Category: Delicious

It's pretty common, when reading discussion of Apple's “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads, to come across the comment: Sure, they're great ads but they don't work. John Hodgeman’s PC is far more likeable than Justin Long’s smug hipster Mac. This is missing the point. To illustrate, here are director Chuck Jones’ rules for writing Road Runner cartoons, copied from Wikipedia: 1. Road Runner cannot harm the Coyote except by going “beep, beep”. 2. No outside force can harm the Coyote—only his own ineptitude or the failure of Acme products. 3. The Coyote could stop anytime—if he was not a fanatic. (Repeat: “A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim.” —George Santayana). 4. No dialogue ever, except “beep, beep”.

At 7?6?, Yao Ming is one of the tallest Olympians, one of the most revered basketball players across the world, and we’re willing to bet, were there an Olympic competition for aerial photography, he’d score heads above the rest. Puns aside, getting a camera up into the air is no small (or short) feat. We’re not all tall like Yao Ming, and we don’t always have access to a kite or a plane… Plus, tripods and professional monopods are expensive and weigh about a gajillion pounds. So, we made our own Photojojo Sky-Cam, just for you and just in time for your own photography Olympics. Transform your group shots, crowd shots, your super-secret, Bond-ian spy shots into “how’d-you-do-that,” Andreas Gursky-like works of high art.

Perhaps you have wondered how predictable machines like computers can generate randomness. In reality, most random numbers used in computer programs are pseudo-random, which means they are a generated in a predictable fashion using a mathematical formula. This is fine for many purposes, but it may not be random in the way you expect if you're used to dice rolls and lottery draws. RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs. People use RANDOM.ORG for holding draws, lotteries and sweepstakes, to drive games and gambling sites, for scientific applications and for art and music. The service has been operating since 1998 and was built and is being operated by Mads Haahr of the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland.

The doctoring of photos, once considered the reserve of tyrants and UFO nuts, is becoming increasingly widespread. With photo-editing software becoming ever more sophisticated, and the internet allowing instant distribution, it has never been easier to create and spread hoax images. Below we present 20 of the most striking, interesting and controversial fake photos, most of them produced in the last five years. Some were created to amuse, some to mislead, while others were an attempt to rewrite history. And although the credulity of the internet has been blamed for allowing hoax photos to flourish, several of the fakes below were actually uncovered by bloggers after being distributed by mainstream media outlets.

The words that speakers used at the two political conventions show the themes that the parties have highlighted. Republican speakers have talked about reform and character far more frequently than the Democrats. And Republicans were more likely to talk about businesses and taxes, while Democrats were more likely to mention jobs or the economy.

This list summarizes 25 of the most controversial banned books and tells you where you can read them all for free online. Exercise your rights by reading at least one of these banned books today!

If you run a consumer business, chances are pretty good a few of your customers are posting their opinions about it on the dozen or so Web sites that review local businesses across the country. These sites attract tens of thousands of daily posts and position themselves as online destinations for consumers to offer or get an unvarnished take on a business—to be both the critics and lobbyists. The largest of these sites, in terms of July monthly unique visitors, include YellowPages.com (T)(roughly 18 million uniques), YELP (roughly 17.8 million), Yahoo! Local (YHOO) (roughly 13.2 million), and Citysearch (roughly 10 million), according to Web analytics firm Compete.com. “These sites are going to become more important,” says Matt Booth of Kelsey Group, a research firm that specializes in local search. “And there are going to be an increasing number of them.”

Throughout the past weeks and months, a common question that arises with clients and readers of Elite By Design is all about how to get started with WordPress. With thousands of new blogs springing up every day, it can be quite daunting for a new user to be thrust into a new interface and blogging platform. That is why today I am taking WordPress back to the basics with 25+ essential articles for every WordPress beginner.

Brushes and custom shapes can make a design come alive either with a little grunge effect or a sunburst or a silhouette. There are literally thousands of brushes and shapes to choose from so here is a list that contains over 600 brushes and shapes to help you make a killer site.

Often in the development of a site I come across the need to display the size of a document next to the link targeting it. I also like to display the type of file the link targets, for example, when linking to pdfs, mp3s or Word documents. These indications distinguish the ‘attachment’ link from a normal web link, whilst also giving the user some inkling of the time they will need to wait to view the resulting content. So I was pretty excited when Simon bounded in from work and enthusiastically demonstrated json-head, a Google App Engine application he built on the train home. Every file on the web, be it a web page, a text file or whatever has HTTP headers associated with it. This is meta information about the file that is sent before the actual contents of the file itself. Included in this meta information is the size of the document. You can call json-head with JavaScript (JSONP).

Making a photograph of a person look amazing adds an extra dimension of professionalism to your design. These photoshop body enhancement tutorials will help you transform your people pictures to stunning models in next to no time. Most techniques involve similar use of the photoshop tools.

Round out your mad-science lab or witch’s larder with just a few dollars and a little imagination – This is a process, rather than a specific How-To. Use a similar process on your own to mix and match different items to make your own jars. Wander through the dollar store and look at the various items in a whole new way!

