WebTechInfo

Yahoo Deepens Friendship with Facebook

2009-12-02T06:54:00.000-08:00

December 2, 2009
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/yahoo-deepens-friendship-with-facebook/?ref=technology

In this article by Brad Stone he talks about the deepened partnership between Face book and yahoo. Beginning some time in the first half of 2010 they will start crossing their streams which is the flow of real-time updates from a person’s sphere of online contacts. There is really no money involved but it is a strategic move designed give each company a broader reach of users.

This is very important and it is also funny that there is no money involved because usually these types of deals generally involve some sort of profit making. As it relates to us users it is a very important deal and I feel this sort of hurts google in its attempt to dominate the search engine business. More users are using facebook than ever before and this might make some users who use google switch to yahoo instead.

Velocity of Media Consumption: TV vs. the Web

2009-11-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

November 24, 2009
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/media-velocity.html

This article by Jakob Nielsen he talks about the development in the velocity of media consumption. He starts out talking about the first novel ever written and how slow the pace was because at the time there was nothing else to read so you had all day to read something. Now with T.V. and especially internet all that has changed. Nielsen begins talking about the differences in the way people approach watching television to people surfing the web. He breaks down the Usability, User Experience, Technology, Ownership and many other topics in contrasting T.V. to the Internet. He explains that when watching T.V. you make a decision every 30-120 minutes as suppose to the web where a decision is made every 30-120 seconds. He then wraps up the article with talking about web videos and how they should be only 2-10 minutes which indicates the usage velocity between Web and T.V.
This article is very important we are basically using the web as a mode of communicating and by that we are throwing quick information to others as suppose to us making a movie clip every week to show the class. That process is slow and would surely not be done in a week as suppose to just using a blog to give information. This shows a major difference in the technology of TV and internet because we cannot have a blog on television. We control the web and it is in our hands.

YouTube + Univision = TuTube

2009-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

November 16, 2009
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/youtube-univision-tutube/?ref=technology

In this article by Miguel Helft he talks about Youtube's agreement with spanish television powerhouse Univision. The agreement allows users to view short clips and full-length TV shows from Univision’s three networks, Univision, TeleFutura and Galavision. This is another step by Youtube as continues to acquire rights to more professional content. This also targets one of Youtubes growing audiences and that is latinos in the United States. The two companies will share profits generated through advertisement.

This is a very important deal as we continue to see the evolution of the internet and its expansion from just plain english to more various languages. This however is twist as its not just text that is in spanish now we are seeing the next step in video.

Online Ads Are Booming, if They’re Attached to a Video

2009-11-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

Published: November 10, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/business/media/11adco.html?_r=1&ref=technology

In this article by Brian Stelter he talks about the boom in online ads in regards to video. He goes over the statistics in revenue that online video ads has gone through and how many news sites have been using videos more and more on their homepage. The article talks about how in the next five years video ads will reach a peek of 5.2 billion in 2014 which still pales in comparison with search advertising which is projected to be 16 billion.

This article relates to this class in terms of design for the world wide web because in the recent past about 3 or 4 years ago video on your homepage was said to be a terrible addition to a website. This changes the way we perceive design for the world wide web.

Networks: Sharks and the threat to communications

2009-11-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Published: November 2 2009
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4557b69c-c745-11de-bb6f-00144feab49a,dwp_uuid=4dce8136-4a24-11da-b8b1-0000779e2340.html

In this article by Jessica Twentyman she talks about how most of how communication data is fed through cables at the bottom of the ocean. She talks about how companies rather use subsea cables rather than satellites because they are cheaper in cost. She talks about how cables are damaged by rubbing against rocks, the threat of anchors falling on them and then off course fish bites. She gives information on the life span of those cables being 25 years but with the constant upgrading and demand the life is cut in half to between 10 to 15 years. There are some companies out there who have invested in finding ways to double the capacity of the cables.

Ths article relates to not just this class but to the global empire of internet and communications technology. There have been many instances in other contries like India where internet power has been shut off by damage to underwater cables and whose to say that the same might not happen to us in the US. On a lighter side Trey Parker and Matt Stone Creators of South Park made an episode of what would happen if the internet suddenly stopped working....click here.

