Web Professional Minute

 

 An Event Apart: Interview with Jonathan Worent Senior Developer, Online Innovative Creations: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 An Event Apart: Interview with Jonathan Worent Senior Developer, Online Innovative Creations: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m moving on from the media coverage of the Adobe Max conference to other Web design events taking place around the U.S. For today’s podcast, I connected up with Jonathan Worent, Senior Developer Online Innovative Creations (OIC) Group, Inc. Jonathan participated in the AnEventApart Conference that took place in Chicago, Illinois that took place last week.

In addition to having a great time, Jonathan met a number of speakers including Jeffrey Zeldman and Andy Clarke and Dan Cederholm. In this interview Jonathan shares a few walkways that he intends to implement with his customers right away.

Check out the three minute interview on today’s Web Professional Minute.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by WebProTraining.org. WOW is pleased to announce the availabilty of the Creating Accessible Web Forms Course. Creating web forms that are accessible to people with disabilities requires understanding of the labeling features of HTML markup and how browsers interpret labeling markup for assistive technologies like screen readers. The online course is being taught by Dr. Gunderson University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. The course also provides great value and is highly reccomended by Web professionals worldwide.

WOW members will receive a discounted rate of $150.00. Check out all of the details on the Web Pro Training website and register today!

Check out all of the great links on the Web Professional Minute Website.

 

 Interview with Terence Carroll: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Interview Mark Niemann-Ross, Adobe: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Interview Duane Nickul, Adobe: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Marc Thiele-.Interview Adobe Max: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Final coverage of MAX 2009

I spent a few days roaming the conference halls at the Adobe Max Conference in search of the goings on from an attendee and a conference speaker point of view. For me personally, I enjoy the hallway discussions just as much if not more than the session presentations. I’m always amazed by the insights that I pick up on from simply asking people to summarize what they learned either in a session or the event.

For today’s podcast, I have a series of interviews to share ranging from an attendee and Adobe evangelist points of view. I’m hopeful that you will glean a glimpse of the trends in the Web profession from the lenses of those attending as well as the “movers and shakers” that make up our industry today.

Interviews:

• Terrance Carrol, Independent Web Developer from Fortis Digital-Las Vegas
• Marc Neiman Ross, Developer Evangelist at Adobe Systems, Inc
• Duane Nickull Platform Evangelist for Adobe
• Marc Thiele, Flash Forum Germany

Check out the three minute interview on today’s Web Professional Minute.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by WebProTraining.org. WOW is pleased to announce the availabilty of the Creating Accessible Web Forms Course. Creating web forms that are accessible to people with disabilities requires understanding of the labeling features of HTML markup and how browsers interpret labeling markup for assistive technologies like screen readers. The online course is being taught by Dr. Gunderson University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. The course also provides great value and is highly reccomended by Web professionals worldwide.

WOW members will receive a discounted rate of $150.00. Check out all of the details on the Web Pro Training website and register today!

Check out all of the great links on the Web Professional Minute Website.

 

 Google Analytics vs. Omniture: “Owning your own Data” QandA session with Kevin Lynch, CTO Adobe.: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Google Analytics vs. Omniture: “Owning your own Data” QandA session with Kevin Lynch, CTO Adobe: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today’s podcast is a final in a series of podcast of the media coverage of the Adobe Max Conference. I sat in on a QandA session with Kevin Lynch, CTO Adobe where he was asked to explain the differences between Google Analytics and Omniture. Adobe as you may recall, has agreed to buy Ominiture and it appears that they have a billion reasons why they would want to. For today’s podcast, Kevin explains them in detail.

Check out the three minute interview on today’s Web Professional Minute.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by WebProTraining.org. WOW is pleased to announce the availabilty of the Creating Accessible Web Forms Course. Creating web forms that are accessible to people with disabilities requires understanding of the labeling features of HTML markup and how browsers interpret labeling markup for assistive technologies like screen readers. The online course is being taught by Dr. Gunderson University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. The course also provides great value and is highly reccomended by Web professionals worldwide.

WOW members will receive a discounted rate of $150.00. Check out all of the details on the Web Pro Training website and register today!

Check out all of the great links on the Web Professional Minute Website.

