Blog

Welcome, Google Buzz

2010-02-12T13:50:30Z

Well it is official. Google has entered the realm of Social Media with its new exciting tool called Google Buzz. Google Buzz is integrated into your Gmail account, and allows you to post content directly to it, or feed in entries from various Social Media services like: Flickr, Google Reader, Twitter, etc...

At first, I did not think that this would be good at all after playing with Google's last attempt at something cool -- Google Wave, which I think is still a useless tool. However, after playing with Google Buzz, and figuring it out, I am starting to like it more and more.

You can watch a Quick Demo on Google Buzz here:

You can now follow my official Google Buzz profile here:

http://www.google.com/profiles/michaelzampino

My Favorite iPhone App -- Gowalla

2010-02-04T15:15:24Z

There are a number of Apps on my iPhone that I use and enjoy. I have talked about them in the past. The most exciting App that I currently use is Gowalla. This fun little App, which is similar to Foursquare, lets you roam all over and Discover and Check In at places you visit.

You can share your experiences at different locations, and post them for you Twitter and Facebook friends, as well as have your Friends that have the Gowalla App, see where you are and have been. You also get little rewards as you find and check in at different locations.

It is a little odd that I like this App, since I don't get out of the house much *sigh*, but when I do, I get excited to open the App as soon as I walk up to where I'm going.

You can watch a quick demo video "Checking In at Uncle Billy's" here:

You can get the Free Gowalla App from the Apple AppStore here:
http://www.itunes.com/app/Gowalla.

And you can Friend me on Gowalla here:
http://gowalla.com/users/mzampino

Go out. Go discover. Go share. Gowalla.

Cheers!!!

Related: Gowalla (http://gowalla.com/)

Great design, no content...

2010-02-04T14:27:52Z

Well as you might have noticed, I changed my layout once again. This time it was not that I did not like the style I had, it was due to the style killing my content and time.

I spent so much time aligning everything, that I did not have any time to write. And when I did write, I would then spend some more time aligning my content into the multi column layout I had.

The new design is just basic as you can see, but it will allow me to write, and not worry about alignment. Also, I can post quick entries from the editor and the iPhone App, and not have to rush to fix it up.

Hopefully, this will open my mind and allow me to post what I want, and when I want.

Additionally, I added my Featured Content Slider back, since I can display it in this new layout wihtout major Formatting issues, and added CSS to squeze it where I would like it to go. I do need to update it, as it is still displaying the stories I had when I took it down.

I just have a couple of needed changes to make, but they are just for Browser look/feel, as well as some Font Color changes, but I can do these without spending way too much time.

To Sum: It might be ugly, but it works for me.

Cheers!!!

I Got It! Disqus Comments are Back

2009-12-29T12:51:33Z

Well, after my initial excitement back in August about availablility of adding Disqus Comments to my Squarespace site (New Commenting Method), I jumped right on it, and added it. This lasted pretty quick, due to their code being a bit buggy when interacting with Squarespace. While a couple of us fought the code, we were able to get it to function correctly, minus a couple features. It did seem like it was working, until I got a couple messages that there were issues.

Well, I think with a couple people contacting Disqus about it, and more playing with the code, I was able to get it back installed on the site and it working correctly (as far as I know). I'm not sure how long they will last installed here, but I have yet to find an issue.

If you see anything odd or buggy, please let me know. Also, I can give you the needed code to install this on your Squarespace site. Just let me know...

Cheers!!!

Squarespace Blimp at the Live Diggnation Show

2009-11-18T18:47:58Z

My Squarespace iPhone Blog

2009-11-18T17:14:58Z

I just added a new Blog to my site. This will be for all my posting done via the new Squarespace iPhone App. Here's a Preview:

These posts are pics I took of the show and of the Squarespace Team at Diggnation Live in NYC on 11/17/09.

You can find the new iPhone Blog here:
Squarespace App Blog

Enjoy!!!

My Twitter Feed

2009-10-19T13:14:40Z

Well, after killing off my Sidebars in my latest redesign, I got upset that the only thing that I ever liked in my sidebars was my Twitter Feed. So I took out a piece of paper, and tried to come up with a plan to get my Twitter feed back on my site.

