Stephan's posterous - Them bits shall do what I tell them to.

Them bits shall do what I tell them to.

I am a pretty serious web developer with nifty all-around skills. Nowadays I spend a good share of my time doing Flash programming, when I'm not playing fretless bass or snowboarding that is. I'm currently available for freelance opportunities in the fields of web development, graphic design, or anything that involves bits and pixels. Oh yeah, I'm also at least 50% French.

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October 28, 2008

Prototyping new business cards

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October 20, 2008

Lack of updates

I haven't had much time to spare lately. I moved to France, things should settle down next month.

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September 9, 2008

Esoteric Framework 0.2.0 released

I just pushed version 0.2.0 of the Esoteric Framework. It adds support for 2D lines and curves, among other things.

Here are the release notes:

===============================================================================
=  E S O T E R I C  F R A M E W O R K  v 0 . 2 . 0  R E L E A S E  N O T E S  =
===============================================================================

__ Notes ______________________________________________________________________

 * Template elements not included in this release because they rely on features
   planned for later releases.
 * Support for embedded fonts pushed back.

__ New in this release ________________________________________________________

 * Added new Loader element to load external SWFs.
 * Added new 2D line elements: LineStyle, LineGradientStyle, MoveTo, LineTo,
   and CurveTo.
 * Added new 2D drawing elements: Circle, and Ellipse.
 * Added support for bitmap filters on 3D display objects.
 * Added support for single-line and multi-line comments in scripts using
   JavaScript/ActionScript syntax.
 * Added NaN object to scripts context.
 * Regenerated compiler lexer and parsers with Antlr 3.1.

__ Features planned for 0.3.0 _________________________________________________

   The next release will focus on the manipulation of nodes using scripts.

 * Add support for basic control structures in scripts (if, for, etc...).
 * Add methods to dynamically manipulate nodes: clone, create, remove, move.

Get it while it's fresh: http://framework.esotericorp.com/downloads/.

Filed under // esoteric framework

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September 3, 2008

Django RC1 available

It seems the Django team has been busy lately. They released version 1.0 release candidate yesterday.

-- edit --

Version 1.0 was just released. That was fast!

Filed under // django

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September 2, 2008

Google Chrome is pretty neat

Nice minimal interface, very fast, I like =)

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September 1, 2008

Cover flow using the Esoteric Framework, take 1

I created a new demo this evening and added it to the Esoteric Framework website.

'This application is the first attempt to create a 3D interface similar to the cover flow feature found in Apple iTunes using the Esoteric Framework. It was built to test the features and limitations of the first preview release of the framework. Drag the slider's handle at the bottom to scroll the pictures.'

I'm pretty happy with the result, especially given the primitive nature of the first release of the framework. It was easier to implement than I expected (I wasn't sure if I could pull it off), and the source code is pretty short. I was also able to identify the features I need to implement in the short term. One of them being the ability to dynamically create elements, so that the application tree can be manipulated by scripts. Also basic control structures in scripts would be nice.

Give it a try online right here. You probably need a decent CPU for this to run smoothly. Flash can't use 3D acceleration at the moment =(

Edit:

Just fixed a bug when dragging outside the movie clip. Also improved the source code with recursion.

Filed under // esoteric framework

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August 31, 2008

Ubuntu on eee pc 1000

I got impatient while watching source code compile and decided to install Ubuntu 8 instead of Gentoo. I was able to get a fully functional desktop in less time than it took me to get wired networking to work with Gentoo. Everything works perfectly, including Compiz Fusion, the integrated webcam, sound, and the wireless toggle button.

In short, here's what I did:

Created a Ubuntu USB boot stick from a PC with internet access
Booted from the USB stick
Formated the two solid state drives:
- / and /boot on the first drive (8 gigs should be enough for my needs)
- a small EDI partition on the first drive to enable boot booster in the BIOS
- /home on the second drive
- no swap partition to prolong the life span of the solid state drives
- I used ext2 instead of ext3 to prolong the life span of the solid state drives as well
Installed Ubuntu, went smoothly
Edited /etc/fstab to mount /var/log and some other key locations in RAM, again to prolong the lifespan of the solid state drives
Downloaded the tweaked kernel and modules from www.array.org from another machine with internet access and put them on a USB stick
Followed the instructions from the website to replace the kernel and modules
Wireless was now working
Updated everything
Used a few scripts from www.array.org to get the remaining features to work
Setup Firefox to cache in RAM (by now you probably figured out the reason =)
Got the Clearlooks Compact themes and a nice background
Messed around with Compiz Fusion

It boots really fast, and the battery seems to last about 5 hours. It is very portable yet big enough for my large hands. It seems really responsive and stable. I am stoked about how it turned out, especially for a machine under $700.