Mark DuBois Weblog

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010 was the last day of AdobeMAX and I tried to get as much out of this day as previous days. I participated in the following sessions:

• Deconstructing the HTML5 mobile development workflow – this session was presented by two Adobe employees who were instrumental of development of the assets and website for the hypothetical client – Citrus Cafe. As professional web designers and developers, they were able to shed significant light on what is the same and what is different when developing across multiple devices. Their main focus was on the areas of 1) discovery and planning, 2) design and production, and 3) testing and deployment. Numerous examples were presented (along with demonstrations of the development of the site at various points). A number of potential technologies were covered along with a rationale as to why certain technologies were selected for this project.
• Developing World Ready applications using the Flex SDK – this session was all about internationalization and the many issues involved (from whether text reads right to left or left to right, to number formatting, date formatting and translation of text). Given how much our world is becoming interconnected, this session provided me with a host of insights which I plan to include in a number of classes. Emphasis was both on localization and internationalization.
• Progressing beyond the desktop at universities with Adobe AIR – this was a great session which covered the capabilities of this technology. For example, one can integrate this with projection hardware and the operating system processes. Numerous examples were presented including a discussion of the Course Media server at the University of Denver and how an AIR application can be set to convert video to the appropriate format as soon as it is placed in a specific folder on the desktop. I got a lot of great ideas and a better understanding of the breadth and depth of this technology.
• Creating accessible Flash content with Flash Professional CS5 – this session provided a number of insights and tips I can employ in the web accessibility class. I learned about a number of tools which can now be used to check whether a Flash .swf file is accessible. I also gained greater insights into the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act recently signed by President Obama.
• Deep dive with Device Central CS5 – This was the final session of the conference and another BYOL (Bring Your Own Laptop). The focus was on the use of Flash in Device Central. In addition to better understanding how to use Device Central for testing and debugging, I received a number of working applications which I can share and demonstrate to students to help them better understand the capabilities of Device Central. For example, I was unaware that this tool supported the pinch behavior one experiences on smart phones. Yes, it involves a number of keystroke combinations, but it does work.

Overall, this was the most information intensive AdobeMAX conference I have attended. The emphasis on a multi-screen environment (especially mobile) was obvious throughout. I learned a lot regarding emerging technologies and what can be done today. The state of this environment is rapidly evolving and I am glad I was able to be a part of this event to obtain so much current information. I will be sharing some of this knowledge in various venues over the coming weeks. For example, I will be presenting on mobile at the next WOW/ Adobe User Group meeting on November 9 in TC 210 at 6:00 p.m.

I also included a few photos from Wednesday. I encourage you to follow the link below to view them as a slideshow on Flickr.

I started on Tuesday with another BYOL session (Bring Your Own Laptop). This one focused on building mobile applications with jQuery. The session began with an overview of what features of a mobile phone can be accessed via the browser (and which can not). Various technologies which can speed up the creation of mobile applications were discussed (with an emphasis on jQuery). jQuery recently released mobile components and we were able to use these components as part of the class. We also used additional addons (such as jQTouch). During the session we started with a blank screen in our browser and gradually developed an application which used the SQLLite capabilities of modern browsers to store persistent information. I plan to expand on this to demonstrate a number of applications to students in classes (both this semester and in the spring).

The general session focused on user experiences – the next generation. A number of examples of multi-screen applications were demonstrated. There was significant coverage of Google TV and the implications of that technology on the digital living room.

I also participated in the following sessions after the general session:

• How to make your application able to use social networks – this presentation focused on the use of Gigya as an aggregating service for social applications (such as Twitter and Facebook). I learned how to use Gigya to create a custom site (Domain Name associated with their API – essentially a C Name which forwards to the Gigya servers). I also learned how to use OpenID authentication within this environment (so a visitor does not need to authenticate more than once across various social feeds). Most of our work was done using Flash Builder.
• Fusing Art and Technology with Flash Professional CS5 – this session focused on a review of that part of the keynote which contained a fusion of Flash with the audio streams and gestures being generated on stage. In addition to obtaining code examples, we were able to better understand the though processes involved in creating this form of art. The individual who developed these applications is highly skilled in Flash and incredibly creative. Some of his clients include Wired Magazine, Nike, and Hard Rock Cafe. I have a number of photos and examples I can share with students to inspire them.
• Introduction to Adobe AIR for mobile – this session focused on a review of the enhancements since last year in this technology. Different form factors and functionality across numerous devices was discussed along with how AIR helps reduce the amount of necessary changes per platform. Along with a  number of demonstrations, there was an emphasis on debugging and packaging AIR applications for mobile. This was a great overview of what can be accomplished today with this technology.
• The AdobeMAX awards and sneak peeks this year were hosted by William Shatner. A number of possible technologies were presented (of course the disclaimer was that none of these may ever be developed as commercial products).
• I also participated in the MAX Bash on Tuesday night and had the opportunity to meet and network with a number of individuals. It was great to see so many familiar faces and catch up on what is happening in other colleges and universities. In addition to the vast amount of information and training received during this conference, I believe the networking with peers is as important and this venue was great for many of the necessary discussions.

