JavaScript is coming strong...

I've recently been getting into frameworks other than Flex. My interest has primarely focused on Django, Drupal, YUI and jQuery. I am extremely impressed. All I have to say is...Flash needs to watch out, JavaScript is looking strong. Here are some reference materials:

http://blogs.zoho.com/uncategorized/firefox-31-google-chrome-javascript-wins-flashsilverlight-lose/

http://www.insideria.com/2008/10/will-jquery-dominate-the-ajax.html

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/09/28/jquery-and-microsoft.aspx

May 1s 2008 Reboot

This morning I woke up at 6 in a hurry to my desk. I had some ideas on fixing my portfolio section of the newly (in development) Sweeties and Gangsters site. This site has been in the making (mainly conceptually) since my trip to San Fran last summer. I have done much altering around and finally settled on a strong idea. I have now been in production for a month now. I have to say, it will be quite a complicated site as far as the dynamism. I have never built anything at this level of difficulty - from Design aesthetics to data modeling and structural design. I can't wait to release the beta version May 1st, 2008. I was blog reading a few moments ago and noticed the May 1st Reboot site has been re-designed. It's crunch time now, I have only 4 weeks till the launch of Sweeties and Gangsters; it's exciting!

Behind Every Great Inventor, There Is His Adversary

I'm always fascinated by new inventions. What entices me is not usually the invention itself but the inventor. The intriguing part is that quite a few intellects, inventors, philosophers and even scientists deem themselves in a godly like ability. Okay, I don't mind that; The point is that no one man can just come up with an idea and expect it not to be replicated. We are people who can think on many levels, and to view one has the only source of creation, would be insane. I read this article this morning on inventions that have already be thought of and how all the inventors would race to the patents' office; Some inventors couldn't even afford to legalize their inventions in time. So their are many creators out there that are not taken noticed. Truly, we all want to be acknowledged for our talents. Check out the article at the New York Times site.

Google's Docs Offline

I definitely will be trying this out. I think it is important for me to have as much data and tools online and not on my drive. It makes me feel secure to know that if my computer crashes, I can easily get to my data and not worry that it is lost. My fiancee and I share lots of documents, and to have Google's docs locally and online, makes it easier to edit updates at any point in time (online/offline).

Workaholics need coffee breaks

Spice up your colleagues' day with our Newton Virus, the first virus to introduce gravity to your laptop, causing the desktop icons to fall down as if subject to the gravitational pull from the real world.

Newton Virus comes on a USB key for manual infection. Simply plug the key into a computer and the virus will automatically copy itself on the hard drive.

The biology of religion

Okay, I'm not into discussing "religion talk" with anyone; But Dan Dennet brings an interesting perspective. Philosopher Dan Dennett thinks of religion as a natural phenomenon, a human feature that has evolved over millennia to meet each society's changing needs. From this, he makes a brilliant case for studying religion -- all religion -- as rigorously as we do science. Dennett, who followed Rick Warren on stage at TED2006, then takes a few minutes to analyze Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life and dispute several of its claims -- among them a belief that in order to be moral, one must deny evolution.

Big Dog by Boston Dynamics

I have to say this is one of the most freakiest looking animatrontics I've seen. The robot has very good balance while walking over rough terrains.

Design and the Elastic Mind at the MoMa

I spent this weekend hanging with friends. Morning, went to the MoMA with two great friends; After noon, rested and watched August Rush with my other half; Evening, had dinner at Rare with two new friends from L.A.; Night-time, party at my friends place in Harlem(He throws the best "loft" parties and he is also off the hook with the music).

The highlight of my weekend was a trip to the MoMA. Admiringly, I love museums and the fact that the Museum of Modern Art is only ten minutes away from home, it had only been my second time visiting. I checked out their new exhibit: Design and the Elastic Mind. Overall I thought it was okay, but their was one digital display I thought was extremely fun, and heavily interactive. You basically walk in front of this projection, You are then displayed in a silhouette form against the wall. Every motion you make creates a random animation and sound. It was absolutely amazing, I would love to look through that developer's code. I wish I caught the name of the display. Here is a snapshot of my boy Stephen and I playing with this gigamagig.


Another pretty neat thing (not as cool as the one I mentioned above), was this one piece done using ActionScript and Python in collaboration. Cabspotting - Uses GPS technology, cabspotting investigates the complexities of the Bay Region in the context of the Pacific Rim. The application created is called Stamen, it explores visualizations of GPS data generated by Yellow Cab taxis in San Francisco. In this animated map of located cabs in the Bay Area, the city pulses and creates a vivid fast forward of the cabbies moving time line to it's day to day destination.


If you so happen to be in NYC, I definitely recommend checking out the new exhibit on display at the MoMA. Their are displays worth seeing in person. I could go into a couple of others I enjoyed, but I don't want to spoil it for you. The exhibit ends May 12, 2008.