i am alan » software

pkShow // 1.0.0.6

chaeseco — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:00:03 +0000

I made a few changes to pkShow, I added a remote control with indicators for the set. plus I added settings allow you any combination of 10 or 20 slides with 10 or 20 seconds. this way you have 1:40min, 3:20min or 6:40min set.

you can download the latest copy here.

enjoy

Share/Bookmark

Sony Dash (review)

chaeseco — Sat, 29 May 2010 21:57:35 +0000

So I received a mysterious box on my doorstep (a few days ago), and to my surprise it was a Sony dash!

It’s about 7.5 inches wide (you can see pictures here), you can stand it upright, or on it’s back and the screen will flip accordingly. The Dash runs ChumbyOS and has over 1,000 widget-apps available. The interface is broken up, into: the menu system, an “alarm clock” screen mode with a power save option (it turns the screen off), and the dashboard. Currently the dashboard only has 2 different display layouts and it does not seem to be configurable. What you can configure, is: “channels”. To create a new channel, register your Dash (http://sony.com/mydash); you’ll need to sign-in or create a Sony Essentials account. Once this is complete you can edit the existing default channels or create your own. This is where you add apps to the channel. Once your Dash is registered, pull the power (re-power it) and let it reboot. It will sync to your account and will apply any changes you have made. After I did this I was able to customize and create channels on the device; not just from the website.

Here’s the VLOG I made the other day, when I received the unit…

After playing with the device for a few days, here’s some observations…

the snooze button only snoozes in 5 minute increments. A feature I like on my previous alarm clock, was the snooze default button increments were 8 minutes apart and you could compound them together by multiple taps of the snooze button. With the Dash you can specify multiple alarms and days. However, I would prefer the option of customizing the snooze delay per alarm and at the least have an option like tapping the screen to override the snooze delay temporarily.

networking with the Dash is pretty easy, but it’s only WiFi. There’s no choice for ethernet. For most, this isn’t an issue and it wasn’t for me. However, if I wanted to take the Dash to work it would be an enormous amount of red tape to get the device on the work WiFi network. This wasn’t a problem for me at home and I was able to add the Dash to my secured WiFi network (because I’m the red tape; the argument with myself was pretty short).

streaming music and videos is a nice touch, especially when combined with the alarm. However, in my bedroom, I’m not likely to watch any streaming videos on the device. I can do this directly from my TiVo. Like most households, I already have a TV in my bedroom (bigger than 7 inches). But I do understand this is a nice feature to have, if you put the Dash in your kitchen.

the screen is vibrant and images and video come through just fine.

the touch screen works just fine. I think any comments about the device feeling lagged has less to do the touch screen the more to do with the speed in which the device operates at. However, keep in mind the ChumbyOS is simple by design and is not intended to give you the pinch/zoom gesture experiences you get on iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

ChumbyOS is a very basic operating system. I’m not sure, but it feels flash based. I think Dash would of benefited from a richer operating system; by running something like Android instead. I assume if it was running Android the specs on the device would go up as well as the starting price. But if the Dash was running Android, you would have many more feature filled apps at your disposal. For example, Cooking Capsules running on your Dash in your kitchen I think would be invaluable.

media server / UPnP support is lacking. I wish this device was able to stream content from the media server in my house network. It’s nice that you can play music via a USB jump drive, but allowing this from iTunes or a media server would be a better direction to take, in my opinion.

In the VLOG, I mentioned several minutes of downloading. It turns out that Sony just released updates the day I received the device. So I suspect that this was uncommon and is not likely to happen often. Also worth mentioning, the Dash has a microphone. I didn’t find any applications that made use of the mic, but it’s nice there was some forward thinking on the design.

In summary, I like the device. I can see the potential. Is the Dash fulfilling all that it can be, right now? I don’t think so. But keep in mind, how many alarm clocks have you had in the past that could auto-update itself with new features, and run applications? that’s what I thought. I had a car radio system that could do that (a rio car), and for gadget nerds like me, that’s the “crack topping” to the awesomeness-sundae. Is it worth the cost? (currently at $199) …I would say yes. It’s a nice design and has a lot of potential, especially if you can find a use outside of the bedroom (like in a kitchen, your office, etc).

