Author: The Great Java

Coding to Kaltura API using “testme” Console

I’m probably too easily impressed anytime a vendor shows me a web “playground” to experiment with their API, especially if it will generate code snippets for specific languages. IBM has a pretty neat tool for IBM Connections, but it requires too much setup/footprint in my opinion. Kaltura has something similar, but has the advantage of needing just a client library. I needed to get a list of owners and managers for channels in the KMS and it seemed like for a few calls, the test console could give me the basic code.

I started with JavaScript and ran into a lot of trouble, which I chalked up to my proxy for the request. I figured server-side Java would be a better choice since I wouldn’t have to deal with the cross-site scripting and it’s a language I know well. With the Kaltura API, you start by creating a “session” (also called a “ks” for Kaltura session). You can do this with your secret admin code, but it’s far better to do it with a user that has the privileges you need. I generated some of the basic code and pasted it into a runnable class.

Kaltura Generated Code

KalturaConfiguration config = new KalturaConfiguration();
config.setPartnerId(partnerId);
config.setEndpoint("https://www.kaltura.com/");
KalturaClient client = new KalturaClient(config);
String loginId = "userid";
String password = "password";
int partnerId = 999999;
int expiry = null;
String privileges = null;
Object result = client.getUserService().loginbyloginid(loginId, password, partnerId, expiry, privileges);

Immediately, I noticed some interesting things like assigning primitives to null and declaring variables after they are used, which are easily fixed, but the issues don’t end there. The return types are not usable (all objects) and the API calls don’t match the API you downloaded from the test application. Other code examples were worse-variables were declared when all that was needed was a simple assignment to something already created.

In hindsight, I expect it wasn’t my proxy or JavaScript skills, but similar code generation issues and API mismatches that were my downfall with JavaScript. My advice is to try the console to know what classes you’ll need and get a “hint” of what data is passed around-assume the code you get is just plain wrong. I posted my experience in the forums and the response was that Java isn’t as well supported as PHP and it’s just a guide to the type of code you might write. They have a developer site with code examples, but nothing in Java yet.

In case you were hoping to find some working sample code, I’ve attached code to create a session, get a list of categories, and print out all the users with manager access in case you’d find a complete code example useful.

Download ListChannelOwners Java Class

Dust off that Old Nook Simple Touch for Kindle Reading?

nst2

Yeah, I’m mostly using the Kindle bookstore now – but what if you have an old Nook eReader (and some B&N content)?

I recently dusted off the Nook Simple Touch and decided to try some of the root options, mostly to get the Kindle app working. I was amazed at the volume of YouTube videos and XDA Forum threads as well as root options available. Obviously the Simple Touch isn’t the hottest device to hack anymore, so it’s hard to find out what’s really the best to start with  all of the options and versions. Bottom Line? Update your nook to 1.2.1 version B&N firmware and root with the most recent version of RootManager.

If you’re unfamiliar with the process of “rooting” or installing a new ROM on an Android device the process is pretty straightforward. You download an installer image to put on an SD card that you start your device with. That installer tool on your SD card does all the magic. Generally, if you follow the steps for any tool exactly you’ll be successful.

I started with TouchNooter [Check out the XDA Forum] but regardless of the Nook firmware version I started with (tried 1.0.0 and 1.1) the experience didn’t work quite right. It went into a reboot loop after TouchNooter and then after it reset itself, I had the apps, but no root. I wasn’t a fan of the launcher application installed by default since it left a launcher option on the right side of the screen that sometimes got in the way. After looking at a couple of other options with mixed reviews I decided to try NookManager. okManager [Check out this thread] has a nice wizard interface with options anchored to the four physical buttons on the device. It guides you through restoring the device to factory settings (actually worked after other things didn’t) and is very easy to setup. I skipped the steps to backup since I had no content on the device and I also skipped the steps on formatting the SD card since I wasn’t interested in using it for storage. After reboot I was back into the Nook with an option to pick the alternate option (save the option by hitting checkbox first). The interface installed was a lot easier to work with for me than TouchNooter.

I also found a modified Kindle app [link] that was tweaked to make the off-white background completely white and the black a true black (for e-Ink screens). I’d recommend downloading the file and installing it. If you’re not familiar with ADB you can read more here on installing it and connecting to your device. Before you try it, be sure to launch the ADBConnect application on the nook first.

