Peru:Cruising the Amazon River – A New HTML5 Web Guide by WOCmultimedia

Hello,

I’m back to you with a new WebApp in HTML5 just published in my collection Ecos-Not only nature!

PERU – CRUISING THE AMAZON RIVER is the new WebGuide created following the previous about Slovenia, Norway and others.

This WebGuide is dedicated to our experience made some years ago in the wonderful area of The Amazon River basin. We started from Iquitos, capital town of Peruvian Amazon region, and we went upriver to the river’s source. In the while we paid a short visit to Pacaya-Samiria national reserve and a little indigenous community. Back to Iquitos we strolled along the town streets, harbour and stilt houses then we join the cruise on the Amazon river downward to Leticia-Tabatinga-Santa Rosa a triangle borders with Peru,Brazil,Colombia… we followed the cruise for 2 days till Pebas, the oldest Amazon village in Peru. Here we used a motor boat to make some excursion along the river Ampiyacu and other side rivers. We also visited a Huitoto village &…

You can click on the picture above to get a free demo or buy the full guide from here

An important notice, the file zip you will buy from our website play on any mobile or desktop device using a browser compliant with HTML5 and mp4/h264 video format. So, you buy once and run everywhere. To avoid any theft the download on our website is delayed. We first receive your payment notice from PayPal then we send you a mail with the link and password to use the zipfile.
Otherwise you can buy it from Handster.com which is direct download you will find it in file cab or zipfile

The WebGuide is structured in 4 sections: InfoTravel – Video – Puzzle game – Editorial notes after the download no internet connection is required at all and we don’t collect any data nor your name we keep in the data base.
We create this zipfile webguide html5 version so you can enjoy the video and other information without retrieving them from internet or using a temporary appcache system… I invite you to visit our website and download all available free demos as well as visit handster.com to get your preferred webguide.

PERU – CRUISING THE AMAZON RIVER – Language: English – Video Language: Italian with English subtitles – File Size: 97MB – Video Length: 38 minutes

ENJOY IT!
Angelo Giammarresi
filmaker and multimedia producer
www.wocmultimedia.com

If the Universe Calls You?

Hello Everyone,

Today, I’m going  to talk you about my meeting with Michael Drake, shaman and very good writer. Some month ago, how I wrote in my previous post, I got across a Michael Drake’s book by accident (!?) I was searching on play.google.com for a book about shamanism in Tuva but I met his first book: “Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming“…

…Sceptic, I started reading the first pages and I found myself immersed in the writing so deep that in a few minutes I’d read the complimentary chapter.  I don’t know why but I felt to write him and in a few hour I add a new friend at my list. He’s a very humble person and well trained in this field of shamanism. But I’m a westerner and Italian so my scepticism was always predominant at first. I asked him some questions and I got complete answers on the topic. I continued reading his first book discovering that a drum hanging on my wall since 1995 want to be used…he needed some repairs and Mr. Michael Drake gave me some suggestions so in a few days my life had a new chance of journeying instead of dwelling peaceful in my office. So far, you can say it’s normal, nothing out of the ordinary meeting or life event! But, let’s go on and see… I’m film director and fond in old traditions, especially from northern Europe where I’ve been several times and created many videos including Saami traditions. Please, have a look at the book cover below….

