Squeak 4.1 in Production
Andreas Raab notes that Teleplace is using Squeak 4.1 in their (commercial) product:
We just finalized the release of the Teleplace Enterprise Server 3.5 which is our first product release based on Squeak 4.1.
. .
The author of this blog, James Robertson, passed away in April 2014. This blog is being maintained by David Buck (david@simberon.com).
Andreas Raab notes that Teleplace is using Squeak 4.1 in their (commercial) product:
We just finalized the release of the Teleplace Enterprise Server 3.5 which is our first product release based on Squeak 4.1.
Looks like Torchwood is coming back, even after they whacked most of the cast - the two survivors, Captain Jack and Gwen, are returning, but the rest is all new. Not a ton of details at Blastr, but it sounds cool.
Technorati Tags: scifi
It seems that the media search application on the Cincom Smalltalk website had some bad data in it. Or possibly bad handling of data depending on how you want to look at it. When I first created the application, I did a batch run over a bunch of blog posts to create the records in the PostgreSQL database the app uses. The problem? Some of the video and screencast posts use relative links for the show notes.
That's fine when the relative links are sitting on my Cincom blog; a link of blog?.... gets looked up just fine there. However, the media search app has a different root, so the show notes links for a decent number of the items were bad (225, to be exact). So... I created a small WebVelocity component, loaded it into the server, ran it, and had it search for and fix those links. Boom, done. You shouldn't see bad links for that stuff anymore.
Hat tip to James Savidge, who pointed the problem out to me.
Technorati Tags: smalltalk, webvelocity
Google and Verizon are about to jump into the Tablet game:
Launch is pegged for Black Friday on November 26, and apparently the plan is to offer the device for extremely cheap or free on subsidy, which makes sense -- it is just a browser, after all, and "free" sounds mighty nice compared to the iPad's $499 entry point. (Of course, you'll undoubtedly be tied to a Verizon contract, but we'll just let that slide for now.)
The subsidized PC model didn't work, but it's worked well for phones - I think Apple is about to get some competition...
Today's Smalltalk Daily creates a new WebVelocity application, and has that application generate the database tables it needs. If you can't see the embedded video directly, you can go directly to YouTube for it. Click on the viewer below to watch it now:
You can follow the Smalltalk channel on YouTube for all the "Smalltalk Daily" videos. You can also check out the videos on Vimeo, where the quality is higher, or over on Facebook, if you are a member.
You can download the video directly here. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here. If you like this kind of video, why not subscribe to "Smalltalk Daily"?
Technorati Tags: smalltalk, seaside, database, webvelocity
Yes, I'm sure this would get me to listen to radio more:
In a bid to revive the FM Radio, broadcasters and music labels have appealed to the US Congress to force manufacturers to build FM receivers into all smartphones and portable devices.
My iPhone is always using one radio (3G), and often a second (WiFi). When I'm driving I listen to Pandora or iTunes. Mandating an FM radio just isn't going to get me to return to it.
Technorati Tags: smart phone, radio
PZ Myers doesn't buy Kurzweil's latest flights into singularity-ness; I've thought for a long time that Kurzweil was smoking something. This guy sounds like he has the scientific background to make that case.
Technorati Tags: singularity
I got a query about Smalltalk code to handle RSS/Atom feeds this afternoon, and - obviously, as the main author of BottomFeeder - I have some code around to do that. In the public store repository, you can load the bundle Syndication-Handling. I've done a screencast on using it:
And on YouTube:
It's pretty easy to use at a high level:
RSS.Constructors.Constructor getFeedFromUrl: 'http://www.jarober.com/rss/blog.xml'.
Technorati Tags: syndication, xml, rss, atom
I've gotten a report of problems using the new download form that the Cincom marketing group put up here; it's only one report though, so I have no idea whether there's an actual problem or not. If you try to use the form and get redirected in ways that don't seem to make sense, let me know. Thanks!
