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Author Archives: Curtis J. Morley
Companies move away from Email and toward social messaging.
Last year I posted my experience that “Email is for old People” stating that we as a society are moving away from email as the primary form of communication. Now entire companies are moving away from email and toward social communication as the alternative.
Here is the data the folks over at Business Insider gathered in their recent study.
Greatest Advancement in Photography Since Digital
As most of you know I am an avid photographer. You can see some of my photgraphy here. Because of my passion for photography I am always looking for new advancements in technology. Today I found one that had me laughing out loud with exclamations of amazement. This oversized lipstick tube is the most amazing thing that has happened to photography since the Digital Camera.
Everything about this camera screams, "Photo Revolution" including its design.
The company is called Lytro and the technology is an infinite way to focus a taken picture. Yes, that is what I said, “Focus a taken picture.” Because they capture the light and the angle at which the light enters the sensor it allows the picture to be focused after it is shot. The best way to describe this is to show you and then direct you to the website.
Notice how in this first version the focus is on the Mammut Rope
Same Lytro Picture of Rock Climbing but Focus is on the Climber
This is clearly a picture of rain on a window
It is also a picture of the Empire State Building. Try this one on the site. WOW!
Without further ado the website is www.lytro.com
Make sure to check out the Lytro Gallery to get a really good understanding of how the technology works. My favorite examples are the butterfly, guitar, seals, spider, bubbles Tesla wall, and weightlessness.
This is what other people are saying about it.
“Lytro is developing a new type of camera that dramatically changes photography for the first time since the 1800s.”
– Sarah Lacy, TechCrunch
“For a photographer, whether amateur or professional, the Lytro technology means that the headaches of focusing a shot go away.”
– Steve Lohr, The New York Times
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“This extra information [the light field] opens up a world of possibilities, including the ability to focus on any depth of field within a taken photo.”
– Sharif Sakr, engadget
“You then get a digital photo that is adjustable in an almost infinite number of ways.”
– Chris Taylor, Mashable
Here is the article on www.DPReview.com where I first learned about it.
Thanks and Happy Flashing (Actually it has no Flash 🙂
Curtis J. Morley
Flash on the iPad or iPhone
Do you own an iPad and want to view Flash websites? Does it bother you that iPad doesn’t support Adobe Flash? I have the iPad and have been frustrated when I can’t view the rich content that Adobe Flash provides. The Flash and iPad issue will be resolved one day (unless Steve Jobs forbid it in his final will and testament) but for the time being these three apps are the best way to play Flash content on your iPhone and iPad.
SkyFire
SkyFire iPad Flash Browser
- I use this and love SkyFire. In my opinion the best way to view Flash on the iPad. There is an Android version as well.
Photon Flash Browser
Photon iPad Flash Browser
- Haven’t tried Photon Flash Browser but, it looks great
iSwifter
iSwifter iPad Flash Browser
- I have used iSwifter and it works great unless you are behind a firewall, then you don’t see any Flash on your iPhone or iPad. It has a second purpose beyond just seeing Flash websites on the iPad and that purpose is Flash gaming on the iPad.
As Always, HAPPY FLASHING,
Curtis J. Morley
How to Convert a 2D logo into a 3D logo Using Gimp and Blender3D
Here is a quick tutorial on how to create a 3D logo in Blender from a .gif, .jpg, or .png, 3D Logo in conjunction from Austin Ehlert. Thanks Austin.
Getting Set Up
- Download and install Gimp
- Download and install Blender 2.59
- Call your creative department or download an image from the internet. I found a logo you can use here – Nike Logo
Part 1 – Paths from GIMP
- Open Gimp
- File >> Open >> nike-logo.jpg
- Double Click on the “Select by Color Tool” [Shift O]
Continue reading
Speaking at the Learning 3.0 conference on Augmented Reality
What: Speaking at Learning3Point0 Conference
When: October 3rd 2011 12:30-3:30 (2 Weeks from today)
Where: Training 2011 Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago Illinois. Room C3
Topic: Minority Report Learning — How Augmented Reality Makes E-Learning Kinesthetic
One of the hottest technologies – Augmented Reality. You will learn through this hands-on clinic the easy way to implement Augmented Reality into your training and websites. You will also learn how kinesthetic engagement can enhance the training from a presentation to a viral experience. You will learn the best practices around the technology and how to make augmented reality a user-driven experience.
Learn to:
Think differently about the web, mobile, and devices.
Use AR to engage users in the learning.
Create unique markers to your learning material.
Create 3D objects with open source (Free) technologies.
Learn about viral coefficient.
NOTE: Bring your own laptop computer with wireless internet capability to this session. Please also download Adobe Flash CS5, Blender 3D, Gimp, Flar Toolkit, Flar Starter Kit, and AR Marker Generator
I look forward to seeing everyone there.
As always, Happy Flashing,
Curtis J. Morley
P.S. Scan this QR Code with your Android Phone or iPhone to set an appointment for the session.
