Friday, December 23, 2011
RealArts @ Penn Internships
"We are sponsoring 10 paid summer internships - for University of Pennsylvania students - at MTV/Viacom Creative, Rolling Stone magazine, Brooklyn Films, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Nickelodeon animation, Shore Fire Media, the Jewish Museum, at Original Film, & with the Stern/Gibbs writing team in LA. http://writing.upenn.edu/realarts/ Penn students - apply now. Current 3rd-year students given preference but all may apply."
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Elfed
This fantasic image comes from Scott Campbell's excellent "Great Showdowns" blog.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Converting film reels to digital video
There is a long list on Video City's website about what formats they can convert. I would highly recommend dropping off a hard drive for them to put the footage on instead of paying for it to go directly to a dvd. If you convert to a dvd it doubles the cost. Each reel ended up being about $10 to put onto the hard drive which is a real bargain in my book.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Why won't my Windows drive work on my Mac?
To install it, just click the banner, run through the automatic installer, and choose "no caching" when it gives you the choice. Restart your computer and you should be all set!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Smart Phone Buyer's Guide
Check out the guide at http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/engadgets-smartphone-buyers-guide-winter-2011-edition/
Thursday, December 8, 2011
What is 4K Video?
TimeScapes 4K from Tom Lowe
I came across this video called TimeScapes yesterday. It is basically a demo video showing off the capabilities of 4K technology. 4K is a term we might see popping up more frequently and simply put "4K" refers to a higher than high def video format; creating videos at 4096 x 2304 pixels. If you don't know... this is madness.Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Interview with Carrier IQ
The Verge got a great interview with Carrier IQ's marketing vice president, which you can read here.
Thanks to Jordan M. for forwarding the article our way.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Hi!
White envisions hi! being used at events like New Student Orientation events and football games where students could meet new people. hi! generates a list of everyone in one location and based on users’ Facebook profiles, “autopopulates a list with the people that you have the most in common with or that it thinks you would get along the best with,” White said. “It’s kind of like an eHarmony match-up but for making friends instead of dating.”
Read the full article online at:
http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2011/12/college_graduate_and_two_sophomores_plan_launch_of_hi_app
Monday, December 5, 2011
Gadget Day This Wednesday
This time around we're looking at Evernote, iPads, smart phones, Wordpress, Google Hangouts, and more--including a lunchtime "Bring Your Own Gadget" show-and-tell session.
See the details and full schedule at http://wic.library.upenn.edu/wicshops/gadget12072011.html
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Where Do All the Servers Go?
Free lunch for the first 15 guests. Please RSVP.
Hayden Hall, Room 358
Friday, December 2, 2011 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (ET)
http://ewaste-capstone-lunch-presentation.eventbrite.com/
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Adobe Software just got cheaper
Adobe is discounting their already-discounted student and teacher prices on their software through december 3. Check out the details here.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wacom Inkling
Here is a comparison of a scan of an original drawing (left) and the vector file (right) that Inkling generated.
You can see it isn't exact, but still pretty impressive. If you click the image above you can see the YouTube review of the Inkling that this still was taken from. The lab will hopefully be adding the Inkling to our checkout inventory soon. Wacom has been releasing it in small batches on Amazon, and we haven't been able to grab ours yet.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Which is the best Music Service?
As always, be sure to also read the comments section. One reader posted about a site called Beatport, which I was unfamiliar with, for listeners of electronic music, trance, house and (*shudder*) dubstep.
Friday, November 18, 2011
User Storage Down
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Cory Doctorow tonight!
https://undergradmediaentertainment.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/cory-doctorow-best-selling-author-for-the-win-jmhh-245-on-111711-at-5pm/
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Free $50 Store Gift Card with iPad 2
"Buy any iPad2 and receive a $50 Computer Connection gift card".
