Life
Imitating
Design

Getting a professional, updatable website is now easier than ever.

Manage it Yourself

NBurman Design is proud to be a reseller for SiteCM, the content management system by ideaLEVER.

SiteCM is a professional, solid and supported system that allows you to make all changes to the site after it is built. No more update charges – you make the changes when you need them done. It’s simple to use, but ideaLEVER will still provide training at site launch, plus provide support for the life of the site.

Get a demo of SiteCM here.

Real Training

When the site is complete, you get real, live training from a real, live person. No more forum hunting, Googling questions or bugging your IT department (who have no idea about webdesign anyhow).

You will learn how to login to your site, update the text, images, contact forms – even the rotating images in the head can be easily edited.

If you’ve used a word processor, you’ll have no trouble with SiteCM. And even if you haven’t, after the training is done, you’ll practically be an expert!

Real Support

With open source (so-called Free) content management systems, there is no one to call. If you have a problem, you find a nice, friendly forum, post your message and wait for somebody with a name like L33t_R4id3r1987 to quit playing Doom and reply to your post.

NBurman Design doesn’t believe in open source content management, because businesses need real solutions.

That’s why there is a toll-free hotline for all SiteCM customers, which is answered by the person who will actually help you.

No number pushing, no waiting on hold.

The Site You Get is Yours.

Looking good on the web doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. At NBurman Design, we design all our sites from scratch. No templates, and no cookie cutters.

Easy to Buy

NBurman Design takes the guesswork out of pricing and ordering websites. You choose the size of site you need – no surprise endings here!

All sites include:

• research of competition so that you fit in the industry, yet stand out from the rest.
• clean, SEO friendly code makes your site easy to maintain and easier to find online.
• three designs. We may be the pros, but it’s still your site. You still get some input!
• photo preparation. All images are made to load fast in any browser.
• no templates. The site you get is yours.

If you have questions about how websites are built,
contact us. We will be glad to answer any questions about workflow, procedure, technologies and results.

Camcorders are great for recording video for blogs and online use.

Posting video on YouTube and adding appropriate tags is not only a great way to add value to your own site or blog, but also to attract traffic. In one bold step, you can impress your audience, educate clients, show off your new wares AND draw traffic to your website. Optimizing the video with the right keywords (the ones you are already using in your copy) is always a good idea too. Adding Multimedia to your site doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. This time around, I’ll show you how to record and light video.

Lighting

Standard 3-point lighting. Use for blog videos and interviews.

First and foremost is lighting. Lighting is the most important aspect of any multimedia project, but more so with video. Photographers may be used to using one flash (maybe with a reflector) or available light, particularly sunlight. But video requires some extra attention when it comes to lighting. Thankfully there are some budget methods for lighting, for those of us without unlimited budgets. Remember to look at the scene before shooting. Examine where the light is strong and where the shadows lie. Lighting is not something you are going to correct later very easily, if at all. You will need to get this right first.
Start with a key light and add a lower powered fill light if possible. If you have a third light, add the backing light. A fourth light can also be used to light the background.

Halogen Work Lamp

Like all good ingredients of a budget DIY solution, these are available at any hardware store. They are rated between 150-500 and can be used as a key flood light for lighting large areas. For example, Rona have halogen work lamps for about $15 without a stand; $50 with a stand. The light from these can be rather yellow, so to make it more pleasing (ie closer to white), either purchase a 32K white bulb (ask the friendly people at Rona) or place a blue gel or clear plastic in front of the bulb. Your camera’s white balance will help too,but it’s always best to get things right at the source instead of correcting them later.

Reflectors

To fill in shadows, particularly on the opposite side of a key light, in place of the fill light (see diagram). Almost anything that is white or silver can be used. A quick tour around the house/office/garage/neighbour’s house/neighbour’s garage will probably yield all you need. Some suggestions:

• Windshield sunshade – used to reflect sun in the summer, if you’re lucky enough to live in an area that gets that much sun. If you live in England, try something else.
• Polystyrene sheet or tiles. You may find these in your ceiling. Put them back when you’re done. Don’t say you weren’t reminded.
• Foamcore – available at stationery stores (and some stationary stores too).
• Cardboard with aluminium foil coated on one side.  Baking foil can be easily applied with stick glue or white glue.

The Camera

Most laptops come with webcams built-in, which can be surprisingly high in quality. There is also a large number of after-market, external webcams available. Each will have the resolution stated and the compatibility with operating systems. Stay away from budget models as the frame rate can often be lower. HD video at 7fps (frames per second) is impossible to watch; if you’re posting online, lower resolutions at higher frame rates are preferred. Aim for between 15 and 30fps.
You can also use a camcorder with either a USB 2.0 or Firewire (IEEE1394) connection. Simply plugging it in, switching it to record mode and starting your software will be all you need to do. Naturally, refer to the manual to iron this step out, but once it’s connected it will be able to record straight to your computer. I have had great success with a Sony camcorder, even though it is a few years old. True plug-n-play, for once!

Audio

One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about poor quality video is the standard of the audio. Microphones come in a variety of styles for different applications, but for video you will want to stick to one or two.

