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| 03-30-09 / 11:09 PM : OSX Chrome moving forward (cjed) |
| ArsTechnica presents the latest progress on OSX Chrome version. Camino's main developper recently joined the team, and we also learn that Google contributes to WebKit (that confirms that this framework is the future of Web 3.0). We can watch a video of the new Chrome OSX build, compared with the previous one. |
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| 03-21-09 / 01:09 AM : Accessibility / DOM / hybrid applications (cjed) |
| Ross Boucher provides a comprehensive discussion about WAI-ARIA spec, that deals with accessibility through DOM. As usual the additional comments brought a lot of useful informations. Here are my thoughts : Document (HTML, XML) manipulation in a browser has to be made by altering DOM model (modifying nodes values or adding new ones), and the language to achieve that will be typically Javascript (could be any other language if in another context). The WAI-ARIA sepc is then based on DOM to provide/define accessibility features/roles. Web applications are now hybrid, that is they are made not only of a document, but also of various heterogeneous elements : Flash element, Cancas element, WebKitView, etc. These elements address specific problematics (features or performance concerns not available from a document - we have to note however that HTML5 extended the document's possibilites, by addind video tags and database storage for example) : animations, 3D, etc. (the text parts logically will remain in the document's DOM nodes - except for specific cases where it has to be animated, zoomed, etc., or as with the Bespin editor, that is based on Canvas). We have to note that WebKit's CSS Animations also provide separation of model (animation definition through CSS) and interaction language. A document can render without Javascript, but Javascript can't be executed outside a document context. These various elements have to communicate with each other in order for responding to user actions, and that has to be made through DOM manipulation for now (for example a user action in a Flash view that has to change a document's node value). We then speak about APIs accessibility, that can be from a container's element to another, or from a container's element to the system itself (in order for benefit from features or optimizations not available in the container). Apple still allows through WebKitView to use 3D acceleration (for 3D transforms) on iPhone (Cocoa access from Javascript, by using a WebScriptObject and JavascriptCore). Finally the accessibility from the user point (zoom on a text part, underline, etc.) depends from the technical accessibility (APIs inter-communication). In fact technical accessibility (in browser containers inter-communication, or access to system functions from the browser) should be referred as availability to avoid misleading. |
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| 03-21-09 / 12:11 AM : Cappuccino 0.7b (cjed) |
| A new version of Cappuccino, 0.7b, is available. It is still in a beta stage but it merges recent new features : CPTableView, themes (including a tool for extracting definition from themes), the new Aristo theme. The build procedure no more uses steam nor ant, but instead Rake (Ruby's build tool). Moreover the press tool doesn't work for now with that new version. We can find an example of CPTableView use at Tom Robinson blog (source code here). |
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| 03-18-09 / 11:35 PM : Sun soon buyed by IBM ? (cjed) |
| Rumors about a Sun buyout by IBM are emerging. It wouldn't change anything for Java (has been open-sourced since more than a year now), however Netbeans could be left behind (the same with Sparc architecture on the hardware side. IBM would then only benefit from Sun's experience in grid/cloud computing, and perhaps grab ZFS). |
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| 03-18-09 / 11:27 PM : PowerVR SGX 5XT : first details (cjed) |
| Imagination Technologies unveiled first details about upcoming PowerVR SGX 5XTSeries (successors to PowerVR MBX used in the iPhone). These low-power graphic chipsets will be provided as multi-core configurations (2 to 16 cores depending on the host device) and will be optimized for shader visual effects. They will also allow general purpose calculations (as Nvidia CUDA or Apple's OpenCL standard - is independant from the underlying hardware implementation). |
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| 03-18-09 / 10:59 PM : Cappuccino/serialization : CPKeyedArchiver/JSON/plist (cjed) |
