Web Design Fact

The Ever Greater Conveniece of Online Betting Technology

2013-05-17T08:28:00.000+05:30

Less than two decades ago, the vast majority of bettors only had two options for some action. They could either make a trip to Nevada to place a sports bet, or they could look for a local bookie who may have ties to organized crime. That was they shadowy state of the industry then, but new online technologies have completely transformed the game. Here is a look at all the ways that the sports book industry has improved with the proliferation of online betting methods.

The Internet

The online sports being industry was the biggest technology to improve sports betting since the telephone. The ability of sports books to set up shop outside the United States and still cater to the huge sports betting market that exists in the country has completely transformed the industry. Bettors are no longer restricted to having to try and deal with shady local bookmakers. They can now bet in safety online, which is full of reputable bookmakers whose only worry is the misguided chase from the US Justice Department.

Mobile Betting

The Internet has made a huge effect on the sports betting world, but it is only in recent years that new technologies have developed to make the world of online betting really exciting. One of the latest and greatest of these technologies is mobile betting. Sports bettors can now use their iPhones, Android smartphones and other mobile devices to place bets with their books from anywhere that they have a phone signal.

This incredible convenience allows players to place many more bets than they could in the past. No longer are sports bettors tied to their computers when they are looking to place their bets. They can wait until the last minute to check for any news of injuries and lineup changes. This allows them to place their bets with total confidence that they have all the information necessary to give themselves the best chance to win.

Live Betting

One of the most thrilling of these new technologies is live betting. Live betting allows players to make bets on televised sporting bets while they are watching them. The sports books that offer live betting update the live odds every timeout or commercial break, which gives bettors lots of chances over the course of the game to seize opportunities for profit.

The Future is Bright

The online sport betting technologies will only get better as the 21st century rolls along. Mobile betting will continue to become more convenient. The only thing that is holding them back is the futile pursuit to stifle the industry by the US federal government, but there are signs that stupid fight may soon be over. When that day comes, the sky is the limit for these wonderful new betting technologies.

About the Author

This has been a guest post from Free Bets Free in Australia. If you're trying to score free bets in Australia, then you should check out their site.

8 Attractive and Free Flat Icon Sets

2013-05-16T10:19:00.000+05:30

Minimalism is the fastest growing trends in design industry. It had gain more popularity than any other trends. It’s become more about the content and less about the design elements such as 3D effects, gradients etc. So for you, today we have comes with 8 attractive and free flat icon sets.

Attractive and Free Flat Icon Sets

Publicons

Eldorado mini free

Email Icons

Flat files

20 Flat Icons (PSD)

Premium Flat Social Icon Set

Flat Design Icons Set Vol 1

Flat Design Icons Set Vol 2

Grand Format Printing - A New Business Trend

2013-05-15T11:54:00.000+05:30

Grand format printing is printing on a large scale. Many industries are opting for this method of printing not only as a marketing technique but also to add beauty to the look and feel of the office. This is a versatile printing method which can be printed in any size you want. These prints can go up to 10 feet in height or higher.

Size matters and a large sign board can most definitely put people to a halt and get them to read the message you want to convey. Grand format printing can be created exactly as per your requirements. It is popularly used for business presentations; point of purchase displays, trade show booths and as retail signage. Investing in grand format printing is a good idea. These help you to get rich graphics, high quality displays and banners which convey a loud clear message to the audience. Grand format printing always ensures it helps in incorporating all the required features or services a company needs to get to notice. Since these boards are so large, there is always enough space to add as much detail as you like. It is best to get these boards designed by professionals who understand how to create a grand format printing board and add details to it. Grand format printing comes out best on vinyl or plexi glass. It is also printed on plywood, metal and anything you can think of. It is always best to avoid printing it on paper since the size is too large and the paper can tear.

Grand format printing is most popularly used to promote movies. You can see hue hoardings put up on highways and streets with promotions about a new movie. These banners are the best place for one to get inspiration and ideas on how to create one for their own personal business. You can think of various ways to maybe launch a new brand, talk about a sale, discounts or new services or products you plan on launching. Grand format printing is a onetime investment, so make the best of it. These boards can last really long depending on the choice of material you get the banner printed on. Choose a long lasting material which can face the harsh outdoor climate. Grand format printing is never kept indoors so make your choice accordingly. You can create a rough idea of what you want and then ask a professional designer to put those ideas to the best use. A grand format printing banner is like a centre of attraction to where it is placed, so remember to create a master piece which can mesmerize people.

There are a number of companies which deal in grand format printing. Get in touch with them and discuss your idea openly. Tell them what you would like on the banner and what you don’t. Ask them to show you a sample before creating the final piece. Check it properly for any alterations.

About the Author

James Vasanth writes a blog on ArtDigitalTech, about environmental graphic, booklet printing and connecting the dots between online and offline. He can be found on Facebook and on Twitter as @ArtDigitalTech

Ways to Justify the Cost of a Tablet

2013-05-14T16:06:00.001+05:30

There has been a huge surge recently in the popularity of tablets and there are now many different brands and types available. A tablet is a multi functional device with uses that will appeal to everyone. A tablet can fulfill the majority of the same functions as a laptop and could create ways to save money. If you are considering buying a new computer then there are several reasons why it may be better for you to consider a tablet instead of a laptop or notebook.