Lapel mic

Radioshack sell inexpensive solutions like this tie clip mic. Wireless options will be more pricey, but will make the experience much smoother.

Boom mic

While most handheld mics will be cardioids, a boom mic is usually a condenser attached to a boom. You may see these in DVD outtakes, where the operator has accidentally waved the thing into the shot. Positioned above the actor, these will stay (usually) out of the way and provide high quality audio. This may not exactly be a budget method, but if you have access to one, by all means make use of it.

Copy

Perhaps you don’t have time to memorize your entire script. An easy option is to put it all in a Powerpoint presentation on a laptop positioned near the camera. A remote control held out of camera shot will allow you to switch pages.

Renting Equipment

Alternatively, if you are particularly interested in higher quality video, renting equipment from time to time is an option. For roughly the same price as buying all this lower budget equipment, you could rent a professional rig for a day. Plan the day, get the location and other equipment ready ahead of time, and you’ll be able to shoot a number of short videos that you can then release periodically online.

Software

The most efficient way to record video (on either Windows or Mac platforms) is to use one of the best and easiest to use multimedia applications Quicktime Pro. For $29.99, you will be able to record, edit, encode and upload your video. It also has options for rerecording audio and embedding the finished product into your website or exporting in a format to upload to your blog. If you are a Mac OS X user, Photobooth is a very easy way to record video. For Windows, any software store will have an array of products that will do the job. Remember to look for ease of use and editing capabilites. Forget the list of effects – you won’t need them. And hopefully you won’t use them!
You’re not creating a Lord of the Rings sequel here, simply giving your business some motion, excitement, and a way to spread the word about what you do more efficiently to a wider audience.

Questions

If you have any questions about how to set up your lights, or camera, please ask away. I would be glad to help or at least point you in the right direction. I may be a multimedia expert, but remember that equipment and operating systems vary, as will your mileage.

COMING SOON

How to embed that video using Quicktime, YouTube and maybe some Ductape (keep it handy anyway, you never know when you’ll need it.)

Leave Comments >>

When you need to send piles (or gigabytes) of files, there are better and more friendly ways to do it than sending inbox cramming attachments. Here are a few that will make you popular with your unwitting recipient.

1. iDisk

iDisk is part of the Mobile Me service from Apple, which includes a me.com email address, 20GB of server space (upgradeable), syncing with iCal, Address Book, Safari and other OS X applications and iPhone services. iDisk can be used for backups, storage and file transfer via a public folder accessed with a browser. iDisk can also act just like a drive on your desktop. Don’t think of iDisk as a Mac app. It’s Windows friendly too.

Limit: 20GB Storage / 200 GB Monthly Data Transfer $109 CAN / year (twice the storage/transfer for $50/yr extra)
Cost: $109 CAN Platforms: Mac OSX, Windows More Information

2. Picasa

Picasa is Google’s photo sharing/storing/editing app.

Store and sort you photos on your desktop or phone and upload to online space with the app or browser.

Once online, you can share your photo libraries with email recipients and give them the option to download or comment on your photos. Great for sending clients or friends contact sheets to choose from.

Limit: 1GB (more available) Cost: Free (upgrade to 10GB for $20/yr). Platforms: Mac OSX, Windows, Linux 
More Information

3. FTP

FIle Transfer Protocol requires server space, like the one used to host your website. As long as you have username and password access you can use the space to up and download files and give others access for sharing. For security, it’s always a good idea to have a separate folder and user access for people that you don’t want to be able to poke around your precious HTML. If you only have one username or don’t have permission to create new folders, contact your web developer or hosting company.

Limit: Depends on server. Cost: see hosting company Platforms: All.More Information (Netfirms)

4. Ubuntu One

Ubuntu is a version of Linux (an alternative operating system to Windows or MacOS) that now includes a file sharing service called OneUbuntu. 2GB of space is included for free, with additional space available for purchase.

No extra software is required since all you need is a browser.

Limit: 2GB / 50GB Cost: Free/ $10 per month Platforms: Ubuntu
More Information

5. gDisk

gDisk is software that turns your GMail account into a portable hard drive so you can always have your important files accessible accross the Internet.

Another way to make Google and GMail more useful!

Limit: Approx. 7GB
Cost: Free
Platforms: Mac with GMail account 
More Information

6. Box.Net

Another Free/Upgrade for a fee service, Box.net is also accessible from mobile devices app and has options for business applications.

An extensive and expandable service with a very impressive clientele list.

Limit: 1GB storage.
Cost: Free. Upgrades from $10/month.
Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, iPhone, Blackberry

More Information

7. Accellion

Selling itself on the problems caused by email attachments jamming up email servers, Accellion is available as a service for business, small business and enterprise solutions. They also offer a level of security for all file transfers and storage options. At nearly $4000 per year, this is not an option to chuck a PDF your friend’s way when their email account is full. Designed for scalability, Accellion provides corporations from less than 100 users to more than 100,000 users with flexible deployment options that can grow from a single office to global distributed deployment integrating both on-premise and off-premise in-the-cloud installations.