UPDATE (2010-06-01): Last night (technically this morning) I received an update. I noticed 3 changes: you can now define a snooze interval (from a list of options) per alarm profile, there’s a full screen option for the apps and now there’s more than 2 layouts (aka themes). Remember that potential thing I was mentioning above? yeah, there it is.

Share/Bookmark

shortner (desktop) // 1.0.0.7

chaeseco — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:02:47 +0000

you might be asking yourself, why so many updates? simple answer. as I use the app more, small things needed some improvement, I made a few graphic changes (that I missed) and the app now checks for updates automatically.

for those in a hurry, here’s the latest version, you can download it here.

for those new to shortner, let me give you a brief explanation of what it is, and why you might want to use it. shortner is a URL shrinking platform. basically we can take long URLs (website links) and shrink them down to something easier to remember; a short-link. because we’re a true platform (not just a website application), we have developed an API (XML or JSON), and we can bind a shortner site to any DNS address (shortner.com, qrk.me, podcamp.me, etc). we even built the option to host private shortner sites and more. I won’t cover every feature, as the details will bore most of you reading this.

here’s an example:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/scottpilgrimvstheworld/
http://qrk.me/67

now this isn’t a new technology. TinyURL.com was the first that I know of to do this. I produce a podcast and we use shortner to track URL stats, and to share links during the show. once you have set the expectation, you really only need to read the short-code URL. we have also added a handful of other options not common to most URL shrinking sites: we automatically check each submitted link to see if it’s a malware site, generate QR codes (for your link), you can set a NSFW flag, add tags, add a description, and password the shortner link.

every link has a tracking page (example: http://qrk.me/_track/67) so you can track your stats. I use shortner when I want to share or tweet a link. it’s interesting to see how fast people look at the link after you tweet.

as I mentioned before, shortner is a platform. so if you choose to create an account, your user/pass works for all shortner sites. in addition to this, because of the API we have created several applications on different platforms (Windows Mobile, Android, Windows, Google Talk bot, Adobe Air, a .net library for developers and more). coming soon: a Silverlight based version, an updated Windows Mobile version, a Windows Phone 7 version and an iPhone application.

hopefully you see the flexibility we can offer with shortner. we would love for you to give it a try. and give us feedback. we’re always open to suggestions. if you’re a fellow youtuber or podcaster (with thousands of subscribers) don’t hesitate to contact us about a personal shortner site; we’re always looking for someone to try out shortner on a large audience to see how well the platform performs.

if we still haven’t lost your attention, check out the quick video tour. it’s a little outdated, but can provide you with more insight to what has been mentioned here.

the last thing on my mind… sometime in the near future, I plan to do a video on the Shortner (desktop) application. for now I’ll just give you a quick run-down of features that might not be so obvious.

you can drag and drop (a URL; in text form) on to the application
you can drag and drop an internet shortcut (from the desktop or a folder)
you can right-click and paste a URL from the clipboard
you can right-click and specify an API key (if you have one)
it remembers the last shortner site you used and is selected by default
it restores its last location and is multi-monitor sensitive
sticky mode lets you retain the last tags used
it remembers your username and password
it can be set to auto-login on start
it keeps an on-going history of your links (with quick access to the tracking pages and etc)
…and more

I’m proud of shortner and we plan to continually add, change and improve. it’s worth nothing that the “we” is @webdevvie and @chaeseco (also @chaess); 98% John and 2% me. if you’re a developer, please check out our wiki we would love to see what you do with the platform. John and I will be at Google I/O 2010 (I’ll be wearing a shortner shirt); say hello if you see us walking around.

enjoy.

