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Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

Time to take another look at GWT

09 Dec

Cody Burleson and I looked at Google’s Web Development Toolkit (GWT) when it cam out in 2007. We even build some small applications to test it. We liked it because it seemed like a good bridge between the enterprise world of J2EE development and the lightweight, web 2.0, AJAX driven applications of today. Now Google has released the 2.0 version of the product. What remains the most promising of this is that complier. Which takes code and compiles it for the web and applies all kinds of magic to make it lighter, faster, and better in many ways. Take a look at the video below. To me the most telling part was the testimony from the Google Wave team – with 100’s of developers working on dozen of feature the JS code alone grew to over 1.5mb. I’ know from experience that when you get just 2 or 3 people working on the same complex application, optimization and looking for reuse opportunities becomes a project in and of itself. Delegating some of that work to a smart complier looks like a brilliant idea.

 

I’m also keen on taking a look at the Speed Tracer…Looks like a winner to me.

 

If you have tried either of these, I’d love to hear about it.

 
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Posted in Google, Technology, Web Design, Web Software

 

A “Thanks for your order” message with authenticity

02 Apr

The Saddleback Leather Company is the real deal. It has something the rest of the world is now trying to recreate after a century of washing it away with bureaucratic, six sigma, dehumanization – authenticity.   The problem most large organizations will have with being authentic this is identifying exactly WHO is thankful. Think about it – the first line of customer interaction at your company is probably more authentically happy when the phone STOPS ringing and they can take a break. This means of coarse that you are going to have to hire someone (ahemmm) to help you find your voice.

Study this email. I don’t recommend you copy his style (which is reminiscent of overindulgent catalog king J. Peterman on “Seinfeld”) but rather think about how honest-to-goodness thankfulness, and transparency can be incorporated into your business, regardless of its size.

Hello there Ben Shoemate

Just wanted to let you know that I sent your bag out just a little bit ago. Your tracking number is listed below along with a link to the shipping company so you can track your leather piece every couple of hours.  To care for your leather piece and read about the photo contest please see the Questions page on the website. I have all sorts of tips to keep your leather in top shape.

Oh, and by the way, I didn’t want to tell you this before you joined, but 10% of the gross amount that you gave to Saddleback went directly to one of those aid organizations on the Dave’s Links page.  If you spent $500 + $20 for shipping then $52 went out to love people.  Basically, you just contributed to drilling a well for an entire village or partially sponsored a 5 year old street kid in Rwanda to get into a loving orphanage and go to one of the best schools in the country. This is the main reason Saddleback Leather exists. Just wanted to let you know… between friends. Thanks for helping.

The way I see it, out of the thousands and thousands of companies in the world, on the Internet or down on the corner selling leather goods, you chose mine and I really do feel honored.  You are very much appreciated.. Welcome to the family.

Thank you and have a great week.

Warm regards,

Dave Munson
Presidente
Saddleback Leather Co

Your order number is SBL-*********.

The tracking numbers are:
******************************
You can track your package by visiting the links below:
http://wwwapps.ups.com/WebTracking/processInputRequest?TypeOfInquiryNumber=T&InquiryNumber1=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The following items have been shipped to you:
line items
———————————————————————–
Small Wallet Light Tobacco Brown (WA-SM-LTB)
quantity: 1
total price: $28.00
———————————————————————–
subtotal:                        $28.00
sales tax:                        $2.28
standard shipping: *             $12.98
*shipping total includes handling and insurance fees
=======================================================================
grand total:                     $43.26
———————————————————————–

This order will be billed to:

Ben Shoemate
************
———————————————————————–

Orders for merchandise ship UPS and will receive a confirmation email and tracking number when your UPS order has shipped.
Orders for gift cards only ship via USPS mail with Delivery Confirmation and usually arrive in 3 to 5 business days.
—

This is an automatically generated email

Even down to letting you know this email was generated automatically – the message is honest and personal. Well done Dave.

