Sean Gerety

Scoble Meetup

Saturday night's meetup at 5 seasons was great.  I got to meet Scoble, drink great beer, meet and talk about technology with a host of my tech counterparts here in Atlanta.  Scoble was chatting about Virtual Earth and was he ever right.  It's pretty damn cool.  The satellite photo and resolution (up to 40 yards!) is much better than Google's, and theirs lots of nice design features.  The light transparency of the top bar (IE only).  The double click to zoom and center.  A nice set of tools (permalink, locate me, blog it) and the large % percentage of page devoted to the actual map.  The virtual earth team hit it on the head with their Aerial Photo with Labels option.  This is what Google should have done.  I guess the folks at Virtual Earth where reading Tufte's post on mapped photos. 

Things I didn't care for in Virtual Earth?  I don't like that it opens a new window for directions.  And I'm not crazy about the compass rose; it should give more feedback when you click on it.  And it would be nice to be able to move both the compass rose and the zoom bar to the blue bar or anywhere you'd like. 

Topics at the meetup ranged for sever farm setup with Linux to Smart phones to of course, Windows Vista.  Rob Cannon and I had a great discussion about Avalon and all of the interesting stuff in .NET2.0 and his new gig.  Michael Earls talked about some very cool stuff that he's doing with Windows Media Center and other crunchy bits on .NET 2.0.  I also got to meet Jim Wooley, who is a VB guy working in the mortgage industry.  Jim's also a moderator of the local VB group.

One other interesting thing is that 5 seasons picked the night that Scoble came to dinner to start a blog.  Ken Grisnak is leading their effort to extend the experience of the brewery to the net.  Check it out if you're local or visiting Atlanta.

The only thing I would change about the meetup is to set up the area / tables so that there is more mingling.  See everyone at the next one!     

Update: On the Virtual Earth resolution 1 pixel = 40 yards.  Things I'd like to see:  Access to label info (think right click on the Staples Center in LA and set as the "Starting point" and then right clicking on the Hilton Checkers and set it as "Ending point" and then get a path between the two.  Another cool think would be to have different options for those paths.  Think walking directions in the city and driving directions in the burb's.  Another nice feature would be if multiple views are available of a sat view, make it an option.  Why?  If you look at downtown Manhattan the shadows cast by the buildings obscure the view.

Going to the PDC

Well, I just registered for the PDC!  No pre-con's so I'll be there for the regular conference fun.  I'll be looking for anyone interested in XAML, Avalon and the .NET 2.0 XML goodies.  DonXML and Drew are talking about staying at the Wilshire Grand, however after being on the road for six months in New York I could get a room (with a free upgrade to a suite) at the Hilton.  Where's everyone else staying?

What I want for my Birthday

Dear Mr. Sells and WinFX MSDN team,

I'd like to see XAML added to the language filters for the WinFX.  God help anyone that is trying to look up something on a button that's XAML related!  There's everything but XAML!

Sean

Xbox 360 and Avalon

Confirmed:

It was hosted at Avalon.  Here's the club's link. http://www.avalonhollywood.com/

Did anyone else catch that the xbox360 show on MTV last night was coming live from Avalon?  Only us XAML and Longhorn geeks would catch that one.

New and Improved Sparkline

Update #2:

I've updated the code snippet below for the latest Avalon build.

Update:

I've changed the graphic to show how the well things look when you zoom.  Just use the Display Zoom slider in AvPad.  I've also changed the XAML example to stack the high and low values next to the stock sparkline and adjusted the Transform scale to provide a better aspect ratio as per Prof. Tufte.  And I've removed the width and height properties from the border element to give it a liquid layout.

Here's a new and improved in-line Sparkline example.  By using the Inline tag and slimming down the XAML it becomes even easier to handle.  And I've used some of the typography variants to achieve a better look and feel for the associated data.  Thanks to Filipe Fortes for the Inline tip.

Here's the XAML.

