Seesmic Desktop Preview – I’m currently reviewing the latest beta release and it is amazing.  Currently using it as my default desktop tweet app. Woot! Similar to TweetDeck, you’re able to view multiple panels that are customizable.  Cool features that stand out for this version are:

1. Live user searches
2. Live keyword searches
3. Ability to add twitter users to custom Userlists.  Even if you are not following them by adding them to your userlist you’ll be able to preview their tweets. Very cool feature.
4. When replying to a fellow tweeter you’ll be able to view a thumbnail of the user you’re replying to on your avatar.
5. Ability to view multiple tweeter accounts. This has become my desktop replacement to HootSuite.

TweetDeck v.25 – The four highlighted features that this new version has are:

1. Preview Twitpic thumbnails directly from TweetDeck
2. Preview TinyURLs
3. Update Facebook and view friends statuses
4. Record video clips within TweetDeck using 12seconds.

DestroyTwitter v1.5.3 beta release : This was the first twitter client that I actually fell in love with as it was easy to use and had a dark color scheme that I enjoyed as I usually work in the dark when my wife and daughter are asleep.  The features that I love about this application are:

1. The cool animated sliding panel effects
2. Ability to select where the twitter text box would be displayed (top or bottom)
3. Quick selection when you type @ that shows you twitter users that you’re currently following as an autocomplete menu.
4. Skinnable.  You’re able to apply your own color schemes.
5. Quick navigation to older, newer, most recent tweets.

(Posted by Julia Roy @ http://is.gd/rPeA)
I attended last night’s taping of The Colbert Report, and during audience Q&A ahead of the show, I had the chance to let Stephen Colbert (@stephenathome) know my followers believe he needs to tweet more. His response and our back-and-forth dialog, while hilarious, also brought up some serious questions in my mind about the merits of Twitter, challenging me to answer his question back at me:

That’s a really good question. Of course, unable to answer him specifically and quickly enough, I fell back on a more general response, babbling something about it being a place to connect with loyal fans, be a part of their daily lives and grow them into a more avid fan base.

But, at the time, I didn’t think my off-the-cuff response answered the most critical question he posed to me, that “[Twitter] takes a lot of time…how does that get me more viewers?”

What I realized is my quick retort was actually perfect. Twitter’s at it’s best when you’re using it in one of two ways; first, as a means of doing something online requiring a short mobilization timeframe and second, as a means of providing daily updates and reminders to interested parties — keeping them involved in your daily activities. For Stephen Colbert, and others with a built-in base of followers, Twitter’s not really a tool for growing viewers, it’s for engaging and mobilizing them.

Think about the meme-expanding possibilities of follower real-time action to online pursuits like Colbert’s Operation Humble Kanye. Fan-bases in the internet age are much tighter when they feel like they’re a part of the action. Twitter is the best tool to make his fan base work with each other and take collective action online, driving views, chatter and sharing.  During the time his show is not on air, he can be using his Twitter audience to make his online efforts more successful.

So Stephen, I’m sticking by my guns and the truthiness of my statement — tweet more, it’ll help you keep your loyal fans and get more out of them. Plus, how can you let Ashton Kutcher beat you in followers? You gonna let him Punk you like that? I’m just sayin ]]> http://www.smoothjoy.com/smoothhaven/2009/04/10/stephen-colbert-why-should-i-twitter-more/feed/ 0 http://www.smoothjoy.com/smoothhaven/2009/04/07/everythings-amazing-and-nobodys-happy/ http://www.smoothjoy.com/smoothhaven/2009/04/07/everythings-amazing-and-nobodys-happy/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:01:19 +0000 admin http://www.smoothjoy.com/smoothhaven/?p=31

This Conan O’Brien show which had Louis CK (comedian) on was amazingly funny as Louis sheds light on how today’s society consists of spoiled brats that are unsatisfied with menial problems in our high tech world! It’s crazy but I am so familiar with some of the things that he grew up with. 

