It's not often that a funny music video is made about Fractals. Here is something very special:

The e-mail notification feature that was previously available before the last update to the site has been re-enabled.

Please post any issues with this feature as comments on this blog entry. If you have comments about any other features, please add them to the MaplePrimes Suggestions forum

I have just completed a new update to the site that allows me to disable the new WYSYWIG editor for specific users. Users cannot make this change themselves at the moment, an administrator must make the change for them.

If you would like the editor disabled, please use the contact form to send me a message.

I just posted a new poll. Do you have a DVD drive on your primary computer? Maplesoft is considering changing the media we use to distribute our products, and we would like to know what media most of our customers will be able to use.

I just uploaded a brand new version of MaplePrimes that brings with it a huge number of improvements that should make the site easier and more powerful to use.

WYSIWYG Editor

The most obvious change is a new WYSYWIG editor that appears on all posting forms. This will allow you to enter posts in the same way that you would in most word processors. You do not need to worry about proper use of HTML tags. The editor has a number of toolbar buttons that make it easy to perform common tasks.

This editor has two buttons specific to MaplePrimes:

• The Maple tag button makes it easy to insert 2-D Maple Math, the same way you would have used the <maple> tag before
• The Upload button uploads a file using the File Manager and automatically inserts a link to the uploaded file into your post.

If you wish to go back to the old HTML style of posting, just click the "Source" button that appears in the toolbar.

Student Forum Updates

We have made several updates to the MaplePrimes Student Forum. First, the theme for the forum and all topics within the forum has been updated. This change will make it easy to distinguish when you are in a different section of the site.

Also, new blocks have been created, seperating the active main forum topics from the student forum topics.

SCR Form

Next, there is a new type of post that you can create, a Maple Software Change Request use this form to send suggestions to Maplesoft about changes that you would like made to our software products. All submissions from this form go directly into our internal Bug tracking database, so they will be seen by developers.

Flag Content

Many users have requested the ability to let the administrators know when they see Spam or other inapproprate content on the site. There is now a new feature that makes this easy. There is a new  "Flag Content" link that appears on all Posts and Comments. If you want the administrators to take note of any posts, please click this link.

 

There have also been many smaller updates throughout the site. I hope that you are happy with the updates. Please comment on this post if you find any problems or would like any more changes.

 

Update - Comments have been closed on this post since it has become difficult to follow the many threads of discusson. Please post to the MaplePrimes suggestions forum with any comments that you have on the new site.

Maplesoft just launched a brand new section to our website, the Maple T.A. Content Center. This is a new site that contains great content that can be used in Maple T.A. The content center co-exists alongside the Maple Application Center as a dedicated location for Maple T.A. Content.

You will find content that can be dropped in for Drill & Practice, Quizzes, Homework and Testing, all in different subject areas. You can also access Maple T.A. Tips & Techniques as well as Maple T.A. Documentation & How-Tos.

Users can also submit their own content to the database. Once you have submitted content, it is easy for you to edit the content through the new My Content page which also lists any Maple Applications or Books that you have contributed to Maplesoft.com.

Please visit the Content Center at www.maplesoft.com/tacontent and leave your comments here.

Maplesoft has just announced that a Windows Vista version of Maple 11 is now available.

If you already own Maple 11, you may download the update for Vista at www.maplesoft.com/vista

If you do not yet own Maple 11, you can either purchase a Boxed copy of download version of Maple 11 for Vista. The Vista version is available for download immediately, and boxed copies will contain the Windows Vista version of Maple at the end of the month.

Maplesoft just posted a new page giving more details on the upcoming version of Maple 11 for Windows Vista.

Maplesoft is currently working to ensure that Maple 11 is compatible with Windows Vista.

This web page contains information describing the current status of Maple 11 support for Vista and how you will be able to receive it when it becomes available. This information will be updated frequently as Maplesoft prepares to support Vista.
 

When will Vista support be available?

The Vista version of Maple 11 will be available in the coming weeks.  Current Maple 11 users will be notified via email as soon as it is available.  Users can also check this page for updates.
 

How will I get the Vista version of Maple 11?

It will be available to all users running Maple 11 via a download that will be accessible through this web page. Users will need their purchase code used at the time of purchase to download the software. There will also be an option to order a CD copy.  More details to come.

Here is another great comic from XKCD, I hope you like it:

I just found this site over on O'Reilly Radar. It lists the numbers 0 to 9999 and describes mathematical properties for that number. Here are the first few numbers to give you an idea of what is there:

1. is the multiplicative identity.
2. is the only even prime.
3. is the number of spatial dimensions we live in.
4. is the smallest number of colors sufficient to color al planar maps.
5. 5 is the number of Platonic solids.
6. is the smallest perfect number.
7. is the smallest number of faces of a regular polygon that is not constructible by straightedge and compass.
8. is the largest cube in the Fibonacci sequence.
9. is the maximum number of cubes that are needed to sum to any positive integer.

Check it out