Smalltalk with James Robertson

There's a new framework in Cincom's Smalltalk that allows you to take advantage of multiple CPUs or cores - polycephaly. There's an interesting write up over on the CST website, which comes from the ObjectStudio team:

Polycephaly allows the user to spawn new copies of your ObjectStudio VM and image. Since Windows sees these new copies as separate programs, it can schedule them on any available CPU. One use of Polycephaly could be to connect to different web services at the same time and read some data. We currently use Polycephaly to run our SUnit test suite.

Follow the link for some code you can experiment with.

Technorati Tags: polycephaly

Ramon Leon explains how to run Gemstone tools from a remote server with better performance: X11

Just a quick post to document some knowledge for myself and for anyone using Gemstone on a remote server like SliceHost or my preference Linode and trying to run GemTools locally through a ssh tunnel. It's slow, very slow, several seconds per mouse click. OmniBrowser is just to chatty. Fortunately Linux has a better way to do it: X11Forwarding. Run the GemTools client on the remote server and forward the UI for just that app to your workstation.

Follow the link for full details.

Technorati Tags: gemstone, x11

Welcome to episode 2 of Independent Misinterpretations - a new Smalltalk and dynamic language oriented podcast with James Robertson and David Buck. Michael is also co-hosting - he and Dave will be alternating weeks, while I keep the moderator seat warm.

You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes (or any other podcatching software) using this feed directly or in iTunes with this one.

This week, David and I discuss a few changes to the format, and we touch on a few other things we intend to discuss in the future. Perhaps this should have been episode 1, but there was a lot going on last week with my work circumstances change, and I had material "in the can".

To listen now, you can either download the mp3 edition, or the AAC edition. The AAC edition comes with chapter markers. You can subscribe to either edition of the podcast directly in iTunes; just search for Smalltalk and look in the Podcast results. You can subscribe to the mp3 edition directly using this feed, or the AAC edition using this feed using any podcatching software. You can also download the podcast in ogg format.

If you like the music we use, please visit Josh Woodward's site. We use the song Troublemaker for our intro/outro music. I'm sure he'd appreciate your support!

If you have feedback, send it to jarober@gmail.com - or visit us on Facebook - you can subscribe in iTunes using this iTunes enabled feed.. If you enjoy the podcast, pass the word - we would love to have more people hear about Smalltalk!

Technorati Tags: smalltalk

Welcome to episode 2 of Independent Misinterpretations - a new Smalltalk and dynamic language oriented podcast with James Robertson and David Buck. Michael is also co-hosting - he and Dave will be alternating weeks, while I keep the moderator seat warm.

You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes (or any other podcatching software) using this feed directly or in iTunes with this one.

This week, David and I discuss a few changes to the format, and we touch on a few other things we intend to discuss in the future. Perhaps this should have been episode 1, but there was a lot going on last week with my work circumstances change, and I had material "in the can".

To listen now, you can either download the mp3 edition, or the AAC edition. The AAC edition comes with chapter markers. You can subscribe to either edition of the podcast directly in iTunes; just search for Smalltalk and look in the Podcast results. You can subscribe to the mp3 edition directly using this feed, or the AAC edition using this feed using any podcatching software. You can also download the podcast in ogg format.

If you like the music we use, please visit Josh Woodward's site. We use the song Troublemaker for our intro/outro music. I'm sure he'd appreciate your support!

If you have feedback, send it to jarober@gmail.com - or visit us on Facebook - you can subscribe in iTunes using this iTunes enabled feed.. If you enjoy the podcast, pass the word - we would love to have more people hear about Smalltalk!

Technorati Tags: smalltalk

Pretty Cool - a Dolphin Smalltalk powered url shortener, Twit.io. Now all they need is an API - they already have analytics.

Technorati Tags: twitter, dolphin

Today's Smalltalk 4 You looks at the process of downloading and installing VA Smalltalk (from Instantiations) on Windows 7 (or Vista). Last Friday's example used XP, and there's a small difference in how you need to set things up with UAC present. If you have trouble viewing it here in the browser, you can also navigate directly to YouTube. To watch now, use the viewer below:

If you have trouble viewing that directly, you can click here to download the video directly. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here.

