding numericstepper with text. Play/pause button.
* Took grand total of 2 minutes with the explainations.
* Say your client wants to see variations in the design.
* Pages panel: each page is a separate web page. PNG inside of a PNG. Has frames and slices. When exported, it will export as separate HTML pages.
* Click through HTML mock up that they will post to the site.
* Instead of telling clients what to do, you can create the functional site.
* Turning on the web layer in FW.
* Drag out a next and previous button for the interface, and she's going to add some simple HTML work - hotspot added to buttons.
* So then you can export a functional layout.
* You can send FW stuff to Flash, DW, and here showing how you can send it to FlexBuilder.
* When you export, they are going to export MXML!
* Double clicked the MXML, and it's all positioned, Flex components are there, named components (applause).
* Fully styled everything.
* Flex layout shown, and it all works in Flex app.
* FW is in beta - FW is not a large team, but they're adding a lot of functionality.
* Accepting applicants to the private beta.
Jason Williams (PM) Andrei Dragomi (computer scientist) - Flex Data Services and Ajax Bridge
* Show some of the integration between Ajax applications and Flex Data services.
* Rich applications made in Ajax, but limited in way you can interact with data.
* Spry used in the application being shown. As interact with it, you can see various regions updated without page refresh.
* Visual aspects are dynamic, but the data is not dynamic. You can easily fix with Flex data services.
* Now including some new JS libraries for Flex data services.
* Replacing Spry dataset with Flex data services dataset.
* It changes the page to now include Flash Player, pump all the data previous through XML now through Player and Flex data services.
* Looks the same, despite the change.
* Power comes when you start to modify the backend data for this app.
* Bringing up another application, Flex app. Looking at exact same data as the spry app. Making some changes to the data in the Flex app. Changing some images and so on.
* When click the Save button are sent to server, process, apply to backend store, and PUSH the changes to all the interested clients. Spry changes without any clickin or page refresh or nothin - pushed to the spry app.
(now Andrei is on stage)
* What going to show is how much data and what speed can be pushed out to an application.
* Showing a regular application - built with spry. Stock updates, news, compare prices, etc. HTML data, etc.
* 2 things different - Flex charting components there. Hard to show with HTML. All the data is coming in real time. Only 2 HTTP requests being made.
* Ajax and Flex in the same page. Pushing data down from server to all the clients on the same page, and they interoperate.
* Best of both worlds- HTML rendering, data pushed down in real time. REal time GPS data pushed from server to a bunch of cleints, etc.
* Many possibilities
Elizabeth Irizarry (Computer Scientist Flash team)- Flash and ActionScript 3.0
* AS3 means you can take advantage of Flash Player 9.
* Features to transition more smoothly between AS2 and AS3.
* Enhance existing features.
* Notices problems in workflow: lots of trace statements, errors hard to read, switching between documents to do a test movie, etc. Can be a lengthy process.
* Showing a blackjack game in AS3.
* Doing a check syntax in her code. Instead of Output panel, you see new Compiler Errors panel. Gives same information (location, description, source, tooltip) - when you double click the error, it takes you to the error in your code.
* You can click to next error in the compiler error panel, and it takes you right to the spot in the code. Less time tracking down errors, just spend time fixing them.
* You'd have to go through a bunch of documents to look for movie to test. Now you can loosely associate an AS file with a Flash document.
* So now in an AS3 file. Setting the target to the associated FLA in the title bar. Then from AS file, do a ctrl enter, it exports and brings up SWF without ever going back to FLA file.
* Want to be able to see what's going on inside - trace statements is primary way to debug.
* In AS file, setting some breakpoints in the AS. Targeted a FLA. Exported movie, and it switches to a debug mode! Showing the new debug workspace in Flash.
* Debug console at the top. Variable panel to introspect, change, etc. Step through, and as stepping through you can test conditionals, see values returned, and so on.
* Resume, bring up movie, in standalone player separate from authoring tool. Can now debug while the movie is running. Authoring tool comes up, and in code. Continue, and movie is back, and shows changes in SWF.
* When done debugging, closing player window, and back in editing mode.
* Hopefully make the transition to AS3 user, rougher edges of compiling and debugging better for all.
Scott Fegette (Developer Relations) - Dreamweaver
* Things to make CSS design easier for you.
* Biggest problem when you get out in the wild with different browsers. Proper rendering for all browsers can be a chore and trip you up.
* New solutions to have the community identify and tell others how to fix these things.
* In order to find solutions can be tricky - forums, websites, blogs, etc and hard to find what you're looking for.
* DW has cooked up CSS Advisor and Cross browser compatibility check.
* In DW, there is a "check browser compatibility" option, and it has found an issue with the code in DW! Shows the name of the issue in a results info.
* Even has a 75% confidence rating this is what you're looking for. You can go right to exact line in the code where the problem is. Shows a tooltip with what the problem is (tooltip over code).
* Found the problem - now you can view the solution (a button). The button takes you to the CSS Advisor web site.
* Showing the CSS Advisor site on adobe.com. Has ratings, community feel. You can edit and add information to these posts. Synopisis of problem, and detailed summary of solution. You can add comments, alternate solutions, etc.
* DW wants to help show a searchlight into the community, to show the alternative solutions and bring the community in.
* The site tells Scott the solution, so now he can go into his CSS code, and is editing his code so it's compatible with IE6 on Win.
* Going back to IE6, and sure enough, it fixes the design.
* Different clients have different requirements - you can go in and set all the target browsers, target versions, and you can step through the possible issues in your code - more effective in debugging your code so you don't have to do a bunch of Google searches while you're working.
* Hoping that features like this will extend DW out to the design community so it's not a lone island. Engage the community to help others fix.
Geoffery Cubitt, President and CTO Roundarch-- Flex and SAP Integration
* One of our partners.
* Flex - how to make more business better.
* Field service solution
* Flex + SAP integration
* Showing a hardware site, and there is a "server problem" on the site. Going to technical help on the site. SAP call and web services call to bring back product data.
* Going to upload server log to site - "you have a problem and you should call customer service" -- calling to customer service through the web site.
* A window opens, and customer service entered. Shows him on the web cam -- real time interaction in the Flex app. Real time collaboration with technical services on a web site. Chat room, etc, and it brings up window that's a screen share -- and a white board. So you can show an image of a computer and circle areas to look at. Show videos to client through site.
* Work together on forms, submit the order from the Flex app.
* Push down to server layers - complex SAP calls pushed.
* Communicates back that there is hardware in stock.
* Push messgaes to call center app.
* There's a map that opens - mashup with yahoo maps in the Flex app. You can go offline, go back online, update order, and so on.
* Call center updates as resolved.
Beau Amber, CEO and Founder of Metaliq
* Been working with Adobe on components on future versions of Flash
* Fast, flexible, performance oriented
* Demoing accessibility.
* Flash application shown, and some components. JAWS is reading out the elements on the screen.
* Base level of screen reader action, keyboard stuff.
* Now show visualiation based application. Pinging different servers all over world, and shows current activity.
* Showing slider component, buttons, datagrid.
* Sorting on datagrid.
* Fun things to do to poke around with your data.
* In Flash.next. Has button component on stage, compiles.
* If you double click on it, you get all your skins. Click on the skin and you can edit it. Scale 9 used, and he's editing the skin. Grabs over skin, and then edits it. Woot, rainbow button.
* See newly custom, designers are going to kill me button.
* One of great things of components in flash, you have power of AS3.
* List component. Using dataprovider to add items, real time updates and event handling.
* Performance was goal. Can do muliple things at once, key selection, scroll. No extra cycles in background, etc.
* Sort 200 records, 1000 records added, 5000, pumping a lot of data into background. Million items, and still have performance and interaction. If you hit clear, the garbage collector comes around, and nose dive in memory usage.
* Starting to develop custom components with zoomify. Working on update of zoom and pan.
* You can zoom into image on multiple levels, and pan around.
* Everything pulled in tiles, quick and omptimized. Used a lot in medical field.
* Showing a 1.2 gig image you zoom in and pan.
Michael Kaplan, Director of Engineering, Acrobat 3D
* Have a PDF. Has a 3D razr phone in the PDF, click to activate and can drag it around.
* Button on the page. Maybe activates something - seems to activate a Flash SWF in there. There is a click me button in the SWF, and it reacts to the mouse - and the Flash SWF has an event from PDF to Flash - so PDF and Flash are interacting. 3d phone is in the SWF. Mousing over the buttons on the phone in 3D -- and you can interact! So wrapping the SWF around the 3d phone!
* Background Flash movie, flash wrapped on 3d, and foreground Flash in front that has a UI as well. It, the foreground UI, is interacting with the 3d phone.
* You can dial on the phone. A 3d hand comes in and dials the phone.
* All different flash is interacting together.
* Showing the Flash video playing on the phone now. With sound. All of this in a PDF. (Applause!)
One more!
Ben Nunez, CEO, xif -- CommuniGate Pronto!
* Parner in lighthouse program.
* First time in public, Apollo app shown being developed by Adobe partner.
* In hosting group, primary focus is on messaging (email, IM, etc).
* CommuniGate systems flagship product holds world record for most messages processed.
* Great opportunity to merge their hosting with CommuniGate messaging.
* Beta version of messigng shown.
* Entirely Flex 2 built, Flash Player 9 - email, calander, contacts, single pane interface. Sockets used to have a live connection between client and server. Data flows. Shows gmail sent to this - data flows instantly, no page refresh.
* IM integrated into the application. Has buddie in there - showing IM to Kevin, who is in the audience somewhere.
