The first ever mind controlled skateboard. @Whurley's board of awesomeness. (vid)
Thursday 28 June 2012
Wednesday 27 June 2012
Monday 25 June 2012
Small Business SEO Tools
Internet marketing and basic search engine optimisation for businesses is the key to get more visitors.But what should you be doing to give your business the best chance of getting ahead of the local competitors?
In order to get more traffic on your website, you should always consider optimizing your website, so that search engines can pick it up quickly. There are some useful tools which you can use from the beginning that will make your website to be discovered by search engines:
1. Google WebMaster Tools
Webmaster tools give you the ability to improve your target keywords for search results by providing indexing issues, keyword visibility, impressions, time spent on your site, average position of search terms, and the click through rate. You can even set up goals, such as converting a browser into a customer.
2. Google Insights for Search
Another great tool from Google is their Insights for Search tool. This allows you to input any keyword and see the distribution of how heavily that keyword is searched in areas, ranging from the whole globe down to the city level. Insights also provides a list of other relevant terms that gain search traction for that topic.
3. URI Valet
URI Valet is the Swiss Army Knife of SEO. This tool is great for performing technical audits and gives the user statistics on server headers, the time it takes to download, internal links, external links, object details, as well as a text to HTML ratio.
4. Xenu’s Link Sleuth
Another great tool for site audits that downloads directly to your desktop is Xenu’s Link Sleuth. This tool analyzes your site and gives you a report on any broken links, lost mail servers, and the type of code that is being used on specific pages. Not only is this tool great for site audits, but can be an amazing resource when scraping your site for link building opportunities.
5. SEO Browser
SEO Browser breaks down a web page into a text file that easily allows you to see the layout of the page, from the title tag to the H1 headers and so on. This is a great tool when looking for a quick report on page structure information.
6. Rank Checker
When you want to check multiple rankings and have little time, the Rank Checker tool offers a quick and easy interface that allows you to check where a site ranks on Google. This tool runs directly off your browser, which can pose a couple problems. One, localization of search results can affect true search results, and two, if you are signed into a personal browser account, it will use your previous browsing history and tendencies. Negatives aside, this is a great tool for quickly checking where sites rank for the keyword you input.
7. SEO Toolbar from SEOmoz
Possibly my personal favorite of all the SEO tools I use is the MozBar. This tool gives you an instant look at the page authority and domain authority of the page you are on and even offers an in depth link analysis for anyone mining for quality links.
8. Shared Count
Shared count moves away from the traditional SEO techniques and into the social side of SEO. Shared count gives the user the numbers of Facebook likes, Tweets, Google +1’s, Diggs, LinkedIn shares, Google Buzz’s, and stumbles on StumbleUpon. Not only does it show your social status, but it has an open API so you can build specific tools to build on your social statistics.
Building a high-ranking site not only involves onsite metrics, but finding great linking opportunities outside of your site. With these amazing tools and some practice, you can start building awareness through optimizing your current webpage as well as finding great off site linking opportunities.
Thursday 21 June 2012
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Sunday 17 June 2012
Guy Kawasaki on Trustworthiness
In his latest book, What
the Plus! Google+ For the Rest of Us. Guy Kawasaki sings the praises of
projecting trustworthiness, an important attribute for
communication. I view authenticity and
trustworthiness as central to creating and nurturing all relationships, from
the most personal to the largest pubic audiences. We can’t lead people,
thoughts, or change successfully without trust. If we want to have an impact
in today’s world, in a small or big way, we are going to need people to help us and for that we need their trust.
I love the
transparency happening on the web, and the expectation that it must be there. A
number of months ago TechCrunch, a solid leader in the tech media space, was
severely slammed all over social media for promoting brands without
transparency. This action seems to have upped the stakes. You may have noticed thought
gurus now qualifying their comments on products/businesses for which they have
a vested interest. That can only be a good thing.
The first rule of projecting trustworthiness is to be
trustworthy. Transcending trustworthiness through words on a screen is a craft of its
own, one which bestseller Kawasaki seems to have mastered.
Kawasaki’s advice on projecting trustworthiness:
·
Show up
·
Make the community better
·
Don’t attack others, stay positive
·
Keep it clean
·
Trust others first
·
Disclose your interests
·
Gain knowledge and competence
·
Resist bad means (like spamming)
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Monday 11 June 2012
Sunday 10 June 2012
Thursday 7 June 2012
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Tactile Graphics – Designer's New Portfolio Trump Card
Tactile Graphics refer to designs involve the use of a variety of materials such as wood, glass,
and paper. They may also involve the use
of tools such as computer software, and techniques such as mass-produced,
handmade and ready-made products. Tactile Graphics are used to create and produce two-dimensional and
three-dimensional communication mediums. Primarily focus on the senses of touch and sight.
