Andre’s Blog

May 31st, 2006

Notes from the second Nitobi Podcast.  Recorded with Andre Charland, Dave Johnson and Alexei White.

Yahoo API’s versus Google versus eBay APIs

• Geo Coding and Mapping APIs
• tight licensing, despite the appearance (the illusion of freedom)
• can’t put them behind a log-in for example
• hard to build a business model
• Alexei is working on an RIA / AJAX polling and survey tool
• Dave was looking at eBay API for a grid demo to show off live scrolling and updating of auction items
• Yahoo Maps may not be quite as good, but the APIs are more powerful and flexible
• Will more open win? Or will better software win?
• How are these companies going to build business models
• Who’s going to provide the micropayments?
• Pushpin have the same data
• Yahoo Patterns will have an API soon
• Amazon Web Services Site

• S3 REST based storage service
• Mechanical Turk – is an addictive

Windows Live Mail

• I like deleting with the keyboard, and there should way more keyboard nav on the web

Translating higher level languages to Javascript

• Morphik suing the internet and google WTF mate
• Reg has a blog post about it: http://web2.0central.com/archives/202
• Dear Pioneers! WTF

Enterprise AJAX – the book we’re writing

• MVC
• send us suggestions: djohnson [at] ebusiness [dash] apps [dot] com
• We need Enterprise class AJAX case studies: awhite [at] ebusiness [dash] apps [dot] com

Podcasting with cote and charles about enterprise AJAX on Thursday

• Drunkandretired.com

Java and AJAX

• Dave’s Jupiter Media Webinar June 14th – http://developer.com
• What’s most popular?

• JSF

• Struts

• Spring

Java IDEs

• NetBeans
• Java Studio Creator
• Eclipse

Who’s looking at this?

• http://eclipse-ecosystem.blogspot.com/2006/05/indeed-some-work-to-do-in-eclipse.html
• http://google.com/trends?q=eclipse+java%2C+netbeans%2C+intellij%2C+jbuilder%2C+jdeveloper&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all
• Tim O’reilly: http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2006/02/whats_up_with_netbeans.html

Grid 3.05 Release: http://www.nitobi.com/technologies/webdevelopment/codeandcomponents/ebagrid/default.htm

• Improved Toolbar
• Performance way up!  Faster smoother user experience!
• Fixed some character and encoding issues
• Size / Footprint has been cut down
• Check out the demos
• We’re releasing that May 31st

Hipsters!  Get’ em

• How to know when you have a hipster infestation: http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/spoofs_satire/do_you_have_hipsters.php

Technorati Tags: podcast, enterpriseajax, ajaz, api, mapping, ide, java, eba

Posted in Technology, Software Development, AJAX, Web 2.0, Business, Usability – HCI | No Comments »

May 8th, 2006

Alexei has just start a blog! He’s going to have lots of interesting things to say on:

…web based software and marketing, but also important peripheral issues like usability in software, design patterns, futurism, and business.

It too him a little longer than I expected to jump into blogging. He’s is one of the original members of the Nitobi Component team, an old friend and super smart guy! So add his blog to your reading list:)

Technorati Tags: alexeiwhite, ajax, eba, usability, blog, web2.0, productmanagement

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May 5th, 2006

Just found out about (and registered / expressed interest for) the JavaOne Blogger Beer meetup. Sounds like fun.

I’m making progress to get the JavaOne Blogger Meetup scheduled. I’m still negotiating with venues so I’d appreciate if everyone interested could go use the shiny new registration system to express an interest. That way I’ll be able to e-mail everyone who wants to come as well as guestimate the number of people coming – register now! (you only have to fill in name & e-mail)

Via Simon Phipps’s blog.

Java, Blogging and Beer.   What the heck, I’ll try anything once:-)  I wonder if there will be any other AJAX-heads or Cannucks there…

Technorati Tags: javaone, blogger, beer, meetup

Posted in Software Development, AJAX, Web 2.0, Business, Usability – HCI | 6 Comments »

May 5th, 2006

Godfrey just posted our first screen cast of our beta JSF AJAX Components components runnig in the NetBeans IDE. We’re pretty excited to be at this point point with our support for JSF, J2EE and NetBeans. Have a look at the screen cast and download the beta.

