The Macrocosm of a Neurotechnician

Google Wave + concrete5 = ?: A block Request

2009-07-18T03:30:00.006-05:00

I am looking forward to seeing a Google Wave block for concrete5. I think this would be awesome, especially if it has the ability to work with it's own Federated server. This could allow for a very easy way to add User interaction to any section of a website while providing easy to manage Moderation and Administration tools.

Examples of front end use would be Blog posting that Multiple users could contribute on, simultaneously. Or even just in adding new Page content itself for publishing when multi-user editing is a must. Maybe even Slide show Presentations right inside the browser without the need of a plug in. Integrating Google Wave into concrete5 would explode the potential of both technologies.

An example of back-end integration would be an activity stream that allows administrators or moderators to manage content delivery, or even just website chatter, on the fly. With the use of some filters or even a minimal amount of BPM control applied to this stream the possibilities are endless.

If all of this sounds cool but you don't have a clue what Google Wave or concrete5 is, then I will explain a brief bit about each of them.

Concrete 5 is a wonderful CMS that is the easiest I have ever used. It has a very organic process for creating and managing content that anyone that at least knows how to control a keyboard and mouse, could use with ease. If you want to know more about the concrete5 CMS then check it out here.

And then there is Google Wave. Google Wave is an emerging technology that has not yet been fully opened to the public. I believe that once it is released, it will change the way people communicate and collaborate in the digital realm on a very fundamental level. Also having a very organic system that centers around a conversation, or Wave. These waves are able to spawn multiple waves of their own and can change "shape" as the conversation evolves. Everything from line by line user access control to remote multi media sharing right from your desktop, and even blow-by-low playback for new users to an existing wave. For more information on Google Wave check here.

Google Chrome OS and what it means to me

2009-07-13T11:49:00.004-05:00

First what is it? Here is an excerpt from the Google blog.

"Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work."

To me Chrome OS will be a God send. I truly believe that the browser is the OS of the future as more and more applications move to the web. And as a web developer and internet marketeer, this means a lot.

Everyday the internet is turning conventional tactics of product or service delivery, on it's head. It is changing the very fabric of how we communicate and prioritize information. A great example of this is twitter. with the help of tools like TweetDeck, it helps get rid of the small talk and allows you to easily sift through the torrent of data coming down the line.

As the world becomes more and more entrenched in social digital communications, the WWW becoming a bigger and cooler player.

Chrome OS is the perfect OS for projects like 1 Laptop per child or for your child's first computer or even your technically inept relative.

What Chrome OS is not.

Chrome OS is not the "Windows Killer", at least not for a while and not in the Workstation sense. Before that can ever happen key applications like Auto CAD or Photoshop or development tools like Zend Studio(Eclipse), or Visual Studio would have to be ported to the web. I would say "or some 3rd party alternatives" but lets face it, the knock offs generally are not as good as the originals. But it is true, as more and more developers start to push the bounds of web technologies, we will see more and more of our daily lives transacting over the web.

As long as Google can keep it easy to use, easy to maintain, and secure, then Chrome OS will have unlimited potential as long as the brilliance of man continues to innovate on how we live, work, and play.

Project Natal, boring ? Not at all.

2009-06-04T02:29:00.005-05:00

I sure missed out not being at E3 this year. At least I have been keeping up with video coverage, and the things I see are amazing. Microsoft unveiled a whole new controller for the Xbox360 that will seldom ever be held in your hands. Instead it will sit on top of, or below, your television and watch you. Yes, it is a camera, but more. Check out this wicked video to see what I mean.

I am so incredibly stoked to see this. This technology will completely change the way people experience gaming.

More Natal stuff

2009-07-06T05:08:00.005-05:00

Seriously, if you haven't seen this, you are missing out. I have dreamed of a way to interface with computer/(Xbox 360 in this case) like this for a long time. Just check out Sugar Ray Lenard or Erik Dickerson playing Burnout Paradise and Ricochet.

And I think this hotty, Felicia Day, says it best at the end.

Tony Robbins, best I have seen.

2009-06-05T11:00:00.003-05:00

I just found this video of Tony Robbins and it is probably the most amazing video of him I have seen. Very candid and real. Check it out.

