Friday, August 22, 2003

Handy resources


Amy Blankenship has expanded her site http://authorware-amy.com/ to include the Newbie Resource Center - it's the panel on the right of the home page. Also check out the Examples section where Amy has some excellent samples of things you really wanted to do with Authorware but couldn't figure out how.

Erik Lord has a nice resource site here http://www.awaretips.net. As well as sample code, he has links to other Authorware sites and a FAQ page. Nice examples.


Wednesday, August 20, 2003

I did promise ...


... quite a while ago that there would be no more long breaks in my posts. OK it turns out that was a lie. I have been so busy this summer that Blogging has not been high on my list of priorities!

So what's been going on?

Since I last posted I have been furiously beta testing Authorware 7, which of course was launched in June ... so long ago! We have some cool new additions to Authorware, including the beginnings of OOP with full support for the core JavaScript language, a more modern interface, a speach Xtra and the ability to play DVDs.

Mostly, the rest of the time I have been working. I was supposed to spend the summer continuing with my studies, but I have been so busy with work that whenever I have not been working all I want to do is read a book ... for pleasure, not learning.

I have also continued on my quest to make my PDA invaluable to me. My two most used apps are Microsoft Reader and Internet Explorer. Reader for books, and IE for news. I use the built-in AvantGo app to sychronise several news and technology web sites each day. So no more need for a newspaper, and I can get the news I want from anywhere in the World :-) I also use the email app too, mostly to read mail, but occasionally to send messages while on the move, or sitting by the river.

Equally important are the apps I use less often

I got a great set of Solitaire games (about 234 different games!) from Mud Inc.

I also use Pocket Slideshow because it allows me to view my PowerPoint slides on the PDA. If I had a newer model, for instance a Toshiba 750 I could connect the PDA to a monitor or projector at 800x600 resolution to view the PowerPoint slideshow. Who needs to carry a laptop now?

Finally my new cellphone supports GPRS so now I can easily check my email, surf the internet and keep up to date while on the move. Even while sitting on a train :-)

When I got my PDA I was a little skeptical. It runs the Pocket Windows 2002 OS, and is labelled Pocket PC. The name is apt - these modern little machines really are pocket computers. If you don't already have one, go to your local computer store and have a play - you will be amazed what these tiny devices can do!!!


New Downloads section


I added a new Downoads section to mmy web site. Little code snippetds like reading an external file into a list or property list, a simple dictionary, dynamically size/position your hotspots, using SetMotionObject and SetTargetObect to simplify Drag and Drop routines and many more.

http://www.tomorrows-key.com/downloads.asp