I finally completed a good chunk of a project I’ve been working on (in design and in implementation) for a couple of months. The new redesign of justinrussell.com (version 7.0 by my count… can you believe it?) clears up a few things that have been bothering me about the old version.
Before explaining those, though, I want to just mention a couple of small tech details. The new site is completely done with div elements and CSS instead of using tables. Most people reading this right now probably don’t know and/or care, but CSS allows for some powerful new functionality. I might play around with it if I get bored sometime. Also, the site is W3C validated. This means the code is clean, and there’s a better chance it will work on most browsers. I’ve checked it on Firefox 1.0 on Mac and Win, Safari 1.0, and IE 6 on Windows. IE has some very slight alignment problems with it, but hey, if you’re not using Firefox already, go get it.
The design changed, first of all. I didn’t have any particular problem with the old design, other than it hadn’t really been changed in a while. This one’s simpler. The first non-design-related thing you’ll probably notice about the site is that I’ve combined my portfolio with my main site. I wanted there to be one central source for anyone interested in me and what I’ve done; while the Portfolio Server is a great resource, I figured it made sense to put everything on my own page. Also, you’ll see right up front that there are links to external sites (including my items for sale at Half.com and my links on del.icio.us). These will change over time as I gain and lose interest in different services and sites, but they’ll always be in the same place. Once again, I’m trying to realize that I don’t have to reinvent the wheel for every service out there. I’m playing nice with standards, so I’ll play nice with other sites, too.
I’ll tell you, it’s a relief to get that off my chest. I wanted to launch it with my blog at the beginning of the year, but… close enough.
(Before beginning this post, I must remind everyone that I Am Not An Artist. If anyone would like to send me better graphics, by all means do, and I’ll put them up here. The graphics are, of course, under a Creative Commons Attribution license and anyone is free to use them the idea itself in any way as long as they mention where they got them.)
In honor of Macworld Expo next week, I thought I’d come up with a product that I thought would be Mac-worthy. Steve Jobs has always been known to show off new products and technologies during his keynote (Tuesday), so this seemed like the perfect time. My idea: AirPhones.
Simply stated, AirPhones are a pair of around-the-back headphones that would be powered by a rechargable battery (like the iPod) and would utilize WiFi (like the AirPort Express). These completely cordless headphones that would primarily work along the same lines as the pairs of Bluetooth headphones that have appeared recently, but they would add a few features.
AirPhones would use rechargable batteries placed just in back of the ears. To charge these batteries, the AirPhones would use a connector of the same variety that is used on the iPod.
To charge, the AirPhones would rest on the top of a special docking station. In addition to charging the AirPhones, the dock would also charge an iPod by using a similar connector placed in front of the stand. The dock would be powered by the same FireWire connection that is used for iPod charging.
The iPod connector would not simply be used for charging, though. In addition to providing simple streaming with WiFi, the antenna, in combination with a rudimentary setup program available when charging, would pick up signals using Apple’s AirTunes technology. iTunes users could then choose which pair of AirPhones would be used to listen to their current stream. AirPhones could be password-protected so allow for some privacy or could be left open in order to have some fun with your AirPhones -owning neighbors.
I want a pair.
Bill Gates says that free software people are communists on Tuesday, and his presentation crashes in his CES keynote presentation Wednesday. Coincidence? I think not.
He was running Windows, after all, that fine piece of commercial monopoly software.
I recently received what appeared to be a bill from the “Internet Corporation Listing Service”, or ICLS. The sheet of paper listed one of my domains: zipboards.info. Strangely enough, I didn’t even know I own that domain. I don’t think I do, because I don’t recognize the holder page for the domain right now. The whois info shows that it’s mine, though, so I guess I’ll just proceed as if that’s a given.
