Hemant Khandelwal is the ColdFusion Engineering Manager. DZone chatted with him at MAX 2009 about ColdFusion 9, and posted the video interview entitled A Deep Dive into ColdFusion 9 (as a follow-up to my own interview with them).

At MAX 2009, producer Jon Landau talked about the creation of the new hit movie Avatar. In this Adove TV segment he explains how Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom, After Effects, Premier, and Connect, were all used in the creation of the movie.

I know, we're barely recuperated from MAX 2009, and MAX 2010 is still 10 months away. But, it's not too early to sign up so you'll be in the loop. Subscribe to the Adobe MAX 2010 mailing list and you'll be the first to know when registration opens, when sessions are posted, and more.

MAX 2009 attendees were treated to a sneak preview of Avatar (which is due in theaters worldwide on December 18th, 2009). And now the Avatar AIR desktop application is available for you to download! CNET calls the app a must-see, and I agree!

This episode is definitely worth watching!

Did Dan Heick really comment on my haircut?!?!?!

One of the most talked about MAX keynote demos was the FedEx Custom Critical shipment tracking dashboard as presented by FedEx's Adam Mollenkopf. And now RedMonk's Michael Coté has posted an interview with Adam where they look at the app, discuss the business case, and explain why the solution was built on the Flash Platform and powered by LiveCycle Data Services.

[Via Duane Nickull]

In case you did not get to watch the MAX 2009 keynotes, or if you want to review them again, visit the MAX 2009 online site. Adobe Evangelist Ryan Stewart is your host, and you can watch both keynotes and select sessions.

Gartner's analyst Mark Driver (who joined us at MAX this week) has posted some thoughts on ColdFusion and is very impressed by what he saw this week.

The Adobe MythHackers video from this morning's MAX keynote, featuring Kevin Lynch and Johnny L, has been posted to YouTube!

I know I must be one of the last to blog this, but I've been buried with MAX keynotes and unable to get online until now. But ... yes, it's true, ColdFusion 9 is now shipping. And ColdFusion Builder Beta 2 is now on labs.

This blog has been quieter than usual the past few weeks, as has my Twitter feed, and more. The cause? MAX, which seems to take up more and more of my life each year. This is our 11th year (if you go back to DevCon days), and I've been fortunate enough to be involved in every event to date (although I somehow end up with more responsibilities each year - this year I am part of both keynote sessions). MAX is the highlight of our professional year, and MAX 2009 is just about here. I'm heading to Los Angeles today, and I hope to see you all there!

MAX 2009 is just days away, and I hope to see you all in Los Angeles. But, if you can't join in person, you can still take part via MAX Online.

On October 5 and 6, MAX Online will feature MAX keynotes, streamed live, highlighting the newest and most exciting developments in the world of technology. Join us 10 minutes early and participate in the backstage behind the scenes action. And then check back each day by 8 P.M. PST, from October 5 to 7, to see the top session of the day from each track: Design, Develop, and Envision. You'll be able to view these sessions on demand on MAX Online and join the buzz by participating in the extended Twitter conversation.

Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, will be helping co-host the MAX Awards at MAX this year. This one is going to be fun!

I've no idea how this reporter got the scoop on this one, but apparently he is claiming that an unnamed source has confirmed that we'll be showing a 3D version of select clips of James Cameron's Avatar at MAX, two months ahead of its official release in theaters. So, if you did not have a reason to attend MAX before, you do now!

Last year, for MAX 2008 we created four cool figurines, two were given out at MAX U.S. in San Francisco, and two at MAX Europe in Milan. There was Photoshop Cave-Painter, MAX the Explorer, Flash Builder-Chimp, and Flex Air-Bot. These are collectors items, and we'll not be giving them out at MAX this year (and likely never again).

But, one of my colleagues just told me that she found a whole case of these goodies, all in mint condition, and all in their Adobe MAX branded boxes. So, I'm going to give them away! Interested? Read on ...

Use the MAX Widget to record a MAX testimonial video. Tell the world why you attend MAX (or why you want to), and when your video is published we'll send you the complete set of 4 MAX figurines.

But, supplies are limited, and when they run out ...

Steve Drucker is presenting a MAX 2009 pre-conference BYOL session on building AIR applications using HTML/CSS/JavaScript. Steve has just announced that he'll be presenting a dry-run of the content on September 15th in D.C.

We've never had special MAX 2009 pricing for students before, but the venue this year is so freaking huge, and there are so many students in the Greater Los Angeles area, that ...

Students can attend MAX 2009 for the discounted price of $199 for a full conference pass and $99 for a day pass! That's 80% off the full registration price.

To register, go to the MAX registration page, and use discount code STU691. And you will be required to provide valid student identification.

This is an incredible opportunity, so spread the word. Let's see hundreds, or thousands, of students at MAX this year!

Oh, and teachers are invited too, and should use discount code EDU966 to get the full conference pass for $995.

Every year MAX hosts a party, and we usually keep the details secret until the day of the event. But not this year. Read on!