About Adobe Acquiring Omniture

Combined Company Will Deliver Comprehensive Solutions for Creation, Delivery and Optimization of Content and Applications

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) and Omniture, Inc. (Nasdaq:OMTR) today announced the two companies have entered into a definitive agreement for Adobe to acquire Omniture in a transaction valued at approximately $1.8 billion on a fully diluted equity-value basis. Under the terms of the agreement, Adobe will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Omniture for $21.50 per share in cash. Adobe’s acquisition of Omniture furthers its mission to revolutionize the way the world engages with ideas and information. By combining Adobe’s content creation tools and ubiquitous clients with Omniture’s Web analytics, measurement and optimization technologies, Adobe will be well positioned to deliver solutions that can transform the future of engaging experiences and e-commerce across all digital content platforms and devices. The combination of the two companies will increase the value Adobe delivers to customers. For designers, developers and online marketers, an integrated workflow — with optimization capabilities embedded in the creation tools — will streamline the creation and delivery of relevant content and applications. This optimization will enable advertisers, advertising agencies, publishers and e-tailers to achieve greater ROI from their digital media investments and improve their end users’ experiences.

About Kevin Lynch, Chief Technology Officer Senior Vice President, Experience & Technology Organization

As chief technology officer and senior vice president, Experience & Technology Organization, Kevin Lynch oversees Adobe’s experience design and core technology across business units. This role includes driving Adobe’s technology platform for designers and developers across desktops and devices, including Adobe® Flash® Player, Portable Document Format (PDF), Adobe Flex® and Adobe AIR™, the cross-operating system application runtime that bridges the computing power and data capabilities of the desktop with the real-time dynamic capabilities of the web. He also oversees Adobe’s developer relations program, including the integration of customers and partners in the development process through Adobe Labs and customer advisory councils.

Prior to being named CTO in 2008, Lynch served as senior vice president and chief software architect for Adobe’s Platform Business Unit. Lynch joined Adobe through the company’s 2005 acquisition of Macromedia, Inc., where he served as chief software architect and president of product development. He headed up the creation of the company’s mobile and devices group and served as general manager of the web publishing group. Lynch also oversaw the initial development of Macromedia® Dreamweaver®, a leading web development product.

Before joining Macromedia in 1996, Lynch worked for General Magic, where he pioneered a navigational user interface for handheld communicators. Previously, he designed the user interface and developed the first Macintosh release of FrameMaker® software for Frame Technology, later acquired by Adobe. While at the University of Illinois, Lynch developed early Macintosh applications, including a desktop publishing program that introduced user interface elements in common use today.

Lynch holds three patents with others currently pending, and he is involved in Adobe’s international standards efforts with organizations such as the W3C, ECMA and ISO. Lynch studied interactive computer graphics at the University of Illinois, working with artists and engineers in the Electronic Visualization Laboratory.

 

 Adobe Flash Platform, Web Standards Interview: Jeremy Schultz, Independent Web Designer : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Last week WOW participated in the Adobe MAX 2009 conference that took place in downtown Los Angeles, CA. The goal for WOW’s participation was to report to WOW members and to the subscribers of this podcast the goings on, where the industry is heading, the trends and the skills that will keep Web professionals employed for sometime to come.

To that end, I reached out to interview Adobe’s executives and those attendees exiting the keynotes and sessions. For today’s podcast, I have an interview with Jeremy Schultz, independent Web designer from West Des Moines, Iowa regarding his take on the event and the Adobe Flash Platform Keynote that we sat in on and how designing with Web standards fits into the overall Flash Platform mix.

According to Adobe, the Adobe® Flash® Platform is an integrated set of technologies surrounded by an established ecosystem of support programs, business partners, and enthusiastic user communities. Together, they provide everything you need to create and deliver the most compelling applications, content, and video to the widest possible audience.

Check out the three minute interview on today’s Web Professional Minute.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by WebProTraining.org. WOW is pleased to announce the availabilty of the Creating Accessible Web Forms Course. Creating web forms that are accessible to people with disabilities requires understanding of the labeling features of HTML markup and how browsers interpret labeling markup for assistive technologies like screen readers. The online course is being taught by Dr. Gunderson University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. The course also provides great value and is highly reccomended by Web professionals worldwide.

WOW members will receive a discounted rate of $150.00. Check out all of the details on the Web Pro Training website and register today!

Check out all of the great links on the Web Professional Minute Website.

 

 Adobe MAX 2009: Interview with Bob Flynn, Manager IT Community Partnerships at Indiana University: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today’s podcast is a continuation of WOW’s media coverage of the Adobe Max conference that took place in Los Angeles, CA October 4-7, 2009. To get a better sense for the value proposition of attending the week long event from a university perspective, I sat down with Bob Flynn, Manager IT Community Partnerships at Indiana University.

In this three minute interview, Bob shares the value of attending the event, the value to the university from a teaching perspective, the value to students ranging from from the creative, technical scientific and the value to the universities research projects utilizing RIA resources.

