iPhone 4 - Drop Test

Lego World Cup Reply: US Vs UK

jQuery Tools Scrollable

iPhone 4 - an over exaggerated ad.

Yea, iPhone 4 is here! Personally I like the design, the glass, bigger battery, retina display, and the A4 chip.
But I don't like the way they advertise their software, they are saying it like they are the one who invent the technology, Email Thread Grouping (gmail), FaceTime (Video Call), Multi Tasking, wew, c'mon :(

Yes, I usually like Apple's product video ad, but not today, I'm not sure why, but when I see the iPhone 4 video ad, I feel sick, everything is like being way over exaggerated, they way they talk, and promote the feature... phew..

For now, good job Apple for bringing in new product, I'm sure you all have worked very hard for this, kudos for all the team involved!

HTML 5 and web standards by apple

http://www.apple.com/html5

HTML 5 and web standards by apple,

note: "open" web, only for safari

(makes me wonder how to define "open" standards) 

Microsoft Rolls Out Impressive Enhancements To Windows Live Essentials Suite

      by Michael Arrington on Jun 2, 2010

The picture above is a complete fake. But more on that in a minute.
Microsoft is giving a preview of a variety of enhancements to its Windows Live Essentials suite – a set of online and desktop services that includes hotmail, messenger, sync, movie maker and photo gallery. Most of the desktop versions of these services are available only for Windows users, although the online components only require a browser from any operating system.
These enhancements come after Microsoft’s preview of the online version of Office, which is also within this suite. I had a chance to sit down with Brian Hall, GM of the Windows Live Business Group, today to see some of the changes.
Many of the changes are fairly minor, but at least two are going to be big crowd pleasers. First, Microsoft has made changes to their Movie Maker video editing software that allows for the creation of Animoto-like video clips containing photos and videos. They’ve added a variety of transition and effect options, as well as the ability to add music and text, to these clips.
But the really interesting changes are around Photo Gallery. Previously Microsoft had a facial recognition feature to allow you to quickly add names as tags to photos. But they are now adding facial recognition as well, and it takes a guess as to the person in the photo. In the demo it worked very well and saves time with tagging – a lot of time. The application also has one click sharing of photos to Facebook and other services and the tags go with it.
But by far the most impressive thing I saw today was the Photo Fuse feature that they’ve added. The general idea is you can take a bunch of pictures and turn them into a single photo that’s better than any of the originals. And it only takes a few seconds.
The best use case is clearly group photos that you’d take a a wedding or wherever. Someone always has their eyes closed or is looking away. With Photo Fuse you can take the best parts of a number of photos and create that perfect group picture.
Hall spent a lot of time today showing me Photo Fuse, which I zeroed in on among all the other new features launching. We even took a few pictures of Hall and his PR people – Michael Celiceo and Bonnie McCracken – and ran them through Photo Fuse.
This was the final result – a picture that was never actually taken (the top image – you just can’t tell). The working photos that are real are below it. There’s also a video of the whole process. Fascinating stuff.




The new suite will launch in a few weeks, says Microsoft. In the meantime we’ll give away 100 accounts now – details in the next post.
More screenshots from the new products:

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates in D5 interview

The true value of social media

The True Value of Social Media

View more presentations from Brandon Murphy.

    

Talk It Out Before You Say, “I Do”

By Julie Ferwerda

CBN.com – You’re thinking about spending the rest of your life with that special person. But do you really know them as well as you think? Are there areas you need to know about (or they need to know about you) that you haven’t discussed? The best time to get down to the nitty-gritty with each other is before you say, “I do.”

You need to know what to expect after the wedding day, and to decide if you really want to spend the rest of your life with this person the way they are now. Chances are they (and you) won’t change that much, so if you really want to know who you are agreeing to love, work through these questions together. There’s no hurry—take all the time you need. But there’s one rule. You must be completely, gut-wrenchingly honest! If you misrepresent yourself…they will remember.

PURPOSE
My biggest goal in life is to…
I find satisfaction in…
Before I die I want to…
I am here because…
My dream is to someday…
I will be ready to die when I’ve…

PAST
The best part about my childhood was…
The worst part about my childhood was…
The scariest thing that ever happened to me was…
Something I’m afraid to tell anyone about my past is…
A past situation that could affect my future is…
I’ve had [ ] sexual partners before this relationship.
The way I feel about my past relationship history is…