Apple Inc. just released Safari 4 on February 25th, 2009.  It has some amazing features such as Top Sites, Coverflow, Full History Search, Tabs On Top (like Google Chrome – Tabs in the title bar), Nitro Engine, Windows Native Look and Feel, and Developer Tools. Is that it? No way! It’s also got Full Page Zoom, Smart Address Field, Smart Search Field, Phishing and Malware protection and 150 other features.

The core feature that outshines the other top browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer right now is it’s Nitro Engine.  Still the world’s fastest web browser, Safari outraces Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome. On even the most demanding Web 2.0 applications, Safari delivers blazingly fast performance thanks to the industry’s most advanced rendering technologies.

Using the new Nitro Engine, for example, Safari executes JavaScript up to 30 times faster than Internet Explorer 7 and more than 3 times faster than Firefox 3 based on performance in leading industry benchmark tests: iBench and SunSpider.

I have been wondering about the difference between red wines and white wines. To me, they taste quite different. Red wines are heavier and more complex than white wine, and often tend to be less sweet. Why is this? Actually red and white wines are made quite differently. The differences between red and white wines include the kinds of grapes used, the fermentation and aging process, and the character and flavor of the wine.

White wines are almost always made from white grapes, although they can be made from black grapes, since the juice in most black grapes is clear. When white wine is made, the skins of the grapes are separated from the juice when they are put into a crushing machine. Then yeast is added to the juice for fermentation, until the juice becomes white wine. After filtering etc, the wine is aged by storing it in stainless steel or occasionally oak containers and bottled after a few months. White wines, then, are made without skins or seeds and are essentially fermented grape juice. They have a light character and have crisp fruit flavors and aromas. They can be sweet or dry or somewhere in between. Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio/ Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc are all white wines.

Red wine is usually made from red or black grapes, although all the kinds of grapes usually have a clear juice. The process of making red wine is different from the one of making white wine. After the grapes have been in the crushing machine, the red grapes with their skins and everything sit in a fermentation vat for a period of time, typically about one to two weeks. . The skins tend to rise to the surface of the mixture and form a layer on top. The winemaker frequently mixes this layer back into the fermenting juice (which is called must). After fermentation is over, the new wine is taken from the vat. A little “free run” juice is allowed to pour and the rest of the must is squeezed into “press wine”. The wine is clarified and then is stored, usually in oak containers, for several months until it is ready to be bottled. The oak containers add additional wood tannins and flavors to the wine which help to intensify it and add richness to it. The result of this process is that red wines exhibit a set of rich flavors with spicy, herby, and even meaty characteristics. Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel are all red wines.

The main difference between red and white wines is the amount of tannins they have. Since tannins largely come from the grape skins, red wines have more of them than white wines. Red wine acquires it’s tannins in the process of maceration (leaving juice to mix together with the skin, seeds and woody bits). It is the tannins and skins of the red grapes which are released into the wine that contribute to the deep color and flavor of red wine. Tannins have a slightly bitter taste and create a dry puckery sensation in the mouth and in the back of the throat; and often lend a wonderful complexity to red wine. They also help preserve the wine. This is why red wines are usually aged longer than white wines.

There are as many different flavor profiles among red wines as there are among white ones. Some red wines are sweet and fruity, while some whites ( such as Chardonnay) have tannins from being stored in oak containers. Some German white wines have lasted for centuries, while some red wines are made for immeadiate consumption. For wines meant for consumption right away the winemaker takes out the bitter tannins, creating a fruity, fresh, and approachable wine. So, apart from the color, there are no hard and fast rules about the differences between red and white wine.

Is it true that red wine is better for you? The research of Dr Frankel has shown that red wine contains more antioxidants than white wine, although the total amount varies according to the variety of grape, region it was grown, the climate and soil it was grown in, and whether it was stored in oak (since wines stored in oak have more antioxidants) and the filtration techniques used. However the antioxidants in white wine are apparently more effective. The research of Dr Troup shows that the antioxidant molecules in white wine are smaller and thus more effective because they can be more easily absorbed. It seems that white wine is just as healthy as red wine.