Happy Birthday concrete5

2009-06-05T04:38:00.003-05:00

So C5 is now about 1 year old. If you aren't sure what c5 is and you're a web developer, you really are missing out. c5 is one of the easiest to use Content Management Systems (CMS) I have ever seen. The back end is not too cluttered and key areas are easy to find, and the front end editing is so smooth. No more of this creating buckets of content in a back end business. Now you can edit your site while viewing the page it will actually appear on. And with a growing community of developers and designers c5 has a lot going for it. Here is a copy of a letter Franz (one of the c5 creators) sent out recently.

Happy birthday to us!

It was right around this time a year ago that we posted the first pre-release version of concrete5 alpha to sourceForge to see what people thought. Wow, what a year!

Since then we've reached over 250,000 people and had over 50,000 downloads. We've got an active forum of 5,000 developers and designers who are eagerly helping each other, last week I even had a VC fund cold call US for a change.

These are exciting economic times to be sure, but it looks like people still want to express themselves online and are looking for better ways to do so. Check out some of the media reviews we've been getting:

"...the PHP programming aspect is actually where Concrete5 really shines. The API is full-featured, robust and extremely easy to use."
eWeek

".. as more people generate richer content, entrepreneurs are recognizing the need for better systems to manage it."
sramana mitra - deal radar

"In practical use, C5 felt a lot like an easy-to-use website creator married with a full CMS platform on the back-end, making content and layout changes easy and quick, but allowing a lot of customization under the hood if required."
ReadWriteWeb

Are you in the Portland area? Join us to celebrate our 1 year of open source next Thursday for our local meetup at Hopworks brewery.

Thanks for the awesome year, we're looking forward to many more.
- Franz Maruna
CEO concrete5.org

So if you haven't checked them out yet, what are you waiting for? concrete5.org

Neurotechnic

2009-04-24T03:19:00.001-05:00

Neurotechnic. What does it mean? In truth it is not a recognized word. But lets look at the prefix and word that makes up this new word/concept/idea/whatever you would call this.

The Prefix:
Neuro is a prefix in words for concepts and topics in relation to the brain and neuroscience. One of the oldest of these words is probably neurology. In recent years the number of words with the "neuro-" prefix has grown, and now words such as neuroethics, neuroconstructivism and neurosociety are found (cf. neologism, and buzzword). [http://www.answers.com/neuro]

tech·nique (tĕk-nēk')
n.

The systematic procedure by which a complex or scientific task is accomplished.
also tech·nic (tĕk'nĭk)
1. The way in which the fundamentals, as of an artistic work, are handled.
2. Skill or command in handling such fundamentals. See synonyms at art¹.

(definitions borrowed from answers.com)

It is a beautiful word if you ask me. Take a prefix, Neuro, that defines the core topic or subject matter of a set of words, in this case, the Brain. And Technic, "The way in which the fundamentals, as of an artistic work, are handled.", combine them, and what you have is a whole new word to describe people like myself.

I am a software designer. Not just any software designer though. I put a lot of thought into the flow as well as the function. Designing software to me is like composing music. Yeah you can have tons of features, but if your system is clunky and hard to use, it's not very good. Conversely, you can throw a whole bunch of musicians into a room, but if the sounds they make are not properly conducted, you just get a lot of noise.

So that my friend, is the Heart of The Macrocosm of a Neurotechnician.

On a side note: I do hope this word is formally recognized with the meaning I have detailed above. Otherwise this post will just look stupid to future readers lol.

cheers,
Glenn Barres

Congratulations!

2008-11-04T23:23:00.002-05:00

Like many other Americans, I have never been more into the election than this go around. I did not vote however due to personal reasons. So the winner has been found and it is Obama. I know that pisses a lot of people off but guess what, you are the minority. Just as John McCain said, the people of the United States have spoken, and spoken loudly.

Even though Obama won, McCains losing speech moved me more than any other speech during this election. I feel he would have made a fine leader though he is not the President of the USA, he will still be able to influence the growth and future of our country.

So I will end this with McCains closing line.

"Americans never quit!"