Yes, you are right, it depicts a ceremonial Saami Drum! This book is the latest of Michael Drake which he had just finished to publish when I met him and I’ve asked him about divination with drum on Saami culture. I hadn’t seen this cover. I didn’t know neither  his book nor the cover but the picture on the book is quite similar to my drum replica.
No problem, you still say, this is the case! I remember that a lie repeated 3 times became a truth so for me two event became worth to investigate. I tested myself and dive into drumming…good experiences and…. I went on reading I finished to read the first book and bought this one.
Just, I read the first pages I found myself mirrored in the writing…he said was raised with love for books as I stated in my previous post…then he described some personal experiences which I felt like mine…I haven’t yet finished to read this book but so far, it seems speaking about me to me!
What amazes me is the friendly, easy way he explains very deep topics…as usual I don’t like to describe the book content but what it transmitted me. I suggest you to read it just for curiosity even though I know by the end you want to investigate about Universe, beat, drum, sound, linkage, human bonds, atom, electron, harmony…vacuum and solid…thought and energy…places and moreover your place! Ok, I agree with you. Your to busy to make such questions in this daily life but if not now that anyone is sinking in a strange liquid not so well identified when you hold the handbrake and have a look at yourself?
You can make the difference not only in your family, or enlarged family or virtual community but in the world, in this world!!!

If you are reading this post, it isn’t a case but is your turn!
Don’t ask me to say more about Michael Drake or his books…Please, have a look at his page on Amazon.com or play.google.com and read the complimentary pages…maybe, we meet again to read about your journeys this time.

Angelo Giammarresi
filmaker and multimedia producer
www.wocmultimedia.com

HMTL5 – What a great “Puzzle” idea !

Hello Sirs,

My frequently readers know I’m not a tech geek but a content producer which like to experiment the use of new containers…so if you are looking for an in-depth tech article better skip over otherwise go on reading and you can find some useful suggestion too.

Recently I wrote about my HTML5 experience how a novice developer…I knock at several frameworks door to understand how to use it, better how to start…lol experience…but my family name in Italian means “never surrendered” so I went on and realized the first results you can get a free app here of my editing course or click on this miniature

The impact on my download units was very strong, in a few days they increased to a thousand from just a very few units.
I continued my search and also testing the new beta and rc version of JQuery mobile to find better improvements even though they are very far from having an easy to use framework but anyhow it works and learning curve is faster than Maqueta or Jqmobi.

So I created a new tourist guide using my content here’s another free download you can get but first give a look at the miniature and see the new
Did you catch it? Yes, I add a new button “Puzzle” so born a new tourist guide concept having a game incorporated.
This was possible thanks to an old plugin at first not working inside JQmobile even using their migrating script.

The problem was simple I didn’t want neither a mobile website nor tied the user to an internet connection otherwise it was easy. When I ask to the support of course they laughed at me, why I wanted to force a user to download a zipfile instead of simple using Ajax driven webapp from a website? Simple but not for them.
I want my file works on local, without internet like a native app when a user buy it….
Did you get the file? Well, let’s go on!

This means a simple thing if you want to create today an original product you cannot unless spend a lot of time and rely upon yourself!
What do you say, that’s all? That’s all? Come on and go on reading!
After this experiment I was a bit more experienced with JQuery mobile and started thinking how to better customize the webguide style…do you want to have a free download of the new style? Yes, why not, but later on.

The Puzzle experience!!!
Adding a puzzle and also the first post I wrote about my HTML5 experience on this blog journal increased more the download units so of course I decided to test what made possible this jump on the downloads and I decided to release a simple game…why not a puzzle?
My little four years old daughter liked to recompose shuttered pieces of common cartoon’s pictures then in a while I though to make she a surprise shattering one of her watercolours…Great, it sounds a very wonderful idea!

click on the picture to get the full collection

Puzzle with children watercolours this is where come from the title of this post!

I created the WebPuzzle – AISHA, a simple sliding puzzle you can get the first one free clicking on the picture below

To make the puzzle more attractive to experienced user there’s no auto-solving button…so far it has reached only on one market more than 7000 downloads, a little good success for a novice developer! The puzzle lovers can have the single Aisha-puzzle at 0.50$ or the complete collection with 7 games for only $1.99.

Click on the picture to get it.

Before closing, I want to reveal you a trick I used to create this inside JQmobile… In spite of any support suggestion I deactivated Ajax function and made straight html link to pages…isn’t maybe an orthodox method but it works from local and with almost all browsers including the strange Firefox and the new IE as well as in any HTML5 compliant webkit based such as safari, chrome and opera mobile….

