BBC News: Refreshing Changes (Nwe Web Site)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/03/refreshing_changes.html
"This morning we launched a new look for the BBC News website, you can see what it looks like here on the right, with previous versions further down the page. We’ve been working on this for the past few months, and in fact it is still a work in progress, because the changes will continue to roll out across the site in the coming days and weeks, and beyond that we have further improvements planned for later in the year.

But for now – here’s what we’ve done:

First - we did some research asking you what you thought we should change about the site. Many of those we asked said leave it alone - don't change a thing. But it was also clear from the feedback we got that there were others who thought the site design could do with a bit of a revamp – something we’d been thinking about doing for a while.

So our designers embarked on a mission that they have called a “site refresh” - they say it’s “like gardeners doing a bit of pruning and weeding, but not digging it up and starting from scratch" ie it’s not a fundamental redesign of everything – many of the basics stay the same, because we know they work."

abuzeedo: How to create HDR Photos - HDR/Photomatix tutorial

http://abduzeedo.com//how-create-hdr-photos-hdrphotomatix-tutorial

There has been a lot of buzz recently about HDR photography, but many people assume that it's only limited to professional photographers. The reality is that just about anyone can take and process an HDR photo with most cameras and proper HDR software.

There are plenty of explanations of what HDR is and how it works, so we won't cover that here. If you want more background info, check out HDR explained so anyone can understand or Jon Meyer's popular HDR primer.

In this tutorial we'll go through the steps necessary to take your very own HDR photo and process it like a pro. What you will need:

1. A camera that allows you to adjust exposure settings.
2. Tone Mapping Software (In this tutorial we will use Photomatix, which is the most popular way to create HDR's.)

makeuseof.com: 4 Ways to Carry your PC on iPod or USB Thumbdrive

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/carry-your-pc-on-ipod-or-usb-thumbdrive/
"Do you want to take your favorite programs along with all of your bookmarks, settings, email and more wherever you go and use them on pretty much any computer ? If so here are four free tools that can help you with that. These are portable software packs that can be installed on any USB device. Download the pack, install it on your portable device and done. Use it at work, a friend’s PC, college lab, anywhere."

Telegraph.co.uk: The 101 most useful websites

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/03/30/sv_101websites.xml
"There are tens of millions of sites to visit. Not forgetting telegraph.co.uk, here are the only ones you actually need. Compiled by David Baker"

CSS Tricks

http://css-tricks.com/
"I’ve been really getting into this jQuery phenomenon lately. jQuery is tightly tied to CSS, so if you are already comfortable with CSS and are looking for ways to expand your possibilities, jQuery is the place to be. You can achieve so many cool effects with it, and there are so many good learning resources out there for it I think it makes sense for serious web designers to start getting their hands dirty with this. In the past few weeks, I’ve come across some great tutorials and roundups that have been helping me learn, so I thought I’d share."

Kotaku: Tetris Shelves: Modular Furniture Never Looked So Good

http://kotaku.com/373751/tetris-shelves-modular-furniture-never-looked-so-good
"We mentioned one form of Tetris shelves from New York's Brave Space Design a few years ago; but there are several options you may have missed if you saw these beauties way back when. While the regular open work shelves don't have a price listed ('Contact us for a quote!' is rarely a good sign for your wallet), you can get the colorful "flat" set for a mere $1500 per 10 blocks or the lovely bamboo version for $2000 per 10 blocks. Despite the expense and the fact that Tetris-inspired bookshelves would clash horribly with my decor, I think my books would look fabulous nestled in these creative, if pricey, shelving units."

Paul Graham: How to Disagree

http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html
"The web is turning writing into a conversation. Twenty years ago, writers wrote and readers read. The web lets readers respond, and increasingly they do—in comment threads, on forums, and in their own blog posts.

Many who respond to something disagree with it. That's to be expected. Agreeing tends to motivate people less than disagreeing. And when you agree there's less to say. You could expand on something the author said, but he has probably already explored the most interesting implications. When you disagree you're entering territory he may not have explored.

The result is there's a lot more disagreeing going on, especially measured by the word. That doesn't mean people are getting angrier. The structural change in the way we communicate is enough to account for it. But though it's not anger that's driving the increase in disagreement, there's a danger that the increase in disagreement will make people angrier. Particularly online, where it's easy to say things you'd never say face to face.

