Updated: Part 2 is now available.
A little while ago Adobe (nee Macromedia) released the new public version of the Flash Player 9. There's REALLY some nice under the cover improvements there - nothing as visible dramatic as filter effects, the new font engine, bitmap caching and other Flash Player 8 features - but probably stuff that's MORE important to developers.
Two big ones: dramatically improved Flash virtual Machine (JIT even), which I discussed a bit already, as well as some nice language improvements, including E4X support.
Of course, it'll be a short while longer before the tool to go with it is released, and a little while after that before developers can really take advantage of it - check out the penetration curves.
A few years ago, when I was at Viewpoint (yes, yes, toolbars, etc. - read the comments here before you flame me :)), making our multimedia engine "version-less" was one of my prime design goals. A variety of content and distribution deals lead to some not-so-bad penetration, but I remember the well-intentioned folks at Macromedia (at the time) being quite put out by our claims - oddly so.
Witness: Viewpoint Bozos
(Of course, they weren't the only ones: Liar, Liar Pants of Fire )
Now, I actually think the Flash Player is pretty amazingly cool, and that with it, Adobe, has a decent chance to rule the world. But I think there was some confusion about what was (fundamentally) different in our approaches (Viewpoint v. Flash).
I'll explain the deal, and also express some key things I think Adobe is still really, really not getting in part 2 (as always, IMHO :P).
July 5, 2006
Language Wars:
Thou are Holier than thee
I mentioned in one of my JavaScript posts that future iterations of that language would be picking up noteworthy features from other languages, like generators and iterators.
This, of course, further confirms that programming languages (and their underlying concepts) are, by and large, separated mainly by different holy books, priestly rites, and religious practices - and they all promise essentially the same thing; except they're not the same.
I recently came across an amusing article on the topic: the Semicolon Wars. Its (reasonably) accessible to the uninitiated, but with enough meat to make it fun for the ponytail-and-sandals set (you know who you are :P).
Enjoy.
This, of course, further confirms that programming languages (and their underlying concepts) are, by and large, separated mainly by different holy books, priestly rites, and religious practices - and they all promise essentially the same thing; except they're not the same.
I recently came across an amusing article on the topic: the Semicolon Wars. Its (reasonably) accessible to the uninitiated, but with enough meat to make it fun for the ponytail-and-sandals set (you know who you are :P).
Enjoy.
July 3, 2006
Review: Superman Returns
I saw Superman Returns over the weekend: It was just OK.
Maybe I'm getting cranky in my old age, but I thought the story, well, a bit boring and hugely anti-climatic. Where was the gravitas? This is SUPERMAN! Defeating nameless gunmen and giant slabs of rock seems so... unsatisfying, though the plane rescue scene generated some fun energy.
I don't think its just me - I saw it with my nephew, who is 16, and he was bleary eyed, bewildered and as bored leaving the theater. I mean, I saw the Break-up and, despite the tepid reviews, enjoyed it - it was a fun date movie. But then again, I didn't expect as much, because it wasn't hyped as the second coming (of Superman).
Oh, and by the way, Brandon Routh is not Christopher Reeve, and you know what? That's OK.
I read a number of reviews that compared the two, with Brandon suffering in comparison, but I disagree. He was good, playing Superman and Clark with a personable naivete that didn't seem dumb, but aware - consciously believing the best in everyone because he wants to expect the best. I found all the performances good, though I thought James Mardsen was among the best - you really wanted his character to do well; no small thing considering he was squarely the fly in the "Lois Lane and Superman" romance ointment.
The movie will do well - its fine, as far as it goes, and there were some some nice, um, extensions to the Superman mythology that should make the sequel more interesting.
Maybe I'm getting cranky in my old age, but I thought the story, well, a bit boring and hugely anti-climatic. Where was the gravitas? This is SUPERMAN! Defeating nameless gunmen and giant slabs of rock seems so... unsatisfying, though the plane rescue scene generated some fun energy.