Battery Life

The average battery life of a tablet is 8.43 hours. This is considerably longer than a laptop or notebook which generally has a battery life of a maximum of a couple of hours. This means that it is much more practical to use a tablet on long journeys and also cuts down that annoying dash to plug in the charger when you realise that your battery is dangerously low.

Portability

If you travel frequently or are looking for a device that you can carry with you then a thin and light tablet is probably the ideal answer. A tablet can be easily slipped into a bag and carried anywhere with little difficulty whereas most laptops have to be carried separately in their own bag. A tablet is small enough to carry in your hand luggage on an airplane which makes it the perfect entertainment option when going on holiday.

Customize It

One of the main advantages of having a tablet is how much easier it is to customize it to fit your personal requirements compared to a laptop or notebook. The process of installing applications onto a tablet is extremely easy so it is simple to choose ones that fit your lifestyle and to change or update them if your requirements change. If you have magazines subscriptions or just magazines that you read frequently then choosing a tablet may actually save you money if you then switch to online subscriptions. The high quality screens that most tablets possess make them an ideal choice to use as electronic readers.

Multifunction

A tablet will perform most of the functions of a laptop or notebook but can also be used as an electronic reader. Most tablets will also have cameras and can be used to record videos. The fact that a tablet has a touch screen makes it ideal to play games including those such as temple run that are not easy to play on laptops. It is also possible to download and play music on a tablet.

Entertainment

Tablets have a high screen resolution and strong graphics. The fact that they have a touch screen makes them ideal for playing games. The strong, clear screens also make tablets perfect for watching films and television programmes. Tablets are also ideal for using as readers for books, magazines or even comics to amuse the kids.

Conclusion

Buying a tablet will give you a flexible, portable device. If you are looking for a device that can be used for a number of functions including as an electronic reader and that is easy to adapt and which has a long battery life then a tablet may be a better choice instead of a laptop or notebook.

Summary

A tablet is a multi function device which is flexible and portable. Buying a tablet instead of a laptop may provide you with more options.

About the Author

This article was written by freelance writer Yiannis who helps people find ways to save money using technology.

20 Inspiring Typography Based Web Designs

2013-05-13T08:20:00.003+05:30

Typography is surely a very important element of web design. A website must have a good typographic that makes visitor to interpret its content. It’s becoming easier and easier, with better technologies, for designers to utilize great typography in their website designs. Few weeks ago, we have posted an article regarding vintage style typography within web design. Today we are representing some websites that illustrate great typography. Hope that you will find these examples inspiring. Enjoy!

Inspiring Typography Based Web Designs

lickmeimdelicious.com

mitchellshepherd.com

modernmuseum.co.za

teamfannypack.com

thedesigncubicle.com

theglamourai.com

tokiolab.it

wickedpalate.com

will-harris.com

englishworkshop.eu

robedwards.org

contempoworld-design.co.uk

galp.in

forefathersgroup.com

hotdogscoldbeer.com

droptest.com

griplimited.com

grupowprojects.com/folicure

danielmart.in

lawineagency.com

Grid Computing Vs Cloud Computing

2013-05-11T08:44:00.001+05:30

The world of information technology is changing rapidly and what may be the popular method of conducting business or gathering information today may be completely phased out in a few months. Grid computing and cloud computing are two powerful – but distinct – computing systems that attempt to accomplish many of the same common goals. This article will attempt to highlight the differences between grid and cloud computing by comparing them against a number of different performance factors.

Storage

Because a grid computing system relies on numerous high powered computers linked together using the same common network, they are able to boast very high storage capacities. Hard drives in excess of 1 terabyte are commonplace in today’s modern computing world, and a typical supercomputer has the capacity to hold multiple drives. While this may seem impressive, a cloud computing solution offers virtually unlimited storage because of the way the servers are all connected via the internet. There can be thousands of dedicated servers located all around the world connected to a central server that transmits data between each server. This allows a cloud system to host thousands upon thousands of terabytes of data, much more than a grid computing system.

Speed

Speed is everything in the world of information technology, and speed is improving with each passing day. That said, grid computing is the undisputed king when it comes to speed and efficiency. Because all of the computers in the grid are located in the same central location they are able to communicate with each other and transfer data much quicker than a cloud service can. Another factor that slows down cloud-based computer services is the transfer and encryption times required to transmit data from a virtual machine to the central server, and vice versa. A grid computing system, while still requiring some level of encryption, is able to store their databases in a central location, negating the speed lost due to transfer times over the internet.

Computing Power

While computing power isn’t such an important factor in cloud-based networking solution, it’s the name of the game when it comes to grid-based computer solutions. A grid network is able to process information at a much quicker rate because it combines numerous computers with high powered hardware all working together to accomplish the same goal. This is in contrast to a cloud-based service that is primarily interested in storing data securely, and storing a lot of it.

Allocation Requests

An allocation request happens each time somebody or something makes a request to interact with a computing system in some way. A grid computing network is designed primarily to handle a lower number of allocation requests than cloud systems, but the number of allocations they receive in a typical request is much higher than for cloud systems. As an example – a grid network would be able to handle thousands of requests for database access seamlessly and without issue, but a cloud server would have difficulty keeping up.

To contrast this, a cloud system is able to complete a much higher number of requests, although the number of allocations in each request is typically much lower. Choosing between a grid system or cloud system is highly dependent upon which type of data you’re attempting to transmit and store, and how often you must make allocation requests to the central server or database.

Recap

While it’s not possible to pinpoint which type of system is “better” because of the varying uses each system receives, it is possible to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each system. A grid network is more suited for lower requests while a cloud system can take a much higher number of allocation requests.