Bob ask that Web professionals and those that teach check out the BFlex 09 Conference October 24-25, 2009 on the Indiana University Campus

Bob also announces the availability of Web professional training open to teachers and students. If you’re looking for affordable hands on training consider checking out the BFLEX conference

The event is offering Flash Camps, Cold Fusion like BFusion and BFlex and hands on training for around $ 10.00.

What: Two days of hands-on training from the experts in Adobe Flex and ColdFusion.
ColdFusion — October 24, 2009
Flex —
When: October 25, 2009
Where: Bloomington, Indiana

For additional information check out the BFlex conference website

Check out the full three minute podcast on today’s Web Professional Minute.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by the Nokia Corporation and their Nokia Web Runtime (WRT) Extension for Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 software making the creation of mobile WRT widgets for supporting Nokia devices easier then ever. Through the Nokia Ovi Store and Adobe AIR Marketplace, developers and designers have an easy way to engage, build and publish their content to Nokia mobile device customers. For additional information check out the Nokia Forum.

 

 Adobe MAX: Interview with Ted Patrick, Senior Evangelist Platform at Adobe: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today’s Podcast is a continuation of WOW’s media coverage of the Adobe MAX conference 2009 Los Angeles, CA. Adobe promised an event that would connect, discover and inspire. I walked away with all of that and much more.

Although the keynote on day one kicked off a little late, the professionals at Adobe recovered with an uncanny ability to regroup, refocus and shine.

For Web professionals, Adobe MAX is part design, development and business. Candidly, I can’t recall a time in the eleven years that I’ve been managing the WOW organization that I’m walking away from a conference with something for everyone. Over the course of the next few days, I’d like to expand on that. I’d also like to provide you with a series of interviews why I think this conference provided solutions for designers, developers, those that teach and mission critical business applications that will keep Web professionals like us for a long time.

For today’s podcast, I caught up with Ted Patrick, Senior Evangelist Platform at Adobe. Ted shares his thoughts on the content, the develop and the design community and jobs.

Check out the full five minute podcast on today’s Web Professional Minute. Check out the video of Adobe’s FedEx demo on the YouTube Video below:

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by the Nokia Corporation and their Nokia Web Runtime (WRT) Extension for Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 software making the creation of mobile WRT widgets for supporting Nokia devices easier then ever. Through the Nokia Ovi Store and Adobe AIR Marketplace, developers and designers have an easy way to engage, build and publish their content to Nokia mobile device customers. For additional information check out the Nokia Forum.

 

 RIA, SOA and the Enterprise - Interview with Duane Nickull, Senior Evangelist at Adobe : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 RIA, SOA and the Enterprise: Interview with Duane Nickull, Senior Evangelist at Adobe : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today’s podcast is a continuation of the media coverage of the Adobe MAX 2009 conference taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center downtown Los Angeles, CA. Today’s topic is Rich Internet Application, (RIA) Service Oriented Architecture, (SOA) and the Enterprise.

To assist me in the process of better understanding the topic from a Web designer, Web developer and from the business value proposition perspective, I sat down with Duane Nickull, Senior Evangelist at Adobe.

Duane’s an accomplished Web professional and a main focus of his professional career has been working for both the United Nations CEFACT committee and OASIS for the purposes of writing and building new architectures for global integration of multiple systems. Since 1996, Duane also has been working on multiple enterprise architectures including many service oriented architectures (SOA) within various standards bodies including W3C, UN/CEFACT, OASIS and others. Duane has also contributed to many SOA papers and articles on service oriented architecture.

Check out the full three minute podcast on today’s Web Professional Minute.

Check out Duanes blog for additional information abut Duane and his rants, rave and event coverage.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by the Nokia Corporation and their Nokia Web Runtime (WRT) Extension for Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 software making the creation of mobile WRT widgets for supporting Nokia devices easier then ever. Through the Nokia Ovi Store and Adobe AIR Marketplace, developers and designers have an easy way to engage, build and publish their content to Nokia mobile device customers. For additional information check out the Nokia Forum.

About Rich Internet applications (RIAs)

According to Wikipedia, Rich Internet applications (RIAs) are web applications that have most of the characteristics of desktop applications, typically delivered by way of standards based web browser plug-ins or independently via sandboxes or virtual machines.[1] Examples of RIA frameworks include Curl, GWT, Adobe Flash/Adobe Flex/AIR, Java/JavaFX, uniPaaS, Mozilla’s XUL and Microsoft Silverlight.

