Designing a web-based application can be a daunting task.  Creating a great user interface is even harder.  I’m always on the look-out for tools to help me create compelling user interfaces.

A tool I found recently is from Google, it’s called Browser Size.  Google has analyzed the browsers of millions of users and has recorded the size of the browser window.  Using this data, they have created an overlay that shows the percentage of users that can see each part of the page without scrolling.

Screen shot of the Browser Size overlay

Each colored area shows the percent of users that can see that portion of the page.  This is a very useful tool when creating web pages, I use it to make sure the most important part of each page is visible to all visitors.

There’s one big problem with being a technology addict…there’s always new technology.  When the Android OS was released and first came to the market in the T-Mobile G1, I wanted one.  But, I couldn’t go to T-Mobile (that’s a long story).  I ended up getting a BlackBerry Storm.  The Storm has been OK, it does a great job on email, but other things are a little lacking.  I do have to admit, that after the release of the 5.0 OS, it’s a lot better.

A friend of mine has been using the broad collection of image editing programs on the iPhone…making me jealous…thinking about an iPhone.

Then, Google updated the Android platform and Verizon decided to start offering Android phones.  The Motorola Droid is a very nice looking phone with an amazing display.

The operating system itself now has an improved contact manager with the ability to sync with multiple sources, Exchange support, combined inbox, improved camera application, multi-touch support (although it’s apparently disabled in the US), improved browser, and improved calendar.

For developers there is now a synchronization API, support for multiple screen sizes, a Bluetooth API, and more.

The real kicker here is that my mom and dad both got a Droid last night…on release day…before me.  It’s just not right.

I’m eligible for an annual upgrade in January, I guess I have to wait.  Maybe one of the new Snap Dragon-based phones will be out by then.  I can only hope.  Or, Verizon, are you listening?  Can you cut me a little slack and let me upgrade early?
—-
Update 2009-11-11 I got a Droid! Stay tuned…

I had a teacher in college (Mr. Clark) that was a great teacher.  He had some interesting outlooks on life, however.  One of his favorite things to say was “It takes a fool to believe that there’s only one way to spell a word.”  Of course, he liked this saying because his spelling was a little…well…creative…and his typing was even worse.  But, as someone who learned to read phonetically, his belief rang true for me.  In fact, I think many words are misspelled, really, what’s the deal with silent letters?  Take,  “psychology”, why isn’t it spelled “sikology”.  Now, that would make sense…

I was also recently reminded about rules in photography.  We are taught that photographs need to be well balanced, sharp, properly exposed, etc.  Is that really the case?  Sure, sometimes, when that’s what you’re looking for.  There are just as many times where adhering to those principles is just plain boring.

Tonight, I was at a meeting.  It’s a large room, minimal lighting.  I had my G10 with me, so the fastest I could get the lens was f/2.8.  Even wide open I was looking at a 1/2 second.  I could have pushed the film speed from 100 to 400, or even 800.  That would take me to a 1/8 or an 1/16 of a second.  Still, perty slow.  Then I remembered…the rules…maybe it’s time to break the rules…

How’s this for an interesting progression of images…

Here is the room

Now, let’s have some fun…

Left-right motion

Spining motion

Shaking Camera

After the meeting, I was still kind of excited about this.  So, I broke a few more rules on my drive home…In this picture, I was shooting at 1/4 second, wide open, top down, holding the camera as high as I could.  This is a picture of a car dealership on Harbor Blvd in Costa Mesa.  I was going about 40 MPH.  It looks like the strip in Las Vegas.  You can’t tell me we’re not having fun now…

Car Dealership - Drive by

Here’s another unexpected result.  This is the Trinity Christian Center in Costa Mesa as viewed from the freeway.  Again, hand out the top of my car like a snorkel, taking a picture without looking.  It came out looking like a carousel, or a UFO…not a building.

Trinity Christian Center - Drive By

One final image.  This, if you can believe it, is a Carl’s Junior Restaurant.  Again, taken from my car while driving.

