Home » Archives for March 2007
Announcements of new CSS specifications
- Julian Graham is developing SCSS and libRUIN. SCSS is a Scheme module for parsing, querying, and emitting style information. libRUIN is a C library that uses SCSS (through GNU Guile) for rendering documents on text terminals (Scheme & C, Open Source)
- c THE dot . design (Christof Hoeke) offers a CSS parser & library in Python called cssutils, currently version 0.9.1 beta. (Open Source)
- Until Dec 2007, W3C celebrates the tenth anniversary of CSS level 1. See the press release and the CSS10 site.
XML Editor version 8 is released. It provides CSS editing and validation, XML Schemas, XSLT, XQuery, SVN and Webdav clients and more (Java, free trial)- HTML.net published translations of its CSS tutorial in Russian ( Учебник CSS) and French (Tutoriel CSS).
- Microsoft released the Internet Explorer version 7 Web browser, with support for CSS 2, transparent PNG, and more. (Windows, free)
- CSS3.info is a site by Joost de Valk and Peter Gasston about the new features under development for CSS level 3.
- Macrabbit released version 2 of CSSEdit, a CSS editor with preview (even for dynamic pages), checkpoints/rollback, validation, structure analyzer, etc. (Mac, free trial)
- Stu Nicholls offers CSSplay, a site with CSS examples, including many uses of ':hover'.
- Richard Ishida (W3C) has written a tutorial that explains the concepts in the draft CSS3 Text Effects module and the upcoming CSS3 Text Layout module.
- Westciv released Style Master 4.5, a CSS editor with preview, info about browser compatibility, a CSS reference, “X-ray” (CSS inspector), wizards, etc. (Mac and Windows, free trial)
- Belus Technology released version 1.7.1 of XStandard, a WYSIWYG XHTML/CSS editor, supports CSS 2.1, accessibility features (Windows, free “Lite” version, free trial of “Pro” version)
43% of employees access Web 2.0 at Work
There's a common myth that the entire Web 2.0 movement doesn't have a big impact on B2B and their enterprise purchasing decisions. Nonsense. Workers are knee deep in these sites. According to a new survey by Clearswift, some 43% of employees access Web 2.0 sites multiple times during the work day. Think they're publishing too? Nod. Studies have shown that most blogging takes place during the day.
More stats from the survey....
* 51% spend an hour or more a week on Web 2.0 sites; 13% spend five hours or more
* 46% have discussed work-related issues
* 46% regularly access Wikipedia during work hours
* 50% believe they have a right to use work computers for personal internet access
This survey puts numbers on what you probably already know: though we think of the web as a massive productivity enhancer, for some people it’s also a great time sink. This can leave some web workers caught in a contradiction: if you invest effort in the perfect system for getting things done and saving time, only to use up that time again in endless tours of blogs and chats and social sites, have you really gained anything?
Clearswift, of course, would like you to consider their range of policy-based filtering solutions to tackle this problem, and they’re a reasonable alternative for large corporations. But independents and those in small companies might want to think about setting their own personal acceptable use policy for the web. If you feel like your own life is turning into nothing more than an endless treadmill of chasing the latest online trends, consider these tactics:
Set aside particular blocks of time for the more distracting activities in your day, instead of letting them intrude constantly. Do you really need to be in constant touch with your e-mail, RSS feeds, photostreams, and Twitter messages?
If your day is broken up into major tasks, reward yourself for a task well-done with a session of goofing off. But no cheating: finish the task first!
Remember that it’s OK to say no. You don’t have to sign up with the latest cool site just because all the cool kids are doing it.
Take some time to evaluate the things you’re doing online “for fun,” and stop doing the ones that aren’t fun any more.
More stats from the survey....
* 51% spend an hour or more a week on Web 2.0 sites; 13% spend five hours or more
* 46% have discussed work-related issues
* 46% regularly access Wikipedia during work hours
* 50% believe they have a right to use work computers for personal internet access
This survey puts numbers on what you probably already know: though we think of the web as a massive productivity enhancer, for some people it’s also a great time sink. This can leave some web workers caught in a contradiction: if you invest effort in the perfect system for getting things done and saving time, only to use up that time again in endless tours of blogs and chats and social sites, have you really gained anything?
Clearswift, of course, would like you to consider their range of policy-based filtering solutions to tackle this problem, and they’re a reasonable alternative for large corporations. But independents and those in small companies might want to think about setting their own personal acceptable use policy for the web. If you feel like your own life is turning into nothing more than an endless treadmill of chasing the latest online trends, consider these tactics:
Set aside particular blocks of time for the more distracting activities in your day, instead of letting them intrude constantly. Do you really need to be in constant touch with your e-mail, RSS feeds, photostreams, and Twitter messages?