Share/Bookmark

shortner (desktop) // 1.0.0.6

chaeseco — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:49:26 +0000

I made a couple minor updates this morning. but the one new feature worth nothing is the “show past links” feature. basically as you use the application we will log the links you created in the past. the log is stored locally, so it will only show links you created with that computer. you can find the new feature, under link history and then right-click.

you can download the latest copy here

enjoy

Share/Bookmark

shortner (desktop) // 1.0.0.5

chaeseco — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:32:10 +0000

I made another update to the desktop app (which you can download here). I added the password and description feature as well as updated the library which is included with this download. you can also get the update (inside the application) by clicking on “check for updates”under the help menu (right-click the systray icon).

enjoy. let me know if you run into any issues.

Share/Bookmark

shortner (desktop) // 1.0.0.4

chaeseco — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:24:53 +0000

I made a couple updates. I fixed an minor issue with the “last service used” feature. all it does, is after you successfully make a new shortner link, the app will keep track of the shortner service-site you used and auto-selects this site by default. it wasn’t updating this information in all scenarios. that is now fixed.

the second change, is I added a shortner URL (history) window. every time you make a new link it will store the shorter link, the original link and the date / time it was created. if you right-click on the row, you can browse to the shortner link, it’s tracking page or the original link. if all of this is confusing, see my original post, here.

you can download the latest copy, here. future updates will include the password-ing and description features. I will add those features in the near future; stay tuned.

if you’re a .net developer and would like to use shortner inside your app, take a look at our .net library, here.

Share/Bookmark

shortner (desktop) // 1.0.0.2

chaeseco — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:26:51 +0000

I haven’t written about shortner in a while. this week I finally made some accomplishments with regards to shortner. sometime last year John had upgraded the shortner platform to version 2.0. part of the upgrade included a newly revamped API (rest / json / xml based). because of this, any previous apps I had built were now invalidated.

so this week, I took some time and completely rebuilt the windows native desktop app, updated and brought the gtalk/jabber bot back online (currently invite only), and created a .DLL library for other developers to use.

hopefully in the near future we’ll create a download page on the shortner blog and etc. there you’ll find all the apps we’ve written so far: the AIR app, the Android app (check the market), the windows native app, etc. plus at some point we’ll update the wiki, with how to download and use the .DLL library; so you can use shortner with your windows-based applications.

in the past I had built a windows mobile app for shortner… I plan to update this as well. not to mention John is planning on creating the iPhone app for shortner.

the desktop app, is system tray based (next to the clock); so it stays present while you have it running, you can drag-&-drop internet shortcuts on it, drag-&-drop selected text-links, paste links from the clipboard, specify an API key (in you have one) and it actively saves your preferences.

so that’s in for now, constructive feedback and feature requests are always welcome. enjoy.

Share/Bookmark

shortner (quick tour)

chaeseco — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:10:45 +0000

shortner is a URL shrinking service much like bit.ly and tinyurl; but designed with podcasters and bloggers in mind. this video is a quick tour on how to use the web application and will demonstrate you how to use the most basic features of the platform.

Share/Bookmark

unbagging (shortner shirts)

chaeseco — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:58:32 +0000

my buddy john (“the” developer for shortner) had a couple shirts created. he sent me a t-shirt and a hoodie. as promised I filmed a quick un-bagging. enjoy

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // future updates…

chaeseco — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:23:18 +0000

once and a while I check the number of downloads for mSeesmic; that come directly to my server. I have noticed many PocketPC / Windows Mobile sites cache a copy (mostly an older copy) of the app on their servers for download. so my observations are limited to what is downloaded from the site directly.

anyhow, the reason I’m writing this post, was to mention I haven’t forgotten about you. I will be releasing an update soon. I just need to find some time to work on the enhancements I want to make… which will include some of the following…

user preference: control thumb/finger scrolling speed (mainly for VGA users)

user preference: blocking users

user preference: languages filtering

user preference: creative commons default

timeline: show YouTube video entries; but disabling playback (since most phones do not support this)

timeline: improved “< prev" and "next >” intelligence

timeline: user agent support

description box support (read and submit)

posting: make private posts

posting: mark “for public”

posting: update twitter on post

posting: specify creative commons options

better threading options; so you the user can be impatient while it does things in the background

new video notifications (just like your phone tells you have new voicemail)

download and upload percentages

…and that’s just a partial list… there’s way more on the list, including some minor bugfixes… and some language pack updates.

anyhow, don’t loose hope. I will make the updates, I promise, all in do time.