* Can set presence to busy or away.
* On IM Kevin says "Scorpio is attacking me". And the response: "kill him".
* Drag and drop - whole folder system in Tree structure. Real time - you can drag the panes. Familiar UI. Very flexible in adding in other applications. News reader in there. Proxying through server. Not using Flex Data Services - just Flex app talking with server. No middleware. Needed that for scalability.
* One of key features on webmail - stuck doing one thing at time. Windowing system built in, so minimize apps down to tray. You can minimize things, and then come back to them (much like Windows where you minimize).
* most exciting feature: voice capabilities - voip. Call control, voice mail system, data flowing into system, and can play voice mail where an MP3 is stored. Displays in email (a small audio player). Call forwarding, do not disturb, call waiting, voice mail, etc etc. Multiple lines, dragging and dropping to transfer lines.
* All running in apollo.
* Met with adobe just last week, and since then made this thing work in Apollo.
* Within 30 minutes in Quiznos at airport, and they dropped the Flex 2 app into Apollo.
Audience favorite
* Vote for favorite above, using SMS...
* It seems like Acrobat 3D is pulling ahead, with close second being Soundbooth ... third is ColdFusion....
* Countdown music...
* And the winner is.... ... .. ... ACROBAT 3D! 31% and Soundbooth with 28% comes in second.
* Michael wins the XM radio. Congrats Michael, and Acrobat 3D.
And that is the end folks! Enjoy!
Posted by jdehaan at 08:16 AM | Comments (8)
Another day, another set of notes from the General Session keynote. Lets paste these in now...
Day 2 General Session from Adobe MAX 2006
Over 3500 attendees.
"Can you hear me now" Verizon dude is onstage. He just says "this is awkward". And leaves.
Kevin Lynch
* Correct an agenda item.
* Opened in acrobat.
* Adds a comment. Send it for shared review. Do some stuff, and then sends a message out to everyone applicable.
Another interesting thing you can do is - you're working on a PDF, and you want to actually talk to someone. A "Start meeting" button. Press meeting button, and invite someone in to collaborate with you. So he's inviting the founder of adobe, John Warnock. John is on video from San Jose using Connect (the software formerly known as Breeze). Kevin is excited about the web, and John W. is creating websites as his hobby, as opposed to golf. Every single Adobe application is scriptable.
Al Ramadan -- on mobile
Turn our attention to the non-PC opportunities. Most of the devices you could put flash on were outside of the US. Feedback from developers and designers was how to make money in the US. Making money in the US is the theme of his presentation today.
Start where we kicked off last year. Started with the cool new devices you could get. One of the day is Chumby - cuddly alarm clock that streams Flash content. Streaming to device is live traffic cams, weather, etc. Innovative content distribution opportunity. More devices are emerging doing this stuff. People from Chumby are here today, and they have a BOF session here showing us how to make some $$.
Other favorite Playstation 3. New CPU, 35x faster than PS2. 60 gig drive, blue ray support, 7 wireless controllers. Drives 2 HDTV monitors. Flash is built right in as part of PS3.
NTT Docomo leading the way, the innovator of the new phones and experienes for Flash on the phone. Japan phones growing at amazing rates. Korean is having rapid growth. Samsung and LG doing many flash enabled phones.
D900 Living world product from Samsung. UI of the phone adapts on the basis of the time of day, signal strength, depends on what location you are, and changes the backdrop, how many messages you get. Morps to your own use. Probably will change how we build phone experiences.
Flash making its way west. (From Asia to Europe). Nokia phones - certified 31 new handsets in 2006.
What about the US? This is where it gets really excited - introduce John Stratton of Verizon wireless (VP and CMO).
Partnership between Verizon, Qualcomm, Adobe. Announce that the three launching FlashLite 2.1 technology - partner with developer community to create these applications (games, wallpapers, other apps). New level of mobile experience for customers. Created several handsets - Chocolate and many more phones in 2007 and beyond will have Flash on it.
Verizon guy is back (the can you hear me now one). Flash team is behind him (San, Jethro, San, Lily.... Dani from Fireworks is there too!)
Announced last year - Brew, FlashLite for Brew. Super successful beta in the summer with lots of feedback. It's ready - FlashLite 2.1 for Brew is available and shipping today.
Effort to let the developer community to make some money.
Qualcomm - Peggy Johnson.
President of Qualcomm internet services.
Here to talk to us about how to make some money by developing Flash content.
She is sharing a brief history of qualcomm, brew, handset manufacturers, and so on.
How it works when you create mobile content: Developers develop, go to testing group so can run across different handsets (3rd party), operator looks at the applications and decide which ones to take to what customers, and negotiate with developer (a price that's paid when anyone downloads it). Exposes the apps to the end users that select what apps they want to download. The charge goes to customer, they pay, and then money goes to the developer. The developers then develop more, and the cycle goes on.
No matter how small you are, you can make some coin.
A few small guys who made MMS have made a lot of cash, and then were bought.
Wireless operators - Verizon is the first North American operator to have Flash enabled handsets. Were also the first to go on the Brew path. Over 65 operators that Qualcomm is working with today - they're all your potential customers.
Why does Brew love Flash. The community knows that this can make them money. Looking at the Flash community, and make Flash developers part of this same cycle.
Since origin of Brew, have paid out $700M -- in space of one year, doubled the payout to developers.
Brew is the leading wireless platform.
Open invitation to join the Brew ecosystem.
Al Ramadan
Partnering with 3 content aggregators -
* Atom (division of MTV)
* FunMobility
* Smashing Content, a division of Smashing ideas.
Primary point of contact into the Brew community. Sessions about this: "Making money with BREW"
Bill Perry - Global Developer Relations for mobile and devices.
Here to show how you actually build things for devices.
Verizon wireless is enabling the first flash ecosystem in the US.
Take your existing skills to build Flash content for millions of mobile subscribers.
Opens Flash Professional 8, has a game open.
Download alpha release of Flash Lite 2.1 from Labs today. [Flash Lite 2.1 authoring on Labs] and Flash Lite 2.1 for BREW on Labs.
Opens Publish settings
* Specify Flash Lite 2.1.
* Post processor - FlashLite BREW
Publisher wizard - download today on Labs.
4 simple steps to walk through.
* Identify output - class ID (randomly generated, get it from Qualcomm site).
* Output info
* Icons
* Define output settings -- generate .mod (like a SWF with stuff wrapped around it) and .mio -- native extensions for BREW enaboled handsets.
Finish.
What happened -- publishing wizard created the files, put in folder on desktop -- and now you see the built in emulator in Flash 8. Then you can try the game in the emulator.
-- Showing the folder where the files are.
Next step - transfer the files to a Verizon handset and test.
You use some other software to transfer it to the handset. You drag and drop your files in there.
Disconnects and restarts the phone after the stuff is transferred over.
* All software is available today. Any person with Verizon can download/play this particular game.
Shows the game is on the phone.
You don't have to work with the mobile operators if you're a Flash developer - you can work through the intermediates (the partners noted above) instead.
Sell apps directly to Verizon wireless, or to one of our 3 partners.
How can we improve the mobile app workflow? Photoshop and Flash. Improved workflow scenario using both of these tools.
Using Photoshop next, has cafe Townsend open. Before hands it over to the developer, wants to make sure the design looks like you want it to.
In Photoshop, select Save for Web and Devices
At bottom to preview content, and it opens mobile emulator - newer version of mobile emulator that we're working on. Making sure that image size, display, alignment is OK for the designer. Can check that it works on a variety of devices. You can change things like brightness, make sure that the contrast is OK when the phone is indoors, outdoors, etc.
Now he has it in Flash next. Content is there, and he selects Test Movie. New feature called detach to detach the phone from the screen. Other new features include:
* Memory profiling
* device state information
* performance emulation
Flash Lite wallpaper shown. What it does, depending ton time of day, it changes the background appearance. Currently you need to transfer it to handset to test. No longer in next version of device emulator.
You can change the time in the emulator and it effects this background thing.
If you change the battery level, things happen in interface.
You don't need to go up and down an elevator to test changes in reception and so on.
Performance emulation too.
Running a frame-by-frame animation. Performance emulation will show how the animation actually works and runs on the phone. So you can check out "emulate performance" and the particular animation slows way down, so you can get way more of a sense how things will appear and what to expect without needing to always transfer your work to the phone.
Kevin Lynch
Two attendees at MAX decided to get married during their trip to MAX - Georgio and Barbara will be getting married today.
Youngest person attending - 14 years old. His name is Max. Max onstage with Kevin. He has been learning a lot of Flex stuff. He has been creating custom components already. (Holy crap). He is getting a swag bag! And a Lego mindstorms kit. Lucky (and smart) kid. Good goin, Max, keep it up.
Bruce Chizen, our fearless leader.
Adobe wants to leverage the Macromedia relationship with developers, and enhance the great work that has already gone on. And not mess it up.
Hard at work delivering on the committments that we have made, and hopes that community sees that - tools and resources, forums, SDKs, training sessions, experiments on Adobe Labs and more. Yesterday and this morning, showing progress on how take existing tools and new tools to develop more seamless workflows so we're more productive and effectives in changing the world.
Pleased with progress. HTML workflows that streamlined by combinging DW, PSD, Spry. dynamic media workflows enhanced with Flash, AE, Premiere, Soundbooth. RIAs created more efficiently, take advantage of FlexBuilder and integrate it with design tools. FlashLite extensions to BREW netowkr, to leverage content you can create with existing tools and talents.