Looking over the bill I found something quite peculiar: it wasn’t a registration request. In fact, it was simply a chance to “remit payment” for listing on “14 MAJOR search engines” for the wonderfully overpriced charge of $35/year. I laughed when I saw it, and then I started to panic a bit due to the paper’s bill-like nature. Fear not, though, because above the tear-off payment stub, these words were printed:
Gee, thanks.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Verisign and Network Solutions (along with Qwest for telephone soliciations) both used this kind of tactic. It was even the basis for a class-action lawsuit. I guess I can take comfort in the fact that I’m not alone.
Be careful of what you get in the mail, especially if you own domains. Yay for reports to the USPS, FBI, and FTC.
Per Jon‘s suggestion and the realization that I can actually take part in cool services without having to build reincarnations of them myself, I joined del.icio.us today. It’s basically a social bookmarks tool; it’s a very simple idea that allows you to “subscribe” to friend’s picks, keep a “look at the cool site” list, check out the newest or most popular sites in a certain category (tag), or just see the most popular overall. Its frequency of updates rivals that of Wikipedia. I’ll be trying to post there a lot as well as here (I’ll still be posting my very favorites here, of course, but this will cut down on some clutter). They also have an RSS feed for each person and tag, so if you’re still looking for a way to fill out that RSS reader I suggested, head over there.
Also, if you want to, join up. It’s incredibly simple to use and it’s fun. It’s also a More People the Better It Is site, so that might be a little added encouragement for you, too.
My latest bookmarks are at del.icio.us/NightThree.
Every once in a while I have an idea and don’t follow through with it fast enough. This (apparently) happened with half.com, and I know it’s happened with some other ideas, too.
I haven’t seen this idea around anywhere, though; I just didn’t get it developed in time. As an homage to a popular bumper sticker around these parts, I thought I’d make this one:
I support two parties: the Democrats and whoever beats Bush.
(this post dedicated to my favorite Republican, who was rather impatient at the speed of my updates :-p)
With a handful of new reports coming out recently and with a big jump in publicity, the blogging community seems to be doing pretty well right now.
The ABC article seems to do a good job about explaining one of the concepts of blogging and the collaborative atmosphere of the Internet that people often overlook: collaboration allows not just better communication, but better research. Ideally, if a falsehood is posted on a blog, readers will correct it and will cite sources (that’s the idea behind Wikipedia, too). The thing that happened with Dan Rather was probably the best-known example of last year, but it happens all the time.
The latest example I’ve seen has to do with a likely new Apple app called iWork, as reported by a rumor on MacRumors.com. After hearing the initial rumor, people looked into it. They heard about a company switching its current application name from ‘iWork’ to ‘iBiz’. They looked up some info at the USPTO and saw that the application for the name trademark had been switched from the company in question to – wait for it – Apple Computer, Inc. The likely release date of the application is at Macworld Expo on January 11.
One of the biggest obstacles facing blogs and citizen journalism in general is the issue of credibility. Bloggers, though, along with their readers, are for the most part intelligent, educated, and resourceful people who know how to use the Web. Maybe the real question is whether the combined credibility of all citizen journalists is greater than the credibility of Big Media.
In the spirit of Procrastinators United’s Correct Method for Typing a School Paper, be sure to check out Gotta Get My Stuff Done. It’s a wonderful thing to watch when you have stuff to get done.
Lately I’ve been trying to do some business on half.com, a marketplace for individual sellers that’s part of eBay. I put up some of the things I have laying around the house as well as some good deals I’ve found around town. If you see anything that catches your eye, buy it; also tell your friends about it. It’s a wonderful place to get books, movies, music, and games. I also like the general concept; instead of wasting production for another CD, just buy one that nobody uses any more. Amazon’s caught on, and my favorite local music store (Bull Moose Music) also has a huge selection of used music. Even if it’s not my stuff, consider buying there. It’s just another great way to eliminate the middlepeople. I’ve been experimenting with some inventory management scripts, and I’ve really started to get into it and have some fun.
To see what I have up for sale, head to niknight3 on half.com.
(My Dad says I came up with the idea for Half before they did; I can’t remember that, really, but it wouldn’t be the first time I lost out on a great idea. 
)