Share/Bookmark

ratiocalc // 1.0.0.0

chaeseco — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:55:27 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself needing to resize images or video. most of the time I want to keep the aspect ratio. my problem is I generally only know one of the dimensions that I want to resize too and I not the other.

to figure out the other corresponding dimension I always load up photoshop, create a blank new file, set the canvas to the original dimensions and then I resize the image to get the corresponding value.

well I finally got tired of doing this just to find out what the corresponding number is. so tonight I built a quick and dirty systray app called “ratiocalc”. using this application you define your starting dimensions, then specify either the new height or width and it will tell you the corresponding value based on the initial dimensions.

that’s it, quick and simple. the application only runs in windows and is a .net 2.0 application. you can download it… but you use it at your own risk. I do not take any responsibility in how you use this app. you agree to those terms by downloading it here.

Share/Bookmark

transLock // 1.0.0.0

chaeseco — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:10:31 +0000

today I realized I never released transLock. sometime last year; maybe in 2007… I created a very basic windows lock/screensaver utility.

where I work, if security (sees your workstation or laptop unlocked) they’ll prove their point. sometimes it’s a harmless thing like sending email from your computer and sometimes it’s not.

at times I want the option of locking down / securing my laptop (so I can walk away without concern) while I can still see incoming email, monitoring systems and so on. at another company I used to use a util that would auto-lock my workstation when the bluetooth signal was weak or off on my mobile phone. but that was never a good solution for me, cause I could still be 150 feet away (in the bathroom or cafe) and my workstation was still unlocked.

getting back to my point, I grew for a need to have my workstation locked up at times, while I could still monitor what was going on. so I built transLock. it’s a windows systray utility that says hidden until you activate it. when activated, it locks up your screen (while staying opaque; which is user configurable) and will not go away until you enter the correct password. you cannot ctrl-alt-delete your way out of it, all you can to do enter the correct password, shutdown or cancel (back to entering the password).

it’s not perfect, you can still create some trouble through alt-tab. but I thought I’d release it to anyone who wants to try it out.

disclaimer: use at your own risk. this is not a security deterrent or replacement for the OSes windows lock function. if you download this utility you do so on your own accord and I am not responsible for how you use it. if you agree to this disclaimer you can download the application here.

there is no auto-update (check for updates) system in this app. so I recommend you come back to this blog for updates. the password is stored on the computer and in a proprietary encryption. the application requires .net 2.0 and is self contained. no installer is required. if you wish to have transLock run on startup, you’ll need to create a shortcut and place it in your startup folder.

NOTE: a VERY important thing to note. out-of-the-box the first-run password is the current date in the following format: YYYYMMDD …example: so if today’s date was: January 21st, 2009, the password would be: 20090121 …make sure after you unlock to set your password to something else.

that’s it. use transLock at your own risk; see the disclaimer above for details. enjoy.

Share/Bookmark

pkShow // 1.0.0.4

chaeseco — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:41:51 +0000

I made a minor update. You can now reorder the image sequence. that’s it. enjoy.

you can download the latest version here or check for updates inside the application.

let me know if you find errors or run into problems.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // 1.0.0.14

chaeseco — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:09:22 +0000

don’t get too excited. this release is just 2 bug fixes and 1 minor new feature.