There are quite a few resources that list old application files you might try installing and find useful (Google Play books, Webster, Bible, Opera Mini) [Try this one for starters].

The most common reason for rooting the NST is likely to add other reading applications the B&N doesn’t allow by default. If you’re interested in those options give NookManager a try. Make sure to follow B&N instructions to update your nook to 1.2 first [Click here and select link for “Get 1.2.1 Today”]

Side Note: If you’re on a Mac the easiest way to create the NookManager SD disk is to use the ApplePi Baker.

Is Homeschooling a DIY approach to education?

We began our homeschool experience as a cautious experiment that eventually led to homeschooling through high school. We had a few reasons – one was a private school teacher mom that would have spent her entire salary sending three kids to private school. The reasons for homeschooling are always evolving and maybe now thriving in the culture of the “Do-it-yourself” and “LifeHacker” crowd. A recent article from Wired Magazine talks about this latest reason for home schooling – provide a completely unique experience that no school could provide (Read the article, interesting story). I’m not sure I’ve run into any with this motivation in the homeschool community here in the midwest, but welcome to our eclectic crowd (if 3% qualifies as a crowd).

Really home schooling has always been a DIY approach to education. For many in the United States homeschooling is an option where the local schools are low-quality or where parents have certain philosophical or religious views they feel are not represented (or disliked) in the public-school systems. Others choose homeschooling because they have kids with special needs that don’t fit in schools that are more traditional. Our reasons may vary but every one of us takes our own approach, even customizing for each child – how DIY is that?

hs2

Many people fear that kids that not in a government school will receive lesser quality education. Given the state of the public school system and our ranking worldwide in educational effectiveness this concern always baffled me! The truth is home schooled kids score higher on standardized tests than any other school group and they’re highly sought after by college admissions [more details]. Others wonder if homeschoool kids spend all their time indoors with their parents can ever develop any real social skills. The truth is home school kids do spend a lot of time with other kids and without the constant pure pressure develop social skills quite naturally [NPR Article with more background].

I’m a big fan of DIY mentality and hacking anything into something new and more useful. Thanks Wired for pointing out how I hacked my kids education into something unique. Next time someone asks why I homeschooled my kids I’ll just reply, “Because I’m a life hacker”.

Yet Another Reason Not to Buy a Keurig

First, I don’t think the flavors produced by the Keurig are anything special. If you like it you probably have been brewing with a cheap brewer or using Foldgers so it’s a step up for you. Truthfully, if the quality isn’t there no other reasons really need be mentioned ( but I will anyway). Some question if there is any good way to clean it confidently. This would affect taste and potentially your health. Lastly, I just think brewing pre-ground coffee in a disposable plastic container sounds silly! The newest reason to not use Keurig is their attempt to prevent your old K-Cups and refillable pods from working in the new “2.0” version of their coffee maker. The new device looks for a proprietary ink marker on each K-cup to ensure it’s one made by the manufacturer. Can you imagine if you bought a Mr. Coffee and only Mr. Coffee grounds could be used with it? Of course not – but that’s exactly what Keurig has done.

It’s pretty surprising to me they thought this mechanism wouldn’t be instantly figured out and all they would get out of it is several months of higher K-cup sales followed by severe brand damage. Anyway, the video below details how to bypass their attempt to lock-in loyal customers that upgraded (who are probably not very happy). You have to love the theme music as well as the charts with the “Rebel” K-cups statistics. The sad thing is our “Nanny State” probably has a law against using the product you bought this way.

If you’re looking for a great easy way to make a single cup checkout the $25 Aeropress. They encourage you to use the best coffee you can find.

IBM ConnectEd Conference 2015 Day 1

The IBM ConnectED conference (formally known as LotusSphere) was dramatically different this year. It was scaled down to just two hotels and having most sessions in the smaller Swan hotel was a preview of how the size had changed. The opening welcome session was previously a fun event to connect with people and enjoy some good food. This year the welcome session was two very limited food options, long lines, and cramped spaces with loud speakers blaring music so loud nobody could communicate. This was a real disappointment – it was always a great reconnect time and I think they could have scaled it down without making it … painful. If they had just made the space larger with tables to sit at I’d gladly paid for food and drinks.

The opening session was pretty low-key compared to previous years but still had some great demos and the guest speaker was pretty interesting even if not a super star. I guess there was some live music, but I totally missed it.

