Send To Kindle App
Send to Kindle is a new application developed to users of any Kindle devices or Kindle reading apps. The app is free and can be downloaded from
http://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle.
This app adds
Send to Kindle to your right-click menu in Windows Explorer. It also appears as printer option in the print menu. (It is only available for Windows PCs right now. It is easier than emailing to the device, or loading from a USB cable.
The documentation is here.Posted by Linda Quinn 02/04/2012 9:46 am
CSS3 - Webkit - Multi Column Layout
The CSS3 MultiColumn feature lets you specify the number of columns, or the size of the columns, and the browser will calculate how to layout the text to fit the columns.
For newspaper or magazine layouts, multicolumns are like having a desktop publishing application for the web.
The browser will distribute the content to fit over a specific number of columns or a specific column size. It will break the text at the best place to continue the text in the next column.
In addition to text, images can be embedded in the content and they will be arranged in the columns.
Read Article ....
Posted by Linda Quinn 01/31/2012 3:31 pm
CSS3 - Webkit - Flexible Box LayoutWe have a container element and we want to control the position of the items in the container. The Flex Box set of properties describe how to arrange the items in the containter and what to do with any extra space.
But the specification for the Flexible Box Model is undergoing a big change in terminology right now, so it makes sense to wait until the specification is settled. But regardless of the terminology changes, the basic functions will be the same.
LQWebdesign will keep you updated on the changes.
Read Article ....
Posted by Linda Quinn 01/31/2012 3:31 pm
Looking for Entertainment
An interesting article recently,
Scarcity is a Sh***y Business Model reinforces the ideas I have had written about - that there is a shortage of good content. At a time when there are more ways to get content than ever before, we still have only the same few sources of content. When I want to relax and watch something, I have TV, including cable, and the latest Hollywood movies. But video content is really lacking. There are a lot of talented amateurs on YouTube, but these are short and sometimes hard to find with the mountains of submissions. The market for longer products, the length of a TV show, for example, or of serialized content, is very real but not being exploited.
There is no shortage of books to read. My Kindle is has a huge library I may never finish reading.
UPDATE:
Hulu Plans to Produce Original Shows . Like HBO and Showtime and other cable channels, they are expanding into original content.
The amateur producer doesn\'t have the budget of the big name producers, but I would rather have more content and less gloss. I am convinced there is a huge pool of talent out there that isn\'t being tapped. Companies like Apple, with iTunes, and Amazon should be as proactive with TV and film submissions as Amazon is with seeking independent writers.
Posted by Linda Quinn 01/31/2012 11:41 am
More Girls Should Be Entering Tech Careers
There was an article this morning on
Why Girls Don't Want Careers in Tech. As a women in tech for many years I was curious to see their explanation. I am aware that men outnumber women in tech careers. And it seems to correlate with the larger reality of fewer women in science fields. But why?
The article says that women want more creative jobs and they see tech as mechanical and non-creative. Of course, that is not true. I find software design and development to be very creative. Web design, with CSS3 and HTML5 is highly creative. But it that isn't the image that tech presents. There is a public image of a computer programmer that is young, male and nerdy. As a woman, I have often had to fight that stereotype when apply for jobs. People see a woman and the word "tech" doesn't come to mind. I don't "look" like a techie.
We need to get the word out that tech is fun and very creative. And we need to change the image of the tech-guy as a propeller head. Women are good at communication and talking to users about what they want is an important skill.
Posted by Linda Quinn 12/02/2011 8:21 am
Kindle Fire I have has a few days to work with my new Kindle Fire. I have to keep reminding myself that I bought the Kindle Fire to replace my Kindle, not my iPad.
The Kindle Fire doesn't replace the iPad. It doesn't really come close. The biggest issue is that the Kindle is Android based. There just aren't enough apps available for Android. I don't know if this will change in the future, but right now, Android doesn't have the richness of iOS5.
Amazon has its own app store so the Fire really has access to a subset of the available Android apps.
But as an eReader, it is an improvement over my old Kindle. I did a lot of reading on the Kindle app for my PC or iPad. This enabled me to see color illustrations and even multimedia when available. The Kindle Fire will let me read these books on my Kindle device.
As an Amazon Prime member, I can watch movies and TV, many of them for free. I used to watch these on my desktop, but now I can watch a TV show while I am out, like on a bus, or in a waiting room. As a media device, it is great. It is small enough to carry around, unlike the iPad, and yet it is larger than my iPhone for reading and watching videos.
The Fire won't replace my iPhone or my iPad, but it will replace my old Kindle. And I will use it more than I use my Kindle now.
For the price, buying the Fire was a good idea. If the price were closer to the price of an iPad, that woouldn't be the case.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/18/2011 8:37 am
Kindle Fire Ships TodayKindle Fire is shipping today - one day early. Mine is on the way so it will be here at any time. I can't wait to try it out. I am already an Amazon Prime member, so I am anxious to try watching TV and movies.
