First of all, I am one of those people who refused to support/buy anything with an “i” in front of it, it’s not that one day I wake up and decided to dislike Macs. I owned an iPod before and I found myself almost throwing it against the wall. I have used Macs, and I can’t find myself liking it as much as a PC. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it, but I just prefer PC’s… that being said, the best thing Apple “invented” and poured so much thoughts into my brain is the latest and greatest the Multi-touch technology.

Where did I get the idea Multi-touch will be Web 3.0? Well, Javascript libraries such as jQuery, Mootools, Prototype etc… changed the way people interact with web, and how it delivered interactivity and information to the users. Designers/developers don’t need to depend on Flash/Silverlight to have animations / effects, things load faster in the background or don’t even have to reload a page thanks to AJAX. No longer the user has to open a new window to see a picture, instead, they can see them using a Lightbox or similar tool. I personally feel those are the most important elements that differentiate the good old web from Web 2.0. Some might argue Web 2.0 is all about the shiny graphics, but I beg to be differed. Not only that, Multi-touch is already in smart phones and Apple already started it with their Macbooks / Magic Mouse, and Windows 7 with their own multi-touch interface. It’s only a matter of time when all the websites don’t require a mouse to browse and adding more interactivities, because I don’t have to use a mouse to browse when I use my G1, why should a desktop computer? The tools are already existed to get us there, the question is how soon. My guess? I’d say in a year.

To prove it, some crazies already made one of the world’s first Multi-touch website taking advantage of Windows 7 multi-touch support – of course it still works if you don’t have a fancy multi-touch screen or a Waccom Bamboo Touch (cost only $69 and works on both Macs and PCs – yes, even Win XP SP2).  Or a fancy Macbook / Magic Mouse.

Although, I don’t think I’ll trade my CSS/HTML skills for multi-touch making websites in Silverlight. That being said, I think I was looking at the future of the web and probably something that will “encourage” CSS3.x / and HTML4.x to support multi-touch sooner, maximize and push the web even further? Can I already say Multi-Touch Web 3.0, anyone?

A slight problem of course Multi-touch is quite new, not many people have the tools to interact, or the necessity for it for the web at least. Never mind that, not a lot of people get the use of it. Multi-touch took me a few seconds to figure out how to use it, now that I know, “wowser” is the word I’m using to describe it. To me, the web is all about two words: information and experience. As designers/developers are constantly finding better and cooler way to create websites and deliver information, Mutli-touch is definitely the next big thing on the web.

I don’t know about you, but I’m jumping on the bandwagon to look for a way to “fake” a Web 2.5 for now and make Web 2.0 sounds so 2008 while people still digging the glossy/shiny buttons, and debate the best way to clear floats.

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This scripts worked in Acrobat 8 & 9 Pro. Instead of of manually extracting all the pages, and then manually optimize them, this script can ease the process. To access the Batch Processing menu: Advanced -> Document Processing -> Batch Processing. The screen shot below shows where and how to add the script:

Then add the following script into the “Javascript Editor”:

var filename = this.documentFileName.replace(".pdf","");
try{ for(var i = 0; i<this.numPages; i++)
    var num = i+1;
    this.extractPages({ nStart: i; });
    cPath: filename+"_"+num+".pdf"});
}cath (e){ console.println {"Aborted: " + e) }

Saves a lot of time if you have a lot of files to extract and need to optimized the files using custom settings.

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I’ve been using this script quite a bit, and I think it’s time to jog it down somewhere. A few things to keep in mind when using this script:

1. Try not to use this script on the main/root time line. If you have movie clips within the main timeline, when the timer is up, it speeds through the entire time line to the every end. Stop(); won’t do anything.
2. This script works well inside a movie clip, also works for movie clips within a movie clip. But try to minimize it to only one clip
3. The controls (Pause, Play) buttons work best in the main / root time line, doesn’t work too well if there are clips within a clip

Just insert the following inside a movie clip’s time line where you want it to pauses for a few moments:

	 stop();
 
    var startTime:Number = getTimer();
    var pausedTime = 0;
    //countTo = number of seconds.
    var countTo:Number = 10;
    var ref:MovieClip = this;
 
    this.onEnterFrame = function():Void {
        if (!paused) {
            var elapsedTime:Number = getTimer()-ref.startTime-pausedTime;
            var count:Number = Math.ceil(countTo-(elapsedTime*0.001));
            if(count<1){
                this.gotoAndPlay(nextFrame());
            }
        }
    }

In addition if you want to have Pause / Play buttons, insert the following codes after the above codes:

	_root.puz1.onRelease = function() {
       if (!paused) {
          pauseTime = getTimer();
          paused=true;
          _root.puz1.gotoAndStop(2);
       }
    }
    _root.play1.onRelease = function() {
       if (paused) {
          pausedTime += getTimer() - pauseTime;
          paused=false;
          _root.puz1.gotoAndStop(1);
       }
    }