Innovation most excited about - Apollo. Will truly revolutionize the way the world will interact with the internet in the future. Opportunites for developer community is limitless.
Share some of the submissions to MAX that most impressed him.
Kane County website that automated the process for restraining orders. By doing so, it protects a victim of domestic violence - get protection for that person much sooner than they could have if the developers didn't create that application. Compelling application.
Fidelity - working with home loan application. Morgage application that used a bunch of tools that made the process more efficient, application processed more rapidly. What is interesting is the application progress for end user more fun and engaging than ever been in the past.
Click TV has done a great job - taken interactive video to a new level, helping users to more easily navigate and control the video experience more than ever before.
Volkswagen - new GTI model, allow customers to configure car in an engaging way. Allow customer to watch a film or video of the car. Obtain a customized PDF, schedule a joy ride with the local dealer.
Few examples of the great stuff this community is doing with a bunch of tools working together. We together with our tools and how we're using them - turly changing the way the world is engaging with ideas and information (tm).
Would like to recognize all of those who have submitted these applications, taken the engagement level to a new plateau. Today we have with us 16 finalists with us in the audience.
Pleased to contiue the tradition of the MAX awards. Kevin up to help Bruce do the honors.
2006 MAX Awards
* Achievement category: Charter One Bank 4 point systems -- Automated document something.
* Advertising and Branding: Volkswagen, GTI features. IQ interactive, and Crispin, Porter and Bogusky.
* Industry Innovator: Warder Course Auction, The Warton School [Flex and CF to create a auction thing]
* Interactive Process Management. Verizon Wireless -- Smart Flyer
* Media and Entertainment: Click.TV [Video customization, video editing on site]
* Mobile and Devices: Poolside Air Hocky, The Design Assembly [3D manga style characters]
* RIA and Web: Channelmaster 4, Dorado. [Dashboard for morgage people]
* Training and Collaboration: TeachCTA, Multiweb communications [Physitcans to identify diseases, etc - realtime training environment]
* Peoples choice: [voted by the audience using SMS into some CF/Flex app] Volkswagon GTI features
Kevin Lynch says good bye.
----
And there you have it! It's messy I know (and I'm not sure if I spelled everything correctly for MAX awards) - perhaps I'll clean it up after. But now I'm back to the exhibition hall (by the way, I am giving away free books to those who fill out a survey my team crafted up. I have maybe another 10 or 15 to give away (by mail, we'll send them out afterwards so you have a large selection to choose from - including the hot Flex 2 TFS book). Come find me, give me some good solid answers, and a book is yours.
See ya.
Posted by jdehaan at 10:17 AM | Comments (2)
I took a bunch of notes in Word today, becuase I couldn't get onto wireless until... now back at the hotel. So here is the dumpage of notes I took at the keynote this morning at MAX.
----
Keynote from Day 1 of MAX2006 Las Vegas
Opening
Walked in, lots of blue lights. Keynote starts with Blue Man Group and a lot of paint, drumming, and music. Nice. Big intro.
Kevin Lynch
Introduction
Shantanu Narayen
300K people have downloaded lightroom from Adobe Labs.
New on Adobe Labs: Adobe Digital Editions - completely coded with Flex. http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/digitaleditions/
A completely new way to read and manage eBooks and other digital publications - built from the ground up as a lightweight, rich Internet application (RIA).
Ben Forta - hit 3 millionth mile spreading the good word about ColdFusion.
Ben took a few weeks off, and during that time actually received a letter about the airline has noticed his mileage has "dramatically decreased over the past few weeks" and checking on his well-being.
Video technology available from cell phones to devices in the living room. While the PC is still the dominant - over a billion people in China and India who will never use a PC. Need to have technology on devices.
Looking at major milestones:
* Made a major milestone - Flash Lite running on a 100 million devices all over the world. Key strategy is Flash Lite is the consistent user interface, and spreading FlashCast.
* Two of the most heavily trafficked web sites in the world combined into a single web site. ColdFusion and other applications used to combine the two sites. Traffic continues to grow on the adobe.com site.
* Flex 2.0 delivered recently. Over 100 thousand developers have downloaded it already. Brand new FlexBuilder to build applications, Flex data services, offered for a cheaper price (SDK delivered for free).
* www.sanjosesemaphore.org - try to solve the puzzle.
* Flash turns 10 (August 9th 2006) - great celebration at San Francisco office.
* Announced the new version of Adobe Acrobat (September 18th, 2006). Able to take MM technology and integrate it with Adobe technology (Breeze, now Acrobat Connect).
Beyond Boundaries is the theme of the conference. Work with the community to deliver better tools, clients, services. One word to sum up "to deliver a more engaging experience".
Kevin Lynch
* Flash 7, 80% penetration in a year
* Flash 8 in crease in adoption. Reached 80% penetration in nine months.
* Flash 9, released a few months ago. Over 40% penetration in a few months. Will be 80% by nine months.
* Web is upgraded in a year or less. Innovate faster than any other technology on the internet.
* Flash Player 9. VM demo - shows how Player 9 is 20x faster - performance boost. So you can build much more capable applications. Just in time compiler. Fastest script engine around.
* In addition to RIAs, see revolution of video on the internet driven by Flash. Top sites use Flash to deliver video.
* Flash Video momentum - as soon as Flash Player 8 out and new codec, explosion of Flash Video online. 800x more video delivered in Flash 8. Enable people to do interactive video on their sites.
* 100K Flex developers.
* Over 200 million PDFs on the web.
* HTML + Flash + PDF online. How can we make you more efficient and productive? Enable you do to new things.
* HTML: Web site workflow. Start with PSD, and then go to FW to build an interactive prototype. Then go to DW to add in spry and so forth. Demo
Greg Rewis - Photoshop, Fireworks and Dreamweaver workflow
Web and HTML workflow rarely starts in HTML. Usually the process starts in Photoshop. "What we have in mind for the future of our workflow"
In Fireworks: Open a Photoshop file in FW - open it exactly in the same as PSD. Expand our layers, nested layers, slices from Photoshop. Why would you want to do it? Want to share it with your client.
You could create a bunch of PDFs that you'd email to the client. But it’s not very interactive. So you have imported the PSD file into FW - we envision a workflow where you open multiple PSD files, and create pages from them. So you have a series of files from PSD open in FW simultaneously.
Envision a workflow where you can take any layer, and share it across multiple pages. In the demo, a navigation bar that is shared across the web pages comped in Photoshop. You can designate an area that is shared across several comps. So if you make a change in the nav bar (say) it updates on all pages.
Can turn on a web layer with hot spots, and they link to pages that you create in FW. A list of pages shows in the PI. And you can create links over to them. So when the client sees them in HTML, you can see the interactivity in the browser. You can move around the pages of the site, feel the way the web site will look and work.
Switch to DW to make the site work. You can take the pieces from FW and put them back together.
In DW, it will automagically optimize the Photoshop file that you copy and paste when you bring it in (you see a dialog where you can specify optimizations to PSD/image before pasting in DW).
Ctrl double-click on an image in Dreamweaver - Photoshop and DW can communicate. Any changes made in PSD will be reflected in DW automatically.
Demoing Spry framework in DW. Spry is a framework for Ajax development that is accessible to designers. Built in features in Dreamweaver next, minimal coding, accessible through dialogs. In the future you should be able to interact with Ajax much like you interact with HTML. Ajax in a dialog so you can easily add it to your pages. As simple as being able to choose the right animation/options, etc, in DW. Imagine a workflow where designers and developers can communicate together. Just a bit of HTML and CSS and that's it.
Encourage you to get familiar with Spry framework. It's available on Adobe labs. Already released three versions of the Spry framework on Labs. Also, be sure to sign up for the Fireworks beta.
Kevin Lynch
Show two workflows for flash. Dynamic Media, and the other RIAs.
Design comp in PSD > Flash > Add video effects (After Effects) and Add custom audio with mystery app.
Mike Downey (Flash PM) and Steve Kilisky (After Effects PM) - Dynamic Media workflow
For the purposes of the demo:
* Mike: role of Flash designer
* Steve: role of video producer
Mike is working in Photoshop "next" to lay out the website (slices, layers).
Want to solve problems in workflow so you can work more efficiently. This demo will show things that we’re doing for future version of products to make things easier. Mike points out new workspace, that it gets the "interface" out of the way so you can focus on the content.
Photoshop "next" has:
* Docked panels.
* Ability to collapse into iconic panels. If you want to access it, click on the icon and the panel flys out.
* In layers panel. Showing layer hierarchy (folders, etc). Some marked as not visible. Some layers have blends applied.
Going to Flash "next" to work on the PSD.
Future release of Flash, you can import a PSD natively. (Mike is demoing this).
* In Flash "next". Opens the PSD file importer.
* Layers are still invisible.
* Layers have hierarchy.
* Any layer can maintain integrity and edibility that was in Photoshop.
* Can uncheck certain layers.
* You can maintain edibility of text.
* You can give instance names right in the importer.
* Save a lot of time right up front, so you don't have to clean up files after you bring them in.
* You can tell Flash to make the Stage the same size as the PSD file.
Content brought into Flash. The blend mode from PSD is transferred to a native Flash blend (shown in Property inspector).
Steve - After Effects "next". Focus on two areas.
1) Richer more efficient workflow.
2) Show you some tools to express your creativity in new ways.
* In AE, same PSD file is open in After Effects. Isolate the camera.
* Showing the Puppet tool in AE "next". Can quickly create a character animation with no keyframes set and so on.
* You can embed cuepoints right in your AE timeline, so they're there when you export FLV file.