Of course, the Kindle is primarily an eReader. The Publisher Guidelines for KF8 haven't been released yet. Nor has the Kindle Gen 2 tools. I have a number of books on my Kindle with color and animation, but I have to read them on my iPad or desktop Kindle apps.
I can't wait to try out the Amazon Fire and I'll write about my experiences this week.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/14/2011 8:06 am
HTML5 is the buzzword today.I have been a proponent of web-based mobile apps that use HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript to design mobile apps. It seems that the tech media is talking about this technology a lot lately and it is being talked about under the standard name of
HTML5.
The Wall Street Journal has an article today that declares
HTML5 - The Technology Changing the Web. With Adobe dropping Flash, HTML5 is suddenly a legitimate web development tool and the press is talking about it.
HTML5 is really an umbrella term that includes CSS3, javascript, jQuery and WebKit. Having a short, simple name that includes this whole group of technologies makes it easier to write about. So I will refer to the collection of these technologies as
HTML5. But I will still write about the individual components separately.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/11/2011 9:30 am
The Future of HTML5
Today the tech world took a step closer to making HTML5 and CSS3 mobile apps the standard.
Adobe has decided to stop developing Flash for mobile devices. With their recent purchase of PhoneGap,
they seem to really see the future as Web-based mobile apps.
Native apps are still strong today and won't go away anytime soon. But the alternatives are getting
better all the time.
Jay Sullivan, of Mozilla, made a good case for this transition in
an article in
VentureBeat today. Sullivan states
"For developers, it's technologically more manageable to build one mobile web app
than a half-dozen or even just two native apps. And given the state of mobile web standards,
we're quickly approaching a point where end users can't tell the difference between the two.
All that's really left is a business model for mobile web apps...".
Android is very fragmented. Different versions run on different devices. The Amazon Fire is based
on a modified Android platform. iOS is consistent, as Apple always is, but we will have to wait and
see if they soften some of their draconion controls over their approved apps.
For apps that provide information, such as news and reference apps, there isn't a need
for most of the native features that native apps provide. There is a need for education
and business apps and this is a future developement area that can be achieved with HTML5.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/09/2011 5:18 pm
KF8 - New Kindle FormatKindle has announced a new format for ebooks. KF8 will be an advancement over Mobi, its present format. KF8 will have HTML5 and CSS3 features that will enable graphics and advanced formatting.
This new format is being presented for the new Kindle Fire, which will ship in less than two weeks. But Amazon has not releases the specs yet. I signed up to be notified when the documentation is released, but it hasn't yet. When the Amazon Fire ships will there be multimedia content available?
Here's hoping that Amazon releases the documentation soon.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/04/2011 12:52 pm
Book Lending for Amazon PrimeI belong to Amazon's Prime program. I get free shipping on most everything. But lately, I have been downloading almost all my books to my Kindle. I still order non-book items, so I still take advantage of free shipping. But I am not saving very much on shipping anymore.
But Amazon Prime recently gave me free TV shows and movies. And today they announced a book lending program for Prime members. It looks like my $79.00 a year fee for Amazon Prime is a real bargain again.
The book lending is only for a certain subset of books, but that may change. And you can only borrow one book a month. You can keep the book as long as you want, but as soon as you borrow another book, the previous book is removed from your site.
I am a fast reader, so one book a month won't satisfy my reading needs. In the future, Amazon may allow for more books to borrow each month.
It seems that Amazon is using its Prime Membership for more or more customer services. I will be watching to see what happens next.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/03/2011 12:16 pm
Amazon Silk Browser supportThe primary browsers that people use are Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer and Opera. There are others, but these are the one that are listed in charts when showing who supports various CSS3 features.
But there is a new browser that will arrive in about two weeks and that is Amazon Silk. I have heard that is is webkit based, but I haven't seen any information about which features it supports.
As soon as I receive my Amazon Fire, I want to look at some test sites that I will create. I will publish what I see. I have a lot of books and articles that show the various browsers and their compatability with CSS3 and HTML features. I hope that many of these articles and sites will be updated accordingly.
Here's hoping that the Amazon Silk has great coverage of the newest features. I am hoping that this will be a major platform in the future.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/02/2011 3:13 pm
Will tablets replace the desktop?The short answer is - Not right away. The desktop has more memory, and the ability to add unlimited external storage. (Of course, the cloud is making internal storage less necessary).
But there is also the advantage of a large, ergonomic keyboard, and a large monitor that stands at eye level in front of me.
The tablet isn't close to that. But it may change when younger generations grow up with tablets and touch screens. The keyboard may seem archaic to them. And the idea of sitting at a desk with a large screen in front of you may look like something their Grandparents did.
We don't know the effect of these technology changes. Those of us who are older have adapted the technology to the way we are used to working. But young children today are getting used to newer devices and they will likely change work to conform to their devices, not the other way around.
Too bad we can't peek into the future.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/02/2011 2:05 pm
Convergence of Apps and EbooksThere is a convergence coming between ebooks, mobile apps and video. I should add newspapers and magazines as well. With the introduction of the Amazon Fire, ebooks can start to resemble apps. There will be color, animation and maybe even interactivity.
