Template Lite - One of my favorite place for free professional WordPress template.  Plenty to choose from and an I’m still amazed that these are free.   Limited to certain niches but if it works our for your brand or audience, this place is a home-run.

InstantShift- This is a blog post of tons of free WordPress templates to choose from.  A must visit!

WP Template & WP Archive – These are not as good as the first two in terms of overall quality, but they are worth a look.  A lot of them are hit or miss.

Pro Blog Design and 1st Web Designer – Worth a look.

For quality premium templates, I highly recommend Theme Forest, an industry leader in premium WordPress templates.  Theme Forest offer hundreds of high quality themes that you’ll bound to find one that will fit your needs.  Thry break out their themes into categories such as non-profit, corporate, retail, entertainment, personal, etc..  In addition to just WordPress themes, Theme forest also has themes to WordPress plugins such as Buddy Press and WP-ECommerce.

Note that although this post is about WordPress templates, Theme Forest also sells themes for other CMSes such as Joomla, Drupal, Magento, Spotify, OpenCart, and so forth.

Most themes are competitively priced at under $40.

One of the things that make Blue Host standout is their knowledgeable and 24/7 customer service.  You can be assured that when you call in, you won’t be put on hold (I’ve never had this happen to me nor to anyone I know) and can get a rep on the phone in less than 30 seconds.  I never tried emailing my questions, so I can’t really vouch for their email support, but if it’s anything like the phone support, it should be pretty good.  Since I know my way around setting up domains and hosting, my questions tend to be more technical than a non-IT person, and yet their reps handle them pretty well.  I also like that I’m often greeted personally and the process to resolve my solutions seems to be more customized and personal than just someone reading from a generic script.  Nothing is worst than going through 5 minutes listening to questions like…

“Did you turn your computer on?”

“Please double click on your internet browser such as Internet Explorer”

Those examples are a bit exaggerated, but you get what I’m saying.  Although the call center is located in Colorado, you can rely on them 24/7.  That’s a huge bonus since you never know when the next fire will occur especially when you have non-technical clients trying to do technical things.

In addition, part of my research involves looking into the hosting company’s history to see how long they have been in business and if there are any negative news regarding the company such as shortages, security vulnerabilities, and financial issues.  I’m happy to report that I didn’t find anything that would raise an alarm with BlueHost.  BlueHost isn’t a start-up web hosting company that could be gone tomorrow (taking your website with them), in fact they’ve been around since the 90’s (when the internet started booming).  There were some vulnerability issues back when it first started, but they have been top notch since then, which I couldn’t vouch for with a lot of the other hosting I’ve looked at.

One of the great things I like about them is that they are WordPress friendly.  If you use Shopp for your e-Commerce platform, Blue Host is a reliable and compatible hosting provider as you can see here.  This is especially important for those who do most of their development using PHP on the WordPress CMS platform.  I’ve also had no issues using Backup Buddy, which I’ve experienced issues with in other hosting environments.  On a side-note, I know that OpenCart works and installs well within Blue Host.  So for all of you who are interested in using this new and very strong contender in the open-source e-commerce platform community, rest assure that OpenCart works very well on BlueHost’s server and hosting configurations.

I also find their C-Panel very easy to use and intuitive, although that might not be saying much as most C-Panels are pretty straightforward.  (However I’ve had my fair share of poorly designed and difficult to use C-Panels)  For those who don’t already know, C-Panel is the dashboard you go to make changes regarding FTP, sub-domains, databases, emails, and all that other fun stuff hosting companies give you when you purchase a hosting plan.

Two perks that you get with BlueHost that I have not seen anywhere else as well as people who sign-up to BlueHost don’t even take advantage of is the $75 Google Adwords and $25 Bing/Yahoo! pay-per-click credit.  That’s essentially $100 worth of free advertisement right there!  Another perk you get, although Go Daddy offers the same thing, is that you get 1 year domain that goes a long with the 1 year purchase for free, however Blue Host is slightly a bit cheaper  ($0.05/month cheaper).

So in-case you are interested, here’s my special referral link to Blue Host, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For the past few years the web team has been tracking the positive trend in mobile viewership of tyndale.com. For example, just last month, 11.46 percent of all the visits to tyndale.com came from a handheld device. This is a huge jump from 4.74 percent in 2010 and 1.11 percent in 2009. This trend will certainly increase with the continued sale of handheld devices.

