Archive for the ‘computer’ Category

来,脱下你的衣裳

今日,天气和暖,是为你的网站脱衣的日子!

今年四月九日定为 CSS Naked Day,为了「推动 Web 标準、提倡简洁为美、使用正确的 (x)html 语义标记、良好的层次结构。暂时把页面设计抛弃,直接展示 内容!

我们都习惯躲在华衣美服背後,有想过为网站/部落格脱衣後的真身长相如何?如果你使用 WordPress 系统,可以使用 WordPress Naked Day Plugin 为你效劳。

填写 naked day signup form 告诉世界你的赤裸行动!

来吧我甚麽都应承~
先脱衣服才说……

 

Total service

很多朋友知道我是自由身音樂/音響人,卻不多知道我是唸資訊管理系的。畢業那年主修有關電訊科技的科目,就連 final year project 也是做 WAP development(那年 WAP 才剛剛出 1.0 specification)……

我不多寫有關電訊的文章,因為我不是 gadget people,從來不會追手機追科技。雖然算起來已比一般用戶選用更多的制式 (CDMA, PCS, GSM, 2G, 3G)、服務和手機品牌,但手機五花八門的功能對我來說吸引力不算太大。

我反而看重電訊服務的整體性,由手機、使用者介面 (User Interface)、網絡覆蓋範圍及穩定性,到 backend 提供的額外功能、軟件支援、客戶服務等等,我稱之為 total service。

很少提及這些,因為所有在 backend 的事都不是一般人(如我)可以接觸到的,無論如何表達也像搔不著癢處。

今次忍不住提筆,是因為終於遇到網絡營運商 (operator) 看重 backend development 和手機 UI 的整合,為客戶提供合用且貼心的功能。

SmarTone-Vodafone x MobileRadio.hk
「一觸屏幕」功能,博客&聽眾意見交流會

HTC New Generation Touch Cruise™這次的示範機是 HTC New Generation Touch Cruise™,平台為 Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro。朋友都知我是 Palm 死硬派,現役手機是 Palm Treo 650,就連 iPhone 我也不大滿意。不用太多解釋大家都會知道 Windows Mobile 絕不吸引我,但仍然參予這次交流會的原因是 SmarTone-Vodafone 這次更著重 backend 的整合。
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Flock

二零零九年第一篇文章,跟大家说声「新年快乐」~

二零零八年是转变的一年,除了木村的《CHANGE》和奥巴马的”Change!” 外,我也正式转成自由身工作者。开首的数个月还算不赖,甚至以为转型成功;可是自从金融风暴以来,生意是有影向的,特别是我身在的音响行业,可算是娱乐事业的相关行业,所以经济状况变差亦会先反映在这行业。另外各公司的广告预算亦减少了,同时亦影向了广告配乐的工作。时近年尾,各歌手都在忙大小颁奖礼,音乐制作亦踏入淡季。所以呢,日子很难过啊!

我跟个别自家创业的朋友谈话里,都发现大家最近接的工作跟以往的很不同,甚至是工种和性质上的转变。我最大的转变就是做网站设计和系统编写,刚完成了一间音响公司首个网站的设计、架设和程式编写,现在又为一家非政府机构重新设计网站,之后便会跟它的姊妹机构洽谈,可算是一个接一个。亦因为重操故业的原故,我把柜底的设计书都拿出来,每天都空闲时间都在温习和练习。

每一天都过得很踏实啊!


今明两天都会为刚完成的网站做使用者说明文件,所以要用不同的网页浏览器去测试网站的相容性和做画面撷取。我本身是个 PC + Mac 用户,虽然日常工作主要以 Mac 为主,但电邮和PIM 还是以PC 为主,所以常用的浏览器已包括 Firefox 3.0.5 for PC / Firefox 3.0.5 for Mac / Safari 3.2 .1 for Mac / Google Chrome 1.0.154.36 for PC,备用的还有 IE 6.0 for PC / Safari 3.2.1 for PC / Opera 9.2.7。但两部电脑能安装的浏览器和不同版本数目始终有限,昨日在噗友介绍下使用了 Browserhots: Check Browser Compatibility, Cross Platform Browser Test 测试不同平台不同浏览器不同版本不同设定在显示网站时会否遇到问题(除了 PC 它还支援 Mac / Linux / BSD 平台),亦因此看到 Flock 这个我以前好像听过但没什印象的浏览器。

Flock function icons经过简单的安装便开始试用 Flock 了。Flock 打正 The Social Web Browser 的旗号,支援大量社交网站成为浏览器的基本功能。在浏览列以下就是功能列,单看它就知道 Flock 强调社交网络和使用者资讯共享。