Midterm Examination part 2

2009-10-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

1.0 Home
1.1 About Us
1.2 Management
1.3 Corporate Governance

1.3.1 Board of Directors
1.3.1.1 Jeffrey L. Bewkes
1.3.1.2 James L. Barksdale
1.3.1.3 William P. Barr
1.3.1.4 Stephen F. Bollenbach
1.3.1.5 Frank J. Caufield
1.3.1.6 Robert C. Clark
1.3.1.7 Mathias Dopfner
1.3.1.8 Jessica P. Einhorn
1.3.1.9 Michael A. Miles
1.3.1.10 Kenneth J. Novack
1.3.1.11 Deborah C. Wright

1.3.2 Board Leadership and Commitee Structure
1.3.2.1 Policy on Determining the Leadership Structure of the Board of Directors(pdf)
1.3.2.2 Report on Determination of Current Board Leadership Structure (pdf)
1.3.2.3 Stephen F. Bollenbach (1.3.1.4)
1.3.2.4 Robert C. Clark (1.3.1.6)
1.3.2.5 Jessica P. Einhorn (1.3.1.8)
1.3.2.6 Deborah C. Wright (1.3.1.11)
1.3.2.7 Michael A. Miles (1.3.1.9)
1.3.2.8 Frank J. Caufield (1.3.1.5)
1.3.2.9 Mathias Dopfner (1.3.1.7)
1.3.2.10 Deborah C. Wright ( 1.3.1.11, 1.3.2.6)
1.3.2.11 Robert C. Clark (1.3.1.6, 1.3.2.4)
1.3.2.12 James L. Barksdale (1.3.1.2)
1.3.2.13 Frank J. Caufield (1.3.1.5, 1.3.2.8)
1.3.2.14 Jessica P. Einhorn (1.3.1.8, 1.3.2.5)
1.3.2.15 Kenneth J. Novack (1.3.1.10)

1.3.3 Committee Charters, Policies and Reports
1.3.3.1 Audit & Finance (pdf)
1.3.3.2 Compensation & Human Development (pdf)
1.3.3.3 Nominating & Governance (pdf)
1.3.3.4 Policy Regarding Audit Partner Rotation (pdf)
1.3.3.5 Report on Executive Compensation Consultant (pdf)
1.3.3.6 You need Adobe Acrobat to view these files (external website link)

1.3.4 By-Laws
1.3.4.1 Click here for a PDF copy of our By-Laws (pdf)
1.3.4.2 Offices
1.3.4.3 Meetings of Stockholders
1.3.4.4 Board of Directors
1.3.4.5 Committees
1.3.4.6 Officers
1.3.4.7 Indemnification
1.3.4.8 Capital Stock
1.3.4.9 Seal
1.3.4.10 Fiscal Year
1.3.4.11 Waiver of Notice
1.3.4.12 Amendments
1.3.4.13 Miscellaneous

1.3.5 Governance Policy
1.3.5.1 Click here for a complete PDF copy of our governance policy (policy)
1.3.5.2 Board Composition
1.3.5.3 Board Responsibilities
1.3.5.4 Board Meetings
1.3.5.5 Board Committees
1.3.5.6 Director Orientation and Education
1.3.5.7 Corporate Governance Review and Disclosure

1.3.6 Codes of Conduct
1.3.6.1 Download a PDF of the Standards of Business Conduct (pdf)
1.3.6.2 Download a PDF of the Code of Ethics for Senior Executive and Senior Financial Officers (pdf)
1.3.6.3 Download a PDF of the Guidelines for Non-Employee Directors (pdf)
1.3.6.4 Download a PDF of the Policy and Procedures Governing Related Person Transaction (pdf)
1.3.6.5 You need Adobe Acrobat to view these files (external website link, 1.3.3.6 )

1.3.7 Contact Board of Directors

1.4 Citizenship
1.5 Businesses
1.6 Investor Relations
1.7 Newsroom
1.8 Careers

Midterm Examination part 1

2009-10-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

1. What is the single most important distinguishing characteristic that makes a website a blog? (What makes a blog a blog?)

The most distinguishing characteristic that makes a website a blog is that it has an author and you basically get the information or whatever the topic is straight from the source.

2. What are the three primary areas an information architect must consider in preparing any website? (Often represented as sections of the Venn diagram on the board.)

Contact, Content and Users

3. Name two exact (not ambiguous or subjective) organization schemes that can be used in Web navigation.

Chronoligical Navigation and Alphabetic navigation

4. A list of links on a library website that offers a users choices such as "How do I get my library card?" and "How do I check out a book?" is an example of what type of navigation?

Instructional navigation

5. The options on the top of the City Tech website's home page ("Prospective Students," "Faculty and Staff," etc.) are an example of what sort of navigation scheme?