Or you can view the component running live here.

Also, I’ll be at NetBeans day May 15th so drop me a line if you’d like to chat about our components, I’ll have some free licenses with me as well.

Technorati Tags: ajax, screencast, jsf, netbeans, java, j2ee

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May 4th, 2006

BarCamp / BarCampTdot

Alexei White, product manager at eBusiness Applications and founder of AJAXInfo, is going to be in Toronto for BarCampTdot and Mesh Conference. Track him down and say “hi”. Especially if you’re interested in free software and AJAX;) Alexei will have some coupons for our Nitobi Grid and Combo Box bundle.

Alexei will be talking about AJAX at both the BarCamp and Mesh Conference (unconference) events:

AJAX, AJAX, AJAX. AlexeiWhite of eBusiness Applications and AJAXInfo
will be leading a discussion on rich UIs built using AJAX techniques,
brainstorm usability benefits / pitfalls, design patterns and the
implications of office and business applications moving the internet.
Come prepared to discuss your favorite online applications and rich
UIs. Other cool things Alexei may be showing an AJAX spreadsheet and/or
AJAX and Flex working together in one UI. This discussion is probably
more for end users and project managers than developers.

BarCampTdot already has about 80 registered! I think it’ll be a really interesting event. MeshConference on the other may not have as much interesting content. Seems to be very blog and media focused and even then nothing that cutting edge from what I can tell. I think we’ve been through “Blogging 101″ before. Furthermore for “Canada’s Web 2.0 Conference” it doesn’t really have some other interesting Web2.0 content from Canada. For example Dick Hardt from Sxip on Identity2.0, Boris Mann or Roland Tanglao of Bryght on blogging platforms, myself (I’ll be in SF though) or someone else from Nitobi on AJAX and usable web apps, someone from the original Flickr team on the web as a platform or communities. To it’s credit they manage to get some well known Web2.0 names such as Om Malik and Jason Fried. Paul Kedrosky and Tris Hussey are from around Vancouver. And it’s always good to see my friend’s Philip Smith and George Irish get some face time! All in all it’s like a good conference for what is, but I feel it could have a broader focus and from more different points of view. I’m not sure if they need 6 seperate sessions on blogs…and could have used some on user experience and online applications. Or they should have called it the “Web2.0 Blogging and Media Toronto Conference” or something. You know kind of like why is the US Major League Baseball finals called the “World Series”. Still some of the speakers they do have are amazing and I’m sure there will be a lot of smart interesting people there. The other side of this argument is that there is a unconference room where you can do whatever you want in true Web2.0 style.

I won’t be there so please let me know if I’m way off base. That’s my rant, but hey that’s what blogs are for;-)

Technorati Tags: mesh06links, mesh conference, mesh06, barcamptdot, barcamp, web2.0

Posted in Software Development, AJAX, Web 2.0, Business, Usability – HCI | No Comments »

May 3rd, 2006

We’ve just launched the Grid 3 Beta. After 2 closed alpha releases with our customers we felt confident that our new cross browser AJAX grid was ready for the public! This much aniticipated by the community and our customers which I must appologize to for the long development cycle.

Nitobi Grid V3 Beta info.

Free Trial Download here.

Some other exciting news is that Godfrey has our JSF Combo Box running in Netbeans now!! We’re gonna be doing a screencast of an implementation shortly. And the Nitobi Grid V3 JSF shortly after that! 17 Days until we release Grid 3!

Good work team!! James, Dave, Jake, Joel, Godfrey, Wendy and Pam have been working so hard to get this out the door:) I’m proud to be working with such a dedicated and talented team.