| The site nice-panorama.com provides tutorials on Cappuccino, and notably a new one about serialization solutions for client/server communications : CPKeyedArchiver/CPKeyedUnarchiver (extends CPCoder and requires to implement the CPCoding protocol in custom classes), JSON and CPPropertyListSerialization (plist format, that is also available on OSX/Objective-C FoundationKit, in XML and now also in binary for better space management). The format produced by CPKeyedArchiver doesn't have an equivalent in Objective-C, and property list (plist) don't allow to manage custom objects (moreover Cappuccino's CPPropertyListSerialization doesn't manage yet arrays nor Date type). Then for now communication with an Objective-C backend isn't as easy as it could be. For a J2EE server side the JSON format is preferable (no native CPCoding equivalent in Java, nor plist format support). However JSON has to be extended in order for managing custom objects namespace (that is what CP2JavaWS does, it can manage custom objects and nested collections). |
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| 03-18-09 / 12:12 AM : iPhone OS3.0 : new features and new APIs (cjed) |
 Apple presented iPhone OS3.0 (available as a beta alongwith SDK 3.0 - the public release is due this Summer), that brings many more features than expected : clipboard (cut/copy/paste) in all applications (with elaborated ergonomy), virtual keyboard now also available in landscape mode (then better precision), search a la Spotlight between iPhones, P2P between iPhones (through Wifi or Bluetooth) and communication with accessories, audio and video streaming over HTTP (can then now work behind a firewall), MMS support and Voice memos, mutliple images attachement in emails using Cocoa Touch.Among new APIs in the SDK we note : Push notification (leads to better battery life than with a true background process), APIs to access iTunes music library and proximity sensor, VoIP API, public APIs for Google Maps, CoreLocation now allows turn-by-turn GPS, new framework to provide direct purchase actions from applications (subscriptions, extensions through levels or new content downloads/purchase). A video of the presentation will be available in the following hours. |
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| 03-17-09 / 01:25 AM : ArsTechnica : WebKit vs Flash (cjed) |
| ArsTechnica speaks back about the recent CSS Effects release in WebKit (animations and transforms, hardware acceleration on iPhone). They confirm it is the answer to Flash, and that it explains why the later isn't yet available on the device. |
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| 03-13-09 / 12:11 AM : iPhone OS 3.0 Special Event (cjed) |
| Apple announced a special event, March, 17, about iPhone OS 3.0. A new ipod Shuffle was also unveiled. |
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| 03-10-09 / 11:00 PM : Geekbench : MacPro Nehalem 8 cores / G4 1,25 (cjed) |
| First tests of new Nehalem MacPro through Geekbench are very encouraging : the 8 cores/2,92 Ghz (high end model) is globally 23 times faster than a single 1,25 Ghz G4 (18 times faster on integers, 32 times faster on floating point calculations, 10 times faster for memory access, and offers a 14 times larger bandwidth). |
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| 03-08-09 / 06:55 PM : iMac Intel / G4 : few progress in 6 years ? (cjed) |
| The site primatelabs provides benchs of new imacs (processors and memory tests only). By comparing these with previous mac mini tests, it appears that the latest high end iMac is about 5 times faster than a 1,25 Ghz G4, for twice cores (and twice cores frequency). Intel processors's frequency only grew a little these last 6 years, and performance gains are more tied with cores count than with the new architecture (until the new Corei7/Nehalem, G4's Altivec - that has been unveiled 10 years ago - was still more powerfull than SSE). Recent graphics cards are far more powerful, but an old Radeon 9000 Pro (with 64Mb of dedicated memory) could still be faster than an Intel integrated GMX chipset (shared memory), hopefully just replaced by the Nvidia 9400M chipset (5 times faster). We can find a Radeon 9600 Pro Mac & PC Edition as an upgrade for G4s 4x AGP slot (that card doesn't require a fan), at 200$ however (the 9800, far more powerfull, required a fan and finally faced heat problems) ! We have then entered a disposable computer market, so we should get either the chipest mac mini or a Mac Pro (Nehalem's new QuickPath bus is now on par with old G5s HyperTransport technology). |
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| 03-07-09 / 02:42 AM : Atlas : full-length presentation video (cjed) |
| The full video of Atlas presentation during FOWA is available here (high quality, 30 mn). It seems that source code can also be edited from the on-browser editor. A book about Cappuccino is mentioned (will be written in an "open source" way - release of pdf parts and community review before final edition). At position 4'20 we can see the list of contributing projects around Cappuccino, and among these a Java remote Bridge (that is CP2JavaWS :)) |
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| 03-07-09 / 01:54 AM : CP2ObjC :Cappuccino/ObjC bridge client part (cjed) |
