kotrotsos.com

Amazing never released footage of a Well party dating back to 1989 (gasp) , so way before the web- social media- twitter etc.

So I can finally start coding for realz now. I can’t wait to see the performance- or lack of of App Engine. In case you don’t know what App Engine is.

Google App Engine lets you run your web applications on Google’s infrastructure. App Engine applications are easy to build, easy to maintain, and easy to scale as your traffic and data storage needs grow. With App Engine, there are no servers to maintain: You just upload your application, and it’s ready to serve your users.

So stay tuned for App Engine apps coming your way.

I have got some iGoogle Gadgets up for grabs

Check IP ,Random Feelings across the web. And a Pownce Public Feed Gadget

Yes….Company X. Y and Z. Your app really looks like that…

Bryant Hayward pointed me to a search engine called searchme.com . At first I would honestly expect to see yet another  searchengine that has some cool algorithm to index the pages by. But searchme.com really blew me away. What it does different and actually does very good is the way it presents the results. It categorizes the results first and presents them as small icons. So a general search for book first categorizes the results in the types of books (fiction, non fiction etc). If you search for something specific like Ruby you get of course computers and services, but also jewelery and music (and more)

 The results after selecting the category is presented in a cover flow type of manner- what is shown are actual screenshots of the websites so you can scan quickly what the sites are all about. If you don’t like it, you can click on the bottom arrow and get a listing of the results…

 I really was taken by the ease of use and the way the information was presented- well thought out and an absolute joy to use. The site is still in beta- but you can get instant invites by signing up with your e-mail adres.

Well, the results are in…Didn’t do to well. One big surprise. I never guessed Hyves would be voted top european company. Kudos for them- but I really don’t believe it. Hyves is one of those things that just doesn’t feel right- but you have to use it, cuz everyone does (like myspace was I suppose) It’s slow, messy, complicated to look at (actually hurts to look at).  They have critical mass- but I don’t think you will survive with just critical mass alone.  It needs to feel right…Right now, there is not just one things for me that ‘feels right’ it’s a combination of many.

anyway- the results

Entertainment: Last.fm - got this
European Company: Hyves - didn’t get this- I called for Dailymotion
Social: StudiVZ - Damn didn’t get this.
Webceleb: Loic le Meur - Yep, called this also.
Weblog: Dutchcowboys - I don’t even  have them in my reader- whaddayaknow
Rookie of the Year: Glubble -hm, I called fring
On Stage Start-up: Wakoopa - That was a complete guess offcourse- I called Twingly

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

Awesome and gripping TED Talk. Too floaty and Woodstocky on some parts, but as a whole- deeply captivating talk.

If the video does not work, please click here

Lifestyle god Tim Ferriss (author of the 4 hour workweek) talks about productivity with a large size monitor.

Size does matter, absolutely- but numbers matter more.  

According to University of Utah researchers, using a larger monitor could save you 2.5 hours per day.

Specifically, test subjects completed everyday tasks like editing documents and massaging spreadsheets 52% faster when using a 24-inch monitor than they did with an 18-incher.

Why they used an 18″ screen is beyond me, 17″ was to small and 19″ to big? But If a large screen monitor could save 2.5 hours a day. Imagine a multi-monitor setup (with or without large monitors).

There are 2 huge advantages with a multi-monitor setup over big single monitor setups. One is that it has a larger screen real-estate then most large screen monitors. Simple math: 2 monitors running 1280 have an total width of 2560px. Triple have 3840px (Triple are not as rare anymore) Another big advantage is the way you work with multi monitors and the window positions on it. It’s easier to order the windows that you have open onto multiple screens.

For example having your website code on one screen, and the result on the other in your browser sized to normal using size is alway’s open is better then to switch back and forth.  Another example is if you do Office work, you don’t need to print out those sheets in order to process them. Just have Excel open in one monitor and word in the other and glance back and forth.

If you have everything open on one screen it’s easier to lose track of what is where, plus it’s clutter! Get rid of it. Get a couple of monitors (19 inchers are not expensive anymore) , hook them up to a multi out videocard (changes are, you already have one with 1 VGA and 1 DVI card) and enjoy multi-monitor bliss…

Heres one how-to with alot of links to manufacturers, and heres a video demonstration

Ad network site Bla.st has put it’s site up for sale on Sitepoint.I have used Bla.st in the past (no pun) and actually thought it was a great and viable business idea. How it works is that you can post your ad (a square banner) on the Bla.st site for free, if you wish to ‘upgrade’ to a better position, you can pay via paypal. The amount you pay per day is equal to the position (near the top) of the site. So the more you pay, the more visible you are.

It’s currently going for 25.000 dollar which is in my opinion a very good price. (although I don’t have it laying around). I think with a couple of good partner deals it could make one a profit pretty quick. The concept is solid in my opinion, the barrier of entry zero. Go get it- with the current euro-dollar rates it’s a steal! (14.000 euro’s)