There were two ideas that I initially had. One, was to create a DIV off to the right side of the Content area, like I have my Social Media Links on the Left. This looked and worked well, but ran into an issue of my canvas being too wide, and on a normal 1024x768 screen resolution, it was getting chopped. So, idea number one was scrapped.

The second idea I had, was to add them as the top row of my Footer area. This initially worked out well, and I might go back to this idea, when I redesign my Footer. The only reason I pulled it for now was that it was hard to read if I tried to squeeze more than four latest tweets in, due to font and due to the legnth of the tweets. I have a plan for correcting this, but I'm adding it to my list of Footer modifications for now.

Well since my two cool ideas of what to do with the Twitter Feed were shot down for now, I decided to give it its own page. This actually worked out well in that I was able to stretch each Tweet line out legnthwise, so that it fills the entire Content area. Additionally, it gives each one its own line, with the Date Stamp Status link right underneath each one.

I hope you like what I did.

You can see the Twitter Feed Page Here.

You can follow me on Twitter Here.

Let me know what you think in my newly designed Comments area.

Cheers!!!

Pure Squarespace

2009-09-23T13:50:14Z

Well the re-design is now live. There are still a couple things I need to tweak, but they are so minimal that I did not want to hold up the re-launch while I worked on them. I hope you like it, please let me know what you think.

If you were familiar with my last version, you will note a total 100% change.

I really liked the old version, due to all the bells and whistles I added to it (i.e. Javascript Slideshows, outside Widgets, neat CSS tricks, and every other cool thing that I tested out and added because it worked).

I thought of the old version as a really cool playground. You know the one when you were a kid that had everything you wanted to play with. A slide, swings, see-saw, etc... Not just the normal ones, but those colossal versions that were monstrous. You know the ones your parents had to drag you away by the collar when it was time to go home.

But since noticing more and more of these playgrounds popping up, and in doing some growing up myself, I decided to go back to simple, but elegant. I have removed my Javascript Slideshow, my outside Widgets, my neat Disqus Comments, oh and the love of my life, my Twitter Feed.

Hence: Pure Squarespace...

Everything within my site is now all the options/elements that are within Squarespace. No outside code!!!

As I noted in my earlier post "Working on a New Design":

I additionally want to remove my sidebars, because I really have nothing in them except garbage. Most if not all of my navigation is in the menu bars that I have at the top, which made the sidebars pointless.

The removal of all the outside stuff made my sidebars look bare, so I was happy to get rid of them, and move to a one column design with no sidebars. I have also moved my Navigation to the bottom. Although, it may look familiar to some of you, I will be changing this in the near future. I wanted to see if I could pull of the large Footer with a Multiple Column style.

Well, that is all for now. I'll keep you posted on any other changes I have made or plan to make.

Oh, and don't forget to let me know what you think in the Pure Squarespace Comment section below. :)

Cheers...

Working on a New Design

2009-09-16T15:47:26Z

Hi all... Just wanted to let you know that I am working on a redesign of the site. It is coming together nicely, and I should be able to push it live in the next couple days.

As for the new design, I have been playing with moving some of the elements around and also looking at different column ideas.

I additionally want to remove my sidebars, because I really have nothing in them except garbage. Most if not all of my navigation is in the menu bars that I have at the top, which made the sidebars pointless.

Stay tuned...

New Commenting Method

2009-08-17T13:46:25Z

While going through Squarespace’s Developer Community, I noticed a post asking if Squarespace works with Disqus. As soon as I found out that it does, I tracked down the instructions and implemented it on my site. It took me a total of 5 minutes to configure it, and add it to my site.

All works well, but it does overwrite the original amount of comments each post has, as well as hiding them too. I dug through their code and found a way to make the old comments show. So if you have commented on my site recently, each post might show “0 Comments” (I am still looking into fixing this), but they are once again visible when you go to each post individually.

Now, as far as why I went the Disqus route…

Disqus is a powerful comment system that easily enhances the discussion on websites. In minutes, connect your community with those of thousands of other websites. Track conversations across the web, plus bridge discussions with your favorite services such as FriendFeed and Plaxo. Threaded replies reveal the conversations in your comments. And now it's easier to keep the discussion alive with email and mobile replying. Features such as ratings and video comments make comments interactive and expressive. An intuitive admin section makes it easy to moderate the discussions from one or multiple websites. Disqus is easy to customize, with widgets that lets your audience become your community. With search engine-friendly plugins and complete data sync, Disqus is as safe to use as it is easy. Why do people write more comments on sites using Disqus? It's because we believe that there's no difference between a great comment and a great blog post. With greater control and commenter profiles, people feel good about taking the time to speak (or type) their minds. – (via Disqus.com)

There are a ton of features Disqus has that take commenting to a whole new level. Additionally, I have been using Disqus daily, not just on my site, but most sites I visit have it as their commenting system, so I don’t have to create/setup myself as a commenter on their blogs, I am already good to go to drop a comment.