<Border xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/avalon/2005" xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/avalon/2005" Background="#ffffff" Padding="9">
    <TextFlow FontFamily="Palatino Linotype" FontSize="12">
        The following is over two hundred days of stock information for Microsoft <Inline Foreground="Blue">MSFT</Inline>
            <Polyline LayoutTransform="scale .1,.5" Points="1,26.23 2,26.19 3,26.14 4,26.1 5,25.76 6,25.89 7,25.73 8,25.62 9,25.83 10,25.54 11,25.86 12,26.1 13,25.94 14,25.94 15,25.93 16,25.78 17,26.12 18,26.3 19,26.33 20,26.35 21,26.13 22,26.48 23,26.56 24,27.22 25,27.24 26,27.54 27,25.95 28,25.45 29,25.33 30,25.53 31,25.16 32,25.22 33,25.51 34,25.45 35,25.61 36,25.48 37,25.59 38,25.8 39,25.95 40,25.85 41,25.08 42,24.93 43,25.2 44,25.31 45,25.03 46,25.19 47,24.41 48,24.15 49,24.5 50,24.63 51,24.89 52,25.13 53,25.18 54,25.16 55,25.38 56,25.09 57,25.37 57,25.72 59,25.83 60,26.35 61,26.37 62,26.37 63,26.39 64,26.7 65,26.53 66,26.5 67,26.7 68,26.88 69,26.61 70,26.57 71,26.46 72,26.77 73,26.99 74,26.59 75,26.95 76,27.15 77,27.02 78,26.9 79,27.08 80,26.96 81,27.01 82,27.29 83,27.4 84,27.65 85,27.91 86,27.71 87,28.25 88,28.8 89,28.48 90,28.01 91,28.3 92,28.1 93,27.81 94,27.54 95,27.7 96,27.43 97,27.57 98,27.66 99,28.16 100,28.21 101,28.24 102,28.14 103,27.45 104,27.37 105,27.52 106,27.46 107,27.21 108,27.04 109,27.15 110,27.18 111,27.36 112,27.4 113,27.04 114,27.06 115,26.74 116,26.65 117,26.61 118,26.59 119,26.38 120,26.24 121,25.98 122,26.2 123,25.67 124,25.66 125,25.84 126,25.71 127,25.45 128,25.4 129,25.73 130,25.11 131,25.1 132,25.35 133,25.15 134,25.15 135,25.5 136,25.69 137,25.98 138,25.8 139,26 140,26.1 141,26.23 142,26.1 143,26.07 144,26.68 145,26.14 146,26.12 147,26.74 148,27.2 149,26.91 150,26.61 151,28.91 152,28.89 153,29.35 154,29.35 155,28.93 156,29.23 157,29.07 157,28.68 159,28.78 160,28.91 161,28.94 162,28.82 163,29.14 164,29.19 165,29.08 166,28.5 167,28.52 168,27.8 169,28.83 170,28.19 171,28.24 172,28.46 173,29.6 174,29.07 175,29.96 176,29.5 177,28.5 178,28.9 179,28.36 180,28.34 181,27.84 182,27.55 183,28.37 184,28.84 185,28.38 186,28.43 187,28.3 188,27.26 189,26.52 190,26.51 191,26.42 192,26.57 193,26.5 194,26.22 195,26.24 196,26.45 197,26.62 198,25.7 199,25.54 200,25.63 201,25.6 202,25.73 203,25.61 204,25.58 205,25.71 206,25.65 207,25.66 208,26.18 209,26.17 210,26.41 211,26.23 212,26.47 213,26.61 214,26.89 215,26 216,26.45 217,26.38 218,26.04 219,26.89 220,26.69 221,27.52 222,27.27 223,27.4 224,27.31 225,26.91 226,27.47 227,27.7 228,27.42 229,26.5 230,26.88 231,26.15 232,25.64 233,25.63 234,25.75 235,25.26 236,25.7 237,25.78 238,26.33 239,26.07 240,26.07 241,25.96 242,25.39 243,24.65 244,24.99 245,24.88 246,24.68 247,23.75 248,23.67 249,24.09 250,24.87 251,24.88 252,24.64 253,24.61 254,24.4 255,24.41 256,24.79 257,24.22 257,24.16 259,24.03 260,24.63 261,24.76 262,25.57 263,25.79 264,25.62 265,25.99 266,26.2 267,26.36 268,25.74 269,25.99 270,26.37 271,25.86 272,26.1 273,25.72 " Stroke="Red" StrokeThickness="1" Opacity="1"></Polyline>
        <StackPanel HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Height="12">
            <TextBlock Height="6">
                <Inline Foreground="Green" FontSize="5"> 29.96 </Inline>
            </TextBlock>
            <TextBlock Height="6">
                <Inline Foreground="Red" FontSize="5"> 23.67 </Inline>
            </TextBlock>
        </StackPanel> you see Avalon allows you to scale data down to a sparkline by taking advantage of vector graphics.

