Toyota – brake/acceleration problem
Chevrolet – loss of power steering
Hyundai – door latch problems
Nissan – brake/guage issues
Mazda – seat heater

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amusing that a loss of power steering is considered a real safety hazard (as posted in the comment replies on CNNMoney)?  Cars continue to function without power steering (although I love my powered steering, I can continue to drive without it being a large danger).  Then you’ve got issues with cars randomly accelerating or won’t stop.  Let’s think about that one for a second.  Or the malfunctioning seat heater might burn your ass.

Suddenly, a relatively minor inconvenience is “proof” that GM is a shitty manufacturer?  Puh-lease.   Give me safety before convenience.

Speaking of the gallery, it’s running on a Wordpress plugin (tested a bunch of them, actually).  I liked this one the best.  It accomplished what I wanted it to do.  But in order to get the lightbox functionality, I would have had to install *another* plugin.  I’m a big fan of having certain functionalities hard-coded.  (Excessive plugins seem to slow Wordpress sites down).    So, that’s what took so long to get it running.  The theme files now are hard-coded for colorbox.  While I was at it, I also did the same thing here I did with Halfton 1.1 – internalized the Java to the Wordpress core and also added in the Superfish drop-down menu.  (Someone complained about my lack of menu drop downs since moving away from iNove).

It’s funny, my friend Mitch (another designer) and I got to talking – we’re both now officially “jQuery whores” – if there’s a script to do it, we’re stealing it.  =p  (Most of them are GNU/GPL licensed, so it’s not really stealing.)

Speaking of Mitch, we’re discussing the possibility of a joint collaboration on a Wordpress theme.  He’d do the graphics, I’d do the coding.  We’d then submit it to themeforest.net and hope to sell a few.  Split the proceeds and all.  Dunno if it’ll happen.  I’m still experimenting with a few things, and I think I want to do a “premium free” theme for submission to the WP database first.  We’ll see.

Anyways, that’s it for now.

Since Saturday, I’ve done quite a bit of work to the theme for their site.  It’s enough to me that I’ll wind up actually increasing version numbers. =)

I’ll provide a laundry list of changes:

• Internalized most of the Java to use the WP-packaged binaries (you mean I don’t need to include over 50k of scripts?! No wai!)
• Re-formatted the post comments area
• Created an additional admin area to include “regular” post data that they generate – Restaurant Info, post thumbnail, etc.
• Created a theme options page where they can change the variables for the links.

Those last two items are huge.  As I’ve been discovering, the theme options are what really makes a theme stand out, especially in the “premium” category, where it’s about the only way to distinguish yourself against the competition.   There are some really amazing theme option pages out there.  And some others that truly suck.

All of this work has led me to want to start in on another theme – but right now, I’m kind of lacking in the “graphical inspiration” category.  I suppose that’s what I get for spending too much time on the code aspects of my reading and not the design aspect.  =/

BTW, if you see any random theme changes around here, don’t despair.  I’m just looking through the various themes to get an idea of popular theme options.  I’ll be back to the regular BlackPress theme here soon.

It’s required a bit of extra work on Matt’s part to get it working (editing a lot of post info).  But it’s there.  =)

The site is heavily enabled with javascript (to hide some elements and make others “pop”).  I was going to actually add a few other things, one cool one would have been a script that would automatically add in a google map based on any location info within the page.  The problem though, would come when the page itself had multiple cities on it (like the list of all posts).  Bit of a pain given their setup, but would have been workable.

I came across a brief article the other day that asked the question “Is the iPad a game-changer?” (CNNMoney.com article)  The article lists a few valid points about the ultimate question of where the iPad fits into the computing scheme of things.  After taking some time to digest the specs and capabilities, as well as read some of the drivel (for everyone’s sake – there have been a few good ones out there) that many reporters have spouted about the iPad, I don’t think that it will be some huge seller or success like the iPhone is.  (see this CNNMoney article for the analyst’s predictions.)

First off, I think that these analysts are over-estimating the appeal of the product.  They’ve been bitten by poor ratings and projections over the past few years, and as such, are willing to give Steve Jobs the benefit of the doubt.

(I should probably take a second and say that while I’m not an Apple fanboy, I do own an iPod and an iPhone and love both products. )

As far as the iPad goes, however, I just find myself questioning the ultimate use of this product.  Whereas the iPhone and iPod both serve a legitimate purpose, the iPad, in my eyes, is more targeted towards the “netbook” crowd – people who crave an ultra-portable computing platform bigger than a smartphone.  Unless you purchase a keyboard and other additional accessories, it isn’t meant to be a full productivity option.  While I can tap out a quick email or text message on my iPhone, i wouldn’t want to type an entire document on a touchscreen.  There’s a tactile feel that’s missing from the keyboard.

