Hello Poly is a nerdy demonstration of programming concepts which is perfect for me.  It was easy to understand, from the Stanford PDF lectures, how MVC works (Model View Controller).  It’s a pretty simple concept actually and kind of reminds me of a puppet show.  The puppet is my ‘model’. It can be picked up, it’s eyes can be changed, it’s movements defined, its type of voice determined and even its range of motion.  Then I have the controller, which is the puppeteer, who has access to the puppet and all of its features and abilities.  It’s not worth changing anything on the puppet if I can’t show it to anyone.  That is where the ‘view’ comes into play.  The view would be the stage.  As a puppeteer, I can arrange the puppet however I want and then display it on stage.  After I understood this, the concept seemed obvious and the connections intuitive.

Watch my demonstration to see it at work.  Also, Download the zip file and try it out for yourself.

Demonstration Video

i2i Review

Remember when I wrote an i2i review a week ago? Well, I wrote the company and told them about my review.  They were kind enough to link to my blog, ask for some marketing advice and offer free products to try out (kind of).  My main advice: Black plastic is out and smooth silver is in, and also to market to gym’s around the US instead of individuals. Click here to see the i2i page linking to ‘In Anatshell’ and other reviews.

New Passport

I received my new United States passport.  It’s not just any passport, its an electronic passport.  It came with a pamphlet which looks like this:

What I have to say about this is – REALLY?

Is the world REALLY mine? Are you trying to say that Cuba is not part of the world? Is that what you’re trying to say?  I mean… REALLY?

And REALLY Department of State, do you honestly think that an electronic passport is that much more advanced? It still has pages out of paper to stamp! Stamp… Like taking a rubber physical thing with a country logo and physically pressing down and making that, oh so annoying, stamping noise.  Now, instead of carrying a passport book, we need to carry a passport book with an electronic card inside. Wow, this technology is really lightening up my wallet… I mean REALLY?….

and also… REALLY? This is what your design team came up with?  I know how to search Google images too… I mean… REALLY…

(The “REALLY” concept is from SNL in case anybody missed that)

On the right, you can join my blog through Google and write comments. Try it out!

]]> http://www.anatkramer.com/InAnatshell/poly-hows-it-going/feed 2 http://www.anatkramer.com/InAnatshell/my-first-iphone-app http://www.anatkramer.com/InAnatshell/my-first-iphone-app#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:49:43 +0000 anat http://www.anatkramer.com/InAnatshell/?p=432 This is my first iPhone app.  I know that it’s no Urbanspoon but you have to start somewhere… and where better to start than munchkin land.  I know exactly where to go from here.  I just need to follow the yellow brick road…

I’m not sure Steve Jobs would hire me quite yet.  Until then, I will continue entertaining myself with some fun iPhone development.  I’ve discovered that Stanford had an iPhone course and all of the material is online (Stanford iPhone Development Course). Maybe I should give an iPhone class at the IDC when I’m knowledgeable enough…

When I come up with something more exciting, it will be posted here. Meanwhile I did the very basic “Hello Stanford” homework assignment in Kramer style.