I fixed the issue where you respond to a video than when you want to create a new one; it now properly clears out the previous referring video-id. I also fixed the previous / next issue when you are browsing inside a thread. this was previously not working correctly and keeping you stuck on the first 20 videos; it’s now fixed. the last feature just highlights the video-item when you press-down on the thumbnail. I added this to help you know which video you are about to enable options for.

that was it, there are new features on their way, when I find the time and energy to implement and test them.

as usual you contact me here if you run into errors or any issues.

if you already have the application installed it will prompt you to update. if not, you can go into options and check update under the misc tab. if you haven’t installed mSeesmic yet you can start by browsing the following URL on your phone: http://m.mseesmic.net

mSeesmic is a Compact Framework 2.0 .net application for Windows Mobile. it is designed for the touch/stylus PDA phones.

I recommend you save the executable to it’s own folder, and preferably to the external memory card of you have the room. in the near future I will create a self-contained CAB installer. for now, just download and save the application to it’s own folder and location. from there it will configure itself, download and maintain any temp files inside the folder.

that is it for now. as usual please contact me for any bug you find, and if you happen to see a review of the application or review it yourself, please leave a link to your review here.

thanks and enjoy.

Share/Bookmark

seesTray // 1.0.0.4

chaeseco — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:16:49 +0000

today I built a quick and dirty little windows app, I call “seesTray”. I know the name is horrid, get over it.

anyhow, it’s basically a seesmic (inbox) notifier. while the app is running it will sign-in to seesmic and grab the list of videos in your inbox. if it sees any changes, it will let you know.

you can grab a copy of it here.

to install unzip the contents of the zip-file into it’s own folder. you need to have .net 2.0 framework already installed.

note it’s just a quick little app I built today on lunch. later on, (if there’s a strong desire for it), I’ll build an installer and whatnot. for now, of you want it to launch on startup, just create a shortcut and drop it into your startup folder in your start menu.

update I made a bunch of little improvements and a few small changes. so it’s at version 1.0.0.4 now. no biggie, if you already installed it, it will prompt you to download the update the next time you run it.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // (promo) for you

chaeseco — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:44:23 +0000

mSeesmic (for windows mobile)

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // 1.0.0.13 (previously 1.0.0.12)

chaeseco — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:58:03 +0000

I finally completed a very large and tedious coding effort for the newest feature to the application. I made a handful of minor improvements, and added the following features:

d-pad scrolling – you can now scroll the timeline/thread (just like you can with your fingers) using the navigation . d-pad on your phone.

multi-language support – this feature let’s you choose which language you want to operate the application in. however I must point out that the translations are rough first-drafts and have yet to be optimized for application UI. in time newer language packs will become available. if there’s a language you would like to see suported that is not in the list and you offering to help translate, please contact me. also if any of the exisitng language packs (aside from english) that need tweaking and you can help, please contact me.

if you already have the application installed it will prompt you to update. if not, you can go into options and check update under the misc tab. if you haven’t installed mSeesmic yet you can start by browsing the following URL on your phone: http://m.mseesmic.net

mSeesmic is a Compact Framework 2.0 .net application for Windows Mobile. it is designed for the touch/stylus PDA phones.

I recommend you save the executable to it’s own folder, and preferably to the external memory card of you have the room. in the near future I will create a self-contained CAB installer. for now, just download and save the application to it’s own folder and location. from there it will configure itself, download and maintain any temp files inside the folder.

that is it for now. as usual please contact me for any bug you find, and if you happen to see a review of the application or review it yourself, please leave a link to your review here.

thanks again and enjoy.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // Compact Framework

chaeseco — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:41:44 +0000

alright, I have been getting a little bit of feedback indirectly regarding mSeesmic and that it’s not running on a handful of Windows Mobile 5.0 phones.

to resolve this, you’ll need the .net compact framework 2.0 installed your phone. you can get the installer for it here. You’ll need to run this from a windows desktop/laptop with your phone connected via ActiveSync.

according to the supported operating systems this installation includes WIndows Mobile 2003 SE as well. If anyone is willing to test that, I would like to know the success of this. technically if you can get .net CF 2.0 installed it should work just fine.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // how-to download

chaeseco — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:53:05 +0000

for anyone who has wondered this way looking for the latest mSeesmic client, all you need to do is go here (on your phone): http://m.mSeesmic.net and you will be prompted to download the application.

a couple recommendations…

#1 move your download to it’s own folder before running.