If you would like to add Disqus to your Squarespace site, please feel free to contact me, and I will give you literally the 2 minute run through. Yes, it is that easy.

Let me know what you think. Drop me a Disqus Comment below…

Cheers!!!

Twitter Apps That I Use

2009-08-03T14:40:34Z

Yes, I’m standing up, and yes, my hand is raised… I am a Twitter Addict. I may not send out a hundred Tweets a day, or have millions of followers like the big guns, but I am on it and on it constantly. To be on and connected to Twitter around the clock is no easy feat, because you cannot just sit in front of a computer 24/7, you need to have some kind of life too, and by that I mean getting up and being mobile once and awhile.

To do this, I use a bunch of different Twitter Apps to keep me connected and up-to-date on all things Twitter, whether I am in front of a computer, or on the move.

Below, I compiled a list of the different Twitter Apps that I use, and I have broken them down into categories (On the Web, On the Desktop, and On the iPhone).

Here you go…

On the Web:

Twitter.com - Twitter.com is my all time favorite. It is my go to App when I need to check out my DMs, @Replies, and to check out new followers that I have gotten. I also keep it in an open browser tab even when I am using one of the Desktop Clients listed below. It may not be the best portal into the world of Twitter (even though it is Twitter), but you can always go there, even when every other Twitter Clients are down due to an API fail. Well, except for the times you get the dreaded Twitter Fail Whale. For more info, Follow: @Twitter.

Seesmic In-Browser - Seesmic In-Browser I may not use all the time, but when I am at another computer other than the five I have, and I want a full on display of Twitter (My Tweet Stream, Search, Groups, DMs, @Replies), it is my all time away-from-my-computer App. Displayed pretty much the same as Seesmic’s Desktop App, but all in a browser window, and it is pretty solid. For more info, Follow: @Seesmic & @Loic.

On the Desktop:

TweetDeck - TweetDeck is the all time highest recommend desktop Twitter App, and it fits the bill. Chock full of features, and it has 100% of everything you can ask for in a desktop Twitter client. I have it installed on all my computers. It runs on Adobe Air, so it can be used on both Macs and PCs. For more info, Follow: @TweetDeck.

Seesmic Desktop - Seesmic Desktop, even though it is still new, it is starting to grow in features almost weekly as of late, and it is catching up to TweetDeck in the best desktop Twitter client category. I just recently started playing with it, and it is growing on me daily. It also runs on Adobe Air, so it can be used on both Macs and PCs. For more info, Follow: @Seesmic & @Loic.

On the iPhone:

TwitterFon – TwitterFon is not only my favorite Twitter App for the iPhone, it is my favorite iPhone App - period. As you may have read in my earlier blog posts, I am also an iPhone Addict. With that said, my iPhone is pretty much glued to my hand or within reach at all times. I am always on it, and when I am on it, I am on Twitter. TwitterFon started out as a very basic Twitter App for the iPhone, and has grown up ten-fold since it was first released. Available in both a free and now a paid version, it will always be my top Twitter iPhone App. For more info, Follow: @TwitterFon.

TweetDeck – TweetDeck’s iPhone App is pretty solid, and looks as close as possible to the desktop client version. I have been playing with it from time to time, but to me, it is a little over the top for being on the iPhone. Who knows, you might like it. It is free, so give it a try. For more info, Follow: @TweetDeck.

I hope this list is helpful to you whether your a Twitter newbie, or a lifer like me.

Cheers!!!

How Did You Do That? - ColorSplash

2009-07-17T16:16:33Z

Well I finally did it... I purchased my first iPhone App.

I usually grab the free ones from the AppStore, mostly because they were free, and I am cheap. Most of the Apps that I have downloaded are Games, Newsreaders, and a couple miscellaneous ones that I thought looked cool and I wanted to check them out.