Category

Mozilla Throws Its Weight Behind Improving Web Type, Adopts WOFF for Firefox

2009-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2009
http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Mozilla_Throws_Its_Weight_Behind_Improving_Web_Type__Adopts_WOFF_for_Firefox

In this article written by Michael Calore he talks about how Mozilla which owns Firefox have adapted a new method called Web Open Font Format (WOFF) for the newest version of firefox (3.6) due out at the end of this year. By adopting this method Firefox users will hopefully be able to see an even greater diversity of fonts on web pages. What makes WOFF great is that WOFF fonts are compressed, so they download faster, and they include support for tags and other unencrypted metadata. There are still some concerns over how exactly its going to work for like older machines.

This article relates to this class in that as we did a survey earlier in the semester and found that most of the students in our class use Firefox as their browser. As a matter of fact I'm currently posting this blog on blogger using Firefox. Blogs can look better and feel better with different variations of fonts but then again next semesters class are going to be the lucky ones using Firefox 3.6.

The Web’s Inventor Regrets One Small Thing

2009-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2009, 3:31 pm
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/the-webs-inventor-regrets-one-small-thing/?ref=technology

In this article by Steve Lohr he talks about a conversation he had with the person who created the web. In it he talks about how the inventor Tim Berners-Lee had one small regret and that was to have had the double slashed erased from the http://. That was pretty funny but he goes on to talk about how Berners-Lee's new enthusiasm is to have more government data on the web and is currently working with the British government to do just that. He states that the lesson of the web is that making information and simple online tools freely available inevitably fuels innovation.
This article is very important as it relates to this class as the web becomes more and more part of our lives. In this article it is mentioned that the benefits of having more info available online for example having simple mash-ups like combining roadway maps with bicycle accident reports. And as result it lowers the chance of bicyclist being in accidents as they know which roads to avoid. This impacts us as students and as a society.

Will Books Be Napsterized?

2009-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

October 3, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/business/04digi.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=technology&adxnnlx=1254625361-x4QJmX7K0NvRUnbbDpRMeg

In this article by Randall Stross he talks about how E-books are becoming more popular but not because people prefer it more than hard copies or because its cheaper at Amazon.com, but instead its being accessible for free in websites such as RapidFire.com and Megaupload. So this situation mimics what went on with the music industry in that music files were being uploaded and then downloaded for free on napster without any profits going to the artists. The article goes on to talk about how the music industry hasn't recovered from this and how book sales have been affected in the past couple of years. So this begs the question, will books be napstertized?
This article is revelant as it comes across the same topic we discussed in class about google trying to digitized all of the worlds books. The fact that ebooks are being more apparent goes back to whether people still would prefer print over web.

100,000 Google Wave Preview Invites: Everything You Need to Know About Tomorrow's Launch

2009-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

September 29, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2009/09/29/29readwriteweb-100000-google-wave-preview-invites-everythi-85326.html

This article by Frederic Lardinois is about google's new addition to its bundle of features. This new system is called google wave and tomorrow about 100,000 users are going to be given a sneak preview. The article goes over what the feattures are, what features are missing, and some things that still need to be worked out. This new system is like a real time chat room with a mixture of emailing and IM.
This is revelant to this class as we are constantly talking about different ways of communicating. Who knows google wave might be used for this class next semester or be used in a class similar to this one.

A Blogger Makes a Pitch for Supporting Print

2009-09-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/business/media/21atlantic.html?_r=1&ref=technology

This short article by new york times writer Stephanie Clifford talks about a blogger named Andrew Sullivan who used his blog on www.atlantic.com to increase subscription for the print edition of the atlantic magazine. Clifford speaks about how bloggers are often criticized for killing the print media but in this case the opposite is occurring. Lastly Clifford quotes the blogger's words who said, "It’s actually wonderful, I think, that new media can support old media in this way."

This articles examines a topic we spoke about in class on how many people think that print is dieing and that the web will be left standing. Well this articles gives us an example of how that is not necessarily true and that print still has a functionality that the web can never have. The distinction between web and print is clear but preference has yet to be answered.

Digital Health Records: The Hard Road Ahead

2009-09-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2009, 7:19 pm
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/digital-health-records-the-hard-road-ahead/?ref=technology

This article by written by Steve Lohr of the New York Times discusses the implementation of technology into the medical field which today are probably the two most talked about topics. Basically the article goes into detailed numbers on how many health professionals are updating their system to digital but notes that most of the technology doctors are investing on is used for electronic billing as suppose to electronic health records. The article also goes into detail on the cost and the time in takes to implement this system and how many doctors have yet to fully invest in upgrading to digital even with President Obama's passage of a $19 billion incentive program.

This article is relevant as it pertains to how technology is affecting almost every aspects of our lives and how we can use it to make taking care of our lives easier. It also shows how information can be shared much easier and more convenient through technology and using the web.