by Dean on October 4, 2009
This blog is now part of The Good Content Company. Thanks for stopping by!
PagePlus X4 offers professional-looking DTP results without a hefty price tag. This is an excerpt from a review written for PC Plus magazine (issue 288).
PagePlus knows its place. Along with Microsoft Office Publisher, it shies away from targeting pro designers to pitch its wares at small business users and enthusiastic amateurs.
InDesign might be powerful, but it can also be notoriously unfriendly to new users. There’s not so much a learning curve involved but a sheer learning cliff face. Made of ice. If all you want to do is knock up a parish newsletter or car boot sale flyer, spending £684 on InDesign CS4 is overkill.
In comparison, PagePlus X4 ducks in well under the £100 mark. That makes it over £600 cheaper than InDesign, yet it never truly feels like a bargain-bucket DTP package.
Much of the same page layout functionality is present, enabling you to design brochures, business cards, flyers, newsletters, posters and even web pages. What makes PagePlus X4 stand out is its friendly usability. The learning curve here is a more of a gentle hill, well-signposted and with buses that run every half-hour.
by Dean on September 28, 2009
Here are excerpts from four profile pieces written for Computer Arts projects magazine (issue 129). The brief was to focus on designers whose work is recognisably and quintessentially British…
Profile #1: Banksy
Everybody knows British graffiti artist Banksy. And yet nobody really knows him. He may (or may not) have been born in Bristol in the mid-1970s. He may (or may not) be the son of a photocopier technician. Only a few people have ever met Banksy. The Guardian’s Simon Hattenstone has, describing him as a cross between “Jimmy Nail and British rapper Mike Skinner”. While some artists revel in their fame, Banksy’s anonymity is a refreshing diversion in a culture obsessed with celebrity.
Profile #2: Jonathan Ive
Jonathan Ive isn’t one for speaking out. Shy and quietly focused, the senior vice president of Industrial Design at Apple is rarely interviewed. And even when he is, the British-born designer rarely gives anything away. He lets his design portfolio do the talking – the candy-coloured iMacs, iPods, MacBooks, Powerbooks and, most recently, the iPhone. Ive’s imagination is steered by a simplicity and purity that sits perfectly with Apple’s commitment to invention and innovation…
Profile #3: Matthew Carter
The Design Museum has called Matthew Carter the “most important typography designer of our time” and it’s easy to see why. His typefaces have defined magazines including Time, Newsweek, Wired and National Geographic; and newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post and The Guardian. He also developed the Verdana font for Microsoft, which revolutionised text display on computer screens. With over 70 fonts to his name, Matthew Carter’s typographical work has been viewed by billions…
Profile #4: Jonathan Barnbrook
The Design Museum proclaims Jonathan Barnbrook as “one of the UK’s most active graphic designers.” It says that he has pioneered the notion of “graphic design with a social conscience” and “makes strong statements about corporate culture, consumerism, war and international politics.” Barnbrook Design was founded in 1990 and continues to produce a steady mix of print and film work including CD covers, motion graphics, corporate identities, typefaces, magazines and books…
The full text of these profiles appears in Computer Arts Projects magazine, issue 129.
by Dean on September 24, 2009
The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced that the first USB 3.0 products are now ready to roll. But do we really need another wired USB standard? Quite frankly, yes. And here’s why…
(Below is an excerpt from an article that looks at what USB 3.0 has to offer the consumer and why we’ll all be using it come 20130).
Just how fast is USB 3.0?
The new USB specification is rated 10 times faster than USB 2.0, which has a maximum transfer speed of 480Mbps.
In comparison, USB 3.0 has a theoretical peak throughput of 5Gbps. This means that USB 3.0 is capable of transferring a 25GB file in approximately 70 seconds.
If that doesn’t warrant a shout of “whoosh!” then what does? In contrast, USB 2.0 would take around 14 minutes to perform the same task. And you’d be twiddling your thumbs for around 9 hours if you used USB 1.1.
This speed boost makes USB 3.0 ideal for the sort of large-scale file shunting we all do today, such as copying large images, MPEG-4 video clips, or making data backups to portable hard drives.
You can read the full article on TechRadar.
by Dean on September 22, 2009
Not sure what OLED is? Wondering why you’d want an OLED TV when all the chatter these days is about LED backlighting and 3D telly?