An Update on QBos

2007-08-10T12:57:00.001-05:00

Well I must say that things have progressed very well lately. A new version of Qbos rolled out about a month or so ago and what a huge improvement. the new GUI is actually pretty and eye catching. Not to mention some of the interface changes making navigation a bit easier.

What's even cooler though is the new EPS editor. Drag and drop WYSIWYG process management, it doesn't get easier than that. A completely new build which makes adding steps in the processes much easier and more intuitive, not to mention easier on the eyes as well. Kudos to their design staff.

Even cooler than that is the new SOAP interface. Now developers can utilize the power of Qbos inside their own applications. I have yet to build anything** that uses it yet but it looks very promising. A current project of mine, AmState.net will be using this tool. Look for another writeup once we get into it.

Ok now for the inside scoop, (I hope I don't get into trouble for sharing this). There is a new version of Qbos rolling out near the end of the year that is friggin sweet. It has a complete virtual desktop with unlimited windows. Yes. This means that sys admins can lock a user to this application only and streamline production in the work environment. No more solitaire when the boss is out. I look forward to using this new tool.

All-n-all, QBos is coming along very nicely and I am starting to enjoy working with it. So if you are in need of process management software(EPS), Customer Relation Management(CRM), and a way to make your office life a whole lot easier, delivered in a Software as a Service(SaaS) platform, then take a look at QBos, and yes they fixed the "www" issue. That is another thing I have to give these guys credit for. If ever an issue arises, they are on top of it and they are not afraid to receive input from their customers.

**Update: I intgrated thier shopping cart and User profile data via the Soap interface without a problem. And yes I sprinkled in a few extra keywords during this edit. Not becuase they asked me to, but becuase I think they are that cool.

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Now playing: Yellow Magnetic Star - Lunar Spell (D I G I T A L L Y - I M P O R T E D - Chillout - ambient psy chillout, check out our trippy flavors!)
via FoxyTunes

Google's CEO Endorsment, whats the big deal?

2008-10-29T22:49:00.003-05:00

Someone in my MySpace posted how upset they were about Google's CEO, (Eric Schmidt), choice to endorse Barack Obama. I had not heard anything and of course, I hit Google to find out the buzz. I stumbled across this page @ lockergnome and wrote a comment.

I figured it was worth mentioning on here as well so here you go.

---------
I think it is quite possible to separate personal choice from business practice. Since Obama is more pro-tech, (from what I have seen/heard/read), his personal choice is most likely made in hopes to benefit Google in the long run. And just because his personal choice may or may not effect Google's bottom line, does not mean that Google's stance on this issue is effected. Especially if you consider that Obama's plans will mean Google will most likely have to come out of pocket more in taxes.

Google is so much more than 1 man.

New Site Soon

2008-10-23T15:45:00.000-05:00

Ok recently I have started working for a Marketing and Advertising company called blink. We are about a launch a new site named blinkInsider. The site will showcase many of blink's artwork and grant a more afforable access to blink's talent-for-hire. Stay tuned for more updates.

Millions have seen this. It is worth watching.

2008-09-26T22:36:00.003-05:00

Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture

Getting Started with QBos

2007-05-15T17:42:00.003-05:00

Edit: For the latest on Qbos check out my latest post

Good one guys!

2008-04-01T08:16:00.000-05:00

Now this is one of the many reasons why I love Google. Today they announced a joint venture between Virgin Group (owners of Virgin Mobile) and Google. This new endeavor is called Virgle, Inc and it's aim is to establish a human settlement on Mars. Can anybody say Wow? At first I could not even say that as the news sunk in, I was stunned. My first thought was that is one very ambitious goal. Then my second though was of todays date. 4/1/2007. April Fool Day! man I love these guys.

To read the original article go here

New Year...New Opportunities?

2008-01-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Well 2007 was a remarkable year. Some good remarks, and some bad. But all in all, it was great. In recent blogs I have mentioned a project called AmState, I will give a bit more information on what this is. AmState is a new Real Estate company that is poised to revolutionize the Real Estate industry as we know it, and this is how.