Excellent user experience is a high priority on all of Tyndale’s websites. Innovative web development and clear, intuitive design provide a positive impression of Tyndale for those who only interact with us through our websites. Due to the restraints and limitations of handheld devices, we wanted to ensure that handheld device users are easily able to find what they are looking for. With this in mind, along with research, we reduced the full Tyndale corporate site to its more essential elements and optimized them for a handheld device.

Mobile browsing brings limitations along with it. We took into account how screen size and touch-based navigation affects the user experience. We made the content larger and more legible. We increased button sizes for easy clicking and navigation. We also tried to eliminate navigational steps so users can get to products quickly, with fewer graphics and less load time on each step.

Another consideration that we took into account is how mobile browsing habits differ from desktop browsing habits. People use mobile devices for shorter amounts of time, often seeking out a specific piece of information or executing one particular task. Casual, unfocused browsing is less common on a handheld device. For these reasons, we attempted to get information to the user as intuitively and as quickly as possible. We tried to reduce the barriers to someone who is seeking out specific product content or author information. These changes will allow our visitors to find what they need regardless of what device they are using.

There are many advantages of having a mobile version of the tyndale.com site.  Ads that are displayed exclusively on mobile devices can now point to the mobile version of tyndale.com. The streamlined mobile experience will increase the level of engagement and will ultimately make it easier for readers to get Tyndale products into their hands or on their digital devices. The mobile site also allows us to integrate better with offline media through the use of QR codes. QR codes are the matrix barcodes commonly seen on various print materials. Their usage is also on the rise in general, and they are contained in many of our recent Tyndale products. These codes are “read” by smartphones and often link users to a website. Since QR codes are primarily read by smartphones, it makes sense to develop a website that works well with mobile devices.

Additionally, Tyndale’s web team worked on a responsive web design aspect of the mobile site.  Responsive web design is a method of development that allows a siteto automatically adjust to different screen resolutions, fully utilizing and adapting to the available screen space. You can see this in effect on your smartphone when you adjust your device orientation from portrait to landscape view. digital devices. The mobile site also allows us to integrate better with offline media through the use of QR codes. QR codes are the matrix barcodes commonly seen on various print materials. Their usage is also on the rise in general, and they are contained in many of our recent Tyndale products. These codes are “read” by smartphones and often link users to a website. Since QR codes are primarily read by smartphones, it makes sense to develop a website that works well with mobile devices.

We are excited to launch the Tyndale mobile site and hope that it will help people learn more about Tyndale and the products available. If you haven’t already, please go to mobile.tyndale.com and let us know what you think by posting a comment below.

This post will be mostly about WordPress plugins I’ve been using lately and/or recently discovered and want to share with everyone.

Below are mandatory plugins I put on every WordPress site I do and for good reason, they are phenomenal plugins.

1. All-In-One Favicon – Easy way to add favicons to your site and admin backend!
2. All-In-One SEO – Allows you to easily set meta tags for description and keywords for your entire website but also allow you to override the global meta tags on a per page basis.
3. Broken Link Checker – You can set it to scan your site every X hours and it will email you a list of any broken links found on your site regardless if it’s content you wrote or  links from visitor’s comments.  An excellent tool since broken links can hurt your SEO.
4. Google Analytics – Yes it’s easy to just pop this into the template, but it’s even easier to just install the plugin and pop in your site’s Google Analytics ID.  In addition, this tool is necessary if you want to use Google Analytics Dashboard.
5. Google XML SiteMaps – I love this plugin.  This plugin creates a sitemap in your root directory.  For example you can find the sitemap under www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.  You can view the sitemap in Internet Explorer.  I wasn’t able to view it under Chrome or Firefox.  (This is the rare occasion that IE does something right while other browsers didn’t.)  In addition, whenever you make a change to your site, it updates the sitemap and automatically notifies Bing, Yahoo, Google, and Ask.com that changes have been made and to come and re-index your site.  A must have for SEO!
6. Hide Admin Panels – Whenever I make a site for clients, I install this plugin because seeing all the menu options can be quite intimidating.  In addition, why show them options that they won’t use or give them more arsenal to break the site?
7. Tiny MCE Advance – Another favorite plugin among favorites.  I run into this weird glitch, you know, the one where you press the enter key to create line breaks in the WYSIWYG editor but when you save the page, Tiny MCE removes the line breaks and replaces it with a space.  That’s because WordPress sometimes filter out link breaks in post…  In addition, if by any chance you want to have the option to change font styles, you can turn it on with this plugin.
8. Better WP Security – A must have!  This plugin adds a layer of protection to your WordPress site.  You can setup 3 strikes you’re out type of mechanisms, hide your wp-admin, and even set a period of time when the wp-admin is online.