This ‘10 things…’ article for TechRadar explains all. Here’s a snippet:
5. OLED is available now (albeit in small sizes)
While the XEL-1 is currently the only OLED TV available, OLED technology is already being used in mobile phones, media players and digital cameras.
You’ll find an AMOLED display in the Samsung Jet, the new Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 and X-Series Walkman, the Sansa Clip+, Nikon Coolpix S70, the OQO Model 2+ and forthcoming Zune HD. There’s even an OLED keyboard – the OCZ Sabre OLED Keyboard has 9 programmable OLED keys.
6. OLED is expensive
Consider this: instead of plunking down £2,500 for an 11-inch Sony XEL-1, you could buy a 42-inch Philips 42PFL9664 or a classy Pioneer PDP-5090 and still have change for accessories.
Manufacturing costs are the main reason why we’re only seeing commercial OLED displays in small sizes. Is this why Sony is delaying its own OLED launches?
The worry for OLED is that the delay in producing decent-sized TVs gives LED technology more time to bed into the public consciousness. Worse still, the current buzz around Full HD 3D TV could also dilute OLED’s advantages.
This article was part of my IFA 2009 technology coverage. You can read the full OLED TV article on TechRadar.
by Dean on September 21, 2009
Samsung is so keen on LED technology that it’s called it the “next generation of television”. Should you believe the hype? Are LED-equipped TVs better than plasmas? Isn’t LED just a more efficient backlighting system?
This article for TechRadar covers everything you need to know about Light Emitting Diodes. As usual, here’s an excerpt:
2. CCFL is an outdated technology
Traditional LCD TVs have always been criticised for their washed-out colours. This is because the big, dumb CCFL backlights they use are always on and light leakage through the LCD layer makes it nigh-on impossible to deliver a true, inky black.
If you own an LCD and you watch a letterboxed movie on it, the ‘black’ bars at the top and bottom of the picture often appear distinctly ‘grey’.
3. The first LED-backlit TV cost $15,000
Sony was first to market an LCD TV with an LED backlight in 2004. The 46-inch, 1080p-capable Qualia 005 incorporated a revolutionary Triluminos system that used a grid of RGB LEDs instead of a fluorescent lamp. Yours to own for the price of a small car.
You can read the full article on TechRadar.
by Dean on September 20, 2009
Written for PC Plus magazine (issue 287), this article looks at how Apple is battling Microsoft on one side and the search colossus Google on the other. Here’s an excerpt:
Apple’s rejection of Google Voice for the iPhone (and subsequent threat of investigation by the FCC) has been cited as the tipping point for Eric Schmidt’s departure.
But rather than being an anti-Google move, Apple’s reason for banning Google Voice has more to do with preserving its core ‘walled garden’ business strategy.
Apple claims that the Google Voice application “replaces Apple’s Visual Voicemail by routing calls through a separate Google Voice telephone number that stores any voicemail, preventing voicemail from being stored on the iPhone, I.e. disabling Apple’s Visual Voicemail.”
You’re just not allowed to mess with the iPhone. Apple is fiercely protective of its eco-system and it’s built a $8 billion business based on retaining total control of it.
If you buy into the Apple way of doing things, you can only run the software that they approve of. Focusing on innovative design and usability, one Apple product acts as a lead-in for another.
Buy an iPod and you’ll try iTunes. You’ll download AAC-encoded music, QuickTime-formatted video and OS X-powered mini-apps. Before you know it, you’re an Apple junkie.
The more you invest into the Apple eco-system, the more difficult it becomes to abandon it in favour of something else.
by Dean on September 18, 2009
This article written for TechRadar looks at what the recent ratification of the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard means for consumers. For example:
Q. Will my old kit work with the final 802.11n standard?
A. Yes. And no. It’s a “Yes” if your router is based on Draft 2.0 of the 802.11n specification and was officially certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance.
It’s a “No” if your router is based on Draft 1.0 and calls itself Pre-N. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, all existing Wi-Fi Certified Draft N wireless products will be compatible with the final standard.
Some wireless manufacturers have also been quick to reassure consumers, announcing “full compliance” with the final version of 802.11n.
Belkin, for example, has already stated that its products currently on the market are “already compliant and do not require firmware upgrades or other software downloads”. Netgear told TechRadar that its current Draft-N models “will be upgradeable via a firmware upgrade”.
