Project Portfolio

For my second project with talented Australian entrepeneurs Adam Schwab and Jeremy Same, I was tasked with creating a discount coupon sales system, similar to the ever-popular US site Groupon. The initial phase of the project involved rapidly designing, developing and deploying the public website for the system, helping to take the business to a competitive market in as short a time as possible. Subsequently, I supported the business over a 12 month period while creating a powerful and automated back-office system to handle many aspects of the business, including sales management, billing, order management, affiliates, promotions, salaries and financial reporting. Once the business had grown significantly, I handled the technical side of an interview process to locate the in-house team lead which would take over further development of the system, along with the knowledge transfer that process entailed.

As part of the development process, I integrated the website and back-office system with many third-party libraries and websites to handle eCommerce, mass e-mail campaigns, affiliate advertising, automatic Facebook & Twitter updating, PDF generation and IP GeoLocation among other things.

Rocket provide high-end systems and games to the professional gaming market across the USA. Working as a consultant over a 2-week period, I was tasked with assisting with the design of open APIs for the core product, as well as analysing game development processes and creating manuals to cover them, targeted at training new designers and developers.

An additional objective I fulfilled over the period was analysing the software management processes within the company and providing insight on possible improvements therein.

Henry Stewart Talks provide expert online seminars in the Biomedical, Marketing and Management fields. Initially providing services as an advisor, I helped the company solve some pressing technology issues pertaining to their online product. Once a degree of stability was reached, I worked closely with talented UI Designer and Project Manager Daniel Gershuni to analyze the internal processes pertaining to the product, and then design and implement a simple yet flexible web platform for efficiently delivering their material to the end user. The development included a powerful backend management and statistics system, implementation of application security, creation of a fast search engine based on the Lucene framework and refurbishment of the existing Flash video delivery system.

I presently continue to advise Henry Stewart on technology, performance and process related matters, as well as providing training and guidance to their in-house development team.

Jamroom is a social-networking initiative based around the concept of playing and recording music together. Working closely with physics professor and entrepreneur John Golub as well as experienced web developer Michael Levy, I took responsibility for the development of a networked audio streaming and recording application. The software integrates closely with the PHP website, using a proprietary protocol for two-way communication. Developed in C++ as a realtime, multithreaded application, it also features a highly usable and attractive user interface, and is designed to be fully cross-platform across Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Throughout the project I have also been involved in business decision making, providing accurate estimates, performing feasibility studies and carrying out technology-focussed research.

The goal of this project was to create an animated poker-style game for the iPhone platform, with the ability for testing on a Windows machine. I initially designed and built a flexible cross-platform framework for the development of OpenGL-based games, which would run on Windows, MacOSX and the iPhone. The framework included the ability to read user input from a variety of devices (such as keyboard, mouse and iPhone touches), to play and mix audio streams and to quickly script complex animations. On top of this framework, given the game's graphics from the designer, I was then able to rapidly build the game itself.

TrustedAdvice is an Israeli startup dealing in the creation of customizable Flash widgets for inclusion on websites. My task was to create a flexible engine in Flash providing the ability to create these widgets and to publish them online.

WatchDox is a revolutionary system for securely publishing documents online. I was involved in the creation of their Flash/Flex based document viewer. Initially inheriting the code in a primitive state, I managed to fix a long list of stubborn bugs, many of which required workarounds to limitations inherent in Flash. I then added many features, some of which were highly complex, to bring the viewer to a state that it could be released. Once complete, I performed a tech-transfer session with the company's in-house developers to pass over future maintenance of the code to them.

This project involved the creation of a Flash slot-machine game, with certain peculiarities as to reel and gameplay behaviour. Receiving the necessary graphics and sounds from the designer, I built the game from the ground up using Actionscript 2.0.

The task for this project was to create a Flash demo of a potential slot-machine game, based around the popular dominoes game. Inheriting the code in a partially-complete state, I implemented the necessary graphics & gameplay changes to complete the game.