The following are plugins I used often, but arn’t always necessary on every site.

1. Next Gen Gallery – If you need to have a picture gallery on your site, this is the plugin to use!  Easy picture uploading, arranging, and management.  Using short codes, you can insert pictures galleries very easily within your site.
2. Contact From 7 / Really Simple CAPTCHA Plugin Combo – I group these 2 plugins together because I don’t remember the last time I created a contact form that didn’t have some sort of SPAM blocking mechanism in the form of CAPTCHA.  If you need a form, this is the one to go.  I’ve also heard Gravity Forms is much easier to use (not that Contact Form 7 is terribly hard to use), but its a premium plugin.
3. WP-Super Cache – If your site is slow for whatever reason, why not cache it?  This plugin allows you to cache your website very easily.  Note that caching can cause quirks with other plugins (such as Shopp) so test thoroughly.  Also, if you are going to make changes to your site, remember to turn of your caching, and re-cache else you’re changes was be made live.
4. Google Analytics Dashboard – This allows you to see your Google Analytics stats on the WordPress dashboard as well as seeing charts on the page section.  Pretty nifty plugin to make it easier for clients since they can get to everything on their site just by logging into their WP admin.  You’ll need to install the Google Analytics plugin to use this plugin.
5. Viper’s Video Quicktags – Need to add a video from an external source such as Youtube, Google Video, Vimeo, Flicker, etc.. to your site?  No problem with this tool!
6. WordPress Importer – If you need to import or export out your WordPress database which is sometimes necessary for backup purposes or migration purposes, this plugin, which is created by the same company that created WordPress is the tool to use!

The following are notable mentions as I havn’t tried them out yet or currently in the process of developing a site that is utilizing it and it’s showing positive results.

1. BuddyPress – Adds social networking capabilities such as chat, members, make connections, create profiles and groups.
2. MEE News Premium- Allows you to send newsletters from within WordPress.  Like the name, this one is a premium plugin.
3. Shopp - eCommerce plugin for WordPress.  Seems very promising.  Another worthy mention would be Cart66.  Both are premium plugins.
4. Gravity Forms – A click and drag form generator for Word Press.  This one is a premium plugin.
5. S2 Membership – Allows you create membership areas to your site.
6. Backup Buddy – Heard tons of good things about this plugin and I’m in the process of getting it.  This is a one click backup or import tool.  Backing up WordPress installations is a pain, but this solution makes the pain go away.  In addition, I was thinking of using this plugin as a possible migration tool.

What are your plugins you like?

USPS Web Tools
First you need to register an account with the United States Postal Service under the USPS Web Tools program. They have a whole bunch of APIs, but the one I will focus on is the Rate Calculator APIs (http://www.usps.com/webtools/rate.htm)
Sign up to USPS Web Tools here: http://www.usps.com/webtools/

You’ll get an email once you sign up that contains your username and password along with a phone number to call when you’re ready to have your account authorized to switch over to their production servers. I recommend you calling them right away to switch over to their production server since I don’t think their sandbox server works at all. This was the case for me, and I spend 2 painful days working and reworking my code only to find out that everything worked fine when I was switched over to production.

Once you talk to a rep and you’re now switched over to the production server, you’ll get an email to the URL of the production server APIs. So, by now you should have your USPS Webtools username and password as well as the URL of the location of the production server APIs.

Now for the “fun” to begin. First, construct your XML to send over to USPS. You’ll need to follow the DTD schema here: http://www.usps.com/webtools/htm/Rate-Calculators-v1-2a.htm Specifically you’ll need to look at 2.1.2 Request Diagram. Depending on the type of shipping options you provide, you may or may not need all the fields. The ones that are dotted are optional fields. To determine if you need to fill in the optional fields, you’ll need to look at the shipping table. That can be found under 2.1.4 RateV4 Service Request Matrix.

ProTip: Under container, when it says “ignored” and “variable/null”, don’t put those values in. Instead leave it blank! Under service, when it says “All & Online”, just put “ALL”.

Here’s an example to get every type of shipping available.

And here’s an example that would allow you to pick and choose. Remove which ever shipping type you do not want.

Once the XML is constructed, its now time to shoot if off over to USPS’s server to get a response.

Once you get a response XML. It’s now time to parse it out and do whatever you need to do with it. Here’s a simple loop to just show on the screen.

Here is my demo code that will help get you started. (It ain’t pretty, but it works, and it’s good enough for government work as they say.)   Note that:

-You’ll need to supply your own userid.
-I converted all pounds and ounces to ounces only and uses only ounces when calling the USPS’s API. This makes things a lot easier!
-To see the return XML, copy and paste the request string into your browser.
-Currently using the most current USPS Domestic V4 APIs.
-Code points to the production server so remember to call in and get switched over first.

