Over the course of my career I have had the good fortune to work with some very smart folks. Among the brightest are two multi-faceted, multi-talented programmers, Josh “Joshy” Marinacci and Robert “Cooper” Cooper. These guys are dedicated to continually improving Java, and bringing innovative frameworks and applications to the programming community. Recently they launched an open source project to create an entirely Java-based version of desktop widgets. Widgets are currently offered by Yahoo (formally Konfabulator) and will also be familiar to Mac users in the form of the popular Dashboard widgets.
Originally the project was launched under the mysterious working name “AB5k” and had already begun to attract a following of enthusiastic developers. In a mad dash just before the recent JavaOne conference I pitched in on an effort to rename the project and create a logo to help give it some identity. The current name is now Glossitope. The name is the end result of numerous iterations and eliminations. The word derives from a blend of Glossy and Isotope – intended to evoke a sense of a tangible item with a dynamic core. Once the name was settled on I began to work on logo variations, eventually settling on the “atomic G” which is currently in use on the Glossitope site. For those interested in this sort of thing, we deliberately decided to go for a logo that was more web-friendly than print-friendly although if the name sticks I’m sure we’ll be making one and two-color variations in vector art rather than bitmaps. Naming is always an interesting puzzle as it involves a wide variety of factors including: the input of various stakeholders (in this case we are expecting some eventual guidance from Sun), the time allotted to the process (a frenzied crunch before JavaOne), the intended use and display media, the overall brand message, language and distribution considerations, trademark and domain availability, and lots and lots of opinions. Generally the best way to approach these issues is with considerable amounts of caffeine. A process helps too, but in the end a small amount of gavel banging by a project leader will help keep the timelines on track (thanks Josh).
So at the moment there is a Glossitope project, with a shiny new logo, and rumors of a T-shirt that has yet to surface, but the real story is this very cool new widget platform that promises greater portability and an enhanced range of features over its predecessors. Check it out!
Art Show Report
As some of you may know, I had an art show entitled “Flag Day” that opened last Friday. Here are my notes on the opening:
We arrived a little early for the opening at the Jacklyn Kling
Gallery, and were greeted by the gallery owners and a few patrons.
The opening received a steady stream of traffic throughout the
evening, actually peaking in attendance around 8:30pm so Jacklyn chose
to keep the doors open a little longer than planned. The show
consisted of 21 works, ranging in size from 8 inches by 12 inches to
larger paintings in the range of 12 feet by 6 feet. Several of the
paintings were “banners” – paintings made on heavy unprimed canvas
that was painted on both sides. Some of the banners were hung full
length, others were presented in a draping arrangement as approved by
the artist. The works exhibited were primarily acrylic on canvas with
some elements of mixed media and collage. One painting was purchased
shortly after the doors opened for the evening and two others are
currently under consideration by private collectors.
It was a warm and pleasant evening in Montclair, which certainly added
to the festive atmosphere at the event. In keeping with the theme of
Flag Day, the refreshment table was festooned with red white and blue
decorations, a flag shaped focaccia bread, and a cheesecake decorated
with a field of blueberries and stripes made from sliced strawberries.
Several local artists were in attendance, including Jo Motyka,
Millicent Sabater, Ann Margaret Pinkman, and Bonnie Maranz.