If any of you are familiar with the concept of Network Marketing then you will instantly get excited about this. AmState has incorporated a level of Network Marketing into it's recruiting structure and has created a model that not only empowers the agents to earn a substantial income via 3 income streams, (how does 90% commissions sound?), but also provides tools to insure that they perform at peak efficiency. I am sure many of you have heard of Amway or Avon or Mary Kay, 3 very big and very successful companies. These companies use Network Marketing, otherwise known as Multi Level Marketing(MLM), to build out their organization and to seed the populous with their sales people. This has proven to be highly effective over the years. Another company that has used this same strategy to build it's network was Sprint. Yes, the telephone company. I do not know a single individual who is not aware of Sprint. Sprint may not always have the best service but they are none the less a leader in their industry. AmState will also become an industry leader in Real Estate just has Sprint and Avon have become leaders in their respective industries. And here is why. In most Team building business models, the emphasis is on the recruiting. That is not the case in AmState. We are first and foremost a Real Estate company through and through, with an MLM twist. Doing Real Estate, and doing it right, is our primary goal. With this model we just make it easier for an Agent to remain in this business, even when the goings get tough. Using the power of QBos to streamline the process of doing business in real estate, making money will become as easy as gossiping to your neighbors.

Still not convinced? Well head over to AmState.net for more information.

Google + Salesforce = ???

2007-05-22T18:54:00.001-05:00

I personally think it would be a great idea. I poked around at salesforce.com looking for an easy to manage yet effective CRM (Customer Relations Manager). I settled with SugarCRM instead. But to be able to have all the Google Apps functionality, like Docs and Spreadsheet and not to mention Webmail, right inside of your CRM platform, that would be awesome. Imagine being able to track customer interactions spanning many years. Being able to categorize different Customer responses like, "Disgruntled", or "Satisfied", and then being able to track over a period of time which customers are more trouble than they are worth. Better yet, which employees are not handling the customers correctly? And say for instance your client sends you an Excel document but you’re on vacation and just checking up on things from a local Net Cafe. Here you could open, edit, or whatever, the spreadsheet and send it right back to them and never have to launch a third party application. Web related applications are the bomb.

I personally cannot wait until the day that Google starts partnering, (or developing on their own), with an Operating System. I can see it now, GFAT, Google File Allocation Tables using the same algorithm for indexing your data that the SE uses to provide you with top quality search results.

Microsoft Surface, the hottest surface on the planet

2007-05-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has recently unveiled their newest toy, and boy is it cool. It is called Microsoft Surface. When I first looked a this thing I started to drool. Then as I watched demo after demo I started to vibrate. Words cannot describe this well enough but I shall try. Imagine a table that is also a computer screen. But more, it is a touch screen. Not only that but they have reinvented how people compute. It uses natural hand gestures and is smart. So smart the demos I saw showed someone put a digital camera down on the table, and all the pictures in that camera, spilled out of it. And you can move them around with a single finger. Want to zoom in? No problem, just place to fingers on the picture and spread them apart. More than one person can use the table at once too. You can paint, draw, write, surf the net, all kinds of stuff. Check out this video to see what I mean. Your going to like this.
For more info check out the Surface website.

Microsoft Groove 2007

2007-05-18T17:39:00.001-05:00

This blog is about one of the coolest applications to come out of Microsoft to date. It is called Groove and here is what it is.

Groove lets you setup secure work environments called Workspaces. Once you create a Workspace you can invite anyone into it. They will of course need to have Groove installed. Groove can generate the email with links to download a free trial version of Groove for you to send to others. Or if you have someone already in your contact list you just choose their name from a dropdown and they instantly get an Invite notification. Now for the fun part.

Let's talk more about these Workspaces and what they can do. A Standard Workspace is the coolest I have seen so far. It starts off with a Files tool which allows you to add files for sharing. The files sync to the other users and they are able to view them. The person creating the Workspace is set to Manager by default but you can make others the Manager if you like. There are 3 roles, Manager, Participant, and Guest. A Participant can add tools and make basic changes where as a Guest can only view. Below is a list of Tools that can be added and a couple of example of their uses.