 
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Posted in Email, Humor, Philosophy, Social Networks

 

A primer to communication – 1953 film

16 Feb

The basics of communication presented in this 1953 introduction to "the era of communication" (aka the information age) are still true in 2003. Transmission, noise, redundancy, distortion… misunderstanding. Charles and Ray Eames were husband and wife, not brothers. They were not initially architects. Ray was a visual artist. This is a classic Eames film and a great introduction to their creativity that spanned many industries.

 
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Posted in All Blog Posts, Imagination, Information Visualiation, Technology

 

Kindle + MacbookAir = What I really want for Christmas

12 Feb

Kindle is Amazon’s eBook reader. It uses epaper. The difference between it and a normal device is that the words stay on the screen even when the device is “off”. So it only uses power to “change” the page.

It does this with millions of tiny balls, black on one side, white on the other. These rotate independently. The screen is more readable, like a newspaper, uses real light to show the screen, and use a lot less battery.

I think the ultimate devise would be to put a page of epaper on the lid of a thin laptop – like the Macbookair. I mocked it up in Photoshop below. Close the lid – read a book. Open it, use the laptop. Perfect.

macbook-kindle

 
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Posted in Technology

 

Twitter: 140 reasons it’s worth your time

17 Jan

twitterrific-icon If someone at your company is not watching your brand on Twitter (website: Twitter.com wikipedia: Twitter) you could be missing out on valuable market intelligence and an opportunity to interact with your customers in a way that makes your brand more personal. Plugging into twitter a little each day is a good way to “listen” to what is happening: in the news; in your industry; and with your customers and to the web. The web is changing fast and changing society as it does. Ideas are generated in small sub-cultures and explode outward in viral waves that influence consumer behavior, innovation, even language.

If you have not heard of Twitter, heard of but never tried it, tried it but didn’t “get it”, or seen the value but weren’t sure how to extract it, then this article is written for you.

Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted in All Blog Posts, Social Networks, Technology, Web Design, Web Marketing

 

Installing wordpess into server2go

25 Jun

If you want to have a local development version of WordPress (or any other local development platform for that matter), the best way to do this is to install Server2go. This lets you have a simple, portable version of the database (mySQL) and the web server (Apache) that you can run locally and copy with all your folders, or give to others to run…

Why do this? Because otherwise, getting to the point where you can start developing themes or plugins is a pain.

I consider myself a well rounded developer. I don’t play favorites. That means, from one day to the next I may find my self in php, coldfusion, or java. I build prototypes using ext.js framework and also have local versions of Joomla, Conflunce, MediaWiki, and even Websphere portal with WCM, and SAP Portal (I keep those beasts locked away in a WMWare enviroments). But VMware is overkill for something as light weight as WordPress.
Here are the steps for setting up a local WordPress dev enviroment with Server2Go.

  1. Download Server2Go – there are several versions. To pick the right one, check the requirements of the software you want to run. Since I want to run wordpress – I look at it and downloaded this one - (only ~23MB – nice).
  2. Extract it somewhere (you can move it later) and and launch the server2go.exe. this starts the server. Any time you want to work in in, just launch it. If you want to change the way it works (like launch firefox instead of IE, edit pms_config.ini file.
  3. Server2Go will launch IE for you and show the default screen. Now we have to create a wordpress database. So click phpMyAdmin under tools on the right.
  4. In the Create Database feild type “wordpress” (no quotes) and press “Create”.
  5. Download the WordPress package and unzip it into the htdocs folder in your server2go folder.
  6. In your browser type: http://127.0.0.1:4001/wordpress/
  7. Follow the instructions onscreen – click the create wp-config.php button, then “let’s go”
  8. Type “wordpress” (no qoutes) into the Database name feild and submit.
  9. Then you see this and that’s it! WordPress should now be installed.
  10. Once your in wordpress, you can download themes from the internet and unzip them to the themes folder. Once you do, you can see them on the Design page in the wp_admin.
  11. I like to find a theme that is close to what I want and modify it. Once you find one you like, create a site in dreamweaver and edit the theme from there. You can save changes to the php files and css and see them in immediatly on the site by refreshing.
 