I don't think its just me - I saw it with my nephew, who is 16, and he was bleary eyed, bewildered and as bored leaving the theater. I mean, I saw the Break-up and, despite the tepid reviews, enjoyed it - it was a fun date movie. But then again, I didn't expect as much, because it wasn't hyped as the second coming (of Superman).
Oh, and by the way, Brandon Routh is not Christopher Reeve, and you know what? That's OK.
I read a number of reviews that compared the two, with Brandon suffering in comparison, but I disagree. He was good, playing Superman and Clark with a personable naivete that didn't seem dumb, but aware - consciously believing the best in everyone because he wants to expect the best. I found all the performances good, though I thought James Mardsen was among the best - you really wanted his character to do well; no small thing considering he was squarely the fly in the "Lois Lane and Superman" romance ointment.
The movie will do well - its fine, as far as it goes, and there were some some nice, um, extensions to the Superman mythology that should make the sequel more interesting.
June 29, 2006
Open Services Developer's Conference
As I had mentioned was coming, we had our internal Open Services Developer's Conference here in Dulles, VA, over the last two days. We came together as technologists to discuss and share what has come, what was in the works, and what must be. We also had some third parties attend to pass along their observations and experiences in working with and consuming our services.
I thought it went fairly well, and recieved some positive feedback, but I'm always a little cautious about that - it usually takes a few days, or more, for any negative feedback to reach me. But still, major kudos to the teams involved in organizing the event.
I really stage events like these for 3 related reasons:
(1) To align everyone's thinking - developer's are a headstrong lot; that's part advantage/part challenge - so evangelizing a unified perspective is important
(2) Peer elevation - I think sometimes (*cough* all the time *cough*) the developers who work at AOL can forgot that we are solving some interesting problems with some very smart people - that can happen when your biggest success is an (unfortunately) increasingly irrelevant Dial-up business
(3) Morale - which really follows from (1) and (2); it may be a deep hole, but we've got good climbers, some solid equipment, and aren't starting at the bottom
In particular, I spent a bit of time covering what I consider the important pillars of the opportunity AOL has to alter and infuse the Internet landscape. I realize that (a) those are big words, and (b) those are only words - opportunity follows execution.
Jon Miller, our able CEO, was on hand talking tech standards, which I think surprised (pleasantly) more than a few.
Some posts from other AOL'ers:
http://journals.aol.com/armughanjavaid/IDIC/entries/922
http://dossy.org/archives/000298.html
http://journals.aol.com/williammorris/WillSpeaking/entries/312 (thoughtful blog from Will Morris of our Mt. View campus)
About the only real disappointment was that one of our keynote speakers, a personal friend (*ahem* former friend), completely flaked out on me at the last minute. You know who you are.
I thought it went fairly well, and recieved some positive feedback, but I'm always a little cautious about that - it usually takes a few days, or more, for any negative feedback to reach me. But still, major kudos to the teams involved in organizing the event.
I really stage events like these for 3 related reasons:
(1) To align everyone's thinking - developer's are a headstrong lot; that's part advantage/part challenge - so evangelizing a unified perspective is important
(2) Peer elevation - I think sometimes (*cough* all the time *cough*) the developers who work at AOL can forgot that we are solving some interesting problems with some very smart people - that can happen when your biggest success is an (unfortunately) increasingly irrelevant Dial-up business
(3) Morale - which really follows from (1) and (2); it may be a deep hole, but we've got good climbers, some solid equipment, and aren't starting at the bottom
In particular, I spent a bit of time covering what I consider the important pillars of the opportunity AOL has to alter and infuse the Internet landscape. I realize that (a) those are big words, and (b) those are only words - opportunity follows execution.
Jon Miller, our able CEO, was on hand talking tech standards, which I think surprised (pleasantly) more than a few.
Some posts from other AOL'ers:
http://journals.aol.com/armughanjavaid/IDIC/entries/922
http://dossy.org/archives/000298.html
http://journals.aol.com/williammorris/WillSpeaking/entries/312 (thoughtful blog from Will Morris of our Mt. View campus)
About the only real disappointment was that one of our keynote speakers, a personal friend (*ahem* former friend), completely flaked out on me at the last minute. You know who you are.
June 26, 2006
Microsoft WinFS
and the Platform Effect value of Vista
I've written on this general topic before, but this latest news puts things into a slightly clearer perspective for me. WinFS, Avalon, .NET, etc. are all now either dead or deeply decoupled from Microsoft's next operating system release. Their new major OS, Vista, is not for consumers, its maybe not even REALLY for developers (as I'd previously argued) - its for businesses; it'll help corporations with their TCO with regard to Windows.
I'll argue that's really what "security" is code word for, in the context of Vista: "cheaper to support". If it helps anything else (like users :P), that's a side effect - a bonus, really.
And that might not be a bad strategy for Microsoft. The single biggest threat to their platform effect is OSS - Open Source Software , along with the platform of the Web generally - which removes distribution as a significant barrier to entry, and comes replete with its own eco-system of tools and maintenance - the valuable Intellectual Property chain of TCO.
And the math there, as a very smart friend at Microsoft recently pointed out to me, is really simple:
MS License $ + MS TCO $ must be less than OSS TCO $
There's little doubt that Vista will be a giant cash cow for Microsoft - its been 6 years since they released a substantive upgrade to a core business product, and coupled with the 3 years since a new version of MS Office - well, I think people have forgotten/underestimated how much cash will be cycling next year in Microsoft's wake.
Unfortunately for all of us, as consumers, though, it feels like Microsoft has lost their way a little: they're now in the business of being in business. All things in business cycles degenerate to spirals, positive or negative - and reaching the Ouroboros phase of self-referential consumption is a dangerous place to be.
As we can attest to at AOL, getting snared by your own success is the most insidious trap of all.
I'll argue that's really what "security" is code word for, in the context of Vista: "cheaper to support". If it helps anything else (like users :P), that's a side effect - a bonus, really.
And that might not be a bad strategy for Microsoft. The single biggest threat to their platform effect is OSS - Open Source Software , along with the platform of the Web generally - which removes distribution as a significant barrier to entry, and comes replete with its own eco-system of tools and maintenance - the valuable Intellectual Property chain of TCO.
And the math there, as a very smart friend at Microsoft recently pointed out to me, is really simple:
MS License $ + MS TCO $ must be less than OSS TCO $
There's little doubt that Vista will be a giant cash cow for Microsoft - its been 6 years since they released a substantive upgrade to a core business product, and coupled with the 3 years since a new version of MS Office - well, I think people have forgotten/underestimated how much cash will be cycling next year in Microsoft's wake.
Unfortunately for all of us, as consumers, though, it feels like Microsoft has lost their way a little: they're now in the business of being in business. All things in business cycles degenerate to spirals, positive or negative - and reaching the Ouroboros phase of self-referential consumption is a dangerous place to be.
As we can attest to at AOL, getting snared by your own success is the most insidious trap of all.
June 25, 2006
My rightly right righteousness
A new study suggests that the Internet is partly to blame for thinning "deep" social networks. That is, the trend is that you're more likely to have a larger circle of virtual contacts, and less folks you're really close to - and it is the fault of the Internet.
I knew I was right. But I already knew that - just sharing what I already knew I knew, so that you now know about, you know, my rightliness.
Oh, and I'm *pretty* sure I can prove that violence only started getting serious in 1966. Before that it was just for giggles.
I knew I was right. But I already knew that - just sharing what I already knew I knew, so that you now know about, you know, my rightliness.
Oh, and I'm *pretty* sure I can prove that violence only started getting serious in 1966. Before that it was just for giggles.
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