[What follows is a copy and paste, not my words]

Imagine having the hottest, newest entertainment complex in LA as your exclusive playground. This year's MAX Bash will be taking place at L.A. LIVE--the ultimate entertainment campus located in the center of the entertainment capital of the world. It is the premiere destination for dining, music, sports, and events offering an experience like no other. True entertainment is all about being center stage and this year's event will start at the center of it all--Nokia Plaza. Serving as the hub for the evening, the plaza will offer entertainment throughout the night under the stars and gigantic LED screen displays. From Nokia Plaza, you will be able to explore four unique venues offering something for everyone.

The GRAMMY Museum pays tribute to music's rich cultural history by exploring and celebrating the enduring legacies of all forms of music--the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music. You won't want to miss Michael Jackson's outfits on display , or experience first-hand the challenge and satisfaction of making great music in touch-screen, interactive studios that take you inside a real recording process. This one-of-a-kind experience is engaging, educational, celebratory and inspirational.

Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge blends bowling with a sleek atmosphere featuring music, lights and electronic art shows. There are 18 state-of-the-art lanes, a modern bar and lounge and pool tables to boot. Socks and shoes included!

Dubbed "The House of Blues for Latin music", the Conga Room is the quintessential club experience. Designed by the award-winning Belzberg Architects, The Conga room is a contemporary space that reflects the vibrant energies of Barcelona and Mexico City. It is designed to pay homage to Latino culture with a digital mural and a sculpture created by artist and Film Director, Sergio Arau. Take your turn at learning a few dances-- from salsa and tango to regional steps from around the world--or relax in the various lounges and enjoy the music and incredible surroundings.

Looking for the ultimate sports viewing environment or wanting to test your skills in interactive games and attractions? Then ESPN Zone is the place for you! Over 100 TV screens, arcade sports simulators and video games await you. Unlimited play cards will be distributed to all guests. Cards valid for Tuesday night only.

MAX 2009 is just a few weeks away, and we're now accepting Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) submissions. This year we're holding the BOFs at lunch time on all 3 days, so if you have an idea for a BOF, let us know.

I think it may be a bit of both! Check out Beavis and Butthead go to MAX video.

Check out this MAX widget, created with Flex Builder and powered by ColdFusion on the backend. And then, get others to embed it, and if you are the top referer you'll get a free pass to MAX, and free software!

Have you found any of the hidden goodies on the MAX 2009 homepage? Try clicking between areas, above and below parts of the screen. I am aware of 3 Flash based interactions that you might not have seen initially. And there may be more, too!

With ColdFusion 9 in public beta, we're dedicating quite a few MAX 2009 sessions to the subject this year. Here are some CF9 sessions that you should be aware of:

• ColdFusion Product Manager Adam Lehman is presenting a high-level What's New In ColdFusion 9 session.
• ColdFusion Engineering Manager Hemant Khandelwal presents a detailed look at ColdFusion 9's internals (and focuses on lots of lesser known goodies) in An Insider's Guide to ColdFusion 9. Hemant presented a version of this one at CFUnited recently, and it was one of the most popular and best attended sessions there.
• Adobe Platform Evangelist Terry Ryan is presenting a session on using ColdFusion with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and Exchange.
• ColdFusion Jedi Master Ray Camden is presenting an Introduction to ColdFusion ORM, and ColdFusion engineering team member Rupesh Kumar is presenting a follow-on session on Advanced ColdFusion ORM. Adam Lehman is also teaching a hands-on lab on the subject entitled Hands-On ORM with ColdFusion 9. Yep, three sessions on this one, it's that important.
• ColdFusion engineering team member Rakshith Naresh covers ColdFusion 9's new AIR integration (including the online/offline support) in Building Offline Applications with ColdFusion 9 and Adobe AIR. Simon Slooten also covers this important topic in his hands-on lab Taking ColdFusion Apps Offline with Adobe AIR.
• Rob Brooks-Bilson explains the new ColdFusion 9 caching options in Advanced ColdFusion Caching Strategies.
• Terry Ryan explains ColdFusion's new exposed services layer in Leveraging Exposed Services in ColdFusion 9.
• Pete Freitag will discuss the new portal integration options in his session Building JEE Portlets with ColdFusion.
• ColdFusion engineering team member Praveen Gupta will cover upgrading to ColdFusion 9, as well as the new ColdFusion 9 server management features in Managing, Monitoring, and Upgrading Your ColdFusion Servers.

And there are lots of other ColdFusion related sessions, too!

Oh, and by the way, MAX 2009 discounted early bird pricing closes in 11 days! (And if you need one of those discount codes I mentioned previously, I snagged a few more and have a handful left).

As in previous years, I have managed to obtain MAX discount codes. But, unlike in previous years, this year they are not open ended (they expire August 31st) and I have fewer of them. So, if you want to go to MAX 2009 in Los Angeles, and need a little help with the registration fee, read on:

• My discount code is for $400 off the full MAX price of $1495 (and $200 less than the early bird discount).
• The discount codes can't be used with any other discount, and they cannot be used if you have already registered for MAX (no canceling and registering again, some tried that last year apparently, only to find out that the codes were not going to be honored).
• I don't have many of these, so only ask for one if you'll use it.
• The discount codes expire August 31st, 2009, so only ask for one if you can use it by then.

If you are interested, send me an e-mail (don't just leave a comment here).

The MAX 2009 team has created an augmented reality promotional piece featuring Dr. Brown and me. Shooting this one was fun! :-)