You can read the full article on Techradar.com
by Dean on September 17, 2009
I worked closely with the Carbon Marketing agency to produce copy for the launch of the HTC Touch Pro2 smartphone earlier this year.
Read an excerpt and view the final leaflet (PDF) below:
Advanced speakerphone technology
With its new Straight Talk™ technology, the HTC Touch Pro2 is a powerful, pocketable conference call system. The innovative dual speakers and microphones reduce background noise and boost voice clarity.
Simply place the HTC Touch Pro2 face-down on a table and it intelligently switches to speakerphone mode. No fiddling. No fuss. It is the essence of intelligent design.
Effortless conference calling
The HTC Touch Pro2 is built for business. A brand new interface makes setting up a conference call as easy as tapping on multiple contacts, while appointment reminders can conveniently cue up important phone numbers and conference PINs.
This is collaboration made easy, any time, anywhere you need it.
View the finished HTC Touch Pro2 leaflet [PDF - 205 KB]
by Dean on September 11, 2009
This review of Markus Heitz’s novel ‘The Dwarves’ appeared in science fiction magazine SFX, issue 186.
The Dwarves
Make a list of all the things you know about dwarves – braided beards, battle axes, good with hammers, fond of a beer or two, surnames designed to inspire respect (like Balendilin Onearm and Giselbert Ironeye), but actually give you the giggles.
Even the cover has a certain John Rhys Davis feel about it.
Because as you read The Dwarves, you can tick these attributes off one-by-one as the pint-sized Tungdil quests across an evil land to save the world of Girdlegard from a crazed sorcerer.
Yes, it does sound a little Lord of the Rings-y. But it’s a little faster on its feet than Tolkien’s classic. Our dwarven Frodo is Tungdil Bolofar, a bookish dwarf (and part-time blacksmith) who’s been raised in isolation by humans. For plot’s-sake, this means that Tungdil is rubbish at being a typical dwarf – he’s never met another one and can’t swing an axe.
So when a D&D army of Ȁlfar (think dark elves), ogres, gnomes, kobolds and orcs threatens a full-on fantasy apocalypse, Tungdil is the least-equipped to do anything about it.
Uprooted from his home, he finds himself proclaimed the unlikely heir to the dwarven kingdom. Cue a quest to see whether the unstoppable bad guy has his own tiny exhaust port, barely two metres wide.
Translated from Heitz’s German original, The Dwarves often reads like it’s been written by an English student with a new Thesaurus. The high fantasy flourishes do settle down. But for every inventive set-piece or dramatic skirmish, there’s a silly name to dent the mood – Nudin the Knowledge-Lusty and Maira the Life Preserver being two of our favourites.
Of course, it’s still strangely readable, chucking in zombies, self-centred wizards, political bickering and betrayal. It’s probably the greatest dwarf opera since George Lucas finished the script for Willow.
by Dean on September 8, 2009
This article, originally written for Orange, offers quick tips and advice for anyone thinking about building a website or blog:
1. Get your website branding right.
A visitor to your website will typically decide whether they like it in the first 8 seconds. It’s why the top section of your website (the bit that fills a 1024×768 display when it first loads up) is vital. In this area, often called ‘above the fold’, your visitors should immediately be able to get a sense of what your site is about and what they can do on it without having to scroll the page.
2. Don’t be a slave to design
The biggest mistake you can make when building a website is to prioritise design at the expense of usability and content. Think about what your visitors will want to see on your site; not what you want to see. Content is king on websites. Good design is to help sell that content more effectively.
3. Don’t make your visitors think
Be obvious with your website’s design and structure. Visitors should never think about where to start or what to click on next. Start by making all of your links the same colour; use consistent and clear navigation; make sure the search box is prominently displayed. 40% of users don’t return to a website after a negative first experience.
4. Know your keywords
Ensure that your website is using keywords appropriate to your market. This will make you more relevant to search engines for those keywords. Ensure that the keywords that apply to your business appear in titles, headings, sections and your website copy. Use Google’s Adwords tool to research popular words and phrases.
5. Tease your extra content
Tease more content on all of your pages, not just your website’s home page. If a visitor drops into your site from a Google search, they’re unlikely to hit the front page. Give them a reason to explore – lists of ‘recent articles’, ‘related articles’ or ‘most popular articles’ will help drive traffic around your site.