    </TextFlow>
</Border>

Updated Sparkline Example

Here's an updated version of the sparkline example using the new 2005 XAML schema.  This one is inside a textflow element with a TransformDecorator applied to the Polyline element.  You'll notice a couple of things that still need to be fixed.  On the stock symbol for MSFT there's no spacing between the word Microsoft and the word MSFT.  The same goes for the high / low values.  I also have to find the correct item to reposition the low value below the high value.  I wish that you could filter the WinFX SDK to only show results for XAML.  Especially for people like me that are just using AvPad.  For some more info on TransformDecorator check out Filipe Fortes blog entry titled “A Tale of Two Transforms”.  

Here's a screen shot of the results.

And the XAML is below.

<Window

xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/avalon/2005"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/xaml/2005"
Background="#ffffff">

<Canvas>
<TextFlow FontFamily="Gill Sans" FontSize="12" >The

following is over two hundred days of stock

information for Microsoft <TextBlock

Foreground="Blue">MSFT</TextBlock>
 <TransformDecorator Transform="scale .2 .5">
  <Polyline Points="1,26.23 2,26.19 3,26.14 4,26.1

5,25.76 6,25.89 7,25.73 8,25.62 9,25.83 10,25.54

11,25.86 12,26.1 13,25.94 14,25.94 15,25.93 16,25.78

17,26.12 18,26.3 19,26.33 20,26.35 21,26.13 22,26.48

23,26.56 24,27.22 25,27.24 26,27.54 27,25.95 28,25.45

29,25.33 30,25.53 31,25.16 32,25.22 33,25.51 34,25.45

35,25.61 36,25.48 37,25.59 38,25.8 39,25.95 40,25.85

41,25.08 42,24.93 43,25.2 44,25.31 45,25.03 46,25.19

47,24.41 48,24.15 49,24.5 50,24.63 51,24.89 52,25.13

53,25.18 54,25.16 55,25.38 56,25.09 57,25.37 57,25.72

59,25.83 60,26.35 61,26.37 62,26.37 63,26.39 64,26.7

65,26.53 66,26.5 67,26.7 68,26.88 69,26.61 70,26.57

71,26.46 72,26.77 73,26.99 74,26.59 75,26.95 76,27.15

77,27.02 78,26.9 79,27.08 80,26.96 81,27.01 82,27.29

83,27.4 84,27.65 85,27.91 86,27.71 87,28.25 88,28.8

89,28.48 90,28.01 91,28.3 92,28.1 93,27.81 94,27.54

95,27.7 96,27.43 97,27.57 98,27.66 99,28.16 100,28.21

101,28.24 102,28.14 103,27.45 104,27.37 105,27.52

106,27.46 107,27.21 108,27.04 109,27.15 110,27.18

111,27.36 112,27.4 113,27.04 114,27.06 115,26.74

116,26.65 117,26.61 118,26.59 119,26.38 120,26.24

121,25.98 122,26.2 123,25.67 124,25.66 125,25.84

126,25.71 127,25.45 128,25.4 129,25.73 130,25.11

131,25.1 132,25.35 133,25.15 134,25.15 135,25.5

136,25.69 137,25.98 138,25.8 139,26 140,26.1 141,26.23

142,26.1 143,26.07 144,26.68 145,26.14 146,26.12

147,26.74 148,27.2 149,26.91 150,26.61 151,28.91

152,28.89 153,29.35 154,29.35 155,28.93 156,29.23

157,29.07 157,28.68 159,28.78 160,28.91 161,28.94

162,28.82 163,29.14 164,29.19 165,29.08 166,28.5

167,28.52 168,27.8 169,28.83 170,28.19 171,28.24

172,28.46 173,29.6 174,29.07 175,29.96 176,29.5

177,28.5 178,28.9 179,28.36 180,28.34 181,27.84

182,27.55 183,28.37 184,28.84 185,28.38 186,28.43

187,28.3 188,27.26 189,26.52 190,26.51 191,26.42

192,26.57 193,26.5 194,26.22 195,26.24 196,26.45

197,26.62 198,25.7 199,25.54 200,25.63 201,25.6

202,25.73 203,25.61 204,25.58 205,25.71 206,25.65

207,25.66 208,26.18 209,26.17 210,26.41 211,26.23

212,26.47 213,26.61 214,26.89 215,26 216,26.45