WHO I AM
My biggest fears in life are…
My biggest needs in life are…
My most frequent mood is…
The thing I hate most is…
The thing I worry about most is…
Three things I want to change about myself are…
Three things I really like about myself are…
My most common daydream is…
I get angry when…
My favorite kind of house pet is…
My overall opinion about myself is…
I think my greatest personality asset is…
My greatest personality weakness is…
I find the greatest enjoyment in…
The sin I struggle most with is…
I’m most ashamed about…
Someone I greatly admire is…
The way I feel about death is…
I think war is…
I feel happy when…
I have no use for people who…
When someone acts rude to me, I…
When someone is unfair, I…
I feel jealous of…
My dream vacation would include…
The things I find the most fun are…
My favorite sport(s) is…
Playing sports in my future is a [ ] on a scale from one to ten.
Watching sports on T.V. is a [ ] for me on a scale from one to ten.
I am disgusted by…
When I am afraid (substitute sad, angry, happy, lonely, tired), I…
My hobbies include…
I spend [ ] hours a week at my hobbies.
What I really want when I am sick is…
The part of my body I am most bothered by is…
The part of my body I am most happy with is…
What hurts me most is…
The best (and worst) thing about life is…
The first thing I notice about someone is…
When someone is angry with me, I…
When someone is disappointed in me, I…
The worst (and best) thing about the opposite sex is…
Being teachable means…
People (including me) should say they’re sorry when…

MARRIAGE
My reasons for wanting to get married are…
I think the keys to a good marriage are…
The biggest mistakes I made in past relationships are…
The area I’ve grown the most in relationships is…
Relationships in the past have taught me…
I’ve always viewed marriage as…
My parents had a [ ] marriage.
I learned [ ] about marriage from my parents.
I think the things in marriage you should be honest about are…
The areas I’m concerned about being married are…
The areas I’m excited about being married are…
Marriage for me will be giving up…
Marriage for me will be gaining…
I think separate vacations are…
Traveling together is…
When having conflict, I like to: cool off by myself before discussing the problem; discuss and work the problem out right away; pretend there is no problem and just move on; analyze the problem as to what it is, why it happened, how to avoid it in the future, etc…
Arguing and or fighting is…
The best way to handle disagreements is to…
What I fear most about marriage is…
What I anticipate most about marriage is…
The role of in-laws in marriage is…
The thing that will make me most secure (and insecure) in marriage is…
Dating (each other) after you are married is…
Love is…
“Till death do us part” means…
I think people should be allowed to divorce when…
For me, divorce is…

SEX
I think sex is/will be…
I think a healthy marriage involves sex [ ] per week or [ ] per month.
I’m aware that real sex in marriage differs from Hollywood in the following ways…
I think being naked in front of someone is…
On a scale from one to ten, sex is a [ ] in importance in a good marriage for me.
What sex means to me is…
Talking about sex feels…
Being spontaneous or creative in marriage sex sounds…

MONEY/FINANCES
I think money is…
Spending money is hard/easy for me because…
The biggest waste of money is…
The best investment of money is…
I have [ ] in personal debt.
I use credit cards for…
I think car loans are…
Saving up to buy big ticket items is…
My savings plan is…
My retirement plan is…
The way I feel about tithing is…
I hope my spouse is a: saver, spender, somewhere in between.
On a scale from one to ten, financial security is [ ] in importance to me.
I want to save up to buy a…
The kind of house I want to own someday is…
Other items I hope to own are…
Charities I want to contribute to are…

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Is my own appearance important to me?
Is it important that my spouse maintains his/her current physical appearance/weight throughout our marriage?
How important is hygiene to me, i.e. brushing teeth, taking showers, deodorant, etc.?
How do I like to dress for special occasions? For church? For dates? For work?
Do I want to be able to have a say in my spouse’s choice of clothing, hairstyle, or general appearance?
Do I care if they have a say in mine?
Is cologne/perfume important to me?
What physical features are attractive to me?

HOUSEHOLD
How clean is a home that is comfortable for me?
What is my favorite thing about home?
What can I not tolerate in my home (noise, clutter, dirt, pets, unmade beds, etc.)?
How many/which jobs do I think I should do to keep my house maintained?
How many/which jobs do I think my spouse should do around the house?
Who should keep the yard maintained (spouse, both, or hired out)?
Who will maintain the cars (spouse, both, or hired out)?
Who will make decisions for and carry out decorating the home (spouse, both, hired out)?
Who will cook family meals?
How many meals do I expect to cook or for my spouse to cook daily?
Who will do the shopping?
Who will do laundry?
Who will do the dishes?
Who will pay bills?

RECREATION
My idea of recreation is…
To me, camping means…
My favorite sports are…
The way I relax on the weekends is by…
What areas of recreation do I want my spouse to accompany me on?
What areas of recreation do I want to do with my friends or alone?
How often will I want to spend time away from the family in my own recreation?