If your day is broken up into major tasks, reward yourself for a task well-done with a session of goofing off. But no cheating: finish the task first!
Remember that it’s OK to say no. You don’t have to sign up with the latest cool site just because all the cool kids are doing it.
Take some time to evaluate the things you’re doing online “for fun,” and stop doing the ones that aren’t fun any more.
How to Avoid Computer Vision Syndrome
Nearly 88 percent of all computer users will develop computer vision syndrome, according to a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.You stare at the computer all day and after a while your eyes feel tired and dry. Your vision gets blurry and sometimes you get a headache.
If these symptoms sound familiar, you may have computer vision syndrome.
Our eyes are not made to look at a screen, 20-24 inches away from us, eight hours a day. It brings out the worst in your eyes.
First thing is to make sure you have the right prescription and lens designed for computer use.
Some companies have now with progressive lenses where the top is set for that computer, and the bottom for reading, these are called office glasses.
Contact wearers can switch to new generation silicone hydrogel lenses that do not compete with the eye for tears.
And sometimes, changing the cleaning solution for your contacts can be the answer.
Other things you can do is take vision breaks, make sure your drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated, and there are a whole host of eyedrops that help your body make more tears so your eyes don't dry out. there are also tiny plugs that you put in the bottom of your eye which will save your tears and prevent them from flowing out so that your eye stays moisturized.
Make sure your computer is at the right level. The top of the screen should be at eye level. Turn the screen off and check to make sure there is no glare bouncing off from another light source – adjust the screen accordingly.
And sometimes, changing the cleaning solution for your contacts can be the answer.
Other things you can do is take vision breaks, make sure your drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated, and there are a whole host of eyedrops that help your body make more tears so your eyes don't dry out. there are also tiny plugs that you put in the bottom of your eye which will save your tears and prevent them from flowing out so that your eye stays moisturized.
Make sure your computer is at the right level. The top of the screen should be at eye level. Turn the screen off and check to make sure there is no glare bouncing off from another light source – adjust the screen accordingly.
Google and Microsoft enjoy most UK internet visitors
Google and Microsoft were the comprehensive winners in terms of internet visits during February, according to a new survey by comScore.The market analyst reported that Google sites received 26,441 unique visitors in the UK aged 15 or above, followed by Microsoft sites with 25,999. Next was eBay with 21,667, Yahoo sites with 20,396, BBC sites with 17,910 and Time Warner with 13,924.
Other popular sites in terms of unique users included Amazon and Wikipedia.
comScore also introduced a new suite of metrics based on site "visits". If a user does not interact with a site for at least 30 minutes, that visit is defined as having been concluded and a new visit is counted when the individual next accesses the site.
"In an attempt to keep pace with technology and provide our clients with the most relevant web usage statistics, we are introducing a suite of metrics based on visits," the company's Bob Ivins said.
The figures showed that the average UK user visited Google sites 33.2 times during February, followed by Microsoft (31.9 times), BEBO (17.0 times), Yahoo (16.4 times) and Time Warner (12.9 times).
Retailers that enjoyed sharp increases in internet traffic in February included Next Group - up by 26 per cent to 4.2 million visitors.
"In an attempt to keep pace with technology and provide our clients with the most relevant web usage statistics, we are introducing a suite of metrics based on visits," the company's Bob Ivins said.
The figures showed that the average UK user visited Google sites 33.2 times during February, followed by Microsoft (31.9 times), BEBO (17.0 times), Yahoo (16.4 times) and Time Warner (12.9 times).
Retailers that enjoyed sharp increases in internet traffic in February included Next Group - up by 26 per cent to 4.2 million visitors.
9 Places to Use APIs Without Coding
Here’s a trend we’re seeing more of these days: vendor provided interactive API tools. These useful web-based applications let you test drive the methods of a given web API without having to write code. AJAX-style web forms let you choose methods and parameters, press go, and have data immediately returned in another part of the page.
This can be a great way for API providers to let developers kick the tires on their APIs and quickly get up to speed. From Facebook to Google to CNET, these tools are becoming more common and more sophisticated.
Here’s a rundown of 9 places you can try now:
- Facebook Test Console: If you have a Facebook login you can use the Facebook Test Console. Test over a dozen methods and get responses in XML, JSON, and Facebook PHP Client.
- Interactive Google Base: As they describe “This demo page provides you with a simple mechanism for using the API and learning how it works. Each Google Base data API operation has an equivalent HTTP method, so you can try out the HTTP GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE methods as you invoke the operations below.”
- CNET API Dashboard: As we reported last month CNET’s new shopping API includes this handy tool. Use it to test getting review, shopping and download data.
