 clipped from labs.mozilla.com
As part of this announcement, we’re also releasing an early experimental prototype to demonstrate some of the concepts of Bespin and the possibilities that it opens up.
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Friday, February 13, 2009
Mozilla Bespin
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
After Bush...
How much poorer are we going to get before we start getting richer again? Here are some (scary, morbid, gruesome) clues:
Expected shortfall of gross domestic product below normal growth path in 2009: $900 billion
Decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average from its decade high to its value at the close of business, Jan. 7, 2009: 5,394.83, or 38.1 percent
Number of manufacturing jobs lost since 2000: 3.78 million
Increase in number of unemployed workers from 2001 to 2008: 4 million, a jump of 2.7 percent in the unemployment rate
Real median household income according to the 2000 census, adjusted for inflation: $51,804
Real median household income as of August 2007: $50,233
Of course, the government didn't sit idly by while our financial future was disappearing down the drain. Instead, the feds have pumped in hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars, hoping to juice lending and public spending.
Cost of finance industry bailout: $350 billion, with another $350 pending congressional approval
Cost of auto industry bailout: $17.4 billion, so far
And even though there's widespread agreement among economists that the government needs to be spending a large sum of money on an economic stimulus package, it still won't look pretty on the public balance sheet.
National debt: $10.6 trillion
Amount of that debt owned by China: At least $800 billion
How to Embed Dynamic Content into your Website
How to Embed Almost Anything in your Website
Text Size 
Learn how to embed almost anything in your HTML web pages from Flash videos to Spreadsheets to high resolution photographs to static images from Google Maps and more.
Embed RSS Feeds in Web Pages
Go to this page, replace the feed URL with your own feed, use the default color scheme or change it to something else and then click Get Code. You'll get a JavaScript snippet that can be easily placed in the sidebar of your blog.
If you like to embed feeds from multiple sources, merge all of them into one using Yahoo Pipes and then pass the combined feed to the Google Gadget. You can also use RSS widgets like WidgetBox or YourMinis that are done in Flash and not JavaScript.
Embed High Quality or HD YouTube Videos
To embed a high resolution version of YouTube clip in your web pages, first make sure that "Watch in High Quality" or "Watch in HD" link exists next to the YouTube player as most videos are only available in standard format.
Next copy the YouTube embed code and append &ap=%2526fmt%3D18 (for high quality) or &ap=%2526fmt%3D22 (for 720p High Definition) to the URL value of the movie parameter in both instances (see YouTube HD example).
Embed MP3 music and other Audio
If you like to embed audio files like songs, podcasts or interviews in your web pages, use Yahoo! Media Player - its a free Flash music player that automatically detects all links to MP3 files in the current web page and turns them into a music player. Another alternative is the Google MP3 Player.
To embed other audio formats like 3GP, Midi, Real or Windows Media, it may be a good idea to convert these files into MP3 using Zamzar so that they play on almost any web browser.
Embed Flickr Photos and Slideshows
To embed an individual Flickr photograph in your blog, click the "Share This" link (available next to the photo title) and choose embed it. Flickr requires that the embedded image should link back to Flickr and this built-in embed option automatically takes care of that requirement. (see example)
To embed a Flickr photo slideshow in your web page, open any Slideshow in a new page (see example) and choose "Customize HTML" from the embed option (see example). Here you can specify a custom size for your Flash slideshow so that it fits just right into your web page.
Embed Picasa Web Albums
When you open a photo album inside Picasa, click the link in the right sidebar that says "Link to this album" and choose "Embed Slideshow". You can use the same approach to embed individual photographs that are available inside Picasa.
Embed Events from Google Calendar
Click the drop-down arrow next to any Google Calendar and select Calendar settings. Open the Google Embeddable Calendar Helper program by clicking the customize button and choose elements that you want to display or hide in the calendar.
Embed Very Large Photographs
To embed really large images in your blog, you may either use Deep Zoom or the Google Maps viewer. These programs break your photographs in small tiles and you can even pan / zoom across these images very similar to the default interface of Google Maps.
Embed Charts and Graphs in Web Pages
My personal favorite is Zoho Sheet – any chart created inside Zoho Sheet can be published as an external image without exposing the full spreadsheet. If you are interested in creating charts with low volume of data, use Google Charts.