UPS Developers Kit
For UPS’s shipping calculator, I found Chris Lee’s script and it works perfectly and easy to integrate into an existing project.

http://www.neox.net/w/ups-xml-rate-php-script/

In case the precious code is no longer available on the original site, you can downloaded it here.

When using the UPS code, don’t forget to register and get your API credentials from UPS. You can do that here, https://www.ups.com/upsdeveloperkit

In the code you’ll have to insert your credentials in ups.php for the $userid, $passwd, and $accesskey (lines 88-90)  The jist of the UPS code and how you interact with the 3rd party server is similar to the USPS code above.  Assemble the XML schema according to the given specs, shoot it over the server, and parse out the response XML.  The only differences between the USPS code I created and the one from Chris Lee’s site from above is that I sent my XML off to the other server using simplexml_load_file while he uses cURL (which may require an add-on library for PHP).

So there you have it, great code to help you integrate 3rd party shipping APIs. I didn’t have to do FedEx so that I don’t have any code for that, but I don’t think its all that different. If you have any example of good FedEx API integration how-tos I’ll definitely appreciate the hookup in case I might need to use it in the future.

Downloads (incase you missed it)
USPS Example API code
UPS Example API code provided by http://www.neox.net/w/ups-xml-rate-php-script/

There are a lot of reasons why these two operating systems are at the tip of the iceberg.  There are a lot of similarities between the two as well as many differences.  The main categories that will be discussed will be split into the following segments:

• Hardware (Android Phones vs. iPhone 4, Motorola Xoom vs. Apple iPad 2) & Cellular Network Compatibility
• Usability Interface and Design
• Applications “Apps” (Quality, Availability) & Application storefronts (Apple App Store vs. Android Marketplace)
• Internet Browsers

After each segment has been discussed and the pros and cons have been identified, depending on the individual, an operating system of choice can be determined.

Before the discussion for the actual operating system can be made, the hardware needs to be examined first since software and the hardware operate as a symbiotic environment and operating systems can vary widely based on the device model.  A mobile device can be categorized as a smartphones or tablets.  While the tablet segment is quite new, the smartphone segment has been around for a while and has matured to allow for several generations of devices.  This isn’t hard to keep track of for Apple who is the only manufacture to create their devices (known as the iPhone) for the iOS mobile operating system.  Currently there are 4 generations of iPhone: iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 being the most recent released in February 10, 2011 with a white shell.  The main specs around the iPhone 4 paraphrased from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone):

Display: 960 × 640 px at 326 ppi

CPU: 1GHz Apple A4 running at 800MHz

Memory: 512MB DRAM

Camera: Rear 5.0 MP, Front 0.3 MP (VGA), 30 fps 720p HD video

Features: 3-axis gyroscope, dual microphone noise suppression, iOS4

Retail:  $299
Network: AT&T and Verizon

For sake of argument, the latest Phone 4 with iOS4 will be used for comparison.  Smartphones with the Android operating system gets a little trickier because there are several hardware vendors that build the smartphones and each has their pros, cons, features, price, etc..  Popular vendors include

• HTC with its Incredible, Thunderbolt, and EVO Series
• Samsung with its Galaxy Series
• LG with its Optimus Series
• Motorola with its Atrix, Cliq, and Droid Series

As you can see there are a lot of different smartphones available for the Android market.  And you can choose one that fits your style, look, hand-size, price, and features you want.  With Apple, you’re stuck with what ever comes out from the design room at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The biggest advantage to going with an Android powered smartphone may be that you have no other choice.  Apple’s iPhone until recently only worked on the AT&T network.  As of February 10, 2011, Verizon joined AT&T as the sole networks that will work with iPhone 4 out of the box.  Smartphone supporting the Android OS can be found on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Sprint Nextel, and U.S. Cellular.  So if you’re not on AT&T and Verizon, you might not have a choice but to choose an Android phone.

Android phones come in all prices, from as low as $39 to $549 so you’ll definitely find one that fits your price point.  Apple on the other hand, retails for $299 with not much options in between.  Another big advantage is that some Android phones comes with a physical slide out keyboard.  If you prefer typing using physical buttons instead of the screen, you’re out of luck with the iPhone.  In addition, if the battery goes bad or you want to use a SD card for removable storage, there isn’t an easy or any option for iPhone users.