- Flickr API Explorer: Try-out methods of the popular Flickr API with this tool. And since you may find yourself looking at an interactive API tool but not have any meaningful data to feed into it - like when it asks you for a “photo_id” - Flickr goes one step farther by offering a list of “Useful Values” on the side of the page including photo IDs and Group IDs. Very helpful feature.
- Virtual Earth Interactive SDK: Choose from dozens of “I Want To” actions like “Show map” or “Get a route and directions”, see the adjacent map perform that action, then click on the Source Code tab to grab that exact JavaScript, or the Reference tab to get the manual page for the relevant method.
- FollowTheMoney.org: There are a lot of good implementation details in the API for this non-profit, one of which is this AJAX example with download-able source code. For more on FollowTheMoney, see our earlier coverage here.
- Amazon AWS Zone: Test drive eight different Amazon APIs. As they say “Amazon Web Services made simple.” Includes code samples, a code generator, REST and SOAP scratch pads.
- Interfax Fax Web Service Demo: Doesn’t allow you to try the whole API but gives access to the main SendCharFax method so you can send faxes. ID required.
- MetaCarta JSON API Explorer: Lets you use their mapping data API and get results back in JSON and KML.
If you’re aware of more that are not on this list you can share them in the comments.
Photoshop CS2 update (9.0.1) available
Adobe has released an update for Photoshop CS2 that John Nack humorously equates to "detention in high school"; or rather, "a kind of penalty box that keeps you away from what you really want to be doing".
- After editing an image in Photoshop CS2 via Acrobat Touchup, the image no longer gets re-positioned.
- Photoshop no longer hangs for several seconds when using painting tools with quick strokes.
- A program error that could appear when mousing over high res doc with Brush Tool has been fixed.
- Documents containing a large number of text layers now open more quickly.
An error that could cause a crash on Mac when launching, or when opening or saving a file, has been addressed. - Problems related to palettes on Windows (slow redraw, palettes go white, possible crash) have been addressed.
- TIFF files from certain scanners can now be opened correctly.
- XMP metadata from AI & PDF files is now retained in Photoshop.
- Slow performance when toggling layer visibility has been fixed.
Info palette numbers now display and update when moving a curve point in Curves via the cursor keys. - Problems opening certain TIFF and PSB files greater than 2GB in size have been resolved.
- The Merge to HDR command now functions properly when using high-ASCII characters in user login.
Free stock photography resources
Are you looking for free or almost free stock photography? Your first stop should be Blue Vertigo, a nicely designed site that offers long lists of sites where you can find free or cheap stock photos. But that's not all. Use the horizontal scroll bar to discover resources for lots of other things, from Photoshop Brushes to free fonts to Poser downloads. It's a little bit of heaven.7 Simple Rules of Freelancer Blogging
The 7 Simple Rules of Freelancer Blogging
- Make it clear that the views expressed in the blog are yours alone and do not represent the views of your client.
- Respect the client’s confidentiality and proprietary information.
- Ask your client contact if you have any questions about what is appropriate to include in your blog. Understand when the client asks that topics not be discussed for confidentiality or legal compliance reasons. When in doubt, ASK before posting about anything that could be construed to involve the client.
- Be respectful to the client company, its employees, customers, partners, and even its competitors.
- Ensure that your blogging activity does not interfere with your work commitments to the client.
- When blogging about the client, be respectful and prompt when responding to readers’ comments to that post.
- If responses to the post about the client (via user comments or in the wider blogosphere) may be of concern to the client – particularly negative reactions – it is your responsibility to inform the client immediately and to consult with the client contact prior to responding.
25 Startups to Watch
If you’re wondering what’s next in the world of web 2.0, Business 2.0 magazine has some interesting ideas. Of particular interest, check out their gallery of 25 Startups to Watch. The following is the list (and some of my thoughts on each company):
StumbleUpon: Great feature that allows you to find websites and videos you might like on-line based upon the recommendations of friends. Think of it sort of like Digg but for recommending websites and videos. It enables you to find websites that you'll like based upon your personal networks and the preferences you set of people with similar tastes. It is the perfect accompaniment to Stickis, which allows you to see the comments people in your network have posted on various websites. I'd love to see Stikis and StumbleUpon link-up to offer an integrated service.
Slide: I've not tried Slide yet, but I've been hearing a lot of buzz about it in the geek circles in San Francisco. It lets you create slide shows of your personal photos which can be inserted into a blog, MySpace page, Sent out via RSS, or streamed to your desktop as a screensaver. It is an interesting idea, but I suspect there will be a lot of competition in this space with photo sharing sites like Zooomr and Flickr and companies like SharpCast (computer, mobile and PC sync) and photo everywhere messaging concepts like NowThen.