Limit: 50GB Storage, 100GB Transfer Cost: starting at $3990 More Information

It might not come as much of a surprise to learn (or read) that eye sight is very important to a graphic designer. I hear that it is important to other people too, so no matter which category you fall into (I’m sure it would be one or the other), keep reading.
Ok, now take a break.
Where was I ? Oh yes, eye sight. According to my optometrist, there is 20/20/20 rule when it comes to sitting (living) in front of a computer. Every twenty minutes, look twenty feet away for 20 seconds.
Nothing to it. When the big hand hits the four, I look across the room, count to twenty and get back to burning 72dpi typography and bezier curves into my retinas.
This would be easy if I could only remember to look at the clock every twenty minutes. So I found a little application to do the thinking for me. Or is that nagging? Same thing.

FlexTime from Red Sweater

FlexTime from Red Sweater Software lets you set reminders at any interval you choose. They can repeat, or run once, and alert you with pop-ups or sounds. I have it set to alert me every twenty minutes with a ‘ping’ and pop-up message that says ’20 Second Break’. Naturally, you can ignore it, but it will be back. Another twenty minutes and I’m prompted again.

FlexTime, like anything good, is not free although it does come with a 30-day free trial. $18.95 is pretty close to free when you consider that the alternative is pain, weakened eye muscles and glasses. There are alternatives out there, but this is the one that I found to be the best, cheapest and easiest to use.

So far, this is working very well. I have noticed a marked difference in my eyesight, and no longer get that eyeballs-on-fire feeling after screen-staring for several hours. I suppose I could set another alarm to remind me to blink…

When you are using Microsoft Word (or Excel) to draft documents and are planning on sharing them with others, remember that not everyone has MS Office on their computers.

While some word processors can be compatible with Word documents (identified by the .doc suffix), to see the document as the author intended, a fully working Word clone is needed.

OpenOffice is an open-source version of Microsoft Office, offering full compatibility with all MS documents. Available on Mac, Windows and Linux platforms from Sunn Microsystems.

OpenOffice is a must-have suite of programs. Get it here

Where do you go when you want your beautiful (you’re welcome!) artwork printed in Calgary AB?
Here are some suggestions. Ask about ftp access to upload your files directly.

Sure Print & Copy Centre
www.printcalgary.com
4010 – 17 Ave. S.E.
Calgary AB T2A 0S7
ph: 403 235 1616

Arcprint
www.arcprint.com/
#101, 255 17th Ave. SW
Calgary AB T2S 2T8
ph: 403 228 5155

“Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2 email
application is more powerful than ever.
It’s now even easier to organize,
secure and customize your mail.”

I’ve already established that I’m a Mac user, so I stick with the email client that comes with OS X, Mail. It suits my purposes fine and I can see no reason to change. I use the Rules feature to direct mail to separate folders so that mail is organised the moment it comes in. There are folders for individuals clients, registrations for various websites and online signups, and an Unknown Sender folder that gets all mail from senders that aren’t in my address book.

If you’re not using Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird is the way to capture email. Many people are using Outlook Express under Windows, but OE is a terribly outdated junker that is wrought with problems. It hasn’t been updated in years, unlike everything else on your computer. Thunderbird, on the other hand, is still supported and is constantly being updated. 

One (perhaps small) benefit of Thunderbird, if you happen to use different operating systems, is that it is available for Linux, Windows and OS X. When you switch to another OS, you’re using a familiar email client. 

Read more about Thunderbird

Download Thunderbird

Firefox is looking to set a new world record for the greatest number of downloads in one 24 hr period.  You need Firefox 3 anyhow, so why not be a part of the worlds biggest download? Could be fun!

In the commercials, airline pilots do it at the terminal; musicians do it backstage; hair stylists do it in the back; and Mum is doing it wrong. It’s about time I recycled too.

I’ve been taking my coke and juice bottles back to the depot for years. All those nickels add up quickly, and for years it has been the closest I’ve got to a savings plan.

But now, it’s time to encourage others to take up a habit of mine: recycling type.

The internet, email and text messaging use up a lot of resources – electricity, time and the one that we’ve had for almost as long as time, the alphabet. There are only twenty six letters and we need to learn to use them wisely.

Every time you backspace (oops, there I go again) those letters get lost, never to be seen again. Never to grace the screen or page again. Gone. Forever (ahh, another c bites the dust).

What a waste.

Instead of simply DELETING, try recycling those letters – copy and paste. Take the letters you were going to doom to the waste basket and make them useful again. Instead of backspacing over an entire word (SHOCK!) simply use your arrow keys to go back to where you need to edit.

Education is the key here. Learning to type with a simple online typing course will save you millions of letters in the longterm. Consider investing in a keyboard that enables or at least helps you to type more accurately. Ergonomic keyboards make the task easier on your wrists and elbows, reducing the effects of repetitive stress. As a tendinitis sufferer, I value my curved keyboard a lot more than it’s cash value.

Reduce, reuse and recycle, and do your part in helping the language environment. We want it to be around for our children and their children and their children to enjoy.

If we don’t care for the alphabet, who will?