Flex 3 and LiveCycle Data Services

This two day course instructs developers how to connect with remote data using web services and LiveCycle Data Services’ features allowing communication with a Java-based server environment. In addition, skills will be learned how to manipulate and format the returned data. (more)

Flex 3: Building Dashboard Applications

Flex 3: Building Dashboard Applications provides developers with the knowledge needed to use Flex 3 charts to create highly interactive dashboards for data visualization. By the end of the course, developers will be able to create interactive dashboards by leveraging the Flex 3 framework and the Flex 3 charting components. They will learn about using, formatting and styling Flex 3 charts as well as creating interactive cha… (more)

Flex 3: Developing Rich Internet Client Applications

Flex 3: Developing Rich Internet Client Applications provides experienced application developers with hands-on, practical experience using Flex. This three day course introduces developers to all the primary features of Flex they’ll need to know in order to build a fully functional, well architected front end for a Rich Internet Application (RIA). (more)

Flex 3: Extending and Styling Components

In the 2-day Flex 3: Extending and Styling Components course, students will use their object-oriented skills to create custom classes that programmatically draw skins and extend the functionality of built-in Flex classes. Experienced Flex developers will have an opportunity to explore hands-on, practical code examples for creating drag-and-drop user interfaces that also incorporate user-triggered transitions and smart co… (more)

Flex 3: Integrating with ColdFusion 8

Flex 3 and LiveCycle Data Services: Integrating with ColdFusion 8 provides experienced application developers with hands-on, practical experience connecting their Flex font ends to remote, dynamic data using LiveCycle Data Services. This two day course instructs developers how to connect with remote data using web services and LiveCycle Data Services’ features allowing communication with a Java backend. In addition, skills… (more)

Of course, as any one reading this blog already knows I’m a nerd through and through, and knowing this I had to integrate technology in every niche and cranny I could.  So far I’ve settled on using Smart Home’s INSTEON system.  This allows me to install outlets, dimmers, thermostats, and other ordinary elements that link seamlessly with my computer and the Internet.  Using a small Ethernet link I can control the temperature or turn the lights on in my house anywhere from any computer or yes my iPhone.  I can even use a standard universal remote to control the house..I personally am considering Logitech’s Harmony Remote 1100.

I have two big goals once the system is complete.

The first a to build an INSTEON application that works with twitter.  This would allow me to get stats on my house, security, or other items via a tweet.  I could use this to send protected tweets alerting my house to cool down, heat up, or light up for my arrival.  Engadget has a great article about someone trying this using INSTEON.  Similar implementations or bots have been implemented for twitter, like this real estate bot featured recently on techcrunch.  I’ll post if I get it working!

My other goal is a Start Trek style speech recognition system.  I haven’t figured out how to implement the microphones with the main INSTEON server in a meaningful way, but once done my Mac Mini will listen for voice commands and run designated Apple Script commands against INSTEON.  I have some test versions of this working, but ideally my Mac would know what room the message was sent from and using this know I meant lights off in the bedroom or lights on in the kitchen.  I can only imagine the reaction from visitors when I walk in and say “Tuck (my computer’s name) light up”.

I’ll post pictures and some tutorials on what it took to get her up and running….

I doubt anyone questions that over the last 2 years Google and Apple have found themselves in quiet competition.  Today we have Safari vs Chrome (both based off Apple’s open source webkit), iPhone vs Android, .Mac vs many online google services, iWork vs Google Docs, and now Mac OS X vs Chrome OS.  Google has also made many moves in the media industry with audio and video (youtube.com) even if they do not directly compete with Apple’s iTunes (yet).

While Apple and Google have very different philosophies, especially with their operating systems and office tools it is increasingly obvious that the two are very quickly becoming competitors on many fronts.

Further more Schmidt has said publicly that he recuses himself in meetings where the iPhone is disscussed:

“From my perspective, I don’t think Google sees Apple as a primary competitor.”

Mr. Schmidt said that if there were areas of competition between the two, he would recuse himself from discussions. He added that it was well known that he typically recuses himself from Apple board discussions related to the iPhone.

With the iPhone now one of Apple’s best selling products, especially if you include its sibling the iPod Touch, how can you be an effective board member if you’re not involved in these meetings?  Based on that quote he is slowly walking out of the majority of Apple’s board meetings when some key Apple products are discussed.

I’m a fan of both Apple and Google but the implications of such a tight paring of competing firms at the board level raise many questions and concerns about good corporate governance.

Obviously I’m not alone with these concerns since the Obama Administration has recently begun probes into the close ties between Apple and Google.

If you think about it, just from 2008-9 we’ve seen large moves that stand to truly change every aspect of our lives.  Being a techno geek I can’t help but do my best to embrace this tech…and make it part of my everyday life.  Just in 2008 alone we’ve seen the rise of the iPhone App Store, removal of DRM from iTunes music, Android released as the first open source mobile platform, hulu finally get things straight, the introduction of the Kindle, and the first person will more than a million followers on Twitter.

