L33.me is the Digital Home of Lee Graham

This is a blog mini-series that I'm writing for Mindflash about applying 37signals' principles to online training. Check out this clip from the first post:

Part 1: Meetings are toxic

“The worst interruptions of all are meetings.”

Why are meetings toxic? Here are just a few reasons:

• Meetings tend to drift off subject
• Meetings usually have vague agendas
• Meetings interrupt productivity
• People call meeting because they like to hear themselves speak
• One meeting tends to spawn another meeting, which tends to lead into several other follow-up meetings.

If you’ve ever called a meeting to discuss the status of Course X or met with your team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) you can probably relate to a few of the issues mentioned above. Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame. They want to deliver the PowerPoint they spent way too much time designing. Most of all, they want to show their peers how smart and productive they are. The real problem with meetings is people!

Read the full post here...

   

Click here to download:

flash-flex-developer-magazine-september-2010-uqwejJaBdeClkdCgzkdq.zip (78 KB)

Get the next free edition of Flash & Flex Developer Magazine: AIR for AppUp

Here is a sampling of what is inside...

• Intel Atom Developer Program: Million Dollar Development Fund

  Intel recently released a new App Store specifically for Netbook Apps: Intel AppUp (http://www.appup.com/). Included in this program is a partnership with Adobe (Melrose SDK … NOW in Public Beta!), a Million Dollar Developer Program Accelerator, and the Intel Developer Challenge 2010.

  ---

  - Lee Graham

• NET FRUGALITY

  We Flash and Flex developers and for that matter, anyone developing Web 2.0 content have enjoyed a free ride on the bandwidth bandwagon. While fiber optic vendors have scurried to lay the last mile of our super highway, none of us have paid much attention to the weight of our applications. But that is all soon to change. Resolution be damned, we are all being ushered into the wireless era, and like it or not, the game is changing.

  ---

  - JOHN MARX

• Introducing Amethyst

  A Visual Studio user who wants to create a rich internet application (RIA) has, up to now, had only one real choice: Microsoft Silverlight. With the launch of Amethyst, that’s all changed. Amethyst puts a powerful suite of Flash Platform design and coding tools right inside Visual Studio.

  ---

  - Huw Collingbourne

• Onyx-VJ development

  Onyx-VJ is an open source video performance tool based on ActionScript 3 language. The project was started by Daniel HAI back in 2003.

  ---

  - Bruce Lane

• Engineering Business Focused Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter Apps

  The avenues for delivering innovative products and services to vast groups of clients are unlimited as internet media platforms evolve, become widely used, and are made more accessible.

  ---

  - Princeton Brooke

• Monetizing Your Web Game Part 2

  Currently there are many choices when it comes to monetizing a web game. It can be daunting to decide which model is best for a developer.

  ---

  - Chris Hughes

• Simple Class Generator for ActionScript 3.0

  Flex 4 containers are not close relatives of Flex 3 Containers. If you want to avoid family feuds, you need to take care of the children. In this article, we’ll find out how.

  ---

  - Emmanuel Ulloa

• Communicating with the browser

  Sometimes Flash just isn’t enough to get the job done. Often times you might need to communicate with code outside the Flash Player, such as JavaScript in an HTML page.

  ---

  - Ryan D’Agostino

• Flex and PHP Mobile

  Mobile is big. The web is big. Services are big. It is no secret that in the past several years the API has become king. Simply accessing a web site is not sufficient any more.

  ---

  - KEVIN SCHROEDER, RYAN STEWART

• Amethyst Puts Flash In Visual Studio But can it compete with Silverlight?

   

  ---

  
  

• Adobe Flex 4: Training from the Source Volume 1

   

  ---

  - Ali Raza

I have to disagree with Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff. While Apps are the popular thing right now, there is too much fragmentation between Operating Systems. iPhone/iPad support this 3D HTML5, Android supports Flash, Blackberry does this, Symbian does that... yada, yada, yada...

Then on top of OS fragmentations, you have fragmentations between different versions of the OS. For example, the iPhone 4 & iPhone 3GS is running the 4th version (iOS 4) of the iPhone OS and can do multi-tasking with apps, while the iPhone 3G can run the iPhone iOS 4, but it can't do multi-tasking with apps. Then the iPads aren't getting the iOS 4 until Q4 of this year, so whoever has an iPad you won't be able to do multi-tasking until then. Yes, fragmentation will always exist because of better technology, but obviously less fragmentation is better than more fragmentation.

