» About » Megatome

I’m a guy in my mid-thirties living in the middle of Colorado. Like most everyone else in town, I’ve paid my dues working for the Department of Defense and for Worldcom.

Unfortunately, living in an area where the biggest tech employers are the government and telecoms means that we’re not exactly the best location for new technologies. Therefore, I have a lot of hobbies and side projects to keep from going crazy.

Development

I’m constantly trying to learn new technologies and keep abreast of what’s going on in the development world. I have several Open Source projects, and I’m trying to pick up a few new languages as well.

Open Source Projects

Frame2 - Web application framework for Java. At one time, this was feature compatible with Struts, but Struts has evolved a lot. Frame2 also supports web services out of the box, which is nice.
Data Calculator - Simple app based on the Swipe Toolkit. This was my first Java app that I wrote specifically with the purpose of working “correctly” on Windows and Mac OSX.
Win32::SystemInfo - Probably my most popular project. Simple Perl module that retrieves memory and processor information on Windows machines.

Other Projects

Daily Paper - Java app for downloading webcomics and aggregating them into a single page. Right now I’m the only one using it, but I’ve been adding a web side using Rails that will allow users to submit and download custom definitions for webcomics.
Data Calculator for iPhone - I’d like to convert the Data Calculator into a web app as well as a native iPhone application.

Languages

I’ve been trying to learn new languages. I think I may be working on too many at one time.

Ruby/Rails
Scala
Erlang
Objective-C

Making

My business card lists my occupation as “Maker,” which I think is entirely appropriate. Development is a form of making, as is the construction of physical objects.

CD Lamp - My most popular project. This was my first foray into woodworking, and while it’s not perfect I’m very happy with how it turned out.
iPod Stand - This was my first attempt at working with Plexiglass. I didn’t want to spend $15 for a plastic iPod stand online, so I spent $50 for parts and materials to make my own.
Solder Fume Extractor - It looks good, but for some reason it’s not as effective as I’d hoped. Looks like I need to work on Version 2.0.
5.1 Signal Combiner - Quick and dirty hack to play 5.1 audio from both my PC and MacBook through the same speakers.
Jam Jar Pulse Jet - From Make magazine
Sweeping Lights - Prototype only for now. Plans call for putting everything into an Altoids tin.