There are many practitioners keen on
having tactile work in their portfolio, especially if they have a hand in
making such work. The tactility is able to give the artwork greater depth and
can make it more personal and original. Duchamp’s Green Box Notes is
one of the historical examples that reflect the importance of the originality
and the personality in the artwork. Duchamp explained the
importance of making each box of his 320 box project as accurate as the
original box:
I wanted to reproduce them as accurately as possible. So I had all of
these thoughts lithographed in the same ink, which had been used for the
originals. To find paper that was exactly the same, I had to ransack the most
unlikely nooks and crannies of Paris. Then we cut out three hundred copies of
each lithograph with the help of zinc patterns that I had cut out on the
outlines of the original papers.
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Whether is created by one or a combination
of handmade, readymade, mass-produced or exclusively produced processes, using
one or a mixture of materials, it will reflect the unique character of both the
sender and the recipient. American designer Steven Guarnaccia said it
succinctly:
…. handmade work conveys a sense of
personal contact between the sender and the recipient, because it is not
something you just look at but also have to handle. By simply adding an element
on top of the paper, for instance, the piece becomes an object. Even if it is
printed in some aspects, the tactile element makes the printing seem more
personal, as if it were saying, ‘This was made just for you’.
Street & Lewis in the introduction of
their book Touch Graphics wrote: Still, tactility is graphic
design’s trump card, and textile designs often become the most prominent pieces
in a portfolio.
One argument is that the age of the mass audience is no longer relevant and has been overtaken by the age of the selective target audience.
One argument is that the age of the mass audience is no longer relevant and has been overtaken by the age of the selective target audience.
Today’s advertising materials should carry
meaningful messages and not insult the intelligence of the audience. Rance
Crain wrote in the pages of Advertising Age:
I’ve been talking to ad people who say
that advertising can no longer be linear as it was in the days of Bill Bernbach
and David Ogilvy. In other words, ads shouldn’t be so presumptuous as to sell
the product directly and straightforwardly. Instead, advertising’s new role is
to show that your products share the same value as your target consumer. One ad
guy told me his son likes the Miller Time ads because they’re “weird,” and
presumably he likes the ads because he likes weird things.
Tuesday 5 June 2012
Sunday 3 June 2012
Daily Creative Juice
Daily Creative Juice
Are you ready for the #Magazine renaissance? #tech #art #design disrupt a dead industry #Juxtapoz Magazine June. Apps like zineo and zeen.com (coming soon) are popularizing the magazine experience.
Take a look at the June 2012 edition Justapoz for a truly creatively inspiring experience. #culture #art YESSSS!
Follow @arabstarts
Follow @arabstarts
Saturday 2 June 2012
التفكير التصميمي: تعريفه وعلاقته بمجالات الاعمال -١
كثر الحديث في السنوات الاخيرة في موضوع "التفكير التصميمي" او “Design Thinking” وعلاقة هذا النوع من التفكير بعالم ادارة الاعمال والانتاج والاستثمار وغيرها من مجالات الاعمال المختلفة. بل ان هذا الاهتمام بدا يطال ويجتذب عقول الساسة ورجال الحرب في الدول المتقدمة، فعلى سبيل المثال، بدات وزارة الدفاع الامريكية منذ سنوات عدة باستقطاب مصممين (من كافة مجالات التصميم) للعمل في صفوفها و ضمن كوادرها. هذا الاستقطاب لم يكن لغرض الاستفادة من خبرات هؤلاء المصممين ومهاراتهم الفنية التطبيقية لتصميم وتنفيذ مشاريع لصالح الجيش ووزارة الدفاع. بل لاستثمار قدرات هؤلاء المصمميين وموهبتهم في التفكير الممنهج للمساعدة على التخطيط الاستراتيجي والادارة العامة لمؤسسات آلة الحرب والدفاع الامريكي، ليحذو الجيش بهذه الخطوة حذو كبرى الشركات والمصانع العالمية كشركة "ابل" و "ياهو" و شركة "جنرال اليكتريك" وغيرها.
وفي خضم تسابق المختصين (رغم قلتهم) والمهتمين في العالم المتقدم في الكتابة والبحث والتحليل في هذا الموضوع الا انني لم اجد ما يمكن ذكره من المبادرات في عالمنا العربي وبلغتنا العربية في هذا الموضوع.لذا فقد ارتايت بان يكون التركيز على اللغة العربية في كتاباتي في محاولة لزيادة واثراء المحتوى العربي في موضوع " التفكير التصميمي" والتصميم بشكل عام .
وفي البدء لا بد من تعريف "التفكير التصميمي" والاطلاع على بعض أسباب هذا الإقبال المتنامي على هذا الموضوع وعلاقة "التفكير التصميمي" بعالم الإدارة والأعمال.