Embed GIF Animations and Screencasts
GIF animations (see example) are a perfect way to embed short screencasts in web pages as they require no plugins and auto-play inside feed readers. You should upload GIF files to your Flickr account as it preserve all the frames while lot of other image hosting website will drop anything after the first frame.
Embed Chat in your Blog
If you like to chat with visitors who are currently on your site, get the chat widget from Meebo Me and place it in the sidebar of your website. Visitors show up in your Meebo buddy list so you can strike up a conversation, answer questions, or just keep tabs on guests. Also see some more options to embed chat in blogs.
Embed Word Documents
Upload your document to Scribd and they'll give you the embed code in Flash. Scribd supports both doc and the new Office 2007 docx format in addition to Open Office documents. Even Barack Obama is using Scribd to upload his public documents and upcoming plan.
Embed PowerPoint Presentations
While the popular choice is Slideshare, you should also consider using Issuu (best web application) for presentations that are either large or formatted in the form of magazines or catalogues (see example). The only downside is that Issuu accepts PDFs so you need to convert the presentation before uploading onto Issuu.
Embed Spreadsheet Data
Both Zoho Sheet and Google Docs allow you to publish a range of cells from a spreadsheet into a web page but the embedding process in Zoho is less complicated - select a range and choose "Publish" from the contextual menu to embed that range into your web page.
Embed Adobe PDF Files
To embed PDFs in a web page, you can either use Issuu (for magazine style PDFs) or Scribd for PDFs has either have lot of text or have a top-to-bottom reading layout similar to Word documents.
Embed Flash (SWF) or Flash Video (FLV)
The best option to embed Flash content is via swfobject. It improves the overall user experience by providing alternatives in case Flash is missing and your Flash content also becomes more searchable. This tutorial has all the files and other details to help you get started with SwfObject 2.
Related: How to Embed FLV Flash Videos
Embed LinkedIn Profile
If you wish to display your LinkedIn profile in the sidebar of your blog, try LinkInABox. People (site visitors) can read a summary of your LinkedIn profile without leaving the site.
Embed Google Maps in Web Pages
Embedding a Google Map in your website is now almost as easy as adding an image – just open the Static Maps wizard, search for location that you want to embed and specify the dimensions of your map. They'll provide a simple URL that actually points to a static image of that map.
Embed Another Webpage in your Blog
If you like to embed another website into your web page, your best bet is an IFRAME tag also known as an Inline Frame. Just set the SRC value to the address of the web page that you want to embed into your current HTML document. You could try IFRAMEs for inserting live search results from Google into your web page without having to worry about APIs.
Embed Windows Media or QuickTime movies
While it is possible to embed mov or wmv videos in web pages directly using the OBJECT tag, I recommend that you put these videos onto blip.tv and then embed them in web pages as Flash video. That's because your visitors can then play the video without extra plugins and two, they always have the option to download the video in the original format from blip.tv servers.
Embed Other Fonts in Web Pages
Most web pages use universal fonts like Arial, Times New Roman or Verdana since they are installed on most computers and hence your web pages will render correctly. If you want to try something different and render pages in fonts like Microsoft Calibri or Adobe Garamond Pro that are only available on some machines, all you need is sIFR – it lets you use almost any font for your web pages using JavaScript + Flash and is perfect for writing "newspaper style" headlines.
Embed your Lifestream in a Web Page
You have a presence on YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Last.fm, Facebook, Amazon and a dozen other online places. It can get really tough for friends to track you at so many places so what you should do is create an account at FriendFeed, import all the different services that you use and then use the FriendFeed Badge to embed your lifestream activity on your main site. You can also create Lifestream with Google Reader.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
MacWorld 2009 - The Onion
New Laptop With No Keyboard
The MacBook Wheel lets consumers accomplish everyday
tasks like typing with just a few dozen spins and clicks of a wheel.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Sweet Bookshelves
'Equation Bookshelf' is a simple idea of to divide things in priority order... put together the books that you need immediately or more important between (parentheses)! Set others between [square brackets] and {braces}.
Maybe today a beautiful flowerpot will be the most important thing! Tomorrow a portrait of a girlfriend and so on... A different and funny way to organize your objects!
EK bookcase by Reinier de Jong
December 3rd, 2008
Rotterdam-based designer Reinier de Jong has designed an extending bookcase.
Called REK, the bookcase consists of five parts, which slide out to accommodate books in the resulting voids as the user accumulates them.
