Road to 360 Flex Europe

1 month more or less and in Milan I’ll partecipate at 360|Flex the most important Flex event in Italy (maybe in Europe?).
In the last schedule I saw my seminar is in the first day (7 April), now I’m waiting the final one.
I’ll talk about BitmapData class, I’m making 3 samples and a real case history made with Flex and AIR to manipulate images.

There will be lots of important and great developer that are coming from all over the world, I love this event, it will be amazing!
You can find a lots of Adobe employees, Adobe partners, Adobe UG and so on, an event that you can’t lost.

So see you at 360 Flex guys!

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Silverlight on mobile vs (maybe) AIR mobile ?

I don’t write on Silverlight mobile version yet because I was waiting more news from MIX and I also talked with Italian Microsoft guys and others developers.

So, Silverlight will be out the second quarter of 2008 but with 1.0 version and if you take a look at desktop version you know that isn’t so powerful!
In the end of 2008 we could see 2.0 Beta version and finally in the second quarter of 2009 Silverlight 2 will install in mobile devices.
The last version in so interesting, they add a very good zoom functionality and they add .net framework built in the player.
Mobile version will be use in IE browser for PDA so probably the same way on Nokia, so the first question is:
Can I interact OS on Nokia and PDA to save and manipulate data like desktop version or I’ll have some security issues?

Another thing that I see is a good video look and feel, I’d like to know what kind of video files I could play on own mobile player.
It could be interesting how Microsoft decide to update own mobile player on devices…

I think that Adobe must start to take new way to deliver and help own developers to create mobile contents, we have a cool platform but with a lots limits and also there is a bad interaction with OS.

Sincerly I hope that Adobe could develop the AIR mobile version because with this technology we could take new market quotes and opportunities.
AIR is the new powerfull technology that helps developers and desginers to deliver own contents with a new interaction way, if you can create an online app with Flex and then porting it on desktop and finally porting it on own mobile device… that it could be COOOOOL!

My 2 cents

Feel free to comment and share your view!

Flex 3 and AIR 1.0, future is NOW

Sign this date in your calendar, today guys are out Flex 3 and AIR 1.0

In the last years Adobe made an amazing work on those technologies and it could be a big pleasure start work on them.
Lots of us use Flex  3 since Beta in labs and we love it, because finally we have a true development software and with last release we increase the power of this technolgy.

Air, it’s my favourite software, I love it, it’s so simple and so powerful and has a lots of functionalities that help us to create fantastic and complex desktop application.

The first thing that I do this morning is watching Adobe.com and I suggest to take a look at AIR page and Flex page, you can find a lots of interesting things!

Today Adobe makes the history.

onAIR tour in Europe

Finally it’s coming!!!

OnAIR tour is coming in Europe, 12 dates from March to June in all Europe… that’s wonderful!
Registrations are open so choose your city and register yourself, I’ll go to Italian date (13 June) in Milan with a lots of Italian developers and designers.

If you come in Milan, please send me an email so we could meet to have dinner togheter!

My first steps with RIBBIT API

Today I spent an hour to take a look at Ribbit api and to start a first flex example with them.
For now you make a call to USA phone numbers only, in fact when you enter your Ribbit profile, you receive a USA number to use for test.
So I use Skype to make a call to my Ribbit number.
Example is very easy but with this few code you can receive and  make call to USA number (Europe number  are available  in mid 2008 probably).

After registrarion and approval from Ribbit team you can download SWC from Ribbit site that you add in your Flex application.

First of all you must create a Ribbit istance and a CallObject:

 private var myRibbit:RibbitRequest = new RibbitRequest();  private var ribbitObj:CallObject; 

Then you add listner to know when you are logged in Ribbit server, when you are making a call and when you are receiving a call.

 myRibbit.addEventListener(RibbitResponseEvent.LOGGED_IN, handleLoggedIn);
 myRibbit.addEventListener(RibbitResponseEvent.RIBBIT_SERVER_CONNECTED, handleRibbitServerConnected);
 myRibbit.addEventListener(RibbitResponseEvent.CALL_CONNECTED, handleCallActive);
 myRibbit.addEventListener(RibbitResponseEvent.INCOMING_CALL, handleCallIncoming);

So you login with:

myRibbit.login("user", "psw", "devID", "appID");

All data that you put in login method you can find in your Ribbit profile.

Then you create  function  that you define in Ribbit object listner:

private function handleCallIncoming(e:RibbitResponseEvent):void{                       receiveBtn.enabled = true;                       ribbitObj = new CallObject();      ribbitObj = e.data as CallObject;                  }              private function handleCallActive(e:RibbitResponseEvent):void{                 trace("call active man!")              }              private function handleLoggedIn(e:RibbitResponseEvent):void{                   trace("you are logged in")              }              private function handleRibbitServerConnected(e:RibbitResponseEvent):void{ 
    trace("server ok")                      makeBtn.enabled = true;              }

So now we only put in our flex project 2 buttons, one to receive a call and another one to make a call to a specific USA number.

<mx:VBox>
    <mx:Button id="makeBtn" label="make call" click="{myRibbit.makeCall('USAPhone')}" enabled="false" />
    <mx:Button id="receiveBtn" label="receive call" click="{myRibbit.answerCall(ribbitObj)}" enabled="false" />
</mx:VBox>  

Very easy to use and so powerfull API!

I remember to all that Ribbit team launch a phone contest, more information in Ribbit site

Enjoy!

Ribbit phone contest, don’t miss it!

We are in Xmas time and a new gift made by Ribbit team is under our tree!

Ribbit is name of new project that give us the ability to make and receive calls or messages (and more!) with new API for flex and air projects, so the team announces a new flex and air contest with big prizes like $2.500 (first prize).

In Ribbit site you can find more information about challenge:
Build the best Personal Ribbit Phone Application for either the web (Flex) or Desktop (AIR). Similar to Joe Johnston’s award-winning AIR iPhone (now considered the most downloaded AIR app to date), your personal Ribbit Phone will provide an incredible and creative experience for someone to use and enjoy Ribbit services, primarily making and receiving phone calls. “

Take a look at Ribbit blog and good luck guys! 

Flash on the beach, I’m coming!

On saturday I leave Italy to my first Flash on the Beach edition!
I take a look at seminars and there are 3 intensive days, lots of strong speakers and I hope to meet there new friends!

Obviusly in this blog I report my impressions about this event and share ideas or knowledge.
So stay tuned!

New AIR resource: IRC Channel

Apollocoders group starts with a new resource for AIR: an IRC Channel.
So we could share our experience, suggests resource and ideas, I think a goos idea!

This channel starts today in morning, I’m there with nickname mezzalab, my favourite community nick!
I hope to talk there with a lot of new people.
See you soon and good holiday!