27/19/2002 Interview with Eric Johnston of Swooze.
Firstly, where did the name 'swooze' come from?
Amazon.com was already taken. Swooze was a nickname that my wife's sister used to call her (and sometimes still does). Don't try calling her by that name, though; it only works in her sister's voice. Trust me on that one.
When did you start to develop 'FullScreen' and how many hours would you say you have spent on it so far?
I put off buying the NR70V for a few months, because there really wasn't a good logical reason for me to switch from my trusty old Palm III. Finally, logic caved in and I bought it because it's cool. When I got it, there were a few things I wished it could do, so about a week later, I started poking around with some code, and everything I was interested in doing was geared around making the best use I could of the big nice big screen. Once I had it capturing video, I knew I had to get the program out into other users' hands. The first version was done in about five late nights. Since then, there have been four revisions in two months, and clearly folks are anxious for me to finish 1.05. I do have one rule that I must adhere to, just to keep myself sane: If there's a day when I don't want to work on it, I don't. It's a hobby, not a job, and sometimes when I get home from work, the last thing in the world I want to do is write more code. Adhering to that rule keeps it all fun for me, and lets Sue know where my real priorities are.
How come you are managing video capture on the NRs when no-one else has so far- do you have particular qualifications that make it easier for you?
The two things that help are a video game programming background, and a willingness to bend some rules. You'd be surprised how readily game programming prepares one for other types of real-world software engineering. Game programmers learn to push the available hardware to do something it wasn't really designed for. As for the rule-breaking... it's pretty mild in this case, and it's helped by the fact that the program only needs to run on one piece of hardware. I'm doing one or two "un-approved" methods (to get full-screen video, for example), but they work pretty well.
Do you know the lady in the picture at www.swooze.com? :)
That's Sue, my excellent, beautiful wife and the woman of my dreams. She's got three engineering degrees and an MBA, a little martial arts training, and she's fluent in three languages. She also knows more about football, rugby, and car engines than I do. Not sure just how I managed to get her to say yes to my marriage proposal, but I'm really glad she did. (Okay, brag session is over. Am I in love? I am.) Besides, she makes an excellent test subject when capturing pictures and video. (wink)
Will you be producing a list of apps that are enhanced with FullScreen assist?
Most of my work recently has been focused on the movie-player side of things. I'd like to solve some of the FSA problems, and then have a list that's more than three lines long. :]
How do you feel about the specs for the NX70V (MPEG4 video recording)?
It looks great! I only wish that the card slot folded flat when not in use... it looks like it might be hard to fit into a pocket. Functionally, it looks fantastic to me.
Will you be working on any other programs in the near future or is 'FullScreen' going to be your main one.
I love surprises. For that reason, I haven't decided yet. There are a few things that I'd like to do, if I find the time.
Has 'FullScreen' been as successful as you hoped for?
Absolutely. The response from users in more than 30 countries has been great. What a fun group! That's "success" to me. I was hoping that the registrations would pay for my illogical NR70V purchase, and they have. Mission accomplished.
YWill you be buying an NX?
I'm sort of an "every 3rd generation early adopter". I buy the coolest new thing, and then sit tight for a while and enjoy it, even while newer things emerge. My home PC (the one I wrote FullScreen on) is about five years old, and my TV is twelve, but they both work just fine. I'm guessing I'll hold off for a few rounds.
If you want more information on FullScreen application talked about here please visit Swooze.com. Many thanks to Eric for taking the time to answer my questions.