Mike Chambers

Not a lot of info on this, but a reader sent me the following page (in German) that shows a Linux based PDF to Flash converter server.
From the examples included it looks pretty nice.
The page is in German, but you can get it translated here.

Jeremy Allaire makes a useful post on dynamically encoding video files to FLV format on the server using Sorenson Squeeze. These could then be streamed out to Flash clients via the Flash Communication Server.
You can read the post here.

Friends of Ed has put up a chapter from their upcoming book on Flash accessibility : Flash Usability Guide.
The chapter was written by Bob Regan who is in charge of accessibility at Macromedia. It is in PDF and can be viewed here.
[via flazoom]

There is a new edge newsletter out today, with some interesting Flash MX related articles:

• Pet Market: A Blueprint to Build your own : Steve Peterson


• Web Services Make Sense, Despite the Hype : Peter O’Kelly


• Real-World Examples” Businesses Add Value with Video : Diana Johnson


• How (not) to Drive People to your Flash App : Jakob Nielsen

We have released the .NET and Java versions of Flash Remoting. You can read the announcement here.
The Java version works with virtually any Java application server, and the .NET version works of course, with Microsoft .NET servers.
You can download a trial here.
You can find more information on Flash Remoting here.
And just to head of any questions, we have not made any announcements about a version of Flash Remoting for PHP.

Sorry for the lack of updates today. I am taking today and tomorrow off so updates will be sparse.
So what will I be doing in my time off? sleeping, errands, video games (xbox, warcraft 3) <– nerd alert! and spending time with my family and friends (if they remember who i am).

We are trying out something new today. Basically, we have a limited number of 10% off coupon codes for the Macromedia store. This is on a first come, first serve basis, and is an opportunity for us to give something back to to the core of our community.
So, todays code is : SP23CMMRBK
This code is good for the Book / Training section, which among other things, includes the Macromedia MX Developer Resource Kit (DRK).
More codes to follow in the coming days. Thanks to Matt Brown, the Dreamweaver MX community manager, who organized this. Note, please do not distribute the code. We would like people to access it through our weblogs, so we can see how useful it is.
Update : Apparently some people are having trouble with the code. We are looking into it, and apologize for the hassle. Has anyone successfully used the code yet? If so, could you post in the comments?
 

JD pointed out a couple of new items on Macromedia.com.
The first is a new movie on our main page touting the advantages to upgrading to MX. Really nice integrating of video into a Flash movie. You can view it here.
He also points out that we have released a Rich Internet Application Starter Kit. To be honest, I didn’t know about this, but it looks like it could be pretty useful. From the webpage:
After reviewing this kit, you’ll have the necessary context to get started with your first Rich Internet Application. This includes setting the project schedule, defining skill and tool requirements for the development team, drafting the technical architecture, and integrating the application into your existing environment.
You can find more info here.
[via JD on MX]