http://www.craigmattson.net RSS Content Feed for Craig Mattson [2010] en-au Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:14:40 GMT Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:14:40 GMT Blog Craig Mattson's Content Management System Version 3.0 http://www.craigmattson.net cradanka@gmail.com cradanka@gmail.com 60 http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-153.htm Wow. Just wow. Dusting off the old cobwebs of this website from a platform I coded now 5 years ago. Anyway - just a quick note on this website to say that if you're looking for support for this Application, please feel free to send an e-mail to appsupport [at] craigmattson [dot] net. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:14:40 GMT cradanka@gmail.com http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-153.htm 2c8ba98efcda42afef7b60e559686f15 http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-152.htm There are many opinions in the industry as to who will be the major winner out of HTML 5 (dubbed the "Open Web"), Microsoft Silverlight (a client-side sandboxed web application utilising the Microsoft .NET Framework) and Adobe Flash (the current dominant player in Animation and Web Applications on the web). What I am trying to understand is why such an argument exists? Steve Jobs has actively suggested many times that Adobe Flash is irrelevant when you compare to the functionality to HTML 5 (particularly the Canvas technology) but perhaps the consistent outbursts are misunderstood in the industry.A majority of the banner advertisements, multimedia containers and 2D Games that you see on the web are more than likely developed using Adobe Flash / Shockwave and yes, Steve Jobs is correct for the majority. At the moment, web-based applications such as Google's YouTube and Maps are experimenting with offering HTML 5 versions of the website to enable content to be embedded directly to the browser - so such "Open" functionality can and does work. Canvas technology does allow 2D games to be created as well as better Banner Advertisement systems that don't bring your PC to a screeching halt. The downside to your average consumer is how effective banner advertisement and popup blocking software is going to work? This is perhaps considered a feature of HTML 5 that Google, Microsoft and Apple (as well as various other third parties pioneering HTML 5) due to the massive revenue opportunities that exist for these companies. With a rant like that, you are perhaps expecting me to say HTML 5 is the loser? Absolutely not and for the very reasons HTML 5 is lacking in development complexity is the very reason Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Shockwave Flash exist.HTML 5 is a good standard for us to use as the "Assembly" of Web Programming. The raw nature of HTML 5 will ensure all devices designed to browse the web have at least a common core of multimedia functionality that can be presented to any Web Client be it a Mobile Device, Tablet, Kiosk or PC. It is absolutely necessary that we have the ability to drive multimedia content to multiple devices particularly due to the way social networking websites dominate total internet usage, and the potential future for news and the e-zine industry boom. But the trick is HTML 5 is simply a standard. It's not a programming language; it's not a particular technology. It is a baseline with a set of semantics to build websites that can render properly under a particular language definition irrespective of the target device. This is very important for the industry as a way forward past the primitiveness of HTML 4.However - HTML 5 and its Canvassing technology, Integrated Video Streaming and Tagging amongst data integration is simplified to ensure it is possible to be implemented in its entirety amongst various devices. This is where technologies such as Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash can bring proper complex web applications to the internet.Video StreamingYouTube is a fantastic website for streaming video footage and has assisted in the promotion of multimedia streaming for many corporations around the world. It has encouraged smaller businesses around the globe to also upload video footage to the internet. The main caveat with current HTML standards revolves around the lack of built-in language definition for multimedia applications. What Adobe Flash provides is a sandbox to allow the client, irrespective of what media player is installed, to stream the content. There is also some control over DRM (particularly where publishers want to restrict access), and a way to control the interface. Microsoft Silverlight takes a different approach to Video Streaming technology. When encoding a video, you can encode to multiple bitrates (quality levels to control file size) so that instead of buffering, Silverlight can use an algorithm to determine how much bandwidth you have available and will switch streams seamlessly to ensure you don’t have to buffer (except when your bandwidth drops below the minimum stream threshold).Complex Software Applications