Next post will tell you about new modifications I did to my product and the hassle to succeed in it! For now that’s all. Have a fun!

written by
Angelo Giammarresi
videomaker & multimedia producer
www.wocmultimedia.com

Is it true Shaman arise empathy?

I was grown up with bread and books which of course where mainly tales and legends in my childhood, and
this affect my life and as well as my present work of short-film director.

I remember myfirst book about now called First Nation or Native people but at thetime they just were Indians…and among them a figure stroke my fantasy the “Medicine Man” or “Shaman”. He was always depicted dressed in a strange way, full of little bones and various several odd pendants and other tinkling gadgets…

Of course, according with Christian writers and/or publisher thoughts “Medicine Man” had to be in contact with devil so to avoid of creating a positive vision in the reader but they almost never succeeded completely , at least with me.

I always brought with me this strange empathy feeling which arose every time I heard the word shaman but of course contrasting with the scholar education and new medicine achievements…he was a primordial figure, something to be far distant from reality better to be considered a possessed by devil why not a stupid maniac as well as his believers… My documentary productions brought me around the world for more than 25 years during which the attraction for old traditions grow more and more till I met some people in Finland first than in Norway, awakening this old empathy…one day I met a Navajo Medicine man in my country, in Europe, and again the empathy arose.

Why or what make this empathy arise? I spoke with many common people and even they fear to be contaminated by old superstitions in any case nobody could speak bad about Shaman… Well, I think an answer can be related to our childhood’s book or maybe there’s something else much more deeper in us? Yes, latter is a good answer.

According to a very interesting book I just finish to read, everyone of us is a potential Shaman. Is it true?
Well, about two months ago I was looking for a book inspiring me a new destination for my documentaries. I didn’t like to make a common work so I made a search on play.google.com digitizing the word Siberia first then Shamanism and I get across the
impressive book of Michael Drake, The Shamanic Drum a guide to Sacred Drumming.

Before reading it I suppose was one of those books that after 100 pages have not discovered anything but I gave it a chance and started reading the complimentary first chapter. Maybe you can say I’m making a review of the book but I can state that I discovered a new wonderful world… I got the book and also made a good relation with the author, Michael Drake. He taught me how to discover and walk an invisible way which existed within me since ever…a link, a bondage or connection whatever you like to call it which ties all together in the Universe…anyone is in a mutual relation not only within his/her family but within the environment,
the things and Universe… Ok, I see, you start laughing and saying I’m a new visionary… but have you ever drummed in a sacred way? No, sorry, you are wrong! You don’t need a special power, you don’t need special garments, no tinkling gadget or bones in your nose, you can still be a top manager wearing Armani or Valentino suit… what do you need,  indeed?
I like Hitchcock who didn’t want people reveal the film outside the cinema I don’t give you the answer but suggest you at least to read the complimentary first chapter, also on Michael Drake’s Amazon page….

See you soon, I will tell you about my drumming experience… (to be continued)
Thanks for reading so far.

Angelo Giammarresi
multimedia producer
www.wocmultimedia.com

Do not repack your Android app for Blackberry!

Hi,

I’m not used to write bad about a company but after many years of being in the multimedia production market I cannot stand the behaviour of some kind of management.

What’s happen? Simple. I lost more than one month to get one of my app approved in the new BlackBerry portal receiving just a rejected message…
But let’s go back at the beginning.

