expansionware

Engineers create a flexible, temporary tattoo device

J. S. Allen — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Engineers have developed a skin-mounted electronics device that attaches like a temporary tattoo and can be used for medical, communications, and machine-computer-interface purposes.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-08-smart-skin-electronics-temporary-tattoo.html

Hosting Server Mayhem

J. S. Allen — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:11:38 +0000

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and by Denmark we mean our web hosting. A week or so ago, our previous (very reliable) hosting provider, FlowHost, sold out and left us in the hands of a new hosting company. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be much of a problem; we’ve had hosting companies switch hands before without causing any problems for us whatsoever. This time has been completely different and has left us with broken websites, the inability to access key features (such as DNS settings), and an unacceptable amount of downtime for ourselves and — most importantly — our clients.

I’ve been working around the clock to find a new host, rescue what I can, rebuild everything from scratch, and redelegate sites from the previous hosting company. If you’ve been attempting to hit any of our websites in the last 48 hours, you’ll have noticed a fair number of issues. As I progress with the migration and rebuild, things are stabilising at an exponential rate and should be back to normal by Monday morning.

Whether you’re a friend, a client, or a client of a client, we apologise for the recent unpleasantness and hope you’ll understand that this has been as frustrating for us as it has been for you.

Google unleashes Android Open Accessory Development Kit

J. S. Allen — Thu, 12 May 2011 08:59:59 +0000

Google has announced the release of the Android Open Accessory Development Kit with support for Android 3.1. It’s also been backported to 2.3.4, so all of us with Nexus Ones and other 2.3.4 devices can get started right away.

Android

The ADK is based on Arduino and will allow hackers and makers to develop hardware accessories that will work with any Android device (that supports it). The Google I/O sessions on home automation and the Tungsten Project have been the talk of the interwebs, but only time will tell what kind of amazing projects we’ll see from independent developers in the next 12 months.

Intel’s new 22nm 3D chip

J. S. Allen — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:56:59 +0000

Intel has just revealed its first in a series of 3D transistors that could be the next big step for computing and electronics.

Intel's 22nm Transistor

The new ‘Tri-Gate’ transistors use a 3D design to increase performance while dropping power consumption by 50%, which means they’re perfect for portable devices like tablets and smartphones. The new batch of microprocessors, codenamed ‘Ivy Bridge’, should hit the market in 2012.

But why stop smart phones and tablets? Smaller, lighter, more energy efficient processors mean greater potential for innovators to design and build a whole new range of powerful personal electronics: medical and health aids, life logging tools, intelligent clothing, and the fabled Internet of Things just got one tiny, 22nm step closer.

Out of the Blue Website

J. S. Allen — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:03:05 +0000

Be sure to check out the new website for Channel 7′s TV show Out of the Blue.
TAV Productions designed the graphics and expansionware developed and implemented the website, which also contains a custom CMS at the back end. Take a look at the site for behind-the-scenes bloopers, the latest recipes, and more — and don’t forget to watch the show Sundays at 5.30pm on 7.

J. S. Allen interviewed for Techstate Magazine

J. S. Allen — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:02:03 +0000

Resident transhumanist and excitable manchild, Jason Allen, was recently interviewed for an article on technology in Techstate Magazine. The article entitled ‘What is technology?’ discusses some of the meanings and applications of technology as considered by some of South Australia’s successful business leaders.

“To me, ‘technology’ is an art form that allows us to turn our wildest dreams into concrete reality.”

You can pick up a copy of the magazine for $10 at newsagents, steal it from a coffee table in a foyer somewhere, or view the entire magazine online for free at Techstate Magazine.

Revamped Website

J. S. Allen — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 02:30:57 +0000

It’s that time again: time for Jason to shave off his mohawk and change his facial hair, time for spring cleaning and finally trying to get that odd blood-coloured stain out of the carpet, and time for a new website design.

At Expansionware, we embrace change — in fact, we start to hyperventilate if things don’t change often enough. So we’ve retired the original HTML5 design and gone with a shiny new WordPress site. The reasons for the move weren’t all purely aesthetic; we’ve started up our own blog to help keep you up to date with the world of transhumanism, technology, and funky robots.

Welcome to Expansionware.

Research

J. S. Allen — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:20:43 +0000

We love to learn.

We’re excited by the current global technological environment; digital technology is finally becoming such an integral part of our every-day lives that even the technophobes are buying iPhones and connecting with friends on Facebook.

Hardware is cheaper, faster, and smaller than ever before, while software developers are finally caving in to the need for their applications to be smart, clean, and easy to use. A new technological renaissance is dawning which will lead to tighter integration of tech and lifestyle.

Expansionware is embracing this new wave of advancement and finding ways to leverage cutting edge equipment and design to make our lives more meaningful.

Development

J. S. Allen — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:10:05 +0000

We love to build stuff.

At Expansionware, we not only design and develop our own software, but we also offer our services to other individuals and businesses. If you have a software or website project that requires analysis & design, project management, or coding, then we’ll be able to help.

We’re currently using the following languages and technologies for our own projects:

Android
PHP + PostgreSQL
HTML5 + jQuery
Arduino + 4DGL

And we don’t mean to brag, but we’re also pretty good with Java (SE, ME, & EE) and C/C++.

Consultancy

J. S. Allen — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:05:43 +0000

We love to help.

Whatever it is, I think you’ll find that we can help out in some way.

Trying to decide whether to develop your own software or integrate an open source solution? Looking to hire the right individual for the right job? Want to move your business into the cloud but don’t know how?

Expansionware can give you advice and assistance on any number of IT issues. Just ask!