Flex Developer Books on iTouch/iPhone

Found a great article on converting eBooks to work with Stanza on the iPhone or iTouch. I already have some books that I have purchased through Oreilly.com and they are currently on my iTouch, but I also wanted to have the Adobe documentation available on my iTouch. Using a product called Calibre I was able to accomplish the task. What was great is that once I started the Calibre Server, Stanza immediately recognized the server and I was able to read the directory ... Awesome.

Check out this article which explains the process very well.

Presentation Patterns

While performing some research for me Simple Address Book sample application I came across this series of articles by Paul Williams on Presentation Patterns. I had been looking at the Swiz examples by Ben Clinkinbeard; Swiz example application with Presentation Model pattern and Swiz example application with Passive View pattern but found myself needing just a little bit more information.

Another really good presentation on implementing the Swiz framework is by Joe Rinehart: Swiz in 20 minutes video – bye bye boilerplate!

Simple Address Book: Datamodel

OK. So my Simple Address Book data model is not so simple. But it is something that is worthy of a true example application. Here is the first cut.

Starting the New Year off right!

To start the New Year (2010) off right I have decided that I really need to start writing about software development again. It has been some time (back in my Incware days) since I have sat down to write about technology. So to start off I am going to create a serious of posts to document my experiences in writing a fully functional, multi-user, GUI application called Simple Address Book.

The first release of the application is going to utilize Adobe Flex, Swiz Framework, MySQL, and WebOrb for PHP. The idea is to create an example I have been looking for, specifically and example of using the Swiz framework with WebOrb, as well as provide a reference implementation for clients seeking my services (I am often asked for an example of my work).

The Simple Address Book will be loosely modelled after the Contacts application you get with Mac OSX. The application will have the following features;

General Features

• Simple Address Book (SAB) is multi-user and will require the user to create an account
• SAB is an RIA (Rich Internet Application)
• SAB shall utilize Adobe Flex 3.x, WebOrb for PHP, Swiz Framework, and MySQL.
• SAB may integrate the following components from the following; Google Maps, FlexLib, Astra from Yahoo, & OpenFlux, Social.
• A fully functional reference implementation that people may actually use.
  

Contact Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Contact Records
• Contacts may have a first name, last name, middle name, company name, job title, birthday, anniversary, and a picture
• Contact pictures will be uploaded and stored as part of the contact
• Each contact may have one or more of the following; Phone Numbers, Addresses, Email Addresses, Websites, Instant Message ID's, & Social Network URL's
• Contacts may be associated with one or more groups
• Contacts may have one or more note entries
  

Contact Address Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Contact Addresses
  
• Link with Google Maps to show location
• Addresses are contact independent, this means that there may be duplicate addresses
• Addresses may be of the same type such as home, work, etc. Reason being is that one may have multiple home addresses.
  

Contact Phone Number Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Contact Phone Numbers
• (Optional) support for Skype may be implemented
  
• Phone numbers are contact independent, this means that there may be duplicate phone numbers
• Phone numbers may be of the same type such as home, work, etc. (see same feature of contact address)
  

Contact Email Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Contact Email Addresses
  
• When clicked should start default email application
  
• Email Addresses are contact independent, this means that there may be email addresses
  
• Email addresses may be of the same type such as home, work, etc. (see same feature of contact address)
  

Contact Website Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Contact Website Locations
  
• When clicked should open location in new browser/tab
  
• Website locations are contact independent, this means that there may be websites
• Websites may be of the same type such as home, work, etc. (see same feature of contact address)

Contact Instant Message Account Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Contact Instant Message Accounts
  
• (Optional) Launch appropriate application when clicked
  
• Instant Messages are contact independent, this means that there may be instant message accounts
  
• Instant Message Accounts may be of the same type such as home, work, etc. (see same feature of contact address)

Contact Social Network Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Contact Social Network Accounts/Locations
  
• When clicked should open location in new browser/tab
• (Optional/Future Enhancement) Social Network integration.
  

Group Features

• Create, Read, Update, Delete Groups
• Organize contacts within a group
• (Optional/Future Enhancement) Email group contacts

Future Enhancements

• Calendar integration
• Added CRM functionality, possibly integrate with SalesForce
• Incorporate social networking (FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) support
• iPhone Implementation
  

Natural Alternative to Red Bull!

Superintendent Carter

People in CUSD have asked what Superintendent Carter has done to deserve being placed on Administrative Leave. Here are just a few well documented reasons.

Top 10 reasons why Superintendent Carter must go

1) Carter secretly signed a 3-year contract providing him with a large salary increase at the same time he issued layoff notices to district teachers and classified personnel, then lied about signing the contract in the press.

2) Carter requested and was awarded by the old board a large salary increase for himself and his Deputy Superintendent Sherine Smith while asking parents to raise $1 million to fund teachers.

3) Records indicate Carter altered a Board-approved contract to insert a clause awarding himself $410,000 (18 months’ salary) in the event he is fired for any reason, without board approval.

4) Carter has failed to deliver a zero based budget, departmental budgets or organizational/personnel summaries – all basic requirements of his job and firm commitments he made when hired.

5) Carter and his staff entered into a tentative agreement with the teachers union without board authority.

6) Carter unilaterally cancelled a board approved 3-year boundary study contract without board authority.

7) Carter has failed to take any action after being notified 9 months ago that CUSD was in violation of Title 5 setbacks and the improper use of public funds to improve and maintain private property at San Juan Hills High School (SJHHS).

8) Carter has been negotiating with the developer/private property owner to purchase the SJHHS slope without the authorization or knowledge of the Board of Trustees.

9) Carter has failed to take any action after being notified 9 months ago that CUSD does not own the outfield portion of the ball field at SJHHS and has continued to use public monies to maintain it.

10) Carter has failed to deliver the district wide needs assessment, which is desperately needed to address problems with aging school facilities.

I will be posting my comments shortly, but I will say this - I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

EcoNews Websites

Here are some EcoNews websites I have found that I think are pretty good.

Mother Nature Network
Forecast Earth

More to come I am sure.

The Phelps Family

You know you shouldn't watch but for some reason you just can't help yourself and wonder if this is for real?