If we're all going to be disagreeing more, we should be careful to do it well. What does it mean to disagree well? Most readers can tell the difference between mere name-calling and a carefully reasoned refutation, but I think it would help to put names on the intermediate stages. So here's an attempt at a disagreement hierarchy:"

Peter Elst: Adobe MAX Chicago - Sneak Peeks

http://www.peterelst.com/blog/2007/10/03/adobe-max-chicago-sneak-peeks/
"If you thought the keynotes were exciting, wait until you hear what we got to see in the sneak peeks session. There was of course the disclaimer that technologies they demo may never make it as actual products, but what a lineup it was.

I’m in the process of uploading video for most of the demo’s we got to see, so bookmark this page and I’ll eventually have them all up — there are loads of them!"

Smashing Magazine: Adobe Photoshop Video Tutorials - Best Of

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/28/adobe-photoshop-video-tutorials-best-of/
"The best thing about Photoshop video-tutorials is that they allow you to observe professionals just as if you were standing nearby and looking over their shoulders. You can see step-by-step how buttons, collages or even paintings are created. Instead of reading through books describing what needs to be selected, activated and clicked, you can simply imitate mouse clicks knowing exactly that you are actually doing the right thing.
The learning curve is easier to climb and the result is easier to compare. More than that: you can observe how it is done from the very beginning to the very end and (sometimes) you can get explained why it is done in exactly this way.
We’ve searched through dozens of video-sites, forums, articles, blogs, portfolios and communities. And we selected 80 excellent Adobe Photoshop video tutorials which you can use as a starting point to improve your skills or observe how professionals do their job. Among other things, below we present Photoshop video tutorials about speed painting, design of buttons and interfaces, beauty retouching, digital matte painting, photo manipulation, effects and much more."

Demo Girl: How User Friendly Is Your Site?

http://demogirl.com/2008/03/25/how-user-friendly-is-your-site/
"I sign up and navigate through a lot of different Websites and services every single day so I can create screencasts to help my readers decide if they want to try them out or not. In doing this, I notice every little detail from arriving to the site, to locating my account settings, to signing out. It’s my job to know where the help pages are, how to change a password, and how to generally navigate through whatever site I’m currently creating a screencast for. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ditched a service that I actually thought was kind of cool, but navigation was so horrible that I didn’t want to share it with you here - And that’s the topic of the screencast today.

I want to know if I’m crazy or if the very minor issues I’m showing you really do matter. I don’t think enough start-ups realize that it’s not only important to have a functioning site, but a functional site as well. What do you think? Let me know what issues bother you in the comments after you watch the screencast below:"

The 37th Button On Your Remote Control

http://blogs.bnet.com/harvard/?p=255
"Our headline today comes from a line used by innovation expert Scott Anthony in the excellent post Innovation Gone Overboard.

His point: Companies often try to freshen their existing products with too much innovation; the 37th button on the remote. But their mistake is your opportunity."

The iPhone Is No Desktop

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2278816,00.asp
"People are willing to make a device that you can drop in the toilet or leave in a taxi cab the next desktop computing platform. Ridiculous.

by John C. Dvorak

Time and time again we've heard that bigger is better—until the technology revolution came along, that is. Now, the emphasis is on smaller, cheaper, and faster. I've always subscribed to the notion that smaller is superior—until recently, when I saw that smaller is actually becoming a problem."

Motorola insider tells all about the fall of a technology icon

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/26/motorola-insider-tells-all-about-the-fall-of-a-technology-icon/
"Last month we were contacted by the late Geoffrey Frost's personal adviser at Motorola; until Frost's death in 2005, Numair Faraz worked under the Motorola's former CMO -- the man widely regarded as the father of the RAZR. Like many (ourselves included), over the years Numair has become increasingly disenfranchised with the company's direction -- enough so that he compelled us to publish his letter to Motorola, its board of directors, and MOT investors everywhere regarding the company's egregious missteps and mismanagement.

In researching the myriad claims raised in this letter -- which we believe to be true -- we also discovered a number of other unsettling things about Motorola's corporate past in the last five years, such as certain gross corporate excesses demanded by Zander and his inner circle (like a small fleet of extravagant private jets, where most companies that size might only have one, if any), or the fact that Motorola's current CEO, Greg Brown, is so technologically out of touch he refuses to use a computer for communications, and has all his email correspondences printed by his secretary and replied to by dictation.