I love my Kindle. It's great for reading text. The e-ink is fantastic. But if I am reading something with graphics and color, I will use the Kindle app on my iPad or iPhone or my desktop. These devices handle color graphics just fine.
But the Kindle Fire will take e-reading to another level. It will have apps available. These will be Android based in the app store. But the Fire will be able to do justice to well designed HTML5 apps.
The Amazon Silk, the browser that will ship with the Fire, supports Webkit. That will enable apps with rich graphics and designs. But Amazon has already announced KF8, the new html and css based spec that Kindle ebooks will use for new books that are rich in graphics. The line between a book and an app will start to blur. The Kindle Fire will have comic books available to read. These wouldn't work well at all on the original Kindle.
Posted by Linda Quinn 11/01/2011 9:37 pm
Original Content for TV devicesGoogle TV was in the news today. Amazon Fire is touting streaming video as a key feature. But the content is the same fare available on my TV, or in the theater. Where is the original content?
Amazon is inviting authors to provide original content for its Kindle readers. It has even started to re-define the idea of a "book" by introducing the "single". This is based on the idea that an electronic book can be any length. In the past, it was not cost-effective to print a shorter book. Those would be sold to magazines as short-stories.
I am waiting for more content choices for watching video on my tablet devices. There are a limited number of movies released commercially each year. The same is true of television series. I don't always have time to watch a two-hour movie. A short film would be ideal for many circumstances, but they are really hard to find.
There are genres and subject matter that are not in the mainstream and are not profitable for Hollywood or network television. Premium channels pick up some of this variety, but given their budgets, they often appeal to a mass market as well. I can envision people creating video and selling it online for a small fee. Because of the limited market, these would not be expensive to make and the quality would not compare to a big studio, but that's OK. E-books have created a market for reading material and new authors that wouldn't be read if the old hard-copy publishing world still prevailed.
Original music is being developed for online streaming and downloads. And the app market for mobile devices is open to any one with talent and ideas. I am waiting for great content to watch on my tablet devices. I wish I had more to choose from than season 2 of a sit-com.
Posted by Linda Quinn 10/21/2011 1:29 pm
Amazon Fire and the Tablet MarketTablets devices are the future. Smartphones have been the rage when there wasn't anything else. But tablets are far better for most any app than a smartphone. As tablets become more commonplace, smartphones may go back to being phones.
In addition to making phone calls, I use my iPhone to check the weather, run some numbers in the calculator, and, of course, take pictures. The smartphone is useful for it size when the situation is not good for carrying a large tablet. When I am out shopping, I can use my iPhone to check prices at other locations, and I can get a map to that other store location. This is a convenience, but it I am at my desk, out at a coffee shop, or any where else where carrying a tablet isn't a problem, then the large screen and browser of the tablet is a much better experience. I think of my iPhone as a convenience for when I am out and about. I can pull it out of my pocket or purse quickly.
But the screen is too small for reading text with more than a few lines. And the design of web pages is distorted for most viewing. And it goes without saying that any entry of text is a pain.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my iPhone. But now I love my iPad more. I can make and get calls and text messages on my iPhone, but just about everything else is better on a tablet.
Posted by Linda Quinn 10/09/2011 8:11 pm
Getting to know HTML 5 Even if you are a wizard at html, there are great new features in HTML 5. HTML 5 has been designed to allow for many features that used to require plug-ins.
HTML 5 can be described in several categories:
Semantic Web - Defining the layout of a page. Headers, sidebars, etc. can be defined as distinct areas in html 5. Of course you need CSS to define the appearance of these elements, but search engines can determine content from semantic tags.
Canvas: This enables visual elements and 2D animation. This replaces plug-ins and proprietary software solutions. Canvas has the potential to be a major skill set for web designers.
Video and audio embedding. HTML 5 will handle that without plug-ins and proprietary software.
HTML 5 has great potential in future web development. On the down side, it is not universally supported in all browsers. Some browsers have more features supported than others, but the support is spotty. Of course this is changing as browsers are updated.
Posted by Linda Quinn 09/14/2011 2:27 pm
Excel VBA Samples
Programming Excel with VBA requires an understanding of the object model.
This screen shows an image of the
Excel Object Model.
The model has many more elements than are shown here, but these are the main objects.
The
Workbook Object and
Worksheet Object are the containers for all other Excel Objects.
Understanding how to reference them in code is essential for programming Excel.
The
Excel Range is the most important and versatile object.
This article shows basic functions with a range object, such as Copy/Paste, Move and Name.
Future article will examine the
Excel Range Object in depth.
When running an Excel macro, we often have to select which file or files to process.
The
Open File article shows how to have an OpenFile dialog
box appear. The
Read Folder article shows how to read through
all the files in a given folder. The files can be filtered by various criteria. There is also
an article on how to
Save a file after processing.
There are articles on the worksheet functions
Sum Product,
Sum If,
CountA and
VLookup.
Watch for new articles on additional
Excel Functions in the near future.
Posted by Linda Quinn 09/01/2011 3:34 pm