Carls' Jr - Drive by

So, maybe there is something to the “rules” we’re supposed to follow, maybe there isn’t.  I’m going to start evaluating these rules society gives us.  I may keep some, I may throw others out, I may make some of my own.  I see more fun in my future…

Tonight, I attended the OC SMUG.  This is nothing new for me, I’ve done this before.  Tonight, Jasime Star was our speaker and she spoke about netmaking as opposed to networking.

She talked about how networking wasn’t her thing.  She would go to events, and even though she collected a lot of business cards, she didn’t feel like she connected with anyone.  She didn’t know anyone well enough to recommend them.  Also, she didn’t get any referrals back from them.

So, she started contributing to the community.  She would assist others, take pictures, carry bags, what ever it took.  She just wanted to be around others in the industry.  This worked for her.  People noticed her and connected with her.  She has an amazing community around her.  Doesn’t everyone deserve a great community?

If you ask me, it’s like “pay it forward”.  Put something out into the universe, don’t worry about whose there to see it, someone will appreciate the effort.  It’s good karma, it will come around.

Dewitt Jones talks about this kind of contribution…he likens it to mother nature.  Does she wait for someone to be looking before putting on a great sunset?  No, she just does it, Because it’s right for her.

I think all of us could do a little more of this.  For example, I write this blog.  Not because I’m looking for recognition, but because I have something to say.

What do you contribute to your community?  Not because someone asked you to, but because it’s right for you.  Because it fills your cup.

Go forth and contribute!  I dare you…

Last week I was in Florida.  The trip was good and the meeting productive.  There were some challenges getting home, nothing too horrible.

In the light of these challenges I started writing in my journal.  I wasn’t sure where it was going, but I felt the need to write.  I started writing about the need to find peace.  Peace at work, peace at home, peace at play.  I started to drift off about work needing to be in alignment with my passion.

This concept of work being centered around a passion has come up for me before.  What is my passion?  Is there more than one?  What if I pick the wrong one?  Why do I find it so hard to declare my passion?  I can see the passion in others, why is it so hard for me?

Then, I started thinking about my passion in a different way.  Maybe a passion isn’t a something.  How can this be?  I hear people all the time, “I’m passionate about photography”, “I’m passionate about soccer”…these are definitely things.  I see other people whose’ passions change and evolve over time.  How can this be?  If someone is truly passionate about something how can it change?

Perhaps, what most people refer to as their passion is really the expression of their passion.  Perhaps the expressed passion is just a vehicle to put a person in the right mindset, the right place, or to be with the right people to experience their true passion.

An example is appropriate.  To test this theory, I asked my wife about her passion.  She immediately responded with “horses”.  We talked about it further and discovered that getting out into nature gives her a chance to reflect on life, get away from her concerns and recharge.  Taking her horse out on trail is how she gets herself there.

Maybe a passion has a set of values associated with it.  For example, when someone says they’re passionate about volunteer work.  Maybe what they’re really passionate about is the contribution, or the relatedness of working with people.

I guess what I’m getting at is that you need to look at what’s under a passion.  Is the thing you do truly your passion?  Or, is it an expression of your passion?

By decoupling the passion from it’s expression, I’m given a lot of freedom.  I know that I can be passionate about creating…whether it be using a camera, a piece of wood, or a programming language.  It’s all creating, and that’s what fills my cup.

What fills your cup?  How many different ways can you find to fill your cup?  By creating this distinction I find that I’m free to explore many different aspects of my passion.  I can find ways to explore it at home, at work, at play, and, even on a plane coming home from Florida.

What are your thoughts?  Comments?

Last week I attended a workshop, maybe it was a seminar, or a retreat, I’ll stick with workshop, called “Finding Your Next Right Answer.”

In the materials, they show the following under “who should attend”:

Those seeking to deepen their own sense of possibility and creativity.

In the “Workshop Details” section, the following:

The workshop agenda is designed around exploration  and experience of the different philosophies and techniques to develop your creative thinking, shift your perspective, reconnect to your intuition and your essential self, develop the skills of appreciative inquiry and rekindle your sense of passion.

