the NeoCommunicator

Are your brand colors accurate on the web?

Jeff — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:54:50 +0000

In a word, no. Technically, it’s not even possible. But you can get subjectively close!

I’m writing this post since the project I was recently working on required adherence to brand colors. This requirement is fine, except when the translation of color to the web is inaccurate, which, in this case, it was.

So how do you know if your brand color on the web is correct? Well, you really can’t unless you have the right software, but let’s explore this further so you have an understanding of what’s happening to your logo and / or brand colors.

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Post tags: brand colors, color, color rgb, full color printing, hexadecimal number, pantone matching system, pms color, pms colors

I used to be a fan of Facebook, now I just like it.

Jeff — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:33:05 +0000

Oh Facebook, what have you done now. In case you haven’t logged in recently, FB just launched a new feature called Community Pages. The intent is that these pages would be a collection of info on a given topic, like cooking, or kayaking. Sounds good, right? It is, however they made a major switch to do this. There are no more “fans”, you can only “like” a page. The repercussions of this change run deep, so let’s explore the complications this presents to you and your brand.

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Post tags: community pages, facebook, fans, Likes

The Content Management System Illusion

Jeff — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:41:29 +0000

I’ve been asked quite a bit lately about Content Management Systems (CMS) for website maintenance. The general comment is that “it costs too much just to have a name changed” or phone number, or email address, etc. Most site owners feel these changes are quick and should be inexpensive to make. Enter the CMS, touted as the snake-oil cure all for the internet age. Yes! You can add pages, make updates, put up video, photos, files, and more! And it’s just as easy as Word or Email! Well, I’m here to tell you… it just ain’t so. At least not yet.

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Post tags: CMS, content management, sharepoint, wordpress

Adobe Flash 10.1: One Player to rule them all! (except Apple)

Jeff — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:44:15 +0000

Last week Adobe announced Flash Player 10.1. With the release somewhere in the first half of 2010, Flash Player 10.1 is the first runtime release of the Open Screen Project. 10.1 unifies the Flash platform across “smartphones, smartbooks, netbooks, PCs and other Internet-connected devices, allowing content created using the Adobe Flash Platform to reach users wherever they are.” Adobe’s press release states that “the browser-based runtime enables millions of designers and developers to reuse code and assets and reduce the cost of creating, testing and deploying content across different operating systems and browsers.” This is a big deal. Let’s figure what it all means.

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Post tags: acrobat connect, android, Flash, Flash 10.1, flash iPhone, iPhone, mobile flash platform, Open Screen Project

Windows 7 arrives in October! So what?

Jeff — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:32:25 +0000

Microsoft is scheduled to release Windows 7 on the 22nd of October. The replacement for the less-than-popular Vista. The initial reviews and information provided on Windows 7 look promising. An updated interface with improved usability, a more functional task bar, less restrictive security measures… it all sounds good.

So, what does a new operating system (OS) mean to you, the strategic communications professional and/or site owner? Let’s find out…

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Augmented Reality: The world as we see it is about to change

Jeff — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:01:15 +0000

Though in its infancy, Augmented Reality (AR) has arrived. iPhone AR apps are now available and some unbelievably smart people over at Seattle’s University of Washington have even prototyped contact lenses with circuitry built in! This new tech, combined with always-connected Internet access, will literally change the way we see the world.

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Post tags: AR, augmented reality, iPhone Apps, virtual reality

Web usage statistics – IE6 hanging on

Jeff — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:01:12 +0000

Welcome back, friends! Let’s see what’s happening on the web!

Since the last web usage stats post, an industry point to note is the favorable market response to netbooks. This response, while not showing much influence in the stats today, may have some impact in the future. There are a two reasons for this. First, netbooks are shipping with Windows XP as opposed to Vista. This will most likely change in October with the release of Windows 7, but for now, XP usage is getting an extra boost. The second reason, one that will last well past October, is the new screen resolutions that netbooks are introducing. Again, current stats aren’t showing anything significant yet, but 1024 x 600 or 1366 x 768 (for some newer models) are screen resolutions to keep on the radar. Especially if you’re targeting that young, hip crowd.

That said, let’s dive into the charts and see what we’ve found.

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Post tags: browser stats, die, ie6, ie8, operating system usage stats, resolution usage stats, web usage

Twitter is down… Has the world stopped spinning?

Jeff — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:40:12 +0000

It’s 10am EST and Twitter has been down since about 9:15 or so. What is one to do? Surely Facebook will be the natural alternative, but who wants to limit their pondering to just one social networking outlet?

By coincidence, I was just reading a post on Read Write Web on the potential dangers od cloud computing. How many businesses suffer when the king of 140 characters goes down? Would anyone care if MySpace went down?

These are the questions of our times. A highly-aware society with our fingers on the pulse of the news. We can’t wait for any offical confirmation. If it comes up as a trending topic on Twitter, it must be true! Now, we have to wallow in the alternative universe of actual news sites… What are we? Barbarians?

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Welcome to Google Voice!

Jeff — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:45:23 +0000

Today I won the lottery and received my long-awaited Google Voice invitation. Voice is Google’s new cloud-integrated telephone forwarding and consolidation service. You obtain a new phone number, then link all of your other phones to it. When someone calls your Google Voice number, all of your assigned phones ring.

One of Voice’s best features is that voicemail is transcribed. The transcription and audio file are sent to your Voice account where you can then review and manage them as you please.

Being Google, you have a fairly decent amount of customization that comes along with your Voice account. You can define which of your phones ring based on who’s calling, block less desirable callers, and record custom greetings for different callers or groups.

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What happened to Usability?

Jeff — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:10:42 +0000

I just spent way too long updating my Facebook profile. I created a specific “Family and Close Friends” group who can see my personal contact information and then applied that group to the specific content. Sounds simple enough, right? Not so much.

With all the new technology being developed at hyper-sonic speed, has everyone forgotten about Usability? Or at least the one or two User Experience Engineers on staff who are overwhelmed, underutilized, and / or disregarded?

Let’s just cover the basics for those not in the know. Usability is the ease with which your user can use the tools available to achieve their goal. Note that I said their goal. You may want your user to sign up for your email notifications or complete a survey, but those are your goals.

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Post tags: experience engineers, usability, usability concepts, usability standards, user experience, user-centered design