Every Designer has his favorite tools and add-ons that definitely comes in handy when needed. What is more useful than simple, time-saving and handy tools you can use in the development process? Here is a roundup of 15 tools, services and add-ons that is worth your time. Let us know your experience with the tools listed here or and others that you use to keep you going. I would like to create a gallery here on Noupe to showcase the best Tools, Services and Add-ons that will definitely save time and effort for designers and developers.

Over the last months we have seen a strong trend towards more individual web designs. These designs use realistic motifs from our regular life, such as hand-drawn elements, script fonts, pins, paper clips, organic textures and scrapbooks. That’s not a big surprise as they manage to serve the function which faceless shiny glassy 3D-buttons completely fail to deliver: convey the individuality and personality. “Personal” designs appear more familiar and more friendly. Used properly, such elements can give a human touch to design and communicate the content in a truly distinctive manner. However, apart from visual design elements one can also get creative with the layout of the site – its structure and the way the information is presented and communicated. To provide you with some ideas of how exactly it can be done, we have been collecting examples of creative design layouts.

Oh_No_Full_Length.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

Accept calls anonymously without revealing your phone number

Forgotten Comic is a new online outlet offering a unique selection of back issue and rare comic books, as well as newly released comics from publishers both large and small. We are avid collectors who know a great deal when we see one, and are able to bring the best comic books to you at an inexpensive, and affordable price. Visit Forgotten Comic and find your rare comic books today!

As if we didn’t have enough to juggle, Google adds their own browser to the mix. Google Chrome was released a few hours ago for Windows XP & Vista. A Mac version is promised at some point. Even though I’m a Mac user, it was worth a launch of VMWare Fusion to take the new kid on the block for a spin. Initial impression? Nice start. I’m certainly not going to shout from the rooftops because Google puts its tabs above the address bar. Yes, it’s different. But in some areas of the browser it feels different for different’s sake which does nothing for productivity. What sets Chrome apart, clearly, is how it manages resources. The browser is the operating system, and like with any modern OS each application is handled separately. I think of all us who live in Firefox know what it’s like to have 30 tabs open and be stuck because one is being ornery.

There have been persistent – and reasonably credible – rumors that Google was going to release its own browser. Now, thanks to Google Blogoscoped, we have some additional evidence: a 38-page comic book sent out by Google to announce the Google Chrome project. The comic runs through a bunch of interesting features: process-isolated tabs, a new Javascript engine tuned for large, complex applications (like, oh, GMail), UI innovations, an “Omnibox” that resembles Firefox’s “Awesome bar”, and more. The new browser is supposedly built on top of the Webkit rendering engine. Although this could be a (very elaborate) hoax, I’m inclined to believe it’s for real: the URL for Google Chrome is returning a custom 404 page, rather than the one Google uses for random words. I’m sure I won’t be the only web worker hoping to see a release here sooner rather than later.

Google is to release its own internet browser in what amounts to its most direct attack yet on Microsoft’s dominance of PC software. The launch of the browser, known as Google Chrome, will pit the internet company against Microsoft’s dominant Internet Explorer browser, which is used by an estimated three-quarters of all internet users. Google said a test version of the browser would be released in 100 countries on Tuesday. EDITOR’S CHOICE Mediaset sues Google over web TV clips – Jul-30 Lex: Cuil v Google – Jul-28 Newcomer lines up to take on Google – Jul-28 Google poaches Newsnight editor – Jul-28 Sun Valley shindig that deals in more than small potatoes – Jul-11 Google launch to alter virtual worlds – Jul-10 The direct challenge echoes the so-called Browser Wars of the late-1990s, when Microsoft used its Windows operating system monopoly to win users for its own software and defeat the internet pioneer Netscape. That battle triggered a US anti-trust case against the software company.

Google announced on Monday that it has been working on an open-source browser known as Chrome and that it is going to release a beta version today in 100 countries. News about the launch of Google Chrome (originally planned for announcement after the holiday weekend) was accidentally emailed to outside sources according to reports. The new browser features include "isolated" tabs designed to prevent browser crashes and a more powerful JavaScript engine. Chrome is based on the open-source software Webkit which is also used to build Google's mobile software Android.

Everyone knows that some people get more spam than others, but new research shows that it may have something to do with the first letter of your email address. Richard Clayton, a security researcher at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., says he found evidence that the more common the first letter in your email address is, the more spam you get: in other words, alice@company.com typically gets a higher volume of spam than quincy@company.com, or zach@company.com. He says that's simply because there are more combinations of names that begin with "A" than with "Q" or "Z."

Philipp Lenssen writes "Google announced their very own browser project called Google Chrome — an announcement in the form of a comic book drawn by Scott McCloud, no less. Google says Google Chrome will be open source, include a new JavaScript virtual machine, include the Google Gears add-on by default, and put the tabs above the address bar (not below), among other things. I've also uploaded Google's comic book with all the details (details given from Google's perspective, anyway… let's see how this holds up). While Google provided the URL www.google.com/chrome there's nothing up there yet."