You can also watch it on YouTube:

Technorati Tags: smalltalk, st4u, va smalltalk, installation

Welcome to episode 4 of "That Podcast: An FNV Diary" - a podcast where Michael Lucas-Smith and I document our trials and tribulations in Fallout: New Vegas. On today's podcast, we have a special guest - Makahlua, one of the regular co-hosts of Polycast, which covers everything about Civilization. This is the "White Glove Treatment" podcast - we talk about the Vegas Strip, a bunch of side quests that can sidetrack you on your way there, Lake Mead, and the impossible to deal with DeathClaws. Along the way a few other locations came up, including the murder mystery in Novac.

You can subscribe in iTunes (or any podcatcher) using this feed, or this one for the AAC edition. You can get to the podcast directly in iTunes via this link.

If you want to download the podcast directly, I've provided it in three formats:

• MP3 Edition
• AAC Edition
• Ogg Vorbis Edition

Got feedback? Send it to James. We'd really appreciate it if you head on over to iTunes and leave a comment - enjoy the podcast, and we'll see you in the wastelands!

Technorati Tags: fallout new vegas, fnv, games, xbox

Welcome to episode 4 of "That Podcast: An FNV Diary" - a podcast where Michael Lucas-Smith and I document our trials and tribulations in Fallout: New Vegas. On today's podcast, we have a special guest - Makahlua, one of the regular co-hosts of Polycast, which covers everything about Civilization. This is the "White Glove Treatment" podcast - we talk about the Vegas Strip, a bunch of side quests that can sidetrack you on your way there, Lake Mead, and the impossible to deal with DeathClaws. Along the way a few other locations came up, including the murder mystery in Novac.

You can subscribe in iTunes (or any podcatcher) using this feed, or this one for the AAC edition. You can get to the podcast directly in iTunes via this link.

If you want to download the podcast directly, I've provided it in three formats:

• MP3 Edition
• AAC Edition
• Ogg Vorbis Edition

Got feedback? Send it to James. We'd really appreciate it if you head on over to iTunes and leave a comment - enjoy the podcast, and we'll see you in the wastelands!

Technorati Tags: fallout, fallout new vegas, white glove, the strip, xbox

Julian Fitzell and Michael Lucas-Smith are doing some wolf pack events on November 25:

Everything is organized. Helge Nowak and I will be running a Wolf Pack Programming workshop at XPDays in Hamburg. The workshop is on Thursday, November 25th and runs from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Almost simultaneously—yes, we were double booked!—Jason Ayers and Michael Lucas-Smith will be running their own workshop at XPDays Benelux, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Theirs will get under way at 3:30pm.

Follow the "wolf pack" link for some details on the Geek Nights event from last week.

Technorati Tags: wolf pack programming

One of the issues I had with the screencasts I was doing for Cincom was that the Windows ones often had frame skipping problems. It turns out that tyhis was due to a simple mistake I made in configuring the VM.

When you have a VM stopped, you can edit the settings. One of those deals with optimization - should your system favor native (OS X) apps, or the VM? The default is to favor the VM. This is great if you're playing a game, or running a fairly intense Windows app, but it's not so good if you are using a Mac App to capture the Windows screen.

The solution? Simple - just flip the optimization over to favor OS X apps. That solved the frame drops for me nicely.

Technorati Tags: screencast, osx, windows, parallels

Looks like Digg is the latest victim of an over-reliance on ads as a revenue source. The problem is simple: in the print era, ad space was limited, which pushed prices up. Same thing with over the air broadcasts - time was limited. Now? There are a nearly infinite number of web properties on which you can advertise, and most of us (at least in North America) have access to so many TV channels that it's a very easy matter to avoid any ad you don't want to see.

Scarcity disappeared, and - as should have surprised no one - rates plummeted.

Technorati Tags: digg

This might be a good start, but it won't solve the problem:

In the wake of the disappointing end to New York's season, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has fired pitching coach Dave Eiland.

Here's a better answer: Hire a 400 pound, ex-NFL guy as the bench coach. When Girardi indicates that he's about to make a pitching change, have the 400 pound guy sit on him for 5 minutes. Given Girardi's constant - and mostly stupid - pitching moves - that woiuld help a lot.

Technorati Tags: yankees, pitching, manager

Today's Smalltalk 4 You looks at the process of downloading and installing Dolphin Smalltalk (from Object Arts) on Windows 7 (or Vista). If you have trouble viewing it here in the browser, you can also navigate directly to YouTube. To watch now, use the viewer below:

If you have trouble viewing that directly, you can click here to download the video directly. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here.