via the WebOver the last few years, emerging technologies such as json and jQuery have allowed web developers to create web applications to pull data via web services of sorts; however anyone who has attempted coding an interface with json and jQuery will understand there is a significant amount of work that goes with it, including browser interoperability. Strictly speaking, a technology such as Silverlight perhaps is nothing more than a sandbox primarily designed for Microsoft Windows PC’s through Microsoft Internet Explorer, however with Silverlight powered by the .NET Framework, you can expect that your various Business Logic Layers already implemented in existing projects can be reused within Silverlight applications by exposing WCF Services. Silverlight allows a web developer to design a rich user experience rapidly, reuse a common complex development framework interconnected with web services to capture and deliver content. Whilst we are seeing great progress with Google Documents, YouTube, Facebook and other Web Applications not using Flash or Silverlight, they are a long way off being viable alternatives for industry-grade applications.Consider a Data Entry platform in a large multi-national corporation where your support services are located in another continent. Leveraging built-in features such as Web-Cam integration, support can be provided by visually communicating with the end-user and controlling what they see in a Remote-Desktop capacity. The possible argument is existing technologies exist for the sole purpose, but having it built as part of an application eliminates the need to deploy such services. Remembering that all you need to run a Silverlight 4 application is the Silverlight framework on a Windows PC reduces deployment time significantly.New Features and ExperiencesHTML 5 is a standard. Well, not really a standard in its’ own right (yet). In less time than it has taken HTML 5 to gain some traction, Silverlight and Adobe Flex (an SDK for Flash) are in their fourth production releases with features being added all the time. Granted, some features are still not complete, but there are many customers of Silverlight and Flex solutions that are remarkably happy with their rich user experiences. Particularly in the last two versions of Silverlight, we have seen IIS Smoothing (Adaptive Video Streaming), Web-Cam integration, Drag-and-Drop integration and the roadmap list for both products is growing considerably. HTML 5 is still being drafted and parts are being implemented into browsers claiming to be standards – when they really aren’t! Standards take years to develop, features take months to develop and continue growing. Are we really going to be talking about non-DRM Video Streaming in 2020, or even using a 2D Web by then? Truth is, no one knows – but one thing is for certain, “now” technology can be provided by sandbox frameworks. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:06:13 GMT cradanka@gmail.com http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-152.htm 21c9fada4a0e12bcc94fde28b342d1d2 http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-151.htm With the Australian Coalition's announcement today to spend $6.3bn for a broadband network versus the government's $43bn on a National Broadband Network, I'm stumped as to where my vote goes. Here are the two core issues:I fully believe the Coalition can sustain $6.3bn on a network where the minimum speed is 12Mbps - many Australian's already have access to up to 24Mbps so for the few areas remaining with ADSL (and heaven forbid Dialup), this is perfectly achieveable. BUT! With content for multimedia streaming in 1080p rapidly becoming the future, 1.8MB is required per second to achieve a 6.5GB video - a minimum of 14.4Mbps! The current government's plan to offer up to 100Mbps of family friendly filtered internet at $43bn is a much better option (minus Steven Conroy and his filter). HD Multimedia already requires a hefty stream, and unless you've been sleeping under a rock; 3D content and much better resolutions are coming out for TV that are going to push up the bandwidth required exponentially. This is perhaps the best option we have for Australia going forward over the next 20 years. BUT! ALP have a notorious history for blowing way over budget and over schedule with technology it's ridiculous. Take Myki, Grocery Watch and Ultranet for example. I do not believe such a network can be built for $43bn. Perhaps with an extra "0" for padding we will achieve it. (Granted, Liberal had their own issues with the $84 Million Porn Filter grossly overbudgeted - particularly when a Melbourne Teenager circumvented it). So... a slower unfiltered network not capable of handling future traffic or a faster filtered network that will blow out millions? A very, very tough question.Proposed solution? Australia has way too many disparate towns and a low volume of people per square kilometer versuses other countries which can sustain "Super Fast Broadband". So perhaps the best solution is to set up a decent Fibre backbone and push fast internet out to towns that have the population to support it. Getting 100Mbps to a farm 20km from the main town is just not feasible with current technology. Perhaps in the future as we refine Wireless technology, we can deliver faster broadband to the country.I guess the reality for Australians is don't get too excited about either government about their internet policy. Both are absolutely flawed and are not technologically or economically feasible projects. Sure, I would jump with joy having a 100Mbps internet connection for TV Streaming, Downloading, Video Games etc... but I don't want to have to pay $1,000 per month just to have fibre to my house. It's time to get a little more serious with future proofing Australian's internet to both governments! Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:42:20 GMT cradanka@gmail.com http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-151.htm 2e644ade98c74f0d0b4dacb3920e4436 http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-150.htm I don't generally re-post news items but today will be an exception. The Herald Sun (one of the two leading daily news papers in Melbourne) has been quite amusing today covering how flawed the law is in Australia.Notorious sex fiend on the run, but Herald Sun cannot identify him because of privacy concernsWe have an escapist in Victoria, and a potentially dangerous one at that - and we can't publicly name him in the view of possibly catching him? A perfect example of the law protecting the guilty. I'm also impressed that the ankle bracelet does not have GPS tracking in it? What the hell? I seriously hope this guy doesn't re-offend before being captured!Driver fined for blowing nose in vanThis is just pathetic. Yes, it happened in the UK - but seriously! Blowing your nose in traffic? Apparently in comparison, this is as "dangerous" or "bad" to speeding and drink driving (particularly if you align the fine issued with Victorian fines). I seriously hope for the sake of Australians that this ridiculous law doesn't come into effect. Surely there are better things the police could be doing with their time instead of booking people for being hygienic! This guy however, was named - unlike the offender in the first article.Man 'filled parking meters with glue'Probably the funniest article I have read all week - and potentially the most amusing thing to have on your Criminal Record. I love the bail condition though: "that he not go within 20 metres of any parking meter, and is due to face North Sydney Local Court on February 23". Turns out this guy can't be named (or the Herald Sun didn't investigate who it was). At least we know Parking Meters in Sydney are now safe for another week.Cheers,Craig Mattson. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:31:32 GMT cradanka@gmail.com http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-150.htm 8a1f2cb96a4bbfe00f5d3ae2eb35428f http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-149.htm Hi All,Yes - it's 2:20AM in the morning and I've been on a role working on a prototype of a little 2D game I'm in the process of creating. For those who don't want to read the details can just go to the prototype located at:URL: http://www.craigmattson.net/Development/BlammersGame/setup.exe This is a ClickOnce application, so things install a little differently (to your AppData folder as a Web Application). Why do this? Well, it makes it easier for me to push updates to anyone that wants to test the game logic. Everytime the application is launched, a check will run on the URL to see if there is a new update. If there is, it will automatically update. Pretty neat technology! It'll also pick up the prerequisites for the XNA Framework.So, what is it? It's a pretty simple game concept. You click balls and they disappear. Ideally, I will put in logic for colour combinations, not missing balls, accuracy etc... The game is anticipated to be a sandbox game - so you keep going until either time runs out, your threshold is too low or something (yet to be determined). Feel free to make suggestions. Whilst I'm prototyping the game physics, I figured I'd better use XNA as it's pretty quick to prototype a 2D Game up using it.At the moment, it's pretty plain. You get a menu screen and if you left click - you're given a blank canvas. Right Clicking on the screen will generate a ball that will float to the top of the screen. If you click the ball (slightly off centre to the right), the ball will disappear. So nothing thrilling at this stage - but if you want to keep your eye on it. Download, install and get the framework sorted out.Once I'm satisfied with the game logic, I'll export to Zune (i.e. the Microsoft MP3 Player), Xbox 360 (I'll add Controller support) and then port it to the iPhone. I'm hoping soon that something like the following screenshot will appear on the App Store:  Anyway, I'll keep you all posted.Cheers,Craig Mattson. Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:13:06 GMT cradanka@gmail.com http://www.craigmattson.net/display-news-comment-149.htm 879517c060624f0e442aa60ae9fa2fe3