"REK is a bookcase that grows with your book collection. The more books, the bigger the bookcase," explains de Jong.
The following information is from the designer:
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The zigzag shaped parts slide in and out of each other, providing as much space as needed. With REK there will be no silly sights of half an empty bookcase anymore because REK will always be full. Also with the different spaces that appear you can arrange your books according to their size.
The outside of REK is finished with white high gloss laminate. The inside is finished with another type of laminate, in this case warm grey satin.
design: Reinier de Jong
execution: Bom Interieurs
MYDNA Twist Bookcase from Joel Escalona Studio
- Author: Michael
- Filed under: Design And Concept
Nov 19,2008
Here is a new futniture bookcase from Joel Escalona Studio, called "MYDNA" its a unique bookcase design with twist shape. The furniture bookcases follow this design shape and as a result, create an intriguing piece of home décor. The bookcases are currently looking for a manufacturer to pick up production. MYDNA bookcase, excellent furniture to create modern and unique interior design style.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Tips to Bullet Proof your Job [CNN]
Recent news about the economy and the job market hasn't been encouraging. Companies are taking a much closer look at their operating expenses, especially their payrolls.
Writer Stephen Viscusi asserts that in this atmosphere, "You must understand that your job is your most valuable asset -- and your primary objective is to protect it."
That's just part of the advice Viscusi outlines in his book "Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out on Top at Work." The book discusses tactics for being visible, easy, useful and ready in order to keep one's job.
Be visible
It's important to be a visible part of the team. "The invisible guy is the first to go," Viscusi observes. "What you need to do is create a perception that makes you more visible, more notable and ultimately more valuable to your company."
Among Viscusi's tips on increasing visibility:
• Arrive early and stay late. Let your boss see your commitment to work, rather than your clockwatching abilities.
• Pay attention to your apparel and your appearance. Make sure your office attire is appropriate. Take note of everything from your hair to your shoes, because everyone else in the office (including your boss) will.
Don't Miss
• Develop an eye for the small details.
• Listen up and when appropriate, speak up. Introduce yourself. Prepare your 30-second personal pitch, or "elevator pitch," that explains who you are and what you're all about.
• Introduce yourself with eye contact and a strong handshake - - a personal, warm greeting that Viscusi calls the "Viagra handshake."
Be easy
Being an "easy" employee doesn't mean you need to be a passive nodding machine who does your manager's bidding. What Viscusi is suggesting is that employees be easy to communicate and interact with.
Workers can take the "easy" way by keeping these ideas in mind:
• Don't gripe, especially if the issue is inconsequential. If there is a serious challenge, communicate without complaining. Stay clear of personal gossip about co-workers and managers.
• Watch what you say and how you say it at work. Neutral language doesn't matter if it's delivered with a sarcastic tone.
• Avoid obvious touchy subjects (race, sex and religion) as well as the not-so-obvious (your salary). If you do talk with co-workers, Viscusi says "Discuss, don't argue."
Be useful
Every employee is expected to be useful, but as Viscusi notes, "You have to actively look for ways to do more." Exceeding expectations sometimes requires an investment of time and effort, but just as often you can impress the boss with creativity and efficiency.
Viscusi recommends these approaches to be "Mr. or Mrs. Above-and-Beyond" at work:
• Find ways to be a mentor at work. You can reach out to new workers, as well as share your knowledge with executives and CEOs. (They'll remember you for it.)
• Be a "utility player" -- the multifaceted worker who the "coach" (your boss) can pull off the bench and put in the game when another worker is injured (or quits without notice).
• At the same time, cultivate a role as a specialist on the job (or in some of the tasks that you perform).
• Add dollar value to the company by keeping customers happy and minimizing expenses.
Be ready
Viscusi suggests that being prepared for any outcome instills an air of confidence and calm that looks good on you.
"When you're ready for anything," he says, "you behave with a certainty that you'll succeed when all is well and land on your feet if you hit a bump in the road."
Viscusi suggests that workers can make these preparations:
• Have money in the bank.
• Keep your résumé current and establish a relationship with a recruiter in your field.
• Establish and enhance your network. Be a part of professional organizations and reach out to help the contacts in your professional circles.
• If possible, publish articles or make presentations on your specialized subject matter.
• Be aware of what your peers are doing.