As a entrepreneur I can’t help but look at how all this tech will and continues to change how we do business.  I can’t think of a client that I don’t recommend video casting with youtube and social media networks like facebook and twitter too.

Just this last 3 weeks I’ve really taken to my Kindle consuming books in away I haven’t in a long long time.  The Kindle DX and its big push into the news and textbook industry is particularly exciting.   It’s opening up new options for small time writers to get content to market quick, and without the traditional distribution and print costs.

Google voice is way cool.  When its finally released to the general public, it will continue to push our cell phone companies into nothing more than dumb pipes.  Soon you can have one number that forwards phone calls, text, and other communication from one number where ever you are.  Have your cell ring your hotel or home phone when your on the road.  Centralize voice mails with a system that gives the feel of a corporate phone network.

I know this is a big rant, but tech is just amazing…and I can only hope that 09 with the Pre and the IPhone 3GS continues to amaze and delight my geek fancy.

Well my friends one restaurant in Arizona has done just that.  A burger that defies all burgers.  A meal that you can eat happily all while knowing that this just may be the end.  The end with a smile!

With that introduction I bring you the Heart Attack Grill.  An Arizona restaurant known for the Quadruple bypass burger with flatliner fries (deep fried in pure lard), beer, coke, and of course one pack of unfiltered Lucky Strike cigarettes to suck it all down.  I haven’t had a reason to fly to Arizona but suddenly I find my self wanting to search for tickets!

I think that this restaurant has single handedly put the Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheese Burger (Better known as “The Luther”) and Fools Gold Loaf to shame…at least until they make a Quadruple Krispy Kreme bypass with BACON!!!

I don’t know about you, but I always thought spring water was better than the stuff from our tap. Apparently I was wrong, but Dasani is here to set the record straight. Check out their video for more insight.

Thanks Dasani! Its good old tap for me and the family for now on!

The class teaches how to program in AS3 and gets into the nitty gritty with new features like e4x (oh e4x how I love the).  Students also get to build Asteroids from scratch and learn about moving instances across the stage, dynamically instantiating them, and even building Flash applications with OOP (if you’re down with OOP..yeah you know me).

If you haven’t checked it out take a look at the outline.  It runs every month and I’ll look forward to seeing you there.

Oh yeah here is a sample of the Asteroids game:

Once your done you can build on the foundation to build other games or add new features (like a start screen or lives).

Something about it and its very unique syntax (and memory management - remember alloc and dealloc) takes a while to fully, grasp.

As you may know I’m busy writing a new class for Fig Leaf on Objective-C development for the iPhone.  The class is currently scheduled (as a a beta) in late September.

During my busy days and nights writing I have searched the web for the best Objective-C material I can find.  The community (at least before the iPhone) was very tiny so getting resources can be tough.

To help I’ve included a list of my recommendations.  These books, blogs, web sites, and videos have been an important tool and can be an huge asset to all of you as well.  Hope this helps!

Books

• Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X – This is the only book even worth your time…

Blogs, Web Sites, and Tutorials

• Apple’s Developer Connection – Great Objective-C and iPhone Primer (FREE subscription for web access)
• Theococoa – Great tutorials
• Cocoa Dev Central

Early signs have been extremely positive with one developer reporting an average of $1700 a day in sales over the last 3 days.  The Crossword Puzzle app in question managed to become an Apple Staff Pick and sells for only $5.99.

Even Apple upstart Tapulous announced that their new FREE application Tap Tap Revenge will reach one million downloads by this weekend, giving them a 20% penetration rate into the Apple touch screen device market (iPhone and iPod Touch).  

More amazing is Pangea’s Engimo which is rumored to have pulled in $1.2 million in the opening weekend of the iPhone 3G alone.  The application, featured at WWDC has garnered impressive reviews and sales for $9.99 from the AppStore.  That figure suggest sales of around 121,000 over 3 days or 40,000 downloads a day (Apple sold 400,000 iPhones in the United States during the opening weekend and reportedly than 1 million worldwide).

As you may know Apple announced over 10 million downloads (paid and free) from the AppStore in just the first weekend.  While a 30% fee for listing is still a hefty chunk to fork over to Apple, the AppStore’s visibility to all IPhone and iPod Touch owners does indeed appear to be huge for small developers looking to reach this market.

Appleinsider is quick to announce that these trends are not universal.  Just like any sales venue a select few applications have quickly risen to the top showing impressive numbers of downloads and sales.  However, less popular apps are reporting that downloads have been small or nil.

My assumption is that quality apps that fill a true void have potential in the market, but many users do not feel the need for 8 different iPhone flash lights, even if their free.

All that said, it is time for all of us to pick up Xcode, take Fig Leaf’s upcoming iPhone class, and get some new and compeling products to the AppStore.

I’ll keep you posted as my own development projects get closer to completion!