As I also did for my previous post, I have included a link to a number of photos I took on Tuesday. It is probably best to view these as a slideshow at Flickr.

AdobeMAX began with the keynote by Kevin Lynch (“Welcome to the revolution”) which emphasized mobile as well as multi-screen environments (such as the digital living room). Gaming and Adobe’s acquisition of Day Content Management System were also covered. Some interesting points from the keynote included the prediction that bandwidth for mobile devices would exceed that of cable modems in the next few years. Many smart phones now have the computing power of desktop systems from several years ago (and are rapidly catching up in terms of capabilities). We are at a most interesting time as the mobile ecosystem evolves. Throughout the day, I participated in a number of BYOL sessions – Bring Your Own Laptop. I have listed the ones I attended below (along with a brief synopsis of each session). One aspect that struck me was the incredible networking opportunities afforded by actually being present at this event. I was able to speak with a number of people and garner numerous insights which is incredibly difficult being located in central Illinois.

• Building an interactive portfolio with Flash Catalyst – this session emphasized round trip aspects in the workflow between Adobe illustrator and Flash Catalyst. Unfortunately, the lab materials provided lacked many of the necessary components to to work directly with the assets provided. Still, we were able to watch the instructor create a small portfolio (with transitions between states) in a relatively short amount of time. The portfolio also included some video clips. Although the lab did not live up to expectations, this was most helpful to me as I will be using Flash Catalyst as part of the user interface discussions in CMWEB 150 and I got a number of interesting ideas from the discussions we had as part of this session.
• Building Drupal Themes using Dreamweaver CS5 – this session lived up to its name. We first covered terminology and fundamentals so everyone understood how to work with the Drupal environment. We had been requested to pre-install the Acquia Drupal test environment and the Zen theme. The instructor then walked as through creating a sub-theme (which closely matched the materials provided) and also discussed creating templates in Drupal. All our work was accomplished via Dreamweaver CS5. This was a good review for me as it has been a while since I modified a Drupal theme.
• Build your first AIR application for Android – this session was all about experimenting with current technologies. We developed an employee directory and chat application using Flash Builder. We were then able to test using Device Central and out browsers. Most of the emphasis was on the version of Flex Builder presently under beta testing (called Burrito). It was eye opening to see how one can develop and deploy significant technology in a relatively short time.
• After the main sessions ended, I participated in a “meet the teams” session. I chose to participate in the Dreamweaver team (and got the chance to speak with Scott Fegette – manager of the Dreamweaver team at Adobe). It was also helpful to be able to put faces on those who have been working on BrowserLabs and NetAverages and other Adobe initiatives. I provided feedback as to how much I appreciated the extensive use of comments in the CSS in Dreamweaver CS5. I believe this really helps students learn best practices when they examine the code they generate as they build a web page.
• The last event of the night was an invitation only session hosted by RIM (Research in Motion) which focused on the new Playbook which should be available in the first part of 2011. During this session, I had the chance to meet and speak with Stephanie (Sullivan) Rewis and Greg Rewis. Stephanie created all the templates in Dreamweaver. Greg and Stephanie gave a presentation on HTML5 during the educator summit on Sunday. I also had the opportunity to speak directly with a number of individuals at RIM regarding their plans for use of the Playbook. I gained a number of insights as to how this tablet device might be used in a corporate setting.

Overall, this was a very busy first day of the conference. I have provided links to a few of the photos that I took (below). You might want to view them as a slideshow at Flickr.

These are some of the photos I took while attending AdobeMAX in Los Angeles. Thought you might enjoy seeing a bit of the downtown area. Most of my time was spent in sessions and meetings so I didn’t have much of a chance to tour the city. All of these photos were taken while walking to and from the Los Angeles Convention Center. I will be posting many more details about my experiences at AdobeMAX in the coming days.

Sunday, October 24, 2010 was a very full day. I participated in the community manager summit and the education summit. Lots of good information was received. The actual conference starts tomorrow and my brain is already stuffed with new information. I learned some creative ways to use Adobe Presenter as well as many other items. Met a lot of new people and renewed a lot of friendships. This is a fantastic event. Here are a few of the photos I took throughout the day today. I also learned that the conference will be back in Los Angeles again next year (from Oct. 1 – 5, 2011).

Tonight, Adobe Education Leaders were able to take a :behind the scenes” tour of the new School of Cinematic Arts buildings on the campus of USC. These are some of the photos I took in both the George Lucas and Steven Speilberg buildings. Approximately $175 million has been granted to the school and these buildings are a part of that investment. My sincere thanks to those responsible for the tour. It was most impressive. We also had the opportunity to meet a number of the finalists in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards.

A number of photos have been posted online from the AEL Summer Institute. Here are some of those.