Bebo: Social network with 30 million users. Bebo is especially big in the UK. Aside from having the conventional greatness of other social networking sites, it takes privacy setting seriously (which I like) and has an on-line whiteboard facility, which is handy for sharing.
Meebo: Let's you manage all of your IM clients from one site. I'll be interested to see how Meebo does against eBuddy, which is a "free web based messenger that enables you to chat with your MSN, Yahoo and AIM buddies" without downloading a separate client. eBuddy also works via mobile.
Wikia: This site was co-founded by Angela Beesley and Jimmy Wales, one of the founders of Wikipedia
StumbleUpon: Great feature that allows you to find websites and videos you might like on-line based upon the recommendations of friends. Think of it sort of like Digg but for recommending websites and videos. It enables you to find websites that you'll like based upon your personal networks and the preferences you set of people with similar tastes. It is the perfect accompaniment to Stickis, which allows you to see the comments people in your network have posted on various websites. I'd love to see Stikis and StumbleUpon link-up to offer an integrated service.
Slide: I've not tried Slide yet, but I've been hearing a lot of buzz about it in the geek circles in San Francisco. It lets you create slide shows of your personal photos which can be inserted into a blog, MySpace page, Sent out via RSS, or streamed to your desktop as a screensaver. It is an interesting idea, but I suspect there will be a lot of competition in this space with photo sharing sites like Zooomr and Flickr and companies like SharpCast (computer, mobile and PC sync) and photo everywhere messaging concepts like NowThen.
Bebo: Social network with 30 million users. Bebo is especially big in the UK. Aside from having the conventional greatness of other social networking sites, it takes privacy setting seriously (which I like) and has an on-line whiteboard facility, which is handy for sharing.
Meebo: Let's you manage all of your IM clients from one site. I'll be interested to see how Meebo does against eBuddy, which is a "free web based messenger that enables you to chat with your MSN, Yahoo and AIM buddies" without downloading a separate client. eBuddy also works via mobile.
Wikia: This site was co-founded by Angela Beesley and Jimmy Wales, one of the founders of Wikipedia
Joost: I'm looking forward to seeing how Joost pans out. It's an on-line video website which focuses on broadcast quality television - like IPTV on demand. They've just signed a deal with Viacom, the output of which will be interesting to watch. The on-line video space is getting crowded between Joost, YouTube, Revver, Grouper, BitTorrent and others.
Dabble: Makes a tool for organizing videos into playlists and favorites. Hmmm... Not sure how I feel about this one. Think I'll stick with video search engines and recommendations I find in blogs until someone convinces me otherwise..
Metacafe: This site is kind of like YouTube, but it pays users for page views. As I mentioned before, the on-line video space is really crowded. With YouTube saying they're going to find ways to pay users for involvement, I'm not sure how I feel about Metacafe's long-term prospects for success. That said, they do claim 17 million monthly visitors, so they're off to a good start.
Revision3: "A production studio for geek-oriented online shows."... Certainly a growing market full of opportunity!
blip.tv: Platform for syndicating on-line shows... Looks like a hot market.
fon.com: Now this looks interesting! Fon.com is based in Spain and is attempting to build the world's first worldwide wi-fi network. They're selling wireless routers for $30. According to the description on Business 2.0, consumers "hook it up, register their node, and agree to share their broadband with other "Foneros" for free. Those who want to charge outsiders for access can do so, and Fon gets a cut. Likewise, if someone wants to pay $2 or $3 to use the Fon network for a day, Fon takes a share of that revenue. Just over a year old, Fon's network boasts more than 70,000 hotspots." This could be huge, especially given that wi-fi on mobile phones is a growing feature.
Loopt: Loopt lets you see where your friends are anytime, using your GPS enabled mobile phone. Boost Mobile has integrated Loopt into it's service offerings. There are many interesting applications to social networking... Check out my previous posts on GPS to see what I mean.
Mobio: Mobio makes mobile applications and wigets. They do quite a bit in the mobile location based service space. Mobio just launched at DEMO in January. I've not played with their app, but their demo looks an aweful lot like Microsoft Life's mobile beta.
Tiny: Tiny's Radar service is like Flickr but for mobile phones. It lets users send photos from their mobile phones and have their friends comment on them. This sounds very similar to NowThen, only it's restricted to mobile phones.
SoonR: This company lets you access information on your PC from your mobile phone. I saw a lot of solutions like this when I was at Palm. I'm not sure why Business 2.0 thinks this is such a big deal. Win-Hand Anywhere, a strong competitor, has been around for years. I'm not convinced that that remote PC access is the way forward. The problem with software like SoonR and Win-Hand Anywhere is that if your computer is off, you can't access your data. I prefer "server in the sky" applications like Avvenu, Orb, and GotoMyPC which allow you to access your information from anywhere (including your mobile phone).