Adobe and Apple having Coinciding Press Conferences
User Guide – How iPhone5 Can Regain Market Share
iPhone market share has been slipping dramatically over the last year as Android has become the dominant smart phone. Apple went from it’s peak of 37% now down to 28% and has been eclipsed by Android OS. So how can Apple catch up to the pervasive android phone? Here is the user guide for Apple to at least catch up and maybe be on top again.
The things that Apple can do to catch up to several of the Android phones in comparison to those Android competitors – EVO3D.
- Display: iPhone 5 needs to have a bigger screen. The HTC EVO 3D has a 4.3-inch LCD display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, in addition to being able to display 3D images without glasses. The Apple iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch LCD display with 640 x 960-pixel resolution. Apple refers to this high-resolution screen as a “retina display.” Microsoft did a productivity study years ago and the one factor that they said would increase prodcutivity more than any other is the size of the screen in someones office. This relates to the smartphones as well.
- Operating system: The HTC EVO 3D runs Android 2.3, while the Apple iPhone 5 is expected to run Apple’s iOS 5. iOS 5 s supposed to be much improved. The deciding factor is – will it have live widgets and customization?
- Processor and RAM: The HTC EVO 3D has a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. To compete the Apple iPhone 5 needs a Dual-Core Processor and over a GB of RAM.
- Keyboard: Most Android phones have SWYPE which is hands down the best phone input on the market. Apple is still two handed hunt and peck. If iPhone5 wants to catch up it must have SWYPE. You don’t have to take my word on this because the world record for the fastest text message is held by Melissa Thompson using SWYPE. This is a clincher for Apple. They will ultimately lose a large portion of the market if they do not speed up the input for the device.
- Flash: Android has Flash. iPhone does not. Do I need to say anything else?
OK, a few more words on the subject. 40% of the web has Flash in some form or another. This is the biggest thing that Apple can do to catch up to Android devices. I know in the past the iPhone has had sub-par hardware which they masterfully hid behind no multitasking but now the hardware in the phones is capable. Let the Apple-Adobe war go away with Steve Jobs. (For all the Mac fanboys – I think Steve Jobs was one of the most influential people in the last 30 years for advancing technology.) - Camera: The HTC EVO 3D has two 5-megapixel rear cameras capable of creating 3D photos. The EVO 4G has a stunning 8-megapixel camera. The Apple iPhone 4 has a 5-megapixel still-image camera that can also shoot 720p HD video. Both phones have front-facing cameras for video chat, with the EVO 3D measuring in at 1.3-megapixels and the iPhone having 0.3-megapixels (640 x 480). To compete Apple needs at least 10mp camera. Another catch up for Apple is adding the 3D technology to the iPhone5 that HTC has had for almost a year. Apple does own some patents, so we will see.
- Battery: The HTC EVO 3D is expected to has a 1,730 mAh battery that is user replaceable. This battery has been reported in several cases to get over 18hours. I myself has run it through a normal (which translates to crazy) day without charging over 18 hours. All smart phones users (except EVO 3D) complain about not having enough battery.
- 4G: I would be very surprised if the iPhone5 didn’t have 4G. This is again an area where they are going to have to play catch up to other phones.
- Mobile HotSpot: Most HTC phones have the ability to broadcast a wifi connection for up to eight devices. For example a person can be in the middle of a field with there laptop and as long as they have their phone with them they can connect their laptop to the internet.
Thanks and Happy Flashing on your Android and hopefully iPhone5 next month.
Curtis J. Morley
Sequential Number Generator
Need a sequence of numbers? Yes this is the right place. Put the starting number in the first box and end number in the last box and the sequence will be generated on the bottom of the page. The box of generated numbers is small so you will have to click and drag down to select all. The great thing about his little Flash app is that it will automatically be copied to your clipboard so you won’t have to do anything but hit the button.
So why would you need a sequence of numbers? The reason I created this was for Parker Donat who is doing Lead Gen for FranklinCovey. Lead Gen requires a lot of homework. One major part of the Lead Gen homework is segmenting lists geographically. Zip codes in general are a great way to do Lead Gen geo-segmenting because they are sequential based on geography. Phone Area codes Zip codes start with 0 on the east coast and move across the country until zip codes starting with 9 stretch down the west coast. Zip codes that start with 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96 are all in CA such as the famous 90201. Ben Fry’s Zip Code Decoder is the best way to see this visually. If you are using a tool like Jigsaw, NetProspex, Hoovers, or my favorite InsideView then one effective way to search is by zip code. I built this tool for you to do it quicker and more effectively.
So without further ado, here is the sequence generator.
This Flash app goes hand-in-hand with my Comma Maker. Another tool to help speed up the Lead Generation process.
Happy Lead Gathering,
Curtis J. Morley
Android Based Phones Overtake the iPhone OS in SmartPhone Market
Well It appears that the previous assumption was correct that Android would replace iPhone as the dominant SmartPhone. Because of the limitations of the iPhone Android has gathered dominant market share. The question is for how long. How long will Android dominate especially in the U.S.? To answer this should look at the launch date of the new iPhone 5 (Thanks Al Gore) and we need to do a feature comparison. Look for another post shortly that describes how iPhone5 can regain market share.
Thanks and Happy Flashing on your Android Phones.
Curtis J. Morley