The term was introduced in March 2002 by vendors like Macromedia who were addressing limitations at the time in the “richness of the application interfaces, media and content, and the overall sophistication of the solutions” by introducing proprietary extensions.[5][dubious – discuss] As web standards (such as HTML 5) have developed and web browsers’ compliance has improved there is still need for such extensions, when companies want to bring a truly high-end, seamless experience to their users. Javascript compilers with their associated desktop-like widget sets reduce the need for browser extensions even further. HTML 5 delivers a pseudo-application platform. It is still not possible to build RIA-like Web applications that run in all modern browsers without the need of special run-times or plug-ins. This means that if one could run a modern Ajax-based Web application outside of a web browser (e.g. using Mozilla Prism or Fluid) it would essentially be an RIA, though there is some contention as to whether this is actually the case.

About Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)

In computing, service-oriented architecture (SOA) provides a set of principles of governing concepts used during phases of systems development and integration. Such an architecture will package functionality as interoperable services: software modules provided as a service can be integrated or used by several organizations, even if their respective client systems are substantially different. It is an attempt to develop yet another means for software module integration. Rather than defining an API, SOA defines the interface in terms of protocols and functionality. An endpoint is the entry point to such an SOA implementation. Service-orientation requires loose coupling of services with operating systems, and other technologies that underlie applications. SOA separates functions into distinct units, or services[1], which developers make accessible over a network in order to allow users to combine and reuse them in the production of applications. These services communicate with each other by passing data from one service to another, or by coordinating an activity between two or more services. SOA can be seen as a sort of continuum, as opposed to distributed computing or modular programming.

 

 Adobe Max 2009 Keynote Day 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m in Los Angeles, CA today participating in Adobe MAX 2009. For today’s podcast, I’d like to share with you the first few minutes of the Keynote with Shantanu Narayen, Adobe CEO as well as few of the big announcements.

The theme is clearly mobile Web. Here’s a summary of today’s highlights with a few links:

• Adobe Opens iPhone to Flash Developers
• Adobe Unveils First Full Flash Player for Mobile Devices and PCs
• RIM joins Open Screen Project
• Adobe and NVIDIA Deliver Rich Web Experiences on Netbooks and Mobile Devices
• Adobe and Qualcomm Bring Full Flash Player to Next-Generation for Mobile Devices
• Nokia and Adobe Bring New Flash Applications to Mobile Phones and Other Devices
• Adobe Unveils LiveCycle Enterprise Suite 2
• Adobe Flash Platform Speeds Web Innovation Across Desktops and Devices
• Adobe ColdFusion 9 Now Available

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by WebProTraining.org. WOW is pleased to announce the availabilty of the Creating Accessible Web Forms Course. Creating web forms that are accessible to people with disabilities requires understanding of the labeling features of HTML markup and how browsers interpret labeling markup for assistive technologies like screen readers. The online course is being taught by Dr. Gunderson University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. The course also provides great value and is highly reccomended by Web professionals worldwide.

WOW members will receive a discounted rate of $150.00. Check out all of the details on the Web Pro Training website and register today!

Check out all of the great links on the Web Professional Minute Website.

 

 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today’s podcast is a continuation of WOW’s media coverage of the Web Accessibilty Conference that took place at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign campus last week. For today’s podcast, I’m on the phone with Victor Tsaran Senior Accessibility Program Manager at Yahoo.

Victor was the Keynote speaker at the conference and presented on a variety of Web acessibility topics including the value of accessibility for all. For your information, we are posting an FLV video file with an image of Victor, an audio podcast and notes below compliments of Professor Mark DuBois, WOW Education Director that sat in on the conference as an attendee.

Check out the six minute podcast on today’s Web Professional Minute website.

According to Professor DuBois’s notes, Victor shares his personal thoughts, years of experience on the topic and resources:

* Personal struggles
* Uses assistive technology
* Relies on everyday basis
* Read books, look up menus
* Technology more than just a toy
* Essential for livelihood
* For people who don’t have disability that can do everyday things technology is a choice
* Grab a book, turn on the light decide to read book or computer
* For people with disabilities, technology is essential. Up to point of cooking can’t use microwave if no tactile labels.
* Won’t know if something is charging if no beep to hear it is charging
* Technology makes life easier for everyone, for some people it makes their life meaningful
* Speak every week at new hire orientation ay Yahoo
* Lots of people join Yahoo and think they will be rich
* People talk about security and so forth
* Couldn’t see how accessibility fits into program (orientation) at Yahoo
* Has to do a lot with how we present
* Tests for new hires have them write a bunch of numbers 60 million people with disabilities, 16 million in US. And so forth
* Want to get word accessibility into their mind from first day
* People ask often how many blind people use Yahoo innocent question. Myth is that people want to know numbers before they have done anything
* If don’t build store in accessible way and people can’t get into store, how can you ask how many people with disabilities use store
* How would you know if person is blind using Yahoo. Think about making site accessible first, then focus on how many people use accessible features. Have to invest first.

