I WILL WANT THIS NEXT CHRISTMAS!
Yes, I think this is my dream... having one of these gadgets. Mind you I'm not a very gadgety person, but I mean how can you live without this, knowing that it exists?
The TERAOPTIX TERAPIN MINE TX2000
Carrying ALL my MP3s with me, emailing them to my friends while I'm on the train, keep it with me while I go in a meeting to record what is ACTUALLY said, and of course the protable FTP server! I will only want this next year, because first of all they must be able to make it light and small enough to fit into my backpack ( it's small). And I mean it MUST have a rechargeable battery, unfortunately I don't have an aunt or uncle who works at DURACELL or ENERGIZER so they can give me a lifelong gift certificate or something. hah! It must be EASY to use. Compatible with all portable MP3 players. And even maybe consider a name change. I mean if you're looking for it what would you say? You can't possibly use the whole name, so it would probably end up being called "TERA" which really sounds odd. Or you can say "Where's the Mine?" hmmm...
When it's all done would like to have the "TERA" or rather "Mine." I don't think it's going to be cheap, but hey if all these features are on it, it would probably be worth it. Unless they put it on the market for $10,000, then I'd have to reconsider.
Your Comments
A Note On the Side about ZDNET Links
Did you try to go to the product page for the Teraoptix Terapin on ZDNET? The links for stores and prices don't work. I can understand that probably this information is not available yet. But you would think that a site like ZDNet could actually send you to a page that explains the situation to you. "The price has not been determined for this product yet" might cut it. But no, you get a "We're sorry the page you requested cannot be found" page. I thought it was annoying. And embarassing on the part of ZDNet too.
Your Comments
XML Database Doubts - from ZDNet
"Generally speaking, XML databases just aren't technically strong enough to compete with relational databases--XML databases lack numerous administrative, interoperability, programmability and manageability benefits provided by the big relational databases."
This information might be helpful for those of us who are considering switching are information databases into XML.
Your Comments
This Might Concern Employers
Half of Online Shopping Done At Work
Need I say more? It's worth reading.
Your Comments
Another of Microsoft's Security Flaw
Ok, do I need to say this? I don't like Microsoft, or any of it's products really. I end up HAVING to use them at work, because our company seems to be only using them. I don't like that idea either. I mean please don't ask me "What's wrong with Microsoft?"
Here's an article reporting CERT's warning about MS Internet Explorer.
An alternative browser I like to use is Opera. They now have version 6.0 which I have not yet tried. I am currently using Opera 5 and I am very happy about it. But if I have time today, I'll download it for sure. Here's a review by BrowserWatch to get more information about Opera, and it's features and usability. You should try Operatoo.
Your Comments
Friday, December 21, 2001
Thursday, December 20, 2001
NYC IAs and Usability Professionals Gathering....
We were finally able to meet at Swift's this past Monday with the rest of the IA/Usability crowd in NYC. Unfortunately, many weren't able to show up due to the season and all. We were about 10 people I believe, and I thought it wasn't that bad. Being a small group gave us the opportunity to get to know eachother better and also chat in detail about specific topics.
Getting to know all those who were able to make it made me even happier about this meeting. I will work on getting more people together in January, and find a better place. Joshua Fruhlinger is working on getting the place, and I'll work on getting the people. This time I'm experienced so I'll have a better idea on how to get a bigger group together and all.
Your Comments
Yearning for Web Site Simplicity - ZDNet
"Few brands enjoy the enduring legacy of Ivory Soap. My own childhood memories include vain attempts to plunge a bar to the bottom of the tub, only to see it rocket to the surface once it slipped through my soapy hands."
Article by Mike Sockol.Very interesting, mostly I agree. However, I feel like he's talking about usability without saying the word. I wonder if there's a reason for that. Great read.
Your Comments
Retail Sale on the Web - CNet
"Neither the absolute level of Internet sales nor the growth rate tells the whole story, but this year e-commerce became a mainstream retail channel. "
I always like to read articles that point out how usability is paying off, I should print them and distribute it internally maybe. The article reminds us that usability doesn't only end on the screen for retail sales. Oh by the way, for those of you who care, it's a Gartner Viewpoint.
Your Comments
Prototyping with Flash
Ok, I will say this publicly now. I LOVE Flash. But only when it's used in the proper way, in the proper place, by the proper people of course. I like to use Flash to prototype. It's quick and you can add interaction and/or functionality in a heartbeat. It's not the first thing I use when I prototype, but the second. I always do the first round of the tearing apart on paper or storyboard. I draw out what I envision, I show it around, I get feedback. Then I go to Flash. It really works.