You can also watch it on YouTube:

Technorati Tags: smalltalk, dolphin, installation, windows

I've decided to expand the playing field for myself (in terms of the screencast series). I launched "Smalltalk 4 U" on October 15th - next week, I'll be launching "Javascript 4 U". The format will be similar - short screencasts that try to get one point across in 3 minutes or less.

I've set up a landing page, but it's not populated with any screencasts yet. The series launches on Monday, and it will be an iTunes enabled feed. Look for it then!

The Smalltalk series will be continuing as well - I plan to push out Smalltalk and Javascript oriented screencasts on alternating days.

Technorati Tags: smalltalk, screencast, javascript

One of the things I need to do this week is return equipment to Cincom - including two external drives I've been using as backup drives (one of them was in storage with older backups). So, disk utility to the rescue - it has a nift "restore" feature I found out about here. There are hundreds of gigabytes involved on two disks, so this will take awhile :)

Technorati Tags: time machine

I'm not sure whether this concept vehicle out of China is cool, scary, or both. Via Wired:

Technorati Tags: transit

The FAST Foundation is offering help for Argentinians who would like to attend the Smalltalks conference next month, but need some help:

This year, the Fundacion Argentina de Smalltalk (FAST) will be able to offer some degree of assistance to attend the conference. In order to qualify for this support, it is necessary to live in Argentina, to reasonably justify the need for assistance, and to have submitted a talk proposal to the conference.

Technorati Tags: smalltalks 2010, argentina

March 8th is just way, way too far away....

Technorati Tags: dao2

Today's Smalltalk 4 You looks at the process of downloading and installing GNU Smalltalk (from Paolo Bonzini) on Linux. If you have trouble viewing it here in the browser, you can also navigate directly to YouTube. To watch now, use the viewer below:

If you have trouble viewing that directly, you can click here to download the video directly. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here.

You can also watch it on YouTube:

Technorati Tags: gnu, gpl, installation, smalltalk

Michael and I had some scheduling issues yesterday, but never fear - another episode of "That Podcast" should be coming tonight or tomorrow morning :)

Technorati Tags: fallout, that podcast, fallout new vegas

GigaOM reports that Apple is trying to reduce the points of contact between iPhone users and the carriers to a minimum in Europe. I have to imagine that they would like to do so here as well - that would let them end the exclusive with AT&T, albeit only by adding in lesser carriers like t-mobile:

Sources inside European carriers have reported that Apple has been working with SIM-card manufacturer Gemalto to create a special SIM card that would allow consumers in Europe to buy a phone via the web or at the Apple Store and get the phones working using Apple’s App Store.

This is why I am still skeptical about a big Apple/Verizon deal. I just don't see Verizon cheerfully fading into the background that way...

Technorati Tags: iPhone, carriers

So here I am, setting up an LLC for myself, so that I can safely conduct contract business. I went to LegalZoom, which seems like a pretty reasonable solution. However, here in Maryland, the state decided that it would be just swell to layer on extra fees - at rates that make no sense:

• $192 Filing Fee
• $149 Registered Agent Fee
• $79 to get a tax id

Do they employ garden gnomes to file small pieces of paper, or what?

Technorati Tags: stupidity

Welcome to episode 5 of "That Podcast: An FNV Diary" - a podcast where Michael Lucas-Smith and I document our trials and tribulations in Fallout: New Vegas. On today's podcast, we talk about the wackiness in Utobitha, the Brotherhood quests, and a fascinating glitch with Veronica at Vault 34. We also talked about our further adventures with the Legion, and James' "Merciful Thug" status with them.

You can subscribe in iTunes (or any podcatcher) using this feed, or this one for the AAC edition. You can get to the podcast directly in iTunes via this link.

If you want to download the podcast directly, I've provided it in three formats:

• MP3 Edition
• AAC Edition
• Ogg Vorbis Edition

Got feedback? Send it to James. We'd really appreciate it if you head on over to iTunes and leave a comment - enjoy the podcast, and we'll see you in the wastelands!

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-902515a0bc7a7814a2721c389a7a8b7f}

Technorati Tags: fallout, fallout new vegas, vault 34, utobitha, fnv

Welcome to episode 5 of "That Podcast: An FNV Diary" - a podcast where Michael Lucas-Smith and I document our trials and tribulations in Fallout: New Vegas. On today's podcast, we talk about the wackiness in Utobitha, the Brotherhood quests, and a fascinating glitch with Veronica at Vault 34. We also talked about our further adventures with the Legion, and James' "Merciful Thug" status with them.

