I Was A Registered Alien!

Desktop RSS with Adobe AIR

I've been writing for Builder AU again, creating a series of tutorials on authoring Adobe AIR with HTML & JavaScript (Ajax).  The first of these has just been published where we build a desktop RSS reader - the initial version is less than 40 lines of code in the application page! It's simple stuff so hang around and see how it evolves.

You can read more in the article, "Desktop RSS with Adobe AIR", from the following link: http://www.builderau.com.au/program/flash/soa/Desktop-RSS-with-Adobe-AIR/0,339028413,339281120,00.htm

I'm Still Here

I've not posted here for something like 5 weeks, I've been busy writing elsewhere. With articles for Adobe's Developer Center and for Builder AU I've been using my muse elsewhere - Twitter and more recently Pownce have also received some of my attention as well.

After the Apollo, now Adobe AIR, beginners article for Adobe Labs that I wrote for the public alpha release I was asked to contribute an article for the Adobe Developers Center on ActionScript 3 for Flash CS3. I've been impressed with how E4X can easily manipulate XML data so I've written an article on that topic, avoiding the usual RSS parser example by illustrating my ideas with an example application that utilizes a custom XML packet to deliver multi-lingual translations for a video display.

Builder AU asked me to review Adobe's Spry Ajax Framework for them which I did in the form of a "how to".  While Spry is a part of Dreamweaver CS3 I approached my writing through utilizing the Spry download with a text editor to add Ajax to traditional HTML - after having existed in Flex and Flash world for so long it was interesting to have to think about basic HTML again.

I've been enjoying the interaction with peers that Twitter has to offer - while not necessarily as intrusive as IM can tend to be Twitter has offered new opportunities for me that I've enjoyed immensely.

I've also been involved with two user groups this week.  The first was launched on Wednesday, ACUGA - The Adobe Connect User Group Asia Pacific.  While some of you may not necessarily get excited about online meetings and eLearning the ACUGA was well attended for the 10:00am time slot, the guest speaker was Adobe's Connect Evangelist, or Connectionist, Peter Ryce who presented from San Jose.  Peter's presentation was very interesting.  Preaching to the converted Peter gave an insight to the future of Connect with the next version requiring a minimum of Flash Player 8 to deliver dramatic performance increases - particularly in desktop sharing.  The second user group was QMUG who I spoke to on the same day, demonstrating Connect to them via Connect.

For further investigation:

Filtering XML data in Flash applications using ECMAScript for XML

Starting with Spry

ACUGA Archive

Your Chance to be the First San Dimas Beta User

One of the highlights of Kevin Lynch's Keynote speech at last year's MAX in Las Vegas was the eBay Apollo application. Code named San Dimas and built by the folk at effectiveUI it's a desktop application from eBay that allows you to manage your bids on eBay via the Apollo cross-operating system system runtime.

In a cleaver right to be the first San Dimas beta tester is now up for auction on eBay with the proceeds going to charity.  The successfully bidder will also receive a certificate and a T-shirt.  The auction item can be found at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110131261193

If you're a little more patient you can apply for the beta at the Project San Dimas site: http://www.projectsandimas.com/

Learn more about Apollo at Adobe Labs: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/apollo/

Mike Downey Discusses Apollo In Video Interview

In the first of three video interviews I did during WebDU for Builder AU Mike Downey answers a number of questions about Apollo that I'm sure many of you are curious to find out for yourselves.  Look out for the other interviews with Tim Buntel on Scorpio and Greg Rewis on Spry over the next couple of days.

Some Apollo Bits and Pieces

The public alpha for Apollo has been out now for two weeks and interest in it is growing, saw a nice browser app today from Eric Cancil.  I've just posted a list of 10 things about Apollo that I learnt during WebDU over on my other blog at Builder AU - a lot of which I believe will be news to most of you.

Adobe Releases Apollo Alpha on Labs

Adobe have just released the alpha release of Apollo on Labs, and I'm please to say that I've written my first article for Adobe for the alpha release.