My Writings and Projects

Embedding JavaScript into C# with Rhino and IKVM

The web is full of various discussions on how to embed C# into JavaScript. Most of these approaches are flawed because they rely on the deprecated Microsoft.JScript APIs. Other approaches, like hosting JavaScript in a WebBrowser control, aren't portable. In my particular situation, I need an embedded JavaScript engine that will work on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has to work equally well in the .NET and Mono runtimes, and ideally, shouldn't require recompiling for each Operating System. I ended up using the IKVM tool to convert Rhino, a JavaScript interpreter written in Java, into a CLR DLL.

PDF Thumbnail Generator - OSX

Automatic thumbnail generators for PDF files for Mac OSX. These are a set of Automator workflows. One workflow generates a thumbnail of the first page of every PDF passed into it; the other generates a thumbnail of every page of a single PDF.

Automatic Interface Implementer: An Example of Runtime Type Building

In C#, interfaces have no default implementation. When one creates an interface, one normally cannot use the interface until there is a corresponding class. My automatic interface implementer creates classes at run-time that implement an interface.

What if Information were Free?

This is a talk that I gave with Jeff Jones at the Santa Cruz Future Salon on November 18, 2007.

We are moving to a world where access to information is perceivably free and instantly accessible. 20th Century economic models of generating information are failing. What kind of a world will exist when any piece of consumable information can be quickly accessed for free?

GearPod Demo

The GearPod demo is a learning exercise in GWT and Google Gears, two new web development technologies from Google. It now is possible to create a completly web-based music player that can also work without an internet connection. Such technology can be used by upcoming Ultra-mobile PCs.

A Response to Developers 'Should be Responsible' for Security Holes

The above letter was written in response to a statement from Howard Schmidt, former White House cybersecurity advisor. He argued that software developers are solely responsible for security issues. My response, states that the company developing software needs to be held liable for defects.

If the above links do not work, click here.

An Open Letter to the Internet Advertising Community

This is an open letter to the internet advertising industry. It is targeted towards companies that advertise, advertising agencies, and web sites that host advertising. The letter was originally a reply to an interview with Bennie Smith, a DoubleClick executive. The interview is posted here: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,2000061733,39198608,00.htm

The Argument that Went Nowhere

Have you ever been in an argument that went nowhere? One where neither side would admit to a tie without calling the other side an idiot? One where one or both sides just “couldn’t give up,” without the other trying to continue? Was the argument so heated that “agreeing to disagree” would be an admission of defeat?

My Love-Hate Relationship with Vinyl

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Why We Should Keep Making Vinyl

There are many audiophiles that won't part with their turntables if their lives depended on it. I discuss how technology has finally surpassed vinyl records, yet also mention why I feel that the practice of printing records is still valuable and must be preserved.

DIY Speakers

I built a surround-sound set of Voight Pipes.

A Comment

One late night I was looking for reviews of DVD-Audio disks and came across an article which claimed that the goal of DVD-Audio is to fight MP3s. Here is my response. I didn't know that the site was going to publish it, and wish that I spent a few more minutes proof-reading.

It appears that the original server is no longer online. You can view it on the Internet Archive or my own saved version.

Duct Tape Tie

Once I wore a duct tape tie to high school...