tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:58:12 +0000I help people customize their websites and web applications with custom code. I love what I do and believe I have the best job in the world.http://codehandyman.com/noreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)Blogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-6310033810943499956Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:58:00 +00002010-02-12T12:58:12.522-04:00consumerswhat we really neediPaddemandBetter iPad designAppleHere is what truly would have revolutionized the technology world the other day. If I were CEO of Apple, this is what I would demand from my team. 1. A touch screen device that can interlock with another one, so they could be oriented like a keyboard/screen. This means you'd have one on the desk, flat, and the other one vertical on its wide edge held in place by the flat one. You could then http://codehandyman.com/2010/02/what-apple-should-have-introduced-other.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-8297181701636251266Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:54:00 +00002010-02-01T16:54:03.056-04:00twitter.comwikipediainternet rightsethicsfacebookrights of contributorssocial networking ethicsning.comThe more I am involved in social networking writing contributions to various sites, the more I am increasingly aware of the ethics of deleting other people's comments, closing a discussion to comments, or deleting an entire thread/post/network. Right now, there are literally thousands of ning.com networks, and some of them have tens of thousands of members. The members can spend hours per week http://codehandyman.com/2010/02/deleting-discussionsclosing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-7613628810398087425Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:28:00 +00002010-01-28T12:14:03.218-04:00Watching the iPad become "unveiled" yesterday really got me thinking...these people at Apple are geniuses. Evil geniuses. The iPad is effectively a giant iPhone, but what is key about the iPhone is the monopoly Apple has on the app store and its stranglehold on the developers for it. If you want to develop for Apple's iPhone, you have to play by their rules, use their technology, and price http://codehandyman.com/2010/01/why-ipad-is-most-ominous-scary-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-926155719934785290Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:03:00 +00002010-01-17T14:03:14.504-04:00cellphonesCellphones.  Smart phones.  I like to call them T.I.R.E.D. or "Temporary Intelligence Reduction Electronic Devices".  Particularly the ones that have no raised buttons you can feel to know what to press by memory instead of staring down at it.  I dont spend any time in a large city, but can only imagine how many people stumble into traffic, trip, walk into poles, or miss important physical cues http://codehandyman.com/2010/01/why-i-still-dont-have-cell-phoneand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-3122632980189069114Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:14:00 +00002010-01-08T14:14:47.350-04:00I recently had the opportunity to review a copy of the Gambryo software used by several major titles, including "fallout 3" to make very compelling, immersive gaming experiences. Its an incredible piece of software that makes turning your virtual idea into a reality much easier than other titles Ive seen in the past. In order for it to really change the world,though, it needs to become free.  http://codehandyman.com/2010/01/gambryo-needs-to-be-free-google-where.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-6250752216256978516Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:56:00 +00002010-01-02T18:59:18.491-04:00There are a lot of people dissing flash, and I wanted to quickly note a few reasons why Flash is actually a better way to present information and offer user interface/functionality than the old, outdated technology of HTML and its derivatives. 1. Flash gives the author control over how the content is loaded and displayed.  Would you want to watch a movie or read a book that had all the scenes orhttp://codehandyman.com/2010/01/why-flash-is-better-than-html-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-8748676150110626534Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:03:00 +00002009-12-29T23:03:56.540-04:00the onion Ahh the Onion...couldnt have said it better myself. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_device_desirable_old_device Thats it for today.http://codehandyman.com/2009/12/new-device-desireable-old-device.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-7081154930338788518Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:49:00 +00002009-12-24T13:15:55.217-04:00Google Wavereviewfirst impressionwaveimpressionHere I am alone in Google wave. There are some buttons I can press, lots of familiar interface elements, but no contacts, no one to "wave to". So, I'm alone.  Perhaps I can create something and store it for later, just in case at some point someone joins my "wave" ?  What exactly is a "wave" ?  Dont really know so far, but it seems to be what I would call a conversation.  You can apparently http://codehandyman.com/2009/12/google-wave-first-impression.