Why am I saying this? Because it came up on Monday during one of our conversations, and a few people asked me why I used flash, I tried to explain, they said they wouldn't. I understand. Their point was that it took too much time, and that it wasn't giving you the real feeling but a false one. Especially because the problems that arise when you try to code a design in Flash into HTML. There are ways around most of those problems. Using different fonts than your Flash prototype, when you're coding in HTML, doesn't really hurt. You do what works. As long as it's not a drastic change. But PLEASE let me know what you think of this. I have a few projects I'm working on right now, which I am prototyping with Flash. Another of my prototypes are with the programmers now, and they are coding it in HTML. It seems to be working fine, we had problems with the fonts, but we worked it out.
I'll be waiting for your comments and ideas.
Your Comments
We were finally able to meet at Swift's this past Monday with the rest of the IA/Usability crowd in NYC. Unfortunately, many weren't able to show up due to the season and all. We were about 10 people I believe, and I thought it wasn't that bad. Being a small group gave us the opportunity to get to know eachother better and also chat in detail about specific topics.
Getting to know all those who were able to make it made me even happier about this meeting. I will work on getting more people together in January, and find a better place. Joshua Fruhlinger is working on getting the place, and I'll work on getting the people. This time I'm experienced so I'll have a better idea on how to get a bigger group together and all.
Your Comments
Yearning for Web Site Simplicity - ZDNet
"Few brands enjoy the enduring legacy of Ivory Soap. My own childhood memories include vain attempts to plunge a bar to the bottom of the tub, only to see it rocket to the surface once it slipped through my soapy hands."
Article by Mike Sockol.Very interesting, mostly I agree. However, I feel like he's talking about usability without saying the word. I wonder if there's a reason for that. Great read.
Your Comments
Retail Sale on the Web - CNet
"Neither the absolute level of Internet sales nor the growth rate tells the whole story, but this year e-commerce became a mainstream retail channel. "
I always like to read articles that point out how usability is paying off, I should print them and distribute it internally maybe. The article reminds us that usability doesn't only end on the screen for retail sales. Oh by the way, for those of you who care, it's a Gartner Viewpoint.
Your Comments
Prototyping with Flash
Ok, I will say this publicly now. I LOVE Flash. But only when it's used in the proper way, in the proper place, by the proper people of course. I like to use Flash to prototype. It's quick and you can add interaction and/or functionality in a heartbeat. It's not the first thing I use when I prototype, but the second. I always do the first round of the tearing apart on paper or storyboard. I draw out what I envision, I show it around, I get feedback. Then I go to Flash. It really works.
Why am I saying this? Because it came up on Monday during one of our conversations, and a few people asked me why I used flash, I tried to explain, they said they wouldn't. I understand. Their point was that it took too much time, and that it wasn't giving you the real feeling but a false one. Especially because the problems that arise when you try to code a design in Flash into HTML. There are ways around most of those problems. Using different fonts than your Flash prototype, when you're coding in HTML, doesn't really hurt. You do what works. As long as it's not a drastic change. But PLEASE let me know what you think of this. I have a few projects I'm working on right now, which I am prototyping with Flash. Another of my prototypes are with the programmers now, and they are coding it in HTML. It seems to be working fine, we had problems with the fonts, but we worked it out.
I'll be waiting for your comments and ideas.
Your Comments
Friday, December 14, 2001
GET INFO - from the Washington Post
Get Info Article
Search engine Google announced it has updated its Usenet archive to cover articles going back to May 3, 1981 -- an addition of about 700 million newsgroup postings.
Your Comments
VIRUS ALERT
Goner Proves Highly Contagious
The 'Goner' virus has become one of the fastest-spreading viruses ever, according to security experts. One in 30 emails are infected with the virus, making Goner the second most prolific virus after Lovebug, which infected one in 28.
Your Comments
An Humble Opinion About Current Affairs
As regularly as possible I try to visit Dangerousmeta. Garret Vreeland, who's the owner of the weblog, most of the time includes very nice and informative links to news and hot topics.