The first session I attended was the Connections & Mobile update. Lots of good news here but the presentation wasn’t as straightforward compared to last year which was very clearly laid out. Here are some coming items I see of very high value:
  • File Subfolders. Long resisted by IBM but implemented by every other tool on the planet. The implementation looks like what a user would expect from their filesystem or tools like DropBox – great news.
  • Real Community customization. New templates to control layout of column choices and responsive design where thing can move from left, middle, or right column. Widget titles can finally be changed. We’ve done this forever with our custom widgets, glad it’s finally supported for all. Very impressive but I’m trying to figure out why Mobile won’t be leveraging the hard work community owners do to customize the space.
  • New Profile page view – looks great, looks like mobile. Can we change all the applications to just look and work like Mobile on the web?
  • Open files in Office (auto locks and edit). Very nice update
  • Custom streams. Detail specific people or places you want updates on and get a visual count of what’s new on a new dashboard page.
The next session was on TDI and changes to support external users. The presentation was very clear and well done. A few key items I took away from this:
  • Not all areas make sure you know you are sharing externally – desktop tool one example.
  • All external users are very limited in sharing and mentioning because they have no directory search options. Really limited to communities they are in.
  • TDI work is pretty straightforward. Using another LDAP branch great way to keep things clean.

connec15

Next I went to the customer panel on five companies telling their collaboration and social story. Geoff Englemeyer at AT&T did a great job sharing our work!
Last session was on API and Connections Cloud. Pretty interesting how the cloud version can now be customized to your company including themes, apps and other things.  Some general API talk but mostly not relevant for on premise usage.

Last part of the day we talked with some of the IBM Docs team about some of the features coming later this year. Sounds like some nice changes to the editor to be more properly paginated and options to upload a new version over the top of an existing version.

Good day with lots of interesting updates.

My Experience and Review of Wink Home Automation Hub

IMG_0073
While shopping on Black Friday for my annual $1Home Depot poinsettias I ran across a great deal on the “Wink” home automation hub.  Wink was available for only $.99 if you purchased two home automation Products. Conveniently the GE link lightbulbs were only 15 dollars, Just a little bit more than normal LED bulbs.  I purchased two of them thinking this had to be the cheapest way to get started with home automation.

The GE lightbulbs look a little unusual. In addition to being a little bit larger than average they are clear at the top and you can see a small circular antenna for radio communication. Unlike some bulbs which have a diffusion layer to soften the bright LEDs, the GE bulbs are clear and can appear a little harsh. The first attempt I made was to take automate the lamp on a coffee table next to my family room couch. I screwed in the bulb, I turned on the light, and opened the wink application. Following the wizard my light was quickly available to turn off and on as well as dim with almost zero effort. The next bulb went in the ceiling over my kitchen sink. I repeated the same process with the same success. The next thing I tried was setting up a light schedule. For my family room lamp I wanted it to come on at dusk and go off at 10 PM in the evening. For the kitchen light I wanted it to come on at the same time and at 10 PM go to a low dimmed mode to function as a”nightlight”in the middle of the night. The obvious downside of this approach is that these are switched elements and so anyone can switch them on or off making them unavailable to your home automation hub to control. You’re probably wondering what the state is after turning it off – it’s like you hope and comes on normally (and reports to the hub it’s in “on” status).IMG_0071

It was nearly Christmas and I decided that my experiment was going well and Santa should bring me some more Wink-supported gadgets. I added a wall switch that would allow me to control all the lights in my living room and the Wink “Spotter” device which claims to detect many things including motion, temperature, humidity, and more.

I started with the Wink Spotter device and immediately ran into several problems. I tried on several times to get it to sync with my Wink hub and consistently got errors. Finally in a completely random effort on a later day it started working. Quickly I noticed the humidity and temperature controls were nowhere near any of the other temperature devices in my home. I have two other thermostats including a Nest thermostat and it reported very low values by comparison. Next I tried the light sensor hoping to trigger my lights aced on the ambient light in the house. While the trigger often noticed a change in light it was easily affected by other lights nearby I really couldn’t find a proper use for this feature. Lastly I tried the motion detector. Like many other Spotter customers I was surprised to find out that it doesn’t detect motion around it but instead detects its own motion. If you were to place the spotter BY a door it would never sense any motion you would have to hang the spotter with a cord ON your doorknob for it to actually detect motion at your door. Let’s just say that wasn’t exactly what I was looking for – but after reviewing the online videos and instructions it’s quite clear the spotter is meant for more unusual use cases. Some examples I found were things like determining when your washer is done or when the kids are jumping on the bed.  Given in accuracy of the sensors and the unusual implementation of a motion detector I quickly returned this Christmas gift to the store.

