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Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

Microsoft Silverlight

April 19th, 2007 No comments

I was surfering the web as normally I do, checking updates on technology and computer related news and blogs and I come across a title “Microsoft to battle Adobe Flash with ‘Silverlight’” .. and I was like ‘what the heck!’. I went to google and searched for Silverlight to gain some informations about it.

It seems that Microsoft is now going for Rich Internet Application and compete with Adobe Flash. That’s a big step for microsoft towards the greed of controling the computer world which is natural since its a corporation and wants more money. I think that’s what will make Adobe and Microsoft compete on developing better Flash and better Silverlight application.

Web 2.. The Machine is Us/ing Us

April 12th, 2007 No comments

Making phone program with flash

April 8th, 2007 No comments

won before
 use Tel:
 easy

I have written this article before like 4 years ago in arabic and I won 2nd place on a compitition of best articles on the forum of http://www.ce4arab.com . the article was about making a phone call using flash on your pocket pc.

The idea was simple, you can make a phone call through internet explorer using Tel: NUMBER. For example, you want to call 33344422, simply you type on the internet explorer of your pocket pc “Tel: 33344422” and it will make the call. Well, I don’t know the command which will hang up the phone, but you can just press cancel when you placing a call. Anyone good enough in ActionScript will be able to do that without any trouble.

 To implement that on flash, first you have to make 10 buttons for number. Each time you click a button you add that number as a string to your variable, lets call that variable callNumber. For example when you click button five you add the character value 5 to your variable callNumber.

on (release) {
   _root.callNumber = callNumber + “5”;
}

You do that to all the number buttons. However, be sure to deal with the variable as string not as number which will do addition operation. We cannot use callNumber without defining the variable “callNumber”, we want to make it a timeline variable. To make it a timeline variable, go to the current frame and declare a variable with type String:

var callNumber:String = “”;

We gave it the initial value empty.

On the call button you add the string “Tel: ” and callNumber to your getURL command. Therefore, the call button actionscript will be as the following:

on (release)
{
   getURL(“Tel: ” + callNumber);
{

Simple isn’t it? I guess it is, or atleast so far.
We can add a digital LCD to the flash movie, so you can see what you are dialing like real pocket pc phone program. We add a dynamic text field to the stage and give it the var name “callNumber”. Its so simple and easy even for flash newbies.

The way to do it is simple and easy, but the idea that “Tel: number” on PPC internet explorer was unknown by most of you I’m guess. I can’t remember where I learned about the “Tel” command of the internet explorer.

C++ pointers lesson

April 6th, 2007 No comments

Categories: C++, Fun Stuffs Tags:

SWX – a new remoting way to create interactive environment with flash

April 4th, 2007 No comments

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!

Flash CS3 Review

April 3rd, 2007 No comments

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

Categories: General Web Development Tags:

Flash CS3 and Photoshop CS3… raises the boundary of digital interfaces

April 2nd, 2007 No comments

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.


FLash CS3

Categories: General Web Development Tags:

The upcoming new version of Standard C++

March 31st, 2007 No comments

Its been almost a decade since the c++98 standard was released and more than 2 decades since the first release of C++ made by Bjarne Stroustrup. The new highly anticipated C++0x is under development. Many new features are expected to be seen. Nevertheless, the new standard will be 100% compatible with the old c++98 standard codes. Therefore, it will be the same C++ we all know for many years, but more facility will be added to improve the language. There will be improvement on core language, but mostly on the library. There will also be more support for threading and smart pointers. However, smart pointers will be supported only through the standard library (as been said so far). Even more improvement in generic programming when developing the language which can be called ‘concept’. Developers are trying their best to include garbage collector with the C++0x compiler as compulsory rather than being compiler optional like in C++98. Many informations are available in the following URLs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B0x
http://herbsutter.spaces.live.com/?_c11_blogpart_blogpart=blogview&_c=blogpart&partqs=cat%3dC%252b%252b
http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/
http://www.informit.com/guides/content.asp?g=cplusplus&seqNum=216&rl=1

Categories: Flash/ActionScript/Flex, Myself Tags:

A tip for newbies in data structure design

March 30th, 2007 No comments

Memory is cheap, it is not a priority for developers anymore. However, developers trys their best to avoid as much as possible to reserve extra memory for their programs, sometimes it can’t be helped when performance is needed more. When more performance needed, more memory is needed. Speed and memory are vise versa. To increase speed of a program you need extra memory from the RAM. For example, using double linked list is much faster than single linked list, but double linked list reserves extra memory for the extra link each node will have. You don’t have to go through the whole list again to search for a prevoiuse node if its a single linked list. You just use the previouse link and increase the speed of the program.

Look at the following C++ code:

typename <Item class>class node
{
   private:
   int nodeNumber;
   <Item> data;
   node *next;
};

For double linked list node you have to add an extra pointer for previouse node:

typename <Item class> class node
{
   private:
   int nodeNumber;
   <Item> data;
   node *next;
   node *previous;
};

Categories: My Writings, Programming Tags:

Adobe is going to release Flash CS3! Cool…

March 30th, 2007 No comments

Adobe CS3
A new era of web and graphic design is about to unfold. The new version of Adobe Creative Suit 3 will be commercially available soon. Flash CS3 is about to come out with its many new features which makes me even more happy.. importing photoshop and ai files, convert the motion to an actionscript code, and ActionScript 3 ofcourse.

Many new programs are coming up this year. Too hard to keep up with all those new releases, my goal is to learn javascript deeper, actionscript 3, studying college materials, practicing Max 3D, adding more materials for my website, and again study my college lessons. I still need to learn the new version of Adobe Flash, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Flex Builder. I am also aiming to learn Adobe Apollo, the new program to combine all my web development skills. Adobe Apollo is still under developed and the alpha version is out.

Now its time to buy new books which will cost me a fortune 🙁 .