Tech Podcast Reviews and a Podcast Dumpster Award

Web Design Podcast from Boagworld.com, episode 5/8/06
I am thrilled with their success, because they really deserve it. It is rare to find a professional that will help others in the same field without a large fee and a notarized non-complete. But Paul and Marcus are so helpful and honest, and this show on "Creating a great search facility" is no exception. (Facility, snicker. We say utility.) As always I highly recommend this podcast and I really liked the information on the different ways colors are coded. I always crack up at the way Brits say Beta, like Beetuh, and I can't get the Wallace and Gromit thing out of my head. I must be a typical American.

The Practical Web Design Magazine Podcast, episode 5/8/06
IE 7! Geez, another browser to test on. Paul finally pins down his recommendations for books on the topic of web standards design. Ajax accessibility issues, Microsofts version of adsense. The main part is dealing with lots of text. The PWDM has a disc that comes with the mag, and I hear Lynda.com has some tuts on it – very nice! Google site-map automater link pwdmag.co.uk. Featured site is www.digitalmash.com
Fantsitic as usual.

The Widget, episode 5/7/06
This is my third or fourth episode, and I can't take it anymore. It seems as though when they are talking about tech, they know their stuff. However, most of this particular show is non-tech related, and quite frankly filth. The show shall be given my Podcast Dumpster award. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to disinfect myself and unsubscribe.

101 Web Design Show, episode 5/3/06
This show is on the differences & similarities between print design and web design. This show was a good one guys, but I would really like to feel like you put some research into it. Some links to resources to help people go further on the topic, not just interesting sites, because you have a ton of interesting links already at 101webdesignshow.com.

Geeks and God, episode 5/4/2006
Really great. Starting with the show on 4/28/06, they are going over the basics on what you need to know if you want or have a web site. Broad-based and no techie-babble.

Zerologik, episode 5/3/06
Hee hee, their site got updated, and all I can do is sing, "Workin' at the car wash." It looks very bubbly. Great show! As usual, they cover lots of stuff, just listen, and laugh.

Las Vegas

I usually post on Saturday, but this is a Special Edition because I just got back from a trip to Vegas. (Keep in mind that I live in a National Forest, and I see more deer than people.)

Foremost, I want to say that the adult playground that everyone knows Vegas is, has failed to become the family vacation spot that it has tried in vain to become for the last two decades. The INTEROP convention was going on, but I didn't get to go. Waa. And I don't get a kick out of gambling. But there are some very nice things about Vegas, or big cities in particular, that I do enjoy.

Shopping. For clothes in particular, then jewelry and accessories, and for just about anything else, I like to shop. The boutiques have such unusual and interesting clothes, unlike anything I get to come across withing 200 miles of my house. I think that San Francisco is even second to Vegas in this department. I tried on jeans that cost hundreds of dollars and guess what? (Max & Co., Cavelli, and many others in Monteray Place.) They fit no better than my Gap jeans. But they had rhinestones, embroidery, and various other embellishments that really made them scream. I went into my first Urban Outfitters – they have a thing for recycled clothing. Really liked some of the stuff, but some of it I wouldn't even donate to charity. I bought a recycled slip-top, a sweater, as well as a couple of really soft rayon baby tees and tanks. Rayon is high maintenance, just like me, and so soft. I can't forget the shoes of every shape, color and animal hide. I think I must have looked like a hick in my hiking boots, but I walked everywhere. Davidoff got more than a couple visits, and I bought my honey some cigars, and the very nice lady in the shop gave me one of those wonderful wooden cigar boxes.

The food in Vegas was very good everywhere we went. We stopped at the Harley Cafe for a snack and t-shirts – I ordered nachos. I got an over-sized plate piled up eight inches with everything nacho-ish. The other various little places were sometimes stuck in little nooks or corners, but still good. The Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay was the best. They replaced all your utensils at each course, and kept the water glasses filled and the bread always offered in between courses. The venison was fabulous.

Okay, enough of that. I am thankful for my iPod on this trip. First, it was preferable to drown out the noise that the casinos and hotels have contantly bombarding you. Plus the added bonus of using it as an excuse not to have to talk to people. I just pointed to my earphones and kept walking. I hate it when people want to "chat." Aside from the smut and the gambling, it was a great trip.

Podcast Reviews

New!! Check out my BubbleShare Album –>>

Now on to podcasts: This week I tried a few new podcasts. I know they are not new to many, but I usually go for the obscure before I try the popular.

Web Design Podcast from Boagworld.com, episode 31, Working with Style Guides. I couldn’t imagine getting a manual on how, when, why and where to use a company’s logo. Yikes. But I guess if you have high-profile clients, it happens. So Paul goes over how to deal with that. I am one of those difficult people that have no problem telling a client, “I won’t do that.” But if you have to schmooze your clients, this is how. My eyes glassed-over most of this topic, as compromise is not one of my strong points.

Geek Speak Radio, episode 55, 4/20/06. As usual, heavy on the gaming. I found the info on Amazon Simple Storage interesting. V for Vendetta was a great movie, as they agreed. Dell and Alienware – my prediction is that this will drag Alienware down to mediocre, not bring Dell up to the serious-user market. This is a great all-over wrap of tech news, interesting as always.

Vitamin Training, Ruby Basics and The Secret to Perfect Version Control. Hmmm. These are interesting, but I wouldn’t call it training. I am nuetral on these at the moment. What it really needs is a website companion.

The Widget, episode 41, Tech Troubles and other Fun, 4/25/06. This was my first episode of this one. After I got over the bad language, it was really good. I couldn’t care less about the Xbox, but there was plenty of other topics that were great. I just wish they would tone-down the language.
Ruby on Rails Podcast, episode Planet Argon, 4/25/06. This is very interesting as usual. I must admit that lots of this is over my head, as I am a beginner at Ruby on Rails. It’s one of those “jump-in-with-both-feet” things. They have some URLs of user groups that I have to check out for sure.

ExtremeTech, episode 4/17/06. This is for those geeks and gamers that have actually made the transition to grown-up. I like the home theater talk, this was unique among the shows.

That’s it for this week! Try a new podcast today!

Web Design link-aroo!

HTML, XHTML, CSS

• Mark Newhouse
• Westciv
• Listamatic
• W3schools

Java and DHTML, or AJAX, or DOM (dynamic stuff with lots of names)

• Vivbit Blgos
• Quirksmode
• Snook
• manageability

Color and visual layout

• worqx
• color psychology
• visual psychology

Font info

That's it for my link-aroo this time.