Wow, I don’t think I actually read that before I signed up.  For those that know me, deep introspection is not comfortable for me.  I’m getting better with it, as I get older, or maybe as I do it more, it gets easier.  Maybe, I’ve come to recognize that there’s something great on the other side.

One of the facilitators was Dewitt Jones.  I’ve heard him speak before and I like his outlook on life (”Celebrate what’s right with the world”).  I’ve also followed his column in Outdoor Photographer (”Basic Jones”).  It was amazing to spend the better part of four days with him.  He has a peace, a calmness, that is very inviting.  He also has a passion, not just for photography, but for many things.  It’s hard to avoid being inspired when you are around passionate people.  I think this is somethig I need to work on as well…being around passionate people.

His partner in this workshop, Tania Carriere, has a background in management consulting and life coaching.  She brings many practices with her, some of which really caught me off guard.  I found myself trying to avoid things like Tae Kwon Do and Tai Chi, but I decided to trust Tania and give it a try.  Again, something great on the other side.  Completely unexpected, it was wonderful.

At the workshop, we learned many things.  I could make a list of the specific things, but I think each of us got a little something different from each of them.

The biggest “a-ha” I had was around the Next Right Answer.  I went in with the idea that the Next Right Answer was a destination.  Really, it’s a journey.  For example, getting a college degree may be your next right answer.  But, there are many right answers along the way.  Applying to a school, registering for classes, studying, etc.  To get to the “Big” right answer, there are many smaller right answers along the way.  It’s also important to have some flexibility around your right answer.  For example, you may be two years into a degree in computer science when you learn that anthropology is really your passion.  You could beat yourself up about not picking the “right” right answer the first time.  But, you’re still heading for a degree, you have some of your education taken care of.  The things you learned will be a part of you, and you made a small course change early in your journey.  You could have waited until you recieved your degree in computer science then decided to give anthropology a try.  Big course change, late in the journey.

Another interesting thing happened, around the “course correction” conversation.  I didn’t see it until someone else was talking about it.  Many people view their life decisions as part of a “grand” plan, everything has to be figured out, planned, scheduled, and prepared for.  In the software development (or project planning) world, this would be called a waterfall model.  These are great tools, if none of your assumptions change.  Like software development, life has some unknowns.  You can’t plan for every contingency along the way.  In the software world, many are moving to a project management technique referred to as “agile.”  The most well know methodology here is Scrum (yes, as in rugby).  Here, you have your grand plan in mind, but you only plan and define your actions for a couple of weeks, or month (iteration).  At the end of the period you look at what you accomplished, reevaluate your goal and define your actions for the next iteration.

Much like the college example above and software development that I know so well.  Life is similar.  Often “grand plans” change, not that they were the wrong “grand plan”,  but other factors become known and adjustments need to be made.

Consider this next time you discover that your life didn’t turn out as you planned.  Look at what you’ve accomplished, reevaluate your plan, make adjustments, and start moving forward…towards your next right answer.

There were many other things I learned, or at least discovered, about myself.  Fortunately, I’m now using a journal to capture my thoughts and discoveries.  I can go back and review my thoughts from the workshop and reapply them as I go forward.

I had a great time and have started adding new practices into my life.  Plans for the future?  Yes, I have great plans…stay tuned as they unfold.

Several people have asked my how I stay connected with so many blogs.  Currently, I check in with 38 blogs every day.  Often more than once each day.

If I had to visit each site individually, I would never do it.  I couldn’t remember all the URLs, or what the last article was I looked at on the site.  It would be a mess.

Luckily, I found the Google Reader (yes, I like the Google Kool-Aid).  This is a web-based tool that lets me keep current with all my blogs.  It’s nice, down the left side is a list of the blogs I follow.  For the blogs with new content, they’re listed in bold and the number of new postings is shown in parenthesis.  Much like the way an email program shows folders.

Clicking on a blog loads the postings into the right side.  You can have the postings shows as just a list, or a scrolling area with the full article content.  When you’re done, you can mark the articles as read.  The blog name will then go back to a normal font until there are new articles.