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Posted in All Blog Posts, Guides, Web Software

 

WiiHD’s homebrew guide: hacking doesn’t get much easier than this

24 Jun

The folks of WiiHD, in honor of the recent Quake release for Wii homebrew, have put together an easy-to-follow guide for getting the Wii homebrew channel up and running on your little white console — plus a pre-packaged zip file with some ready-to-go ‘brew if that’s the way you like it. You’ve really got zero excuse to hold off on homebrew with as purtiful and straightforward all these fine hackers have made the process, but if you’re still unconvinced, check out the Quake video after the break.

Continue reading WiiHD’s homebrew guide: hacking doesn’t get much easier than this

 
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Posted in All Blog Posts, Guides, Hacks

 

Google the redeemer! Thanks be to Google.

07 Mar


Google giveth, then Google taketh away. And then, Google giveth back again. Just as in the biblical story of Job, Google looked out across its user base and spoketh undo one who is a tempter, smiling and saying “lookth ye at my user base, how upright and righteous are they. Consider my user bshoemate.”

“Ha!” sayeth the tempter, “Take away his adsense account and he will curse and defame you!” And so Google did, accusing him of click fraud although he had done none. And in his confusion and despair he looked upon the face of Google and appealleth saying – “Why have you forsaken me?” But Google made no reply…

Long bshoemate suffered. And in darkness and despair, he looked at Yahoo, but that strange portal offered no comfort. He looked to MSN but found no solace there. He traveled to the mighty Amazon, but path was not straight, the language unclear, and lost he became.

But then, an email. “Could it be! Cahloo Cahla” he cotorted in his joy and he read the email subject aloud from his open window to the streets below: “[#249567499] Google AdSense Account Reinstated!” Sweet, sweet justice he thought.

So where are the fabled ads of yore? Has he not yet put the code back on his site? Surely he must have only commented it out. “Nah, I’m in no hurry” he said, and wiser and a wearier man he rose the morrow morn.

 
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Posted in All Blog Posts, Email, Google

 

Google Adsense Account Disabled

29 Jan

See Update: Sweet sweet justice. Praise be to Google.

I’m a big fan of Google (always have been) but I’m staring to worry that maybe I’ve given them a little to much trust and power. I have been a beta tester on almost all of their programs. I’ve played with everything in the Google lab, and been an advocate of all their services. But today I was sent a message telling me that my adsense account was disabled. I understand they have to protect the integrity of the system, but after looking into it, I can not figure out what they think I have done wrong. This is what they wrote:
Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted in All Blog Posts, Google, Thoughts, Web Design, Web Marketing

 

Where were you during the internet gold rush?

09 Jan

I have a birthday that falls within days of the new year. This means I get hit with 2 wake-up calls at once. Another year to look back and reflect on then WHAM! I’m another year older.

Working in the web industry, I am constantly aware of the wealth being generated and the constant, ever increasing change going on. We are truly living in a golden age of wealth and information. I am also aware that I’ve spent my time making other people richer. I missed the first internet bubble, I coasted right through the second web 2.0 rush. And now, in my ear I can hear the distant questions from my future grandchildren who, having read about these golden days in their history book will ask:

“Grandpa, what were you doing when all this was happening? Why didn’t you invent the iPhone?” they’ll ask.
“Well,” I’ll reply, “I guess I was too busy working on other things.”
“Like what?” They’ll ask. They always ask. They are just kids after all. You can not expect them to notice the subtle tension in their grand father’s voice or the the regret in his eyes warning them that some subjects are best not talked about.
“Oh, I don’t remember…some kind of purchasing system for some corporation that threw it away 2 years later.”
“But grandpa, why didn’t you go work at Google!” they say cheerfully flipping back to the colorful page about the search giant. “It says here that even the cleaning staff got stock options and became rich. One of them was even the first man on Mars!”

“Shut up you kids!” I’ll say, “No more books!”

Then when they start to cry I’ll say “Now…who wants ice cream?”

 
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Posted in All Blog Posts, Google, Humor, Philosophy, Thoughts, Web Design

 
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