Thankfully the new quirky door sensors (Tripper) had just hit the market. I picked up two of the sensors for $40 on Amazon. So far sensors have worked very well however they eventually would lose contact with the hub and the only way to correct the problem was to restart the hub. I’m happy to report that the latest upgrade to my wink hub seems to have resolved this problem. These were great for automatically turning off or on the lights based on door action and keeping a log of entry. I now know exactly at what time my kids are coming in and leaving (don’t even try to lie to me)!

IMG_0072The Levitron wall switch is ideal and one of the best investments you can make with your Wink home automation hub if you have a lot of ceiling lighting. It was crazy simple to install, worked right out of the gate in the wink application, and provides a very nice LED friendly dimmable solution. Since there are no actual physical switches you don’t have to worry about your family turning it off and no longer being able to control the lights. At $50 it’s a little too expensive for me to switch all my lights to, but I hope to upgrade 1-2 switches a year.

I next decided to try to connect my Nest thermostat to my Wink hub. This was very easy to do and it seems the main benefit is you can make changes to your temperature from inside the wink application without having to launch another application. In addition, since Wink has geofencing  you can add robots to increase or decrease your temperature when you arrive or leave home – this is not a feature that Nest supports natively.

The last device I decided to try was one that isn’t certified yet with the Wink Hub (however it is a Z–wave device and generally supported by the Wink). I purchased the Aeon Labs appliance switch the which is essentially a small extension cord whose power can be turned on and off like a switch from the lights interface on your Wink application. I bought it on Amazon because I knew they have an easy return policy. Like every other device I hooked up this one worked instantly and was controlling it in under a minute. My only complaint is that it shows up under lights, I’m using it to control a small space heater in my office. The device also has the ability to report energy consumption but the Wink doesn’t support that either. For $20 it’s a great way to control just about anything and I’m very pleased with the product.

So it’s all rosy with the Wink right? Well not exactly. I’m more than a few occasions I’ve had to restart the hub because it stopped working completely. Since the last update I haven’t had this problem so I’m hoping it was a momentary software glitch. While the Wink Hub should support many Z-wave devices it doesn’t have special support for those devices and so you do lose some of the features. I also wish there was better support for IFTTT  so that I could create more interesting automation recipes. The tool does have their own”robots” that are pretty powerful but they are limited in what they can interact with and notify. Wink looks like they have great support but the couple times I called the lines were pretty backed up. The built-in video tutorials in the app are very straightforward and well done. Given all this I would consider the product more of a “beta” setup right now.IMG_0070

If you can pickup the Wink hub on a deal  give it a try. Compared to some solutions like the Phillips (and others) you don’t have to spend $150 just to get started. The robots make it easy to create simple automations and the supported switches, door triggers, etc. all are working pretty well for me.

leJOS with Eclipse on Mac with 32 bit

While trying to compile applications for the Mindstorm NXT with a modern version of Eclipse on a Mac you’ll likely run into the deadly error, “Error: This Java instance does not support a 32-bit JVM.”. The need is clear – you need 32 bit Java support – but how? I tried various JVM flags (-d32) and trying to change where Eclipse found Java but no luck! Below I’ve detailed what worked for me.

The first step is to figure out if you have the older 1.6 version of Java on your Mac. For this just look in the directory /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/. If you’ve had your Mac for a while you likely have the directory “1.6.0.jdk” and you’re ready to move on to the next step. If you don’t you can find it here.

Changing Eclipse to use the JDK was tricky until I found the RIGHT way, then it was easy of course. Go to /Applications/Eclipse/Eclipse.app in Finder. Right click and choose “Show Package Contents”. Next open Contents/Info.plist with a text editor (not plist editor). You’ll notice at the bottom there are actually instructions on how to launch Eclipse with a different VM. I simply stole the commented out line below and pasted it under Eclipse/array.

<string>-vm</string><string>/System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Commands/java</string>

All is working now! If you’re trying to get Eclipse on your Mac working with leJOS hope that helps!