KIDS
I think kids are…
Kids get on my nerves when they…
I love it when kids…
The way I feel about other people’s kids is…
The way kids usually feel about me is…
Kids should be disciplined when…
The way I want to discipline my kids is…
The role of a parent is…
I want [ ] kids someday.
How important is showing physical affection to my kids?
Is telling my kids I love them important?
How much time do I think I should spend with my kids daily?
How important is two-parent interaction and discipline?
I think the bottom line for discipline should be with the (mom or dad)?
How important is it for kids to respect their parents in my home?
When it comes to discipline, I think I will be: lenient, strict, or somewhere in-between?
Where do I want my kids educated (private school, Christian school, home school, etc.)?

HEALTH/HISTORY
Taking care of myself and my health is [ ] important to me.
I think a healthy lifestyle includes…
Physical exercise is…
To me, eating right means…
My idea of a good work out is…
My life fitness plan is to…
My health problems (present or past) are…
I take medication for…
I think life long-term supports are…
People in my family have a history of the following health problems…
People in my family have died at the ages of…

INTIMACY
I feel loved when…
The way I show love to people is…
Which of the following are ways I feel most loved? Time spent with, words of encouragement/praise, gifts, being touched and hugged in a non-sexual manner, when people do things for (serve) me.
Showing affection in front of kids or friends is…
Intimacy is developed through…
I think a good marriage needs at least [ ] hours a day (or week) of focused communication to stay connected.

WORK
My idea of a dream job is…
I think the average number of hours a person can regularly work a week and maintain family commitment is…
Providing for the family is whose responsibility?
My career plans are…
How important is a steady job to me?
What kind of work ethic do I want in my mate?
Where do I draw the line with a job that demands too much time?
My plans for retirement are…

SPIRITUALITY/RELIGION
The way I feel about God is…
I think the way God feels about me is…
On a scale of one to ten, going to church is [ ] in importance for my life and future.
I want to raise my kids in the [ ] faith.
Will God be the center of my home? Why or why not?
If yes, how will I make Him the center?
Prayer is something I do when…
To me, the Bible is…
Other religions besides Christianity are…
Eternal life is accomplished by…
Select and discuss the following. To me, God is: personal, real, distant, vague, angry, happy, loving, harsh, demanding, gentle, kind, good, make-believe, living, powerful, weak, or other.
The way to have a relationship with God is…
For me, including God in my daily life is…
On a scale from one to ten, obeying God and His word is a [ ] to me.
When I die, I…

---

Julie is the author of The Perfect Fit: Piecing Together True Love and has written articles for other publications such as Marriage Partnership, Brio & Beyond,HomeLife, Discipleship Journal, and Revolve III Biblezine Project for teen girls (Thomas Nelson, July 2006). To order the book or to find out more go to:www.JulieFerwerda.com.

Online Portfolio

-- taken from http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/build-a-killer-online-portfolio-in-9-easy-steps/

Every freelancer should have an online portfolio. You’ve got one, right? If not, skip to the last paragraph of this post. It’s written for you.

If you do have one, you can breathe a sigh of relief. You’re halfway there.

Building your portfolio is easy. The hard part is making it good. A killer portfolio does more than just showcase your work. It transforms visitors into clients. Best of all, it’s an automatic work generator.

In this post, I want to show you how to take your online portfolio to the next level.

1. ASK THE QUESTION

Online portfolios tend to come in one of three shapes: a blog, a website, or a dedicated solution (something that’s just a portfolio, without any of the extra stuff).

The question I’d like you to have in mind as you read this is: how well does my site answer the questions potential clients are likely to have?

2. FOCUS ON SIMPLICITY

Your portfolio exists to impress and persuade potential clients. If you have a blog or website, though, you might (wisely) be trying to draw traffic from other sources. Maybe you’re sharing your knowledge, or providing value in other ways.

This has one potential drawback, though: you’re catering to so many people that the clear message you want to send potential clients might be getting lost in the noise.

If you’re looking for work, don’t be afraid to say it simply and boldly. Stick a ‘Hire Me’ button, link or section on your site.

If you’re looking for work, don’t be afraid to say it simply and boldly. Stick a ‘Hire Me’ button, link or section on your site.

Simplicity is the key to good web design. Potential clients will have one key question:where do I go if I’m thinking about hiring this person?

Give them the answer, as simply as you can.

3. OPTIMIZE YOUR ‘ABOUT’ PAGE

The importance of a good ‘About’ page can’t be overestimated. It’s the place potential clients will visit when they want answers to some essential questions:

• Who is this person?
• What qualifications and experience do they have?
• Do they seem trustworthy and reliable?
• Are they looking for work?
• Can I see some examples of previous work?