Myths that exist today

1. People think accessibility is hard to implement. Yes, it is, but a lot of things are not all that difficult. Simple stuff alternate text to images so simple should not talk about it, but people still forget.

2. Accessibility will screw up beautiful design on website. Answer is no, but there are some cases where answer is yes. Design from the start. Think visual design separate from content. Can do what want with visual design, still keep content intact and everyone has great experience.

3. Have to comply with every guideline. Personal view not necessary. Guidelines only get you so far. Lots of websites claim 508 compliance after running through validator. Not every guideline may apply to your website. Less about guidelines, more about functionality. Guidelines are there to keep you on the right track. As long as users go to what you build and love their experience, no worries. Keep users happy. Put people first. They should have fun using what you built.

4. This is all great, but no idea how this technology works. Not a screen reader user doesn’t make much sense not my world. If visual learner hard to work with screen reader. Used to scanning for information visually. Will never feel native to you. Hard to test what you have built. Must involve actual users of the technology. Otherwise, will waste a great deal of time. Grab a couple of users and ask for their feedback. Help us test drive the application. They may tell you things you may never have thought of. Find out what you enjoy about process focus on that. Use that as main driving force for web accessibility. Yahoo is about innovation people don’t like to be told what to do. There are limits, but they want to innovate. Don’t tell them you have to comply with certain guidelines. Developers should be proud of what they have built. Demo one or two things built at Yahoo.

Complicated interactions can be made accessible. Web 2.0 pushing boundaries of user experience. Lot of angry screen reader users who don’t like usdoing what we are doing. Need to educate users as well.
Screen Reader tools NVDA open source screen reader for Windows. Not using JAWS. NVDA is free open source.
Download and play with it. Most precise not forgiving. http://www.nvdaproject.org/
http://www.yahoo.com

My favorites added recently http://m.www.yahoo.com/ search screen is pretty busy. Did search for origami using NVDA When module expands move focus this goes to top of module and screen reader can announce heading. When collapse, focus is back before. People will not get disoriented. http://developer.yahoo.com/ YUI widgets get accessibility for free. Yahoo Pipes visual programming language for processing feeds. Will this become accessible? Pipes is presently in maintenance mode. Refactoring into other products. Don’t need to rely on new technologies like ARIA. Firebug is now accessible so this may happen. 3rd party vendors don’t often give sufficient metadata so can make it accessible. Ads pushed back to agencies big problem.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by WebProTraining.org. WOW is pleased to announce the availabilty of the Creating Accessible Web Forms Course. Creating web forms that are accessible to people with disabilities requires understanding of the labeling features of HTML markup and how browsers interpret labeling markup for assistive technologies like screen readers. The online course is being taught by Dr. Gunderson University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. The course also provides great value and is highly reccomended by Web professionals worldwide.

WOW members will receive a discounted rate of $150.00. Check out all of the details on the Web Pro Training website and register today!

Check out all of the great links on the Web Professional Minute Website.

 

 Web Accessibilty:Interview with Jon Gunderson, Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Web Accessibilty:Interview with Jon Gunderson, Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For today’s podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jon Gunderson, Ph.D. Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology Accessibility at the College of Applied Health Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.

Dr. Gunderson is a long standing member of the WOW organization and teaches the popular online Web Accessibility Web Forms Course for Web professionals. I caught up with Dr. Gunderson at the Illinois Accessibility Conference he was hosting on the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.

Keynoting the event was Victor Trasan, Accessibility Engineer Yahoo and the topics of the conference ranged from:

* Captioning Video Content Screen Reader and Disability Simulation Demonstration
* Web Accessibility and Usability Go Hand In Hand
* Adobe PDF Accessibility using Acrobat and Common Look
* Screen Reader and Disability Simulation Demonstration
* Adobe Flash Accessibility

Check out the three minute podcast on today’s Web Professional Minute website.

A full transcript will follow in twenty for hours.

Today’s Web Professional Minute is sponsored by WebProTraining.org. WOW is pleased to announce the availabilty of the Creating Accessible Web Forms Course. Creating web forms that are accessible to people with disabilities requires understanding of the labeling features of HTML markup and how browsers interpret labeling markup for assistive technologies like screen readers. The online course is being taught by Dr. Gunderson University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. The course also provides great value and is highly reccomended by Web professionals worldwide.

WOW members will receive a discounted rate of $150.00. Check out all of the details on the Web Pro Training website and register today!

Check out all of the great links on the Web Professional Minute Website.