But this one was different...

This one, I would actually use daily if I had a chance to. This one, made me say wow! This one, did something so amazing I could not pass it up. This one, when I saw an example sent to me from a friend, made me ask:

How Did You Do That???

The Answer: ColorSplash

What is ColorSplash???

ColorSplash lets you quickly and easily give photos a dramatic look by converting them to black and white, while keeping your chosen details in color. This effect - known as a "cutout" or "selective desaturation" - draws the viewers' attention to the colored areas.

Use your finger as a brush to remove or bring back the original color from regions of your image. Quickly zoom in and out using the two finger pinching gesture.

Here are a couple that I did:

Here is one that my 8 year old daughter did:

As soon as I get my Flickr account straightned out, I will post a bunch more.

ColorSplash is available in the AppStore for $1.99

Source: ColorSplash (http://www.juxtaposer.info/ColorSplash.html)

I Must Be Lazy

2009-07-16T19:28:52Z

A couple weeks ago, I had some free time, so I took a trip into New York City to attend the 140 Character Conference (or for you Twitter folk #140Conf) Networking Event. There I met Claire Chang, and she told me all about the company she works for called Lazyfeed.

As Techcunch put it:

Lazyfeed is an interest feed for blog items. It indexes about 100,000 of the most popular blogs and organizes posts by topic. The hottest topics, as determined by related tags, pop up to the top. On the home page it shows you the hottest topics of the moment, which offers an easy entry point into the service.

You can also do searches for particular tags, and the most recent posts with those tags start streaming into the reader. You can save tags as favorites in the side bar. and return to them. The service might include Twitter hashtags in the future, but right now it is focused on showing the most recent blog posts about a particular topic.

That night after returning home from the Networking Event, I signed right up for the Beta. The morning of their launch at the Real Time Stream CrunchUp I got an email with the invite code, and I was up and running at no time.

Here is the Lazyfeed at Crunchup Video:

Right now they are still in Invite only Beta, but as soon as they open up, I'll let you know.

Here's to being Lazy!!!

Source: Lazyfeed Wakes Up — And We Have Invites (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/10/lazyfeed-wakes-up-%E2%80%94-and-we-have-invites/)

Odd Job

2009-07-14T14:01:41Z

In looking for a new job, I have signed up for every known Job Board out there (Monster, Dice, Careerbuilder, etc...). Most of the responses I get are scams, jokes and in no way follow any of the job type / category settings I have setup and have listed.

The other day I received an email telling me that they noticed my resume and thought I would be a perfect match. This is pretty much the common email response I get before they dump a horrible position description in my lap.

But this one was different. This one made me think: "Is this even legal???"

It came from an overseas company, and offered me a work at home position. First it explained that due to some international law, they could not setup a bank account in the US so they can work with other US companies. Then they explained that to get around this, they would hire me, and all I had to do was receive an $8,000 wire transfer from them to my bank once a week, then transfer $7,000 to their partner / customer company in the US, keeping $1,000 for myself as a salary.

WTH!!!

I have received almost every Nigerian Letter (also called the 419 fraud) email in the book, sometimes I receive them as much as 2-3 a day, but I have never seen something this ludicrous.

So I ask you: Is this even legal???

Let me know...

A New Start

2009-06-28T00:07:23Z

Welcome to my new start. A new start in more ways than one. If you had read my last post Thoughts and Ideas, you can probably guess why my new start is needed.

Over the last week I have slowly started focusing on narrowing down the thoughts and ideas in my head. I have also been taking the overloaded energy my mind has been using and have been using it to channel me, my life, and my drive into a new direction.

With much thought, and a good needed kick in the ass, I have decided to start my own company and I have been working on putting it together for the last couple days. It is still in the early stages of coming together, but I'm going to do it, and that is where the new start in more ways than one comes in.

1) Starting a company, and 2) Actually doing something for myself, and not relying on others.

As for starting my new company, I've tried doing this in the past, but have failed, due to not having any focus at all in putting it together. Where I had a great idea, only to hope that I could find the pieces to make it work, and not create the pieces myself.

This time it is different...

This time I have found something that I'm passionate about, something that I would be proud of, and something that I know more than enough to put it all together myself.

I will keep you updated on my new start, and release more details as pieces come together.

Cheers...