About the Author

Edward Dennis is a tech and inbound marketing blogger. He often writes articles for Web24, Australia's leading VPS hosting and dedicated server hosting company.

A Passion for Cameras

2013-05-10T17:58:00.001+05:30

It's yet another bright season to look forward to basking in the sun and enjoying the beautiful flora and fauna that characterizes summer all over the world. Almost every outdoor-loving person will agree with me that of all the seasons in the world, none is more popular and historic like summer time. It is true that the captivating beauty that rises from the shadows at the turn of this season cannot be fully captured by words or writing alone. This is why cameras have gained immense popularity and continue to grow in demand every season.

An ancient Chinese philosopher once said that, “A picture speaks a thousand words”, and nothing could be closer to the truth. This saying has survived millennia and is still valid today as it was in those days when it was first espoused. If you are a photographer like me, you will agree too that nothing captures the spirit of any moment more than your pictures or your videos; and your camera speaks more volumes than your mouth or your words. You can literally tell very marvelous and captivating stories just by using your camera, and I have successfully done this many times.

When I look back at the history of cameras, its amazing as to how these devices have developed over just a short period of time. During my school years, we made a pinhole camera in a science lab as we learnt about the rectilinear propagation of light. A pinhole camera is a simple camera without a lens and with a single small aperture or hole. It is effectively a light proof box with a small hole on one side, and the opposite side of the box contains photographic paper that can record an image that passes through the hole. So the light from a scene passes through the single small hole and projects an inverted image of the scene on the opposite side of the box where the photographic paper is located.

Some people today still use pinhole cameras to capture images of the movement of the sun over long periods of time. This kind of photography is called Solargraphy and is very interesting especially for those who have all the time in the world, and live by the beach or the shores of large water bodies where sunset and sunrise are as clear as glass. It was really at this point that I developed a unique interest in photography that has remained one of my hobbies to date. Today I have a wide collection of digital cameras for just about any event out there. Due to the stiff competition in the market and the increasing number of camera manufacturers, it is true that one may find it very challenging to find the right kind of camera that fits their needs.

It is a fact that what may work for one person, may not work for another due to the kind of photos or videos that they intend to take. The first step in choosing the right camera is to determine what you are going to use it for, and the level of detail you require in your pictures or videos. High megapixel cameras with great portability and relative ease of use are becoming more common amongst average camera users. While these types of cameras may take decent photos or capture good videos, it is true that higher quality can be got from more specialized cameras at a camera store. If you do weddings, birthdays, graduations, freelance photography or any other kinds of special photography, then investing in appropriate cameras is recommended.

About the Author

A natural born writer, Stacey Barton writes professionally and for fun across a wide range of niches with particular attention to how classic brands can continue to offer the same product for decades and somehow survive the turbulent and ever changing consumer market.

What Is Pay Per Click Advertising?

2013-05-10T08:07:00.001+05:30

In recent years, paid searches have been increasingly used on the internet as a method of advertising. It employs the same techniques utilised by search engines. When an internet user types a word or phrase into a search engine, the results page returns a list of websites that are relevant to the words that have been input - this list of results is referred to as the organic search results. On the same page, there are often sponsored links, and these are the paid searches - the owner of a website has paid for their advert to appear on the search result page when certain words or phrases are entered into a search engine.

Pay-per-click (PPC) (also referred to as cost-per-click, CPC) is a revenue model utilised in online advertising. It is a strategy often employed by search engines as a method of determining income from paid searches. The current forefront runners utilising PPC are Google AdWords and Bing AdCenter. Both operate in a similar fashion; companies who wish to attract traffic to their website decide on a campaign to advertise their product. They draw up a list of keywords, or phrases, that are relevant to their campaign and if an internet user types in one of these words or phrases into a search engine, the campaign advert appears as one of the sponsored links on the search result page.

At this stage, the company does not owe the search engine host any money. It is only when the user clicks on the sponsored advert that revenue has now been generated. How much the company pays for each click on their advert depends on the model that has been agreed - whilst some sites offer fixed-fee pricing for each click, Google and Bing operate a bid system, whereby companies bid against each other for the advertising space. The price of the bid will depend on a number of factors, the most important being the popularity of the keyword with the most popular requiring a higher bid in order to win the advertising space (a case of supply and demand). However, another factor that is taken into account is the quality of the advert, thereby allowing lower bids with higher quality adverts to 'win' the auction and be placed in the most prominent postion on the web page. If the advert is then clicked on, they pay the price that was bid to the search engine host.

The success of PPC campaigns can be measured in a number of ways. The click-through rate (CTR) measures the number of times the advert is clicked on, divided by how many times the advert appeared in response to the appropriate keywords. The conversion rate is the number of times that a user clicks on the advert and then performs the desired outcome on the website, divided by the number of clicks on the advert. An outcome could be a number of different activities, such as the sale of a product, completion of a survey, or providing contact details.

About the Author

Andy Morley is them MD at TWDG Ltd, a small web agency based in the UK. Andy is a highly experienced SEO specialist and has been working within the web industry since 1999.

Six Reasons To Stay Away From Free Web Hosting Offers

2013-05-09T08:37:00.000+05:30

There are lots of different web hosting options available these days, and it can be difficult to know which one is right for you and your business. If you're in charge of a startup, you might be thinking of taking the cheapest route available, which would mean free web hosting. However, this could do more harm than good for your business. Read on for six reasons why paying for web hosting is better than saving a few dollars and choosing the free option.