| Following Cappuccino/J2EE CP2JavaWS bridge, the client part of a Cappuccino/Objective-C bridge is available here. Parameters (call arguments and return) have been encoded/decoded in plist format (using CPKeyedArchiver/Unarchiver). For the server part (Objective-C), we could simply define a custom WORequestHandler for example (if using WebObjects) : in the handleRequest method we just have to extract call parameters from the WORequest, decode them (using NSKeyedUnarchiver corresponding class), and then invoke the Objective-C service whose name (interface/protocol) has been provided (also method name). We could also encode the whole CPInvocation object (see OBJRPCClient/Server from Tom Robinson - the server part however is made in Objective-J, and is accessed through Jack), but we still have to check if _CPKeyedArchiverEncodeObject function in CPKeyedArchiver is compatible with NSKeyedUnarchive, as it wraps javascript primitive values into _CPKeyedArchiverValue. |
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| 03-05-09 / 11:14 PM : Parallels Desktop vs VM Ware Fusion (cjed) |
| Mactech provides a long comparative review of Parallels Desktop and VM Ware Fusion. Performances are close (slightly better for Parallels - VMWare Fusion was said to be faster in previous versions), and games compatibility seems good. |
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| 03-05-09 / 11:09 PM : Get back Safari 3 look on Safari 4 (cjed) |
| A new utility, Safari 4 Buddy, allows to bring back Safari 3 look : tabs below the navigation bar, blue progress bar, previous address and search bars colors and design, etc. |
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| 03-04-09 / 09:32 PM : New mac mini priced too high / iMac (cjed) |
| New mac mini and iMac keep Core 2 Duo processors (not Nehalem), only MacPro benefit from the new Nehalem architecture (Xeon version, even more powerful), a month before it being available for other vendors. The Mac mini at 799$ is less appealing than the base iMac (1199$) : for a price difference of only 400$ the imac features a really more powerfull processor (2,66Ghz against 2.0Ghz, 6Mb of cache - 3Mb on the mac mini -, the imac processor is on a slot - soldered in the mac mini), the max ram is 4 Gb only on the mac mini (8 Gb in the imac), the imac includes a 7200 rpm (5400 in the mac mini), a display, keyboard and mouse (option with the mac mini). The base MacPro model is more expensive than the previous one (also more powerfull), and its ram is limited to 8 Gb (32 Gb on 8 cores configurations). |
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| 03-04-09 / 12:13 AM : Mac/mac Mini/MacPro updates (cjed) |
| As expected, Apple unveiled updates of iMacs, mac mini and MacPro (fitted with Nehalem Xeon processors) and new graphic cards. The mac mini gains the most, as the GeForce 9400M is 5 times faster than the previous Intel integrated GMA3100 chipset. Moreover the 2.0 Ghz Core2 Duo uses a 1066 Mhz bus (and a 3 Mb cache) - not a Nehalem, the same with the new imac -, and adds a Firewire 800 port, so it looks great for music (powerful, quiet, and only uses 13W of power when idle). The entry level imac also onboards a GeForce 9400M (up to 2,3 times faster than the previous ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT), and higher models use the new GeForce GT 120, GeForce GT 130 and ATI Radeon HD 4850 (up to 6 times faster). Finally new MacPro feature either the GeForce GT120 or the most powerful Radeon HD 4870 512MB GDDR5 - as an option priced 200$ - (6,6 times faster than the previous Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB GDDR3). Prices remain similar (599 for the entry level mac mini, with only 1 Gb of memory, but the 2 Gb option only costs 50$). |
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| 03-01-09 / 03:16 PM : Article about Atlas / accessibility (cjed) |
| An article about Cappucino's Atlas editor is available at thinkvitamin. It details the features that were demoed in the previous webcast, as well as multiplatform rendering. Comments from people that were present during the FOWA presentation are very positive : I was in the audience when they demoed Atlas at FOWA in Miami. My jaw hit the floor. The possibilities for rapid prototyping and even end-product development is amazing. I had heard about cappuccino before, but I think Atlas really puts it's power in the fore front. I happened to be there when Fransisco demoed Atlas, it was awesome to witness live and when that iPhone preview popped up the crowd went nuts. I was at the FOWA demo also. This write-up is good but really doesn't do it justice. You really have to see it. We can also read interesting informations about 280 North leader founder : Francisco is the original author of Objective-J. He graduated from USC in 2006 and went to work at Apple, Inc., where he was one of the early members of the team that created MobileSafari and Maps on the iPhone. He is primarily responsible for UI and other client-side code at 280 North. Finally we can read an article from Ross Boucher (another of the three founders) about accessibility in Cappuccino. |
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