Today's Smalltalk Daily builds a simple Blog Server in WebVelocity 1.1 - 3 methods and 5 minutes. To jump to the video now, click here. Or, if you want to view the video on YouTube, go here.
The code I added is:
PostViewUI
renderActionsOn: html super renderActionsOn: html. html button class: #comment; callback: [self addComment]; with: 'Comment'. addComment | comment | comment := Comment new. (self call: (CommentEditUI on: comment)) ifTrue: [comment bePersistent. object comments add: comment. object commitUnitOfWork]
PostListUI
renderDetailsOn: html | sorted | sorted := SortedCollection sortBlock: [:a :b | a created >= b created]. sorted addAll: self objects. sorted do: [:each | html anchor callback: [self call: (PostViewUI on: each)]; with: each title. html text: ' -- ', each created printString. html paragraph: [html text: each content]. html horizontalRule]
Click on the viewer below to watch it now:
You can follow the Smalltalk channel on YouTube for all the "Smalltalk Daily" videos. You can also check out the videos on Vimeo, where the quality is higher, or over on Facebook, if you are a member.
You can download the video directly here. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here. If you like this kind of video, why not subscribe to "Smalltalk Daily"?
Technorati Tags: smalltalk, seaside, webvelocity, blog+server
I found myself nodding my head through this PC World article - StarBucks is going to sweep the floor clean of most small coffee shops. How? They can make free wifi work for them, while WiFi - free or otherwise - is problematic for most small to mid size shops. StarBucks has the scale to set up the IT infrastructure and manage the network setup, and - they are big enough to offer partnerships with outfits like the WSJ (you can get free access to the WSJ at StarBucks, and they get a cut if you use that free access to subscribe).
Meanwhile, the smaller shops are having trouble with digital campers hogging tables, and they don't have the scale to even attempt an upsell. Maybe ubiquitous (and not ridiculously expensive) 3G will arrive to save the day for them, but even there, they suffer from the digital camper issue. I have to agree with Elgan - these smaller shops are going to get creamed like BlockBuster did.
Technorati Tags: coffee shop, wifi
This is a situation Microsoft never really had to deal with: OEM's making major mods to the OS that resulted in older versions of the OS going out on different vendor hardware. However:
Just this month, both the Dell Streak and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 debuted running Android 1.6 under custom skins. I'll be blunt: There's absolutely no excuse for a brand new Android device to be shipping with a year-old version of the operating system. Froyo aside, Android 2.0 has been out since last October, and Android 2.1 has been around since January. Despite the two manufacturers' vague promises of upgrades -- Dell has said its Streak will receive the current version of Android sometime this year, while Sony has promised to bring the Xperia X10 up to version 2.1 before New Year's -- it's simply embarrassing and unacceptable for new hardware to be launching with such outdated software.
Now, contrast that with the iPhone - with Apple in control of both the hardware and the software, you get integration. Not without issues, as iOS 4 showed - but with a whole lot less confusion. This kind of thing is going to give Google fits for as long as it keeps happening.
I'd say that the authorities in this Austrian town have way, way too much free time on their hands:
the Austrian town of Frauenkirchen has apparently tried to patent the fact that it represents the geographical midpoint of Europe.
The latest release of the Cincom Smalltalk suite are out: ObjectStudio 8.2.1, VisualWorks 7.7.1, and WebVelocity 1.1. There's a fair amount of new stuff, even though this is a point release - check the release notes for more. When the NC systems are ready for download, I'll let you know:
ObjectStudio 8.2.1:
VisualWorks 7.7.1:
WebVelocity 1.1:
Technorati Tags: cincom, visualworks, objectstudio, webvelocity
Today's Smalltalk Daily looks at a simple one table application in WebVelocity 1.1. If you can't see the embedded video directly, you can go directly to YouTube for it. Click on the viewer below to watch it now:
You can follow the Smalltalk channel on YouTube for all the "Smalltalk Daily" videos. You can also check out the videos on Vimeo, where the quality is higher, or over on Facebook, if you are a member.