#2 I recommend the subject folder is a place with room for temp files, like the extremal memory card.

any other questions I can answer, please comment here or use one of the methods listed in the sidebar to contact me.

thanks again for the interest!

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // 1.0.0.11

chaeseco — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:19:31 +0000

I made a handful of changes today… I made enough of them and decided to not make everyone wait till the next release. I added a couple of features and fixed / tweaked a few things.

most of the new functionality is in regards to the “post a new video / reply to” screen… and they are:

multi-mode :: at times I found I wanted to create multiple posts or respond to several people in a thread (with separate videos). but I wanted to keep the title. so when multi-mode is on it won’t clear the title.

languages :: this was requested today by seesmic user @masa . he asked for the ability to specify which language he was posting. I wasn’t sending this information before, I am now. under the options menu when posting you can specify the language. later I will integrate the default behaviors of this function into language preferences. regardless you will always be able to override.

resolution :: while I was chatting with @masa he also mentioned on his HTC Diamond that the posting interface was all messed up. so I have tweaked the interface to dynamically respond better to anyone with a width of 400px or higher.

I want to specifically thank @masa for his asstistance with testing out the changes I made. I also made a few cosmetic changes to the menus and fixed one minor bug.

I plan to implement a handful of new options. multi-post was one of them, but that has been released with this subversion. anyhow here’s what I am planning to add for 1.0.0.12: user filtering, language filtering, inbox notifications, a language pack system, a help section (video and text). for the moment I am most interested in getting the language pack system working. I won’t have every language that seesmic currently supports working with the release. but the design should allow me to add and update the language packs transparently as I can get translations. if you are fluent in a language you would like to see supported please contact me.

thanks again, if you have questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. please keep in mind I only speak english.

if you haven’t been prompted already to get the update you can get it here on your phone, just go to: http://m.mSeesmic.net

as always I am looking for feedback and any information about bugs. screenshots and detailed error messages are always useful.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // how-to use

chaeseco — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:50:05 +0000

this is just a quick blog on how to use mSeesmic. I think the menus are quite obvious so I don’t have to go into detail there. let’s talk about the timeline.

the timeline

tip #1 if you glide your finger up over the text the timeline will scroll up. if you glide your finger down it will scroll down.

tip #2 double tap over the thumbnail (over the picture; not the reply number banner) and you will get prompted with a actions-panel. inside this panel you will find options (to play the video, to reply to the video, to open/show the thread and etc).

if you have additional questions please comment back here. or catch up with me on twitter.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // (promo) everywhere

chaeseco — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:31:04 +0000

okay this morning I had a good idea for a promo. so on my way to work I filmed a few things with my phone. unfortunately mobile phones are not known for the high quality video… especially when you drop the source into a video editing app that is handicapped like Adobe Premiere Elements. regardless I made a promo video… that doesn’t actually talk about the app at all. =D but it’s in the can… and up on seesmic… and youtube… (highly recompressed)

mSeesmic (promo) everywhere

anyhow, enjoy… and hopefully it will make it to a feature video. for now… it’s time for lunch!

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // tutorials

chaeseco — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:49:41 +0000

I have decided to add a feature in the application at some point in the future that will let you download tutorial videos on how to use the app and it’s features.

for now i have started a thread in seesmic where I plan to put demonstration videos.I already recorded a few, you can see them below.

mSeesmic (getting startred)

if you have questions as always you can reach me here and through any of the links listed under “stalk me”.

till next time, enjoy.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // 1.0.0.10

chaeseco — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:24:01 +0000

so this morning I decided to add a small feature to mSeesmic where you can download any of the videos you find in the timeline. while I was testing it, I found a bug that was working just fine the night before. so thankfully I was able to comment on the site and a handful of people responded to me, including Loic.

anyhow, I have a list (in my head) of changes I plan to introduce as time and energy allows me. here’s just a few… a multi-post mode for recording… user blocking/filtering… language filtering… inbox notification… following and follower interfaces …and some general improvements to make the application more efficient and appealing.

not to mention I will add new features as the API opens up. oh and Loic asked for demonstration of the app and was very pleased with what he saw.

for those new to the app… I realize I need to make a demonstration video at some point. including how to use it. but for now…

m.mSeesmic.net

enjoy. more updates will be coming soon.