A solution to fragmentation is web apps! All browser support HTML. I'm still not touting HTML5 as the savior from fragmentation completely, but I am saying that is can help.

From a developer's or product manager's standpoint it would be easier and much more cost effective to develop multiple web views with HTML, than to have specialized teams developing an app for the iPhone, the iPad, the Desktops, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, etc... Right there you are up to 6 various apps platforms, 6 completely different operating systems (iOS, Windows, Mac OS X, Android OS, RIM & Symbian), and at least 2 different programming languages (Java & Objective-C). Developing apps is a hassle, time consuming and most developers only specialize in one or two languages.

I think apps are a great tool for the here and now, but in the coming years I'm betting mobile web will end up as the king.

Resources:

• The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet - Wired.com
• Location 2012: Death Of The Information Silos - TechCrunch.com
• Is The Web Dead? - Fred Wilson

I thought I would take a minute to explain how my view on Apple has changed over the years:

• Prior to college I had no experience with Apple and do to my immaturity I thought they sucked.
• In college I started working for an eLearning company and was introducted to my first Mac and Final Cut Pro. I found it fabulous... no blue screen of death and it just worked. A start to a beautiful relationship... I'm completely sold that everyone should have a Mac over Windows.
• Got my first iPhone right before the iPhone 3GS came out. Feel in love all over again.
• Started developing iPhone apps using Flash CS5 Packager for iPhone, get one, TheProducer (Lite Edition) approved and in the iTunes App Store.
• I developed a full version of TheProducer and submit it to the iTunes App Store.
• Apple then announces the iPad. I pre-order an iPad. Meanwhile, I'm starting to build an iPad version of TheProducer using Flash CS5.
• I get my iPad and even get TheProducer working on it and within days Apple block Flash (and AIR apps) on the iPhone and iPad.
• 6 email inquiries later, the full version of TheProducer is still "In Review" at Apple and has been since March 15, 2010.
• I lost my temper with Apple: 
  • Apple's CEO Entered an Insanity Plea as the Reason for Banning Flash on the iPhone
  • The Flash on iPhone War: Flash & Flex Developer Magazine (April 2010)
  • Adobe Fights to Set the Record Straight about Flash
  • A Letter to Steve Jobs
• I swap to the Google Nexus One and Android 2.2. If I may add, runs Flash and AIR apps really nicely!
• Future outlook... I still think Windows is an inferior product in comparison to Mac OS X, but I don't think I'll be buying an iPhone 4 anytime soon.

BTW... I'm selling my iPad! Can't wait to get my hands on Notion Ink's ADAM!!!

Are you receiving this error, "Unable to build a valid certificate chain for the signer" when you try to compile your AIR either via Flash or the AIR SDK ADT?

I'm using a Mac running OS X 10.6.4 and Firefox 3.6.8. I've been having this issue for a few weeks now while I've been trying to sign my AIR app so I can publish it to the Adobe Marketplace. I've followed the documentation from from Adobe and Thawte on how to export my Code Signing Certificate (CSC), but I still get this freaking error, "Unable to build a valid certificate chain for the signer"!

The only official documentation I could find was lacking:

• Adobe -http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/articles/signing_air_applications_print.html
• Thawte - https://search.thawte.com/support/ssl-digital-certificates/index?page=content&id=SO6899&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&searchid=1280805285653

After a couple of suggestions from the fine support people at Thawte didn't work, reading countless FAQs, searching forums, trying every single Google Search trick I wasn't able to find a solution. Joe Ward at Adobe pointed me in the right direction! I finally figured it out and thought I would document it here, so it you have a similar issue, hopefully this is a well documented solution for you other Adobe AIR Developers out there. See below...

RESOLVE THE CSC ERROR:

1. Download & unzip thawte-roots.zip from: https://www.thawte.com/roots/index.html
2. Open Firefox and go to Preferences -> Advanced tab -> Encryption -> View Certificates
3. In the View Certificates window, go to Authorities and click Import...
4. Browse over to your unzipped Thawte Roots folder -> Thawte Code Signing -> Code Signing CA
5. Select Thawte Code Signing CA.pem and click Open
6. You should get an alert window that states this is either "successfully installed" OR "already installed
7. Click the OK button
8. Repeat these steps to import: Thawte Roots folder -> Additional Thawte Roots -> thawte Primary Root CA -> thawte_Primary_Root_CA.pem
9. Re-export your certificate
   

I've found that both Adobe and Thawte didn't document this error/solution very well. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me and I'll help out as much as possible.