• Avoid getting stuck in a rut. Continue your education, and strive to learn new skills at work.
Though Viscusi warns against indulging in personal gossip, "Company gossip is gold and can help you bulletproof your job." You can set alerts on Web sites like Technorati and Google with your company's name. He also suggests setting an Google alert with your boss's name (though these should be sent to your personal e-mail accounts).
And while you're busy building your professional networks online, see if your boss and co-workers have a profile. You can stay on top of what's happening with them, and stay informed if there's any problems or issues happening that might affect you at work
Sunday, December 28, 2008
How to Use Your Digital Camera
It's Christmas, and we're betting that at least some of you received new digital cameras (be they point-and-shoots or DSLRs). And if you're a photography n00b, we've got a few tips to help.
Turn On Burst Mode
It's harder to capture candid shots on point-and-shoots (let's call em PASs) than DSLRs, but in either format you should turn on "burst mode" or "continuous shooting." This allows you to keep the camera taking shots as fast as it can by holding down the shutter button. Even the greatest photographers don't predict magical moments down to the millisecond—they let their camera do it for them. And with today's cheap and gigantic SD cards, you can afford to waste plenty of shots to get the best.
Control the Color Temperature Yourself
Auto White Balance (AWB) does a good job on most cameras. But you know who can do a better job? You. Backing up for a moment, since every color has its own relative "temperature" that's measured in degrees Kelvin, even the orangey glow of an incandescent bulb or the relatively bluish hue of the sun's light can screw with your photos. Your brain factors it out when you're looking around, but it's important to notice whether the light falling on your scene is more yellow or blue, and to compensate.
Keep ISO to 400 on PASs, 800-1600 on Low-End dSLRs
ISO, a carryover term from the days of film, essentially signals the sensitivity of the imaging sensor to light. A higher number means grainier (noisier) but better defined shots in low light; a lower number means smoother shots in decent light. Most cameras will crank this number in medium to low light situations so that it can capture a shot without blurring, but you will get a grainy image. This may just be a rule of thumb based on the cameras I've used, but for optimally crisp shots, don't let the ISO exceed 400 on your PAS or 1600 on your DSLR. (In some older DSLR models, you probably shouldn't exceed 800.)
Any way you cut it, flash is a problem. When used instead of ambient light, it pulls the color and texture from skin, turns eyes red (a phenomenon caused when the flash is too close to your lens, which it is in most cameras) and often erases the background ambiance from your shot. A few things you can do will help tame flash:
2. Diffuse the flash. A classic trick for DSLR owners is to put a cigarette carton on large flash attachments, but in the absence of a large flash—and a cigarette carton—try taping some kind of translucent paper over your flash.
3. Turn it off. Even a grainier high-ISO shot is better than a washed-out flash explosion. If you use a tripod, you can get nice low light shots without resorting to flash or upping the ISO. Most cameras now have a flashless "night mode" to automate this process.
Carry a Pocket Tripod
Ultimately, if you want to take good shots in dark environments, you need to allow light to hit your camera's imaging sensor for a longer period of time. And the only way to keep your shots sharp in this scenarios is to stabilize your camera. Though even cheap cameras boast image stabilizers of all kinds, a $7 pocket tripod trumps all that marketing speak, allowing you to use a solid surface to set up the camera and then angle it to your liking. If you don't have a tripod, try resting your camera on the side of a table, or up on a (preferably empty) water glass.
Protect Your Images From Lens Flare
In any situation where sunlight or some other bright light source is hitting your lens indirectly (not associated with your subject), you may lose part of your image to stray light. Sometimes this looks cool, of course, but not always. The best and most common solution is a lens hood. The second best solution (and the one that works for PASs) is your hand, a piece of paper, anything, between that light source and your lens.
Exhale, Then Shoot
ISOs and tripods aside, maybe the best tip I've ever gotten to taking great shots was to exhale, then take the picture. Right after you exhale, the tension is released from your body, and you'll find yourself, for a brief moment, at your stillest and most relaxed. In low light especially, it could be the difference between getting a clear shot and getting a blurry one.
Use Sepia Filter Whenever Humanly Possible
Sepia is well known for making your lousy photography "deep." Helllllooo precious moments! (OK, I sort of despise sepia because it's been so overused, but that's just me. It can be beautiful, of course.)