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-8699463371503518547Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:20:00 +00002009-11-22T19:38:12.029-04:00Windows 7 install via networkupgrade over a networkWindows 7 UpgradeVista was getting to be more and more of a pain. Crashing more often, windows defender zombies trying to come back from the grave after I have repeatedly tried to disable it, and after 7 years of virus free operation in the last few weeks inundated with viruses so I was forced to run zone alarm, which was incredibly annoying in new ways I could only have dreamed of before.I went to costco and http://codehandyman.com/2009/11/installing-windows-7-on-vista.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-889384691932307067Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:02:00 +00002009-11-17T14:12:42.299-04:00lawlegalcopywriteFacebook Legalfacebook.comdomain disputestrademark infringementlegal woesI run a small online community website called "FacesForFilms.com". Until recently we were called "FilmFaceBook.com" and once we reached around 1500 members, I was contacted by a facebook lawyer to stop infringing on their brand. Apparently I was damaging their business by supposedly causing confusion.As it happened, I had just purchased 20 shirts and several posters with "filmfacebook.com" on http://codehandyman.com/2009/11/i-was-contacted-by-facebook-legal-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-2932516513563671547Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:43:00 +00002009-10-05T13:43:47.677-03:00Online CoursewareBest PracticesWebsite toolsContent Management SystemCMSI get a lot of calls from clients concerned about a web development company they hired to provide content management software for them. People generally see software as a product like a desk, or car, and figure you buy it and it acts like a tool for you.They couldn't be more wrong. Software is a service, and this is becoming increasingly true as our online technology evolves rapidly to meet thehttp://codehandyman.com/2009/10/proprietary-content-management-system.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-2175101813228299147Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:04:00 +00002009-07-16T19:01:03.740-03:00Windows vs MacPC vs MacMacintoshMacService Based SoftwarePCMac Vs PCIntel MacgoogleAppleMicrosoftAsset based softwareToday I am writing this blog in Safari 4.0 for the PC. I started out as a mac person because of the superior hardware, speed, and processing power offered at the time, using the now defunct "clone" called a "Supermac". When I left the mac platform to move to the PC platform, of course my fellow mac developers have heaped nothing but endless scorn on me for my choice, and invariably sent daily http://codehandyman.com/2009/07/hello-im-pc-and-im-pc.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-1472760608688703461Mon, 04 May 2009 11:22:00 +00002009-05-04T10:04:34.739-03:00AS1 vs AS3xmlextensions.asCS3adobe flashxml documentsxmlNodeXMLparseXMLactionscriptadobeactionscript1XML extensionsFor those of you using XML and actionscript 1 and 2, I made this set of xml extensions that I use regularly and wanted to pass them along to help you and your projects that involve XML parsing, sending and loading etc.Here is a quick list of functions and descriptions. Script and docs available for .zip download here.getRootNode();returns the root node and all its children(see docs for useage http://codehandyman.com/2009/05/xml-extensions-for-as-1-and-as2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-3772783909783738361Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:43:00 +00002009-05-04T10:18:20.570-03:00social networking#gitomerJeff Jarviscollected wisdomtree kyomoonsecond life#jeffjarvisfacebookside doorJeffrey GitomerSide Door Economics? Try Butterfly Effect Economics.How does Google make a 30% increase this quarter in the middle of an economic downturn when they give everything away for free?Selling advertising? Bums in seats?Sorry, Charlie, its not that simple. In fact, as the social networking neural pathways develop, they create vastly more complex paths between you and financial success. Fortunatley, http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/side-door-try-butterfly-effect.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-5228059088547557452Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:49:00 +00002009-04-17T09:05:13.727-03:00social networkingneural networkcross- temporal communicationcollected wisdomtemporal boundaryneural pathwaycrowd computingcollective conciousnesswisdom of the crowdIf you perceive social networking as a game, or waste of time, or frivolous, you are in for a rude awakening.Social networks are the building blocks of a new organism, the latest manifestation of the collective conciousness of human beings.As the internet was born, the first aspects of social networks took the form of irc chat rooms and email. This led to unprecidented speed and efficiency in http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/social-networking-is-most-important.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-3477042840132094102Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:48:00 +00002009-04-14T07:59:22.106-03:00content into conversationYesterday at our staff meeting with Jeff Jarvis, I was quite inspired and came up with 2 phrases summing up web 3.0 that I want to put here for posterity:Web 3.0 - turn your content into conversation™Web 3.0 - stop being the wall, and become the floor.™Web 3.0 - public conversations trump private ones.