OS X comes with a framework called SearchKit that applications can use to index content and support full-text searches. I occasionally run into situations where I want to take advantage of an application’s existing SearchKit index so that I can perform my own full-text searches programmatically. The most recent case arose this weekend while I was attempting to build an Alfred workflow for searching Quiver notes. Quiver uses SearchKit internally to expose full-text search through its own user interface, but it doesn’t have native Spotlight integration yet.

The Leap Motion Controller is an input device that tracks the position of the user’s hands and fingers in 3D space, taking the first step towards the kind of gesture-based computer interaction that we’ve seen in science fiction films like Minority Report. I built a simple space game demo with the Leap Motion JavaScript library and the Pixi.js 2D graphics framework. You can find the complete source code on GitHub. The repository also includes a few other examples.

I attended O’Reilly’s Fluent conference in San Francisco earlier this month. The annual event covers various aspects of the Web platform, particularly topics that relate to frontend development. The talks that I attended covered a wide range of topics, spanning from JavaScript performance improvements to unconventional uses for the CSS border-radius property. Fluent gave me an opportunity to reflect on the manner in which the Web is evolving and the opportunities that will arise as it continues to mature.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately creating slide decks for my MontageJS presentations. When I include source code in a slide, I like to have syntax highlighting to help make it easier for the audience to read. Unfortunately, syntax highlighting isn’t a built-in feature in Powerpoint or Keynote. There are some great browser-based presentation frameworks like reveal.js that offer native syntax highlighting, but I currently need to use a standard tool so that other people can easily edit and consume my decks.

Earlier this month, Xamarin hosted its first-ever developer conference. The event, called Xamarin Evolve 2013, exceeded all expectations. It offered a great mix of high-quality technical content, fun social activities, good networking opportunities, and plenty of time for the usual hallway banter that tends to create the most valuable discussions at technical conferences. Xamarin Evolve 2013 ran for four days, including two days of training and two days of conference sessions.