"التفكير التصميمي" هو مصطلح يشار من خلاله إلى الطرق الممنهجة والأساليب العملية التي يتبعها المصممون لتحليل وحل المشاكل التصميمية Design Problems ، وقد اثبتت التجارب والابحاث بان التفكير باسلوب المصمم واتباع هذا النمط التحليلي هو اسلوب ناجح لتحليل وحل المشاكل في مجالات اخرى غير تصميمية non-design fields.
فقد استخدم هذا الاسلوب في ادارة كبرى المؤسسات العالمية وساهم بشكل فعال في نجاح تلك المؤسسات، وخير مثال على ذلك هو عملاق التكنولوجيا "ابل ماكنتوش".
فلعدة سنوات تم تصنيف "ابل" على انها اكثر الشركات ابتكارا في العالم. وعلى الرغم من ان وصفة هذا النجاح الذي حققته "ابل" ما زالت مجهولة بسبب السرية المطلقة التي تحيط بها الشركة اعمالها، فانه ما زال من الممكن استنتاج بعض النقاط الاساسية لمكونات وصفة النجاح تلك وذلك من خلال كلمات مؤسس "ابل" ومديرها لتنفيذي الراحل "ستيف جوبز" والتي تتلخص بالتركيز على اربعة اساسيات: 1-التفكير التصميمي 2- التخطيط الاستراتيجي لتطوير وتنفيذ المنتجات 3- المدير التنفيذي والذي يجب ان يكون في نفس الوقت مديرا مبتكرا 4- اختبار وخوض مجالات العمال بثقة.
يعترف "بيل بورينت" الذي عمل سابقا في شركة "ابل" ويعمل حاليا كمدير تنفيذي وكاستاذ مساعد في برنامج التصميم في جامعة "ستانفورد"، ومؤسس "دي تو ام" في سيليكون فالي بالنجاح الباهر الذي حققته "ابل" في عالم الاعمال والذي قادها اليه "ستيف جوبز" ولكنه يعتقد بان نجاح "جوبز" ليس سحرا وانه بمقدور اي مدير تنفيذي يتمتع بابداع "ستيف جوبز" ان يحقق ما حققه اذا ما اتبع اسلوب "التفكير التصميمي" في ادارة شركته.
ويُعرَف "بورنيت" عناصر "التفكير التصميمي" على انها تعتمد على تحفيز الالهام الموجود لدى افضل الاشخاص، واختبار وتجربة كل شيء مرة تلو الاخرى وعدم القبول بما هو اقل من الافضل، والتركيز على خبرة وتجربة المستهلك، ولا ضير في الفشل او تكراره على ان يتم هذا بوقت مبكر مع التعلم والاستفادة من هذا الفشل. ويركز "بورنيت" ايضا في تعريفه على اهمية اعادة استخدام وتطوير مكونات ما ينتجه الشخص قبل ان يسبقه منافسوه الى ذلك، وان يتمتع الشخص بجرأة في تصور الافكار دون التنازل عن دقة التفاصيل او التطلب الشديد عند التنفيذ، وان ينتقي الشخص العمل مع فريق متفاني بقدر تفانيه الشخصي، واولا واخيرا ودائما والى الابد، لا بد من دمج عنصري المفاجئة والامتاع في اي تصميم مبتكر.
هذا فيما يخص تعريف "التفكير التصميمي"، ولتمام الفائدة سوف اقوم مستقبلا بالتحدث مفصلا في هذا الموضوع الى جانب البحث في اساليب ومناهج التصميم.
Friday 1 June 2012
Motivating news for fearless entrepreneurs! Mary Meeks Annual Internet Trends Report
Connected entrepreneurs and available, experienced capital, low start up costs identified as key factors in Internet explosive growth. Mary Meeks annual Internet Trends Report revealed at an All Things Digital event recently.
A snapshot of the must read 112 slide report presentation follows.
Magnitude of Upcoming Change Will be Stunning -
We are Still in Spring Training
-
Nearly Ubiquitous High-Speed Wireless Access in Developed Countries
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Unprecedented Global Technology Innovation
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Ultra Competitive Markets for Mobile Operating Systems + Devices
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Broadly Accepted ‘Social Graphs’ / Information Transparency
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Fearless (& Connected) Entrepreneurs
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Difficult ‘What Do I Have to Lose’ Economic Environment for Many
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Available (& Experienced) Capital
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Fearless (& Connected) Consumers
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Inexpensive Devices / Access / Services (Apps)
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Ability to Reach Millions of New Users in Record (& Accelerating) Time
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‘Social Emerging as Starting Distribution Point for Content,’ (Brian Norgard, Chill)
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Aggressive (and Informed) ‘On My Watch’ Executives at ‘Traditional’ Companies
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Unprecedented Combo of Focus on Technology AND Design
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Nearly ‘Plug & Play’ Environment For Entrepreneurs – Marketplaces / Web Services /Distributed Work / Innovative Productivity Tools / Low ‘Start Up’ Cost
Full presentation here
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