Archive for category General Knowledge
Quick Tip: Fluid Width Images
Posted by Damon in Business Intelligence, General Knowledge, Solutions on June 13, 2011
Today I’m sharing a quick tip: fluid width images.
I’ve been working on a mobile website which requires me to make the site practical and functional across a myriad of devices and their corresponding screen sizes. Usually, this isn’t much of a problem if it’s just text and background colors, because you can just leave the “width” attribute off of your element to have the text & colors fill the screen.
Essential Tips to Add Realism to Your Designs
Posted by Damon in General Knowledge on September 16, 2010
As user interfaces get more complex and visitors get more comfortable with the internet, it’s more important than ever to serve up a great looking design. It’s not enough to give users content that keeps them coming back — users expect a great design. After all, the design of your site is what will catch their attention at first; with that being said, I believe we’re seeing a shift in the way sites are designed. More and more websites are moving from simple, static designs with minimal effects and basic typography to highly dynamic and meticulously curated designs. By adding a little depth to your designs, you can create subtle changes that have tremendous effects to the overall appearance of your design. Ready to dive in?
Your Business Needs an Actual Website Before You Even Think About Facebook
Posted by Stephanie in General Knowledge, Social Media on September 7, 2010
I stumbled across something very disturbing on Facebook today that I just had to share. A fairly well known woman’s boutique in Toledo (which shall remain nameless until they get it together) has a Facebook company page. This fact is not disturbing in the least. However, this boutique that shall not be named also has a Facebook personal profile and a Myspace profile. And to top it off, it does not have an actual company website. Never mind the fact that this boutique is on Myspace (may she rest in peace) and it is maintaining a personal profile page on Facebook (I have to be your friend before I can even see the business address for goodness sake!) – why would a small business dive into social media before it even has a company website? More and more small business owners are using their Facebook page as the only face for the company online and failing to maintain an actual company website. While every business should have both, the two are not one in the same.
15 Facts about Net Neutrality – An Infographic
Posted by Stephanie in General Knowledge on August 23, 2010
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about net neutrality on our blog and elsewhere and it seems the debate is not going to end anytime soon. With the most recent chapter in the debate involving Google and Verizon making a deal, it’s hard to keep track of all the big players and the latest advancements. Most people have probably heard about the debate but not everyone necessarily knows or cares what it means to their everyday internet use and some people still may be having a hard time digesting the concept of net neutrality as a whole. With that we bring you 15 Facts about Net Neutrality – an infographic courtesy of Online MBA Programs. As a visual learner (and someone who has been following the debate closely), I found this helpful and hope you will too.
Quick Fire Tips for Effective Email Marketing
Posted by Damon in Business Intelligence, General Knowledge, Services on August 16, 2010
For some, email marketing is a golden opportunity to reach numerous customers, increase brand recognition and cross-sell many different things. However, for others, email marketing is a bear; they get less than desirable results and have no idea how to improve their reach. My aim is to expose some simple guidelines to improve your email marketing campaigns. Even though some may seem obvious, many of these tips are often overlooked, resulting in email newsletters that simply don’t get the job done.
Encrypt Data Across Multiple Operating Systems Using TrueCrypt
Posted by Shazad in General Knowledge on August 12, 2010
Data encryption and security is a serious concern for business and personal computer use. TrueCrypt is free data encryption software that can encrypt volumes on either an individual partition or an entire storage device. It is supported on Windows 7, Vista, XP, Mac OS X and Linux.
In TrueCrypt, there are three different options for Volume Creation.The first option is to create an encrypted file which can be mounted and used as a drive. The file created by using this method can be copied and emailed or moved to a different space and still retain its encryption. The second option is to encrypt a non-system partition or drive like a flash drive or other external storage device. The last option is the same as the second option except it requires the user to enter a password before the OS boots to fully protect the encrypted files. This option can only encrypt Windows XP, 2003, 2008, Vista and Windows 7 operating systems.
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Google and Verizon Take a Positive Step Toward Net Neutrality
Posted by Stephanie in General Knowledge on August 9, 2010
Late last week reports were circulating that Google and Verizon were in secret talks regarding net neutrality. It appears today that those reports were half right. They have been involved in private meetings trying to reach an agreement but their goal according to a joint announcement today is actually for net neutrality.
It all started when the New York Times published an article alleging the two were in cahoots and attempting to work out an agreement after their group meetings with the FCC and other Internet service and content providers like AT&T and Skype were getting them nowhere. It made sense that perhaps it would be in Google’s best interest to garner a deal with one of the leading ISPs in the business considering Google is one of the largest providers of content on the web and the Google owned YouTube is an easy target for ISPs claiming it slows their service to customers. But Google has been pro net neutrality since the argument began.
QR Codes Unleashed
Posted by Andrew Newby in Business Intelligence, General Knowledge, Solutions on July 22, 2010
As mobile application acceptance and influence grows, finding better ways to connect information will evolve. That means not only sharing but also accessing information and application interaction on a device level – bridging the divide between print, mobility and infosharing. One of these methods is the QR Code (Quick Response Code). A QR Code is a 2D bar code configured in a matrix; information is stored horizontally as well as vertically. This differs from a traditional bar code which only contains information horizontally. A QR Code uses blocks (called modules) instead of variable width lines. The benefit of this is the ability to store a lot more information. Here is an example.
A QR Code of the url www.trustyourtechnologist.com
The basic function of the code is to be scanned (laser based 2D bar code scanner – or more likely, a phone’s camera). On a phone the image is analyzed by a QR Code reading application such as QRdvark and the content, link, and info is then available on the device.
An Outside Glimpse into AVATAR
Posted by Stephanie in General Knowledge on July 21, 2010
This is a guest post by Jake Newby. Jake is the nephew of the owners of AVATAR and will be majoring in Computer Science at Ball State this Fall. He came to observe the office for the week and see what we do everyday.It’s my third day in Toledo and I’ve experienced an atmosphere at AVATAR that can only be described as the genuine small business experience. On one end, you have an engaged business, but given the opportunity for playtime, the gang will not hesitate to poke fun at each other and engage in office shenanigans all in the name of fun. For example, today I decided to eavesdrop on a conversation between Robert and Damon with Damon accusing Robert of eating his last dinosaur Silly Bandz bracelet. Watching this exchange I was reminded of similar situations on the hit TV series “The Office.” This exchange was certainly something that you wouldn’t want to miss! But what’s great is how work still gets done in this atmosphere. One end of the office could be in the middle of a rubber band war while I am sitting across from Kristin and Stephanie who are meeting to discuss AVATAR’s next big step in the social media arena. Moments of raucous fun are quickly followed by the sounds of feverish typing and clicking with everyone hard at work. In short, AVATAR is a small business atmosphere upheld by close-knit friends seldom seen at your typical nine to five job.
Reflecting on my visit so far, I’d say that two very valuable things have come of it to this point. First, I’ve learned quite a bit about web development. Second, don’t try something just because someone tells you that it tastes good — you may regret it the following morning.
A Case for “Adaptive” Websites
Posted by Damon in Business Intelligence, General Knowledge, Solutions on July 1, 2010
Recently, I came across an astonishing article written by Ethan Marcotte for A List Apart titled Responsive Web Design. The concept of the article is quite simple: can a website be designed & developed in such a way that it is smart enough to adapt to the size of the window it’s in? Marcotte’s article attempts to answer this question.
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