What also concerns me about this being a long-term and viable computing solution is the fact that it’s not based on the OsX operating system, but the iPhone operating system.  As I understand it, it’s an entirely different ballgame.  Programmers need to develop specifically for that code, and then to distribute the software, you’ve got to be approved through Apple.  Not exactly the panacea of functionality.  Sure, there’s plenty of silly little apps for the iPhone/iPod touch out there, but nothing is terribly robust for the price point.

Not only that, but have you ever tried to actually get into the filesystem and work with the files on an iPhone (or iPod)?  Not terribly straightforward, is it?  Makes it hard to drag and drop files.

Added to that is an article I read earlier today about how supposedly Apple is going to be more selective with application development for the iPad.  I don’t recall where I read this, so don’t quote me on it.  But that reeks of a worse proprietary system than Microsoft or even the Amazon Kindle.

Speaking of the Kindle, of which I also own (the Kindle DX), many writers and fanboys have pegged the iPad to be a “Kindle-Killer”.  I find that hard to believe.  The DX is roughly the same dimensional size as the iPad.  It weighs half a pound less than the iPad.  And it doesn’t have that neat LCD screen so you could watch movies.

But where the Kindle excels is the simple task of reading.  Since having purchased my Kindle, I haven’t looked back.  I grab fanfiction from web, do a quick conversion through an open-source software program (Calibre), upload, and bam, I’m reading.  I read a book and a novel-length fanfiction on my DX at Thanksgiving without my eyes bugging me.  And, I never had to recharge either.  (I usually turn the wireless off unless I need to sync what I’m reading or buy something.)  I don’t have to worry about losing my bookmarks, and the thing is easy enough to carry.  (The “original” Kindle, as well as B&N’s Nook and Sony’s e-reader are more portable though).  One-handed reading is possible with the DX, but not for great lengths of time.  I’d imagine that the iPad, with 1/2 pound more weight to it, as well as the necessity to drag your finger across the screen to page flip, will mean that reading will be uncomfortable.

As nice as that LCD screen surely is, reading at-length on it, especially after a long day in front of the computer at the office, has got to be uncomfortable.  LCD’s require a coating which increases the glare exponentially.  Sure, you can read in the dark, but what’s the point?  And LCD’s have never fared that well in bright light (sunlight, exactly).

As Jobs said during his introduction, the iPad is a multi-function device.  But realistically, is it going to be something you’ll keep in the living room to browse the web or do emails while watching American Idol?  Maybe.  Photo-editing?  Doubtful.  At least with a netbook or notebook, you can do virtually anything you want from anywhere in the house.  Sure, it’s a little bulky, but at least you can do it.  And, at least with a PC-based solution, you can find tons of free software (much of it extremely comparable to its commercial counterpart).  I’m sure that there are “open source” developers for OsX, but they can’t be as abundant as they are for Linux (the ultimate open-source platform) and Windows.

The rest of the e-Readers aren’t without their shortcomings either.  As a Kindle owner, I’m disappointed that there’s really no advanced content sorting (folders, for instance).  Also, the web-browser is usable, but hardly a decent replacement.  And the inability to get books published in anything other than the Amazon format or mobipocket format.  And while it’d be nice to see the screen in the dark, it would lose its usability and desirability.

Apple’s agreements to provide “enriched media” at a premium price don’t really concern me that much.  I got the reader to read, not watch videos or have other ancillary content.  I don’t think that many who buy the iPad will care much for not only having to drop $10-$20 for a usable piece of software, but then pay money for the additional content that they may never use.  That $500 entry price gets a whole lot steeper to actually make use of the iPad.

But where I see this product fitting in is exactly what Apple is known best for doing – forcing the industry to make changes to keep up.  I’m sure once the news broke, Amazon’s development team began looking at enhancements to the Kindle and its content/agreements.  Amazon may find itself forced to make changes on a quicker timetable than what it had originally planned.  It will have to drop the price of the Kindle (again), and will need to introduce enhancements (hello, filesystem, sharing, epub format?) sooner.  Just like the iPhone forced other manufacturers to consider touch-screen displays and app stores, the iPad and content agreements will force the re-thinking of similar products.

So is the iPad a game-changer?  It could be.  Apple’s got work to do on their end to make this thing a bit more competitive (hello USB port?) and deliver on the promise.   Not only that, but in today’s economy, it has to prove itself as a stout competitor to the netbook market (which a lot of college students get these days).  But, it’s really going to depend on its competitors.  If Amazon doesn’t evolve the Kindle two or three steps beyond their original timetable, they may lose market share quickly.  Will I be getting one?  Nope.  I still can’t even justify a netbook since I already have a good notebook, desktop, AND home server.

Maybe I’ll be wrong a year from now.  It doesn’t really matter to me at the present time, since it’s just the product.  But if it starts to affect what I’m already doing, then I’ll be worried.

Running three different CMS softwares over the last year and change, I’ve come to some basic conclusions about the two most prevalent – Joomla and Wordpress.  I can appreciate each one for the differences and likenesses they possess.