There's no doubt in our minds that Motorola is in dire straits. But today's news of the company's broken-off mobile division only serves to cement the fact that the company no longer knows how to conduct its core consumer business, and is squandering time and money as it flounders in a market that long since passed it by. Motorola did not comment on this story. Letter posted after the break."

wakeup later: The Evolution of Websites: How 10 Popular Websites Have (And Have Not) Changed

http://www.wakeuplater.com/index.php/website-building/evolution-of-websites-10-popular-websites.aspx
"I was in high school in the mid-nineties when I first encountered the ever-expanding world of websites. At the time, I didn't realize that my future career would rely on this industry -- one which did not exist when I was in elementary school. Now in the year 2008, having created websites for over half my life, I look back and see how much websites have changed in the last decade and a half. At the same time, I can see how little they've changed as well, and I've realized that the internet as we know it today is only a teenager, with many years of growth still ahead. So in the vein of change, let's look at ten popular websites and their evolution throughout the last many years. (Note: All pictures can be clicked on to view a larger size.)"

20+ Excellent Resources for Desktop Wallpapers

http://reencoded.com/2008/03/13/20-excellent-resources-for-desktop-wallpapers/
"If you have to stare at something for 8 or more hours a day, why not make it something interesting? Sure there are tons of places to find wallpaper on the web … but a lot of them are hard to navigate and highly disorganized. Divided into five helpful categories, with introductory descriptions and sample screenshots, here are over twenty of the best collections, communities and other resources on the web for finding excellent desktop wallpaper."

DRMARDY.com:

http://www.drmardy.com/repartee/historygreatreplies.shtml

PSDTuts: Seriously cool photoshop explosion effect

http://psdtuts.com/tutorials-effects/seriously-cool-photoshop-explosion-effect/
"Explosions are cool. Seriously cool. So when I received some emails asking about how to create a break apart, explosion effect, I knew it'd be worth making a tutorial on. Read on to find out how to break apart a body, then add some awesome lighting and glow, nopattern style, to finish the image off."

blogwell: 100+ Resources for Web Developers

http://blog-well.com/2008/03/04/100-resources-for-web-developers/
"There is some amazing stuff out there on the Web–resources, tools, tricks, and tips. Problem is, as a Web developer, you spend so much of your time just keeping up with new technologies - learning, playing – and this doesn’t leave much time to go hunting for the latest and greatest tool, or for a better way of doing things.

So we’ve put together a list of over 100 resources to help make your life as a developer easier; where to find snippets of code, sites that automate processes, cheat sheets, lessons, useful tools and a couple of silly videos to give your brain a break if you make it through to the end. Please enjoy!"

FORTUNE: The trouble with Steve Jobs

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/02/news/companies/elkind_jobs.fortune/index.htm
"Jobs likes to make his own rules, whether the topic is computers, stock options, or even pancreatic cancer. The same traits that make him a great CEO drive him to put his company, and his investors, at risk."

ReadWriteWeb: Office Live Workspace vs Google Docs: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/office_live_workspace_vs_google_docs_feature_by_feature.php
"Today, Microsoft announced that the Office Live Workspace beta is publicly available for everyone to access. The site, a free web-based extension of Microsoft Office, lets you access your documents online and share your work with others. Some say that the service's launch is a direct response to Google's entry into the web office space with their Google Docs online service. If that's so, then the question now is: did Microsoft just trump Google Docs? Or does Google Docs still rule online office suites?"

ReadWriteWeb: Internet Explorer 8 Launches

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/internet_explorer_8_has_arrived.php
"Microsoft's next-generation web browser, Internet Explorer 8, has arrived. In a surprising move, after the demo of IE8 and its new features at today's session of the MIX08 conference, the startling announcement was made: "It's available for download now". The new browser showcases many new features and improvements, like Facebook and eBay integration, standards compliance, and the ability to work with AJAX web pages. What's most notable about IE8, though, is more than a sum of its parts. If anything, this launch shows that Microsoft is not taking Firefox's creep into browser market share lightly."

iPhone Review: The 10 Best iPhone Applications

http://iphone-app.blogspot.com/2008/03/10-best-iphone-applications.html
"With the recent surge in iPhone applications popping up everywhere, it might seem nearly impossible to decide which ones to try out. I have lined up the top 10 applications your iPhone won't be complete without. The following selection is based on parameters such as usability, price, utilization of system resources, stability and update speed.


