Posted by
Al Nyveldt in
Software on Aug 28, 2009 |
1 responses I’m pretty late this this game, but… I got here in the end. I needed to make a few mockups recently and I wasn’t really excited about any of the options that I had before me.
Until this time around, I used my trusty pencil and paper or white board depending on the situation. This was always less than ideal and my attempts to use software to build them always took way to much time to do the same thing. This time around, I gave Balsamiq Mockups a try. It was exactly what the mockup experience should be.
The simple interface made the process take just about the same amount of time as using a whiteboard. You drag and drop buttons, controls, etc right into your work space. Double click to edit the default text and done. While this may take a slight bit longer, it has the advantage that you can just move the items on the screen with your mouse instead of having to erase and redraw. The resulting mockups have a hand drawn feel to them which gives the feel of mockup as well. I was able to quickly make a few mockups of forms AND when I was done I had a nice electronic copy to share with my client.
Balsamiq Mockups runs on Adobe AIR so it runs great on a Mac, PC and in a web browser. ( I used the desktop version on my Mac, but I did install the desktop version on my PC so I’m ready for next time.)
Disclaimer: I received a free license to this product. I didn’t need a license to do the work I did with it or to make the fine mockup you see before you, but I did get one so I wanted to be upfront.
Posted by
Al Nyveldt in
Software on May 28, 2009 |
3 responses 
I've been a big fan of my iPhone since I got it back in October 2007. It was a game changing device for me back then. I went from carrying a phone and an iPod to work to a single device. I had mobile web browsing, good email access, and a solid phone which was a major upgrade from my Audiovox Smartphone and I could load up my audio as well.
After 3rd party apps became a reality, I've slowly started to add some to my device. As I was driving home from work today, I was thinking about all the different ways the iPhone has change my work day. Since most people are already aware of the included iPhone apps, I thought I'd share some of the 3rd party apps I use on a regular basis and have added them into my routine.
Todo - This is the most expensive iPhone app I've purchased and it is also the one I'd miss the most if I lost my iPhone. The iPhone doesn't have a good todo list option and I really need something to help me management my tasks. I've become a huge fan of Remember the Milk (RTM) for managing all my tasks, but the RTM iPhone app just wasn't exactly what I wanted. Todo is. Someday I'll likely write a detailed post on my task management process which after many years of struggles, I'm really happy with.
Jobs – Jobs is basically a fancy timer. It helps me keep track of time I spend working for clients. I keep my hours log right there and I don't have to bother to remember how long I spent on this, I simply need to start and stop the timer. I got onto this system using the Freshbooks app, but since I stopped using Freshbooks, Jobs is my time tracker of choice. This is another area that I always struggled with until I got into a system with the iPhone.
Bible - I really like reading the Bible on my iPhone for some reason. I think it was the first app I downloaded and I still use it all the time. I haven't tried any Bible apps other than this one, but I can’t imagine finding anything better. I love how I quickly change versions of the Bible and search to find the verse I was looking for. It is a great reading or studying tool.
Simplify Music 2 - This is an incredible app. I have an 8GB iPhone and I like to leave space for music, podcasts, audiobooks, apps, and files. I don't get to carry all the music I might want to listen to while at work or on the road, but with this app, I can just stream it off of my Mac or PC at home.
Air Sharing - I picked this one up when it was a free app while I thought it was neat I didn't realize the flexibility it gave me. Its basic function is to give you a wireless "USB key", but when you put files on it, you can read them or listen to them as needed. I use the file transfer on occasion as it is a nice option, but I'm more likely to download something I want to listen to on the way home from work or read a document I stored on it from this app. I use this the least of the apps listed here, but I'm always amazed by how it really transforms the iPhone to a computer in my mind. I no longer need to move the file to PC or sync it up to actually access the file.
There are other apps that I use on a regular basis, but I don't view them as routine changing. What iPhone apps have really changed your work habits?
This week, the Live Writer team released the first release candidate for Live Writer 2009. The latest version has continue to build on the betas from the fall and is just a really nice blogging tool. The update has a new look and bunch of new stuff you can read about other places, but I wanted to write about the new server-side tagging feature that is available for the BlogEngine.NET bloggers using 1.4.5.9 and beyond.
When using the newest Live Writer and a fairly current build of BlogEngine.NET you will get a new Tags entry box right next to the categories drop down. While BlogEngine.NET users have always been able to enter tags in Live Writer using the Keywords box, the new box does a lookup as you type so you can see the tags you’ve already entered and select them from a list. Our complete tag list button is still available for viewing all your tags, but this new list is pretty handy.
I really like the way the Live Writer team is pushing the API and allowing developers to enhance the Live Writer experience. If the cool stuff Live Writer allows your favorite blog software to do isn’t enough, there are 100s of plug ins that add even more functionality. I look forward to seeing what new functionality they offer us next.
Many moons ago, I asked for some testers for my BlogEngine.NET Provider Migration tool and I’m finally getting back to everyone with a tool you can use to move your BlogEngine data from one backend to another. If you’ve been using XML and wish you could start using VistaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, or even MySQL, this is your chance. If you started with a database and wanted to get back to XML, this tool should be able to help you too. Lastly, if you are a database such as SQL Server and wanted to go the simplicity of SQLite, this process can likely help you as well.
The process is simple. You configure the new provider you’d like to use. The tool will copy most of your blog data from your current provider to another provider you select. Once it is finished, you change your default provider in your web.config. The process will leave your current data in place after it makes the copy so you will still have it in case something isn’t right.
You might have noticed I wrote “most of your blog data” above. This is because the tool only transfers your blog posts, pages, settings, and ping services. Widget data, extension data, and user data is not dealt with. If you are transferring your membership and roles at the same time, you’ll need to set up your users and passwords again.
Full details on my Provider Migration Instructions and Tool page. Good luck switching over.
Link: BlogEngine.NET Provider Migration Instructions and Tool
Well, a while back, I promised to release a method for helping people move their BlogEngine data from XML to a database or the other way around. I gotten a lot of requests for this code, but I’ve been plenty busy with other things so it has just sat here until last week. I cleaned up my code and I was surprised to see how little of it was left. Anyway, I’m testing it now on my data, but I’d like to find a few more testers before I make it more widely available.
The method I use actually will move your blog data from any current BlogEngine BlogProvider data to another. So you could potentially transfer from SQL Server to SQLite or from MySQL to XML as well as XML to some database. It will leave your original data source intact of course, so the migration is actually a fine way to make a backup of your blog data as well. The tool however is only for 1.4.5 users.
Anyway, if you are interested in giving this a try, leave me a comment below or send me an email. Let me know what migration you are interested in testing (how your data currently is stored and what you want to convert to) in your message. I’ll pick a few testers, leaning toward those methods I want to see tested the most, and contact them with instructions in the next day or so.
Remember testers do not have to move to the new data source, it will just be making a copy. You can chose to use that copy later, just delete it, or ignore it. I just would like a few people willing to test and to get back to me with their results and feedback within 2 days of receiving it. The process should take under 15 minutes. (My blog takes under 3 minutes from setup to completion.)
If all goes well, I’ll get some feedback from the testers quickly and have the process available by the end of the week.