The Newsroom

SimplyTar File Backup Coming Soon

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:29:24 -0700

At the office we have been re-evaluating our disaster recovery operations lately. Data backups are a big part of that, and we are having to re-think how we are tackling the issue. Up until now, since we are a software development company, we have written up a bunch of homegrown scripts to copy (rsync) file across the network and onto shared backup drives. This works well - for the most part - but I've grown tired of having to look at a script scrolling by. I want and need something more robust, but yet simple enough to be used by virtually everyone.

I took it upon myself to look around and see what's out there. There were several options that made sense, but they all either required a lot more management time than I would like, were slow when backing up over the network, or were not something I would bet the future of the company on. Further, none of them really had the features I wanted coupled with the simplicity I envisioned.

So, what is any self-respecting software development house supposed to do? Design and develop a solution that fits exactly what you need. We do this for our clients all the time, so it makes sense that we do it for ourselves too. So, this is the announcement that we will be releasing our simple backup utility (called SimplyTar File Backup) once we feel it is ready for public consumption. We've been using it internally for a while on production data and are adding the final polish for our customers.

We'll let everyone know when there's a public version ready for use.

SimplyConvert IIF Converter 1.5.1 Released

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 17:16:54 -0600

Version 1.5.1 of SimplyConvert IIF Converter has been released for Windows. This is a bugfix release that fixes an application launcher error on Windows that some users have experienced. Please send us feedback on this release via our online support form.

What we do when we are not at work

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 07:02:49 -0600

Innovation - that noble idea that is integral to our economy. In the technology industry, if you do not innovate, you will get left behind. So, this is why when we are at work, we strive to provide our clients with creative solutions to their problems. We try to achieve better integrations, build more intelligent tools, and look at each engagement as an opportunity to cover new gound for our clients. To sum it up, we are constantly called upon to provide fresh, clever, effective ideas.

That demands an amazing about of work, and honestly, quite a bit of stress. So, when we are not at work, we are at play. In this section you will get to know us on a personal level. We will post some of the notable things we do outside the office, wheather they are related to technology or not. We will have fun doing them and sharing them. Most of all, because of our adventures outside the office, on Monday morning, we will be ready to serve you in a more productive way.

What's this blogging thing all about anyway?

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 06:51:53 -0600

As you may know already, I am one of those people who grew up with the Internet. I used gopher when I was in school. I learned HTML when most websites were one page with some text and an image (and what is this thing called CSS anyway?). I've had my share of personal web sites - the precursor to blogs. Even though blogging is relatively new, the idea has been there from the beginning. The web is all about communication and interaction with others.

So, we decided to set up a blogging site specifically to keep in touch with you - our clients, customers, and visitors. You will find the latest news here, as well as some information on our current projects (the ones we can talk about) and some articles that our developers have written. In addition, we have our "Outside the Office" place where you can get to know us on a personal note. So, look around, bookmark the homepage, and keep in touch.

Using SWT with Java Web Start on Mac OSX

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:36:13 -0600

Developing rich-client applications has several usability advantages over web applications, but many times recurring deployment costs inhibit us from using rich-client applications in an enterprise environment where IT is responsible for all software installations and upgrades. Java Web Start provides an elegant way to automatically deploy and update rich-client applications without the costs associated with traditional deployments. SWT provides a great toolkit that makes Java applications appear very native and enhance usability dramatically. However, because of a bug in the Mac OSX implementation of SWT, you cannot launch SWT via the standard Java Web Start client that comes packaged with the operating system. After looking around for a solution to work around this bug, I've come up with the following. Note that this approach is not ideal, but it will let you deploy SWT applications using Java Web Start on Mac OSX.

Read the full article here.

SWT Tips and Tricks: Part 2 - Using Java Web Start with SWT: A Win-Win Solution

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:34:52 -0600

SWT is a growing Java GUI toolkit that is making inroads into commercial and corporate development because of its cross-platform interface to the operating system's native GUI toolkits. In many cases, users love the fact that it looks and feels native, and uses widgets that they are familiar with. However, deploying SWT applications across an enterprise environment can be tricky and tedious if not done correctly. Using Java WebStart can bring these great looking applications to the desktop while eliminating manual deployment and updates for the IT department and/or end users.

Read the full article here.

SWT Tips and Tricks: Part 1 - Window and Dialog Initialization

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:33:31 -0600

SWT is an emerging Java GUI toolkit that gives Java developers access to the operating system's native widgets in a cross-platform manner. I have had the pleasure of using the toolkit in several major projects now, and I have come to see its strengths and its weaknesses. I have also found myself implementing certain tasks repeatedly, so this series of articles endevors to share a few of the insights I have gained to make working with this toolkit more rewarding.

So, for the disclaimer - this article isn't a comparison between SWT and Swing. It is not a comparison between SWT and JFace either. The following tips are for developers building SWT-based applications.

Read the full article here.

Bundling Java/SWT Applications for Mac OS X

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:31:09 -0600

If you are a Java developer, one of the first things you fall in love with is seeing your applications run on different platforms. Just give me a Jar file, War file, or the class files, and away I go.

Well, almost. Java is great at being cross-platform, but the greatest weakness in Java's cross-platform design is that each platform requires a different method of launching the application - and usually that is where most people get stuck. Sure, we can tell people to launch our applications using the command line, or we can use the Java Web Start tools. However, when it comes to making your Java application look and feel as close as possible to the native platform, you will need to do a little extra work on most platforms. This is especially true if you want to use the Eclipse SWT GUI toolkit.

SWT? Why on earth do you want to use that? This article is not about the merits of SWT or Swing, and it's not intended to convert anyone to use another toolkit. However, when it comes to making your application look and feel like a native application, SWT does a great job. So, without further ado...

Read the full article here.

SimplyConvert 1.5 Released

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 14:34:17 -0600

After our beta test period, we have released SimplyConvert 1.5 for Mac OSX Intel and Windows 98/2000/XP. You can download the new release in the product download section. We are preparing for the 2.0 release of the application. Feel free to provide any feedback and feature requests you may have by submitting them through our support form.

SimplyConvert IIF Converter Ported To Mac OSX Intel and Windows

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 13:11:20 -0600

We are pleased to announce that SimplyConvert IIF Converter has been ported to Mac OSX for Intel and Windows. We are currently running a beta test. After the testing period, we will be releasing updated installers for Mac OSX Intel and Windows platforms. If you are interested in participating in the beta test, please contact us through our support form.

Digital Gridworks Studio 2.0 Beta Just Released

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:55:00 -0700

We are pleased to announce the start of our beta release program for Digital Gridworks™ Studio 2.0. Read more about this new database tool suite here.

SimplyConvert IIF Converter 1.4 Just Released

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 20:55:00 -0700

A new version of our IIF converter utility has been released for Mac OS X. It contains minor upgrades and several bug fixes. Read more about it here.

MailQueen Pro 4.0.0 Goes Live

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:54:00 -0600

MailQueen™ Pro has been released. Version 4.0.0 contains SSL support, an internal SMTP engine, and a new mailing list manager. Read more about the new features here.

SimplyConvert IIF Converter 1.2 Just Released

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 20:53:00 -0600

A new version of our IIF converter utility has been released for Mac OS X. Read about its latest features here.

MailQueen Pro 3.9.1 Minor Feature Release

nospam@example.com (Nathan Callender) — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 20:53:00 -0700

This minor release fixes several small bugs in the application as well as adding support for the SMTP AUTH mail command. You can download the new version here.