http://www.cityblogz.com/blog Insightful commentaries, articles, professional projects by Thomas Yung Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:31:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Just got word that Mayo Clinic has an official blog called Sharing Mayo Clinic where patients and employees can share stories about their Mayo experiences.  I welcome Mayo Clinic into the Web 2.0 world.  Of course, part of the blogging experience is subscribing to a news feed, so while you're ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2009/01/22/official-mayo-clinic-blog/ First time ever... 2009 presidential inauguration ceremony live streamed on Hulu.com. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2009/01/18/294/ Go get your Mobile Web Best Practices Flipcards now. These summarize the Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 document. The flipcards are a useful reminder of the sixty guidelines explained in detail in the specification. A PDF version of the cards is available. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/12/21/w3c-mobile-web-best-practices-flip-cards/ I just realized something today. I am not driven by money or power. Instead, I am driven by what I do, my contributions, and peer recognition for the overall success of a project. If given a choice between taking a job that pays $100k and working on something that I ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/12/14/driven/ Pastebud -- Looks like this new iPhone web app called Pastebud is out that does exactly what I had envisioned for the iCopyuPaste web service of mine.  Unfortunately for me and the rest of you out there, I've been swamped with too many other commitments to get mine out there ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/12/11/pastebud-vs-icopyupaste/ After months of working with the Rochester International Association board, we've all decided on the final logo that will be the face of the new website and brand.  It took a while because we wanted to make sure we got it right. The first one listed below was the final ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/12/10/new-ria-logo/ Over the weekend I was invited to see an amazing house that was completely off-the grid, self-sustaining, and incredibly eco-friendly. Christian Milaster designed and built the house from scratch and says that he only pays about $100 a year in utilities. He called the house -- Project Lichtnstein (Light and ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/11/24/project-lichtnstein/ IBM Smart Business -- After two years of work, I and hundreds of other IBM employees finally see the fruits of our labor. Here's a press announcement about the general launch of the IBM Smart Business platform to the public. IBM Launches Smart Business (Nov 18, 2008) Some background into IBM Smart ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/11/20/ibm-smart-business-platform/ This is wonderful news. According to the Apple Developer Connection website,  We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software. We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/10/01/iphone-developer-ndas-lifted/ According to the Netbiscuits blog... The main advantages of client based mobile Web applications are that they provide very good possibilities for graphic design of user interfaces and keep content available even offline. Furthermore, they often show faster reaction times and are sometimes easier to link to other telephone functions such ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/08/14/mobile-device-client-software-vs-mobile-websites/ Head on over to CityBlogz Labs section of the website, to check out the latest code iteration of a user interaction model demo that I'm prototyping.  It is a little bit rough around the edges, but it showcases a little bit of how I envision the Copy and Paste to ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/07/31/icopy-upaste-user-interaction-prototype/ Still no copy and paste for iPhone 2.0. Apple has admittedly said that copy and paste is in the works, but it is not a big priority.  Time to take matters into my own hands by creating a "iCopy uPaste" web service for the iPhone.  I figure it would be ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/07/28/icopy-upaste/ Can you guess what my profession is based on this Wordle image? http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/07/03/my-resume-as-a-wordle/ Some of you may not know, but for the past 1 year and a half, I've had the privilege of working on IBM's Smart Business Platform (BBP) as a GUI developer. Now I get to focus on other assignments (i.e. Rochester International Association's website redesign work). CTG the contracting company ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/06/18/bbp-done-moving-on/ Just take a read at this NYT article entitled "New iPhone Pricing Model Is a Step Backward for Consumers" and it explains exactly why I am not going to be in the market for the new iPhone 2.0.  Apparently, Apple and AT&T have closed off the biggest loophole that existed ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/06/16/why-i-am-not-getting-iphone-20/ Here's an update on the web redesign project under way for Rochester International Association.  These are some logo designs that we are currently brainstorming. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/06/10/ria-example-logo-designs/ Lately, I have found that I rarely have a need to use desktop software for any of my computing needs. These are the online-based services that I have found to be indispensable in my everyday life to organize, communicate, and stay informed. Google Gmail - I can access my mail from ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/06/04/my-cloud-computing-apps/ I've been thinking a lot about how web browsers have become the central strategy for much of Web 2.0 and the Mobile 2.0.  Cloud computing is the next major step for many tech companies' strategic roadmap including IBM. One of the biggest contributors to this surge is Mozilla's Firefox web ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/06/02/why-mozilla-firefox-is-so-popular/ http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/05/25/mobile-web-in-africa-awesome/ Well.. here's my public FriendFeed that you can use to follow everything that I do online. Spooky, eh? If there's only one RSS feed that you want to keep track of my online world, this is it.  