* Future: FLV can be output from AE render cue, so you can batch render. True promise of create once, deliver many. Minimal effort.
Audio - introducing Soundbooth.
Audio for non-audio designer. Introducing latest audio technology that we're working on. Publicly unveil for first time. Soundbooth. Designed for non-audio experts: Flash and video professionals.
Used for:
* Add audio effects
* Audio creation
* Audio cleanup.
Soundbooth uses a task based workflow.
About Soundbooth:
* Will include a wide variety of audio scores that you can customize.
* You can change the variation on audio.
* You can modify and customize to get just the right sound/mood that you're looking for.
* Output in typical audio formats.
* You can embed cuepoints and output as a FLV that you can reincorporate into Flash document.
Soundbooth on Adobe Labs this week. Download and use, give feedback.
Back in Flash next. Brought in assets. Just some of the things working on to make your life easier. If you have suggestions, go and talk to Mike or Steve.
Kevin Lynch
How Developers can work with a Designer in a productive way. Take a design into FlexBuilder and integrate CF.
Sho Kuwamoto - RIA workflow
Design comp in Illustrator > FlexBuilder > CF.
Overview of tools available - Flash Player 9 (Free), Flex framework 2 (Free), FlexBuilder 2 and Flex Data Services 2.
Flex skin template open in Illustrator. All defined as symbols, draw what you want it to look like, save it out.
Designer has created a comp in Illustrator, intended to skin UI elements in the interface.
Attaching SWF to the user interface in FlexBuilder. CSS styles defined for symbols, applied to symbol. The style applied to buttons in FlexBuilder, and it brings in the artwork from Illustrator automagically. Then FlexBuilder can do the layout logic for you. Previewed in browser.
Now add the application logic. Sho is now going to write some code (you can use your imaginations for this part, fingers too tired to try and recreate this bit.) The main bit is he made the app (a music player) work within minutes.
Pointing out he is working on a Mac. Public beta soon. If you find a Flex team member here at the conference, they can give you a copy of the public beta.
Ben Forta - ColdFusion
(He built the back end for the music player Sho just showed). Backend for the music player built in ColdFusion. Here to discuss ColdFusion today and ColdFusion future.
* CF 7.02 about Flex integration, released a few months ago.
* CF is far better integrated with the Adobe product family as opposed to something on its own.
Ben works in FlexBuilder, with CF extensions installed, and does stuff.
ColdFusion Scorpio - one of the most feature rich updates of ColdFusion EVER. 3 sessions here at MAX about Scorpio functionality, features, integration, etc. More in a future keynote this week.
Demoing image manipulation/processing features in ColdFusion. Features built in for granular control over images. Adding several new capabilities around image processing into Scorpio.
Go find the bumblebee shirts, those are the CF guys. Will be happy to talk to ya.
Ben Forta -- Electronic Document Workflow
PDF > LiveCycle
Boundary between PDF and SWF.
Until he drank the PDF kool aid upon joining Adobe, he didn't realize that PDFs could be intelligent, connect dynamically to a backend, and so on.
Showing a finished, sophisticated form. Attaches to a backend, form fields interactive, can define properties, what a field is bound to, and so on. When done, deploy to server.
Can also give forms a rich, interactive Flash experience.
Seamless integration between a Flex app.
2 versions of a form, a PDF version and a Flex version. Running in independent environments, but seamlessly integrated.
How to create? Do not want to do all the work twice. Didn't need to. Form built once in LiveCycle Designer. Flex app building in Designer, so it knows what all the forms are, and so on. CSS styling there. What is the Flex representation of the same form. When done, save, and the tool generates the PDF file, MXML, and etc.
When Scorpio ships, it will also be able to work with the PDF forms.
Sessions on all of these (Scorpio, Designer, etc) at MAX. Check them out.
Kevin Lynch
Show how bring these HTML, Flash, PDF together on the client side. Code named Apollo. Enabling you to create RIAs and run them outside browser on desktop. Lets you avoid the limitations of the browser. Much better for RIAs to work offline, work with system, and so on.
Ed Rowe - Apollo
Leverage existing web development skills to create desktop RIAs. Showing the music player app built earlier in Illustrator/FlexBuilder/CF.
Install experience comes up, and it's installed as desktop app in seconds. Launched by double-clicking. It looks a little different (different UI). Drag by title bar, minimize, reveal, etc. Philosophy: user should not have to learn new paradigm of an application-it works as expected. Install, uninstall, all OS idioms integrated whenever possible.
Shows because read/write files from local disk, it can pull in songs from local disk. All metadata displayed in the player. Showing album art, which is pulled from web service. So local playback, and remote info displayed too. Realtime visualizer too. Shows off power of new Flash Player VM.
Cross platform-so now Apollo is shown on the Mac. The music player is installed on the Mac. Looks exactly the same, and works the same way. All the same code used to create it too. Do not need to do special work to make it work on the Mac OS.
Logic can be created in Flash/AS or HTML/JavaScript. Can combine seamlessly (rendering and scripting standpoint). Break down the barriers between these different types.
Google Maps shown. It is displaying in a desktop RIA - live. So it's a complex Ajax app running live within Apollo.
A contact drawer and contact panel are created in Flash running within Apollo. So the Flash is working with the Ajax app, all within Apollo. So they're all cooperating. The contact info from the Flash part of the app is dragged onto the map, and it then brings up the map for the specified address. In other words, the HTML and Flash stuff was working nicely together.
Apollo capabilities
* Local file access
* Online offline detection and events
* Drag and drop
* Clipboard access
* Background processing
* Multiple windows support
* Custom window chrome
* And more…
Workflow (you can use):
* FlexBuilder
* Flash
* DW
* LiveCyle Designer
* InDesign
* Photoshop
* Command line
* More.
Deployment package: SWF, PDF, HTML, PNG, JPG etc. Provide it to user by putting it on a website or sending an email. User uses this to install the application using this deployment package. The assets are copied to the local machine that executes and allows user to run the app.
Kevin:
Demo-ing apps built by community in Apollo on Mac.
* Finance application: Flex, PDF, Flash running in Apollo.
* IM app for MySpace, used to chat with your friends on MySpace.
* Ebay application-live application connected to Ebay network. Can use webcam to take a photo. Apollo swag going up for sale on Ebay! Donating the $$ to a local charity. Go to Ebay auction.
Demo-ing apps built by community in Apollo on Windows:
* Word processor built in Flex-called Nimbus. Being layed out using ActionScript in real time. Tables, artwork, formatting, comments (!) etc. Stored on the network, using XML to store. Comment annotations saved on server so several people can work together. Can turn off comments too. Will work cross platform too.
* Internet TV application. Branding of video player changed depending on video/station selection. Can be streamed, or downloaded to computer for offline viewing. Can add feeds (any RSS feed). Can watch full screen!
Full screen now supported in the beta release of Player 9.
www.adobe.com/go/apollo -- can sign up to receive the labs release as soon as it's released.
There is a $100,000,000 investment fund for Apollo development. Adobe wants to help you create applications. Fund to invest in these technologies. Can get info at the Adobe booth - sign up to get information.
Tomorrow's keynote sneak: Focus on mobile. Largest device running Flash player today. Car driven out. Jag 2007 car. Running Flash in console. Control climate control, audio, navigation, phone -- integrated with the hardware in the car.
THE END!
Posted by jdehaan at 12:02 AM | Comments (3)
I'm sure this one is or will be blogged to death, but hey:
MAX 2006 – Adobe User Conference
October 23-26, 2006
MAX 2006, the Adobe user conference, will be held at the Venetian Resort Hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada. There you can learn new skills, explore emerging technologies, connect with peers, and move beyond the boundaries of what you believe is possible. The conference will be made up of over 100 different hands-on and workshop sessions presented by Adobe experts and other industry leaders on best practices and coming technologies. During the event you can exchange ideas with designers, developers, and other community members at networking sessions and "birds-of-a-feather" sessions while exploring Adobe technology at a variety of events and venues, including all-day pre-conference training sessions, a Test Drive and Product Support Lab, and Sneak Peek sessions. Sign up today and get $200 off registration. Click here to register now www.adobemax06.com. Or to find out more details regarding the conference click here www.adobe.com/events/max
Posted by jdehaan at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)
If you haven't read it yet, there's highly recommended reading (clarifications on this hot issue) found on the Mike Chambers blog: "Microsoft, PDF and the threat to open standards".
Posted by jdehaan at 04:41 PM | Comments (0)
Some of us here at Adobe have started tagging our favorite (useful) sites and tutorials on a del.icio.us account. What is delicious? Check this out: http://del.icio.us/about/. What are tags and tagging? See http://del.icio.us/help/tags
Here's our Adobe account: http://del.icio.us/adobe -- yep, it's a bit sparse and we haven't finished organizing everything. A work in progress, if you will.
You can check out individual tags from that page, even book mark them or track them in an RSS reader.
So what can you do? Check it.
Create a delicious account if you don't already have one:
http://del.icio.us/register (note that we aren't affiliated with delicious, so your Adobe or Macromedia accounts won't work on this site).
Subscribe to Adobe in your delicious network. Click "Your network" and type adobe in the text box to the right of the page.
Send us your links! If you think we've missed a great website or tutorial - let us know! Tag the page with for:adobe to send us the link.
Subscribe to our RSS. If you use a reader, you can subscribe to our bookmarks or any of our individual tags. For example, you can subscribe to:
All tags: http://del.icio.us/rss/adobe
Individual tags, like flash: http://del.icio.us/rss/tag/flash
Multiple tags, eg flash+animation: http://del.icio.us/rss/adobe/flash+animation
That's a quick start to del.icio.us -- there are other features, so check out the Help section on the website for more info and tips.