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A few days ago, I told myself that I need to reject the idea that I can’t draw.  So I started to look at tutorials how to draw and learn how to “think”.  One of the methods is to think each objects in line and shapes how that object is made up instead of let the brain telling me what that object is.  Using that method, I tried vectorizing an image.  I feel that helps me to learn how to put the shapes together as much as drawing – and the product was my USB icons.   The result was quite good, and that was a very good exercise apparently…

Because I had an inspiring moment when I was watching TV.  A very flashy, colorful commercial came up.  I don’t remember what commercial it was, but I started to look closely at a single object and followed it across the screen, quickly break the object down with line, shapes, and analyzed how I could achieve it as a drawing.  That was an interesting and inspiring moment, because I felt excited as I was analyzing the image on the TV screen.  That night, I had a vivid dream of a layout – next morning, I was able to recall the layout, colors, and drew it out on a piece of paper.  I guess I looked at and fed my brain enough design elements that entire day, and thinking in lines and shapes that a “dream” layout appeared.

Who would’ve thought dreams can be an inspirational source, eh?  Have you have a inspirational dream?  Do tell.

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If that happens, use Task Manager to “End Task” for Illustrator – then hit the “Cancel” button on the error popup.  Did 2 minutes of google, this article came up.  Even though it was for Flex, it seems to apply here.  What happened is that I have the same file name image linked to the file, but with different extensions.  One was in PNG, the other one was in JPG.  The one on linked to the file was PNG, but I have a JPG in the exact same folder where the PNG should be with the same name.  Boy, Illustrator started kicking and screaming just because of this.  As soon as I created a new image with the same file name but with the PNG extension, it stopped.

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I got this idea of this article after me and JavaJunky talking and given a tutorial of how Twitter works to a couple of our friends at my birthday party.  When they went home, 3 people were on Twitter.  I guess me and JavaJunky did a good job on the sales pitch.

Twitter started out as a very simple idea: “What are you doing?”  At first, I wasn’t sold on the idea that I want to tell my friends where I am at, what I’m eating, sleeping etc… I see no point and productivity, a waste of time and add more junk to the web.  One day I was visiting NPR (National Public Radio) website and I saw them that they are on Twitter.  So I started to follow them.  That day on, I saw the light. Instead of popping out your emails, open up your RSS reader, or going through a website just to search news those are interesting to you, they are delivered to you almost instantly with a short description and a link.  As you follow more people on the topic that you are interested in, the more news you can get.  Because I sit in front of a computer most of the time and as many of the web nerds are, I have TweetDeck or Twhirl open pretty much all the time.  I honestly learn more new things in the past 2 months using Twitter as a news service than waiting for my subscription emails to arrive once a week or once a month.

Before Tweeting, I highly recommend using LastPass.  You will never have to remember another password but one password – it is accessible anywhere, and can randomly generates strong passwords for you. Even you don’t know the passwords, so won’t the hackers… I hope :P

Twitter from anywhere

If you don’t have a fancy iPhone or Internet access, well, you don’t have to.  If you are in the U.S. you can just send a text message to 40404.  If you are outside of the U.S. you can find out the number:

Keeping your wanted tweets and filter out the ones that you don’t want!

Twitter to Blogs:

Note: Since I am a WordPress user, I can only say what I know of WordPress.  I don’t know about other blog services.  Just throwing out an idea…

Now you got all of these new information, you’ll probably get overwhelmed by all the information that you are NOT interested in.  But how do you keep the ones you that you want and filter out other junk?  The easiest is to set up a blog such as WordPress and add on a plugin called Twitter Tools (although it is dated for WP 2.7.1., but still works in WP 2.8.1.) – RT (retweet) the tweets that you like, and tell the plugin to do a daily or weekly digest of your tweets.   It’ll grab all of your tweets.  You can also set it to not grab any tweet with @ at the beginning, so very flexible.  Voila!  You now have a daily journal basically.

Bookmarking with Delicious (http://delicious.com/)

Of course, the traditional way is to bookmark your links.  I prefer and highly recommend Delicious that because it comes with a very simple to use yet powerful FireFox addon. With one click, you can save your bookmark, tag them and find them again extremely fast and easy.  But hey, if you prefer Digg, StumleUpon… by all mean.

The Power of Twitter

Tweecious is a FireFox addon that automatically grabs the past 1000 tweets and separate them in tags.  I doubt that is helpful because not all of them you want to keep, and there are repeated tweets, or just down right to useless tweets.  You’ll end up getting more junk than quality information.  The get quality tweets you just have to screen them yourself.  No easy way out.