Technorati Tags: ajax, eba grid, beta

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May 2nd, 2006

So I’m just working out my trip down to San Francisco next week.  It’s going to be hectic one.  But I thought post my declarative trip;-)  (Inspired by Cote)

Conferences and Day Events:
May 10-12  The Ajax Experience
May 12-13  Dcamp
May 14        Rest (I’ll need it)
May  15       Netbeans Day
May  16-19 JavaOne

Apres Events:
May 12th-  AJAX Experience Closing Festivities
May 15th – Netbeans Reception
May 17th – Sun Reception
May 17th – Geronimo Live
May 18th – Pre Supenova Party

*Schedule subject to change without notice.

There’s going to be a whole of bunch of cool people there from what I know already, hopefully I’ll be able to meet a bunch more.  So far: Duane Nickull, the adobe crew, Cote, Greg Murray, the sun crew, Bill Scott, John Merrells and Rashmi Sinha.

If you want to hook up while I’m down there just give me call on my cell (seven seven eight) 999 9287 or drop me an email acharland (at) ebusinessapps (dot) com.

Technorati Tags: javaone, ajaxexperience, dcamp, netbeans, sanfrancisco

Posted in Technology, Software Development, AJAX, Usability – HCI | 5 Comments »

May 1st, 2006

We’re all very excited about the Grid V3 that we’re shipping tomorrow (May 2nd 2006). The whole theam has been working hard to complete the new code base and a few “lucky” customers have been playing around with the Alpha for a few weeks now, but this will be the first Nitobi Grid V3 will be live in wild! Alexei’s just putting the new feature list online.

Some of the exciting features in the beta are:

• cross-browser (IE, FireFox, Mozilla, Netscape)
• cross platform support (Java, .Net, PHP, ASP, ColdFusion)
• copy-and-paste
• resizable columns
• scrolling and sorting large datasets on-the-fly
• data filtration
• master-detail views
• robust JavaScript API

Nitobi Components have wide support for a variety of operating systems and server platforms, with explicit support for ASP.NET, Classic ASP, PHP, JSP, Java Server Faces, and Coldfusion.

The .Net and JSF versions won’t be available right away in the beta. They will be available shortly on Nitobi Labs. We’re going at 110% to get the commercial release for May 15th.

Screen shot showing off selecting for the copy and paste feature.

I’ll publish the download link here tomorrow when it goes live.

Keep up the good work team!

Technorati Tags: ajax, beta, component, eba, grid

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April 29th, 2006

outlinelab.com by James Prudente is working on a really cool AJAX outlining tool for links and brainstorming.  Outputs OPML for everything.  Has some really neat list and tree sorting UI features.  You can use the keyboard to nav keys to sort all the items (order and parent/child nodes).  Just met James after my AJAX session.  Really cool.

Technorati Tags: mindcamp2.0, ajax, ruby, opml

Posted in Technology, AJAX, Web 2.0, Random, Usability – HCI | No Comments »

April 29th, 2006

Paperless Office by H.B Siegel from IMDB.com

H.B. Gave us overview of creating a paperless home office after working on look inside the book at Amazon.com.

Some of the tools:
Fujitsu Scansnap dual side scanner.  Under $400 (this is the only cost except for massive amounts of time!!!)
Backup service via dvd writer and USB Hardrive.
Lucene > Java based search software

What he digitized:
Bills
Medical
Nostalgic
Legal
Credit Card Receipt Bill
Taxes*
Car Maintenance
Handouts
Business Cards
Papers / Academic
Reference
Travel (I-94)*
Foreign Money
Pay Stubs
Books
Tech
Warranties
Manuals
Passport*
Wills*
Birth Certificates*
Contracts*
Home ownership / maint
Photos*
SSN / SINin Canada*
Papers

*Indicates stuff you want to keep a hardcopy of forever

Process:

1. Scan > PDF
2. OCR > TXT > Abby Reader
3. Lucene > Index for Searching

Photos – Awesome with Picasa
Business Cards + Cardminder = Very Good
Document + Scansnap + Truecrypt + Lucene/Copernic = pretty good

Technorati Tags: mindcamp2.0, paperlessoffice, scanner

Posted in Technology, Random, Usability – HCI | No Comments »