While I was visiting his site today, I've noticed that he has a link to a Chicago Tribune article: Islam doesn't justify Bin Laden's actions. The article is informative about what scholars of Islam think about the events, and how they interpret it. I agree with them. Islam in no way defends the use of violence, except for when you are trying to defend your right of practicing islam. As it happens, there was no such case on September 11th nor in any other time in the States, so clearly Bin Laden's actions are not justfiable. They are not justfiable under the Islamic Law, nor under any kind of logic or conscience.
As Garret points out, I think it would be interesting in getting some interpretations from overseas. I do however believe that no matter where on this planet you happen to be, even if you are a muslim, the logic and the humanitarianism wouldn't change. What would change, considerably, would be opinions about America, but that would be regardless of the people's religion. I don't believe that there would be a single person who could find Bin Laden's actions, even his existence, justifiable except for those who are his followers, and thus have been brainwashed by his schizophrenic thoughts of being the "defenders of islam."
Of course there are fanatics and/or extremists of every religion. There are people who live to dislike. Some poeple just like to dislike, or just like to hate. They hate Americans, they hate non-Americans, they hate Arabs, they hate whites, they hate non-whites, they hate women, they hate men they hate children, or hell they hate ALL people. In this world of billions and billions of people, unfortunately we get to share it with those most many of us would call psychos. But they are there. There is only one thing we can do to defeat them, and not to let them defeat us.
DO NOT GENERALIZE.
Generalizing to a whole country, or a whole religion has NEVER done any good to anybody. But some of us still keep doing it.
Just as there are racist people in America, who like to bully blacks or whites or what have you just because of their skin color, there are people out there who SAY they are muslims who bully non-muslims. Of course I am not trying to compare September 11th with any other event that has taken place in this country, but just trying to point out a concept. There are non-violent muslims too!
Your Comments
Get Info Article
Search engine Google announced it has updated its Usenet archive to cover articles going back to May 3, 1981 -- an addition of about 700 million newsgroup postings.
Your Comments
VIRUS ALERT
Goner Proves Highly Contagious
The 'Goner' virus has become one of the fastest-spreading viruses ever, according to security experts. One in 30 emails are infected with the virus, making Goner the second most prolific virus after Lovebug, which infected one in 28.
Your Comments
An Humble Opinion About Current Affairs
As regularly as possible I try to visit Dangerousmeta. Garret Vreeland, who's the owner of the weblog, most of the time includes very nice and informative links to news and hot topics.
While I was visiting his site today, I've noticed that he has a link to a Chicago Tribune article: Islam doesn't justify Bin Laden's actions. The article is informative about what scholars of Islam think about the events, and how they interpret it. I agree with them. Islam in no way defends the use of violence, except for when you are trying to defend your right of practicing islam. As it happens, there was no such case on September 11th nor in any other time in the States, so clearly Bin Laden's actions are not justfiable. They are not justfiable under the Islamic Law, nor under any kind of logic or conscience.
As Garret points out, I think it would be interesting in getting some interpretations from overseas. I do however believe that no matter where on this planet you happen to be, even if you are a muslim, the logic and the humanitarianism wouldn't change. What would change, considerably, would be opinions about America, but that would be regardless of the people's religion. I don't believe that there would be a single person who could find Bin Laden's actions, even his existence, justifiable except for those who are his followers, and thus have been brainwashed by his schizophrenic thoughts of being the "defenders of islam."
Of course there are fanatics and/or extremists of every religion. There are people who live to dislike. Some poeple just like to dislike, or just like to hate. They hate Americans, they hate non-Americans, they hate Arabs, they hate whites, they hate non-whites, they hate women, they hate men they hate children, or hell they hate ALL people. In this world of billions and billions of people, unfortunately we get to share it with those most many of us would call psychos. But they are there. There is only one thing we can do to defeat them, and not to let them defeat us.
DO NOT GENERALIZE.
Generalizing to a whole country, or a whole religion has NEVER done any good to anybody. But some of us still keep doing it.
Just as there are racist people in America, who like to bully blacks or whites or what have you just because of their skin color, there are people out there who SAY they are muslims who bully non-muslims. Of course I am not trying to compare September 11th with any other event that has taken place in this country, but just trying to point out a concept. There are non-violent muslims too!
Your Comments
Friday, December 07, 2001
From Camworld
Cam has pointed to a very interesting article published in the New York Times yesterday. It is
great to see that Interface Design is being talked about so widely now awadays and being brought
to the people's attention. Hopefully, as popular belief goes, many CEOs, VPs and Directors read
the New York Times... ours too! :o))
Interface Is Design Trickier Than It Seems
Your Comments
The Unbearable Idiocy of KPMG
Read all about it from Madman.