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Lab closing
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Lab closing
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
November Workshops
- PhotoShop Basics, Wed. Nov. 2, 10 am to Noon
- Illustrator, Thurs. Nov. 3, 10 to 11:30 am
- iMovie, Thurs. Nov. 3, 6:30 to 8 pm OR Wed. Nov. 9, 10:30 am to Noon OR Thurs. Nov. 10, 10 to 11:30 am
- First Year Fridays - Make Your First Movie! Fri. Nov. 4, 2 to 4 pm
- Networking with Twitter, Mon. Nov. 7, 5 to 6 pm
- Census Data with New American FactFinder, Tues. Nov. 8, 10 to 11:30 am
- Top Hat Monocle, Wed. Nov. 9, 2 to 3 pm - Vendor presentation on mobile and web open-ended audience response during classes
- From Assignments to References: Zotero, Wed. Nov. 9, 5 to 6 pm
- Excel Basics, Sat. Nov. 12, 2 to 3:30 pm
- Social Media 101, Mon. Nov. 14, 10 to 11:30 am
- Majors Dinner, Mon. Nov. 14, 5 to 6:30 pm
- Excel Charts, Wed. Nov. 16, 11 am to 12:30 pm
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Lab closing
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Lynda temporarily Unavailable
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Copyright... it confuses everyone
Boingboing linked to this series of copyright dispute examples designed by Susie Cagle. They show some interesting cases like the time Shepard Farrey was sued by the Associated Press for being a tracer.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Introduction to OS X Lion Workshop Today
Get a preview of some of the new features of Lion at http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/#video-lion
Thursday, October 6, 2011
We Lost a Friend Yesterday
The lab owes a great deal to the man who helped bring us all of this incredible technology. We always had a charge after seeing what new things he would unveil at his press conferences. Steve's products were always clean, sleek, and sometimes beautiful, but most importantly, they just worked. His company certainly shaped our daily lives and with his early involvement with Pixar, he helped warm our heart. You will be missed sir.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Facebook Privacy
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Final Cut Pro X
+FCPX+
GOOD:
-If you know iMovie, you will be seeing a more familiar layout that the previous version
-Most, if not all, of the rendering will happen in the background while you work. No more coffee breaks while you wait for your video to be ready.
-Auto-align for matching multiple audio tracks of the same source.
BAD:
-No support for any projects of previous versions of FCP.
-Different interface than previous versions
-Doesn't transfer between multiple machines with ease
Connecting to AirPennNet
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
CS 5.5
So why the 5.5 upgrade? Why not a full step up to CS6? Well, CS6 is still a ways away. For now Abobe is placing a big focus on broad, multiplatform mobile content development with this release, using with the latest standards. And if you work with video, you’ll notice sweeping performance enhancements in CS 5.5 that enable you to work faster. These upgrades actually don't even effect all of the Creative Suite programs. The CS5 tools not revisioned to CS5.5 are Photoshop (Extended), Illustrator, Fireworks, and Contribute.
Here's an article that describes what's new in each product in great detail. It's a lot of words, but it pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Better yet, come to the lab and see for yourself what's new.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Time Magazine Beyond 9/11 Project
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Chase Irwin: Blowing Your Mind
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
September Workshops
Please check out and share our September calendar!
Upcoming are:
- Wordpress, Wed. Sept. 7, 1:30 to 3 pm
- Excel Charts and Graphs, Thurs. Sept. 8, 1:30 to 3 pm
- Excel Basics, Sat. Sept. 10, 2 to 3:30 pm
- BlackBoard Basics, Tues. Sept. 13, 1 to 2:30 pm
- PhotoShop Basics, Wed. Sept. 14, 10 am to Noon
- Social Media 101, Wed. Sept. 14, 2 to 3:30 pm
- From Assignments to References: Planning your Semester, Wed. Sept. 14, 5 to 6 pm - Presented by Weingarten Learning Resources Center (VPUL)
- Google Sites, Thurs. Sept. 15, 10:30 am to Noon
- What's New in Office 2010, Thurs. Sept. 15, 2 to 3:30 pm
- PowerPoint Animations, Mon. Sept. 19, 10 to 10:30 am
- RefWorks, Tues. Sept. 20, 10 to 11:30 am
- iMovie, Wed. Sept. 21, 10:30 am to Noon
- Mathematica - Special Vendor Presentation, Thurs. Sept. 22, 9 am to 1:30 pm
- Prezi, Thurs. Sept. 22, 10 to 11:30 am
- Embed Video in PowerPoint, Fri. Sept. 23, 11 to 11:30 am
- Google Productivity Boost, Fri. Sept. 23, 11 am to Noon
All workshops are open to Penn students, faculty, and staff unless otherwise noted. Registration and details: http://wic.library.upenn.edu/wicshops/
I am the Robot
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Google Image Search--new and improved
Well Tin Eye is still around and long out of Beta, but Google has come along with something better. They've improved their image search engine so that you can drag an image onto the search box and find other images--not just the same exact image, but also similar images. You can drag a photo from your vacation to Machu Picchu into the search box, and Google will find other photos of the same place.