You can get the latest edition of Flash & Flex Developer Magazine by clicking here!

Check out my Special Report talking about the hints from Adobe on a brand new 3D API coming out for Flash the Fall at Adobe MAX.They say it is going to be unlike anything you've seen before.

I rarely ever recommend people and if I do, I would have to have worked with that person for a good period of time before I ever made a recommendation. Today is one of those rare days and the first time I've ever done so in on my blog! If you are looking for a voice over professional for an eLearning course, eBook, commercial or a documentary... you should use Bob Souer.

I was first introduced to Bob when I worked at Global Learning Systems (GLS) / KeyStone Learning Systems (KLS) when I was doing media production. We had hired Bob to do voice over work for an eLearning project for us. I was absolutely impressed not only by the quality of the work Bob did, but his turn-around time was amazing! We sent him the storyboard with our naming convention and when he returned the files to us they were edited, EQ-ed, normalized & exported to each individual file per the storyboard. At that point, I didn't have to do any audio editing at all, they were ready to be put into the project.

Since leaving GLS/KLS about three years ago and coming to Harris Corporation's PSPC group (then Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems), we needed reliable voice over talent as we started the eLearning development. I couldn't think of anyone else that I wanted to work with thanBob Souer. We've worked with Bob on well over 20 eLearning course over the last 3 years and every single time he delivers that same quality.

This would would be a much better place if there were more professionals like Bob Souer. If you are in need of voice over work, Bob comes with my highest recommendations for his consistent quality voice over work, amazing turn-around time, and most of all his professional integrity.  If you have the privilege to work with Bob, I can guarantee you will enjoy the experience.

Bob Souer's Voice Demos:

Click here to download:

bob-souer-news-talk-imaging.mp3 (2313 KB)

Click here to download:

bob-souer-narration.mp3 (1226 KB)

Click here to download:

bob-souer-promo-trailer.mp3 (3291 KB)

Click here to download:

bob-souer-commercial.mp3 (1088 KB)

Click here to download:

bob-souer-documentary.mp3 (1186 KB)

Click here to download:

bob-souer-smooth-jazz-imaging.mp3 (2457 KB)

Click here to download:

bob-souer-audiobook.mp3 (1994 KB)

Bob Souer's Blog

Bob Souer's Clients

Well we've decided to swap TRImagination's blog from Tumblr over here to Posterous for two reasons:

1. Posterous is faster than Tumblr
2. Posterous is simple than Tumblr

For us, we use the blog as a communication tool and we don't have a bunch of extra time to fiddle around with this feature or wait for a page to load. I've been using Posterous for my personal blog (L33.me) since October 2009 and have just been blown away by how Posterous just works.

Cheers to the ladies and gents at Posterous for making an amazing tool!

-Lee Graham

I've only had two critiques of Android so far: 1) OS Fragmentation & 2) some tweaks to the UI/UX would be nice.

As Google has a solid history of doing, they are stepping up their game with the next release of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). Google is said to be "laser-focused" on improving the UI so carriers don't need custom skins such as: Motoblur, Ninjablur, SenseUI, etc...

Two possible, positive benefits if this pans out: 1) the end of these custom UI's from carriers that slow down the devices and cause so much pain while waiting patiently for them to upgrade, and 2) a better user experience is really welcomed!

The best part, it is rumored that Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) will be coming Q4 of this year, and then after that it will move over to a year;y iteration/release process.

Interesting overall fact about Android I didn't know,

"If this news is true, it means that Google Android has had five variants that has a code name taken from the cake, such as Android 5.1 as 'Cupcake', Android 1.6 'Donut', Android 1.2 'Enclair', Android 2.2 'Froyo' (Fozen Yogurt) and Android 3.2 'Gingerbread '. If the note all the names that have the prefix letter alphabet C, D, E, F and G. An intelligent approach than Google, while the use of a snack/cakes makes this platform so impressed more "sweet" and sound friendly for the user." - via Oki Rosgani