I seriously don't understand people in the corporate world sometimes. Is there a different kind of "logic" or "rationale" that the majority of
the world population doesn't know about? I guess there should be... Oh, how I would LOVE to rant about corporate politics vs. the REAL world...
But fortunately, I am happily employed... :o))
Learning the tricks of Blogging
Ok... now that I'm in DAY2 of my blogging, I am starting to see the nice tricks blogs can play on me. I had just entered my
fresh and new ideas, links and all straight on to the form provided by blogger. I finished it... I clicked POST and PUBLISH and
*poof* all gone... vanished... Even the BACK button wouldn't bring back everything I'd written... There was some cool stuff in
there about corporate politics interfering with usability. hmmm... well next time when I get the inspiration I know to
type it in NOTEPAD and then copy/paste. With all the excitement I forgot that the web is never risk free.
Open to Any IDEAS
I am currently trying to plan out what I should put into my blog. I don't want it to be the same as all the rest of the blogs.
I don't want to be seen as a "competitor" or anything like that. I am just me, writing what's on my mind. I will of course, refer
to links provided on other blogs since they are usually so very valuable.
I am thinking about putting up a box on the left side to list the books I've read, and link them to my comments in Amazon (I can do that right?)
Also another one for the movies I've seen. I love to read and watch movies and then comment on them. With movies I like to take them apart and
point out all the propaganda involved in them. It's very interesting how much we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to the great psychological
weapons Hollywood uses. We aren't even aware of most of them. You can read more about it in my entries.
If you have any suggestions for the kinds of information I should include and how I can structure my site I'd love to hear from you.
Your Comments
Cam has pointed to a very interesting article published in the New York Times yesterday. It is
great to see that Interface Design is being talked about so widely now awadays and being brought
to the people's attention. Hopefully, as popular belief goes, many CEOs, VPs and Directors read
the New York Times... ours too! :o))
Interface Is Design Trickier Than It Seems
Your Comments
The Unbearable Idiocy of KPMG
Read all about it from Madman.
I seriously don't understand people in the corporate world sometimes. Is there a different kind of "logic" or "rationale" that the majority of
the world population doesn't know about? I guess there should be... Oh, how I would LOVE to rant about corporate politics vs. the REAL world...
But fortunately, I am happily employed... :o))
Learning the tricks of Blogging
Ok... now that I'm in DAY2 of my blogging, I am starting to see the nice tricks blogs can play on me. I had just entered my
fresh and new ideas, links and all straight on to the form provided by blogger. I finished it... I clicked POST and PUBLISH and
*poof* all gone... vanished... Even the BACK button wouldn't bring back everything I'd written... There was some cool stuff in
there about corporate politics interfering with usability. hmmm... well next time when I get the inspiration I know to
type it in NOTEPAD and then copy/paste. With all the excitement I forgot that the web is never risk free.
Open to Any IDEAS
I am currently trying to plan out what I should put into my blog. I don't want it to be the same as all the rest of the blogs.
I don't want to be seen as a "competitor" or anything like that. I am just me, writing what's on my mind. I will of course, refer
to links provided on other blogs since they are usually so very valuable.
I am thinking about putting up a box on the left side to list the books I've read, and link them to my comments in Amazon (I can do that right?)
Also another one for the movies I've seen. I love to read and watch movies and then comment on them. With movies I like to take them apart and
point out all the propaganda involved in them. It's very interesting how much we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to the great psychological
weapons Hollywood uses. We aren't even aware of most of them. You can read more about it in my entries.
If you have any suggestions for the kinds of information I should include and how I can structure my site I'd love to hear from you.
Your Comments
Thursday, December 06, 2001
A FILM TO SEE
I will eventually start to post stuff about usability and Information Architecture and all. But right now I am too excited with my new blog to be so serious. ;o)
Last night I went to Sidewalks of New York. I thought it was a great mind opening, actually eye opening movie about our relationships with our significant other(s). The best part of it is that it makes you question yourself, it makes you rethink your priorities in your relationships. I especially liked the ANNIE character. Maybe it's because, as my husband suggested, I just might have been the inspiring factor for that character.. hah! I wish! :o)) Do you think we would have to be notified of such a situation? I think it might be nice to know, but on the other hand I'm sure there would be many problematic consequences to that too.