People 按键显示 People sidebar,显示朋友在不同服务的最新活动。 Media bar 于顶端显示影片、照片(我的预设是 YouTube favorite,让我更方便看木村的剧集和 SMAP music video!:P )。 Flock 在显示网页时会自动寻找包含的 feed 让你订阅,按一下 Feeds 按键 Feeds sidebar 便会显示所有文章及储存文章(假如有那么的一天能跟Google Reader 整合的话……)。 Webmail 让你登入电邮网页,Yahoo! Mail 更能显示未读电邮题目于 Webmail dropdown menu。书签列整合到共享书签的网站如 Delicious,让你可以于离线储存外,还留一个挎贝于网上,并与世界共享。在线及本机书签于Favorites Sidebar 一并显示,也支援 tags 和寻找功能。 Accounts and Services 管理大量 social apps 并整合到 Flock,配合 My World 画面让你可一览天下事~

Flock Accounts and Services
我在使用的服务:Facebook / Flickr / Twitter / YouTube / Picasa / Blogger / Xanga / Self Hosted Blog / Delicious / Gmail / Yahoo! Mail

另外还包括:Digg / MySpace / Photobucket / TinyPic / Blogsome / LiveJournal / Typepad / WordPress.com / Magnolia / AOL Mail

Flock My World
除了最基本的记忆密码和自动登入外,Flock 更将以上服务整合到不同页面或 sidebar,最重要的页面便是 My World。 My World 画面有点像 Outlook Today,能显示不同的 widgets:Favorite Feeds (RSS reader) / Friend Activity (Twitter / Flickr / Facebook status change) / Favorite Media< /span> (YouTube / Flickr) / Favorite Sites (most visited favorite sites)。

Web clipboard 方便大家把正在浏览网页的不同元件做复制,包括图像、文字和超链结。 Flock 内置 Blog editor 并支援多个 blog hosting website 包括Blogger / Xanga / WordPress.com,可是没想过它还能支援自架建的部落格 (ATOM / MetaWeblog / MovableType / WordPress),这篇文章也是用 Flock blog editor 打的,还支援 category 和 tag,我真的好担心我会完全转用 F​​lock。

最后的 Photo uploader 也很贴心,只需 drag & drop 便能把照片上传 Flickr / Picasa / Facebook,并于 Media bar 显示,方便你 drag & drop 到 blog editor 贴到部落文章里。

这张照片就是从我的 Picasa 相簿放到这文章来,贴图片档能设定大小、贴图位置、标题和 alternative text,非常方便啊​​!

Using Flock blog editor…


最后,最快乐的是支援 horizo​​ntal break,因为 I love horizo​​ntal line break!!!
(不过我的 blog 不支援,唉!)

Get Flock!
大家都来 Flock 网站下载试用喇!

后记:Flock 已在2011年4月26日宣布停止支援,唉!
参考:Flock Is Dead @ FavBrowser.com

Blogged with the Flock Browser

 

廢寢忘餐新玩具

這次要介紹給 mac 友的圖像分享小工具 Skitch

這小工具提供簡單易用的介面,讓你從 iPhoto、screen capture、camera capture 和圖像檔加入照片或圖像,提供工具給你處理影像和塗鴉一番(當然歡迎不加圖像把 skitch 當成是 mac 版小畫家程式),然後你可以把完成品 click & drag 到其它 apps 直接加入圖像,或桌面和檔案夾裏成為圖像檔,當然你可以選擇圖像大小和儲存類型。另外你還可以把圖像上載到 skitch.com 帳戶(包括大量簡易超連結給你貼到網站部落格討論區等等,還可以設定供公開或私人瀏覽)、FTP、flickr.Mac、WebDAV 跟朋友分享,或傳送到藍牙設備,列印則是不可或缺的選項了,你還可以把圖像 send to twitter,它會在 twitter 附上超短 hyperlink 連結你的上載圖像。
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Mac & PC

“I’m a Mac,”
“and I’m a PC.”

Don’t know if you ever watch the Apple ad series called “Get A Mac.” The two main characters, Mac & PC, good friends in the ads, while competing fiercely in the market. In the ad series, Apple tells you reasons of “getting a Mac”. As a user of PC and Mac, I fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of both operating systems. However, I’m so attracted by the humors it brings (and I always visit the website and watch all the ads when I feel bored in working.) :P

Don’t forget to mention… I kind of like that Mac guy. :D

Earlier in December, Apple brings three new ads, namely “Meant for Work”, “Sales Pitch” and “Gift Exchange”. Apple adds the red color in the ads, bringing us the seasonal touch!