I received an email inviting to submit my Android app to BlackBerry portal. It should have been easy just a few clicks away.
They prepared a gadget because only a souvenir gadget can be called it.
You have a panel to enter your app and android location they make a check and after a while you get a notice that your app is suited for new OS10 and Playbook system. You can click on next to continue and repack the app. So far, it’s nice in 5 minutes.
But after clicking on next you are asked to apply for a free code/ certificate to be mailed in 48 hours.
I received the 2 mails with different codes and so on….blah blah so it’s not a few clicks away but nevertheless I decided to play the game till the end. I restart the verification gadget, click on next and repackaged the app in their .bar file.
Fantastic or terrific, not at all!
You have to apply for a vendor account, ok! I succeeded and proceed further till you land in a very Mars’ page… I succeeded to understand their specific technical language but in no place is mentioned about Android repackaged app or whatsoever similar…you must be a saviour or a tech savvy or at least having developed for them to know all their system and compatibility with your app.
I don’t know which saint guided me but I found the way to publish 9 apps in English and Italian all successfully repackaged by their tourist Gadget.
I wait for about one month then I received a message that my app was refused because have some issues not corresponding to the truth at all! I went to their  portal to discover that other 3 apps had been temporarily refused but one was judged ready to be put on sale. WOW! Terrific but I started laughing the so potential approved app was the n.2 of a serial made like carbon copy so it was astonishing having the n.1 refused while the n.2 was technical correct.
Anyhow, I opened the n.1 erased all external link driving to Android playstore and submitted it again where it still is.
WHILE, I received that my app n.2 was definitively rejected because Android app are not suited to be considered built for BlackBerry neither can participate to their fake 10k competition because only app created with their SDK are accepted.

So, This post is just to say you not waste time to transform your Android app in BlackBerry version they will refuse it and beside there’s a WORST behaviour in their terms is stated that you cannot participate in any class action, they can use your idea to create other product without giving you any rights, they/this special team can refuse at only their judgement if an app is useful or not for the user….I’m astonished this is a behaviour we had in 1939 in Italy… How can a group of people decide what is correct or not while the same refused app has been downloaded about 6000 times in another market and my editing course first free lesson hit 12000 in 3 weeks?
I haven’t develop for them nor I will lose time because my apps work the same in their mobiles both in apk and web-app (HTML5)!!! The same is for AppleStore but that is another discussion related only to dictatorial way of selecting the app.
Freedom has no price!!!!!!!!!!

How Tourism can benefit from HTML5 – part 3

Hello!

I got some very useful feedback that confirmed my idea that HTML5 is a very important IT achievement but still lacking off a very good standard strategy….Maybe is missing a consortium like the one created DVD first and Blue-Ray later.

Plenty of foundation and not fill their mouth with this acronym, very easy to remember but difficult to apply.

You can try to spend some days of your life to understand from where to start…then maybe you get across the most famous website’s frameworks and believe to get the solution but a few lines beyond the magnificient title begins the adventure… Such a lovely map in a iframe I want it in my app, what an astounding carousel and turnflip page effects I like I want to it too…

What make me laugh now is to remember the very first time I visited one of this website…I was sure that in a few minutes like was stated in that a page I should have developed the container for my videoguides…what a delusion to discover that such easy declarative way of creating pages meant to read and watch a serial of tutorial before you could at least have an hint of how to start.

So far, I haven’t mentioned any framework and some of you asked why I don’t express my opinion?
It’s easy because each of them have a bunch of useful things to add to your website or app. It only depends on your skilfull, talent and Java Script knowledge, which was very a minimum for me.  I suppose maybe latter was  my truly difficult. Before going on, I invite you to click onto the picture and download this nice web-joik of Piera Jovnna Somby a Sámi musician living in the far North of Norway.

To create this simple app that I call WebJoik, because this Sámi chant is called JOIK, I used JQMobile. I found it enough easy for someone like me having just rudimentary knowledge of html, css and javascript but if you don’t have the bare minimum knowledge of such tools/languages is better you give it up and ask a developer to strive for you… Nothing works correct out of the box…plenty of time you need to create a compromise with your idea, graphic combination and product result but if you are firm you can succeed like I did. Dont’ forget most of the problems arise only if you want to create an offline product otherwise the way to achieve a success is a bit easier!

