jphone.org - 2008 August 06

Jeff Hoffman is the lead user experience designer working on Java Standard Edition and JavaFX. He's been designing both consumer and developer oriented products since before the boom.

Sun has released the preview version of the JavaFX SDK. JavaFX is a client scripting technology for creating rich Internet applications (RIAs) with immersive media and content across the multiple screens of your life (that currently means the web and Windows/Mac OS X desktops, but will soon include mobile and TV as well). You can create applications that look like these:

StockWatcher (JavaFX Sample App)

The xDesign team has been involved in creating the developer network website that you can check out here. We have also worked with numerous writers and engineers on tutorials and samples to show off some of the great features of JavaFX.

Of course, you'll need to have the Java runtime on your system, and the beta of our upcoming Java 6 Update 10 release can be downloaded from here (click on the first orange button labelled JRE 6 Update 10 Beta). And we've already blogged about our involvement in this release.

If you're a blogaholic, then click on over to the JavaFX Blog for lots of interesting stuff.

Happy Wednesday everyone! With the release of the JavaFX SDK last week, I would like to say I have slowed down a bit here at work, but alas, that is not so much the case...I think I have gotten even more busy! But, I like it that way..makes the days go by fast and I am working on some very cool things! I am excited to see my whole team tomorrow as we are diving into a brain storming session offsite. That should be fun!

Since I have been so heads down with planning, making videos and presentations, I did want to introduce you to my artist of the week that will make your ears happy. This week, I want to introduce you to a Los Angeles musician by the name of Greg Laswell. Jonathan Zwickel, who works for Rhapsody, had this to say about Laswell: " Greg Laswell is already a critic's darling, and with the right marketing his second album will give him a proper shove into mainstream. 'Through Toledo' is an impressive collection of densely lyrical, deeply melodic indie pop that refuses to settle into the predictability. Laswell -- on guitar, piano, drums and production -- is clearly more than just another singer-songwriter."

The first time I heard Greg, I heard his remake of the Cyndi Lauper hit 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.' (you can find it on iTunes!) It is not the same upbeat tune you would think it would be...its more melancholic and his voice just drew me in with how sad he sounded as he sang it. Once I heard that, I quickly rushed out and bought up all his albums. In July, he released a new album called 'Three Flights From Alto Nido'. I highly suggest going out and getting the album as soon as possible. He is everything I love about new music... original and fresh sounding.

As I leave you with some great new music, please check out Greg's video for the song "How the Day Sounds". It is beautiful and the sound he has is truly amazing. Also, note Elijah Wood in the video. Enjoy the day!