To make an easy comparison, I will compare the HTC’s latest phone, the HTC Droid Incredible 2, but because there’s so many vendors to choose from and each of them is spouting to be the latest and greatest its hard to choose just one and that is a possible con of choosing an Android based smartphone.  The pro is that because there’s so many vendors competing and each of them releasing new devices constantly throughout the year, there will always be a good chance that an Android device will have more powerful specs than Apple.  This is because realistically, Apple would only be releasing one new iPhone generation annually.  The HTC Droid Incredible 2 specs are as follows according to HTC’s website (http://www.htc.com/us/products/incredible2-verizon?view=1-1&sort=0&filters=0-8-0#tech-specs):

Display: 4-inch super LCD WVGA capacitive touch screen

CPU: Qualcomm® MSM8655, 1 GHz Snapdragon™

Memory: 768 MB RAM

Camera: SRS Surround sound, Compass sensor, G-Sensor, Proximity sensor,

Light sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, Micro USB, FM radio, TI audio DSP

Retail:  $199 w/ plan

From a hardware standpoint, the specs are comparable if not better than Apple’s iPhone 4, and in a few months, another vendor will be releasing their latest phone all before Apple releases the iPhone 5.

Now for the tablet arena, many of the comparisons made for the smartphones can be made for the tablets.  Apple has the iPad 2, and while there are several tablet vendors for the Android such as: Samsung, Motorola, and Asus.  However, due to the tablet market being relatively young and Apple being the sole pioneer of this market, Apple still has quite a lead above all other competitors in all major categories such as hardware, price, and features.  How long this will last, only time will tell.  But for now, Apple iPad 2 is the way to go from a purely price, features, and hardware standpoint.

The only comparative Android tablet on the market as of today would be Motorola’s Xoom running the latest Android 3.0 Honeycomb mobile operating system.  The specs for both devices are as follows (each taken from their respected manufacturer’s website):

As you can see, Apple iPad 2 has competitive advantage in terms of raw power and hardware specs.  In addition, you have the option to purchase different tiers of the iPad 2 with different levels of memory with the highest level providing connection to a wireless provider allowing the ability to connect to the Internet anywhere and anytime.  Price ranges from $499.99 for a 16GB internal storage iPad 2 to a $699.99 for a 64GB internal storage iPad 2 with the ability to connect to an AT&T or Verizon network provider.  The Motorola Xoom will set you back $599 for the standard version and $799.99 for one that can connect you to Verizon’s 3G network.

From a first hand perspective, the Xoom was a disappointment against the iPad 2.  It was much heavier and felt bulkier than the iPad 2.  In addition the power cord kept on popping out and left a lot to be desired for.  However, it did feel sturdier than the iPad 2, but this could be deceiving due to the bulkiness and heavier weight of the Xoom tablet.  It also seems that a lot of the apps aren’t optimized to work seamlessly with the Honeycomb os.

Now that hardware is out of the way, discussion over the actual operating systems can be made.   The latest version to this date for Apple’s iOS is 4.3.3, while Android recently released 3.0 Honeycomb, which only the Motorola Xoom tablet is utilizing it.  Apple’s iOS user interface is very innovative and very easy to use.  Very rarely would anyone pick up an iPhone or iPad and could not figure out how to use it within a few minutes.  All apps are arranged as icons on a 4×4 canvas (4×5 for the iPad) with 4 main apps on the task bar.  On the iPhone, all interactions with the phone can be made with one hand.  Many times more easier than the Android, as well as the on-screen keyboard being a little bit smarter at picking up finger presses.  Apple does a great job at making everything work out of the box with little or no configuration or the need to read the instruction manual.  If you’re not a tinkerer and want everything to work right out of the box, than Apple iPhone may be the route you want to take.  Apple determines how something should work or be used, and if you can conform to that, then everything is well.  However, sometimes, if rarely, you may want something to work in a way that Apple did not originally designed it to do, in those cases there’s not much you can do.  For example, if you want animated backgrounds, customizable ring tones, or want to look at Flash websites, there’s not much you can do until Apple allows you to do that.  (Even app developers are limited to what they can and can’t do, more about this later.)

With an Android device, you can pretty much do anything you want to do with some customization or the right app.  You have the ability to dock not only app icons on the screen like the iOS, but you can dock programs (known as widgets) on the screen as well.  However, because of the flexibility and personalization that you can do with the Google Android operating system, it can complicates the user experience and lead to a steeper learning curve.  So if you’re not the kind of person who wants to go in and try to get more out of the technology, than the iOS would be a better choice.

