Yes, Facebook has changed your privacy controls yet again, which now feels like the 10th time this year. The repeated changes Zuckerberg has made to Facebook has subsequently confused and angered users, even prompting a “Quit Facebook Day“. With bad press circulating, Facebook decided to simplify controls making it easier to decide what and most importantly what not you want to share.
Understanding These Controls
The first difference you will see with the privacy settings is not new features, but rather the consolidation of many. Facebook has reduced the number of settings from nearly 50 to less than 15. Now users can change many different settings with a single click, rather than manually selecting (or more likely deselecting) each individually. Facebook has also reduced the number of separate pages in the privacy settings page from 13 to 8.
The picture above illustrates how the controls have been redesigned. Facebook hopes to alleviate your frustration with privacy, so next time you log in make sure to check out the lay out. If you would like to read more about the changes you can read “Controlling How You Share” explanation or the “understanding the changes” blog post.
With Memorial Day weekend upon us, it’s usually safe to say some form of travel or outdoor activity will be in order. And if you are like me you will need some tunes to accompany you. So before you go traveling with friends, visiting family or just relaxing by the pool, check out some of my favorite places for last minute jams.
Yours Truly – Some of my favorite discoveries here lately range from the Golden Ages remix of ‘Swimmer’s Ear’, ‘Grow‘ by Barcelona musicians Delorean, and this awesome live version of ‘Excuses‘ by The Morning Benders (you can dl the mp3 free from the band’s site)
Gorilla vs Bear – Another “indie rock” blog (based in Texas!) where I found Australia’s Tame Impala (opening for MGMT this summer) and their song ‘Solitude is Bliss‘, ‘Chinatown‘ by Wild Nothing (accompanied by video here), ‘The High Road‘ by Broken Bells and ‘Voices‘ by Big K.R.I.T.
NPR’s First Listen (currently featuring Ratatat) brought me what is my favorite album in a while, ‘Brothers‘ by The Black Keys. You can throw this on and not get a bad track from start to finish.
And if you are looking for a some local Houston flavor, my go-to’s are: Dave Wrangler who’s album ‘Under the Influence’ (free dl at his site) will get any pool party going, Runaway Sun (free listen online and link to buy) for the rockers, and ‘Let the Beat Drop‘ from our very own A. Hughes and D. Stagg.
I hope that helps your iPod a little anyways and gets some fresh tunes in for the holiday weekend. What will you be listening to this weekend?
Now that you know about online office software, it’s time to start publishing your work. While in the past this might of been nearly impossible for the average writer, today all you need is a document and an internet connection. Being able to publish has never been easier, as there are several services now available. With the rise these publishing services the question is now, Which one should I use? Below, I will list 3 different services and discuss what makes them different.
Features (Pro Acount): Unlimited Storage, Bulk Uploading, Unlimited Document Uploading, Detailed Statistics, No Ads (A big plus for your work), Privacy Controls
My Take: Their tagline is “Publish by millions” which goes to show they are serious about producing your work. Issuu appears to be the complete package with slick design, well-rounded features, and an easy to upload system. Issuu is a great service if you are serious and plan to be publishing for a long amount of time but if you are just publishing 1 or 2 pieces of work, the $19/mo plan would not be worth it.
Features: No monthly plan, HTML 5 integration, simple layout and uploading, support for many file types.
My Take: Scribd might not be as robust as Issuu, but the HTML5 integration completely changesthe experience of reading documents. Most services make documents a static image, however Sribd formats documents so users can highlight text, and interact with the work. Also, documents load much faster and are able to be read on mobile devices like the iPhone. Scribd is practical for people who publish often but not enough to justify a $19/mo subscription. While there may not be as many features, the experience makes this service a competitor.
Features: Simple interface and uploading. Designed for magazines.
My Take: MagCloud differs from the other services by focusing exclusively on magazines. MagCloud is based off a traditional system, where users upload documents, then receive a proof, and finally publish online. When users buy magazines online, they are shipped a physical copy instead of just a digital one. MagCloud doesn’t offer much flexibility other than what it’s designed to do (i.e. you can only upload PDF’s). I would suggest MagCloud to people who publish a magazine every week or so, and don’t care or need to do much else.
If you’ve ever wondered why all the fonts on the Internet look the same, it’s because there’s a very limited number of them for Web designers to choose from. The issue is this: For a font to work correctly, it has to be installed on your computer. If it’s not there, it doesn’t show up.
Fortunately, every single computer on earth comes with at least one font installed. In fact, there are multiple. And because every computer has this specific set, Web designers are free to use those fonts in their designs because they a) know what it will look like, and b) they know it will work.
Being limited to around five or six fonts (Arial [or Helvetica on a Mac], Verdana, Times New Roman, Georgia, Tahoma, roughly) seriously limits the way your designs will look.
But as the Internet grows up, Google is hoping to utilize some new features to allow for designers to use more fonts in their creations. Enter the Google Font Directory.