Calendar
- Pretty self explanatory. This lets you setup appointments that others can see. Great for scheduling team or board meetings.
Discussions
- Kind of like a Forum. You can Add Topics and then Reponses.
Files
- For sharing multiple files and Folders across the workspace
Forms
- This one is really cool. You can create forms using a fairly intuitive editor and then publish them across the Workspace. Once that is done users can view and form and fill it out. All information gets stored and is viewable by a "View" which you also create. This is great for a team that needs to collect TPS reports…I mean progress reports or any type of data collection. You could even make Team Blog using the Forms tool.
InfoPath Forms
- Basically the same as the regular Forms Tool but allows you to import forms designed in InfoPath
Issue Tracking
- Self explanatory. Lets you setup different issues. It is fairly comprehensive as you can define status levels, categories, priority lists and even attach Files to topics.
Meetings
- This allows you to have some of the functionality of the different tools on a per meeting basis. You can assign action items, agendas, and a discussion forum and log meeting minutes
Notepad
- Just a place to jot down notes
Pictures
- Displays and shares images and digital photo's. This would come in handy for a development team that is reviewing concept sketches or maybe a real estate agency that can list different images for the project
SharePoint Files
- This synchronizes files with a SharePoint document library or folder.
Sketchpad
- Self explanatory. You can draw and share visual ideas using a basic graphic editor that used vector based graphics.
Chess Game
- Yes it even has a Chess game. Now there are no rule so it is not turn based but is a nice if you need to break from the brainstorm and clear the head for a moment.
Now you can also create a strictly File sharing Workspace that is very much like Windows Explorer but the files are synchronized across the members of the Workspace.
You can also save a Standard Workspace as a template so that you can create new Workspaces that are already populated with the necessary tools
All in all Microsoft Groove is awesome and has a lot of potential for many different uses. Now only if there was a way to access the data stored by a 3rd Party application or web server, that would be the bomb!
For more info and screenshot visit the Microsoft Groove 2007 website
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/groove
BTW this blog was written in MS OneNote 2007, which rocks as well, and then posted using the Blog functionality of Word 2007 directly to my Blogger account. How cool is that?

Google AdSense

2007-05-21T16:38:00.000-05:00

Well I signed up for an account to Google AdSense to put on this site. Not that I am expecting much revenue from it but if my viewers are able to find more information related to what they were searching for, and if I happen to turn a profit for providing that, then right on. So lets hope this blog site will pass the test. Last time I submitted a request it was for my site mediawake.net, and was denied. It is a dead site now, though I still use it for email and development testing, PHP FTW.

Here is to Hope!

Google Hot Trends

2007-05-22T18:37:00.000-05:00

Ok so this post will be about whats going on in the tech world today. Google launched a new services called Hot Trends. It is similar to Google Trends but it pulls all the data from different searches and shows you what is hot. The cool part about HotTrends that I noticed is that what is Hot changes often. I reviewed the site this morning and by this afternoon nearly all of the list has been replaced. Those involved in SEO know how valuable this tool is as it helps illustrate the changing landscape of popular searches.

Mars Spirit Rover

2007-05-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

Well it seems that the Mars Spirit Rover has uncovered more goodies. This tidbit concerns life on Mars. Well not really. But close. They have found soil that is rich in silica which suggests that water was once pooled in this location. And where there is water, there could be life. For the full story go here, Nasa.gov.

"You could hear people gasp in astonishment," said Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., principal investigator for the Mars rovers' science instruments. "This is a remarkable discovery. And the fact that we found something this new and different after nearly 1,200 days on Mars makes it even more remarkable. It makes you wonder what else is still out there."

Woot

2007-05-22T18:29:00.001-05:00

Well as you can probably tell, Google as approved my application for Adsense. So make sure you check out the Google Pack link on the side. I do not even care if you click that link or not, be sure to check out the Google Pack. Google is the Shiznite. I remember back int he day when I was an avid Infoseek user and then along comes this new search engine, Google. At first I was too stubborn to switch and frankly, Infoseek had better results in it's searches. But Google has dominated the market in so many ways. I firmly believe this is due to their philosophy. It is my desire to one day end up at Google and I know I will. I think no other place on earth could fit me better and Google would benefit greatly from my experiences. What are those experiences you say? Well we shall save that for another blog but lets just say I have been around the world.

Day One

2007-05-15T16:46:00.000-05:00

This is my first post to this new blog. Google is the shiznit. anywho. This post should be posted to my site at theuglyflashsite.com so lets hope it works.