I've had a pretty bad day and to add insult to injury I've had a rubbish time trying to get jinput working on Mac OS X (intel). No matter what I try I always get the repsonse
'Cannot launch Java application'
'Uncaught exception in main method:
java.lan.UnsatisifedLinkError no libjinput in java.library.path'
belive me I tried putting all version of libjinput-osx.jnilib and libjinput.jnilib into every concivable location in may system path.
/Users/ME/Documents/Open University/Research/jinput/Tester/build/Debug:/Users/ME/Documents/Open University/Research/jinput/Tester/build/Debug/Tester.app/Contents/Resources/Java:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/JavaApplicationLauncher.framework/Resources:.:/Library/Java/Extensions:/System/Library/Java/Extensions:/usr/lib/java
i've tried this with all possible version of jinput.
in short cross platform my ass.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
table top.
I have been working on the building arrangement design interface. That is the table based tool that allows members of the department to assign locations in the new building. To get accurate click and drag I had to use a higher level of the dimond spin java interface - which makes the zoomin/zoom out less slick ( irriation) but lets you click and drag with ease.
Most of the work has been collecting the social network and normalising this against the list of people with their names and pictures. The department has a list of pictures but no simple way to map from names to image with out a lot of arcane Ajax /Lotusnotes ( good example of being far to clever).
I'm getting close to having a decent system with simple start at the data set. the main problem is getting the table ready for expeiments in time to do the table conferance.
Yesterday Yvone made an intreasting throwaway comment about not doing a paper version of the same thing as the paper version would be better. The important part being that the display of social network would not exist in the paper version. This got me to thinking what about an interface using a projector and the feducials/bloby barcodes? You would have cards to represent people ( with pictures ) and then use the fedicilas to get them tracked and project on the rubber lines/ extra info. Mentioned this to Paul and he thought projection from under the table would be good ( simpler for the trackker too ). Yvone suggested doing this for the seminar in june - letting people plan the optimum layout of places to sit over lunch.
Most of the work has been collecting the social network and normalising this against the list of people with their names and pictures. The department has a list of pictures but no simple way to map from names to image with out a lot of arcane Ajax /Lotusnotes ( good example of being far to clever).
I'm getting close to having a decent system with simple start at the data set. the main problem is getting the table ready for expeiments in time to do the table conferance.
Yesterday Yvone made an intreasting throwaway comment about not doing a paper version of the same thing as the paper version would be better. The important part being that the display of social network would not exist in the paper version. This got me to thinking what about an interface using a projector and the feducials/bloby barcodes? You would have cards to represent people ( with pictures ) and then use the fedicilas to get them tracked and project on the rubber lines/ extra info. Mentioned this to Paul and he thought projection from under the table would be good ( simpler for the trackker too ). Yvone suggested doing this for the seminar in june - letting people plan the optimum layout of places to sit over lunch.
Monday, April 23, 2007
What ever happened to Virtual reality ?
I've been thinking about Virutal reality recently. I realise that a long time ago ( the late 80s ) Virtual reality and the internet emerged about the same time. Initally there where both technological phenomena, they appeared to the general public as the technological zeitgeist*.
So why did the internet go on to be such an important technology and virtual reality has all but ( nearly said virtually ) disappeared?
I think I might lay the blame on Jaron Lanier the Tim berners lee of VR. for it was he ( Jaron L. ) that created the highly poetic term 'virtual reality'. Not that it was his fault entirely the previous term was 'artificial reality'. Either term has the R word ( reality ), and this had two problems. Firstly people know what reality is like, it doesn't have any lag and the resolution from where I am sitting terrific. By using the R word we get people overly exited, you get people who have never tried using VR wondering if VR was going to be so real that you might slip into a VR and not notice.
Well if you had never written and email you might start to wonder if using e-mail might be so like writing a letter that you might not notice you had written and e-mail with all the problems that might bring... Thats the problem with metaphors people bring a lot of baggage with them.
The internet on the other had was a wonderfully blank term. People never understood the internet until they had used it. We used to work near one of the first cyber cafes ( remember them ) called cyberia. I remember walking passed them day and night seeing people checking the whole thing out for the first time, you could breath the excitement.
If Tim Berners Lee or some other random visionary had called the internet 'All human knowledge' or something suitably catchy, if some SiFi author had created an reputation on computer that you magically stroked and knew the answer to any question you had in your mind ( are you listening Willam) or they had something similar as a plot device in Star Treck, then people would have gone to a cybercafe asked what there uncle Albert had done in 1963 and walked away disappointed (remember no google).
Instead the internet let people walk away intrigued by what the internet did have ( which at that point wasnt' that much ) but it had possibilities.