I hope to see your bookmarks in our inbox! Happy surfing! Questions or comments? Let me know in the comments.
Posted by jdehaan at 06:10 PM | Comments (2)
Dreamweaver 8.0.2 Updater
Download it here:
http://www.adobe.com/support/dreamweaver/downloads_updaters.html
05/09/06 This product update improves code generated by Dreamweaver for server behaviors and for active content such as Flash. If you haven't installed the 8.0.1 updater yet, simply install the 8.0.2 updater to get all the fixes for both updates. Also make sure the language version of the updater matches the language version of your copy of Dreamweaver. For example, you can't use the English updater with a non-English version of Dreamweaver. Full Release Notes are available.
Posted by jdehaan at 10:04 AM | Comments (1)
The Spry framework for Ajax is a JavaScript library for web designers that provides functionality that allows designers to build pages that provide a richer experience for their users. It is designed to bring Ajax to the web design community who can benefit from Ajax, but are not well served by other frameworks.
Check it out here:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/spry/
Posted by jdehaan at 10:02 AM | Comments (3)
There are free seminars on, and demoing, Flash Professional 8 upcoming in the following cities at the following times.
Los Angeles May 16th
San Francisco May 18th
Chicago June 6th
New York June 8th
The first two are currently full and accepting people for the wait list, it seems, so sign up quickly if you're interested.
Here are some details:
At this seminar, Adobe experts will demonstrate how to use exciting new must-have features in Flash Professional 8 to create rich, interactive websites, applications, and other digital communications that can help you connect with customers. In addition, in each city a different leading interactive design agency will show you how it used Flash Professional 8 to produce engaging websites that helped its customers successfully launch major movies, new consumer product brands, and other projects.
You can find more details here:
Discover Flash Professional 8 Seminar
Posted by jdehaan at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)
San Francisco will be blanketed with free wireless! Google and Earthlink will team up to provide the wireless, which will cost $15M. Earthlink will then charge extra for better (faster) service.
Sounds great, and I'm interested what my connection will be like out in the SF boonies where I live ;)
For all the good info:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060405/google_earthlink_wireless.html
Posted by jdehaan at 04:09 PM | Comments (2)
There are a ton of Flex and Flex Builder positions open at Adobe - including developer, architect, engineer, and quality engineer positions. Check them out (links below), or pass them on to anyone you know who might be interested.
WW020602-Developer, Flex Enterprise:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103511
TB010604-Senior Quality Engineer:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103508
LM020604-Flex Builder QE Engineer:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103517
SK120508-Quality Engineer:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103522
SK010609-Computer Scientist:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103549
SK120507-Computer Scientist:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103528
WW020603-Architect, Flex Enterprise:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103531
SK120506-Computer Scientist:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103534
HW020602-Computer Scientist - Flex Builder:
http://cooljobs.adobe.com/frameset.html?goto=er-viewjob&refnode=103537
Posted by jdehaan at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)
Keynote
*** Note that this is a ROUGH version! I will clean this up/fleah it out/add pictures later today ***
** Kevin Lynch
- 10 years of flash.
- Where are we going: Working on integrating PDF and Flash but "we're not going to screw them up" (ie: "won't be putting all of acrobat into the Flash player, but will be looking at great combinations between them".)
- Able to deliver the "engagement platform" express self over all these different mediums/output mechanisms. PDF, Flash, HTML models. + server technologies. Consistent server-side APIs.
- Flash player penetration. Consistent adoption platforms > 98%usually 80% in a year.
- FP8, 5months ago released. Much faster than any previous release. Already surpassed 50% reach in first 5 months. 5 million installs every day. can innovate with core player tech and people can leverage it.
- Projecting June for 80% reach/penetration.
- Example demo: Jaguar 2007 XK. Using Flash player 8.
- Blaze - draggable tabs between panels (shown). Now that Adobe/MM are joined.
** Mike D:
- Discussing flash video - showing TBS web site. (humor study site). Showing Flash video on AOL music site. http://music.aol.com/top11.
- Discussing Flash video workflow.
- Showing After Effects. Incorporate video tools into Flash production. Production studio - fully support
- exporting FLV files. Showing greenscreen/transparency in AE7. Export to FLV, encode alpha channel out of AE. Then importing the FLV into the FLA. Preserving layers when you import.
- Sneak peeks of new features:
- AS3 compiler/features integrated into BLAZE. Showing Document class (text box in the PI). Use this to attach a class to the main Timeline. All references are relative to the root of the timeline.
Started to make incremental advances to the script editor. Make difference to day-to-day code editing.
1) Added ability to select a range of code and collapse it. In variety of ways - collapse a function. Shortcut keys, or assign kb shortcut to do this.
2) Select a piece of code, and block comment/line comment. Click a button to comment it out.
- First time in history of Flash - release a public alpha of BLAZE, and what you see here. When FP ships later this year, a version of Flash will be placed on labs. Get a head start of AS3 in Flash. Free for 30 days, and activate with flash 8 or studio 8 serial number.
** Kevin L.
- FlashLite 2. (AS2, FP7 calibre)
- FlashCast - hope to see in US soon. Channels, and data loads in background, so you get instant responsiveness, unlike WAP where you have to wait.
- Emulators in Flash authoring updated for FlashLite 2.
- FP8.5, two VMs. AS2 is AVM1 and AS3 in AVM2. Highly optimized for actionscript in new VM that is written from scratch. Aligning AS with ECMAScript standards. Participating in the working group.
- Adding E4X (ECMASCript for XML). Use dot syntax to use XML. Runtime error checking and regular expressions added. At runtime in app, you can use debug player to show errors like data typing incompatibility. Around that, building the Flex 2 framework.
- Showing performance increase. Showing a bunch of points / 3dCube performance difference between FP8/AS2 and FP8.5/AS3. Showing 10x performance improvement - 5fps vs 50fps.
- Creating code samples to help users with language update. The labs site will host new code samples. On http://labs.adobe.com, a bunch of samples and code libraries now up on Labs - Flicker, Mappr, RSS feeds, Odeo. Web services wrapped with AS3 class libraries. Source to libraries are all open source. Available this morning on the Labs site. Showing demo of MXNA/Flickr/Odeo mashup. App was built "in a few days". UI created with Flex.
- Flex 2. Enable apps to be built more quickly. Flex framework being made free - compiler, framework, etc. Available on labs. Doesn't require server, and you can create and deploy flex apps for free.
- Providing a tool, FlexBuilder, but you can use any tool to build flex apps.
** Sho K.
- Demoing FlexBuilder, building an app in 5 minutes. (you'd have to be here) :)
- It works!! (A flawless Sho performance)
- Available at labs.adobe.com
- Giving another demo on Wednesday.
** Kevin L.
- Where headed longer term with
- Apollo. Enabling applications beyond the browser. A better host for applications.
- Using the things learnt by Central to approach this new technology.
** Ed Rowe.
- Why Apollo? What is the problem being solved?
- Browser has been the dominent platform for a decade. Very successful, and for the most part the UI is cross-platform, cross-browser.
- Not perfect for all apps. Limits the richness, little or no support for offline scenarios or occassionally connected. Limited ability to work with the local system.
- Application host outside of the browser - Flash/HTML/PDF -
- Allow desktop and mobile to be built from familiar technologies. Use existing knowledge to build these apps, that can run in background, read/write local disk, more expressive apps, occassionally connected apps.
- Show hypothetical apps. Flash chrome created, showing a PDF and HTML content.
- Apollo installed by going to a webpage where you click and it will deploy the app.
- User could double-click a deployment package (you could email it, send it, etc. Not installer based, but cross-platform deployment tech).
- Users won't really "install" or "launch" Apollo, seems much more seamless.
- Demoing an app that looks like a standalone application, a audio player.
=>> "Web applications outside the browser" << sums it up.
- wish-apollo@adobe.com <<-- place for sending ideas.
- will be doing things on the labs website and blogging about Apollo.
Posted by jdehaan at 09:50 AM | Comments (2)
The Adobe Production Studio has been released to the world:
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200601/011706ProductionStudio.html
It comes in a few different flavors:
Standard:
Adobe After Effects 7.0 Standard
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Premium:
Adobe After Effects 7.0 Professional
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0
Adobe Audition 2.0
Adobe Encore 2.0
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Adobe Illustrator CS2
Adobe Video Bundle:
Adobe After Effects 7.0 Professional
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0
Adobe Audition 2.0
Adobe Encore 2.0
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Adobe Illustrator CS2
Macromedia Flash Professional 8
Adobe Stock Photos
All of these suites/bundles come with Adobe Dynamic Link and Adobe Bridge.
For more info, see:
Key new features to look into are Dynamic Link (easily move content from program to program - it totally rules), the new interface (panels vs palettes), and new FLV capabilities in the software.
Posted by jdehaan at 05:13 PM | Comments (1)
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/
Also, the apple store is now up:
Posted by jdehaan at 10:48 AM | Comments (5)
The Mac and Intel news has been buzzing for awhile. Today, announcements were just made at the Macworld keynote. The new computers were said to be ready by June of this year, but Steve says that both Intel and Apple are ready.
So...
The first Mac with Intel processor is ready today! An iMac with built in iSight. They're rolling it out today (the iMac with intel) - according to www.engadget.com, it looks the same as today's iMac.