You can subscribe in iTunes (or any podcatcher) using this feed, or this one for the AAC edition. You can get to the podcast directly in iTunes via this link.

If you want to download the podcast directly, I've provided it in three formats:

• MP3 Edition
• AAC Edition
• Ogg Vorbis Edition

Got feedback? Send it to James. We'd really appreciate it if you head on over to iTunes and leave a comment - enjoy the podcast, and we'll see you in the wastelands!

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-902515a0bc7a7814a2721c389a7a8b7f}

Technorati Tags: fnv, fallout, fallout new vegas, utobitha, vault 34

Georg Heeg announced an update to SeaBreeze, their GUI builder front end to Seaside:

Currently we are developing a new interesting feature for seaBreeze: Internationalization and Localization. Today we had the great break-through: The first multi-lingual seaBreeze application was up and running on my machine today. We are working together with a master course in software localization at Anhalt University. So please be patient to see progress in the not too far future.

If you're interested in becoming a beta user, follow the link for details.

Technorati Tags: seaside, seabreeze

TechDirt spotted an entertaining attempt at revenue gathering via an implicit paywall - an upstate New York newspaper website posted the following:

A subscription is required at North Country Gazette. We allow only one free read per visitor. We are currently gathering IPs and computer info on persistent intruders who refuse to buy subscription and are engaging in a theft of services. We have engaged an attorney who will be doing a bulk subpoena demand on each ISP involved, particularly Verizon Droids, Frontier and Road Runner, and will then pursue individual legal actions.

I anxiously await the response from that famed ISP, Verizon Droid.

Technorati Tags: copyright

Today's Smalltalk 4 You looks at the process of downloading and installing VisualWorks (from Cincom). While I installed it on OS X, the process is the same across all the platforms supported by VisualWorks. If you have trouble viewing it here in the browser, you can also navigate directly to YouTube. To watch now, use the viewer below:

If you have trouble viewing that directly, you can click here to download the video directly. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here.

You can also watch it on YouTube:

Technorati Tags: smalltalk, visualworks, installation

Here's episode 3 of "James and Michael on Games" - in this podcast, we spend a fair amount of time on UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, a game Michael has played, but James hasn't.

To listen now, you can either download the mp3 edition, or the Ogg Vorbis edition. You can also grab an AAC edition. You can subscribe to the MP3 edition in iTunes using this feed.

If you have feedback, send it to James Robertson.

Technorati Tags: games, Uncharted, xbox, ps3

Here's another video from ESUG 2010, which was held in Barcelona, Spain, the week of September 13, 2010. In this presentation, G. Zabala talks about Physical Etoys. You can watch using the embedded player below, or follow this link to Vimeo.

Physical Etoys from James Robertson on Vimeo.

Technorati Tags: smalltalk, esug, barcelona, spain, etoys, squeak

Joachim Tuchel just posted a Toothpick port to the VA Smalltalk Goodies site.

Technorati Tags: toothpick, va smalltalk

Why, you ask? Because I was trying to read a cartoon, and a Bing ad insisted on rolling over the page and playing video that could not be interrupted. Yes Microsoft, you got my attention - just not in the way you wanted.

Technorati Tags: stupidity

Today's Smalltalk 4 You looks at the process of installing ObjectStudio on Windows 7. If you have trouble viewing it here in the browser, you can also navigate directly to YouTube. To watch now, use the viewer below:

If you have trouble viewing that directly, you can click here to download the video directly. If you need the video in a Windows Media format, then download that here.

You can also watch it on YouTube:

Technorati Tags: smalltalk, objectstudio, installation, windows 7

Some of the tools out there make life a lot easier for beginners than they used to be. For instance, in Pharo, there's "ProfStef":

Meanwhile, there's a tutorial in the NC workspace for VisualWorks:

There's also This screencast series, the excellent Smalltalk TV, and the equally excellent Pharocasts. So if you're interested in Smalltalk, just dive right in!

Technorati Tags: education, screencasts, tutorials

Looking to learn Smalltalk in a professional setting, but don't have enough people to justify getting an instructor sent to you? David Buck has a solution to that problem: an Introduction to Smalltalk with VisualWorks delivered directly to your browser, from November 29 to December 3:

Attendees will be able to read and write Smalltalk code and will be able to use the Smalltalk environment to continue to enhance their knowledge. Attendees will be able to lay out windows and write the Smalltalk code needed to manage the windows.

You can register at the link - the cost is $1250 per person.