Wavebreak is an Israeli startup that contracted me for advisory and developmental work on creating a prototype system for their company. I initially met with the company management to analyze their requirements, determine appropriate solutions and create the initial specification for their product. I then built a mockup PHP website and the statistics collection C++ application, which communicated with the website via XML Web Services. Finally, I performed some research on the feasibility and expense of porting their system to the Windows XP Embedded operating system.

Working with talented developer Lior Berman, we developed several Internet Kiosk applications for SkyLine's new line of kiosks. These applications varied from system-level C++ and C#.NET applications which handled security and basic functionality, to mini websites customized for specific customers.

I also performed significant research into various embedded operating systems, and continually advised the company on feasibility and technological considerations.

MyFont (FontIp) is an Israeli startup providing graphical text messaging for cellphones, who contracted Lior Berman and I in order to create a web-based demo of their service. In close cooperation with MyFont's graphic design team, we created a working client/server application in Flash and PHP that closely matched the company's cellphone product, from the graphical text editing to the sending of messages directly from their website.

Once again working with Lior Berman, we created a proof-of-concept prototype for a DSP-IP startup. The project involved finding a solution for the automated searching and downloading of videos from websites such as YouTube, followed by the creation of an application in C#.NET and Flash to demonstrate offline downloading and viewing behaviour. The software was essentially a client/server application with a C#.NET/Flash frontend communicating via XML Web Services with a PHP server providing the searching behaviours.

This was a small project I performed for a customer of 01 Insights. They required some integration work within their system to make an SQL Server database interoperate with a MySQL database in another subsystem. I researched and found the simplest way to achieve this, and then developed the required components.

Another small project for an 01 Insights customer, this assignment required me to make improvements to an outdated and unsupported process management system. I analyzed the existing web-based system and then made incremental changes to support the time sensitive short-term requirements of the customer.

This project required me to create a demo application to demonstrate the capabilities of a TV-set video-on-demand system. I created a C#.NET desktop application which was able to play any sort of media by embedding Flash and Quicktime ActiveX controls, as well as incorporating interactive Flash animations around the player. I also researched and linked the application to a wireless remote control device for use in presentations.

This was a research project for DSP-IP, where I created a small Flash application to monitor video download times and smoothness of playback based on initial buffering time. The application enabled us to create an intelligent algorithm for determining the optimal buffering time for a progressive-download video, to provide fluent playback from start to end, without pauses for buffering.

Working with talented Australian entrepeneurs Adam Schwab and Jeremy Same, I led a hand-picked team of developers in the specification, design and development of a web-based system for their latest business venture, a rental management system for real estate owners, agents and tenants. The initial phase of the project required an extremely high level of process analysis, specifically investigating the processes undertaken by all parties in a rental agreement, simplifying them as much as possible, and capturing them in a software design that would be extremely simple to use, even for users unfamiliar with using software applications beyond email.

We developed the software using a "rapid prototyping" methodology, where we set relatively small milestones and remained in close contact with Adam and Jeremy throughout which resulted in a first-rate product at the project's conclusion.

This project involved the creation of a workflow management system for patent attorney offices. I was contracted by Smoorenburg & Pini to analyze the processes behind their management of patent applications in depth, and subsequently created a system design that would manage all their day-to-day processes as well as provide their customers with visibility into the progress of their patent applications.

After a very detailed initial design phase, I led a team of developers in creating the initial prototype of a web-based system that provided workflow monitoring, billing, reminders and all the history tracking necessary in a patent law practice.

eGroupware is an open-source PHP/MySQL package designed for managing contacts, calendars, projects and so forth. This project involved extending eGroupware's basic applications with specific extensions requested by clients of 01 Insights. It involved researching the inner workings of eGroupware and implementing effective changes without compromising the codebase.

As a continuation of the the Device Middleware project below, this project involved driver-level development of a hardware device interface through to the middleware layer. I led a team that developed the C++ drivers and hardware simulator which communicated with the middleware via XML commands over TCP sockets. We also created a user display in Flash that communicated with the middleware in a similar fashion.

