www.phillipkerman.com | news @ phillipkerman.com | Volume 7 Issue 1 |
Projects: another newsletter, another two books___________
I don't know what it means when I can produce books faster than newsletters. Interestingly, the revision of “Teach Yourself Flash in 24 Hours” was relatively easy, where adding “MX” to “ActionScripting in Flash” took longer than writing the first edition of the book! Please note: I did not simply do a “find-and-replace” turning 5s into MXs. Here's some news: I have a third book coming out shortly on building “rich internet applications” (just wait until you hear the real title!) In the regular job category, I built a real-time cattle auction using the Flash Communication Server for stampedecattle.com. It ties into a database (built by Drew Falkman) using Flash Remoting… but, unlike their existing auction site, this one sells cattle in a matter of seconds instead of days. And compared to competitive online video auctions no one needs to haul cattle. There was a nice piece about the project on National Public Radio despite the fact they didn't mention me by name (or, even by reference for that matter). Finally, because it's Flash it has a fun interactive interface that works great on modem connections. Feel free to watch as a spectator—or round up a few heifers and steers fer yourself. Along with Todd Greco and Jeff Faulkner (no relation to Drew, above), I helped build allsteeloffice.com/number19 to introduce a new office chair. Here's a case where the combination of great design and subtle (non-gratuitous) interactivity turned into a nice site that's been well recognized. I wrote an article “Flash MX vs. Live Motion 2” for Macworld. While both programs have interesting features, it’s like fudge and caramel—they’re not the same. For a number of reasons the article was killed—but you can read the draft if you want: phillipkerman.com/flash/article.pdf. |
Just to list everything I've done since the last newsletter: mcbru.com wanted some training and for me to build a new Flash site. Friend and former ‘tucky colleague Brandon Blank at creativedepartment.com wanted a dynamic Flash menu engine. hoffmancorp.com wanted to know what-all Flash could do, so I did a little presentation. Finally, aaiweb.com wanted a dynamic menu in Authorware. And, presumably, they all got what they wanted. I've been teaching a fair bit: at pnca.edu I've done a couple two-Saturday scripting classes; at pcc.edu I've taught several Flash courses from general animation/graphics to fairly sophisticated programming; I did one Flash scripting class at pdx.edu right after Flash MX came out. I did a guest lecture at aipd.artinstitutes.edu and have had to scale way back on my work at Cleveland High School because I moved. I started a new class for High School students at nwacademy.org. I can see two indicators that younger people have an easier time learning Flash programming. First, once I show them something, I never need to show it again. Second, they're better accustomed to the fact computers are unforgiving and picky about syntax. Kids do tend to have less patience however. Three personal projects of note all use my favorite new product—the Flash Communication Server (hosted at mediatemple.net). My answering machine (phillipkerman.com/machine) lets you leave text, audio, and video messages and view public messages left by others. Another (almost identical project) lets you leave snowflakes on a virtual greeting card (suitable for anything from “happy holidays” to “get well”). See phillipkerman.com/card. The guided tour (on my main website) doesn't look like much more than a video clip synchronized to some event triggers in the Flash movie. The cool part is I can re-record this tour and my mouse events are embedded into the video stream. Not only is this technology easy to produce, it gives you and idea of what FlashCom can do. |
Presentations: everything to do with anything but my presentations
Instead of recapping all these presentations (as you can just download excerpts from: phillipkerman.com/presentations) let me just mention a random highlight from each one. CNET Webbuilder (New Orleans) Macromedia Web World (San Francisco) flashconference.de (Stuttgart, Germany) |
Web Design World (Seattle) Flashkit (San Jose) Webbuilder (Las Vegas) Macromedia DevCon (Orlando, Florida) |
In the news: ...also known as “ego-searching”___________________________________________________________
Macromedia “edge” newsletter | macromedia.com/newsletters/edge/flash/march2002 |
Flashmagazine: | http://flashmagazine.com/html/697.htm http://flashmagazine.com/html/700.htm |
National Public Radio | http://discover.npr.org/rundowns/segment.jhtml?wfId=909058 |
JD on MX | http://jdmx.blogspot.com/2002_10_27_jdmx_archive.html http://jdmx.blogspot.com/2002_07_21_jdmx_archive.html |
InformIT.com | better than a link, just google "interview Phillip Kerman" |
FlashKit interview | http://jupiterevents.com/flash/fall01/kerman.html |
RIT | www.rit.edu/~andpph/ipt-news-archive-D.html |
Jarle Dahl Bergersen's blog | weblog.bergersen.net/archives/000384.html |
Finally, the winner of the longest URL that can still fit on
one line without a font size change, The Oregonian: oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/business/1036241740255962.xml
Editorial: Blog is short for “Web-log”... these easily updated online diaries will be extinct before most know what they are.
The blog revolution will, eventually, turn out to be a fad. That's because the entire world doesn't need to hear each and every person's voice. Traditional and online media, that have real-live editors, offer a level of quality impossible from every Tom, Dick, and Harry or other blog boob. I know it's hypocritical to say blogs aren't valuable as this newsletter could well suffer the same fate. However, not everyone has a “Phillip Newsletter”. If everyone did, then, yes, this would just be another one in the pack. |
Without getting super controversial, I see the flaw in blogs as similar
to the limit of home-schooling. While I admire some aspects of home-schooling,
the whole idea just doesn't add up. Our society can't be as productive
if every kid has one parent tied up teaching a student or two. The same
way every web-head can't be an editor. |
Reviews: are
version numbers a thing of the past?
The MXs (Studio MX) Flash Communication Server MX (macromedia.com/software/flashcom/) Flash Remoting (macromedia.com/software/flashremoting/) |
Director MX (macromedia.com/software/director) Sorenson Squeeze 3 for Flash MX (www.sorenson.com) Camtasia Studio(www.techsmith.com) Zoomifyer for Flash (zoomify.com) Macromedia Developers Resource Kit (macromedia.com/software/drk/) For some very nice (and free) components check: flashcomponents.net |
Tech Tips See… not just Flash tips (one is on how to use Flash inside Director MX)
Director MX Defining callbacks is only slightly more involved: |
Flash MX Flash Communication Server MX //define how 'eventName' should be handled: |
Game Corner:
Match the description to the quote to the source
description | quote | source |
profound | "Free is a very good price" | Tom Peterson |
lie | "Now you have a friend in the diamond business" | shaneco.com |
bogus | "You're going to like the way you look, I guarantee it" | menswearhouse.com |
meaningless | "Discover a new kind of motion picture viewing experience for everyone" | spielberg-dreamworks.com/spirit |
offensive | "Not even for Bulgarian Idol" | Simon Cowell |
The
Phillip Newsletter: published nearly two times a year by Phillip Kerman
and
edited by Diana L. Kerman. Phillip just went wireless so he does most of his
work in his la-z-boy chair.
Subscribe: Subscriptions
are free for the asking! Also, if you prefer an email version just tell me.
news @ phillipkerman.com | www.phillipkerman.com | +1 (503) 449-6701 |
Any problems? email me:news @ phillipkerman.com
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Last update: 21 February 2003