amanuel's blog

Yahoo! Local supports microformats!!

we’re happy to announce Yahoo! Local fully supports the hCalendar, hCard, and hReview microformats on almost all business listings, search results, events, and reviews. There are a few reasons behind this change, which for now, will be transparent to almost everyone.

It is wonderful to see new techniques being used by the larger firms.

Read the post: Yahoo! Local adds Microformats support.


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Honda's New Civic Ad.

We all made car sounds when we were young, but I think this is the first I have seen/heard of professionals getting paid to do it.

Bravo Honda and the people that made this. It sounded, beautiful.

Civic Ad

Tags:Honda, Vrooom, Civic, Car Ad


Adam Smith rolls in his grave...

A Canadian man who set out to use the internet to trade a paper clip to get a house says he has achieved his aim.

Kyle MacDonald, who is 26, made 16 trades over almost a year - and is now preparing to move into his new home.

Kyle MacDonald's blog

BBC story

whaw! Congrats on your new home Kyle.


I had a dream about the iPod AV

This morning, I realized that if Apple produced a product like the fake on the right, it would be the worst iPod in terms of functionality.

The fakes based on the patent diagrams seen a while back seem cool but are actually a step back in functionality. The iPod AV as visualized would:
  • not allow you to operate it from within your pocket
  • not allow you to receive a tactile response for any of your actions (click of button)
  • would require that you almost always have the hold switch active due to the large active surface

So the question as I lay there thinking about the dream was, how can Apple make an ipod that looks like the fake but works as well if not better than the current generation.

I came up with a few realizations.
  • Fingerworks technology. I own and use a Touchstream LP keyboard. So I am familiar with the power of gestures on the touchstream. An iPod with fingerworks could detect how many fingers are being used. So for example:
    • 2 finger strokes for volume control
    • 3 finger strokes for seeking
    • 3 finger tap for pause/play would allow an iPodAV to operate in your pocket.
  • Screen as rocker. It may be possible to have the whole screen tilt/rock like the wheel which would be interesting.

I guess we'll see what Apple comes up with.
Photo is from the gallery at macrumors.com

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Otavo goes private beta

Some details about Otavo has been released.

Enjoy. More detail to follow here soon.

Tags: otavo, Intention Engine


Enough with using music for ring tones already!

When I was playing with my Nokia 6670 setting up custom ring tones for my clients, family, and friends, I came up with a rather neat idea.

I could record myself saying "Amanuel, you have a client on the phone" and set that to my clients group. I did the same for all my other groups and had my phone say who was calling instead of playing some annoying melody.

In the end I had my wife be the voice in the recordings, as I like how she says my name better. ;-)

And when I was at a meeting people were baffled as to how my 'secretary' was able to talk to me. Some thought she was listening to us the whole time...they just could not figure it out.

Even after explaining the whole thing they still were not sure...

It was fun.

Here are some tips:

  • add a little extra silence at the end of the recording so it sounds more natural when the recording loops.

     

  • Find a voice that you like and will recognize in a room full of noise.

     

  • Set the ringing to be ascending in volume, it will give the effect that the person is repeating themselves cause they were not heard.

     

Add in the comments here if you have additional tips or experiences you would like to share.


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Otavo is coming...

Hint on what Otavo is about: (a limerick)

There was a young man who said: "Damn!
It seems to me that I am
An engine which moves
On pre-determinate grooves
I'm not even a bus; I'm a tram!"

Limerick II

The young fellow then thought, “No,
It is not necessarily so,
The argument fails,
I can lay my own rails,
And go where I want to go."

Tag: otavo


"Web 2.0 doesn't exist" post kicks up a ruckus

"Web 2.0 doesn't exist" post kicks up a ruckus by ZDNet's Russell Shaw -- Man, did I raise a storm of controversy with my Web 2.0? It doesn't exist post[...]

Richard MacManus had similar sentiments as well.

It is exactly the reason why we started the Intentional web Initiative.


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