The goal of this advanced project was essentially to create a middleware layer for a gaming machine platform, compliant with extremely stringent gaming authority regulations and specifications. The project involved designing and implementing a realtime, multithreaded C++ service that would manage communications between casino games and many types of gaming machine hardware, such as reels and coin hoppers, via a clear XML command set.

After designing the service in close contact with 01 Insights personnel in the USA who were responsible for writing the hardware drivers, I led a small development team in implementing the software and managed consistent communications with 01 Insights throughout the project leading to a great result.

This project involved assisting 01 Insights personnel in developing the database layer for an interlinked basketball tournament system setup in malls across the USA. The database layer was developed using stored procedures in PostgreSQL, and involved supporting a complex replication system across sites all over the USA, as well as ongoing database administration.

In my first project for 01 Insights, I was tasked with creating a proof-of-concept prototype in Flash & C++ for a Texas Hold'em poker game with some proprietary modifications. I initially created a Flash-only demo that included full gameplay functionality and basic artificial intelligence. Once that was approved, I proceeded to create a server component in C++ that, communicating with the Flash client using XML, allowed networked multiplayer gameplay.

This was a small project to create a website for Tangent Data, who operate psychiatric facilities throughout Romania. Using the graphic design provided by the company, I created a simple and functional PHP website to meet their needs.

Another small project to create a marketing and eCommerce website for GTS computers, a PC sales and repair business. The project involved converting the customer's graphic design into a functional website, and building dynamic pages which allow customers to build custom PC's online, receive immediate quotes and place orders directly.

At the company's inception in 2002, I was employed to lead a hard-working software team in the design and development of a state-of-the-art online DVD rental system. This system included complex web-based customer and administrative interfaces, written in PHP and running on MySql and Oracle back-ends. These connected with a distributed warehouse logistics system written in C++.

After 6 months, whilst still supervising the addition of new features to the existing system, I moved into more of a managerial role. This involved running a sister company called Riversdale, which dealt with licensing the software and logistics system in Australia and abroad. My responsibilities included the creation of marketing websites and materials, active marketing, as well as negotiations and contractuals with potential clients. Once a sale was completed, I oversaw the system installation, provided customer support and held training workshops. Our efforts resulted in several high-profile contracts, including VideoIsland in the UK and Telstra in Australia, among others.

AAV Digital Pictures provides services covering all aspects of post-production and duplication for film and television. I was primarily involved with the special effects division "Phenomena". My tasks included working closely with the effects designers by analyzing their projects, and then designing and writing custom plug-ins and scripts to support them, using my high level of geometry, physics and image processing knowledge. I worked mainly with the 3D animation and compositing tools Maya, Shake and Discreet's Flame. One such plug-in used for grain removal from film images was non-specific and of such high quality that it was being sold to international graphic software companies.

Given my highly technical background, I was also heavily involved in streamlining workflow procedures. I designed a distributed database system to allow the artists and producers easy access to project and billing data. I wrote an easy-to-use program to ease archiving and extraction to/from backup tapes. I simplified the usage of render boxes and developed a procedure for efficient storage and retrieval of media from the library, which was controlled by another department. I was also a projectionist and backup film recordist.

This company is a branch of IGT International based in Reno, Nevada. It is involved with all aspects of the manufacture of commercial gaming machines for the Australian market and abroad. I was employed as a software engineer working on both the operating system, written in C++, and the individual games, written in Java. Working as a member of a highly cooperative team, I did extensive work on a Java interpreter, the networking system and designed and implemented a specialized Java debugger. Much of this involved meeting with clients to match the technology to their requirements and expectations. I also worked closely with game designers and artists and created 2D animations, effects and custom gameplay for several games, as well as writing utilities in MFC with Visual C++.

Sofcom was the premier internet portal in Australia, delivering content to the first Australian internet users and building custom websites for a variety of customers. I was employed as a web developer, working closely with in-house graphic designers and editors to continuously improve the product offering and develop dynamic sites as necessary for customers. Some of my projects were created an online book management system and creating an online HTML chat application.