Marty Neumeier, author of ZAG and The Brand Gap, will conduct a three-day branding workshop in Philadelphia on September 18-20, 2007. For schedule and registration visit: www.zagweek.com
Category Archives: Events
Something is in the AIR
I recently attended the Adobe AIR Bus Tour in Philadelphia and was quite impressed with the updated version of Apollo, which is now called AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime).
As many technology junkies predicted, line between web and desktop applications are beginning to blur. One of these technologies that bridges the gap between the web and the desktop is AIR. AIR allows you to easily develop and run web applications on the desktop in any platform or operating system as long as you have Flash Player installed. There are many AIR based applications already developed that you can download and install on your computer. For example, the Kuler Desktop, the online application for creating online color themes is pretty cool.
There are number of ways to develop AIR based applications, using Coldfusion, CSS+HTML, Ajax, Javascript and others, just make sure you have Flex Builder or the AIR SDK on your computer to test them out. Also, check out the tutorials if you are new to AIR.
Tufte is tough on Microsoft PowerPoint
(Edward Tufte’s New Book: Beatuful Evidence)
If you don’t know who Edward Tufte is, you should definitely get to know him. Edward Tufte (ET) is one of best experts in the field of data and graphics display. According to Business Week, he is “the Galileo of graphics”.
Listening to ET in his one-day course in New York gave me a clear picture that he has a tough love for Microsoft PowerPoint. He suggests that there are several problems with PowerPoint and its uses to present data and graphics to audiencies in many different settings. ET suggests to use 2 page paper instead of PowerPoint. Yes, 2 page paper to replace all that jazzy flying bullet points and cool transition effects.
According to ET, 2 page paper can display the same amount of information efficiently as 50-200 PowerPoint slides. That was an eye openning discovery, because he actually shows how it can be done through some examples during his lecture. I highly recommend attending Tufte’s lectures, which takes place in different cities throughout the year in the U.S.
Weekly Round-up
Adobe’s New Online Video Editing Tool
Adobe came out with a new variations of Adobe Premiere and Photoshop Elements that let’s Photobucket users edit videos online through these programs. This is Adobe’s new strategy to shift it’s desktop based software to the web and make it available as a web service, just like Microsoft’s Office Live or Google’s “Office.”
Click-shirt
Interactive online t-shirt designs.
Say Hello to Pipes – Yahoo Relaunches Online Aggregator
According to news stories, Pipes was so popular that Yahoo expereienced a melt down when it first launched its aggregator servce.
Make Room, Wikipedia: Internet-based Collaboration Could Change the Way We Do Business
Article from Knowledge@Wharton newsletter.
Web Design Contracts: Why Bother
Digital Web Magazine article that explores different aspects of web design contracts and why you should have one.
WorkHack
Easy to use online task management tool.
Tutorial: CSS Hack to display percentage bar
New Book: Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (3rd Ed.)
Upcoming Event: An Event Apart Boston: March 26-27, 2007
Daylight Savings Time Change
As you might be aware the starting and ending definitions of U.S. Daylight Savings Time (DST) has been changed. According to the new U.S. policy the DST will start from second Sunday of March until first Sunday in November.
For this year, it will start on Sunday, March 11th and end on Sunday, November 4th.
What’s the big deal?
Many of the operating systems and devices that used to adjust to the old method for the DST will experience problems. While a mobile phone and a watch can be set manually, those that adjust time automatically will come across a few hitches. If you are late to your appointment on March 12th, don’t be suprised, because the new DST can throw calendars and schedules off by an hour or so. To that end, you need to update your OS and devices with patches that use the new definition of DST start/end times.
Usual Suspects
Microsoft Outlook
If you use any version of Outlook other than Outlook 2007 you need to update your software. You can download the patch through Microsoft’s web site.
Windows XP, 2000, ME, 98, 95
Yes, you will be affected as well. So, you better get your dose of Windows Update. If you also run Windows servers, you will definitely want to get the patches.
Apple MAC OS
Your Apple will need an update as well. Get full details at Apple.com.
PocketPC, Windows Mobile
Any of the mobile editions of Windows OS and devices will need an update to adjust for the new DST.
Need more information?
Check out http://www.dstcimpact.org/ for more details and information regarding the impact of new DST policy.
Upcoming Web Conferences & Events
Some upcoming conferences and workshops that are worth checking out:
- Web Directions North, February 6th-10th, Vancouver, Canada
- Future of Web Apps, February 20th-21th, London, UK
- Web Design World 2007, March 26th-28th, San Francisco, CA
- An Event Apart Boston, March 26-27, 2007, Boston, MA
- Future of Web Design, April 18th, 2007 London, UK
- @Media 2007, May 24th-25th, San Francisco, CA
Weekly Round-up
New Jobs at Vitamin
UK firms are looking for web designers, developers and programmers.
Google, Yahoo & Microsoft Team up for Sitemaps
Three major search engines agreed to work together on using Sitemap XML protocol for ranking web sites.
Google gives $2M to Stanford Law Internet center
Web Builder 2.0 Conference – Web 2.0 Conference Designed for the Entire Team
December 4-6, 2006 at Caesars Palace Las Vegas
In Web World, Rich Now Envy The Superrich
Interesting NY Times article about web entrepreneurs and their drive to become richer.
Enterprise Information Architecture: A Semantic and Organizational Foundation
New article at Boxes and Arrows.
ClickTale
Record and watch your users and how they interact with your web site.