Aeropress Review

20130312-205158.jpg Count me impressed! This is one of the more surprising coffee gadgets I’ve tried In a long time. The Aeropress is a unique coffee maker that uses a tight seal plunger to push the water through fine ground coffee (after a short steep) under pressure into the cup. A fine paper filter at the bottom ensures none of the grit reaches the cup (There are also metal filter disk options). The pressure used also provides another level of extraction you don’t get with a french press, which is needed due to the shorter brew time. The method is unique in that you don’t need the water to be 200+ degrees for proper extraction, as a matter of fact most people prefer using it with water closer to 190 degrees (my preference as well). The result is like a rich Americano (espresso and water) with the bold taste of a French press.

20130312-205206.jpg

As you see from the picture, the device consists of two pieces of plastic. The first chamber holds the water with the grounds along with a paper filter and screw on cap at the bottom. The other piece is a plunger fits tightly into the water chamber and pushes the water through the grounds into the cup. Think of a needle and syringe and you get the idea!

There is a lot of discussion about the different ways to use the device. The instructions probably don’t represent the best practice due to the very short extraction time and “leaking” during extraction. I think the best practice after trying it is to turn it upside down while making it (called inversion method) and to let the brew steep for about a minute, then flip over on cup and plunge (which takes another 20-30 seconds). If that doesn’t make any sense just YouTube it!

20130312-205128.jpg

Leftover puck

After brewing you typically get about 4 ounces of coffee which can be used like a double shot in an iced coffee drink or simply add water to make an awesome Americano.  A few tips I’ve learned:

  • Use a grind between espresso and drip. If you don’t have to push a bit, tighten the grind.
  • If you use a blade grinder you’ll really need to pulverize it to get it fine enough.
  • Let it steep for a minute, don’t plunge it super fast.
  • If you don’t like decaf, try a decaf espresso roast in this; I think you may find it yummy!

 

IBM Connect 2014 Conference Notes

I attended the IBM connect conference this year and saw a lot of very impressive updates coming the product. The things that interested me most were the ability to keep people working with activity streams and engaging people through @mentions updates. The changes to the mobile application for tablets are quite impressive and illustrate IBM’s dedication to mobile first design. The only big disappointment for me this year was not seeing a major overhaul of the wiki tool which lags behind just about every tool in that space. While the wiki got a little bit of attention with a few simple macros, it so far behind other vendors like it Atlassian I don’t know if they’ll ever come close to catching up or have a really viable wiki solution.
Another big thing announced at the conference was the rebranding of everything IBM in the collaborative space as “Connections”. So is Connections Mail the plug-in for mail in Connections or Lotus Notes client? 🙂
 
New Editor Option for All Connections Applications
IBM Connections will soon have the option of a new advanced editor based on Ephox Live. This rich Java based editor will provide advanced options not normally offered on a web editing system including excellent copy/paste from Microsoft Office, revision history, drag and drop, dynamic photo editing and more. For more information watch this demonstration video and you’ll see why it’s a “big deal”.
I’m not excited about short-term feature parity issues (IBM adds features to editor not yet in Ephox) and the fact it requires desktop Java. Once they have a JavaScript-based solution with the same feature set IBM has for things like file pickers it may actually be the leader of the pack on editor features and fidelity for social business content creation. It’s unfortunate the ability to switch back-and-forth by the end-user is an integrated out-of-the-box, however it seems there may be mechanisms to do this with a customization.