In terms of the operating system differences at least in regards to iOS 4 vs. Android 3.0, the big ones that comes to mind are: multi-touch functionality, voice command, and true multitasking capabilities.  These are the unique features that come with the Android Honeycomb operating system and they work quite well especially the voice command.  If these are the features you must have, and you have the technical ability to set them up or use, then Android is the route to take.

A feature that I have first hand experience that took a little bit longer to adjust to on the Android system, but once I got the hang of it, I like the Android way more than iOS.  This feature is the highlight, copy, cut, and paste feature.  On the iOS, you get a magnifying glass when you hold down on a body of text and slowly you have the option to copy, cut, or paste.  However, it’s quite painful and I never got the hang of it.  On the Android, the gesture to re-create this ability is much more intuitive by using two sets of markers to designate the beginning and end of the body of text then you can initiate the cut, copy, and paste commands.

Having a plethora of quality apps is one of the main driving forces for many consumers to decide whether to go with an Android or iOS device.  This is where Apple clearly wins hands down.  The Apple App Store has 100,000 apps triumphing Android’s Marketplace with only 10,000 apps.  (http://www.justjon.net/technology/the-app-store-vs-the-marketplace/)  Not only are there a lot more apps in Apple’s store, but also because each app has to go through a rigorous approval process, the apps that make it to the store tend to be much higher quality than the ones from on the Android Marketplace.   Most of the popular apps are first created and deployed on the Apple App Store before it makes it to the Android Marketplace.  So most likely, you’ll see your favorite apps first on iOS before the Android.

This is all great for now, but it will be interesting to see how long this plays out, because if barriers are created to make it difficult for third party developers to create and deploy apps, this could inhibit future innovative releases of apps to the Apple App Store.  In app purchases, ads, etc. must use Apple’s proprietary APIs (iAds and Apple In-App SDK) and you have to abide to Apple’s fee structure.  As a developer, you are prohibited to use any other alternatives such as a third party ad program that gives you a more lucrative offer or create your own in-app upgrade to avoid paying Apple a fee.

But as a user right now, the App Store has much better apps and more of it.  Not only that, but from experience using both systems, Android apps seem to crash a lot more often then apps running on the iOS.  This may speak to quality, but it also speaks to the fact that because there’s only one manufacturer to focus on, robust software can be created for the iOS.  For the Android, apps must be able to run on a multitude of different devices, and that may account for why the apps crashes more often.  So because of this, Apple has quite an advantage in terms of “apps.”  In terms of the layout of both stores, both are pretty easy to use, easy to navigate through, and secure so a concluding decision can’t really be made for one over the other.

Lastly, the most common uses of a mobile device is having access to the Internet so that you can surf it.  This is where mobile browsers come into play and one of the most important “app” on a mobile device.  With the iOS you get a mobile version of Apple’s browser known as Safari.  The main issue is that it is the only browser you can get.  At this time there isn’t a way to install any other browser nor is there any other browser made for the iPhone.  This would not be an issue if Safari mobile did not have one pitfall, the inability to view Flash on the Internet.  This is a decision made by Steve Jobs, and even though he has plenty of good reasons to not allow Flash to be viewed on iPhones and iPads, making a dictating call on the subject limits user freedom. (http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-heres-why-we-dont-allow-flash-on-the-iphone-2010-4)

Android’s built in browser, Chrome Mobile does not run Flash out of the box, but you can install a plug-in.  In addition, if you don’t like the built-in browser for whatever reason, you can install other alternatives such as Opera and Firefox.  This gives quite an advantage to Android based mobile devices.  But if you can live without Flash, then this wouldn’t be a huge deal.

So which OS should a person decide to go with?  Google Android or Apple iOS?  There are many criteria’s that is involved in this decision making process.   A hardware device and even the operating system are mute if there are no good software or “apps” that runs on it.  With this in mind, if there is a particular “must-have” app that is available on one system and not the other, this could be a decision maker.  Currently, Apple’s App Store has an advantage over the Android Marketplace in terms of the shear number of apps as well as the quality of the apps.  Most likely, apps are created first for the iOS and then ported over to the Android.  So with this in mind, Apple does have an advantage, but for how long is still to be determined.

If a decision is to be made for a tablet, there’s a good chance that the iPad 2 will be a more viable choice over the Motorola Xoom, which is probably the best Android based tablet on the market.  Apple’s iPad 2 is pretty competitive in terms of price and hardware specs in addition to having the option of choosing an iPad that works on either AT&T or Verizon, while the Xoom is only offered to work on the latter at this time.  However, if you must run Flash or you like the specific features of the Android Honeycomb OS such as voice command, multi-touch, widget docking, and true multi-tasking then choose the Xoom with the Android Honeycomb OS.  But most people can probably live without these features.