You can download the video directly here. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here. If you like this kind of video, why not subscribe to "Smalltalk Daily"?
Technorati Tags: smalltalk, seaside, webvelocity, database
The next Cologne (Germany) Smalltalk user meetup is approaching:
Please join us on the 30th of September for our fourth Cologne Smalltalk User Meetup.
Follow the link for details.
It looks like WiFi is the next great gathering place of the "afraid of technology" crowd, and they've got a foothold in Ontario:
A group of central Ontario parents is demanding their children's schools turn off wireless internet before they head back to school next month, fearing the technology is making the kids sick.
Right..... and none of the WiFi signals these kids run into elsewhere (malls, coffee shops, various homes in their neighborhoods) affect them at all. It's just the magic one at school. Heck, as I sit here at my desk, my Mac is picking up two WiFi signals from two of the neighboring houses, never mind the hotspots I'm running. If I lived in a city, I might be picking up dozens - when I travel, it's not uncommon to have to pick out the hotel WiFi from a huge crowd. Then there are the mobile phone towers everywhere, and the TV and radio signals... and so on.
This kind of thing needs to be laughed at so that it doesn't gain traction - because there will be no end of difficulty if it does.
Technorati Tags: wifi
This week's podcast goes a bit afield from what we normally talk sbout. Michael just relocated his blog to his own domain, and the approach he's taken to running it is unique enough that we thought it might be interesting. It's definitely in the "less is more" category of software solutions.
To listen now, you can either download the mp3 edition, or the AAC edition. The AAC edition comes with chapter markers. You can subscribe to either edition of the podcast directly in iTunes; just search for Smalltalk and look in the Podcast results. You can subscribe to the mp3 edition directly using this feed, or the AAC edition using this feed using any podcatching software. You can also download the podcast in ogg format.
To listen immediately, use the player below:
If you like the music we use, please visit Josh Woodward's site. We use the song Effortless for our intro/outro music. I'm sure he'd appreciate your support!
If you have feedback, send it to smalltalkpodcasts@cincom.com - or visit us on Facebook or Ning - you can vote for the Podcast Alley, and subscribe on iTunes. If you enjoy the podcast, pass the word - we would love to have more people hear about Smalltalk!
I'm not sure what's going on, but the websites and phone lines at Cincom HQ are down. There was a pretty nasty looking line of storms that passed through there earlier this evening; that might be related.
Update: There was a power outage; things are getting back to normal now
Update 2: Seems I had to kick Apache manually. Joy :)
PCWorld reports on the legions of iPad competitors that are about to show up. I don't expect Apple to drop prices on the iPad much (if at all) - they'll hapily stay at the high end, like they have with laptops. They may end up with less market share than some other players, but they'll keep most of the profits...
Based on how my daughter operates, I understand where things are going:
Last week there was an interesting article over at Wired about the apparent death of phone calls. Turns out that according to research by Nielsen, the average number of mobile phone calls people are making is dropping every year since it hit a high in 2007
Heck, even I fall into that "text over voice" thing. When I pick my daughter up from somewhere, I'm usually listening to music from Pandora or iTunes. I can text her without unplugging the phone, so I do. If we hadn't gotten unlimited texting on my daughter's phone, we would probably be bankrupt by now :)
Technorati Tags: sms, text message
Microsoft is nothing is not persistent - the XBox has finally moved past the Wii in yearly sales:
The Wii may be tumbling at last, as Microsoft's Xbox 360 outpaced it by several hundreds thousand units in NPD Group's July 2010 retail sales. The games industry was steady, year-on-year, losing a few points in software and accessory sales but gaining notably in hardware sales.
To me, the two devices are in separate spaces: the XBox is for more devoted gamers - people who are willing to invest a lot of time in a game (like, say someone who'll play ME2 on Insanity). The Wii is a casual gaming device - big at parties and get togethers.
The loser in all this? The PS3.