Turn: I don't know much about this but it looks very cool... According to the site: "Avertisers first enter the prices they're willing to pay for various results - $5 for a sales lead, say, or $50 to $60 for a completed transaction. Next, they upload their text-or graphics-based display ads. Turn's software then analyzes the ads using more than 60 variables - including content, brand strength, and keywords - and determines the right publishers to serve up the ads."
admob: Like Turn - Could be very useful to advertisers: "AdMob offers a place to buy ads for delivery to cell phones." It seems to me that Millennial Advertising, which I talked about in my January 26th blog should also be on this list.
Spot Runner: This looks like a great resource for small businesses. It's a "one-stop online shop for low-cost 30-second TV ads. Local businesses can browse a library of premade spots and personalize them for airing in their local markets."
ViTrue: This is a great idea. Though, I think they need to improve the way they explain their service on their website. It looks a bit like parts of what I proposed as a potential monetization strategy for YouTube.
SuccessFactors: I met with these guys when I was working in London as a Management Consultant a few years ago. I evaluated their software and other eHR and performance management systems and found theirs to be the most intelligent and well designed. Definitely a company to watch if you're into enterprise systems.
Janrain: Single sign which allows users to juggle multiple passwords for multiple website. This is the alternative to open ID.
Logoworks: I've not used this site, which offers the ability to publish business cards, stationary, etc. for less than conventional on-line publishers, but I'm always interested in deals!
Rearden Commerce: I've been hearing a lot about Rearden recently. They offer a "web-based "virtual personal assistant" application that smoothly integrates hotel and flight reservations, meetings, and other events into your daily agenda." They've got a strong user base with 150 companies and their 500,000 or so employees using the software.
SimulScribe: This company has voice recognition software that converts voicemails to text. Voice transcription software is a growing and hot marketplace. I know of at least one (stealth-mode) start-up working on the next generation of this type of software, which will can be leveraged for all sorts of things you haven't thought of.Some other companies that weren't on the list, but I think are worth watching are: Shozu (mobile 2.0), IMT Labs (the company behind Spleak, the chatbot), and Kiptronic (advertising platform for podcasters).
On a different note - If you're interested in technology (especially mobile), you might be interested in this, the new blog from my friend, Derek Snyder, from Microsoft’s Mobile and Embedded team. So far, he's talked about Windows Mobile 6, how to cancel your Verizon contract in less than 30 minutes with no penalty, how to get a free extra battery for your Blackjack, and more.
Dabble: Makes a tool for organizing videos into playlists and favorites. Hmmm... Not sure how I feel about this one. Think I'll stick with video search engines and recommendations I find in blogs until someone convinces me otherwise..
Metacafe: This site is kind of like YouTube, but it pays users for page views. As I mentioned before, the on-line video space is really crowded. With YouTube saying they're going to find ways to pay users for involvement, I'm not sure how I feel about Metacafe's long-term prospects for success. That said, they do claim 17 million monthly visitors, so they're off to a good start.
Revision3: "A production studio for geek-oriented online shows."... Certainly a growing market full of opportunity!
blip.tv: Platform for syndicating on-line shows... Looks like a hot market.
fon.com: Now this looks interesting! Fon.com is based in Spain and is attempting to build the world's first worldwide wi-fi network. They're selling wireless routers for $30. According to the description on Business 2.0, consumers "hook it up, register their node, and agree to share their broadband with other "Foneros" for free. Those who want to charge outsiders for access can do so, and Fon gets a cut. Likewise, if someone wants to pay $2 or $3 to use the Fon network for a day, Fon takes a share of that revenue. Just over a year old, Fon's network boasts more than 70,000 hotspots." This could be huge, especially given that wi-fi on mobile phones is a growing feature.
Loopt: Loopt lets you see where your friends are anytime, using your GPS enabled mobile phone. Boost Mobile has integrated Loopt into it's service offerings. There are many interesting applications to social networking... Check out my previous posts on GPS to see what I mean.
Mobio: Mobio makes mobile applications and wigets. They do quite a bit in the mobile location based service space. Mobio just launched at DEMO in January. I've not played with their app, but their demo looks an aweful lot like Microsoft Life's mobile beta.
Tiny: Tiny's Radar service is like Flickr but for mobile phones. It lets users send photos from their mobile phones and have their friends comment on them. This sounds very similar to NowThen, only it's restricted to mobile phones.