You can answer the trustworthy and reliable question in two ways. You can include testimonials from previous clients, or you can emphasize the ways in which you’re a decent, normal person: you have a family, hobbies and so on.

For the last question, I think it’s important to link to a page containing examples of your previous work and nothing else: the portfolio in its most traditional form. It will allow potential clients to get to know what you’re capable of without any distractions.

4. PROVIDE A CLEAR MEANS OF CONTACT

It can’t hurt to put contact information at the bottom of your ‘About’ page, but this isn’t the only place you should make it available.

Website usability is conversational. If a potential client wanted to get in contact with you, would they ask you to tell them about yourself? Probably not. It doesn’t really make sense. They would instead ask: how can I get in contact with you? A prominent ‘Contact’ page is a clear and simple answer to that question.

5. CREATE A DEDICATED ‘HIRE ME’ PAGE

If your portfolio is a traditional showcase of your work, your ‘About’ page will suffice. If your blog or website is aimed at a broader audience, however, you’ll probably want to use your ‘About’ page to explain what your site does and what it has to offer.

That’s when a ‘Hire Me’ page becomes important (though you’d probably call it ‘Hire Jonathan’, or whatever your name is). It should include all the information listed in the ‘About’ page section above.

Link to your hire page in a prominent way from your site’s front page. If you want to get hired, be bold about it.

6. SHOW OFF ONLY THE SKILL YOU’RE SELLING

This might sound too common-sensical to be worth mentioning, but it’s a mistake I see made in a lot of online portfolios.

The freelancer showcases a wide range of great work. You head to their ‘About’ page, only to discover that they’re only looking for work in one of the areas covered. They’re presenting their portfolio as a vanity folder rather than a useful resource for potential clients.

If you only want web design work at the moment, for example, don’t showcase your photography. The items in your portfolio should always demonstrate your skill in the area you’d like to be hired in.

7. TELL STORIES POTENTIAL CLIENTS WANT TO HEAR

eople who hire web designers, for example, are rarely designers themselves. They’re unlikely to appreciate your work for its creative value alone.

It’s very likely that you know more about the area you freelance in than your potential clients do. People who hire web designers, for example, are rarely designers themselves. They’re unlikely to appreciate your work for its creative value alone.

For that reason, you need to tell stories about your work. Not lies, of course — real, genuine stories. Stories about results. What did it do for your client? How did they benefit from your work?

Don’t showcase the items you’re most proud of. Showcase items that yielded the best results for your clients. Did website traffic spike 30% after that redesign you did? Did the last article you wrote for a client make the front page of Digg?

Potential clients are more interested in the story than the work itself. Always remember that your work is a means to an end: more traffic, more profits, more sales. By focusing on the end result, you’re focusing on what potential clients really want.

8. BUILD TRAFFIC TO TURN VISITORS INTO CLIENTS

You can source-out potential clients and point them to your portfolio, or you can create a portfolio people will find without your help. Some of those people will be potential clients. Get enough traffic, make a good impression, and your portfolio could become an automatic work generator.

More quality traffic generally means more work. However, it takes a lot of effort to build a popular website. Not necessarily a lot of effort in one go, but a sustained effort over time. For most successful bloggers and webmasters, that sustained effort feels more like a rewarding hobby than a chore.

As a freelancer, there are a number of ways you can add value to your site:

• Share your knowledge with other freelancers.
• Mentor wannabe freelancers.
• Showcase your own work and work you like.
• Create useful tools.
• Share personal stories.

That’s just five options. I don’t doubt there are a hundred more. There are no right or wrong answers, so stick with something you love doing. That way, your enjoyment will still be there, even when the traffic isn’t.

9. ADD A LITTLE DOSE OF SEO

If you don’t want to work at creating content and generating inbound links, I’d suggest using this simple tip to optimize your site for search engines. Some of you reading this will be familiar with SEO, but for those who aren’t, it essentially refers to the things you do to place your site higher in the search results for certain keywords.

If you can pull this off, you’ll get an automatic stream of search traffic without doing too much work.

If you’re a web designer working out of the Bay Area, for example, potential clients will probably be searching Google for ‘Bay Area web designer’. Incorporate this word string into your site as much as is possible (and natural). Put it in your site’s title bar, work it into your ‘About’ page, and so on.

Just remember that you need to keep it subtle. Unless there’s plenty of competition for your keyword string, a few mentions should be enough.

The traffic you’ll get from this practice is made up of people looking to hire someone just like you. It’s easy to do, and very much worth doing.

* Those without a portfolio, this is the paragraph for you. You can create a dedicated portfolio in a few minutes at Carbonmade. It will look something like mine.

Done? Great. You might want to expand on it after reading this post, which you should do, now you’ve got an online portfolio and all…