So much for .NET delivering a seamless environment for dynamic languages:
Much early speculation on this change in focus comes from Jim Schementi, previously the program manager in charge of Microsoft's implementation of the Ruby software known as IronRuby. Schmenti reports on his blog that the team dedicated to working on IronRuby has decreased to one employee.
Over in Java-land, with Oracle in the driver's seat I just don't see it happening. So it looks like the future of dynamic languages is in the hands of the backers of those languages - and they won't get a lift from the big guys.
Technorati Tags: windows, dynamic languages
Michael Lucas-Smith has moved his blog to his own domain - if we set the rewrite rules up correctly, then you should be redirected there when you go to the old site. Existing perma links to posts - like this one - will still work.
Today's Smalltalk Daily looks at how you save code to a source code repository in WebVelocity 1.1. If you can't see the embedded video directly, you can go directly to YouTube for it. Click on the viewer below to watch it now:
You can follow the Smalltalk channel on YouTube for all the "Smalltalk Daily" videos. You can also check out the videos on Vimeo, where the quality is higher, or over on Facebook, if you are a member.
You can download the video directly here. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here. If you like this kind of video, why not subscribe to "Smalltalk Daily"?
Technorati Tags: seaside, webvelocity, scm, smalltalk
Ian Hamilton thinks that an updated Touch with cameras and a microphone will be the beginning of the end for landline phone service:
An iPod Touch equipped with a front-facing camera is no longer an iPod Touch. It’s a device for making calls. Video calls. And with an app like Skype which uses the long-awaited multitasking functionality on iPhone to make and receive voice calls it’s also a fully functional phone. Apple could even build Internet-based voice call functionality directly into iOS for this very purpose. Goodbye house phones.
Yes and no. Inertia is going to play a huge roll in the transition from POTS service to IP based service - whether the phone companies fight tooth and nail is merely secondary. I figure that anone growing up now will be unlikely to opt for a landline - but the default will be mobile service, not skype.
What we really need to see is for services like skype to bring the same level of disintermediation to the wireless carriers that the breakup of AT&T brought to POTS service way back when...
Technorati Tags: iPod Touch, iPhone
The city has pretty much mandated that reception will have problems:
According to the SF Examiner, a proposed bill by Supervisor John Avalos could bar new cell-tower installations based on aesthetics alone. In other words, if an ugly cell-phone tower blocks someone's view, the resident could protest and request a public hearing.
At some point, the weight of well intentioned regulations is going to make just about everything impossible :)
Technorati Tags: cell tower, sfo
I've been figuring "no", for the simple reason that simultaneous data and voice on CDMA is problematic, and that would make a CDMA iPhone a downgrade from a GSM one in one big way. However, if anything could sway Apple, it might be this:
Apple is now believed to have had a change of heart on CDMA. It once described the standard as "dead" since a clear majority of cellular networks use GSM and HSPA, but the company has reconsidered after recognizing length of time to transition to LTE for 4G and, more importantly, the threat of Android. Verizon is the world's largest Android carrier and has helped Google thrive with HTC and Motorola phones being "safe" from Apple.
Still... I'm not so sure. My guess is that it's not happening - but I guess we'll know how this rumor pans out in a few months.
My daughter just stumbled on the new DragonAge DLC - I was too busy replaying the original game to notice. Looks like I get to spend more time underground; it's all about dwarves and golems.
Technorati Tags: dragonage
The daily video I posted earlier had corrupted audio - I'm not sure how it happened, since I worked ahead for tomorrow's video right afterwards, and it came out fine. Then again, a bunch of us are going back and forth in email over some hard to reproduce installation issues, so go figure. Software just sucks sometimes :)
Anyway, I've redone the video and reposted it to the various places you expect to find it :)
Technorati Tags: weird errors
I have to admit that this "e-reader review" is funny, but I disagree with the point being made. I've been reading voraciously ever since I got my iPad - in some ways, it's almost too easy to read with it. I never have to be without a book unless I don't feel like reading, regardless of the time of day. I don't have to drive to a store, and anything I buy arrives in seconds. I also don't need to worry about bookmarks, because the device does all of that for me. All in all, it's a great thing for reading.
