Happy New Year Everybody
Have a Happy New Year.
http://stephenslighthouse.sirsi.com/archives/einsteinshow.jpg
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Microsoft Defends RSS Patent Applications
Microsoft thinks they invented RSS. They are idiots along with Bobby Knight.
Check out this article on informationweek.com
RSS is XML based format, that uses the Resource Description Framework (RDF) – a language for representing information about resources in the World Wide Web, that allows the syndication of lists of hyperlinks, along with other information, or metadata, that helps viewers decide whether they want to follow the link.
Feeds such as news, sports, stock quotes, etc. use RSS and now Micosoft thinks they own it. They are lame.
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Gerald Ford dies
Gerald Ford had passed away. Gerald Ford was the president when I was born. George W Bush hailed Gerald Ford for his administration’s honour. Ford’s former opponent, ex-president Jimmy Carter, called him “a man of highest integrity”.Nixon was a weird duck but Gerald Ford was nice. Nancy Reagan praised his dedication to the country.
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Bobby Knight is an Idiot
Bobby Knight gets the idiot award. Check out this pic of Coach Knight I got off of ESPN’s site. I reckon Bobby’s players have a better chance getting the ball in his big mouth than in the hoop. Bobby Knight, what a fool.
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Jar Paris: With Canvas Bag (Hardcover)
Click Here >Jar Paris: With Canvas Bag
Antique Collectors’ Club; Slipcase edition (February 2003)
This is a real collectors opportunity to own a rare collection of photos of some of the most uniqe jewels in the world.Book is very large and very thick.Dont expect to much reading as there is no company history or insight (other than the great pictures of jewelry)into Mr Rosenthal’s magical world.This book is really worth every dollor you really should buy it while the opportunity is availible.
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Flash: Preloader…Circle Preloader for Flash
Here is a quick AS2 sample of a circular preloader for Flash. All it is is an animation that plays while the swf loads showing the percent loaded. Feel free to use.
fla file: circlePreloader.fla
swf file: circlePreloader.swf
I have a AS3 sample of a preloader here.
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Posted in: Flash Helps | Comments(2)
Flash: Seen It. Use Shared Object.
I see this question all the time where someone asks, “I have this long animation on my Flash menu and I don’t want it to play every time a page loads… what can I do so that it won’t play if the user has already seen it?”
It is actually quite simple and please feel free to use this on your own stuff
Sample:
http://www.smithmediafusion.com/helps/sharedObjectSceneIt.html
http://www.smithmediafusion.com/helps/sharedObjectSceneIt.swf
http://www.smithmediafusion.com/helps/sharedObjectSceneIt.fla
The script uses SharedObjects (kind of like cookies) to read and see if the object exists. If it does, it goes to a different frame. If not, then it goes to another.
stop();
var my_so:SharedObject = SharedObject.getLocal("seenThis");
if (my_so.data.name == "seen it") {
//been here before
gotoAndStop(25);
} else {
//first visit
gotoAndPlay(26);
my_so.data.name = "seen it";
my_so.flush(1000);
}
Now, there are some considerations in using shared objects but they have some limitations. Sometimes your SWF files may not be allowed to write local shared objects, and sometimes the data stored in local shared objects can be deleted without your knowledge. Flash Player users can manage the disk space that is available to individual domains or to all domains. When users lower the amount of disk space available, some local shared objects may be deleted. Flash Player users also have privacy controls that can prevent third-party domains (domains other than the domain in the current browser address bar) from reading or writing local shared objects. But, in something like this seen it example…no real harm if the object gets deleted.
dan
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Send a Postcard to the Troops – http://www.letssaythanks.com
A great way to send a postcard to the troops this holiday season. It is the least we can do to show our support.
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Flash: Type Your Text and Print it
So you need an empty text area where a user can type something. Then, you want a button where a user can print out this text. Well here is the answer:
Sample fla: http://www.smithmediafusion.com/Helps/textPrint.fla
Sample swf(Type Something, then click print):
http://www.smithmediafusion.com/Helps/textPrint.swf
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Too Much Information
Do you ever get sick of information? I mean information in general. Think of all of the information that dances across the stage of you mind everyday. Emails, IMs, conversations, radio, tv, web, newspapers, books, magazines, advertisements. That’s a lot of information and today it seems that people are thriving for even more information. The need to know is more in the know now. Well, I’ve got enough useless information folks. I have enough. If I need information, I’ll find it myself.
Recently, a New York Times article by Brad Stone is quoted to say that 9 of every 10 emails sent across the internet is spam. Despite Bill Gates prediction three years ago that the problem “will be solved by 2006.” Well Bill, it is December 6th, 2006. Looks like you’ve got 25 days to solve it because it isn’t solved. I just got a spam email advising me to “Never play leapfrog with a unicorn”. Note taken, I’ll put that on my list of things to avoid.
Now, consider all the useless information that comes into our brain and lets compare it to spam. I’d say that 80-90% of information that is put into our brains is useless information and the same amount of spam email is being sent on the internet. So, shouldn’t be any surprise really that the spam email percentage is so high. However, the universal useless information (UUI, I just coined that phrase) percentage is higher because of this.
What can we do to lower the amount of this UUI? I dunno. Just don’t play leap frog with a unicorn.
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Top 2005 Digital Cities Survey
The Center for Digital Government announced the results of Digital Cities Survey. The Digital Cities Survey looked and assessed how cities are utilizing information technology to operate and deliver quality service to their customers and citizens.
So if you are among the top cities, congrats…you are digital.
2005 Digital Cities Survey Winners:
250,000 or more population:
1st Place: City of Corpus Christi, Texas
2nd Place: City of Tampa, Fla.
3rd Place: City of Los Angeles, Calif.
4th Place: City of Aurora, Colo. (tie)
4th Place: City of Tucson, Ariz. (tie)
5th Place: City of Chicago, Ill.
6th Place: City of Saint Paul, Minn.
7th Place: City of Wichita, Kan.
8th Place: City of Nashville, Tenn.
9th Place: City of Colorado Springs, Colo. (tie)
9th Place: City of Virginia Beach, Va. (tie)
10th Place: City of Mesa, Ariz.
125,000-249,999 population category:
1st City of Madison, Wisc.
2nd City of Richmond, Va.
3rd City of Winston-Salem, N.C.
4th City of Alexandria, Va. (tie)
4th City of Lincoln, Neb. (tie)
5th City of Des Moines, Iowa
6th City of Irving, Texas
7th City of Hampton, Va.
8th City of Naperville, Ill.
9th City of Torrance, Calif.
10th Salt Lake City, Utah
30,000-74,999 population category:
1st City of Delray Beach, Fla.
2nd Town of Blacksburg, Va.
3rd City of Manchester, Conn. (tie)
3rd City of Charlottesville, Va. (tie)
4th City of Lenexa, Kan.
5th Town of Flower Mound, Texas
6th City of Lynchburg, Va.
7th Village of Wellington, Fla.
8th City of Jupiter, Fla.
9th City of Medford, Ore.
10th City of Alameda, Calif.
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