The Google Font Directory now easily allows designers to embed fonts into a site itself, rather than require the computer to have them installed. (Visit the Directory itself to see the ever-growing list of new fonts available.)
And the best part? It’s incredibly simple!
All the designer needs to do now is drop this line of code…
…in the header, and now it’s available for use in their style sheet! So if they wanted to make all their paragraphs Yanone Kaffeesatz, they can now do this:
p { font-family: 'Yanone Kaffeesatz', serif; }
Pretty cool, huh??
Google hopes to continue to build the list—and there are still some hiccups—but as Web designers, we’re hoping this is another great step towards a much larger palette for us to work with.
With the rising popularity of smart phones and tablet devices, the business world is undoubtedly moving towards a mobile driven workforce. Since we are now constantly connected to the internet, the idea of “cloud based” computing is becoming more practical. Google capitalized on this by creating Google Docs – a word processor accessed through the internet, rather than the traditional local program found on your computer, like Microsoft Word. Google Docs was the first web based word processor that allowed users to create and edit documents from any computer across any network. Naturally, Microsoft and other companies followed suit in order to keep their software relevant (and affordable) because of the fact, Google Docs is free. This led me to ask, Which one is best?
Google Docs– A free web based processor, presentation, and spreadsheet application. Users can create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users (meaning multiple people can edit a document at the same time). Includes a simple web interface that allows users to either save the file to a local computer, email it, or save it online. A downside is that there are limitations to the size of a file you create.
Open Office– A completely free and open source offline office application. While Open Office doesn’t have the advantage of a web based application like Google Docs, it includes advanced features that compete with Microsoft Office. Open Office includes support for the .doc format allowing users to create and edit Microsoft Word files.
ZoHo– A web based application, similar to Google Docs. Features a richer interface than the other two and like Open Office, can import many different file types like Microsoft Word. ZoHo doesn’t include as many features like Footnotes and Headers, which can be a big drawback for academics. Still, ZoHo is an adequate web based alternative for people looking to manipulate Microsoft Word files, something Google Docs can’t do.
The next version of Microsoft Office 2010, competes directly with Google by including cloud-based web apps that supplement the standard apps, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The biggest drawback however is that Microsoft Office costs over $100 while the word processors listed above are completely free. Users must decide between the unquestioned advanced features of Microsoft Office and the convenience and price of web-based apps.
If you would like to explore this topic further, please read Mashable’s article on Microsoft Office
Last weekend our beloved client The Orange Show hosted their annual Art Car Parade. The parade features local and international artists that come together to create over 250+ art cars. Parade entries include anything on wheels, from unicycles to go-carts and even lawnmowers. Dan Akryod decided to stop by to hold the position of this year’s grand marshal. If you were unable to come out and see these artworks, take a look some pictures we took, and even the making-of an art car!
You would have to be living under a rock the past few months not to hear about the war between Apple and Adobe raging across the internet. Just take a look at wired.com’s featured ad at the top, which displays Adobe’s newest attempt to alleviate the situation by stating, “We [heart] Apple, We [heart] choice. “Choice” referring to Apple’s decision to exclude Flash player on all the mobile devices they produce. (Steve Jobs even took the time to explain why in a rare memo). This choice has sparked fierce debate in the tech world stemming from feeling that Flash player is losing relevance. I feel that the real conflict is not between Apple and Adobe, but rather their standards, Flash and HTML5 video.
-What makes HTML5 different from Flash?
At the moment there is no standard for video playback. We have all seen it before, our computers demanding that we install software in order to watch online video. Plug-ins like Flash, RealPlayer, or QuickTime are used by many different browsers and devices and it can be a hassle (downright annoying) because at the moment, there is no video standard. In many cases, users on web devices like iPhones, or iPads, can’t play videos at all when Flash is required, and because these devices are so popular, Adobe isn’t too happy about it. HTML5 is the first code that allows videos to be played without the use of plug-ins, which will lead to a standard. HTML5 makes use of new structural tags like <head> <footer> <section> and even <video> which will allow web designers to better define their content, subsequently allowing search engines to index and find your content more easily.
If you would like to learn more about how HTML5 will effect video be sure to check out the links below!
I was pretty excited the day I heard about this thing. Now I’m typing this very blog post on it, sitting on an airplane on the way to California. What follows here is less of a review (5 thumbs up!) and more of a commentary on why I think this thing is the beginning of something.
My iPad home screen apps
iPad Form and Feel
The specs on the device don’t really do it justice. The screen is much bigger than an iPhone, but not exactly as big as a laptop screen. It weighs about as much as a dinner plate, which is light to move around but heavy to hold one-handed. The aluminum is a bit slippery to the touch, but I’ve got the apple case on mine which is thin but tactile enough that I don’t expect to drop it. While adding a case adds thickness, it doesn’t matter that much because the iPad is much too big to put in a pocket.