Connections Next Upgrade
 Connections Next has a big emphasis in support for external collaboration, file sync,  usability, and a better activity stream. It’s quite unclear to me what will be available and when but I suspect most of this will be available in the first half of the year based on past history.
  • External Collaboration. Support for creating external communities and inviting people outside the company to collaborate on on your internal connections installation. External users have very limited customized views to see just their profile, communities approved for external use, and activity stream. This seems VERY well thought out and I’m sure due to a lot of conversations with their customers prior to rolling it out 🙂
  • Recent Activity Feature. New “Recently Viewed” feature from menu allows you to quickly get back to recently visited places.
  • Cleaned up Activity Stream. The Following, Discover, and Status Updates views are now just tabbed filters for a new “Updates” left hand menu. You’ll no longer see random like information in the stream and only the most relevant content for you is displayed. Likes have thankfully been demoted and won’t be so prominent.
  • New Activity Stream Search. You’ll be able to search the activity stream easily and add hashtags in comments.
  • @Mentions Anywhere. Quickly draw attention of any content in Connections to other users by mentioning them – in a forum, comments, blogs, anywhere. This is probably the most important new feature to make the platform fully interactive. I was shocked IBM didn’t deliver this a feature at a time, very good move on their part IMHO.
  • Sharing links shows external content and images. When you share a link on your homepage it will now include summary description and image from source site (relies on site supporting OpenGraph standard). This will be very nice for external sites, but for most companies their internal communications probably do not support the standard to make this work. Still it looks great and what users expect from the consumer space.
  • Forums sortable by date. Forums display in conversation/threaded mode today but you’ll be able to get a flat list sorted by newest/oldest date. I don’t think I’d ever use this but people ask me about it all the time so glad to have it.
  • New Files view with preview option. You’ll be able to see your files as a list of thumbnails and easily preview content like powerpoints without downloading them. The former media gallery tool will be retired since you’ll be able to have this feature at a folder level. That also would allow users who had media galleries to simulate multiple media galleries using folders and this new view and preview option.
  • Make an feature your Community Homepage. If you’d like recent activity or your blog to be your community default page you can now select that. If you’ve wanted a Chatter/Google + style microblog community you can now create one. This feature is long overdue and very welcome.
  • Trash can for deleted communities. Deleted your favorite community despite all the warnings? Now you can restore it from the new recycle bin! I’m sure it is never ever happens at your company right?
  • New Q&A view for all Forums. Now you can easily see your unanswered questions in the forum using a new view. The current Q&A view inside of the forums application wasn’t very useful because you have to follow the actual thread for it to appear in the view.
  • Community Folders. Duh. The single most confusing update to Connections was shared community folders. Nobody understood why they had to create a personal folder and share it with a community to have folders in a community. Finally Communities has basic feature parity with standalone file users – this is about 3 years too late for me. #overdue
  • Custom streams. You can add all the filters you want to the activity stream so you can slice and dice it but the bottom line is that’s a lot of work every time you want to find a specific set of updates. No end-user wants to go tweak all those filters and contort their following feeds just to get updates for a specific set of community forms. Now you be able to create a filtered list based on whatever criteria you want and visit that list later. I suspect most advanced users will really use the updates view anymore and migrate to a set of custom streams.
  • New Notifications View. In the current product there are really three streams that make up what most users would consider “notifications“ (mentions, notifications, action required). From what was shown on stage, and in the user experience lab, this new stream consolidation will be combined with a drop down box at the top the Connections page to see recent updates. A bell icon appears in the menu and is badged with the number of updates in your consolidated stream. #overdue
See presentation ID400 for more details
 
Mobile Update
The new mobile update that is coming out benefits from IBM’s new design process. IBM took a step back and looked at how specific types of users would engage the mobile interface and what features would be important to them as they try to complete their tasks. Here are some of the things I noticed in the demo:
  • The ability to favorite any specific location in connections. So if you have a favorite form you often visit you can connect to the left menu so that you can get there more easily in the future.
  • A recently visited drop-down will make it easy for people navigating around the application to go back to a recent feature much like they would using browser history or the browser back button and a web application.
  • The left-hand menu can be customized by the user to remove options and put them in an order that makes sense for how they engage with the application.
  • Custom streams allow the mobile user to track very specific types of connections content and pin those streams for easy access. Finally I can have a mobile activity stream for forums I’ve been designated to “moderate”. #overdue
  • A radical redesign of the blog application called “blogboard” allows the user to graphically explore both regular and ideation blogs. There is a very nice rendering of individual blog entries and they read later option that will store blogs in memory for offline access.
  • Support for notifications of file sync and activity stream notifications using the device notification network.
  • A whole new look for IOS 7!
File Sync
One of the key capabilities being added to IBM connections is the ability to keep your files in sync between desktop, mobile, and web. This of course involves updates to the mobile application, desktop connector, and server version. On stage they showed someone editing a document on IBM Docs and how after publishing it the file on the desktop was also updated. There is a new option to designate what documents will be sync’d and they have some special UI changes to mobile and desktop to make it easy to work with the files you need to keep in sync. While this is a clear win it, clearly adds more confusion about the role of CCM and Files and which feature can do what. IBM needs to just make CCM part of the core product and allow personal files to be stored in CCM making it a unified experience whether you need simple or complex file sharing. The files / CCM strategy is still MIA.
 

New Social Programming API/Toolkit.