Check it out at http://images.google.com, or watch this short intro video to show you how it works:
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Best TV Shows Ever
Not everyone agrees with our choices (I've already received one complaint that not a single person included "Pee Wee's Playhouse") but we stand by them.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Intro to Lion Workshop
Thanks to Will Le, Apple's student rep on Penn's campus, for the great workshop he gave today on the newest version of the Mac operating system, Lion. It was a great introduction for anyone who's thinking about upgrading, or for people who have already made the switch but weren't quite sure how to take advantage of all the new features.
If you weren't lucky enough to attend, you can check out the new features of Lion at http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/#video-lion
Future Proof
Here's what they say: "We write articles, craft interactive experiments, and create tools that help you develop mental and physical resilience in the face of an ever-expanding technology landscape. In other words, we make you futureproof."
FP is yet another fantastic project from the former VDML lab consultant Michael Highland. He and another Penn alum and friend, David Siegel are creating the company Futureproof. We've already written about their app "Awareness"-a tool to help heighten one's awareness of computer use. We should all be so lucky to be as considerate and attuned as we go about our daily tech business.
Take a looksee at the video to investigate further:
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
InDesign FX
There have been 4 releases so far:
- Blurring Objects with Drop Shadows
- Creating Interlocking Objects
- Exploring the Effects Panel
- Creating Long Text Shadows with Type on a Path
Friday, August 19, 2011
Interview with John Vogel
Q: What do you work on in the lab?
John Vogel: Almost everything I do comes through the lab at some point. I mostly do solo projects--mostly interviews--under my own name, that are on my Vimeo page, but I'm also working on a separate project under the name 'Eddie Sids'.
Battling Green Eye Shades was the last big video project I did. And then after I finished with that I started up these other 2 projects. One is called douthoux, and the other is White Zinfandel.
Everything on douthoux is electronic. And everything on White Zinfandel is supposed to be more natural. It's all written on piano first and then overdubbed with trumpet. I've been teaching myself flute and clarinet to overdub on that, and then electronic space sounds on top of that. And I'm working on both of those at the same time.
In addition to that, lately I've been cutting up the interviews I've been doing, because they have similar questions throughout them, and I'm making an edited version where they line up in certain places, and I'm writing electronic music for that. Over the last 2 months that's grown from not doing anything with it to having 45 minutes of material so far, and it'll probably be between an hour and 1:20 when it's done.
Q: And this is a personal project?
JV: This is all just for... fun. (laughter)
Q: What software and hardware do you use in the lab?
JV: I use Final Cut for all the video editing. Everything I do I have also taken the audio into Audacity here in the lab and mixed and compressed and amplified--just to brush it up, cut the ends off, and arrange it for tracking. And I use Garage Band for all the douthoux sampling.
Q: Where does the name douthoux come from?
JV: It was a random password that I don't use anymore, but I don't know, it just sounded like a European techno album to me. (laughs) So that was the idea going into it. I recorded my friends saying all the same utterances. Everything is grouped by theme, and I'm taking those themes and they represent the title of the track. And then for me, it's mixing the lines into a format where it sounds more like a conversation instead of excerpted lines, and then also cutting in usually standup comedy or TV or movies into that, and making something that has a narrative flow for each individual track and kind of explores the same theme throughout.