In summary, the primary difference between red and white wine is the amount of tannins they contain, although there are no hard and fast rules about the differences between them outside of the color of the wine. Usually red wines are more complex, richer, and heavier, with spicy, herby, and even meaty characteristics. White wines are usually sweeter, and lighter, and have crisp fruit flavors and aromas. Neither is significantly better for you. Which wine is best for you to drink is simply a matter of taste.

Can you wake up one day and find your identity erased? In this Hacking Hollywood, Sandra Bullock learns the hard way what happens when the bad guy changes your identity on The Net. Step aside 2009, its time to talk internet and identity theft in 1995.

I am amazed with what Apple has accomplished with the iPhone and iPod Touch.  I was never interested in developing applications for mobile devices or iPods because of the limited screen size, but through recent discovery of internet based applications for my iPod Touch I have changed my outlook on this.  The screen transitions are amazing, and the interface controls are easy to use.  Easy enough that my own father would find it enjoyable as much as he’s not a fan of anything high tech.

AJAX based Web 2.0 applications run fine on these devices and are easy to install.  With the lack of plugin support (Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player) for the slimmed down version of Safari, I find it a bit limited especially for us PC based developers but has openned up my eyes to perhaps purchasing a Mac.   But this will change as I know I’m not the only one that feels this way and a lot of people must’ve already inquired about this.

Just recently, Apple released the new version of iLife with all of the new features for iPhoto, GarageBand and iMovie.  I love taking photos and the new face recognition features with geo-tagging in iPhoto along with the robust video-editing features in iMovie has got me sold.  I will be buying a Mac in the near future. Kudos to Apple, for you’ve enlightened a die hard PC user in wanting to buy more of your products.

     Apple had recently released their newly designed iMac computer.  It sports a sleaker new look with glass and aluminum.  Their new slim keyboards looks beautiful also.  I’ve always admired apple products for their industrial design.  They’re always aesthetically pleasing. Lately, because of the anticipation of the birth of my baby girl I have been contemplating on purchasing my first Apple computer.

      It would mainly be used for my photography, video editing, and graphics.  I have been a die hard user of PCs for most of my life and especially because of I use it for work. It helps me bring home the bacon.   Most of my time is spent behind 2 screens and a high-powered PC with Microsoft Visual Studio.  I develop web applications and some desktop utilities all week long.

     When I find time to do some web-window-shopping, it’s usually to look at new laptops being offered by Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony, and Toshiba.  I really need to stop buying too many gadgets for myself and make more family-centric electronic purchases. hehe.  I’ll keep everyone updated as to when or whether I decide to make my Mac purchase. 

     I’m currently work as a web developer programming in .NET, but from time to time I’ll develop something in Flash.  Lately, I’ve grown interested in Silverlight.  Some may label it as a flash killer, but it’s just another platform leveraging Microsoft Technology. Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plugin for delivering the next generation of Microsoft .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the web.  To view Silverlight technology, you’ll have to download it’s player which is available for both Windows and Mac OS X.  It’s fairly new and sites are constantly popping up utilizing this new technology.  It show promise and many .NET programmers have taken off with it.  To create many of the intricate animations, streaming demos, and rich applications, Microsoft created a suite of products called Expression.  It is now available for purchase and you can download a trial version to play around with.  Using XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) in conjunction with .NET framework 3.0, developers can create endless possibilities in animation, and application development.  XAML was initially created for Microsoft new OS, Windows Vista. It’s a vector based environment similar to Flash.  These two development/design platforms will conjure up competition which I feel will be healthy for the Internet Community.  I would love to see more Silverlight sites as there are tons of Flash sites already out on the Internet today.