Some people say that history doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme. Well - look at smartphones, and you'll see echos of the PC/Apple battles of the late 80's and early 90's. Microsoft eventually crushed Apple in that arena, and ended up with something like a 95 percent share of the OS space.
Google is doing something similar with Android, and in much the same way: Apple is the sole vendor with the iPhone and IOS, while Google has licensed Android to anyone who wants it. The numbers are kind of stunning:
As worldwide smartphone sales grew by 50 percent during the second quarter, Android was the big winner, as it became the third largest operating system and sales passed 10 million units for the first time, according Gartner.
Things are way less clear in the phone space right now:
Symbian is still the largest smartphone operating system in the world. Sales totaled 25.4 million units, up from 20.9 million a year earlier, but its market share dropped from 51 percent to 41.2 percent.
But - if you think back, you'll recall that there were other PC players in the beginning: TI, and Amiga come to mind. Personally, I think Apple will end up doing better in this space than they did in the computer market. Their pricing isn't as far out of line as Macs were (when I first bought a PC, the differential with a Mac was $2k, and the Mac had less memory and less disk). As well, Apple has gotten a pretty good jump with the iPhone and iPad. Over time, I expect the smart phone space to look more like a lot of other markets - a strong number one (Google/Android), a powerful number two (Apple), and then everyone else.
Who would have guessed that Microsoft was going to be in that "everyone else" category a few years ago?
Today's Smalltalk Daily looks at the console tool in WebVelocity 1.1. If you can't see the embedded video directly, you can go directly to YouTube for it. Click on the viewer below to watch it now:
You can follow the Smalltalk channel on YouTube for all the "Smalltalk Daily" videos. You can also check out the videos on Vimeo, where the quality is higher, or over on Facebook, if you are a member.
You can download the video directly here. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here. If you like this kind of video, why not subscribe to "Smalltalk Daily"?
Technorati Tags: seaside, smalltalk, webvelocity, console
I'm trying out the installer for WebVelocity 1.1 on Windows (XP and 7), and it's taking way longer than I'd like. The problem isn't Windows; it's Parallels. It updated recently, and I hadn't fired up any of my VMs since then.... so they all need to update Parallels tools.
It's like watching grass grow :)
Update: Well, so much for Windows not slowing me down. Windows 7 has decided that it's not genuine, even though I have a corporate install DVD, and a valid key. Oh, the joys of Windows Genuine Advantage....
I swear, spam moves in waves, just like a marketing campaign. I was getting virtually no email with attached malware until about 2 weeks ago, when suddenly it turned into a flood. I hope it dies off soon; I'm getting tired of seeing it....
Today's Smalltalk Daily looks at code visibility (up and down the hierarchy) works in WebVelocity 1.1; it's a little different from 1.0. If you can't see the embedded video directly, you can go directly to YouTube for it. Click on the viewer below to watch it now:
You can follow the Smalltalk channel on YouTube for all the "Smalltalk Daily" videos. You can also check out the videos on Vimeo, where the quality is higher, or over on Facebook, if you are a member.
You can download the video directly here. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here. If you like this kind of video, why not subscribe to "Smalltalk Daily"?
Technorati Tags: smalltalk, webvelocity, seaside
Dave Buck just published a useful little tool to the public store repository.
I've published a package called FindAgain to the Cincom public Store repository. It allows you to search for senders of a selector or references to a class or shared variable (which you could do before) and when you select one, find subsequent references to that selector or variable in the method (which you couldn't do before).
It's worth applying "if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't" to rising internet memes. Take the Dry Erase quitter from yesterday, for instance:
“Girl quits her job on dry erase board, emails entire office (33 Photos)” is indeed a hoax, say its creators John and Leo Resig.
At least "The Chive" got plenty of pageviews out of it...
Technorati Tags: viral