The video I'm working on now is for the 3rd track off of that. I did that as part of a live performance I did recently, and also 2 tracks off of White Zinfandel. I had 2 tvs running of my friends reading into the camera, and I edited all of that here, and my goal was to line them up, and now I'm trying to make them interesting and put them in a useful format. It will go on Vimeo as a stand-alone work, so it's not really intended as an accompaniment for the live performance.
Q: Where did you learn to do all the video/audio editing? Did you take classes? Did you teach yourself?
JV: I mostly taught myself. I also took some digital music classes in college at Penn State. We used a program called Digital Performer, which doesn't really get used anymore. Jesse and Sarah actually helped me a LOT here in the lab with the Final Cut Pro stuff. It would be the type of thing where I was working on a project where I'd sit down and really try to do something myself, and then I'd come to a spot where I didn't know how to do some technical thing, and they would show me, and that would really help me. I could go by myself for a little while, and then hit a spot where I wanted to do this one thing that I knew should be possible, but I didn't know how to do it, and getting help from the lab staff when I'd get stuck.
All of the music on Battling Green Eye Shades I did at the Music Technology Lab here at Penn in the music building my first couple years out of college. At the end of that, I wanted to do a video, and they sent me here to the Vitale Digital Media Lab.
Q: We're glad they did! What's your favorite part about the lab?
JV: The software is great. It's so good to have that resource, because all of the software is ridiculously expensive. If you try to get the kind of machines and software you have here at home, that's just ridiculous amounts of money that I don't have. (laughs) So just the availability of all of that stuff. The equipment lending has also been a big thing. I didn't even get into that until maybe a year after coming here pretty regularly. Just getting the cameras and the Zoom audio recorders has really helped with the interviewing that I've been doing. And the atmosphere and staff is just really helpful and cool. Yeah. It's just a good place to come.
Q: You've interviewed a bunch of bands and authors for Skyscraper Magazine and Beyond Race Magazine. How did that happen? How did you get connected to the bands and to the magazines?
JV: I'm actually the Fiction Books Editor for Skyscraper after just being a contributor for a few years. I was the Books and DVDs editor for Rockpile magazine here in Philly. I got started with them back in 2004 or 5, and I was with them until they crumbled due to financial problems. And about the same time, Skyscraper went from print to full digital online. When they launched their website they were looking for editors. I thought, I hadn't reviewed books and DVDs for a while, and it was something I really wanted to get back into, so they hired me for that.
I started doing the band interviews as personal projects before Skyscraper was up and running, so I was still in this middle ground where I didn't have anyone solid to publish for anymore. I tried to do the freelance thing, and decided I really didn't like the runaround of pitching articles. So I figured I'd do a project on my own collecting interviews. I already do interviews as part of my job at the LDC, interviewing people in microphoned situations daily, talking to people for 15-20 minutes at a time, and just keeping them talking is the only task. So you learn a certain amount of skill with coaxing conversation out of people. I wanted to apply that to something I really liked, and with people I really wanted to talk to. So I started sending out emails with this idea of just picking people's brains about the creative process, and I got a TON of rejections. And then just when I'd gotten to the point where I'd almost decided maybe this wasn't such a good idea, I got a response from Matmos saying they wanted to do it, and that really gave me hope and I just kept doing it. And it's continued right on up until now.
Q: Thanks for talking with me.
JV: No problem.
The live performance John mentioned in the interview consisted of two tracks each from his douthoux and Battling Green Eye Shades projects. They are: Technology, Personal, Glass One, and Glass Two.
Links:
Grandchildren Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Eddie Sids Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
Battling Green Eye Shades on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/
Eddie Sids Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/eddiesids
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Future of the Justice System?
I thought this article from Boingboing was interesting, especially since this is the year of gaming here on Penn's campus. Apparently Notch, the creator of the popular game Minecraft, is working on a new project he's calling "Scrolls". Bethesda Games, creators of "Elder Scrolls" a popular role playing game is taking issue with this and asking him to change the name before it's release. Notch had a different solution in mind...