Google Reader makes it easy for me to keep up on my blog reading.  This is particularly true for sites that don’t get updated very often.

Adding a blog is really easy.  Just look for the syndication or subscription link.  Usually flagged with an icon like this: .  Just copy the URL, in Reader click “Add a Subscription”, paste in the URL and click “Add”.  You’re done.

You can even organize your blogs into categories if you like.

You can “star” individual articles so you can come back to them later, for example, I will star an article that I want to share with someone else or write an article about.  Anything I want to remember for later.  You can share articles and email them to others.  Very slick product.

The other thing I like is that it’s online.  I can access the same blogs from any of my computers and the read/unread status is the same everywhere.

How do you manage your list of favorite blogs?  Speak up in comments.

Get more at http://www.google.com/reader

Do you use a Moleskine notebook?  I never had.  In fact, I never really liked the idea of creating a journal by hand.  I’ve always done it on the computer.

I have just returned from a wonderful weekend workshop.  At the beginning of the workshop we were given a Moleskine notebook.  It’s one of the Volant series notebooks.  It’s compact, yet big enough to hold large thoughts on a single page, and, it fits in the back pocket of my jeans.  They have a sewn binding with several signatures (page groups) so it lays flat and the pages won’t fall out.  For each style and size of journal there are several paper types: ruled, grid, plain, etc.

Writing in a journal was an interesting experience for me.  There is something about the the feel of pen on paper when thoughts are flowing…I really liked it.  I also found it fun to grab other little bits and paste them into the book, creating a multi-media journal.

So, what is MSK?  I don’t know what it stands for, but it’s a nifty little web app on the Moleskine website that allows you to put images and text into a template.  Once complete, you get a PDF file that has a formatted page you can print, cut out, and paste into your journal.  Very cool.  They also have a number of templates you can access.  For example: a weekly calendar, grid paper, story board, music sheets, etc.  So, if you can’t decide which style paper you want, you can change them at will.

I’ll be purchasing a new Moleskine notebook.  This is becoming a regular part of my life.

I don’t know about you, but I love GMail.  I have grown so accoustomed to the idea of labels instead of folders that Outlook just frustrates me.  Why can’t a message be in more than one folder?

After I got my BlackBerry, I tried the GMail app.  Granted it looks nice and let’s you view messages in a threaded manner, access labels and stars, etc.  It sucks when it comes to getting mail to my phone.  It doesn’t seem to do push, and, it doesn’t have an icon in the alert area to tell me there’s new mail.  So, I abandoned it.  Access my email using imap works great.

Now, RIM has released the Enhanced Google Mail plug-in for BlackBerry.  This is a nice compromise.  It looks just like the regular mail/messaging applications and it gives to access to stars, labels, archiving messages, and marking spam even viewing conversations.

In this first picture, you can see the menu options added for Google Mail.  Since this is part of the standard messaging application, all other apps that extend messeging still work.

New menu options

When looking at your inbox, you can see stars and conversations.

With a message open, you can also see labels.

Now, there are a couple of limitations.  The sync of labels and stars is one-way only.  From the phone to your account.  This sucks if you are an active email user…but, it’s still better than we had before.

The other challenge is for people that have a Google Apps account…like me.  I did a bunch of searching on the net and found that RIM can deal with this.  You need to call support with your carrier, get bumped up to RIM support and ask them to set your domain for “GIMAP” (gee-eye-map).  This will cause BIS to recognize your domain as a gmail domain and all is good.

Since RIM released the AppWorld for BlackBerry applications, it has only been available on handheld devices.  Wouldn’t it be nice to access it from your PC, just to make browsing a little easier.

Well, RIM listened.  They have created a full web app for perusing AppWorld.  You can view by categories, search, etc.  If you find an app you like, you can send a link to your phone to complete the purchase.

You have access to the description, reviews, screen shots, program info (version, size, etc).

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/

Thanks to Gizmodo.com for the lead on this one.