Word from macrumors.com:
Intel processor 2-3x faster than iMac G5 (overall)
17 and 20''
Two cores, both faster than G5
ATI x1600
All products transitioning throughout 2006.
Apple store is still down...
UPDATE:
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/
Also, the apple store is now up:
Posted by jdehaan at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)
Checking those blogs for updates from the Macworld keynote (I wish I was there, only a few blocks away) - some news so far is a new FM tuner that works with 5g ipods and the nano. It appears to be a remote control much like their existing one that attaches to the headphones. When plugged in, you'll see an FM option on the ipod where you select your frequency. Sounds sweet! $50 though...
New Tiger is available today 10.4.4 (it's free). Also, a new "gigantic release" of iLife, and they seem to be going through the features right now. And "Photocasting" - podcasting your photos...
(still wondering if those Apple plasma TV rumors are true or even semi-true... so far the news isn't too huge, I suppose Steve's saving the best -and surprises- till last)
Check out
http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/10/steve-jobs-keynote-live-from-macworld-2006
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/top/macworld-keynote-live-147697.php
and
http://www.macrumorslive.com/web/ (via http://teknision.blogspot.com/2006/01/apple-keynote-ria-style.html) It's not as detailed, but it's also the most up to date (pretty much updated every minute or two, with a 1 minute page refresh running)
Updates
New app in iLife called iWeb - use it to share content with others. Has templates, themes, and uses RSS and AJAX. Can publish things like slideshows, create blogs, etc...
The apple store is down and "busy updating the site" -- ooooh.. :)
UPDATE:
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/
Also, the apple store is now up:
Posted by jdehaan at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)
Off topic post warning: When passing by the front of the building today, noticed that we lost our old MM name off the front.
perhaps...
Also noticed some new "frosting" of the logo on the glass doors into the lobby. Nice touch - Macromedia never did that.
The letters were auctioned off for charity last year (each letter individually auctioned) - would have been very cool to win, but the letters I was after ended up getting a bit too rich for my blood :)
Posted by jdehaan at 12:50 PM | Comments (3)
Notes from Sneak Peeks at Max 2005, written and updated during the 2005 MAX Sneak Peeks. This session provides future and upcoming Macromedia product features!
These notes have since been fleshed out and clarified.
****
Click here to read the whole thing!
****
--------
Silke: for Captivate
--------
* Captivate is expanding features for creating scenario based simulations. For example, where users have to choose from multiple options, and the scnario has branches for each of those options.
* This is useful for creating training demos creating (which contain buttons and pics).
* Captivate will contain a scenario wizard to give you a starting point. Then you fill in the content (slides, linking, images etc).
* Captivate will have a feature to help you create branch scenarios, it looks a bit like a Visio flowchart where you can manipulate each page/branch.
* You will be able to add FLV.
* A Library to re-use images.
* Focus on integration with other products - for example, edit images directly in Fireworks, which update automagically in Captivate.
* Export projects directly to Flash 8. Cool.
--------
Matt and Todd: for Flex.
--------
* Demonstrating integration with Mercury Quicktest pro. This tool records everything he does in the Flex app.
* While its recording, it creates a script. You can use this script to play the selections (etc) made in the app to play back throughout development to test the app.
* Emphasizing that you do not need to write code to do this - Mecury does the code for you.
-------
James: for Flex and mapping services, ESRI
-------
* Mapping -- web services.
* The maps are actually SWF file maps!
* Demonstrating that you can rotate the map using a control in the upper right corner. For example, you can rotate the map so East is "up", and the map also rotates the labels (all the text on the map) so they're right way up. Can't do this with images...
* Robust searching capabilities.
--> For example, you can type in a phone number and the map finds a location based on a phone number.
--> Type in www.google.com and it locates google. An idea is that you could map web site traffic.
* You can dynamically change the colors of the map.
* Really cool feature. You can browse your hard drive for an excel spreadsheet that contains addresses. You can select it, and upload the spreadsheet, and the map will add pins for each location from the spreadsheet on the map. It also displays the spreadsheet contents in a DataGrid instance.
* Shipping in NOVEMBER.
----------
Nigel and Pete: for Breeze
----------
* Maps again! This presentation is demonstrating "Collaboration in Breeze."
* They are recording a trip "from Australia to Anaheim" in Breeze.
* The Breeze-o is displaying a map thing built in Flex. The map is world view, and it zooms in to a satellite close-up (like google sattelite/earth).
* Demonstrates the SWF zooming in from world to the Anaheim convention center - very sweet performance. Lat/Longitude listed at the bottom as they scroll across continents etc.
* After complete, they playing back the events that occur in the SWF map (their scrolling and so on), with the audio (Nigel and Pete talking).
* SWF is synced with audio and such - very nice performance/syncing/playback.
----------
Damon Cooper: for ColdFusion / Flex Builder 2.
----------
* Noted that a lot of CF developers are working in CFEclipse (cheers in agreement from audience). "Wouldn't it be cool if we could develop a great development experience in Eclipse"
* Damon shows future of Flex Builder: RDS support natively in the Eclipse environment. (yay)
* Demonstrates a ColdFusion template, in the "RDS Fileview" panel.
* There is also a "RDS Dataview" panel, so you can list datasource in the tool.
* Demonstrates that you can execute a query and view it in the Flex Builder environment.
* Also shows a Visual query builder in Eclipse:
--> Query Builder: Do the joins in the query builder, and the query builder does the work. You can test the query and save, and Flex Builder generates SQL for you, inserts it in your code.
* You can view the output in Browser view.
* Next up: Flash Media Server 2, and how you can integrate it with ColdFusion.
This app uses Flex, FMS, and shared objects. Damon shows the CF administrator, and an instance of a FMS gateway that is running (shown in the admin). The gateway is connected to the Flash Media Server. He also has config info in a file.
There are two apps: a coldfusion app which is essentially a page that contains a form (text boxes, comboboxes, etc). This CF app does not have any Flex or anything - just your regular form.
The second app is a Flex app - a SWF file on a page - that is pretty much a chart.
The two applications (a Flex SWF and CF/HTML page) are subscribed to an object. The FMS server is subscribed to the CF app. The CF app takes form data that's sent to the RTMP gateway, and there is a real-time push to the Flex/FMS app. Damon changes stuff in the CF form, and the Flex SWF automagically changes based on that.
(OK, confusing - but it was cool).
---------
Heidi, David, NJ - Flex Builder
---------
* Demonstrates that you can edit syle sheets in code view, and then you can refresh the design view to see the new style sheet applied.
* In design view, you can view heirarchy around each component in the click of a button. This makes it way easier to view the structure of your applications in design view (well, in general). Just press a button and boxes and structure is shown for the app.
* There is a new "Outline view" panel that shows you the heirarchy of your MXML document. You can see the attributes and so on, which gives you a better sense of what your document looks like and what's inside of it.
* In code view, it (Outline view panel) shows you what your document will look like to the compiler, as a AS class.
* All of your variables and so on are shown in the Outline view panel. You can also switch between MXML tag structure, statics, etc.
* There is also an "Open Type" dialog. Using this, you can navigate to the class you're looking for, and Flex Builder will take you right to the class file so you can open the file.
* Then, you can see the structure of the class file you just opened in Outline view (panel). You might see a method in the Outline view that you want to jump to in the AS file you opened. You can hit a hot key and Flex Builder can move the AS file right to that method and highlight it (Ie: you see method/attribute etc in outline view, press hotkey, and immediately start editing that part of the AS file).
* Some of these features are already in the public alpha - so go download it. (http://labs.macromedia.com)
-------------
George: for Dreamweaver -- AJAX
-------------
* Dreamweaver will include an Ajax dataset dialog called the "New Ajax Data Set." In this disloag, you enter a dataset name, source, and then you can get the schema (DW generates). You can specify which element you're interested in. So then DW gives you the column, and you can specify the data type and formats.
* DW shows the dataset in the Bindings panel.
* Code is generated for you based on selections.
* Ajax libraries/services are provided for you to make authoring easier, much of it automated.
* There is also a "New Ajax Table" dialog, which opens when you add such a table to the page. The dialog lets you easily add hover colors and so on to an Ajax table.
* You can drag elements from the Bindings panel onto your web page.
* George makes minor code modifications/additions so the page makes live updates (sort columns, update pictures, etc).
* If you're at MAX, there is a session tomorrow morning about DW and ajax.
-----------
Deeje: for Contribute
-----------
* Contribute-of-the-future is code named Hunter.
* Deeje opened IE and showed us a new "Edit with Contribute" button right there in an IE toolbar. So, if you want to edit your site, and you're browsing it in IE, all you need to do is click a button and the page opens right in Contribute.
* If you're in Word, you can publish content to the web by clicking in Word. A dialog opens where you select a location to publish the doc to, give it a file name, select the format to publish to - and it's sent to the web directly from Word. Contribute does not have to launch to do so!
* "Web 2.0". Today the web is about blogs, wikis, screencasting, videocasting, etc. As such, Hunter will support atom and so on for blogging.
* For example, you can connect to typepad from from Contribute. You enter your name/password in Contribute. Contribute will use atom to collect the weblogs that you've created on typepad.
* Say you want to create a new page on your blog. When you use Contribute to add a new blog page, you can use the WYSIWYG editing features to create your new blog entry. You can manipulate images in Contribute. You can even directly insert SWFs into your blog. Then publish it from Contribute.
[ Whoo! The Flash documentation sample file - TofuHunter - made it into the presentation! And had a Sneak Peek alligator theme applied! ]
* To me, looks like Contribute will be a very *fast* way of editing blogs. Looking forward to this.