217,26.38 218,26.04 219,26.89 220,26.69 221,27.52

222,27.27 223,27.4 224,27.31 225,26.91 226,27.47

227,27.7 228,27.42 229,26.5 230,26.88 231,26.15

232,25.64 233,25.63 234,25.75 235,25.26 236,25.7

237,25.78 238,26.33 239,26.07 240,26.07 241,25.96

242,25.39 243,24.65 244,24.99 245,24.88 246,24.68

247,23.75 248,23.67 249,24.09 250,24.87 251,24.88

252,24.64 253,24.61 254,24.4 255,24.41 256,24.79

257,24.22 257,24.16 259,24.03 260,24.63 261,24.76

262,25.57 263,25.79 264,25.62 265,25.99 266,26.2

267,26.36 268,25.74 269,25.99 270,26.37 271,25.86

272,26.1 273,25.72 " Stroke="Red" StrokeThickness="2"

Opacity=".5">
  </Polyline>
 </TransformDecorator><TextBlock Foreground="Green">

29.96 </TextBlock><TextBlock Foreground="Red"> 23.67

</TextBlock>
 you see Avalon allows you to scale data down to a

sparkline by taking advantage of it's vector graphics

rendering.</TextFlow>
</Canvas>
</Window>

I've got a couple of things left to do on this one.  Bind the polyline to XML, and bind the size of the sparkline so that it's tied to the font size.  I'll get to that next week.  Have a great weekend. 

Fresh Longhorn Bits?

Is fresh Longhorn on the way?  There's no sign of the current build in the universal subscription.  With WinHEC and TechEd close at hand, I bet we'll see fresh meat very soon.  Be ready!

Longhorn, Explorer and Avalon

Now that Avalon and Indigo are available to XP users what is going to make Longhorn better from a UX (User Experience) standpoint?  How about starting with something we use everyday?  Explorer.

Explorer is used by everyone from developers to grandparents.  I'd like to see explorer evolve.

Give us ways to navigate, search and grok what going on, on my hard drives, external drives, camera storage and mp3 players.

Give me time-line views with sparkline bar graphs to show me the number of files by date at a glance.

Give me treemaps so I can see where big files are hiding and let me filter those maps.

Give me search with context, not a serial web page where I click through endless web pages to find something.  (Yes, I don't care for Google desktop search. Google's great for the web, however it's not great for my desktop.) 

Give me new navigation interfaces.  How about a compass rocker style button?  Very doable in XAML and Avalon.

Give me some new views.  How about stacks of related files when moused over I get a nice preview of the file and some info?  (I've got the sketch for this in my Moleskine.)  How about graphs of related files?  Or stripes of files in a time-line?

Here's the chance for Microsoft to make Longhorn more than a service pack, by leveraging Avalon.

XAML Blogger

March Avalon CTP and AvPad

If for some strange reason you read neither Chris Sells or Chris Anderson's blog and lust after new Avalon info, check out the latest CTP of Avalon.  Here's a MSDN brief you'll want to read first! And Chris Anderson (aka Simplegeek) has released a new version of XamlPad and it's now called AvPad.  I find it's the best way to get your hands dirty with XAML.  With some nice new features like the visual tree.

XAML Sparkline example

I have long been a fan of Professor Tufte's work.  He has been a proponent of a providing a higher data density in information display and commingli