Choosing to go with iOS or Android is a little bit more difficult when it comes to smartphones just because a decision needs to be made from a broader perspective accounting hardware and cellular networks.  First you need to determine if you want to use AT&T or Verizon.  If you don’t want to use these network, then you don’t have much option but to go with an Android based smartphone.   Next, decision to make is price.  What is the budget range you have for a phone?  Anything less than $300 and you may have to take the Android route or an older iPhone.  Are there certain features you desire in terms of hardware such as replaceable batteries, external storage, latest hi-res/HD cameras, and slide-able keyboard?  With the iPhone, you get none of that.

Now that hardware, apps, and network providers have been discussed and a decision still has not been made, the mobile OS can now be examined.  On a general scale, an Android based mobile device is for you if you are a tinkerer and like to customize and personalize a gadget to your specific needs.  However, you must be willing to take the time to overcome a steeper learning curve and have the patience to deal with some of the glitches that may occur either from bad configurations or poorly created downloaded apps.  However, if you like everything to work out of the box, and don’t want to think outside of the box and just have everything work the way it was initially designed to, then iOS is probably the route to take.  However, you’re probably going to be out of luck if you ever come across a situation that you want something to work in a way that you want but was not initially designed for by Apple.

In the end, there isn’t a clear winner because it all comes to the wants and needs of each individual, and only each person knows what they want and where the priorities of each criteria listed in this article lies.

From:

The Self Publishing Novelist
John Sundman -
twitter.com/jsundmanus
Carolyn McCray
twitter.com/craftycmc
Nicole Gallard
twitter.com/ndgalland

Jeffrey Zeldman’s Awesome Internet Design Panel
Jeffrey Zeldman
twitter.com/zeldman
Dan Mall
twitter.com/danielmall
Mandy Brown
twitter.com/aworkinglibrary
RogerBlack
twitter.com/RogerBlack

- All authors need to have an indie self promoting attitude, published authors not excluded.

- Within publishing (print & music) one model that was discussed multiple times could be termed “artist collective” in which all artists share costs and profits in a community based model.

- In the future it was speculated that eBooks will be the norm, and that print will be special edition “Collector’s Items.”

- Amazon product data should be an “ad” not simply product/back cover copy. It should contain short endorsements/reviews and a very brief summary. User attention is limited.

- Traditional publishers have been abstracted from the reader, new publishers can start with a community first model and build products around this niche of users.

- There might be more value to the print experience now – we are constantly under a barrage of digital. Print is a nice analogue escape from digital.

- Content 2.0 could be defined as creating a experience curated by self (similar to what the flip-board app does)

- Banner ad blindness is becoming more prevalent. Users cue into the normal placement and look of banner ads. An alternate model is a one ad model. One ad that states “this article is brought to you by…” is less distracting and stands out due to the contrast from the normal model.

- Purpose is not derived from the products a company makes. Products are developed as a result of the purpose. The clearer the purpose, the better the products.

Due to the amount of testing that is involved with creating a mobile site that is compatible on multiple devices, I figure this would help other developers out there. Here is a list of all the emulator/simulators for the most popular device os and mobile browsers out in the market currently. The only one I had trouble finding was Symbian.

Enjoy for Macs and PC…except the Windows Mobile Emulator of course, which only works on PCs.

Blackberry
http://www.blackberry.com/developers/downloads/simulators/index.shtml

Opera Mini For Android
http://www.opera.com/mobile/demo/

Android Emulator
http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/emulator.html

Windows Mobile Emulator
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=20686a1d-97a8-4f80-bc6a-ae010e085a6e

iPhone/iPad Simulator -
You must have be an Apple iOS Developer in order to login and download the iOS  SDK – http://developer.apple.com/ipad/sdk/

Or use this online version which does a decent job-
http://iphone4simulator.com/

Palm webOS Emulator-
http://developer.palm.com/index.php?id=1744

Designing a Seamless Web to Mobile Experience:
Omar Green
twitter.com/madfu

Mobile Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in 2011
James Pierce
twitter.com/jamespierce

Mobile and tablet platforms unsurprisingly received a lot of coverage at SXSW. We’ve been researching and implementing mobile and app development at Tyndale – hopefully the following gleaned observations will be helpful.

There was a lot of talk on mobile and tablet usage context. We need to understand the context of how people use these devices (user’s location, what they are looking for, etc.) if we are going to appropriately deliver content to them.