------
Tom: Director and Shockwave
------
* Workspace is majorly updated in Director-of-the-future. There are tabs across the top for all your different panels and so on.
* Workspace/UI is a big focus.
* There is a Script explorer off the side of the Script window. It has a branched view so you can easily navigate through script content.
* Score can be docked on the side of the Stage, or across the top of the workspace if you prefer the current placement.
* Problem: the Inspector was always floating on top of other windows. Big enhancement is that you will be able to unfloat any tool window, and layer with other parts of director.
* Focus on making Director UI easier to work with.
* Another UI improvement is that any tool window can be placed in the center docking window (center bottom of the app window).
* New Flash asset xtra. You can use Flash features natively inside of Director. This means you can use the expressiveness features of Flash 8 in Director without needing a separate Flash area. So you can have a 3d effect that's built in Director, and you can apply a blur filter (from Flash) onto the Director animation.
* Shows text created in Director, and applies a Flash blur effect onto the Director text.
* You can add the Flash effects in Director without having to use any code either. You can use behaviors. Or, you can code it. Either way.
-----------
Jethro: Flash
-----------
* Flash Player 8.5
* Next Flash is code named Blaze.
* A preview release of Blaze will be out in the Spring (this will coincide with the Flash Player 8.5 release).
* Whoever has purchased Studio 8 or Flash Professional 8 can download Blaze.
* Blaze will have AS3 features - you can code and compile AS3 with this preview Flash release.
* There will be code collapse in the Actions panel.
* You can collapse code in and outside of the selection.
----------
Bill: Mobile authoring
---------
* The mobile emulator-of-the-future will have the ability to support video. You can play back video content in the authoring tool.
* Bill demonstrated audio playing back in the emulator.
* Emulator is showing the the memory consumption of the video.
* You can adjust frame-rate in the emulator.
* You can simulate events like incoming calls.
* You can change the device status in the emulator.
* You will also be able to record events. For example, every keystroke and event can be caught in the emulator. You can then use these as test scripts, and run them throughout the development phase. You can also send them to co-workers to use in their mobile development.
* Designers: they can control the brightness in the emulator(for example, what different screens look like).
* There are presets in the emulator for what the screen looks like inside and outside (when the phone is viewed in a lit environment vs. in the dark). This helps designers understand how the contrast appears in different environments.
* Mobile projector setting in Publish settings. When you create a projector, there is a nice little cell phone image placed around the projector (like the emulator). Helps clients visualize if you send the projector to them and so on.
--------
THE END!
Posted by jdehaan at 05:23 PM | Comments (13)
Notes taken at the MAX 2005 general session/keynote.
Please excuse the rough/unedited nature of these notes!
Notes from the MAX 2005 keynote. Over 3000 in attendence (standing room only - or sitting on the floor at the back in my case).
Ze Frank - Opened the keynote with a very humorous talk.
Steven Elop -
100 million people have downloaded FP8.
400,000 during this [1.5 hr] keynote.
New ways to communicate with customers (blogs, knowledge base) this past year.
Mobile - Lots of announcements in the past year from Samsung and Nokia.
Tomorrow - announcements for mobile in north america where you (developers) can make money.
FlashCast soon in north america.
Microsoft: two words to MS: "try again".
New ways to participate in the development of Flash Player.
----
Kevin Lynch:
Check out Tim O'Reillys document on his blog about "what is web 2.0".
* Now: Studio 8, FP8, Flash Lite 1.1, flex 1.5.
36,000 people have seen presentations about the product.
1.5 million have downloaded Studio 8
Flash Lite 2.0: AS2 based.
* Coming soon (very soon):
New line of products - Flex Builder 2, Flex Enterprise Services 2, Flash Player 8.5.
Flash Player 8.5: New VM for AS3.0
AS3.0 - performance improvements, EMCAScript standard language, DOM Level 3 even tmodel, E4X (ECMAScript for XML), Regular expressions, runtime error checking as opposed to only at compile time.
Flex Builder 2: Based on Eclipse. Pricing will be under $1000 for Flex Builder 2. Compiler is built into Flex Builder 2. So everyone can start building Flex applications. Can work and build things without the Flex server.
Flex Enterprise - the server version of Flex.
Mercury Interactive - partnering with Macromedia to test Flex. Integration between Flex and Mercury's performance and quality center to test and optimize enterprise Flex applications.
This is up in *Macromedia Labs*. You can go sign up and download alpha (etc) builds of products. You can go get Flex Builder NOW from the Macromedia Labs site:
* Future:
- Future Scenario
Sample site shown of what a "future website" might look like, and things it might be able to do. For ex: HTML and Flash integration, RFID (barcodes), offline and online, phone integration, print, and so on.
- Architecture
- "Apollo universal client"
Flash and HTML integration. Run outside the browser (ie: locally on your computer). MXML, Flash, HTML, PC/mobile frameworks. Server-side: web services.
Scripting and display integration
Data sync
Online/offline,
Desktop integration
Notification
one-click installation
Update management
Secure sandbox
Will be posted on Macromedia Labs when it gets to alpha stage.
----
Bruce Chizen:
Talking about intentions.
Goal to provide an engagement platform.
At the core Flash/PDF. Applicatios that are cross platform. Common user interfaces to increase productivity.
Commitment and promise for more compelling demos next year at this time.
Posted by jdehaan at 10:57 AM | Comments (7)
The individual product pages just launched with new information. If you want more info about each individual product, or links to evaluate the software (see the comments here for more info: http://weblogs.macromedia.com/dehaan/archives/2005/09/studio_8_is_now.cfm), head to the individual product pages for all the info you need. That includes product tours, videos, links, etc etc.
http://www.macromedia.com/software/studio/
http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/flashpro/
http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/
--
Find the Flash documentation center here -- all new format, and a bunch of downloads:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flash/
http://www.macromedia.com/go/flash_samples/
---
OK, now I'm sure you guys get the idea.... I'll shut up now... oh - the new technotes are coming out too - be sure to check those OFTEN for common gotchas and workarounds.
Posted by jdehaan at 08:13 PM | Comments (3)
STUDIO 8 is now available - on the main MM site, not just DevNet! Run to the Macromedia store now!
http://www.macromedia.com/store
That's right folks, non-DevNet subscribers can now get Studio 8 too!
"With latest releases of Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, Fireworks, Contribute and FlashPaper, Studio 8 offers web designers and developers a new level of efficiency, expressiveness and simplified workflow to create websites, interactive experiences and mobile content."
You can try out Studio 8 for free, and download it RIGHT NOW.
Get the Trial for 30 days!
http://www.macromedia.com/go/trystudio (available shortly... the store is up, but this isn't quite yet at time of blogging).
Or perhaps you want to read more about it, see it in action, and so on.
See Studio 8 in Action
Studio 8 Feature Tour: http://www.macromedia.com/software/studio/productinfo/features/
Check out the datasheet for more info:
http://www.macromedia.com/software/studio/productinfo/datasheet/
**==**
FORUMS FOR FLASH 8
go to:
**==**
Special Offer - Limited Time
Buy today, and enter to win a plasma TV (1 winner), camcorder (5 winners), or iPod mini (50 winners!)
See this for more info: http://www.macromedia.com/software/studio/sweepstakes/index.html
Purchase any of the Macromedia Studio 8 products below by September 30, 2005. Register your purchase by October 17. You will be automatically entered in a random drawing for the prizes above. Eligible products include:
Studio 8
Dreamweaver 8
Flash Professional 8
Fireworks 8
The contest ends 9/30.
=====
I hope you have already clicked away from this blog to go and download it right now! Or go to the Flash 8 Forums here:
Heh - it's only in the store and not even on the front of the site yet ;)
Posted by jdehaan at 07:05 PM | Comments (6)
The latest edition of the EDGE (Macromedia newsletter) is out, featuring an interesting article on protecting FLV streams. I've had a couple people email me about setting up sites where users pay to watch FLV videos. Often, when you're selling your content, you don't want other people to rip it off. The service discussed in this article solves that problem. This article is by Tarun Bangari and Chris Hock.
For the latest EDGE, click here: www.macromedia.com/newsletters/edge/may2005/index.html. The Macromedia user group managers are well represented this month!
Posted by jdehaan at 04:58 PM | Comments (3)
...especially Alan Musselman. The news here being this support guru just started a Macromedia weblog at this fine location:
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/amusselman/
Alan, now a member of team deseloper, is a big Fireworks nut, and also knows a whole lot about a wide range of products, including Flash. You have to be impressed by these multi-talented (and cool) guys in support (I sure am) - and it's always good news when they start blogs.
But who cares what I think -- stop reading my junk and go bookmark/aggregate/read his site!
Posted by jdehaan at 10:49 AM | Comments (5)
Another MacroChat to consider:
Register here: www.macromedia.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=223265&loc=en_us
If you have any questions, please use the email address on the registration page (linked above). Enjoy!
Posted by jdehaan at 06:17 PM | Comments (0)
Three new MacroChats announced. Sign up using the links below! (Links only active before the event - after the event is over, these links 404).
Team Macromedia member Isaac Dealey will provide an introduction to
the onTap framework, a robust framework for ColdFusion application
development available under the terms of the Lesser-GPL open-source
license. The framework's features include platform independent
database management, i18n internationalization, a wealth of form
tools, modular / reuseable display and AJAX-like interface tools.
What You Will Learn
- What is a framework?
- What is the onTap framework?