Quite frankly, Wordpress has to be the most designer-friendly site.  For obvious reasons, it’s geared towards the more “simplistic” use of a blog (the application seen here).  To do anything though, such as manipulate menus to show specific data, you’ve got to hand-edit the theme files.  Not a terribly difficult thing to do if you understand what’s going on, but not fun in the least.  There’s a lot of plugins and such to add functionality, but it’s still somewhat limited, I think.

The last two weeks, I’ve been working on the re-design for my friends over at halftonreviews, and I’ve had to delve deeper into manipulating the base code to accomplish the look and feel they want.  I’ve had to work with them to re-think their application of the data they have so that it looks less like a blog and more like a real site.  (The validation came last night when a professional designer friend of mine had to ask me if it was still a Wordpress site!)  The re-design’s about done, there’s a lot of little things left on the table to do.  But I’m pretty pleased with where it’s at so far. (I’ll post again when they go live with the template)

In contrast, Joomla is a site that’s geared towards the true nature of a CMS – content management.  The code is designed in such a way that no one with any inkling of markup and coding can create a content-rich site.  However, to accomplish anything more with the overall design is really an exercise in frustration.  To re-theme the site is a pain (if you aren’t using a professional theme).  But that’s what makes it so great for sites such as the alumni association site I maintain.  There’s so much flexibility and ability to really manipulate the content without needing to edit the theme files.  You just download a mod, a plugin, or a component.  Expanding the site is a breeze.

I have another project to work on after I finish up the halfton design and ship it off to the twins.  When I ordered the new game server for the upcoming season, I went with a small group of guys that have been working to manipulate the Source Server binaries to create the ultimate gaming environment.  Their servers are able to maintain a stable framerate, which is the panacea of the FPS gaming community.  When every bullet you fire needs to hit where you aim, they’ve managed to tweak the server so that each shot rings true.  But anyways, one thing I suggested to help them drive sales was a custom MOTD (message of the day) that pops up on a new server sold when you initially join.  I’m researching how to use html or php or something else to actually query the server, get a value (such as sv_hostname) and return it in the html.  My idea was to have the header line say something like “you’re playing on *server name* hosted by padgaming”, give a little spiel about how special their servers are, and then the price list.  What’s going to make it unique is that it’ll use the same type of language behind a CMS – querying a database to update the data as needed.  So, the file itself would be minimal, just referencing the database values to return, and then all the text would be in the database.  I’ve had to learn how to do PHP/mysql coding, and it’s nowhere near complete, but that’s the plan.

After that, it’s either another new theme here, or I start to delve headlong into Joomla templating.  God in heaven help me.  That’s going to be a rough time.

http://halftonreviews.com/?p=423

The theme’s name is BlackPress – it’s a variation of a tutorial done by Richard Carpenter over at hv-designs.co.uk.  The tutorial just covered the Photoshop mockup, not the slicing and coding necessary to turn it into what you see here.  

I think that there’s one or two minor things that I’ll need to clean up, but otherwise, I’m calling this one done and moving onto the next project…

The quarter-ton duo from halftonreviews (Matt & Dan – half of the halfton quartet) are letting me work with them to really change their site around from this rather repetitive wordpress layout into something a bit more to their liking.  I think it’s possible.  With what I’m picking up from the Wordpress Codex and other resources, as well as practice, everything should be good.

It’s not my overall design.  I was following along on a tutorial for making it in Photoshop.  About the only thing I’ve really done differently is color and a bit of positioning.  But it’s really good, because there were a lot of elements in there that I had no clue how to make, and it’s helped me get my Ps skills better.

If you can’t tell, I tend to favor clean and somewhat “minimal” design looks.

My first Wordpress Theme is online!  You’re seeing it here.  It’s by no means 100% finished, but it’s really the first chance I’ve had to really work through the steps of creating a theme from start to finish.  Where it’s really lacking, I think, is in the design department.  You may notice that I drew a lot of inspiration from the previous theme (iNove), although honestly, when you start seeing so many of these themes, they all start to bleed into one another.  Graphically, I’m just not that inclined.  Especially when I’ve never done more than some basic editing in Photoshop and Fireworks.

That was actually one of my gifts for Christmas, some books on using Ps and Fw, so I’ll hopefully learn a bit more about site design.  I’m also scouring the ‘net for more design resources to give me the opportunity to try out different things.

To be honest, now that I’ve worked through a full creation, I might just go back and make the serious modifications that I want to iNove.  Always see what happens. =)

Here’s the tally:

• 9 Dozen Andes Creme de Menthe Cookies
• 10 Dozen Iced Pumpkin Cookies
• 12 Dozen Quaker Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• 1 double batch PB Fudge
• 4 Dozen Peanut Butter Blossoms (Hershey Kiss Cookies)
• 4 Dozen Snickerdoodles
• 4 Dozen Pillsbury Cookies
• 1 Peanut Butter Log
• 2 Batches of Pumpkin Bread (normally 6 full-size loafs)

Not as prolific as it was 3 years ago, but still more than enough sweets.  Now… just have to put all my trays together.