Tablets are generally used on a more casual basis than their laptop/desktop counterparts. The touch inputs are more conducive to clicking and scrolling than typing and involved content creation. Consuming content on a tablet is ideal, creation is more of an obstacle.

Most people assume mobile users use their devices while they are out on the go. It appears that the statistics challenge this. People often use the mobile devices at home, often first thing in the morning and before bed. This may be the case, but I’d still recommend focusing the mobile user experience on the location independent abilities that mobile offers. We should not forget that mobile devices can act as compasses, phones, and messaging platforms. Mobile web development should integrate this type of functionality. The focus level of mobile users is generally understood to be low. Content should be easy to find and brief.

While apps are hugely popular and growing, all app related talk wasn’t positive. Some see apps as a disruptive user experience. On the web linking and functionality can be shared. Apps can do this to some extent, but the downside is that apps can be restricted to their own ecosystem. This criticism is more relevant in regards to content intensive apps. Some speakers pushed mobile web development over app development. I think it depends on what the purpose of the app/site is, but in general a mobile site has a greater opportunity for exposure.

On the app development front the recommendations seemed to push developing apps outside of devices native programming languages. Perhaps web language based app development is becoming more flexible. I’m a bit skeptical on this as we’ve seen the limitations of what can be done while solely focused on web language based apps.

from: Anatomy of a Design Decision
Jared M. Spool
twitter.com/jmspool

Types of design:
Each of the following are increasingly time consuming and involved. Jared was quick to point out that each of these types of design has an appropriate place and that every project doesn’t have the time or budget for the highest level process (experience focused design). I’ve never heard of design styles being defined or categorized before, but it really makes sense and should help in being intentional when going through a site design process.

Ordered from lowest to highest level design:

1. Unintentional design: No set plan from the outset – haphazard.
2. Self Design: When you design what works for yourself.
3. Genius Design: When you design from what you have previously learned that users need.
4. Activity Focused Design: Considers who the design is for and what they need to do.
5. Experience Focused Design: You design not just for the process, but for the spaces between the activities. This provides a more cohesive and pleasing user experience.

from: Ordering Disorder: Grid Design for the New World
Khoi Vinh
twitter.com/khoi

- Be a benign tyrant with the grid – sometimes breaking it looks good.
- The grid is only a guide, a tool.
- 60-80 characters per line is comfortable for people to read.
- Narrow columns need less line spacing.
- Multiply by 1.618 times width to establish optimal area height (golden ratio).
- What is important to user? Assets, speed of access, social filtering, great content
- Make things easy and frictionless from a user experience perspective.

From: Inspired By Print
twitter.com/mkruzeniski

We need to reference the rich history of print design rather than looking to relatively young examples of UI design.

There is a shift from the trend of over-design to a focus on minimalistic UI design.

Good examples of UI polishes not only the icons, but the content (what is important). For example, Mint.com

Interface improvements haven’t matched the pace of technology innovation. This needs to change. Design should be considered first in the product development process.

The switch to digital is going on everywhere; from digital billboards and signs to ebooks. We need to reference the history of print. If we don’t, we run the risk of losing the beauty of what has been learned in print design.

From: 5 Steps to Bulletproof UX Strategy
rhjr.net
twitter.com/rhjr

This is an excellent work flow for going through a website design process.

1. Audit – Take inventory of existing site – be ruthless; find the problems, roadblocks, etc.
2. Define The Vision – Find out what the real problem is and solve it. This creates a starting point, all the other elements start off of this assumption.
3. Plan – Identify problems, constraints, wire-frame, sketch
4. Implement – Build yourself, or work closely w/the builders. Spend time on the design first. It’s easy to start over with wire-frames and sketches.
5. Measure – four points to measure – Acquisition (ads, campaigns), Conversion Metrics, Engagement Metrics (participating, conversing, etc), Satisfaction (contributing more, happiness, etc.)

From: Patterns in music in interaction design
twitter.com/boxman
twitter.com/cennydd

Similarities Between Good Design & Music:
Certain elements/patterns are universally pleasing/displeasing to everyone.
Harmony: The dialogue of elements on the page – Interplay.
Patterns: Our mind craves order. Good design should accommodate this.
Strong figure/ground relationships create definition.
A mix of dissonance and consonance creates the most interest.

The following was referenced in one of the above mentioned seminars – can’t remember which, but this is a great distillation of how to critique a design.

The Easiest Way To Critique A Design:
1. Look at the design. Ask yourself, “What is the single thing the business wants people to do, according to this design.”
2. Ask the person who is asking your advice “what is the single thing the business wants people to do?”