- How to display content
- How to create and populate forms
- How to validate a form
- How to create and populate forms
Register here:
www.macromedia.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=201473&loc=en_us
Applications for Mobile Devices using Flash Lite
Thursday, May 26, 2005 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM US/Eastern
This live Macrochat features Macromedia User Group Manager, Giorgio
Natili discussing Macromedia Flash Lite and the basic knowledge to
build a successful application for mobile devices. During the session
Giorgio will focus on the building blocks and usability aspects of
mobile applications.
Giorgio is the Manager of ActionScript.it - MMUG and his passion for
Flash drives him to write tutorials for Italian web sites dealing with
Flash and ActionScript and to be a large presence on
macromedia.general.italy (Italian Macromedia Forums) in order to help
the Italian Flashers and explain the right use of Flash to build Rich
Internet Applications. Giorgio is a freelance Flash developer who
works on mobile projects in Rome, Italy.
What You Will Learn
- Devices and OS
- Using Flash MX 2004 to develop mobile applications
- Macromedia Flash Lite
- Application design and development processes
- Mobile applications usability
Register for this event at:
www.macromedia.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=217788&loc=en_us
Posted by jdehaan at 05:56 PM | Comments (3)
The following USA Today article by Jefferson Graham is about Macromedia and mobile technology. Some interesting tidbits about the growth of Flash in this area - great for developers and designers alike.
www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-04-12-macromedia-usat_x.htm
Older but related news is the Nokia deal that was signed earlier this year:
www.macromedia.com/macromedia/proom/pr/2005/nokia_flashtechnology.html
And the developer release of Flash Lite, so you can start developing mobile phone apps right now (if you have one of the phones in the list...):
http://www.flash-mx.com/news/archives/000367.cfm
Posted by jdehaan at 11:34 AM | Comments (7)
Macromedia MAX 2005!
October 16-19, 2005
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, CA
We are pleased to announce MAX 2005 taking place October 16-19, in Anaheim, California. Program information, registration pricing, and more details will be available soon. Check back often for the most recent MAX information.
We look forward to seeing you in Anaheim.
To be placed on the MAX mailing list and receive e-mail updates, please send a message to conference@macromedia.com and include "subscribe to MAX list" in the subject line.
From: http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/events/max/
Posted by jdehaan at 01:23 PM | Comments (3)
Stood in line at 8am at the local Best Buy to get the new Sony PSP. I got it set up on the short drive to work (as passenger!) and managed a quick game of Wipeout. This thing absolutely rules - graphics, design, features, games, things it comes with. Absolutely blows the DS out of the water. There are already 13 games out (according to EB), and the Best Buy dude said another 30 by the end of the month.
Highly recommended. If you're in 601, come check it out ;)
Posted by jdehaan at 10:03 AM | Comments (5)
An interesting blog about Macromedia.com (the web site).
www.markme.com/neils/archives/2005/02/a_brief_macromediaco.html
I'm always interested in the numbers - check this out:
Some Numbers There are currently over 95,000 "pages" (html documents with a body tag) currently on the site. Of these, more then half (about 50,000) are LiveDocs, online versions of our in-product documentation which don't use the regular macromedia.com styling. Of the remaining 45,000, there's almost 20,000 that are new since the last redesign (in August 2003), the rest are "legacy" pages that visually match the rest of the site, but don't use the current CSS, and are not actively maintained.
Check out this blog for more.
Posted by jdehaan at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
Here are the free macrochats for February.
Partial Page Caching in ColdFusion MX Macrochat
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM US/Eastern
Learn how to write a custom tag that allows for simple caching in ColdFusion MX. Ray Camden will lead this discussion on creating a CF tag for partial page caching of information. Ray is the Director of Development for Mindseye, Inc., a Team Macromedia member and Macromedia User Group manager.
What You Will Learn
- Existing ColdFusion Caching (query caching and cfcache)
- Persistant Scopes
- The ScopeCache Custom Tag
You must register for this event at:
www.macromedia.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=137271&loc=en_us
Debugging Movies Using the alertHook Command Macrochat
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM US/Eastern
Script errors in Director usually display details describing why an error occurred. However, once a projector or Shockwave movie is created, generic script errors sometimes appear, such as "Script Error, Continue?" These errors can be difficult to troubleshoot if there is no information describing why the error occurred. Join Macromedia Senior Technical Support Engineer Boaz Englesberg who will be leading a live demonstration on debugging movies using the alertHook command and a Director.ini file. Boaz will demonstrate how to use alertHook and the Director.ini/Shockwave.ini file for debugging purposes at run time.
What You Will Learn
* Using the Director.ini file to troubleshoot script errors
* Troubleshooting a generic script error in a projector or Shockwave movie
You must register for this Macrochat at
www.macromedia.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=149910&loc=en_us
Flash Video Basics Macrochat
Thursday, February 24, 2005
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM US/Eastern
Macromedia Technical Support Engineer Bentley Wolfe will introduce Flash beginners to basic Flash video concepts. You'll learn how Flash imports and exports video and how to create Flash FLV files for use with Player and Flash Communication Server.
What You Will Learn
* Video formats that Flash MX 2004 imports
* Importing video into Flash MX 2004
* Using Flash MX 2004 to create video
* Creating FLVs
* Creating FLVs
* Playing FLVs as embedded video; linking with media components and using the Flash Communication Server
You must register for this Macrochat at
http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=149624&loc=en_us
Posted by jdehaan at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)
It's not Flash, but it's some really great web work. Check out the new "Maps" feature from Google.
Even more impressive:
Nice design, good maps, drop shadow that isn't lame, putting the competition to shame. Try clicking between the markers. Gotta love it.
Posted by jdehaan at 11:32 AM | Comments (9)
Intro to the Flash Player Detection Kit Macrochat
Friday, January 28, 2005
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM US/Eastern
Register here:
www.macromedia.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=133668&loc=en_us
Macromedia Senior Technical Support Engineer Jason Wylie will be presenting
"Introducing the Flash Player Detection Kit". Tune in and learn how to
create a Flash Player detection script from scratch, use the Detection Kit
to create the script, and understand why detecting the Flash Player on a
website is vitally important to ensuring your visitors have the best web
experience possible.
What You Will Learn
* What is Flash Player detection?
* Why do you need to detect the player?
* How do you detect the player
* Detection options and reviewing the code it creates
* Dreamweaver Extensions
* 3rd party methods
* Moock FPI
* BrowserHawk
* Multiple sites (one HTML and one Flash site)
Posted by jdehaan at 03:42 PM | Comments (4)
Some of Macromedia moved into the new headquarters today, at 601 Townsend, which is across the street from the old building. Some info about the building is here: www.markme.com/md/archives/006857.cfm Here are some pics of the new offices, from the inside :) Sorry for the blurriness - it was dark and I didn't have the flash on.
Heading to new office with all my crap (two work laptops) in tow.
Arriving at the new building - front door.
=== MORE PICS! View the extended entry... ===
Looking towards the open middle part of the building. I think this is by the elevators.
View from my new cubicle. I sit about a couple rows over from windows. Important people get window cubicles, such as Gary Grossman for example who sits slightly to the left of this pic. :)
This is a meeting room (larger size) next to my cubicle. I forget its name, but one room is called Columbo, which is pretty cool.
This is some casual room or something. More brick.
This is a kitchen, after a small welcome celebration with a toast by Mr Lynch.
Kitchen again.
Elevators (yawning yet? still here?)
They seem to paint areas by product colors. At least I noticed the Dreamweaver area has some green and Flash some red as shown here. However, there's yellow by the Flash Player people, which busts that theory I guess.
A meeting room by Flash team. Not so cool until you turn around and see ... (go to the next pic)...
A huge plasma screen in this meeting room. Actually, there's a cooler "living" room in the building which I don't have a picture of yet. I hope living room means gaming, maybe even for the little people like me :)
Posted by jdehaan at 09:31 PM | Comments (29)
Sorry for the OT-ness and two posts, but this is SO SWEET:
Check out the specs:
http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html
Posted by jdehaan at 11:59 AM | Comments (4)
Just wrapping up, according to the alerts. Check out some notes here:
and of course - see the iPod Shuffle on the front of:
Highlights include:
iPod Shuffle (small, 1gig, flash based)
Mac mini (!!!!) $499/$599 (out Jan 22)
iWork ("office-like", rebuilt AppleWorks)
iLife '05
Posted by jdehaan at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)
Check out the holiday card game:
http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/holiday2004/
(My results are more than a tad lacklustre...)
Posted by jdehaan at 12:25 PM | Comments (4)
Although it has been mentioned on a few other Macromedia blogs and other sites as well, it is worth mentioning here that Macromedia has released their new "Knowledge Base". What is the Knowledge Base, you ask? Well, the FAQ says the following:
What is the Macromedia Knowledge Base?
The Macromedia Knowledge Base is a self-service customer information guided search tool that allows customers to access information quickly and efficiently from macromedia.com for precise Macromedia technical information, Macromedia Developer Center articles, and Macromedia customer service notes on policies and procedures. Each search that a user performs automatically provides structured feedback to Macromedia about the technical quality of the Knowledge Base. This allows us to contribute new technical information continually to make the Knowledge Base more effective.
Go Search the Knowledge base:
Knowledge Base search
Find out more info:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/knowledgebase/
Macromedia also offers a useful Captivate (formerly RoboDemo) movie which does a great job of walking you through the new Knowledge Base.
If you have feedback regarding this new search tool, please send it using the Knowledge Base feedback form.
http://www.macromedia.com/bin/kb_feedback.cgi
Posted by jdehaan at 12:07 PM | Comments (0)