Your Comments
A Book To Read
Commuting to NYC by train every morning, I've found myself reading alot of books lately. Mostly novels. I get to read usability related books and articles at work, plenty!
I just finished reading a book called NO GREAT MISCHIEF. It's written by Alistair MacLeod, a Scottish/Canadian writer. Obviously, the characters and all are fictatious but the events are very close to reality. I could relate to most of them, being a second generation Canadian myself. It tells a beautiful story about a Scottish family, how they immigrate to Canada in the late 18th century, and how the next generations are effected by this. Do we forget our ancestors? What they had to go through? Do we take our family history for granted? I thought it was a very touching novel because it is almost impossible for me to trace back to my ancestors from the 18th century. How many of us can?
Your Comments
Finally... A Usability related thought
This is neat... this is going to be really good for me. I love to write and I love to be online... this should be in my job description: Maintain daily weblog! That would have been better.
But ok here it goes. I love the way that blogger.com has prepared this site and how they help us out while we want to post something on our blog. But I couldn't figure out how we change the template. I thought they said that we would have more template options once we logged in and began posting blogs, but I can't find such options. Where are they? I expected that they would be on the same toolbar as the rest of the format tools are. But no, they are not there. I'll keep looking.
The color of the page keeps on changing when I select "view web page." Is that how you see the page too?
Let me know
I will eventually start to post stuff about usability and Information Architecture and all. But right now I am too excited with my new blog to be so serious. ;o)
Last night I went to Sidewalks of New York. I thought it was a great mind opening, actually eye opening movie about our relationships with our significant other(s). The best part of it is that it makes you question yourself, it makes you rethink your priorities in your relationships. I especially liked the ANNIE character. Maybe it's because, as my husband suggested, I just might have been the inspiring factor for that character.. hah! I wish! :o)) Do you think we would have to be notified of such a situation? I think it might be nice to know, but on the other hand I'm sure there would be many problematic consequences to that too.
Your Comments
A Book To Read
Commuting to NYC by train every morning, I've found myself reading alot of books lately. Mostly novels. I get to read usability related books and articles at work, plenty!
I just finished reading a book called NO GREAT MISCHIEF. It's written by Alistair MacLeod, a Scottish/Canadian writer. Obviously, the characters and all are fictatious but the events are very close to reality. I could relate to most of them, being a second generation Canadian myself. It tells a beautiful story about a Scottish family, how they immigrate to Canada in the late 18th century, and how the next generations are effected by this. Do we forget our ancestors? What they had to go through? Do we take our family history for granted? I thought it was a very touching novel because it is almost impossible for me to trace back to my ancestors from the 18th century. How many of us can?
Your Comments
Finally... A Usability related thought
This is neat... this is going to be really good for me. I love to write and I love to be online... this should be in my job description: Maintain daily weblog! That would have been better.
But ok here it goes. I love the way that blogger.com has prepared this site and how they help us out while we want to post something on our blog. But I couldn't figure out how we change the template. I thought they said that we would have more template options once we logged in and began posting blogs, but I can't find such options. Where are they? I expected that they would be on the same toolbar as the rest of the format tools are. But no, they are not there. I'll keep looking.
The color of the page keeps on changing when I select "view web page." Is that how you see the page too?
Let me know
FINALLY I'M UP!
I have finally started my weblog! I've wanted to seriously do this for over a year now, but was never able to find time to set everything up. I still don't have time to get into the nitty gritty of things but I'm taking a shortcut! Thanks MADMAN! If it wasn't for you I'm sure another year would have easily gone by without my posting anything!
I will try my best to update this link every day! Morning, noon or night, whenever I can find time from all the crazy deadlines. But this is like an early New Year's Resolution for me, I will definitely try and come in here every day to at least make the smallest update. I promise.
I am very excited about this. I hope I can bring useful information and links to you and that you will enjoy visiting!
I have finally started my weblog! I've wanted to seriously do this for over a year now, but was never able to find time to set everything up. I still don't have time to get into the nitty gritty of things but I'm taking a shortcut! Thanks MADMAN! If it wasn't for you I'm sure another year would have easily gone by without my posting anything!
I will try my best to update this link every day! Morning, noon or night, whenever I can find time from all the crazy deadlines. But this is like an early New Year's Resolution for me, I will definitely try and come in here every day to at least make the smallest update. I promise.
I am very excited about this. I hope I can bring useful information and links to you and that you will enjoy visiting!
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