The screen is the same buttery-smooth glass as the iPhone. Fingers slide around very easily, though they do cause quite a bit of smudging. The buttons are all distinctly placed and easy to access. The headphone jack occasionally seems to be in the wrong place, but that it easily corrected by rotating the screen. Almost every app rotates around so that there is no top or bottom of the device. Overall the device is plenty big to see and light enough for a lap, which secures it in that middle space between iPhone and MacBook.
iPad Function and Performance
This thing is fast! The biggest problem that has plagued many similar portable devices is speed, and the iPad delivers better than anything I’ve ever used. You tap or swipe something, and things start happening immediately. The Wi-Fi is quick and browsing websites feels as fast as using a desktop.
The function of this magical thing is most called into question. If I already have a laptop, desktop, and an iPhone, why would someone ever need an iPad? Well, the short answer is you don’t need it, but you probably really want it. The iPad combines much of the portability of the phone with the power and relative size of a laptop. Using the apps loaded on the device along with some from the app store you can:
Play games where you touch the screen
Surf the web on a large screen
Read and respond to email with a full keyboard
Administer websites from a command line
Design websites using mockup and graphics apps
Edit, share, and upload photos
Write blog posts (like this one)
While that likely doesn’t cover 100% of what you do in a day, it probably covers 75-80%. And in doing so, it lets you do the things you need (or want) to do from a couch, coffee shop, airplane, or even the beach with the 3G model. The battery life will cover you all day, as it is pretty true to the quoted 10 hours. I got only 9 hours with the 3G, but that is still much longer than I would get if I was constantly using the iPhone or even a laptop.
Worth the cost?
I, likemanyotherpeople, fully expected the iPad to cost over $1000 when it was first announced in January of this year. I was blown away by the entry-level price of $499. For some people, that $499 version (16GB, Wi-Fi only) will be good enough. I settled in on the 32GB model with 3G, which rang up to close to $800 after taxes and such. Throw in the case and a couple of other extras and it’s closer to $900. Then, pile on the $80 on apps I have spent so far and I am almost at that $1000 mark. Even then, I think it all has been worth it.
The iPad changes my entire day. I wake up and am able to read my RSS feeds on a large, light weight screen while sitting in bed. That’s about 20 minutes a day. I take the iPad to work and use it to check and file email, test web designs, and keep up with social media. At night, I take it home and I browse the web from the dinner table or while on the couch. I use it as a giant remote for the media center computer hooked up to my TV. All in all, I probably spend about 3 hours a day with the device.
While I could do most of those things from a phone or a laptop, they are so much nicer on the iPad. It has the best balance of being powerful and portable than any other device I’ve ever used (and I’ve used a few). Having a great experience for 3 hours a day is entirely worth the cost of the device.
Future of computing
There was much debate before the device was released (some of which I contributed to) about the effects of the iPad on the future of computer. I do believe that touch is something that will be around for the relative future, until we get Minority Report style gesture interfaces. Using the device needs little or no training to jump in and start browsing or using apps. That jumps a major hurdle in using almost any other computing device. The iPad was made for people who aren’t that in to computers, but who use email, social media, and the internet at large.
A big part of the negative side of the discussion comes from individuals who want a normal computer with a touch screen. This is not the iPad, and I don’t think it describes the future of computing. When you really think about the level of abstraction that is involved in a normal desktop, it’s pretty mind-blowing. If you come in with the goal of wanting to look at pictures, you have to find the right folder, open the pictures (usually 1 by 1), and flip through them while they are surrounded by a window with menus and buttons and other extras. On the iPad, you tap the photos app, and there they are. When browsing a photo, your options are limited to what you can do with that photo at that moment. Many people are scared of that word ‘limited’, but I think the reduction in UI junk helps you to accomplish your goals at that time.
All of this said, the iPad can’t do everything. I won’t speak on Flash, because that has been talked to death, but the iPad is also incapable of some other things. As I said before it tackles about 80% of computing tasks. But remember, this is just the first iteration. The biggest thing the iPad has going for it is that it makes the things you want to do easier and more fun.
I’ve had my iPad for just over a week, and I love it. I carry it around with me and have already used it for movies at the gym, in a client presentation, while taking notes, at home, at my desk, and on an air plane. Much of those things can be done other ways, but nothing can do all of them the way the iPad can. Check out the iPad at your local Apple store or borrow one from your local Apple fanboy so you can understand what I am talking about.
While this review was written on an iPad with both the onscreen keyboard and a Bluetooth one, the post was published on a desktop.
We look forward to sharing with you and answering your questions! Have a specific training you'd like to see on our calendar? Leave us a note on www.getsatisfaction.com/schipul.
Staying in touch with your Web site visitors and members is pretty darn important, no matter industry you are in.
Thanks to a recent update, your Tendenci Web site is making it even easier for you to connect your visitors to your Constant Contact mailing list.
While the original Constant Contact integration gave you little choice on what Constant Contact mailing list to send your Web site contacts to, now you can pick from any of your Constant Contact lists.
Sound like a plan? Get in touch with our Support team to get this rolling! You can email us at support AT schipul DOT com or give us a call at (281) 497.6567, ext. 411.
