I Was A Registered Alien!

WebDU Trading Cards

One of the great things that happened at WebDU this year where the trading cards.  Collect the right ones and bend, fold and write on them and they could be handed in for fun prizes, the winner receiving a copy of one of the CS3 suites. Like some I didn't hand in my WebDU trading cards, instead I've gotten mine signed by the folk on the cards and have photographed the series and uploaded it up on Flickr.

They're here with the other shots that I took this year:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amuller/sets/72157605562769696/

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

Adobe Community Experts: Big Thanks

Christine, a very big thank you from Down Under. You're the bestest Easter Bunny ever!

Feeling Spry - WebDU Interview with Greg Rewis

The third and final video interview that I did for Builder AU during WebDU is now live. I spoke with Greg Rewis - Adobe's Senior Evangelist for Web Tools about Adobe's Ajax framework Spry.

We discussed what is Spry and what makes it unique, how it's compatible with Apollo, how it's part of Dreamweaver CS3 and how Adobe sees Spry's future.

My WebDU Presso Now Online

I've converted the slides from my WebDU presentation, Connecting To Connect, into a simple Connect presentation - no audio as yet, that will follow later when I've got the time.  Details about the presentation and the link below.

webDU is rockin'

If the posts from webDU are a little slow from one and all it's because we're all having such a great time! Yesterday was good, I did some interesting video interviews for BuilderAU - watch out for them online soon. Took part in webJam, had some good larfs during the galah dinner, had a drink on M$ - thank you Scott.

To Be Determined (Andrew Muller)

WebDU is five weeks away and after originally having thought to take a break from presenting this year I've decided to stand behind the podium and wave my hands around again.  Geoff has asked me to fill in a gap and this year I'm talking about some interesting projects that I've been working on.

WebDU 2007, not speaking - scheming

I see that the speaker line up for WebDU 2007 has been announced, pleases me to see that Jesse and Brandy are making the trip down under again - guys consider the offer of BBQ, tea and sheep by products as still good. I've decided to pass on speaking next year, but I am scheming with Ted and Geoff on something else - watch this space as they say in the classics.

MAX 2006 was the Full Chumby!

It's just over a week since I got back from Vegas and my head's properly back online, MAX was a blast - well worth it.  Caught up with mates and met some great folk as well.  Got to see and do some cool stuff, got play with a Chumby but no gambling - there's more slot machines per capita here anyway .

Goodbye Opera House, Hello Golden Gate, See You Venetian Very Soon

I'm in the middle of getting ready this morning to head off to the US for MAX later today.  Packing suitcases, checking that I've got all the necessary bits and pieces that I reckon is going to be needed over the next nine days.