1.The first application to really cause serious change in the way we use the iPhone is the Installer, which surpassed other competing applications. This app concentrates all available applications, allowing you to receive updates on the different apps. Its simplicity and the fact that it enables to download and install applications without any need for a computer have definitely earned Installer a place of honor in the iPhone application pantheon. All you need are some good sources for updates:"

Abuzeedo: 10 trends that will define logo design in 2008

http://abduzeedo.com/10-trends-will-define-logo-design-2008
"The last article I wrote about logo design was about logo trends from past years. But now, 2008 logo design is getting some cool trends already.

It's important to be at the center of all design trends, because most of clients want to be at the hype. And the hype for trends right now are pretty cool. Some have been out there for some time now, and others are somewhat new. Check it out."

Think Vitamin: Awesome up your design with A.B.

http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/design/awesome-up-your-design-with-ab
"A new trend in web design is the rise of ambient — or auroral — backgrounds (A.B. for short). One of the spearheads of the new trend is Drew Wilson and with this tutorial Drew pulls back the curtain and lets you in on all his little secrets.

So you want to add some sweet savory flavor to you website, but you can’t place your cursor on what is lacking in your design and what needs to be added. May I suggest something I call Auroral Background (A.B. for short). It’s a great way to add depth and “awesomeness” to your design. With enough practice using the techniques I am going to show you, your designs can start looking like this:"

I Love Typography: A Guide to Web Typography

http://ilovetypography.com/2008/02/28/a-guide-to-web-typography/
"Typography for the Web has come a long way since Tim Berners-Lee flipped the switch in 1991. Back in the days of IE 1.0, good web typography was something of an oxymoron. Today things are different. Not only do we have browsers that support images (gasp!), but we have the opportunity to make our web pages come to life through great typography.

First, it’s worth noting that Typography is not just about choosing a font, or even distinguishing one typeface from another. In recent experiments, trained Monkeys were able to correctly identify Helvetica 90% of the time."

It's Shocking, We're Pissed, Wii Fit Sorta Works

http://kotaku.com/362216/its-shocking-were-pissed-wii-fit-sorta-works
" Let's get this out of the way: Wii Fit does work. Why wouldn't it? It's based on time-trued exercises. Stuff like doing sit-ups, push-ups and jogging. Well, jogging in place. But, to what extend does it work? For the past month, I've used Wii Fit on nearly a daily basis. Wii Fit isn't something you can review in 8 or time hours of play. You need weeks, months even! My Wii Fit workout was interrupted by two breaks: One for when my wife was sick (and I then got sick) and another when my wife was sick again (Nintendo, please make Wii Healthy, kthanxbai). Like with most things, results do vary from person to person. For me, some of it worked brilliantly. And some of it not.

"...when I started regularly going to the swimming hall, my weight dropped quite a bit, and it felt like my overall fitness had increased as well. I started thinking that getting fit could actually be fun."
—Shigeru Miyamoto

Last year, I began power walking. This writing job involves a great deal of sitting. And since I work at home, there's not much impetus for me to leave the house. (Getting dressed is a challenge most days as well.) Back before I got married and I spent my time talking to semi-pretty women and getting in bar fights (no, really), I weighed in at a meek 130 pounds. Know: I'm 5 foot 11 inches. I was super model thin, and shopping at chic Japanese boutiques was no problem. Then I got married, decided to quit smoking two packs a day and get very, very fat. I jumped up to 177 pounds. Blame Mrs. Bashcraft's delicious cooking or being able to down a half a bottle of sake. A big bottle. All of my super swank designer clothes were too small. I suffered a horrible embarrassment at a Paul Smith boutique, where I used to shop regularly, where none of their sizes could fit me. Hello fat American! But, as I approach thirty, the slow realization has set-in: We don't live forever. (That, and you can buy big designer clothes in America.)"

Abuzeedo: 20 Beautiful HDR Pictures

http://abduzeedo.com/20-beautiful-hdr-pictures?=main
"There are some photography techniques that really give me the goose bumps, but the good ones. HDR is one of those techniques... and you'll probably love these as much as I do.

"In computer graphics and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures (the range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows." - From Wikipedia.

What I've read on some foruns is that a program called Photomatix does the job... Does anybody have already used it? I'm looking forward to it. Well... either way, if I don't get to use it, I'll probably find out how to simulate that effect on Photoshop. All this pictures are from a Flickr HDR Group."