I challenge Bethesda to a game of Quake 3. Three of our best warriors against three of your best warriors. We select one level, you select the other, we randomize the order. 20 minute matches, highest total frag count per team across both levels wins.
If we win, you drop the lawsuit.
If you win, we will change the name of Scrolls to something you’re fine with.
Regardless of the outcome, we could still have a small text somewhere saying our game is not related to your game series in any way, if you wish.
I am serious, by the way.
So will this be the future of our legal system? Will we live in a digital "Running Man"-esque society? Here's hoping this event actually takes place.
Friday, August 12, 2011
The End of the Summer
It's been really nice working with you all, and I hope we see you again over winter break or next summer when classes are out of session, when we allow alumni to use the lab (don't forget to bring your alumni card!)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Password Strength
XKCD created this web comic based on this paper (PDF) about best practices for creating passwords. It is pretty different than the common accepted approach to creating a secure code, and would be much easier for most people to remember.
Take a look:
This was reblogged from boingboing.net where there is an interesting discussion going on about the legitimacy and difficulties of using this system.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
FontStruct
Have you ever wanted to make your own font, but didn't want to be bothered with learning Illustrator or with buying font creation software? FontStruct is here to help. You can go to http://fontstruct.com/ and use their online app to create your own font, then save that font as a True Type font (.ttf) to your local computer. It has tons of options for creating your font and a very simple interface. Give it a try!
Here are some interesting examples of fonts created on the site:
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The great migration
Are you liking Google +? Perhaps you like the circles and hangs, but are feeling overwhelmed by the idea of rebuilding all of your connections from scratch? Here's a Lifehacker article about migrating alllllllll of that data from Facebook to Google +.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Mac OSX Lion Compatible Apps
Well now there's RoaringApps, a wiki which tells you whether your favorite apps are Lion-compatible, so that you know whether you should wait before upgrading. Plus, if you have the inside scoop on an app, you can contribute your knowledge by adding the app to the growing list of programs that have been tested on Lion.
The chart lets you limit your view to compatible apps, non-compatible apps, or the full list.
http://roaringapps.com/apps:table
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Migrating from Final Cut Pro 7 to Final Cut Pro X
This course, taught by award-winning writer/producer/director Abba Shapiro, is intended for people who are already quite familiar with editing in FCP 7--it's not a beginner course. But if you're a FCP 7 user who's ready to start gearing up for working with X, this is the course for you.
It's only 3 hours long, and you can use my favorite Lynda.com feature to watch it at double speed in half the time. If you don't have your own Lynda.com account, just stop by the lab or the WIC desk and we'll log you in in one of our computers.
http://www.lynda.com/Final-Cut-Pro-X-tutorials/Migrating-from-Final-Cut-Pro-7-to/84525-2.html
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Google+ iPhone App
I haven't had a chance to do much with the app yet other than download it and log in, but I'm hoping to try it out tonight. Certainly looks promising. I couldn't find it in the app store (perhaps it hasn't been indexed yet), and ended up having to follow a link from a webpage. Just in case you have the same problem, here's the link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google/id447119634?mt=8
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Google +
Have you checked out Google + yet? It looks pretty comprehensive, and, well, fun. You may have heard that Google + will be "everything"-an e-mail service, a social network, a media sharing tool, a community. From having just briefly looked over the demo, it seems that's pretty true. It's a bit difficult to articulate, so go investigate!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
How to Reserve Equipment in 90 seconds or less
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Final Cut Pro X
First, you can (and should) check out Apple's FCP site at http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/
Then you can read Walter Biscardi's review at Creative Cow, which does a good job listing the problems that have made so many FCP users upset: http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/final-cut-pro-x-whats-missing-for-some-pros
Then, before you get TOO upset, you should read David Pogue's responses to many of those complaints: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/professional-video-editors-weigh-in-on-final-cut-pro-x/
He ends his article with these words: "Professional editors should (1) learn to tell what’s really missing from what’s just been moved around, (2) recognize that there’s no obligation to switch from the old program yet, (3) monitor the progress of FCP X and its ecosystem, and especially (4) be willing to consider that a radical new design may be unfamiliar, but may, in the long term, actually be better."