Naturally the other argument was that the internet had more possibilities than virtual reality but many of the internet's possibilities lay with the fact other people where using it. There are quite a number or augments to be had but I do think that the management of expectation has a some contributory negligence.
here is a to a new technology of 'synthetic data spaces' or something ( please feel to suggest something )
zeitgeist* spirit of the time.
So why did the internet go on to be such an important technology and virtual reality has all but ( nearly said virtually ) disappeared?
I think I might lay the blame on Jaron Lanier the Tim berners lee of VR. for it was he ( Jaron L. ) that created the highly poetic term 'virtual reality'. Not that it was his fault entirely the previous term was 'artificial reality'. Either term has the R word ( reality ), and this had two problems. Firstly people know what reality is like, it doesn't have any lag and the resolution from where I am sitting terrific. By using the R word we get people overly exited, you get people who have never tried using VR wondering if VR was going to be so real that you might slip into a VR and not notice.
Well if you had never written and email you might start to wonder if using e-mail might be so like writing a letter that you might not notice you had written and e-mail with all the problems that might bring... Thats the problem with metaphors people bring a lot of baggage with them.
The internet on the other had was a wonderfully blank term. People never understood the internet until they had used it. We used to work near one of the first cyber cafes ( remember them ) called cyberia. I remember walking passed them day and night seeing people checking the whole thing out for the first time, you could breath the excitement.
If Tim Berners Lee or some other random visionary had called the internet 'All human knowledge' or something suitably catchy, if some SiFi author had created an reputation on computer that you magically stroked and knew the answer to any question you had in your mind ( are you listening Willam) or they had something similar as a plot device in Star Treck, then people would have gone to a cybercafe asked what there uncle Albert had done in 1963 and walked away disappointed (remember no google).
Instead the internet let people walk away intrigued by what the internet did have ( which at that point wasnt' that much ) but it had possibilities.
Naturally the other argument was that the internet had more possibilities than virtual reality but many of the internet's possibilities lay with the fact other people where using it. There are quite a number or augments to be had but I do think that the management of expectation has a some contributory negligence.
here is a to a new technology of 'synthetic data spaces' or something ( please feel to suggest something )
zeitgeist* spirit of the time.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
VIRGIN EARTH CHALLENGE
i found this link on half bakery. VIRGIN EARTH CHALLENGE it does sound quite cool. Makes you wonde what the rules are
Monday, April 16, 2007
TABLETOP2007 - The 2nd IEEE International Workshop on Horizontal Interactive Human-Computer Systems (October 10-12, 2007 Newport, RI USA)
TABLETOP2007 - The 2nd IEEE International Workshop on Horizontal Interactive Human-Computer Systems (October 10-12, 2007 Newport, RI USA)
I thnk we are looking to put somthing in for this. sonuds cool.
sheep
I thnk we are looking to put somthing in for this. sonuds cool.
sheep
Software engineering - whats on my ipod?
I was checking out this website Geoff Mullery is giving a talk in May. Scans very intreasting I normally have problems with software Engineering - it generally isn't and is normally the cover for anti-engineering ( ie either craft or excessive formalisium ). I wonder how many people I have insulted in that line. For example if you ask an Engineer how long it will take to cut through this hill then generally you can get a reasonable result. This dispite the fact that strange stuff might lurk in the hill you want to cut trough. Ask a programmer and your getting guesses and ambitions, craft not engineering. Anyway rant against software engineering over.
This Mullery guy looks to have had some wonderful failures under his belt. I'm definitly putting this on my Ipod to listen to.
This Mullery guy looks to have had some wonderful failures under his belt. I'm definitly putting this on my Ipod to listen to.
Friday, April 13, 2007
product reherals.
I was reding this page on project perfect. The bit that got me was.
'In most cases, clients are unable to specify exactly what they want in the beginning until they see the product. It is also often difficult for business users to visualize how the new system will be until they see it.'
This for me is a reminder that we need to specify with user interfaces. That is the use(s) should see what they want. Another quote was qute intreasting.
'When the users do see the new system for the first time, changes may be needed because any new applications will be initially unfamiliar to users.'
I've seen/heard of this a number of times in a number of diffrent contexts. One example was a company making very large digital displays they thought could be on the outside of the building and allow central office to send new messages digitally ( sale on all electrical items 50%). When they came to test the system they discovered the probelms - it was hard to get an electical supply all the way up where the sign was and more importantly most shops didn't have a digital link to the central office.
What makes many new products work is not how it was intented to be used but how people appropritate the technology. People oftern use technology in away not envisaged by the original programmers. Hotmail was desinged as remote mail for executives to discuss making new products out side the company, it ended up being used by the digitally disposeesed ( originally backpackers in cybercafes).
Typcially products are designed, made, tested, installed, followed by training.
