Open Source Rules!

I may have Adobe Design Premium CS4 and Visual Studio's 2008 Pro Edition, but I have to say that while learning the basics for web design/dev I use the open source program Notepad ++.  I do use Visual Studios for Javascript and C++ (wish I had more time for you C++), but I tried Dreamweaver once and was so appalled at the lack of knowledge a person needs of any markup or CSS to create a website, that I haven't used it since.  That said, on top of my usual studies in New Media Communications/Writing at OSU ecampus; this year I will be piling on the workload by doing a short certificate course through Highline Community College for a Client Side Scripting Certificate.  This certificate actually sounds more like a web design cert because it covers some topics such as Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, and user centered design, but I want to fine tune what I've taught myself and the cert. is online!!  So hopefully I won't come away just learning how to design/develop websites using Flash and Dreamweaver, but will learn the raw markup and scripting skills to get me a job!

Look Ma! No Hands!!

Folks must be getting pathetically lazy if they can’t even take their phones out of their pockets to check into Foursquare.  MG Siegler from TechCrunch swoons about a new app for iOS4 that continually runs on your iPhone, while you run around town doing who cares what.  Evidently it’s called “check-in fatigue” and is a common complaint of hardcore Foursquare addicts.  Now, unfortunately you aren’t automatically checked-in to every Foursquare venue that you happen upon-you actually have to create a list of you favorites and those will magically check you in when you walk in the door.  Luckily Steve Cheney at TechCrunch poops on Siegler’s parade by mentioning the obvious: if you have numerous favorites within a small radius, the app won’t be sensitive enough to figure out which venue you’re going into and of course there’s the ever-present problem of battery life.  Those are simply glitches to those that think the app is a great idea, but let’s first contemplate why the heck we need it in the first place.   

Paradise Found With PdaNet

There I was, my throat tightening and my heart pounding, threatening to crawl out my mouth.  A stone’s throw from Canada I was trapped far from any semblance of civilization.  I had been repeatedly promised a steady Wi-Fi connection on the trip, but as we pulled up anchor in Seattle I was told our itinerary had changed.  We were to go straight to the Sucia’s- Echo Bay to be exact, in other words the middle of absolutely no where.  Pissed off I sulked and hoped I could at least turn in my midterm paper on time, which was due in two days.  If I hadn’t of so cruelly been lied to, I would have downloaded PdaNet to tether my Droid Incredible to my laptop.  I had heard about a few different tether options, but I couldn’t get them to work the last time I was out of range from society.  Luckily, we has some technical malfunctions with our dinghy and had to make a short detour.  There I was sitting on the top of the boat in Friday Harbor, the last link to civilization that was only to last until morning- trying to get on Washington State Ferries Boingo hotspot long enough to establish a connection and buy a one day pass.  I was about to give up after two ferry’s had chugged by, but then I magically got connected to some blessed soul with an unsecured router.  Thanks to them, I was able to quickly download pdanet and for the rest of the trip, I had the luxury of riding the internet off my Droid Incredible’s connection.  Thanks for the sanity pdanet-got to Tweet, Facebook, turn in my midterm, and even do some basic C++ tutorials!  I realized after this summer of being out of range or just completely dependent on my phone for internet-I will never leave civilization  ( I-5 corridor) again.

PR in the age of Twitter, Part I

Taking Chances

The previous post got me thinking about first impressions and branding, but specifically a person’s online presence.  It took me years to engage online via anything but email because I was certain either my identity would be stolen within seconds or several online stalkers would haunt me if I ever created a profile on MySpace.  Facebook sucked me in by my super conservative, Type A friend from highschool friending me by email, so I finally succumbed to peer pressure.  However, I waited until I was old enough to know better than to post pictures of myself in unfortunate acts of debauchery.  People in their 20’s might not realize that their potential employer is scouting for these types of pictures and other contraband that never disappears from social media network, and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  This phenomenon has spurred journalists, bloggers, and other concerned citizens to address the issue; just type in “online presence employers pictures” and you’ll get a slew of results such as: “Is Your Online Image Helping or Hurting Your Job Search” or “Taming Your Online Presence”, and even professionals offer their service, all geared up to help you re-brand yourself so the half-naked spring break in Cabo won’t haunt you when your applying to law school.   

Why Isn't Microsoft Cool?

A recent article by Ashlee Vance, writer for the New York Times brought up some interesting points about why Microsoft maintains their doom and gloom results in the youth market of consumer technology products. Vance’s article pondered one possible explanation regarding their inability to win over the hearts and pocketbooks of the younger generation- the lack of appeal as a company worth working for by newbie developers. Without the influx of new blood pumping into the company, it’s hard for the software giant to get its feelers on the pulse of what is pertinent to kids today. Vance also mentioned Microsoft’s inability to pump out consumer products in a timely fashion. Since they always seem to be one step behind the trends, they are seen as the slow kid in class, stumbling and wheezing into last place.


While none of this is new information, it draws unneeded attention to Microsoft’s failures while the company is continually trying to win people over with its search engine Bing and the new Windows Phone 7. The question is: what can the fat cat do to change its image? First, Microsoft could put out some decent products for a change. The first Zune was a burly machine with a throwback design reminiscent of a 1980’s walkman. Most people didn’t give the software on it a chance because its design was outdated. However, with the April 1, 2010 release of the new Zune 64 they might have gotten everything right. It’s slick design, and noticeable upgrades like an HD touchscreen, FM/HD radio, and, well I’ll let this review by CNET do the tech talk on the 32 GB version, but all together Microsoft looks like they put out a sharp contender when compared by PCWorld to the iPod touch.  The main problem that most bloggers have noted is that there is a lack of third party app store for the Zune, but word has it that Microsoft has been developing an app store for Windows Phone 7 and will also be available for the Zune.  Now that Windows Phone 7 release is here, maybe all their hard work will morph into success with an app store for all their handheld media devices.

Flash Headache

Flash gives me a headache.  I mean it literally shuts down my brain after a fit of over firing neurons from the blinking banner ads, flashing web pages and obnoxious non-support for 64-bit operating systems.  Why Adobe, why are you so slow at giving us access to a fully functioning web experience?? 

But, then again not having a flash plug-in available for my 64-bit laptop it is a filter of sorts.   That way I don’t have to tune out the techno-disco light that comes with a flash-enabled web experience.  The main downside to my current situation is that I have to switch to a 32-bit IE browser to watch any video created with Flash…what a pain!  Maybe Steve Jobs is right when he wrote “Thoughts on Flash.”  The web world might be a better place if we didn’t have to suffer through the lack of continuity that diminishes our workflow, our online social networking, and our general productivity.  Down with Flash!

Stephen Shankland wanted to find out what was taking Adobe so long in developing the plug-in and did a bit of investigating in the article, “What’s Adobe’s 64-bit Flash plan?”  which tells about all the wonderful details it takes for Adobe's developers to reconfigure the libraries used by Flash, but my question is: do we really need Flash?  If HTML5 and CSS5 can take the place of Flash for video, then who needs Flash?  Unfortunately, we will probably still need Flash for video, but HTML5 and CSS5 will be the preferred method for delivering the unwanted uses of Flash like the ultra-strobe effects of banner ads-bummer.