Saleh Blog

SWX is a project developed by Aran Balkan one of the best flashers on the web. SWX concept is similiar to AMFPHP concept which is retriving data in real time by Remote Precedure Calling (RPC) to be able to make real time web application like AJAX but in flash. But the difference, in SWX you retrive information from an SWF file rather than PHP file, and the information retrived from the SWF is a variable and we deal with it as an Object Class (AS way of defining a movie clip). In flash you manipulate with the variable recieved to suite our implementation. Just imagine the coolnest of those idea and what you can do with flash!

Yes, I’m trying my best to practice for that coming compitition. I’m tired of losing all compititions I have been participating. From high school’s International Olympiad in Informatics 2002-2003 to International Computer Programming Contest 2006-2007. I always get bad results on the compitition.

I got few online judges and problem sets websites I’m practicing on. One of them is UVA online judge which has thousands of problems. The other one is USACO TRAINING PROGRAM GATEWAY. I bought a programming trainning book made especially for ICPC and IOI to train my self. I also downloded the Art of Programming Contest book from UVA website.

With all those facilities available on the giant web some people would says that it is enough to get a good rank or even the first place. However, I am sure that most of the competitors, if not all, are using almost the same facilities to train. Therefore, there should be other factors helps the compititors to get better. I think one of the factors and important factor is the support of the coach and professors in the intitution. Another factor is to provide a good environment to train us for the compitition.

In the other hand, in my university, Kuwait university, there is no support AT ALL. We didn’t have any training nor much interest from the head of the college. How do they expect us to win the compitition if they don’t even give us trainning or atleast make a team early enough to have time so the team will coordinate and do some trainning in their own, IN THEIR OWN…

In 2007 ICPC for the arab region, my university’s 2 teams participation was cancelled by the college or university administration just 1 week before we travel!. I don’t know the details, but that let us down and shows us how much NOT interested the administration are for us to praticipate in the compitition. But in last 3 days, 2 girls from the other team (thanks to them) payed a visit to the university’s president and explain the situation. The university’s president then did the required paper works to make the trip possible.

Okay I didn’t know that was an april’s fool. Today while browsing keyframer’s blog I notice a post about TiSP, it totally slipped my mind that one day I saw that service announced as BETA on main page of google’s website. It is a joke which I didn’t pay attention to it. Here is the page of that joke.

Flash Magazine made a good review of the new Adobe Flash CS3. Take a look at it and feeeel it!

I am really impressed with the way Adobe made its new package of programs integerates together easily and more flixeble. Now I can open PDF files by using import in Flash CS3 and flash automatically distinguish between layers and images on the photoshop document. With the many new feature coming to Flash CS3 and Photoshop CS3, the possiblity to make richer and more accurate web interface experience.

Here is a quick example: Using photoshop quick selection tool to select the right part of image to work with, use Auto-align to get a better picture, use smart filter ordering to get the required experience, then use vanishing point to make the image more 3d and more realistic with the support of 3d measuring tools. Import it to flash as PDF to have a great and top quality magnificine image to work with and apply actionscripted animation with actionscript 3, modify it to fit the predefined mobile device content, do some drawing with the new rich drawing tools, apply filters and components, then export it to work on PC or mobile devices. Not to mention all other design and development programs coming with the CS3 package. All these flixebility makes Adobe CS3 one of the best developing and designing enviroment for everyone’s need.

Just a reminder…
Today is april’s fool day. So don’t believe anything you read about over the internet today. There are some april’s fool news which some websites will announce which is false tomorrow. Some will link you to april’s fool page. Here’s a link of april’s fool news on CNet.