Alex Stanhope

There are three types of data maintenance that I should be doing on a regular basis:

1. Backup - duplicating the current version of my active documents
2. Cloning - cloning my entire main harddisk to backup drive that is a similar size and format. This copies the operating system files and applications in such a way that they 'just work' on the backup drive. In the event of a main disk error or crash, I simply slot in the backup drive, restore to it my latest working files and carry on working.

Flash

Action Script 3.0 (as3) has native functions to draw basic 2D primitives. In AS2 you had to calculate all the points on, say a circle, then draw it using line segments. I've written a little demo which draws circles. This time trial aims to complete in roughly 100ms.

I recently spent some time messing with the Microsoft DirectX SDK with a view to making a simple video player. I wanted to show a video in the main window, with two smaller preview windows looking t+2 and t+5 seconds out respectively.

I've been looking at a couple of options for implementing 3D interfaces in a web-browser environment.

Nothing native

The major browsers don't support 3D out of the box. They require a plugin. The least install-heavy is Java3D, which typically pops out of the browser using Java Web Start. The chances are your machine already has Java 5 or 6 installed. Samples.

Plugin options

I created this very simple 3D spin around an Audi R8 with environment mapping to demonstrate complex reflections. It was all part of the preparation for the Lightenna website re-launch in 2008.

Today the final report for Digital Britain was published by the DCMS. I've only had a chance to skim through it, but here are the things that jumped out at me.

#24 The Universal Service Commitment (USC) mentions Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC).

#34 Ranging from 4MB (rural) to 50MB (cities and suburbs), the next generation of wireless access promises some interesting pervasive media applications.

#35 Ofcom to extend the life of the existing 3G licences indefinitely.

#39 Radio will move across to DAB by 2015.

Listened to some phenomenal talks at b.TWEEN this year.

Particularly moved by Melissa Sterry's frank, open and empassioned talk on the need for sustainable businesses.

Just amazing!

This is a quick example of using Carnegie Mellon's Motion Capture database to drive a 3D biped (in this case a rugby player).

I've been thinking about how producer-consumers (prosumers) are affecting the value chain in the content industries (e.g. publishing, film, tv, radio, new media).