We will be keeping Final Cut Pro 7 in the lab for the coming school year (this was already the plan, even before the release of FCP X, because Apple's release date was too close to the beginning of classes to allow us adequate time to learn and test the new software), but we will have the new version available on at least 1 or 2 workstations for those who wish to start using it or play around with it. We'll re-evaluate the state of FCP in the Summer of 2012.
Updates: It's been several days since the release of FCPX, and there's a growing body of good material on what's going on:
Jeffrey Harrell has an excellent post on why FCPX is wrong for professional editors:
http://jefferyharrell.tumblr.com/post/6830049685/what-went-wrong-with-final-cut-pro-x
Thanks to Ellen for pointing me toward this response to David Pogue from video editing guru Rich Harrington: http://library.creativecow.net/harrington_richard/Pogue_Answers/1
Also, if you have an hour and half to kill, and this topic is of particular interest to you, you may want to check out Rich Harrington and Walter Biscardi--both long term professional video editors and longtime FCP users--discuss their concerns in this "podcast" at CreativeCow.net called "Why We Can't Use Final Cut Pro X at Our Companies": http://library.creativecow.net/harrington_biscardi/FCPX/1
Most significantly perhaps, David Pogue has since downgraded his recommendation on FCPX in his third article on the ongoing debacle: "Final Cut Pro X may indeed be ready for the future. But for professional video editors, it’s not yet ready for the present."
Man, I'm glad I'm not Steve Jobs right now.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Facebook Privacy. Yes, again.
http://lifehacker.com/5813990/the-always-up+to+date-guide-to-managing-your-facebook-privacy
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Fitting the iPad into a Photography Work Flow
He breaks the post into these general areas:
- Preparing for the shoot
- Model and property releases
- Getting images into the iPad
- Controlling the Camera from the iPad
- Reviewing the images
- Editing the images
- Going from Lightroom to the iPad
Read Terry's post at http://terrywhite.com/techblog/archives/7606
Friday, June 17, 2011
Lubith
Monday, June 13, 2011
Games & Alternate Reality Games for Learning
Great session for anyone interested in using games in an educational setting. I'm copying and pasting from the flyer:
Whether you are new to games or want to discover how they can be used for learning you won't want to miss the PANMA session to get the latest information. This session is for anyone in education, corporate or looking for new innovative ways to get your audience to participate and learn.
We're lucky to have Koreen Olbrish from Tandem Learning to share her knowledge and experience with you. Tandem Learning has been at the forefront of immersive learning strategies and applying game dynamics to educational projects. Koreen will share the latest trends in serious game design, including 3D immersive games and alternate reality games (ARGs), and how these design techniques can increase engagement and facilitate learning. For those new to serious games, Koreen will provide an overview of why games are great for learning, when games should be considered, and the basics of different types of serious game design. Case studies of corporate learning implementations of games will also be reviewed.
Q & A Panel
We'll close the evening with a Q&A panel where you can ask your questions.
You'll learn about:
- Current trends in applying game dynamics to learning
- How serious games can engage learners differently
- Alternate reality games and their advantage in immersive learning design
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2011
Time: Doors open: 5:30pm / Event Starts at: 6:00 – 8:00pm
Location: Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut Street, Room G-55, Phila, PA 19104 | Directions: http://bit.ly/7trnIP
Cost: FREE
Register Here: http://panma.eventbrite.com
Pizza & light refreshments will be provided. A special Thank you to our Sponsor Wharton Technology for providing the space and pizza.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Page Speed Online
I like this. Google Labs is developing Page Speed-a site that rates how quickly any page on the internet loads. I could imagine this being helpful for web designers testing out how quickly their pages are, but I could also see this being helpful for users. For example, if your computer is lagging, this site can tell you whether it's your computer that behaving badly or if the page is particularly slow. Of course, it might take a while for the page to work if your computer is the culprit...
In Google's words: Page Speed Online analyzes the content of a web page, then generates suggestions to make that page faster. Reducing page load times can reduce bounce rates and increase conversion rates.