Introducing to you the brand new ad for Christmas!
And I wish you a Merry Christmas!!!

(You’ll have to install QuickTime Player to view the movie clip above.)

 

Spamming…

在互聯網每天都會面對多多少少不同形式的 spamming,針對個人的包括垃圾電郵、色情電郵、病毒電郵,針對網站和討論區的有垃圾留言和 trackbacks。

記得初期用 Gmail 時,Spam folder 常常都寫著 “Hooray, no spam here!”,每天看到時心情都很 hooray。可惜最近都要按 “Delete all spam messages now” 才行,幸好接近所有垃圾郵件都是英文郵件,分辨的時候尚算方便。Yahoo! Mail 的情況卻很糟,數量更多,而且大多都是中文郵件,真的要細看每個電郵的寄件者和主題才能分辨那些是錯誤被認作垃圾郵件的。
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The 100 Best Products of 2005

I just learn from GMail that there is a election called “The 100 Best Products of 2005″, organized by “PC World”, the world famous computer magazine. I am shocked to realize I’m frequent user of 13 out of 100.

Can you find your own favorite in the following list?
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Google Mars

Google Mars

Did you notice Google’s logo will change from time to time? Sometimes it’s specially designed for festivals or events, and this time, their new service called Google Mars.

The interface of Google Mars is similar to Google Local / Google Map and Google Earth (much powerful standalone program of Google Local). You can get lots of information about Mars there by clicking different categories next to the logo.

Have fun on Mars!

 

Apple

Apple IIe is the first Mac I touched in my life. I was studying F.1 in secondary school, in Computer Literacy lessons. We learned Logo, a programming language that provides a simple input prompt, showing graphics and words. In days of studying Information Systems in HKUST, I love to sit in front of those little old unattended Mac to do email checking and BBS or MUD telnet, while tons of people are queuing for crapy PC. I used Finale for Mac to type score when studying Sound Design and Music Recording in HKAPA.

I bought my first Mac in year 2000, with the salary I earned in the first month being a teacher. It’s a PowerMac G4 450MHz, with Applevision 850 Display. It just sits there for a couple of years… occassionally I’ll switch it on, using the little mouse to click here and there. But since I haven’t bought any softwares, it’s quite useless for me. I still remember the price… HK$19,600.

When I moved out and live alone, I put the Mac in my reading room, for DVD-playing purpose. (I don’t have DVD-ROM in my PC)

One day, my friend came and helped me out in designing Frontline’s namecard, installing three fancy graphic design softwares… the life of G4 changes!

I fell in love with those softwares, bought tons of design books to read, experiment with fancy ideas, illustrations and photos. My next homework is art director of Frontline’s concert. It’s fun and it’s tough! In that year, I worked for several freelance including companies’ coupons, namecards and letterheads, websites, wedding cards and program booklet.

In the same year, I started my job as recording engineer, using Mac everyday. Some years later, I bought DIGI001 as audio interface, installing ProTools and AutoTune 4.0, and started editing vocal tracks at home.

This year, I started making demos at home after buying GarageBand, Jam Pack and Logic Pro 7.0. This is also the moment I started to compose music seriously.

The future plan is to replace my 6 years’ old G4 with new powerful Intel-core PC, either MacBookPro or wait until the next generation of PowerMac G5 but with Intel chip. I’m considering to phase out PC running Microsoft Windows in my life. After running pilot test in my office one month later, I will discard the old PC when it comes to the end of its days.

This is the story about Apple and I.

Yesterday night I visit Apple’s website, knowing they’re launching two new products, namely Mac mini and iPod Hi-Fi. iPod Hi-Fi is the gear I’m looking for a long time… ouch!

This morning when I read Mac news like what I did in past, I come across this lovely piece: Steve Bass’s Tips & Tweaks – Apple’s Ho Hum Big Announcement (And a Funny iPod Video). Click and check it out, especially the funny iPod video at the end. It tunes my day with happy mood, and I’m sure I can work efficiently till midnight!

Have a nice day!

 

Moments in life

There are moments in life we want to capture every second without missing anything. Nowadays we depend on technology like photos and videos to give a hand to our under-utilized brains.

I learn lessons days ago after re-installing operating system in my PC:

Technology fails you, but Jesus never fails.
It’s not the photos or videos being valuable. The love relationships among people count!

I lose part of the YM message archive, but I know, my friends are all still there. I won’t lose any of you because of incomplete archive in my PC.

However, technology still connects people.

Introduce to you, Rachel Tse, the new born daughter of my buddies Joanna and John Tse.

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