Connections has a robust API but it’s very low level plumbing using ATOM and ATOMPub XML protocols. Now there is a way to develop using native language bindings in JavaScript, Java, iOS, and soon PHP. The new “playground” application let’s you explore the API and test it out easily with little or no knowledge of the underbelly of Connections. If you have a greenhouse account you can try out the Playground .
See presentation for session AD301 for more details.
IBM Docs Updates for 2014
Many of the announced IBM Docs updates reflect attention to the weaker parts of the product offering. Notably the viewing experience is terribly subpar in some cases like the spreadsheet. Viewing can also be done in an observer mode allowing participants in a conference call to be part of the live editing session without being an actual editor.
  • Assignment based workflow. More easily manage collaborative work in the document that goes beyond the current placed comment mechanism.
  • Observer mode so you can share the same great viewer as the editor without the overhead
  • Better HTML Viewers. Thank goodness the spreadsheet viewer today is a complete joke. #overdue
  • AirPlay dual-display mode
  • Online co-editing from iPad
  • Viewing on Android
  • API models for plug-ins and workflows (AD103 Presentation). Still trying to wrap my head around this one.

Check out main presentation, ID601, for more details.

Overall I’d say this was one of the more impressive conferences from an announcement perspective but felt the hands-on technical sessions were a bit lacking in comparison to previous years. Overall a great use of time for anyone using these products.
As a side note, if you’re interested in a Connections consultant help please connect with me on Twitter at @greatjava – I’d love to chat with you about how I can help! 

My Nashville Visit

My wife and I had a few days to getaway and decided to checkout Nashville. I put together a few notes of what was great for us in case you are considering a visit Nashville is fun even if you aren’t a hard core country music fan (we aren’t), however if you detest country music that may lessen some of the fun I’ll recommend.
photo 1Where to Stay…
If you don’t mind dumping $200 a night the Opryland Hotel is very nice, has beautiful indoor gardens (but overpriced food).  If you plan (and you should) on visiting the Opryland theater it’s practically in walking distance (they have buses or you can drive). The hotel even with conferences going on and the CMA music festival starting didn’t feel overwhelming – probably due to the size. It is the largest non-casino hotel in the Continental United States outside of Las Vegas.  Rooms were immaculate and nice, service great. It was nice to get away from the city and have a place to hang out – if you prefer to spend most your hangout time in a honkeytonk bar stay downtown Nashville for sure. If we went back we’d probably stay downtown or at a B&B near the city (but we liked Opryland).

Coffee…
If you like coffee you must visit Barista’s Parlor. It’s in an area outside downtown in an old commercial garage. Don’t let the location or lack of signage from the road deter you – it’s one of the few coffee shops I’ve ever visited where all the employees were passionate about coffee and I’ve never witnessed such meticulous preparation (even in my own kitchen). The espressos are sweet and flowery and the coffees are not dark and full bodied but I think anyone would enjoy them. The strawberry waffles were quite good (both times!). I tried to visit Crema but they were closed … looks like a must-try. photo 4

What to See…
I’d start my trip to Nashville with a tour, and I’d HIGHLY recommend the …. Walkin’ Nashville Tour I’d facebook message Bill after you sign up and ask him for any great local shows going on – he knows the best (and sometimes free) unique shows. There is a segway tour also but a lot more pricey and probably not as colorful as Bill’s tour. If you have time get a tour of the famous Rayman auditorium – it’s a corner piece of the town and country music (Bill takes you there but not IN on his tour). The replica of the Parthenon in Millennium Park is worth checking out. It’s $6 to go inside but well worth it IMHO. A wide angle lens would be nice for the inside. We saw the famous “Grand Ole Opry” show and it was quite a fun experience. Go ahead and bring your flash camera and check StubHub for tickets if sold out.

Food….
I’d try Puckett’s and go about 7ish so you can catch live music that starts at 7:30. We hoped to try Loveless Cafe (outside city) but was too far and heard of long waits – maybe next time. We had a lunch at Jack’s BBQ which was a local “dive” which was just “ok”. It can be hard to get into places that are popular so I’d recommend not flying it by the seat of the pants (which we did). Try for reservations and ask when live music starts.
photo 3
It seems a lot of things have activity Tuesday, Fri, Sat night. Many places in Nashville seemed closed Monday. I probably wouldn’t do a Wed/Thursday visit personally. We did a Mon-Wed visit and it was good we had Tuesday!