Twitter to Evernote (http://www.evernote.com/)

I just started to use Evernote for a few weeks, and I don’t know how I could live without it now.  Evernote is a powerful software that allow you to create Notebooks from writing down your diary, doing research, grocery list, backup your mp3, videos, files, or to keeping bookmarks.  Although, I don’t like it keeping my bookmarks, it’s a waste just to insert a link.  You can then later access the exact same information on the web, on another computer that has Evernote installed, or even a SandDish U3 thumb drive.  Evernote can be also shared with other people, publicly or friends for collaborations such as working on a project.  Lastly, you can “web clip” anything on your screen, or highlight text on a page then send to Evernote as a new note.  Powerful research tool.  You can also use your cell phone, take a picture, and email directly to Evernote as storage or whatever you want.

Now, back to Twitter.  Twitter can also send a quick note via Twitter simply by following myEN, then every time you have a link or tweet that you want to keep, just add @myEN anywhere inside the tweet, it’ll be automatically send to your Evernote account.  The bad thing about is that you can’t tag, and it can only be sent to Evernote’s default notebook.  You’ll have go back to add tags and move the note to the category you want.

Twitter to Remember the Milk (http://rememberthemilk.com/)

Remember the Milk is an online tasks service, and get reminders for tasks.  Great for grocery shopping lists ;-)   The thing is, RTM uses Twitter as an input service also.  All you have to do is to follow @rtm (http://twitter.com/rtm), and everytime you want to add a new task. All you have to do is send it a DM (Direct Message) by typing: “d rtm have lunch with mom on Sun @ 1pm”.  Scary enough that RTM knows to add that task as:

Task: have lunch with mom

When: Sunday @ 1:00pm

But it’ll only send to your “Inbox”, and you cannot add tags and locations to the task.  Although, you can apply these commands. I personally like to sit down at home and add all of my grocery, and then grab the list through Twitter on the phone when I’m at the store.  Or add something quick to remind me later through my phone or Twitter desktop app such as TwitterDeck, Twirl etc… it can also send you a DM through Twitter to remind you of your tasks also.

Twitter to GCal through TwitterCal: http://twittercal.com/

Just like RTM and myEN, all you have to do is to follow GCal, then just send a direct message to GCal to add a new event to your GCal.  The problem is, it doesn’t seem to be working because GCal did not follow me back after I followed them, and you cannot DM someone unless they’re following you also.  GCal finally followed me back, it is pretty slick!  You can add What, when, where, and who.  But only What and when are necessary.  Visit twittercal.com for full instructions!

Saving the best for last: Mashup

Dial2Do (http://dial2do.com/)

I just discovered this service a few days ago and boy, it is awesome!  Dial2Do is a “mashup” tool.  You can tweet, send pictures, voice clips, pictures to Evernote, or add a task to your RTM, add a new event to your choice of calendar service, all by just dialing their given number.

Currently, it is in Beta and it is all FREE to use!  They did state that eventually they’ll charge something, but it probably worth it.  Jott is another similar service, they charge reasonable prices for the services.  I have not tried them because I’m broke, and I got Dial2Do :)

Conclusion

The problem of using Mashup service or Twitter to do other tasks that you cannot tag your items, and add them to certain category.  Are hashtags (Example: #tag1, #firefox) really that hard to implement?  But nonetheless, these are very useful tools when you’re not around a computer but with a mobile phone.

How are you using Twitter to organize your life?  Are there more useful tools that you want to share?

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My boss has a thing about revamping the site once a year… his logic is that the customers need to relearn the navigation so that they might discover new things… I guess he really doesn’t like the idea of “Don’t make me think”.  Anyways, that made me ponder how long should a homepage be revamped?  Once a year seems a bit excessive to me, and I have noticed that sites like Intel / AMD had not updated their website for at least 2–3 years.  Now, there are many reasons why a website stays the way it is for a few year, I think these are the factors:

1. Confusions – new look drives lots of habit based current readers/customers/clients absolutely nuts.  Every year after the revamping, we got lots of emails and calls regarding the website that the customers claimed that they can’t find their things anymore.  Actually, the customers mostly freaked out at the homepage, but the rest of the page, the navigation system is pretty much the same with minor changes.  Yet, “he” persisted that we change every year, actually, the new look only hit the 6 months mark… luckily, I ‘m not the one who answer those emails and calls
2. Resources - it takes time to come up with a good design and resources to build it.  Did I mention I’m a one person graphic / web department?  I don’t know how big is Intel & AMD’s web team, but pretty sure more than 1 person.  I am imagining that they study back and forth of all the navigation and layout make sure that they don’t freak their customers out when they whip out the new look.  That, I am judging by their navigation and layout.  Intel has the most significant change on the homepage since last year, but after the homepage Intel keeps the navigation pretty much the same.  AMD also keeps the same navigation system and everything pretty much the same but with an updated look.

I mean, my boss has a point freshening the navigation, although, with the “Don’t make me think” principle… Well, let me know what you think?

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