SoonR: This company lets you access information on your PC from your mobile phone. I saw a lot of solutions like this when I was at Palm. I'm not sure why Business 2.0 thinks this is such a big deal. Win-Hand Anywhere, a strong competitor, has been around for years. I'm not convinced that that remote PC access is the way forward. The problem with software like SoonR and Win-Hand Anywhere is that if your computer is off, you can't access your data. I prefer "server in the sky" applications like Avvenu, Orb, and GotoMyPC which allow you to access your information from anywhere (including your mobile phone).
Turn: I don't know much about this but it looks very cool... According to the site: "Avertisers first enter the prices they're willing to pay for various results - $5 for a sales lead, say, or $50 to $60 for a completed transaction. Next, they upload their text-or graphics-based display ads. Turn's software then analyzes the ads using more than 60 variables - including content, brand strength, and keywords - and determines the right publishers to serve up the ads."
admob: Like Turn - Could be very useful to advertisers: "AdMob offers a place to buy ads for delivery to cell phones." It seems to me that Millennial Advertising, which I talked about in my January 26th blog should also be on this list.
Spot Runner: This looks like a great resource for small businesses. It's a "one-stop online shop for low-cost 30-second TV ads. Local businesses can browse a library of premade spots and personalize them for airing in their local markets."
ViTrue: This is a great idea. Though, I think they need to improve the way they explain their service on their website. It looks a bit like parts of what I proposed as a potential monetization strategy for YouTube.
SuccessFactors: I met with these guys when I was working in London as a Management Consultant a few years ago. I evaluated their software and other eHR and performance management systems and found theirs to be the most intelligent and well designed. Definitely a company to watch if you're into enterprise systems.
Janrain: Single sign which allows users to juggle multiple passwords for multiple website. This is the alternative to open ID.
Logoworks: I've not used this site, which offers the ability to publish business cards, stationary, etc. for less than conventional on-line publishers, but I'm always interested in deals!
Rearden Commerce: I've been hearing a lot about Rearden recently. They offer a "web-based "virtual personal assistant" application that smoothly integrates hotel and flight reservations, meetings, and other events into your daily agenda." They've got a strong user base with 150 companies and their 500,000 or so employees using the software.
SimulScribe: This company has voice recognition software that converts voicemails to text. Voice transcription software is a growing and hot marketplace. I know of at least one (stealth-mode) start-up working on the next generation of this type of software, which will can be leveraged for all sorts of things you haven't thought of.Some other companies that weren't on the list, but I think are worth watching are: Shozu (mobile 2.0), IMT Labs (the company behind Spleak, the chatbot), and Kiptronic (advertising platform for podcasters).
On a different note - If you're interested in technology (especially mobile), you might be interested in this, the new blog from my friend, Derek Snyder, from Microsoft’s Mobile and Embedded team. So far, he's talked about Windows Mobile 6, how to cancel your Verizon contract in less than 30 minutes with no penalty, how to get a free extra battery for your Blackjack, and more.
Five Principles to Website Design
Technology Serves Humans.
Too often people blame themselves for the shortcomings of technology. When their computer crashes, they say “I must have done something dumb”. If a web site is poorly designed, they say “I must be stupid. I can’t find it”. They might even turn to a book for Dummies to get it right.
This is horrible! People should never feel like a failure when using technology. Like the customer, the user is always right. If software crashes, it is the software designer’s fault. If someone can’t find something on a web site, it is the web designer’s fault. This doesn’t mean that the designer has to hang their head in shame…they should see this as a learning opportunity! The big difference between good and bad designers is how they handle people struggling with their design.
Technology serves humans. Humans do not serve technology.
Design is not Art.
Art is about personal expression. It is about the life, the emotions, the thoughts and ideas of the artist. It matters very little what observers do, their activity is not required, only their appreciation. The practice of Art doesn’t require them. It is a necessary activity for the artist, and the artist alone.
Design, on the other hand, is about use. The designer needs someone to use (not only appreciate) what they create. Design doesn’t serve its purpose without people to use it. Design helps solve human problems. The highest accolade we can bestow on a design is not that it is beautiful, as we do in Art, but that it is well-used.
Unlike Art, Design is always contextual. It matters when a design was created because of the context of its use: what problem is it supposed to solve? And for whom? At what point in time? This is why design is so related to technology, because technology changes so quickly, so must our designs. A design that worked ten years ago might not even be worth considering today. History is littered with wonderful designs that are no longer necessary.
Great Art, on the other hand, is always in style. We appreciate Michelangelo’s David even though we could recreate a million of them because it was the toil and expression of a single man. That will never fade. Great Design is dependent upon the age in which it is made and the problem which it is meant to solve. But not Art. Art is timeless.
The litmus test. When people enjoy Art, they say “I like that”. When people enjoy Design, they say “That works well”. This is not by accident. Good Design is something that works well.
The Experience Belongs to the User.
Designers do not create experiences, they create artifacts to experience. This subtle distinction makes all the difference, as it places the designer at the service of the user, and not the other way around. This doesn’t rule out innovation, it doesn’t prevent a designer to leap beyond what is accepted as state-of-the-art. It just means that the experience of a design doesn’t happen simply because the designer says it does, it happens when a user actually reports it.
The ultimate experience is something that happens in the user, and it is theirs. They own it.
Great Design is Invisible.
An interesting property of great design is that it is taken for granted. It works so well that we forget that creative effort was involved to bring it about. Sometimes, like with the lowly spoon, the object is so simplistic that it seems obvious, and we disregard that at one point in history it wasn’t. Other times, like with the automobile, the object is so sophisticated yet easy-to-use that we’re blinded to the fact that millions and millions of human-hours went into getting it to this point. That’s a shame…every great design has a rich history. And every design has behind it a designer or designers who tried to make the world a better place by solving some problem or another.
Bad design is obvious because it hurts to use. It is awkward, difficult, and complex. In a great irony of the world, bad design is much easier to see than good design. It raps us on the head like a bully. Because of its success, great design is often invisible.
Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication.
As Saint Exupery said, “In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not whenthere is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.” Simplicity is treading a line: knowing what to keep and what to throw away…it comes across as magic when it works, because none of the complexity is transferred to users…only simplicity. That is the highest achievement for a designer.
Too often people blame themselves for the shortcomings of technology. When their computer crashes, they say “I must have done something dumb”. If a web site is poorly designed, they say “I must be stupid. I can’t find it”. They might even turn to a book for Dummies to get it right.
This is horrible! People should never feel like a failure when using technology. Like the customer, the user is always right. If software crashes, it is the software designer’s fault. If someone can’t find something on a web site, it is the web designer’s fault. This doesn’t mean that the designer has to hang their head in shame…they should see this as a learning opportunity! The big difference between good and bad designers is how they handle people struggling with their design.
Technology serves humans. Humans do not serve technology.
Design is not Art.
Art is about personal expression. It is about the life, the emotions, the thoughts and ideas of the artist. It matters very little what observers do, their activity is not required, only their appreciation. The practice of Art doesn’t require them. It is a necessary activity for the artist, and the artist alone.
Design, on the other hand, is about use. The designer needs someone to use (not only appreciate) what they create. Design doesn’t serve its purpose without people to use it. Design helps solve human problems. The highest accolade we can bestow on a design is not that it is beautiful, as we do in Art, but that it is well-used.
Unlike Art, Design is always contextual. It matters when a design was created because of the context of its use: what problem is it supposed to solve? And for whom? At what point in time? This is why design is so related to technology, because technology changes so quickly, so must our designs. A design that worked ten years ago might not even be worth considering today. History is littered with wonderful designs that are no longer necessary.
Great Art, on the other hand, is always in style. We appreciate Michelangelo’s David even though we could recreate a million of them because it was the toil and expression of a single man. That will never fade. Great Design is dependent upon the age in which it is made and the problem which it is meant to solve. But not Art. Art is timeless.
The litmus test. When people enjoy Art, they say “I like that”. When people enjoy Design, they say “That works well”. This is not by accident. Good Design is something that works well.
The Experience Belongs to the User.
Designers do not create experiences, they create artifacts to experience. This subtle distinction makes all the difference, as it places the designer at the service of the user, and not the other way around. This doesn’t rule out innovation, it doesn’t prevent a designer to leap beyond what is accepted as state-of-the-art. It just means that the experience of a design doesn’t happen simply because the designer says it does, it happens when a user actually reports it.
The ultimate experience is something that happens in the user, and it is theirs. They own it.
Great Design is Invisible.
An interesting property of great design is that it is taken for granted. It works so well that we forget that creative effort was involved to bring it about. Sometimes, like with the lowly spoon, the object is so simplistic that it seems obvious, and we disregard that at one point in history it wasn’t. Other times, like with the automobile, the object is so sophisticated yet easy-to-use that we’re blinded to the fact that millions and millions of human-hours went into getting it to this point. That’s a shame…every great design has a rich history. And every design has behind it a designer or designers who tried to make the world a better place by solving some problem or another.
Bad design is obvious because it hurts to use. It is awkward, difficult, and complex. In a great irony of the world, bad design is much easier to see than good design. It raps us on the head like a bully. Because of its success, great design is often invisible.
Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication.
