Trying to follow…

Working with different types of widget library’s one gets in contact with Ajax libs. Personnally I think the difference is even not there. As soon as you get asynchronous calls to the backend (whatever backend that may be), we are talking Ajax. And a widget is a piece of code that works on its own and thus has his own method for calling the backend. Hence widget = ajax in a simple form. But ajax then… I thought it was a complex matter to get the communication with the backend going but these days I get in contact with a lot of frameworks that seem to get the job done. There is Google that has several intakes in the issue, like their gadgets, the mashup editor, GWT, etc. There is off course Mootools and Scriptaculous but they are more of collection of snippets. There is also Dojo, DWR, echo and the commercialy backbase, tibco, jackbe,….

But you have to make a distinction between server and client frameworks. The server frameworks have a server side footprint and a small client base (eg gmail), the client frameworks can  potentialy work offline but have a bigger client lib –> more downloadtime. But that is relative because today a lot of pages go beyond the 500KB and that is a lot of javascript.

Going offline is also a key component for the future, like google gears. That means that the server-side story is slowly going down and can be replaced by a client-service oriented architecture. Those services provide a readable URL interface to underlying systems with a atomic structure… True webservices without the problems, just loosly coppled systems. It also fits in the development of RIA, Rich Internet Applications, were the OS will be independent (or as some say the internet will be the OS).

It is a complex picture but in constant motion and as the story continues I wil be trying to follow it. So check back here for more updates and technical remarks. PLease feel free to comment on the issue…

Just discovered a new site since I’m a dad of two. Apparantly since men are more involved in raising kids, they start using their pragmatic sense. And now there are a lot new inventions for new dads that should make life easier. Like a jack that is a nursery bag, or an alarm for when it is diaper time or feeding time, and so on.

So all new dads, check it out: www.dadgear.com

a new toy software found www.backpakcit.com from 37signals (the guys from Ruby on Rails among other stuff). A nice tool but google already has something like that called Google Calendar, Google Notebook, Picasa and blogger. But I got to admit that Google doesn’t combine easily. Maybe we should try to create a mashup from some google service to acces them easily, like  notebook,  calendar, gmail and blogger…

I recently discovered MIcrosoft One note and I’m already an avid user. I like the concept of no save button, the organisation is splendid with maybe even to muh options (they still can get it right like Google or Apple) but the only thing missing is a automatic backup system (and the thing is performant but still I get the feeling of memory clutter.)

Check it out…and let me know what you think

After spending my entire IT life on windows, and the last few years Linux@home, it was time for the ultimate, the best ….the Mac. And now I finf myself in the rare opportunity to use all my experience to install a machine GOOD. You know that feeling were you have all the options for software but this time   you know which one to install and which one not. So I’m installing firefox and extensions, textmate, twitter, Office (once it arrives ), thunderbird… You know all the good stuff without some crappy shit like shareware and others.. And then out of the blue, there is some shareware (demo ) software I like to have and yippie-ka-yeee it is installed. ’sync Google Calendar and Ical auto-matically, now that is something I want. Lets hope it works.

If someone had some suggestions for me of Mac tools I MUST try out, please leave them here… Much obliged