Your Site Could Be Littered With Banner Ads

A lot of the time, these hosts are free because they allow other advertisements to be displayed on your site. Not only will this make your website look cluttered and unprofessional, but it could also be detrimental to your business. Why bother spending time and money marketing your business to drive customers to your website, only to have them look at other business' ads?

Your Business Could Lose Credibility

Your website is your first impression, and having a great website can be great for your business. However, with a free host you're stuck with a certain domain. For example, you might be stuck with a website that has "wordpress," "blogspot" or "tumblr" in the URL. This is a sign to customers that you are not yet well-established enough to have your own domain.

The Website's Features Will Be Severely Limited

Web hosting reviews all comment on how important it is to have extra features. With free hosting, you are limiting yourself to the number of features your site will have. If you pay for hosting, you might be able to have access to email, FTP accounts and even e-commerce options; none of this is an option if you're not paying a little bit each month.

You Might Not Be Able To Switch Later On

As your business grows, your website's needs might change. You might find that you want to switch your domain. However, with free hosting it is extremely hard to transfer domains, which means you risk having to start your website from scratch.

You Risk Having To Cope With Overcrowded Servers

Another important point made by the team at webhostingreviews.ca is that a site should load 99.9 percent of the time. Free web hosts often overcrowd their servers to save money. If a site is slow to load or if it is frequently down, you are going to lose business. Customers go to a site to get what they're looking for, not to wait.

There Are No Customer Service Options

If you are having troubles with your site, customers have no way of contacting you. If you pay for hosting, you are more likely to offer customer support, and this support could be offered every day of the week, every hour of the day. If you're paying nothing, you'll need to contact each customer individually to resolve problems, and this could lose you business. At the end of the day, it is worth putting money into your website. This is where many people will come to get a first impression of your business, so you want to make it count. Free web hosting means you risk having to deal with each of the six problems listed above.

8 Useful iPad Apps for Bloggers

2013-05-08T08:34:00.001+05:30

Blogging is the profession for many of us. So to make blogging easier, today we’ve come with a set of apps that will simply allow you to do your work smoothly and with better effectiveness. Although every apps is not free but surely they are very cost effective, and sometimes investments need to be made if we want to make our work easier. So let’s begin.

8 Useful iPad Apps for Bloggers

Aviary

MindMeister

Teed

Analytics

Google Drive

Dropbox

Blogsy

WordPress

20 Really Inspirational Fashion Website Designs

2013-05-06T08:42:00.002+05:30

Fashion is all about appearances, how you come out to whole world with your dressing and style. With keeping that in mind, many fashion websites can be an excellent source of design inspiration. Beautiful design and attractive photographs are incorporated within these websites. For this post, we are featuring 20 really inspirational fashion website designs. You will surely find them useful for your design inspiration.

Inspirational Fashion Website Designs

Zovi

Oleg Cassini

Myla

Enyce

Lacoste

Lanvin

Helga Hot

Vivienne Westwood

Gucci

Urban Originals

Tom Ford

Pierre Cardin

Prada

Nookie

Free People

Shop Ecko

Paco Rabanne

Abercrombie & Fitch

Armani

Wrangler

What Are SSL Certificates And What Do They Mean To You?

2013-05-02T14:31:00.000+05:30

Everyone who has ever had a computer infected with a virus (most of us at some point) will know that Internet security protection is important. With hackers working day and night on phishing scams, trojans and ever more sophisticated viruses, the web is a scary place. But it doesn’t need to be if businesses invest in SSL certificates.

What are SSL certificates?

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. These security certificates have been in use for nearly 20 years and are a widely recognised method of keeping private data such as credit card details safe across an online connection. This is particularly important for any businesses which ask customers or clients to make online payments and transactions, but SSL certificates can also be used to secure internal communications between employees across a company intranet or between mobile devices.

When you purchase an SSL it creates a secure link between a visitor’s web browser and your website. This means anything sent via that link, like bank details, will be encrypted, or scrambled. So, even if a hacker does manage to intercept the details on your email, company intranet or operational platforms, they won’t be able to read or use the information.

When the intended recipient of the information receives the encrypted data their end, they have a special decryption key, which effectively unscrambles the data, making it easy to read and process.

There are several types of SSL certificates available depending on your business needs. Internet security company Symantec now offer a choice of three different encryption algorithms.

To help navigate the world of online security and to find the solution that is right for you and your business, Symantec have also created an SSL certificates interactive guide which explains exactly how the technology works, how best to use it and lots of other useful information about internet and online security.

Why do you need an SSL Certificate?

No one’s immune: Even if your company is a one-man operation, it doesn’t mean you’re immune to cyber attacks. Malicious groups and software will target information channels of any size, as you’ll know if your personal email has ever been hacked. Sadly, small companies are often easy targets as they are less likely to be aware of and to invest in internet security measures. Don’t be put off by thinking that protection measures are unnecessarily expensive (the small outlay is no comparison to the savings you will make in the long run by protecting both yourself and your consumers).

Trust: Anyone who has ever been a victim of identity theft online will know that once they have found out the source of the theft, it put them off using that website again.

When a company invests in an SSL certificate they can display a certificate logo on their website and on every page where personal information is required. Don’t be fooled into cutting prices with a low quality brand however, consumers are keen to see fully authenticated certificates that will help to build their trust in your company. This will encourage both customers and clients to place their trust in you and hopefully do more business with you in the long run.

Internet browsers are now becoming increasingly good at checking the security settings of websites that people are visiting. In Internet Explorer version 7 or above the address bar will turn green when people are viewing a website that has what it deems to be strong security settings, while Firefox displays a padlock symbol. Consumers are being taught to look for these cues when choosing which websites to do business with.

Productivity: It’s not just your customers that you need to protect. If your business’ computer system is hacked, it can be more than a minor inconvenience, it can stop operations, lose you money and in the most extreme cases, even cost you your livelihood. So, if you want to keep your organization running smoothly consider investing in an SSL Certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority.

30 Awesome Alternate Movie Posters

2013-05-02T08:25:00.002+05:30

Movie poster reflects the partial part of movie and supposed to be the marketing material for a full-length feature. Movie-loving artists from all over the world are designing and presenting their self-created alternative movie posters. Varying from clever to the ingenious, by simple to the intricate, the classic to the contemporary, and the funny to the utterly spell-binding, alternate movie posters sometimes can really prove that amateur’s designs are far more impressive than a professional’s. So, for your inspiration here we have gathered 30 awesome alternate movie posters. Check it out!

Don't miss reading our earlier posts:

Awesome Alternate Movie Posters

“The Burning” – Phantom City Creative

“An American Werewolf in London” – Olly Moss

“The Godfather” - Schemacoma

“Scream” – Alex Pardee

“The Invisible Man” – Kevin Tong

“The Lion King” – Rowan Stocks Moore

“Jurassic Park” – J.C. Richard

“Blade Runner” – Kakofonia

“House on Haunted Hill” – Phantom City Creative

“The City of Lost Children” – Ken Taylor

“Halloween” – Methane Studios

“Gremlins” – Ken Taylor

“Sucker Punch” – Ken Taylor

“Night of the Living Dead” - Grzegorz Domaradzki

“Straw Dogs” – Josh Eckert

“Poltergeist” – Ken Taylor

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” – Tom Whalen

“The Cabin in the Woods” – Phantom City Creative

“Toy Story” – Tom Whalen

“Donnie Darko” - Powl Goudsmit

“Back to the Future” – Phantom City Creative

“Drive” – Ken Taylor

“Bambi” – Rowan Stocks Moore

“Get Carter” - Grzegorz Domaradzki

“The Evil Dead” – Olly Moss

25 Examples of Inspiring Wireframe Sketches

2013-04-30T08:29:00.002+05:30

Sketches are a really one of the important steps of the creative process that every designer must follow before taking the first step into design project. The sketch gives the clear idea of how your concept looks on paper. So few months ago, we have published post about tools for creating web design wireframes. Today we are showcasing some examples of inspiring wireframe sketches of personal websites, landing pages, apps and responsive designs. Check it out!

Examples of Inspiring Wireframe Sketches

Responsive Sketch/Wireframe

Wireframe Zeddit

UI Sketch

Natwest Wireframe

UX for ESPN

Colorframes

Prototype

Buienradar Sketch

UI Sketch

Website Sketch Wireframe

MoneyFarm wireframes and icons

Primera – An IOS GUI

App Wireframe Sketch

Responsive sketches

Early stage sketches

Early sketches for a website

App Sketch Wireframe

Landing Page Sketch

Radio App Sketch

Early app wireframes

Wireframing Personal Website

Platform Sketch

8 Fresh and Really Useful jQuery Plugins

2013-04-26T08:19:00.003+05:30

More new and useful jQuery plugins are coming day by day and gaining popularity. Only problem exists is that we have to sort out a good one through them. That’s why we’re always on the scan for new jQuery stuff to share with our readers. Today we’ve collected 8 fresh and really useful jQuery plugins that you will surely find functional for your next projects.

Fresh and Really Useful jQuery Plugins

Wookmark jQuery

jQuery URL Parser

kerning.js

Baseline

jQuery Tags Input

jQuery File Upload

jQuery Validation Engine

70+ Free Subtle Patterns for Minimal Designs

2013-04-24T08:39:00.001+05:30

Patterns can add some eye-catching personal touch to your design if used wisely. And when it comes to minimal design approach the key to design is to keep it clutter free and clean. A minimal design should not incorporated heavily use of design elements. So for this post, we’ve come with a great collection of free subtle patterns for creating an attractive minimal design approach.

Free Subtle Patterns for Minimal Designs

Noisy Grid

Subtle Grey

Subtle Light Tile Pattern Vol3

Subtle Light Tile Pattern vol1

Subtle Light Tile Pattern Vol2

Tiny Grid

SubtleNet

10 Fresh Light Patterns for Websites

35 Tiny Pixel Patterns

Light Photoshop Patterns

30 Fresh Examples of Vintage Style Typography within Web Design

2013-04-22T08:29:00.000+05:30

Aspect of vintage design is the elegance of classic typography with its mix of cursive & some typefaces, attractive layouts and the combination of textures and illustrations to incorporate the old style. Personally, I like that design approach very much. For this post, we’re showcasing a collection of websites that are based on the vintage approach and feature great examples of authentic vintage style typography within their logos and titles. Hope you will also find these web designs inspiring. Enjoy!

Examples of Vintage Style Typography within Web Design

Lincoln’s Land

Kitchen Sink Studios

La Bubbly

The Dollar Dreadful Family Library

Cast Iron Design Company

Barrelhouse Flat

Forefathers Group

Duggard

Brown’s Court Bakery

Chai

VonDutch

City Dog

Rob Edwards

Silky Szeto

mrcthms

cxxvi

Ride for the Brand

Austin East Ciders

The Thomas Oliver Band

Grain & Mortar

Handiemail

Cardinal Cotton

CIRQ

Banger’s

Cuban Council

Cascade Brewery Co.

Matthew D. Williams

The Old Barber Shop

Lyudmil Shoshorov

Telly

20 Beautiful & Creative Packaging Designs

2013-04-19T08:26:00.002+05:30

From time to time we like to show you different sources of inspiration over the web. From logos to icons, from print ads to architecture, we always happy to showcase anything that we thought you may find it useful or inspiring. Today we have come with 20 beautiful & creative packaging designs that incorporated beautiful typography, textures, proportions, colors and much more. Enjoy!

Beautiful & Creative Packaging Designs

Hudson Made Worker’s Soap

The Soap No.2

Gargalo

Student Work – Cécile Dumetier

Hardegger Hüppen

Student Work – Kate Mikutowski

Bolshaya Pol’za

Kirk and Sweeney

Ajoto

Lega-Lega Xmas Edition

The Butler’s Pantry

Contrabando

Ooh Ooh Ah Ah!

Village Farms

Sweet Botanicals

Eau de España

One Pine Tree

Hamish Ingham’s Sauces

Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers

All these examples are collected from lovelypackage.com

Independent and Free or Ruled by and Happy?

2013-04-16T17:55:00.001+05:30

The difference between an Android app development company and its colleagues from the iOS platform has more solid grounds than just coding for different platforms and creating apps for various portable devices. There’s something deeper and more serious than a lightweight interest can reveal.

Mother Care from Apple vs. “Let Loose” Attitude by Android

Apple is said to take care of its developers providing them with all the necessary things: SDK, professional trainings and webinars, useful tips, thorough guidance and, of course, financial incentives in the form of a certain percentage received from every download of the created app. Of course, there is some fly in the ointment: multiple do’s and don’ts seem to frustrate freedom-loving developers, who are not especially fond of being told what and especially how to develop things. Android way of life is much more independent: no restrictions, no limitations and no control. The open source code provides the desired degree of independence and creative freedom many developers strive for. One of the main advantages of the Android society is a powerful source of the developer innovation created by ardent hobbyists, who spend nights developing new apps or upgrading the existing ones just out of sheer love for developing. At the same time it poses one of the main problems that Android developers face nowadays.

Subject to Constant Kanging?

However hard Apple is scolded about the proven position, however mercilessly it is blamed for despotism and strict control, one must agree that iOS developers rarely come across the issue that Android development society is facing now – kanging. Kanging is just taking the code created by some developer, copying it, slightly modifying and claiming contribution for the app. Android software (and Linux kernel it’s based on) is distributed under the General Public License, which means it should be available to everyone. In fact, to copy a source code is quite a natural idea, which easily comes to mind. It is quite difficult and sometimes even impossible to draw that line between desperate and praiseworthy desire to improve someone’s apps and audacious attempts to copycat and charge for that.

Other Side of “Android Freedom” Coin

Leaving aside the moral side of kanging there is another thing, which should be paid attention to, i.e. kanging deprives actual app creators of the financial gains they could have received: a thing which is really impossible for the iOS development process. Besides, it is about to set a threatening trend: there appear certain Android projects which are closed-source entirely or just partially. So far, they seem to be just rare exceptions, but the situation may change in just near future and financial considerations may win over abstract rush for ultimate freedom.

Android community now seems to be a victim of its own breathtaking success. Started as a hobby project of ardent geeks to improve their phones performance, Android development turned into something which allows to make good money and that inevitably causes spats and quarrels between former fellow-thinkers, who are free of any restrictions and are limited just by good conscience which is a rather doubtful deterrent at times.

Is It Still an Issue to Discuss When Made to Measure?

Obviously, it is not such a problem, when you develop a bespoke mobile app that is not supposed to be submitted to a store and is aimed to be employed in-house as a solution for specific enterprise and corporate needs. In this case there are some other factors and rationales that go to the forefront (with traction among end corporate users, available resources and other points to bear in mind). As you see, the things are not just black and white, and everything just turns around the ultimate purpose.

About the Author

Oxagile is a technology enthusiast, professional web application development company with in-depth expertise in such key technologies as Java, PHP, .NET and a dedicated mobile app developer with profound knowledge of iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry development tools. We are curious about our niche and happy to share the information with others.

Social Media through Visuals: Ways on How to Do It

2013-04-15T12:31:00.001+05:30

Social media marketing today has changed a lot ever since the dawn of social media platforms of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and others. In fact, many experts say that establishing an online presence using these platforms in social media campaigns can be successful with the use of visuals. Creating and maintaining a visual presence in social media has become a very essential strategy among brands today, especially those big names where the visuals are truly extravagant with the lighting, editing, and productions and all. However, one may ask: how about the smaller brands? How can they establish a visual presence as powerful as the established brands? Well, there are ways on how to create and incorporate multimedia elements into the social media strategy that small brands can take advantage of. Here are some of them:

Start off on “visual” social media platforms

Getting a brand into the visual revolution in social media and seeing results right away is never easy. However, one can start off on establishing an online presence using visuals by creating accounts on such platforms as Instagram and Pinterest.

Instagram has been well-known for its visual appeal because of the filtered pictures that people post. Using this platform, a certain brand can market a photo that is related to their company, which would help keep their followers engaged and interested. On the other hand, Pinterest enables the brand to connect with related communities and networks, again with the use of photos related to that brand. Taking advantage of either platform would be the right starting point to establishing an online visual presence.

Establish visual content that is branded

A lot of brands can take advantage of web photo editors such as PicMonkey to establish branded visual content. Graphics, for one, can help keep people engaged and interested on a brand, especially if the brand has followers on Facebook, Twitter, or on the two mentioned platforms above. Also, it is not always a picture of something related to the brand that can be interesting for the online audience. One can spice up a certain photo by adding a quote, phrase or saying, including the brand’s logo or website.

Videos

A brand can take on videos as a vital multimedia element to its visual social media campaign. As it is, video content is arguably the most engaging and interesting content that any brand can take advantage of, paving way to possible expansions into new platforms such as the ever-famous YouTube. While it is a requirement to post regular video content on YouTube to help establish an online presence, one may not be able to do so, especially if budget is a concern. However, a brand can still create engaging and creative videos by hosting video blogs or vlogs wherein an employee or a notable figure of the brand can host some of them.

Incorporating multimedia content such as photos and videos is taking social media strategy to the next level. Every brand, specifically the smaller ones, must recognize this in order to stand out amongst other brands in terms of creativity.

About the Author

SEOP, a leading and trusted SEO company worldwide, provides information on issues related to keyword analysis, competition analysis, optimizing online content, article submission and social networking, among others. Visit SEOP.com to get started.

10 Attractive New Free Fonts

2013-04-15T09:41:00.001+05:30

Whether it’s PSD’s, free textures or free fonts, we are always keen to share something new and useful to our readers. For that we scan the web so that you don’t have to and you should be focused on your project. So for today’s post, we have rounded up some new free fonts for you.

Attractive New Free Fonts

Ziamimi & Damier

Fatboy Husky

Acorn Typeface

47 Free Typeface

Baffled

Custom Rook

Kocoon Light

FatFrank

What is SEO? A Beginner's Guide

2013-04-11T16:05:00.001+05:30

When you type a search term into Google (say, a book title), what is the first result likely to be? Are you more likely to be faced with Amazon or ‘Books Are The Best?’ Amazon, of course. But how does Google know to show you Amazon first? Books Are The Best has the word ‘books’ in it and I’m searching for a book! Well, it’s not actually as simple as that.

Search engine optimization, or SEO, has become big business. It’s all to do with helping search engines, like Google and Bing, find your website, and making it stand out among the other millions upon millions of indexed sites. Your site needs to look like the most relevant one for the purpose; that is, the search engine has to take the search term from the user and compare that against all the websites it knows about. It knows Books Are The Best sells books, but it can see that many more people use Amazon, and many more websites can ‘vouch’ for Amazon as the best fit for the search term.

But what is a search engine looking for when it’s checking for the best sites to fit the search term? It wants to find a number of things. Firstly, it’s looking for the site content. Can that search engine find the term the user search for, or something similar, on your site? If it can, this suggests it’s one of the possible websites the user could need. It also wants to see how important that site is. Search engines use algorithms to determine a site’s ‘importance’ which change all the time, but there are a few ways a search engine can assess how good a site will be for its purpose.

It will look at which other sites have linked back to it. Amazon is a massive, well-known site, so lots of other websites will link to it. If The Guardian create a gift guide online, they will probably link to Amazon when they recommend a book or DVD rather than Books Are The Best. The Guardian’s website is also popular and well-known, so will hold a lot of authority. Google will see that an authoritative site has linked to Amazon, and improve its view of Amazon as a result. This is based in part on PageRank, whereby the most authoritative sites will have the best PageRank and will appear higher in Google searches.

Search engines will also check where these links come from. It’s all very well if Books Are The Best has thousands of links pointing towards it, but if these are all from small sites with no authority, or worse, spam websites, this won’t count for much, and the more spam links there are, the lower it will be regarded in the eyes of Google. Lots of links from higher PageRanked sites, however, will make Google sit up and pay attention.

The words people use to link to a site will also be taken into account. If lots of people use the title of the book to link to another website, Google will spot this and recognize that this must be a highly relevant page. Likewise, it will appreciate links about books, recommended reads and the author, but if it sees lots of links about sheep, drainage systems and three piece suites (in other words, spammy links) it will overlook that site and disregard it.

In a nutshell, SEO is what helps people find your site, and what helps the search engine decide what is relevant. If you want anyone to find your site, you need to get yourself acquainted with an SEO specialist. Otherwise, you might have the best website in the world, but without telling search engines how to find it, it’s like putting an amazing department store in a hamlet with no road signs or directions.

About the Author

Carl Booth is an online marketing consultant who loves finding new opportunities to make money from the web.

35 Minimal Websites Utilizing Excellent Whitespace

2013-04-10T08:48:00.001+05:30

Minimal web designs incorporate the clever use of whitespace. But it can’t say that all websites having extra whitespace follow a minimalistic design approach. Yet visitor often enjoy the freedom from cluttering web elements. So for your inspiration purpose, here we’ve collected 35 minimal websites utilizing excellent whitespace. We hope that you will find these minimal web designs useful and full of idea on whitespace for your next design project. Enjoy!

Minimal Websites Utilizing Excellent Whitespace

Five Simple Steps

Concrete Matter

More Rare

Fly Whitespace

Lemon Creative

Huddle

Grain & Gram

CycleLove

Molanphy Design

Thirty Conversations on Design

MapBox

Pulse

Gum Design

Etchapps

dmvA Architecture

Frank Chimero

Chama Inc

Finch

Cabedge

Omiga Pun

Jamie Gregory

Bodhum

Inky

Mazefall

ON Portfolio

Huge

Corporate Risk Watch

Spiegel Made

Digital Atelier

Fruut

Mark Boulton Design

Kodlian Apps

Welt Unit

A Way Back

Awesome Fontstacks

3 Useful Tools To Track Your SEO Rankings

2013-04-09T08:17:00.001+05:30

The SEO ranking of your website is a way to determine the ROI of your internet marketing efforts. The best way for you to track your SEO ranking is to use measurement tools. One tool to use for measuring SEO is Google Anlytics. You can also use Google Webmaster Tools or review SEO results with the WordPress SEO Rank Reporter tool.

Google Analytics

The purpose of SEO is to improve the ranking of a search engine result for organic searches. If you are using Google Analytics, then organic keyword traffic needs to be measured. This can be done by going to the search option and viewing keyword results. You are able to see various keyword phrases that are bringing your site organic search traffic.

Another benefit of Google Analytics is that you can see the pages that receive organic traffic. The page that results for an organic search will rank higher when it is optimized for Google. You can also see the bounce rates for various keyword phrases. If you find that search terms have high bounce rates, then the web page may need to have better keywords.

Google Webmaster Tools

The benefit of using Google Webmaster Tools is the ability to see performance results of any keywords on search engine results pages. There is a link for Search Queries that can be used to get an idea for the rankings of specific keywords. This feature allows you to track various search phrases that display your site in search engine results. You can also see an average ranking for your site for each phrase. This is a great way for you to track the result of a keyword phrase that is optimized for your website.

Results seen from the use of Google Webmaster Tools are not as good as Google Analytics. One reason for this is because that data is complied using different methods. However, this can be good if you want to compare reports generated in Google Analytics. One benefit of using Google Webmaster Tools is the ability to view an estimate of ranking and click-through rates. This is not available in Google Analytics.

WordPress SEO Rank Reporter

This is a plug-in that can be added to any website or blog that was created with WordPress. Performing SEO is a task that is meant to improve the ranking of your website on a search engine, such as Google. You can use the SEO Rank Reporter plug-in to view a graph of your Google rankings every three days. There are also emails sent based on any major changes that occur to rankings.

Features of the plug-in include the ability to track the keywords for your web pages or the website of a competitor. This allows you to see any changes in the rankings of specific keywords. Users can also see a visual graph of their rankings. One benefit of this plug-in is the ability to see changes that occur to the traffic of a website based on the changes in rankings. Translators are also available for other languages.

About the Author

Jane Heaney wrote this post for Search Factory. Search Factory provides SEO and SEM clients with a level of service superior to that of current agencies within the Australian market.

Best PC Monitor for the Online Gamers

2013-04-08T08:10:00.001+05:30

Having the right technology is an essential part of enjoying your online gaming experience. Nothing is worse than being hampered by technology that can’t handle the gameplay or is simply not designed to work with online gaming. When it comes to crystal clear graphics and enhanced visual gameplay, the right monitor can make all the difference. For an unbeatable level of quality, most gamers are choosing to go with an IPS monitor to best suit their needs.

So What is an IPS Monitor?

IPS stands for In-Plane Switching, and is a technology mainly found in high end monitors. It has been developed to combat poor colour reproduction and limited viewing angles. They are popular with people who need a quality monitor for professional creative uses, such as design and photo-manipulation, as well as with people needing high quality graphics for gaming. When you can’t compromise on picture quality, IPS is simply the best monitor on the market for all of your high quality creative needs.

Why Does it Suit Gaming?

There are a number of reasons why an IPS monitor is perfectly suited to gaming. The life-like picture quality is rich in colour, provides fantastic depth and contrast, and minimises any colour distortion. IPS monitors are professionally calibrated and tuned to provide the highest standards of colour quality. You’ll notice that whites seem much purer, black seems darker and individual colours are really displayed to their very highest potential.

The smooth colour changes are perfectly matched to the high speed action content of games, which greatly reduces the instance of any colour blur. The sheer quality of detail and levels of contrast allow you to experience your games like never before. Once you have experienced gaming on a quality IPS monitor, you’ll never want to go back!

However IPS monitors aren’t just great for gaming. Watching movies and browsing the internet are all enhanced by the incredible quality and clarity of the images displayed through the monitor. The impressive and eye-catching level of picture quality will transform your expectations, and allow your movies and games to truly come to life.

What is Wide Angle Viewing?

Wide angle viewing allows you to easily view the screen whether you are sitting, standing or even lying down. No more will you have to constantly shift your posture or the position of the monitor, with wide angle viewing you can see crystal clear images from wherever suits you the best. Say goodbye to inconvenient screen glare obscuring your view of the action, and discover the ease of wide angle viewing.

With all of this in mind, it’s easy to see why more and more online gamers are choosing IPS as their preferred monitor. Crystal clear colour, incredible depth and reduced colour blur make it perfect for all of your advanced gaming needs. Discover the world of IPS, and see why these amazing monitors are simply the best for online gamers.

About the Author

Emma Jane is a stay at home mom. She writes reviews on blogs regularly and loves to road test any new products.