Web Design and Development
Enterprise Management *UI* Developer - Hewlett Packard (Austin, TX)
*Software* *Engineer* - Java *UI* - Rockwell Automation (Austin, TX)
*Software* *Engineer* - Java *UI* - Rockwell Automation (Austin, TX)
*Software* *Engineer* - Java *UI* - Rockwell Automation (Austin, TX)
*Software* Development *Engineer* (Sr or + 5 yrs) - Express Employment Professionals (8/18/2010) (Austin, TX)
*Software* *Engineer* - Java *UI* - Rockwell Automation (Austin, TX)
*Software* *Engineer* - Java *UI* - Rockwell Automation (Austin, TX)
*Software* *Engineer* - Java *UI* - Rockwell Automation, Inc. (Austin, TX)
*UI* *Software* *Engineer* Job - User Interface *Engineer* - None (Austin, TX)
Senior *UI* *Engineer* - Cisco (Austin, TX)
TinySrc: Free Easy Way to Reformat Graphics for Mobile Devices
If you're working with mobile browsers tinySrc will dynamically scale your images down to the right size on the server side:
PLAIN TEXT HTML: http://i.tinysrc.mobi/http://mysite.com/myimage.pngTo use, you simply prefix the URL to your image with a pointer to tinysrc:
PLAIN TEXT HTML: <img src='http://i.tinysrc.mobi/http://mysite.com/myimage.png'alt='My image'
/>
tinySrc will then do the magic for you:
Unless you tell it otherwise, tinySrc will resize the image to fit the screen of the mobile handset visiting your site. For example, if an iPhone visits the site, the image will be constrained to its screen size of 320px x 480px.
In this particular case, the image is of landscape orientation, and width is the constraining dimension. Aspect ratios are always preserved by tinySrc, so our 640px by 400px image will emerge resized for an iPhone as 320px by 200px.
*Software* *Engineer* - Java *UI* - Rockwell Automation (Austin, TX)
Enterprise Management *UI* Developer - Hewlett Packard (Austin, TX)
How to Take Effective Conference Notes
Despite the independent aspect of web work, it’s typical for many of us to gather at conferences and conventions. As Dawn mentioned in a previous post, we all have different goals when attending these events. If your primary goal is to learn, then note-taking is essential, especially if you’ll be attending lectures.
But how can you focus on note taking when you have other things on your mind such as networking, the other sessions you have to attend, and possibly some additional work you have to do? Here are three things you should keep in mind:
- Remember that being present and attentive is your priority. This means actively listening, looking at visual aids, and paying attention to the lecture itself. While you can record audio, video, or view live tweets, these must be for reference only and not a substitute for the real thing. It makes no sense to sit in an auditorium for an hour only to repeat that hour via a recording because you were too busy taking notes or getting to know the person beside you to digest the finer details.
- Know why you’re taking down notes. Is it for faster recall or to record your own insight? Will you be using your notes to write a blog post or make a presentation at work? The reasons behind your note-taking will help you determine the best approach and tools to use.
- Get as much information as you can about the tech specs of the event beforehand. Will there be free internet access available? How reliable is it and will be be available throughout the entire venue? Will you be able to plug or charge your devices easily? This information can help you choose your tools accordingly.
With that out of the way, it’s only a matter of getting your notes down as efficiently as possible.
Using Tools to Improve Note-takingAccording to a research paper on note taking, in an academic setting the average note-taking speed for students is 0.3 to 0.4 words per second, while lecturers speak at around 2 to 3 words per second. With this speed discrepancy it’s no wonder that most people find it hard to jot down concise yet complete notes. Still, there are ways to work around this:
- Don’t rely solely on text-based notes. While many of us are used to pen-and-paper note-taking methods, the difference in speech and writing speed means that we can’t rely on them alone. This is why we should look beyond written notes. We could include mindmaps, photos (of important slides, for example), or audio recording. Some apps that allow you to record in a variety of formats include Evernote, Springpad, FolderBoy (which Charles reviewed here), and Notepub.
- Use fast tools. Don’t just look for fast loading time or responsiveness, but note your own speed when using the tool. This means that some options aren’t ideal for many people, such as alphanumeric keypads and apps for handwriting or speech recognition. You can even use SMS abbreviations, shorthand, macros, and word completion apps to increase speed further.
- Process your notes. Directly after the lecture is the best time to enter the second phase of note-taking: information processing. This is where you’ll start to consult external sources for additional information and make connections among the things you’ve learned. You could do this by organizing all the material you’ve gathered and by making annotations. Some handy annotation tools include Apollo and A.nnotate.
Taking a cue from student life, don’t be afraid to borrow the notes of other attendees. You can borrow notes directly from people you have a strong rapport with, or wait for bloggers to post their own notes or articles summarizing the talk. They might include some points you’ve missed or make connections that you didn’t think of. Just be sure to offer to share your own notes and express that you’re looking for something supplementary. You don’t want to leave the impression that you’re asking them to do all your work for you.
It may take a lot of practice to become very effective at note-taking, but the important thing is to get better each time.
Share your note-taking tips below.
Photo by stock.xchng user christgr
Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Enabling the Web Work Revolution
Searching for the HTML5 Search Input
I recently saw the new HTML5 Search input element and wondered what the heck it does:
PLAIN TEXT HTML: <input name="s" type="search" />Chris Coyier has posted an in-depth article going into this new HTML5 input type to appease your curiosity. The HTML5 spec actually says you don't have to do much with it, but Webkit actually has a range of options.
First, it visually distinguishes the input field with an inset border, rounded corners, and typographic controls:
Chris has discovered that you actually can't override the following visual properties on a search input with CSS:
PLAIN TEXT CSS: input[type=search] {padding: 30px; /* Overridden by padding: 1px; */
font-family: Georgia; /* Overridden by font: -webkit-small-control; */
border: 5px solid black; /* Overridden by border: 2px inset; */
background: red; /* Overridden by background-color: white; */
line-height: 3; /* Irrelevant, I guess */
}
However, the following can be styled in an HTML5 search input:
PLAIN TEXT CSS: input[type=search] {color: red;
text-align: right;
cursor: pointer;
display: block;
width: 100%;
letter-spacing: 4px;
text-shadow: 0 0 2px black;
word-spacing: 20px;
}
Chris (via Mike Taylor) also discovered a 'results' parameter that can be used on Webkit but is not in the HTML5 spec:
PLAIN TEXT HTML: <input name="s" type="search" results="5" />which gives a drop down with the number of results requested:
WWD Weekend Reading List
Here are some interesting posts from around the ‘Net to catch up with over the weekend:
- Mashable: “4 Tips for Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Posts”
- CMS Wire: “Don’t Create a Social Frankenstein”
- Social Times: “Mommy, I Want A Blog Too…”
- Zen Habits: “The Minimalist’s Guide to Cultivating Passion”
- The Economist: “A virtual counter-revolution”
- NewTeeVee: “Is Flash on Android ‘Shockingly Bad’ or ‘Shockingly Great?’”
What are you reading this weekend?
