studiowhiz ramblings

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Right, updated wordpress, dumped the themes and plugins (sorta meant to do it this time) so the site is temp. using the wordpress defaults.

Over the next week, look for a new look coming here

So over the last handful of days I’ve had the opportunity to register for a few beta’s & alpha’s for applications coming out soon. This is something I love to do, sign up, try things out & sometimes talk about them.

This goes back for me a long time when I used to formally beta test software for the likes of Macromedia, Adobe & Discreet. I always enjoyed getting the opportunity to play with something before most others. Sadly today the term beta is bandied around willy nilly online, and web2.0 apps never seem to come out of it.

Anyway that’s not what this is about. This post is about frustration trying to sign up to Nomee and Boxee (hmm funny just realised they both end in ee, don’t tell me ee is the new r), and both failed on my email address.

See, I use Gmail and one of my favourite features of gmail is the use of the + character (which by the way is not just a gmail thing, it’s email standard) to create on the fly email addresses. I’m always signing up with mygmailemail+sitename@gmail.com. This allows me to create filters to automatically handle email from these locations. I have HEAPS of labels and filters in gmail - but it works perfectly.

So a note to any new web2.0 companies creating “sign up and we’ll let you know when it’s ready” forms - please, allow us to use + in our emails.

I did something today I haven’t done for ages and now I feel dirty. Not only did I do it once I did it again and again.

I downloaded windows software … Agggh.

At church I am taking over the multimedia system which sadly is a PC (because they didn’t take my recommendation for mac). The machine has issues and needs to be sorted out. So I decided that I would try out Portable Apps.

I will write later what the apps are but let’s just say I was surprised at the volume of portable apps for exactly this sort of reason.

I still feel dirty!

The iPhone is a solid device, with many standout features that in my mind place ot above that of my old iMage windows mobile.

However some things are well kist annoying. Take the email for example.

I quite like the email although I can not use the exchange feature becuase we use a Zimbra server. iPhone mail and zimbra have a conflict which causes a loop when syncing contacts. This nearly crashed our mail server!

So I use gmail only on the iPhone. This is great when on wifi … Although this morning I checked email ok the phone then at work on the laptop. Now I notice 2 emails that I read and deleted are still on the phone even after cjeking mail again on it.

Now one last comment … I have a mate who travels a lot. He uses roaming to stay connected. He checks his email and because there is no way to say “only download 3kb” his iPhone will download the entire inbox … Which has cost him hugely in the past. Now be travels with two phones.

If the iPhone really is for the busines or truely mobile user it has a little more growing up to do.

So as you know I won an iphone during the week and so i am trying out some stuff. It’s a great device …but I can’t see myself blogging from it. Tumlbr maybe, Twitter for sure, but for writting it’s just a bit harder to do.

The screen is amazing with fonts clear and readable. I an enjoying the phone and the apps you can add. I wish Apple would allow apps to me international though as there are too many that are US specific.

The camera is probably the biggest let down in that most shots seem blury. But anyhoo I can’t complain given the iPhone cost me only $15.

Right must go have work to do on Pakuranga Baptist Church & their new website today

Yesterday I launched my new site - quietly I might add. It’s a simple site that gathers users details from online trading sites here in NZ. It’s live now so you can register and create your own profile pages.

Take a look

Share you Feedbacks & build trust
View a sample profile here

Hey all … I’m moving from wordpress full blogging to micro blogging .. and will be using tumblr to do this. Please check out the site here: http://studiowhiz.tumblr.com/

I’m still working on it - this is a default theme. I love what tumblr means & can do … so much easier than wordpress .. and I’ll look to move stuff over (maybe - I’m kinda lazy and thinking of just moving it - but I’ve got my PR6 back!!)

To see what CAN be done, check out Darren131’s site - http://dontcom.com/

Carrying on in the trend of giving out some beta invites I was this morning granted some invites for dropbox. DropBox is an online storage system that integrates with your desktop.

I have installed it on my Mac, and It’s simply shows up as an extra directory for me. With 2.0 GB of space and a great drag ‘n’ drop interface DropBox couldn’t be easier to use.

Your files are put into a secure & private file store - however  you can through the DropBox meu get a public URL for files you store in your Public folder.

There is a very clean web interface for DropBox that allows you access to your files from anywhere, and you can connect more than one computer to any given account.

So, anyhoo - I have a handfull of intvites to give away - so if you are looking for simple online solution for file storage - with 2.0GB free (no word yet on upgrades or expansion packs), drop me a note in the comments and I’ll hook you up.

A while back now I issued a challenge to my mate at WebHelp.co.nz - who I consider to be New Zealand’s top Search Engine Optimisation expert - to race to 250 contacts between LinkedIn an StumbleUpon.

I figured it was about time for an update

Me:

• LinkedIn: 142
• StumbleUpon: 42

WebHelp:

• LinkedIn: 68
• StumbleUpon: 175

So you can see I need help - I don’t want to shut WebHelp lunch, I want to eat lunch.

Sadly WebHelp needs 7 more people to beat me to 250, me, I need 66. So, all of you - please help. Follow me on LinkedIn - simply drop me a note via linkedin (you’ll can email to webmasterATstudiowhizDOTcom) and I’ll add you.

Or you can follow me on StumbleUpon!

Help me thrash WebHelp!!

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