There are many advantages to the average DSLR camera, but the best, by far, unequivocally, is RAW shooting. If you save your pictures as JPEGs, they can be beautiful, but they've been compressed and packaged into a product. If you save in RAW, you have a picture, but you also have the cold clay that shaped it.
And Your Own...
I realize this list will seem too obvious to some, but the goal is to help those who didn't know much to start with. Since we have more than our share of incredible photographers among our readership, I'd encourage any of you with pro tips to please offer them up in comments.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Manager Achieves Full Mastery Of Pointless Managerial Jargon
Manager Achieves Full Mastery Of Pointless Managerial Jargon
CHARLOTTE, NC—During what was described to them as "a look-forward meeting to discuss and evaluate the company's event-chain methodology," MediaLine employees stood with mouths agape Wednesday as they witnessed the very moment at which project manager James Atkins attained complete mastery over the fine art of meaningless corporate doublespeak.
Enlarge Image 
Project manager James Atkins has at last perfected his idle administrative blather.
According to his awed coworkers, Atkins' usage of vacuous administrative jargon reached an almost mythical apex with the pre-lunchtime announcement, during which a string of expertly crafted drivel rolled off the 28-year-old's tongue with the confidence of a seasoned executive.
"Due to the increased scope of the project vis-à-vis Tuesday's meeting, compounded with our aforementioned desire to maintain quality without increasing cost, an as-yet indeterminate amount of time will be allocated to our newest venture," Atkins said without once stuttering. "You should all be proud of the amount of effort and energy you have put forth thus far, and can be certain the project's conclusion will become more apparent as the tasks become increasingly more finite."
Atkins then told the stunned boardroom, "I look forward to partying with you all when the work is done," and concluded the meeting by saying he had to "step out." After they had regained their senses, his coworkers determined that this seemingly innocuous send-off was, in actuality, an attempt by Atkins to portray himself as a regular guy—a clever tactic that only further proved him to be a veritable wizard of ambiguous executive nonsense.
However, the magnitude of Atkins' achievement was only fully understood later, after employees finished sorting through the cloud of lilting bureaucratic bullshit that spewed forth from his mouth and deduced their project manager had just informed them that he had no idea when the new project would be completed, and no one would be receiving overtime pay.
"My God, just listen to him spin that empty administrative rhetoric into flaxen strands of gold," said a visibly stunned Tim Rosen, one of the company's head market researchers. "The fact that he could come in here and talk to us like that is…. Well, I'm speechless."
MediaLine president Brian Morrow was among the first to recognize Atkins for his newly achieved mastery of corporate gibberish. After years of directing Atkins to a large binder whenever he asked for tips on speaking with employees, Morrow said he knew his protégé had become a true virtuoso of business jargon when he witnessed Atkins enter the conference room with a newly acquired clipboard and ask a group of adults to participate in a "targeted brainstorm."
According to Morrow, Atkins is now closer than ever to receiving a promotion after confidently relaying the message that employees needed to "focus on diversifying the brand"— a masterful phrase of managerial gobbledygook devoid of any significant content that Morrow admits he himself doesn't fully understand and is unable to deliver convincingly.
"We are very impressed that James has made great strides to elaborate in this solution-oriented manner so as to more adequately harness heightened executive verbiage when such platitudes aren't necessarily mission critical," Morrow told reporters. "That's what we desire from those managers who are employed by, work for, touch base with, and attain biweekly compensation from, MediaLine. If he keeps up this outside-the-box thinking, and continues to focus on diversifying the brand, perhaps there could be a position opening up for him here at corporate."
When Atkins first joined MediaLine as a young market researcher in 2003, he was reportedly inept at using such inane administrative buzzwords and phrases. Sources close to him said he "spoke like a normal person" and wasn't even sure he wanted to enter the field of marketing. He only applied for the company's project manager position, colleagues said, because the increased salary would offer him a better chance to pay off college loans.
"When he first took the job two years ago, he told me, 'They're putting me in charge of making sure that stuff gets done,'" art assistant Kyle Bovard said. "That's why I was amazed when I overheard him on the phone yesterday describing his position as 'a facilitator tasked with developing predictable increments that are intricately tied to benchmarks, milestones, and completion dates.'"
"I don't know how somebody even begins to talk like that," Bovard added.
When asked to comment on his recent success, Atkins responded in a one-line e-mail, stating, "FYI ETA TBD EOM."
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