Share/Bookmark

mSeesmic // alpha-release

chaeseco — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:45:46 +0000

For those who have tried seesmic.com and know its lure… well I’ve made things worse. For a while I had the desire to have a mobile experience of seesmic on the go.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t carry my laptop and a webcam everywhere I go. Sometimes it’s not appropriate and even risky. So how else can I do this… get a smaller laptop? a OQO? or what about my phone?!

Why can’t I create new seesmic posts and watch the threads? I mean my phone can talk to the internet, it can play videos, heck it can even record video! So now I give you mSeesmic a fully bi-directional mobile seesmic application. It only works with Windows Mobile 5 or higher PDA touch/stylus phones. I recommend you have a good data plan… before using this app. It can be addicting especially if you already use seesmic on a daily basis.

Once you download the app, copy to it’s own folder. It will create a few folders to write out temporary files as you use your phone.

With great power comes responsibility!! I cannot stress this enough do not drive and mSeesmic! This app is still in alpha and you use it at your own risk. You also use it knowing it will use internet data on your phone.

If you any questions let me know. Like I said it’s still alpha. I plan to more features and as the API improves I will be able add new features to application. What’s next on my list is: language filtering, user blocking, inbox notification and a handful of other features not worth going into detail about.

Enjoy, and please let me know what happens and what you were doing if and when you encounter a bug.

Share/Bookmark

pkShow

chaeseco — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:49:54 +0000

I was recently attending Podcamp Philly 2008. On the last day of the event I attended a petcha kucha session.

for further explaination of what petcha kucha is… go here or here. For the lazy… basically it’s a presentation event… 20 presentations, 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide.

well I thought this was an interesting idea. it forces the presentation to be quick and poignant. now the session was about how you can use petcha kucha as an effective presentation style. it was interesting to see people randomly go up there and present any topic they choose.

well as this was occuring the person at the helm progressed the pre-done powerpoint slides manually with a watch. the programmer in me saw a need to fill so I did. in a coulple hours I built a simple application I call “pkShow” you can download a copy here and it will self-update as I make changes. it’s only available in windows.

I also added a few options myself that to up the level of difficulty / fun of petcha kutcha. there are a few modes to how the slide show presents pictures (sequential, random and shuffle). in additional to a splash screen option, a topic feature and visual indicators.

please check it out. let me know. you’re welcome to use it for non-commercial purposes. use at your owk risk… and so on.

enjoy.

Share/Bookmark

Seesmob

chaeseco — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:35:24 +0000

what is it? orignally it was supposed to be a windows mobile version of seesmic. while I was waiting for seesmic to release a new version of their API I started thinking about a mobile video platform for a different purpose.

so instead of making seesmob a mobile version of seesmic, I decided to do something different. which still doesn’t answer the question… what is it?

seesmob is a experimental video platform with a cross-posting feature. currently I have built a windows mobile application that let’s me record video and upload it to my server, then convert the upload on-the-fly to FLV and make it available in my user profile as well on the public timeline of the webpage.

currently all that I has been developed is a little bit of the website and the bulk of the backend. I can film via the phone, upload and cross-post the video to other services. at the moment I only included YouTube and Seesmic. more in on the list… vimeo.. twitter… and etc.

If you are currently a windows mobile 5.x or higher user with a PDA style stylus/touch screen phone contact me and I will set you up with an account. I do need beta testers. however this is invite only because I have a limited amount of bandwidth.

if you have attempted to register it will not work. as I mentioned I have worked on basic parts of the website.

currently other off-hour projects have consumed my time. but fear not, I will get back to seesmob in the future.

Share/Bookmark