Perhaps we need to think about product reherals - pretending the product exists and then seeing how we might use it or intergrate it into the context. This would give the users time to get used to what is coming and allow them to adapt things to use the system. It would also allow the developers and managers a chance to see future delivery problems and alter the design appropriately. What counts are rehersal depends upon the product - if we have a user interface tool like interface builder then it might be getting the users to reherse using the sytem. The key element is getting everyone thinking about the product before it is dumped on the desk.
perhaps this is what is happening with agile programming.
'In most cases, clients are unable to specify exactly what they want in the beginning until they see the product. It is also often difficult for business users to visualize how the new system will be until they see it.'
This for me is a reminder that we need to specify with user interfaces. That is the use(s) should see what they want. Another quote was qute intreasting.
'When the users do see the new system for the first time, changes may be needed because any new applications will be initially unfamiliar to users.'
I've seen/heard of this a number of times in a number of diffrent contexts. One example was a company making very large digital displays they thought could be on the outside of the building and allow central office to send new messages digitally ( sale on all electrical items 50%). When they came to test the system they discovered the probelms - it was hard to get an electical supply all the way up where the sign was and more importantly most shops didn't have a digital link to the central office.
What makes many new products work is not how it was intented to be used but how people appropritate the technology. People oftern use technology in away not envisaged by the original programmers. Hotmail was desinged as remote mail for executives to discuss making new products out side the company, it ended up being used by the digitally disposeesed ( originally backpackers in cybercafes).
Typcially products are designed, made, tested, installed, followed by training.
Perhaps we need to think about product reherals - pretending the product exists and then seeing how we might use it or intergrate it into the context. This would give the users time to get used to what is coming and allow them to adapt things to use the system. It would also allow the developers and managers a chance to see future delivery problems and alter the design appropriately. What counts are rehersal depends upon the product - if we have a user interface tool like interface builder then it might be getting the users to reherse using the sytem. The key element is getting everyone thinking about the product before it is dumped on the desk.
perhaps this is what is happening with agile programming.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Ambient compiler
There was some thought about how to improve the teaching of programming at the OU. I had an odd thought.
Why not have a 'compiler' on line? that is your code is stored on the server and then you access the code from a text box on a web form. One of the form buttons is 'compile' which does some ajaxy magic which then sends the text back to the server where the text is compiled. The error messages are then stuffed back into the html code. When the user clicks 'run' the code is executed on the server and the result is piped back to the output a new window on the client.
Ok why do this? The problem is how to automatically evaluate the work of students. I suspect most people think about how to take the 'product' ( final source code) and mark it ( together with supporting info). This requires trying to understand the process from the source (alone). That process is one which requires someone experianced not only in the lanaguage but java and process I belive that would be impossible to automate. The degree of success of this depends on how much you belive in automatic teaching.
Well if you have the code on the server then you get a stream on log files that indicate who the code evolved. the problem is to find out if the code genuinly the result of the pupil or the result of some creative 'cutting and pasteing'. As such providing the code matches the desired output then if the production process appears normal then the pedigogical results must be achived.
http://try.flex.org/ example of one line compiler of a flex language.
http://nirvana.informatik.uni-halle.de/~thuering/php/latex-online/latex.php Online LaTex compiler.
Online java upload based compiler
i like the idea of a website where the documentation and compiler text box are surrounded by other useful links ( chat room?). not perfet for hard core coders but good as a beginner space.
Why not have a 'compiler' on line? that is your code is stored on the server and then you access the code from a text box on a web form. One of the form buttons is 'compile' which does some ajaxy magic which then sends the text back to the server where the text is compiled. The error messages are then stuffed back into the html code. When the user clicks 'run' the code is executed on the server and the result is piped back to the output a new window on the client.
Ok why do this? The problem is how to automatically evaluate the work of students. I suspect most people think about how to take the 'product' ( final source code) and mark it ( together with supporting info). This requires trying to understand the process from the source (alone). That process is one which requires someone experianced not only in the lanaguage but java and process I belive that would be impossible to automate. The degree of success of this depends on how much you belive in automatic teaching.
Well if you have the code on the server then you get a stream on log files that indicate who the code evolved. the problem is to find out if the code genuinly the result of the pupil or the result of some creative 'cutting and pasteing'. As such providing the code matches the desired output then if the production process appears normal then the pedigogical results must be achived.
http://try.flex.org/ example of one line compiler of a flex language.
http://nirvana.informatik.uni-halle.de/~thuering/php/latex-online/latex.php Online LaTex compiler.
Online java upload based compiler
i like the idea of a website where the documentation and compiler text box are surrounded by other useful links ( chat room?). not perfet for hard core coders but good as a beginner space.
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