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Apple Worldwide Developers Conference

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple’s Developers Conference is sold out – five glorious days with 5,000 attendees and 1,000 Apple engineers.  Those in the industry know it as the premier technical conference for developers innovating with Apple technologies.   Here’s more:

Apple® will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address by CEO Steve Jobs on Monday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m. This year’s WWDC sold out in a record eight days to over 5,000 developers.

The five-day event running from June 7 to June 11, is focused on providing advanced content for skilled developers across five key technology tracks: Application Frameworks; Internet & Web; Graphics & Media; Developer Tools; and Core OS. Apple engineers will deliver over 100 solutions-oriented technical sessions and labs. WWDC 2010 gives an incredibly diverse community the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iPhone®, iPad™ and Mac® developers from around the world.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Apple’s decision to dump Flash not withstanding, there’s nothing like a group of technically astute ardent Apple fans … the energy will be phenomenal.

Filed Under: Development Tagged With: , , ,

Google Pac-Man Takes Down World’s Workforce

May 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday the American workforce was greeted with a special treat when they opened up their browser to Google's main search interface – a working version of Pac Man.  Replacing the "I feel lucky" button was "Insert Coin".

On the 30 anniversary of the game, world productivity came to a brief halt as the young generation discovered Pac-Man for the first time and those with some history greeted an old friend.

Check it out.

Filed Under: Just for Fun Tagged With: , ,

Realty Plug-in to Differentiate Your Site

May 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Imagine an easy way to dynamically insert MLS listings into your website without codes or hiring an html designer.  What if this method or plug-in could be re-configured by dragging and dropping widgets instead of re-coding your website?

Opportunities for developing highly customized realty websites have come along way and with the currently depressed economy there are new ways Realtors can differentiate themselves from the competition. One way is through dynamically publishing customer oriented listings through a WordPress Website.  WordPress is a CMS (Content Management System) used by high-tech Realtors to communicate timely information about neighborhoods, trends, market dynamics, and other knowledge that can be useful to potential buyers and sellers.

IDX has developed a free plug-in for WordPress that provides Realtors with an easy way to add integrated MLS search tools, custom neighborhood and community pages, email notification services and property listing widgets to a WordPress based site.

Filed Under: Plug-ins Tagged With: , ,

Buy your domain from the right company

May 22, 2010 By 1 Comment

You have a great name for your website. Now, there are two relatively easy steps before website development begins.  You will need to register a domain name and sign-up for an account with a web hosting service provider.

Registering a domain name is very similar to a yearly lease and is done through a registrar.  Because the domain is the way readers will find your site, it is very important that you retain control of it through time.  As your web site grows, gains links and readers, the value of the domain increases.  Lose your domain and a key element of your internet presence is shattered.

Choosing the right registrar is key. I recommend selecting an established company other than your webhost and, similarly, not using your registrar to host your site.  The reason is that if a dispute arises or if you decide to switch hosts it is much better for the domain to be your control and not the other party’s. Your registrar should be approved by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Many unapproved registrars offer deeply discounted domain names.  Don’t be swayed.  Each domain costs the registrars $6.25 so if you’re paying below this amount there is probably a catch.  Besides, the $2-$4 you might save this one year is meaningless compared to the investment you’ll make in your web site through time. Finally, do your own homework.  I’m not going to recommend one company but rather list several I’ve had a positive experiences with.

Enom is an ICANN-accredited registrar and has been a Better Business Bureau (BBB) Accredited Business since 2002.  Their interface is straight-forward, fast and reliable and I’ve never experienced a problem.  All of my business domains are registered through them. However, if you do not have the discounted reseller account, which I do, it can be very expensive to maintain your domain names.
www.godaddy.com GoDaddy is currently the largest ICANN-accredited registrar in the world and, in 2009 was voted “Best Registrar” for the 4th consecutive year.  I’ve had good experience with Godaddy although their interface is slow and check-outs have an annoying number of advertisements to click through.  However, their service is solid and they frequently send out coupons for discounts of up to 30%.

Get up to $900 in Free Software with 1&1 Hosting! 		1and1 provides discounted domain names and includes privacy guard free of charge ($8.99 per .com domain).  The latter add-on protects your name, address and phone number from being access through the public directory of domain names and costs up to $8.99/year at other registrars (such as Godaddy).  I find the control panel cumbersome and have found the turn-around time when changes are made fairly slow.  Consequently, I tend to register only personal domains with the company.
Namecheap is an enom reseller with a solid interface and a decent reputation.  My experience with the company has been limited but they have a reputation for reasonable prices ($9.60 per .com domain) and an easy interface.
Small Dotster Logo Although more expensive ($15.95 per .com domain), I found the companies interface and service to be reliable.
Filed Under: Domain Names, Web Publishing Tagged With: , ,

Before you begin write a mission statement

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Yes, the dreaded mission statement.  It really is not that bad and may be exactly what you need to set the strategic direction for your online presence or website.

So, before you begin, write a mission statement  listing the key objectives for your future (or current) website. Why should it exist?  What is it you want to accomplish and why is it important to your customers? What information, activities and services do your customers want that a website will satisfy?

If these questions are elusive then consider spending time examining competitor’s sites, talking to a few of your key customers and evaluating your reasons for going online.

If you have a business website that serves as an electronic business card this is a great opportunity to evaluate your web presence to determine if it satisfying your customers. I’m a great proponent of publishing more than a static description of goods and services.

After your mission statement is clear, every strategic decision that is made should align with you’re your your objectives, purpose and reason for building an online presence.

In developing this site I began with the following:

    Mission Statement:  I want to help my readers achieve business success through online technologies by publishing articles and reports that explain effective solutions to common problems, (2) enable more efficient operations and (3) provide strategic opportunities for growth.

As I develop both the content and design of AdeptPlus, I constantly refer back to this mission statement to ensure my direction and focus are on target.

Filed Under: Commentary, Planning Tagged With: , ,

Web Presence

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you have a business you need a web presence.  Yes, you probably have a website but what I’m talking about is much more than an online description of your company that lists your contact information and address.

Your presence is a virtual interface to you and your products or services that represents value, quality and care to your customers.

When you meet face-to-face there is a purpose behind how you dress, what you say, and the manner in which you interact.  Your web presence is similar and should to be crafted with fundamental objectives, like meeting your customer’s needs and supporting their use of your products.

The days of a virtual business card are over.  It’s time to reach your customers and developed sticky relationships through a strategic online interface that merges dynamic content management systems with social media.

Making a website is easy.  Building a customer centric web presence is an investment that takes planning organization, and motivation.

Filed Under: Commentary, Marketing, Web Presence Tagged With: , ,

Iphone Posting

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In beginning this site, which is designed to help identify suitable web centric technologies for businesses, I decided that it would be most appropriate to us the WordPress Iphone ap to post. Although this application is limited in it’s functionality, 90% of common workflows are supported through a very intuitive interface.

Back to this site, I appreciate your visit and look forward to proving timely and useful information for supporting your business and, at times, personal needs.

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: , , ,

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