™First one, fairly self explanatory just take your big long statements and allow comments, or http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/turn-your-content-into-conversation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-2364532762616122193Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:30:00 +00002009-04-12T07:45:25.151-03:00AS1 vs AS3adobe flashRSSrss feed aggregatoractionscriptFeed AggregatorFinally got my RSS feed aggregator working. Whats an rss feed aggregator? The little widget below reads a list of RSS feeds RSS from an XML file and displays the RSS feed news items from all the feeds in order of most recent to earliest. Theres a few of these out there, but mine is free for you to use, and has some interesting features. If you press the grey button underneath a specific feed http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/my-rss-feed-aggregator.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-668551919546316522Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:26:00 +00002009-04-08T13:11:25.206-03:00open sourceweb applicationsystem designproductionTrainingRIAweb servicesstaffmarket verticalhuman resourcesRecently I was asked to review a product that fit in the "powerpoint killer" category of applications. Threaded throughout the marketing material were phrases that appeal to the cost cutting business manager audience who often find themselves frustrated by the effort and knowledge required to build engaging, interactive presentations or games."With a click of a button... " , "reduced costs http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/replacing-humans-with-technology.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-3456878585127980927Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:13:00 +00002009-04-07T00:48:05.212-03:00bloggerJeff JarvisWhat Would Google DoOpen Informationfacebookningtwitstwitter.comtweetProtectionismcloudAlexaFreedomZuckerbergwalled gardenning.comHere is a snapshot of the traffic on these websites, ranked where "1" is the most visted website on the 'net, and 10000 is the 10000th most visited website. As you can see...Facebook is plateauing with a gentle increase in the past year, Yahoo has seen a recent sharp drop, twitter.com and ning.com are experiencing significant increases, with Twitter being the most pronounced most recently, and http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/here-is-snapshot-of-traffic-on-these.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-7855040526520193024Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:11:00 +00002009-11-20T17:37:38.766-04:00adhttp://codehandyman.com/2009/04/why-facebook-looks-like-twitter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-3363071692251096386Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:13:00 +00002009-04-06T13:16:05.623-03:00World EconomySalesJeff JarvisWhat Would Google DoBusinessTrainingMarketingcrowd computingwisdom of the crowdgoogleJeffrey GitomerFree is a business modelthis is my guru jeffrey and my other guru jeff...(click the links...you'll be richer for it!)http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/this-is-my-guru-jeffrey-and-my-other.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-7389112864341571413Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:50:00 +00002009-04-02T21:01:20.492-03:00flexAS1 vs AS3AS2 vs AS3adobe flashVM1 vs VM2virtual machine 1 vs virtual machine 2actionscriptadobeflashVirtual machineActionscript...1,2,3...they're all good! A biased opinion piece from an old hand at flash.Executive Summary for CEO types:Actionscript 3 is a good move if your company is large, well funded, and well staffed with low staff turnover. You have a good chunk of your budget put aside for R&D, and another good chunk for training and employee personal development, and process is important. Also http://codehandyman.com/2009/04/do-i-have-to-learn-actionscript-3-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-246776490524625148Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:50:00 +00002009-03-27T13:03:00.412-03:00e-learningquizactionscriptflashSCORMReally more for myself than my dedicated readers...ha ha... I am posting a few future blog titles that I need to write about because I want to focus this particular blog on actionscripting best practices in the e-learning vertical, which is my primary area of expertise.Here are the titles you can look forward to seeing articles on in the form of my to-do list!1. Scorm and flash resources. Gettinghttp://codehandyman.com/2009/03/future-topics-on-topic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-7877726072778569474Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:07:00 +00002009-03-20T17:31:38.620-03:00With all these social networks that are heavily customizable, targetted advertising, and personalization of content feeds, the shared experience of the internet is becoming less and less apparent.When you log into a system, the appearance is constructed on the fly based on your preferences, settings, and permissions. If you are an "admin" you get different buttons and layouts than a "public userhttp://codehandyman.com/2009/03/internet-and-shared-experience.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649642986303759532.post-3232601562930622512Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:19:00 +00002009-03-18T14:02:21.684-03:00linden labsecond lifeMy SL alter ego would kill me for saying this, but Second Life is largely irrelevant. Why? Because it doesnt integrate into my life.I have an island in Second life called "Tree Estates IV". I pay $299 every month to keep it there, but I'm only there 1-2 times a week for up to an hour for the past 6 months.Its important to me and my business, and it still pays for itself in ways I cant begin to http://codehandyman.com/2009/03/why-second-life-is-largely-irrelevant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Code Handyman)0