Some Random Dude

Some Random Dude is a blog by P.J. Onori that covers design & technology in the broadest sense possible.

Posts Tagged ‘open-source’

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An Open Source Manufacturing Future

A few months ago, I listened to a talk by Chad Jennings where he discussed the upcoming shake-up around small scale manufacturing. This is due to the advancements in both 3D scanning and 3D printing. The things that can be accomplished with today’s 3D scanning/printing process is truly amazing and if the technology behind it follows the same trajectory as personal computing, these devices will be within consumers’ reach in the years to come. If that does come to be, what are the possibilities and implications of such a future? Read On…

The Amazon Fire Symbolizes Android’s Worth

amazon fire

I have defended Android for years. I own a Nexus One, which I still consider to be one of the best Android phones made. I also strongly believe it does not hold a candle to anything past the first generation iPhone. Much to my dismay, my phone attracts conversations about why don’t have an iPhone. Before a week or so ago, I could speak in theory and philosophy, but now I have a concrete answer. Read On…

A Call For Open Sourcing Our Fonts

With embedded fonts being supported by all modern browsers in one form or another (be it EOT or @font-face), it is only a matter of time until font embedding becomes commonplace on sites catering to current generation browsers. There is a large collection of blog articles discussing the obvious ramifications of embedding commercially-licensed fonts, the inevitable rise in piracy and the equally inevitable decrease in type foundry profits. I have spent a lot of time thinking about this subject and how it relates to recent copyright debacles conflicts. I would like to be optimistic that a proactive approach towards embedding licensed fonts is attainable and will be accepted by many of the major foundries. However, I do not think it will be happening anytime soon. Therefore, I think the more plausible solution for the immediate future, is to push for an embeddable, open source font collection. Read On…

A Preview of 3d Layout Organizers

A while back, I published some work on AS3 layout organizers. The basic premise was to use virtual “containers” of a collection of DisplayObjects to create special layouts, such as a grid or ellipse. The project turned out to be quite enjoyable and I have used this library for almost every project I have worked on since I wrote it. With Flash 10′s introduction of 3d, it seemed appropriate to branch out these organizers into their 3d counterparts. In addition, I have spent a considerable amount of time re-writing a large portion of the core code to make it easier to use and more efficient. I was hoping to release the code in this post as well, but it just is not quite there yet. So, consider this a preview of the revamped library. Read On…