Here’s my latest WebGuide – ISLANDA 2 / Iceland 2 – Sorry, it’s only in Italian but it cost just 0.29$!

Here’s a link for BlackBerry and other HTML5 device compatible such as iPad, Android, PC, Mac, etc. The file is a.zip file.

Here’ a link for Nokia – Windows Mobile devices and PC. The file is a self extracting .cab file

I will keep up to date this post to share with you tips and results.

See you soon!

Review by
Angelo Giammarresi
www.wocmultimedia.com

How Tourism can benefit from HTML5 – part 2

Here I’m!!!

Hello everybody,

First of all, thank you to the 2000 and more people downloading the WebGuide – Islanda 1.
I’ve been away a couple of days facing new challenges with HTML5 products.

Hands Up who already answered “Yes” to the question about HTML5 and tourism benefits! I know already many of you agree with me.

But still after I published the first part of this topic I received some feedbacks pointing at another question I supposed was not so important, at first, the “target age”. Young people share with common people the lack or low interest in content but in interactivity.

Here we are again facing new challenges with Web-App!!! Who is used to work with special effects and video editing is acquainted to add transitions between clips so I’m then I immediately realized the great difficult.

I had decided my web-guide has to work on local not online, so how to handle it?

(click on the picture to get the newest version)
Please, don’t say soon it’s easy!
Again, I went to make some more test and learnt that with the framework I was using transition occurs only when the call for next page is made via Ajax…what’s this a new soap-dishes? Many of you is laughing at me now!
But let’s go on after cheering up a little bit. Yes, Ajax is a formidable intuition to make smoother and quickest the page change and so on, how it works you can digit the word in a search engine to become crazy.
You can deactivate such option? Yes! But you cannot make the transitions between pages.

- New framework features -

(click on the picture to get the newest version)

Well, I decided to deep a little bit my framework knowledge and profiting of their latest (unstable) RC1 I tried to use some new
features and here we are again. You can click on the picture above to get the new version and test by yourself.

- Not to rely upon one plugin –
I should have ma de it easier or better use a plugin I found out interesting which simulate a book turning page like this little book I wrote for my daughter
(click to download it in Italian but you can find Spanish version too)

How one of my biggest challenges was making correctly working the puzzle and it took me 2 days before getting an optimal solution.
I opted to not rely all the WebGuide upon a single plugin, it can become obsolete and maybe not so compatible with the newer framework’s versions then I’ve to take up studying code upon code again.
You can see the result is simple but with nice interactivity even without page transitions, it works on local disk, just download the zip or cab file, extract the folder and double click the index.html file you find inside it.
(sliding puzzle game)

- Important Notice – Browser Compatibility
This WebGuide works fine on any HTML5 browser compliant but check if your browser is compatible with video MP4/H.264, for instance Chrome, Safari and other webkit based especially on desktop PC. While on mobile you can also include Boat, UC, Opera Mobile. I tested the WebGuide on iPad, Android tablet, BlackBerry and watching the download statistic also Windows Mobile is very compatible as well PC/Mac.

(Travel Info Section)
What’s new in my WebGuide idea?
Besides the widely usable HTML5 format I develop the WebGuide focused on the usefulness but with simplicity and relax as main concept.
In fact, excepted only for the links suggested in the Travel-Info section, you can enjoy entirely offline the content.
Each WebGuide includes a video clip, a sliding puzzle game, some collection’s notes and a Travel-Info section.

WebGuide – Islanda 1 / Iceland 1

Download it free for iPad/iOS , BlackBerry , PC e Windows Mobile OS , all other devices and Mac

Thank you for your attention, if you like I create a WebGuide for your country, museum, park, etc. just drop a comment here or send me an e-mail.

Stay tuned, the WebGuide – Islanda 2/ Iceland 2 is coming very soon!
See you!

Review by
Angelo Giammarresi
www.wocmultimedia.com