As Saint Exupery said, “In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not whenthere is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.” Simplicity is treading a line: knowing what to keep and what to throw away…it comes across as magic when it works, because none of the complexity is transferred to users…only simplicity. That is the highest achievement for a designer.
Google Now Reporting Anchor Text Phrases
Google Now Reporting Anchor Text Phrases Hurray! Finally, you can get a report from Google of the top anchor text phrases used when people link to your site. Google Webmaster Central has just announced the new feature. But didn't Google already report anchor text data? Yes, but only keywords, not phrases. Keywords are mostly useless junk food data. Phrases are datalicious, tasty and helpful. Below, a detailed and illustrated look at what a difference a phrase makes and how to claim your own.Getting The Anchor Text Data
To access the data, you have to be verified Google Webmaster Central user. That's explained more here, and it's easy to do. Note that if you're verifying for the first time, it may take up to a day for the anchor text and other data to start showing up for you.
Once logged in, select the site you want to view from the "My Sites" screen. When that site loads, choose the "Statistics" tab, then select the "Page analysis" link you'll see in the left-hand navigation, like this:
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Usability Tips for Ecommerce Web Design
A Definition of Usability in Ecommerce Web Design
Usability is a subjective rating of how easy a web site is to use, and in the case of ecommerce, how likely it is that a potential customer will be converted to a real one. A measurement of usability consists of several different factors, but boils down to how well a web site gives its visitors what they a really looking for.
:: Avoid a Cluttered Layout
Web surfers won't take enough time to get used a web site unless they've decided that a web site is really where they want to be. So, your web design should make it clear to visitors what it is that they will find on your ecommerce web site. A design layout, cluttered with too many options, won't give the visitor a clear idea of what they can or should do on your site.
It could be that you have exactly what they are looking for on your web site, but if your layout design looks like a pizza with "the works", potential customers might get stuck in the cheese and never find their way to the product they want.
:: Make it Easy For Customers to Find Products Different Ways
: Add navigation to ecommerce category listings
This is especially true if you have a large number of products in your ecommerce site. Make make room in your web design layout for navigation in product categories that will allow a potential customer to browse products by price, by name and by the date added. Some customers will be looking for something inexpensive while others will want to browse your newest products. You want to give customers the shortest route from their entry point to what they're looking for, and this will help narrow down that distance.
: Add search capability
If customers have something specific in mind, nothing beats being able to search for a product name or description. Keep the search simple and straightforward, so that customers don't inadvertently get lost in overly-helpful web design.
:: Make the Checkout Process Very Simple
The one place you will lose ecommerce customers with bad web design is in the checkout process. Anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of customers abandon their shopping carts at the last moment due to usability problems. You can avoid this by keeping the checkout process simple, using only one or two pages and requesting the necessary information. Make sure to use clean web design layouts for the forms and the confirmation pages.
Conclusion
These are just a few things you can do with your web design to increase the usability of your ecommerce site. Keeping things as simple and as clear as possible is a good rule of thumb.
Read more…
Usability is a subjective rating of how easy a web site is to use, and in the case of ecommerce, how likely it is that a potential customer will be converted to a real one. A measurement of usability consists of several different factors, but boils down to how well a web site gives its visitors what they a really looking for.
:: Avoid a Cluttered Layout
Web surfers won't take enough time to get used a web site unless they've decided that a web site is really where they want to be. So, your web design should make it clear to visitors what it is that they will find on your ecommerce web site. A design layout, cluttered with too many options, won't give the visitor a clear idea of what they can or should do on your site.
It could be that you have exactly what they are looking for on your web site, but if your layout design looks like a pizza with "the works", potential customers might get stuck in the cheese and never find their way to the product they want.
:: Make it Easy For Customers to Find Products Different Ways
: Add navigation to ecommerce category listings
This is especially true if you have a large number of products in your ecommerce site. Make make room in your web design layout for navigation in product categories that will allow a potential customer to browse products by price, by name and by the date added. Some customers will be looking for something inexpensive while others will want to browse your newest products. You want to give customers the shortest route from their entry point to what they're looking for, and this will help narrow down that distance.
: Add search capability
If customers have something specific in mind, nothing beats being able to search for a product name or description. Keep the search simple and straightforward, so that customers don't inadvertently get lost in overly-helpful web design.
:: Make the Checkout Process Very Simple
The one place you will lose ecommerce customers with bad web design is in the checkout process. Anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of customers abandon their shopping carts at the last moment due to usability problems. You can avoid this by keeping the checkout process simple, using only one or two pages and requesting the necessary information. Make sure to use clean web design layouts for the forms and the confirmation pages.
Conclusion
These are just a few things you can do with your web design to increase the usability of your ecommerce site. Keeping things as simple and as clear as possible is a good rule of thumb.