Word surfaced Monday of a Web "comic book" introducing Google Chrome, the search giant's long-rumored open-source browser project. While the illustrations, created by cartoonist Scott McCloud, were not announced by Google, they do contain the quotes and likenesses of 19 Google developers.

By the Google Chrome team, comics adaptation by Scott McCloud

While in many parts of the world the new business quarter may be all about inflation and expensive oil and collapsing housing markets, the online world remains a hotbed of innovation and opportunity. So this month, let’s look at some new ways the offline world is making the most of the online steamroller.

Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.

Today there was a comic book in my mail, sent by Google and drawn by no less than Scott McCloud, creator of the classic Understanding Comics. Within the 38 pages, which I’ve scanned and put up, in very readable format Google gives the technical details into a project of theirs: an open source browser called Google Chrome. The book points to www.google.com/chrome, but I can’t see anything live there yet. In a nut-shell, here’s what the comic announces Google Chrome to be:

Google Chrome – Behind the Open Source Browser Project

At Google, we have a saying: “launch early and iterate.” While this approach is usually limited to our engineers, it apparently applies to our mailroom as well! As you may have read in the blogosphere, we hit "send" a bit early on a comic book introducing our new open source browser, Google Chrome. As we believe in access to information for everyone, we've now made the comic publicly available — you can find it here. We will be launching the beta version of Google Chrome tomorrow in more than 100 countries. So why are we launching Google Chrome? Because we believe we can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the web.

02 – 4 Minutes.mp3

Commission Junction, a ValueClick company, is a global leader in the online advertising channels of affiliate marketing and managed search. We drive quality results, deliver superior service, and develop sustainable relationships for advertisers and publishers through our performance-based solutions. Commission Junction operates the only truly global network in affiliate marketing while setting the industry standard for network quality and providing the most sophisticated reporting tools available.

We're all familiar with the "OK" and "Cancel" buttons you get on dialog boxes. Simple labels that ask us whether we agree or disagree to the next action the application wants to take. The interesting thing is that using exclamations like "OK" and "No" isn't all that usable. Instead, you should use verbs. Let me illustrate this with an example.

Improvised – Harrison Ford famously improvised his "I know" line in E.S.B. Here are a few of his less-successful ad-libs:

I have really good news to report. Some of my best friends in the search marketing industry – the crew at MonsterCommerce have announced this morning via an interview with Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld that they have been acquired by Network Solutions. My good friend Stephanie Leffler will give up the CEO reigns to Champ Mitchell (CEO of Network Solutions) and will run the organization as President and General Manager. Ryan Noble (formerly President) will be Senior Vice President of Monster Commerce.

FREE Yahoo! Store Marketing Newsletter full of Y!Store SEO, SEM, PPC and Conversion rate boosting tips and tricks

The sweepstakes. Ah, yes, that ultimate fallback marketing concept. I guess when you have nothing to differentiate your product or service, run a sweepstakes. Apparently, there are plenty of companies with no points of difference. Let’s start with Budget Rental Car, just for fun. It launched a Microsite at flipforbudget.com where it asked visitors to shoot a short video that demonstrates how the average Budget car renter can live the budget-savvy lifestyle while on a vacation or road trip. The person who submitted the most original video would win $25,000. That certainly is an original idea.

Out of ink? Already? When Farhad Manjoo's Brother printer abruptly stopped zipping out prints, he began to wonder if the printer wasn't simply lying that it was out of toner in order to trick him into buying more before he needed it. The prints hadn't been fading at all, but the printer simply refused to go on without a new cartridge. No fool, Manjoo turned to the web for a solution: He saved his 60 bucks and instead found a simple fix. By covering up a sensor on the side of the toner cartridge with a piece of electrical tape he tricked the printer into thinking the cartridge was full. Well, not so much trick as convince: Manjoo says his printer's been going strong ever since, eight months and hundred of pages down the road, pumping out perfect pages.

Theory often takes a back seat to practice in the field of web design—after all, it’s hard enough to keep up with the latest acronyms without trying to carve out time for navel gazing about the profession. As a result, innovation in the way we think about our creations has lagged behind the breakneck pace of change in the technologies we use to create them. Consider, for example, our craft’s foundational metaphor of “information architecture.” Since at least Richard Saul Wurman’s 1996 book Information Architects, architecture has been the primary metaphor for how “those who build websites” think about what we do. By adding a new metaphor to our theoretical toolboxes, we can gain a richer, more nuanced understanding of the way that we inhabit cyberspace. This enhanced apprehension of the medium should enable us to create websites that better serve our users.

Bob Saget is many things to many people: He's Danny Tanner, the straight-laced, neat-freak father who beamed into our homes every Friday night when we were younger; the director of "Dirty Work"; the deliverer of the greatest line from "Half-Baked," about the difference between Mary Jane and rock cocaine; a musical mastermind; and – oh yeah, God.

Recently, Network Solutions engaged Livingston Communications (soon to be Social Media Group) to engage in a reputation monitoring and social PR. Phase one began on July 1, an effort to directly engage generators of negative commentary on blogs, Twitter and forums in a listen and respond conversation. Just one month into it, we’ve already seen some incredible conversations and results: