Mykl.biz

cheap and easy photo blogging

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:01:00 -0500

This week I’ve been testing an easy method for the nearly instant blogging of digital photos, using free tools and services. As an experiment (and for the love of Mr. Meckels), I’ve set up: (1) A mobile phone to send digital photos directly to my Flickr account. (2) In turn, those photos are automatically imported into a simple photo blog created on Tumblr. (3) Likewise, those Flickr photos are automatically imported into the Notes, and the Tumblr posts are automatically announced on the Wall, of Mr. Meckels’ Facebook page. (4) As new photos post to the photo blog, Tumblr automatically tweets each one on Mr. Meckel’s Twitter account.

Because I’m doing this to test multiple services and feeds, the above methodology is more complex that most people or businesses need. Nonetheless, now that it is set-up, all I have to do is snap a photo, then send it from my phone (as an MMS or email message) to the unique address Flickr gave me. The Subject of the picture message will become the photo’s title, while the Text becomes its caption. Once I press [Send] on my phone, everything else happens automatically. There’s a time delay (varying from minutes to hours), as the various services “talk” to each other and feed (pass along) the photo. End result? The new photo is automatically posted to each of these web pages, with no further effort on my part.

This is moderately geeky and somewhat time consuming to set up. But once configured, it’s simple — and wonderfully fast — to snap and spontaneously share photos, from wherever you are. This service is included in my Synchronized Social Media Setup package deals. (Please contact me, if that’s something you’d like to discuss.) But each of these services has reasonably clear instructions to help you figure out how to do this yourself.

hotel snacks: left to right, that’s Rickety (new 13”...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:37:00 -0500

hotel snacks: left to right, that’s Rickety (new 13” MacBook Pro) and Pokey (2 year old 17” MackBook Pro), the workhorses of my portable office. in the photo displayed on Pokey, are Pokey (foreground) and Gigi (5 year old, recently dead PowerBook 15”). the coffee and cookie kinda sucked (2 hours old, courtesy of Sleep Inn).

the Internet stuffed into my seatback pocket

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:13:31 -0500

the Internet stuffed into my seatback pocket

Nexus One Phone review video by Uncrate

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:31:25 -0500

Nexus One Phone review video by Uncrate

photographing the work in progress at Kraftwork, my...

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:01:57 -0500

photographing the work in progress at Kraftwork, my client’s new bar coming to Fishtown in Philadelphia.

Serious CMS

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:31:00 -0500

Most serious Content Management Systems are used to develop and maintain content rich web sites that will be around and updated for a long time. So one important criteria for selecting a CMS platform is the likelihood that it will be available and improving for years to come.

You never want to get locked out of your chosen Content Management System, because it went away or the pricing became unreasonable. At a minimum, you want all data stored or backed up to a standard format. (And, it goes without saying, you’ll always keep an offline backup of all your data.)

For serious content management, I tend to favor popular open source platforms. Open source means no owner can take it away from you or cut you off. And if a lot of smart people are working with that platform, it means lots of smart people are constantly making it better. It means a larger pool of plug-ins, extensions and themes from which to draw, if ever the core system doesn’t meet your particular needs. It also means more third parties making it their business to actively support the platform with hosting and other related services. Look to who else is using a Content Management System. If large, stable and tech savvy organizations rely on the same tools as you, you have some reassurance it will be supported and improved in the years ahead.

These are especially important considerations for intermediate to higher end web sites, where you want plenty of room and options to grow. For smaller or short term projects, I’m usually more interested in how quickly and cheaply I can deploy a good looking web site, concerning myself less with its long term prospects.

It all depends on your particular needs. There are dozens of Content Management Systems to choose from. Honestly, it’s hard picking the best one, because the most popular tools are all improving very quickly, frequently adding similar and overlapping features. If you’d like to discuss some possibilities, I invite you to contact me.

What's a Content Management System?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:04:00 -0500

I’ve spent much of this month setting up Content Management Systems (CMS, for short) for clients. What’s a Content Management System, you ask? It is underlying software for a web site which makes it possible for less technical or essentially non-technical people to post, edit and organize the content (words, pictures, videos) of their web site. A useful and properly configured CMS enables content creators (writers, editors, photographers, videographers) to publish their material online, without needing a webmaster or designer to code and layout every page.

In other words, a good CMS makes it easy for ordinary people to update their own web site. Little to no geekery required.

Using the extra dead simple CMS on which this site runs, I’m going to post brief and general descriptions of several relatively low cost Content Management Systems, comparing and contrasting different approaches. Uh, just as soon as I write them. (No one has yet devised a Content Generation System more effective than the human mind — and a cup of coffee. And I’m outta coffee.)

“Notice anything about most of the laptops at this...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

“Notice anything about most of the laptops at this Microsoft-hosted event?”, asks John Gruber.

Webmail Without the Web Browser

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0400

After trying it for a month, I really like to have Gmail running in a separate application on my Mac. So I bought a copy of Mailplane.

For a modest $25, Gmail no longer gets lost in my dozens of open browser tabs. Now my webmail is only one click away. It’s integrated with my Mac’s Address Book and iLife and more It feels snappier than in my busy browser. It has some other features I haven’t even explored, yet. Best of all, for me, switching between multiple Gmail accounts is just a double-click.

At the same time, the interface is almost exactly the same as Gmail on the web. Thus, when I do need to check Gmail in a web browser, it’s not confusing; everything is in the locations and arrangements to which I’m accustomed. BTW, this is an example of the increasingly blurry distinction between what is on our computer (aka client) and what is on the Internet (in the cloud) — and how the blending of the two can be a good thing.

If you use Gmail and a Mac, you might give Mailplane a try. It’s free for 30 days. And if you don’t like it, nothing is lost. All your email and settings are still — and will remain — saved in Gmail. I’d try it for a week, to grok the difference.

medieval helpdesk

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:44:16 -0400

medieval helpdesk

back in the office recovering from festivities

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:42:46 -0400

back in the office recovering from festivities

do it yourself tech support by XKCD

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:28:06 -0400

do it yourself tech support by XKCD

time-lapse magazine cover creation by Peter Belanger (warning:...

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0400

time-lapse magazine cover creation by Peter Belanger
(warning: may induce display envy.)

What's a "Consulting Technologist"?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:28:20 -0400

Seeking a tidy title summarizing the services I offer as Mykl.biz, something short yet more specific than “geek” or “consultant” or “writer”, the best I’ve come up with is “Consulting Technologist”. Today I updated my description of Mykl.biz on LinkedIn. Here’s how I’m pitching myself. What do you think? Does it sound like bullshit?

I’ve always sought to mix “old” media with newer technology. I’m perpetually impatient, waiting for real world implementation of promising technologies to catch up with their own potential.

I was the first geek you saw carrying a laptop computer everywhere, because it was a filing cabinet and a personal assistant I could tuck under my arm. I’ve carried my “office” in a backpack ever since.

On the fly, I create custom databases that help me do the work of five people. I can design them for you, too.

I do web design work, for myself and for clients — and to help me speak intelligently with developers I hire for larger projects.

I spend much of my free time reading. I used to read monthly trade magazines to learn about new hardware. Then I followed web sites writing daily about innovative software. Now I read news feeds, chat and share with professionals all over the world, in real time.

Thus informed, and open minded, I tend to see the deeper potential in paradigm changing technology a few years before many people even notice it’s around.

Ben Franklin’s odometer, from Can Do by Maria Kalman

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:34:58 -0400

Ben Franklin’s odometer, from Can Do by Maria Kalman

Bookmarking From Anywhere

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:33:00 -0400

For years, I used a bookmark application on my computer to store a single collection of bookmarks that I could use, and add to, from any web browser on my computer. Then, a few years ago, I switch to the tool that lets me access, and add to, my bookmarks from any computer (or mobile device) with an internet connection. I imported my bookmarks into Delicious, the free online bookmarking service. And I’ve never looked back.

For those of you still organizing your bookmarks in your web browsers, or elsewhere on your personal computer, Delicious uses tags rather than folders to organize bookmarks. This is effectively like being able to file a bookmark in more than one folder, which makes it easier to recall later. Delicious has a tool to easily import all your existing bookmarks from the web browser(s) where you store them now. It gives you a choice of making all, or any individual, bookmarks public or private. Plus it has other features which just aren’t possible while your bookmarks exist only on a single computer.

Furthermore, there are applications we can run on our computer(s) to enhance this bookmarking experience. I use the Delicious Bookmarks add-on for Firefox to automatically synchronize the online bookmarks with those in the browser. I use Pukka when I want to post a new bookmark to more than one Delicious account (for example, Hearth Hill’s bookmarks). I keep meaning to try out WebnoteHappy, which looks like it stores bookmarks on your computer, shares them between web browsers and integrates with Delicious. But most of the time, I just use the simple and reliable Delicious bookmarklet to save new bookmarks, and Delicious’ standard web interface to search for bookmarks.

I have about 10,000 bookmarks, which is much more than most folks, yet Delicious works reliably for me, every day. This is just one reason why I don’t hesitate to recommend it to you.

multi-tasking on the front porch

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:53:06 -0400

multi-tasking on the front porch

Apple wireless keyboard & mouse $100

Thu, 07 May 2009 11:38:16 -0400

This not a bad price for Apple’s attractive and discontinued wireless keyboard & mouse combo. If you prefer a keyboard with full-size keys (unlike the chicklet keys on Apple’s slim aluminum keyboard), this is the most used keyboard in my office. However, the Mighty Mouse is not my most favored pointing device.

How to shorten URLs

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0400

I’ve had several questions about this, recently.

If you cut-n-paste a long URL into your tweet on Twitter, it will automatically be shortened when you post the update. I think Twitter still uses the TinyURL service for this.

There are many other URL shortening services. All let you add a bookmarklet, in the bookmark bar of your web browser, which you can click at anytime to quickly create a short URL for the current web page.

I often use Bit.ly. Beside having an itty bity cute name, the service tracks basic statistics, like how many people click on each URL, when and where. This is helpful, if you want a sense of which posts are popular with your readers. Bit.ly also has built-in integration with Twitter, letting you post directly to your micro-blog, saving the extra step of shortening the URL on one web page, then moving to another to compose your micro-post.

One reason (of many) I use the Twitter application Twhirl for much of my micro-blogging is URL shortening is built-in, using whichever service(s) I prefer. Twhirl stores my Bit.ly login info, saving me yet another step.

salvaging parts from one dead PowerMac to repair what ails...

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:42:17 -0400

salvaging parts from one dead PowerMac to repair what ails another