Technorati Tags: instruction

The console business is one where you need very deep pockets:

Sony's gaming business is moving towards profitability this year -- something that's eluded the company each year since the PlayStation 3 was launched in 2006.

Just think about that - four years of pretty harsh losses before things turn around - and then the console maker has to deal with two realities:

• The need to milk profits out of the now (no longer bleeding) system
• Getting ready to launch a next generation system

That sure explains why the improvements to the PS3, XBox, and Wii have all been incremental. Even though Nintendo was profitable out of the gate, they now have Apple on their turf, cutting into what they probably thought of as milk money (the entire DS line).

Technorati Tags: console, xbox, ps3, wii

Way back when XP was released, and IE6 was new and shiny, I doubt that Microsoft foresaw this problem:

The latest statistics from Web metrics company Net Applications pegged IE6's usage share at 15.6%, which means it's the world's third-most-used browser edition. Many of the holdouts are enterprises locked into IE6 because the commercial software or home-grown applications they use work only in that browser.

Apparently, many of those outfits won't update because their IT applications are dependent on IE 6, and in the current economic environmnet, rewriting them just isn't in the budget. It's a nasty problem for everyone - IT shops are stuck on a now very old OS and very out of date browser, and Microsoft is left with a fairly ugly decision - should they stick with the 2014 death date for XP (and with it, IE 6), or should they provide some kind of virtualization bridge?

I guess popularity has its downsides, too.

Technorati Tags: ie6

Things are looking pretty good - I'm looking at two offers right now. Given the huge tide of long term joblessness in the US right now, I have to say that this is a huge relief for me :)

We would probably be recording (and releasing) another edition of "That Podcast" today, but it's time for the annual Halloween party around here. Never fear though - we'll have one out sometime tomorrow, I think :)

Technorati Tags: fallout, fallout new vegas, that podcast

Welcome to episode 3 of Independent Misinterpretations - a new Smalltalk and dynamic language oriented podcast with James Robertson, Michael Lucas-Smith, and David Buck. This week Michael and I discuss Javascript - the good, the bad, and the indifferent. We also touch on integrating Javascript with Smalltalk web technologies such as Seaside.

You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes (or any other podcatching software) using this feed directly or in iTunes with this one.

To listen now, you can either download the mp3 edition, or the AAC edition. The AAC edition comes with chapter markers. You can subscribe to either edition of the podcast directly in iTunes; just search for Smalltalk and look in the Podcast results. You can subscribe to the mp3 edition directly using this feed, or the AAC edition using this feed using any podcatching software. You can also download the podcast in ogg format.

If you like the music we use, please visit Josh Woodward's site. We use the song Troublemaker for our intro/outro music. I'm sure he'd appreciate your support!

If you have feedback, send it to jarober@gmail.com - or visit us on Facebook - you can subscribe in iTunes using this iTunes enabled feed.. If you enjoy the podcast, pass the word - we would love to have more people hear about Smalltalk!

Technorati Tags: javascript, smalltalk, seaside, web

Welcome to episode 3 of Independent Misinterpretations - a new Smalltalk and dynamic language oriented podcast with James Robertson, Michael Lucas-Smith, and David Buck. This week Michael and I discuss Javascript - the good, the bad, and the indifferent. We also touch on integrating Javascript with Smalltalk web technologies such as Seaside.

You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes (or any other podcatching software) using this feed directly or in iTunes with this one.

To listen now, you can either download the mp3 edition, or the AAC edition. The AAC edition comes with chapter markers. You can subscribe to either edition of the podcast directly in iTunes; just search for Smalltalk and look in the Podcast results. You can subscribe to the mp3 edition directly using this feed, or the AAC edition using this feed using any podcatching software. You can also download the podcast in ogg format.

If you like the music we use, please visit Josh Woodward's site. We use the song Troublemaker for our intro/outro music. I'm sure he'd appreciate your support!

If you have feedback, send it to jarober@gmail.com - or visit us on Facebook - you can subscribe in iTunes using this iTunes enabled feed.. If you enjoy the podcast, pass the word - we would love to have more people hear about Smalltalk!

Technorati Tags: javascript, smalltalk, seaside, web

Ramon Leon has posted step by step instructions for getting GLASS installed onto an Ubuntu system.

Technorati Tags: glass, gemstone

Smalltalk Labs has a nice simple example of search as you type for Seaside apps using JQuery - including code.

Technorati Tags: seaside, jquery, search