Looks like a very promising web service. It allows you to make and keep ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/05/21/cyber-stalking-with-friendfeed/ Looks like I am approved to get started on redesigning the Rochester International Association website. It's been about 4 years since it's last redesign. This is how the website looked like before 2004. I have some interesting ideas for it: Instead of ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/05/14/website-redesign-rochester-international-association/ I found an interesting website called TwitterLocal that will notify you of people that are using Twitter in your city or town. I've already used it to follow up on some local Rochester, Minnesota Twitterers. :-) http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/05/14/twitterlocal/ Here's some press about the Blue Business Platform (a project that I was involved with for the past year and a half). To summarize: IBM said the marketplace will offer pre-integrated products and services from IBM and independent software developers. Customers will be able to use the software they buy ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/05/04/ibm-blue-business-platform-and-google/ Let's make an assumption that your smartphone has built-in Wi-Fi. I'll be bold enough to claim that in a couple of years, Wi-Fi will become standard in smartphones. Wouldn't it be nice that the smartphone knew that upon connecting to an open Wi-Fi hotspot, that it would automatically use the ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/05/01/location-and-network-awareness-for-mobiles/ I firmly believe that the roadmap for mobile web applications has been laid out for us by the likes of the Apple's iPhone, Nokia's N95, Google's Android, Mozilla's Fennec, and more others to follow.  Currently, designing for the mobile web is quite a chore. If you thought browser fragmentation was ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/05/01/mobile-web-future-roadmap/ Continuing the theme of mobile web 2.0, here's a presentation from Dan Appelquist at the Web 2.0 Conference on April 24, 2008. Another must read for those of us interested in the mobile web development space. | View | Upload your own http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/04/30/mobile-ajax-and-the-future-of-the-web/ This is a must read for anyone interested in developing mobile web applications for mobile devices. It gives a good overview, and goes into some detail into iPhone web development near the end.  It is almost like a state of the union address for where we are at with mobile ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/04/30/mobile-web-design-presentation-by-brian-fling/ Wired Magazine online has reported that Volkswagon has finally been able to get approval for their impressive 60 MPG VW Jetta Diesel automobile to come state-side.  My take on it is, why don't other car manufacturers step up to the green challenge that Toyota, Honda, and now Volkswagon have brought.  ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/04/26/coming-soon-to-all-50-states-the-60-mpg-vw-jetta-diesel/ Ok, I'm taking a big risk here talking about politics on my blog, but this article really hits home with what America is all about. Millions of Americans can identify with Obama's identity. He's neither black nor white. He's in between. So are millions of Americans today.  Roger Cohen: A chubby ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/04/13/unity-in-diversity/ I can finally speak about the project that has completely taken over my life for the past year. Project Bluehouse or Blue Business Platform is the official codename in the press release. Essentially, "IBM Lotus Foundations is a new family of software servers currently planned to provide the essential software that ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/03/20/blue-business-platform-and-iphone/ Here's part of the announcement that Steve Jobs forgot to mention... | View | Upload your own http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/03/10/the-iphone-sdk-for-web-development/ After getting my hands on an iPhone for the last few months, my impression is that it is the most elegant mobile phone out there. However, here's a few ideas for Apple to incorporate into their next iPhone update that'll make it truly the best mobile phone in ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2008/01/20/iphone-firmware-wishlist/ Here's an article that I found on YardBarker titled "Is Miikka Kiprusoff and the Calgary Flames cursed?". I am thinking that this is the only rational explanation for what is going on in Flames country. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/12/02/is-miikka-kiprusoff-and-the-calgary-flames-cursed/ Here's a link to an opinion piece titled "Free My Phone" by Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg. Everything he points out is dead on, and as a consumer, I can't wait for things to change for the better. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/10/26/free-my-phone-by-walt-mossberg/ According to Apple's website, Steve Jobs officially announced that there will indeed be 3rd party apps for the iPhone (possibly coming in February 2008). Finally!Third Party Applications on the iPhoneLet me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/10/17/third-party-applications-on-the-iphone/ Check out this new video clip on YouTube about the new S60 platform for Nokia and other Symbian based handsets. It's looking like the iPhone is finally getting a run for its money. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/10/16/symbian-s60-platform-brings-it-closer-to-iphone/ I finally bought an iPhone! Here are list of pros and cons that I have experienced thus far.ProsMobile Safari web browser using Wi-Fi or EDGE. You can surf the web just as on a desktop, or you can go to iPhone specific sites that really customize the web browsing experience.Everything ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/10/15/my-experiences-with-the-iphone/ Ok, it's no secret I love NHL hockey and now that its under way, I'm even more stoked. The Calgary Flames are my favorite team and I'm gonna break down what I think will be keys to their success this season. Duh! Forward Jarome Iginla and goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff. ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/10/06/hockey-season-begins-go-flames-go/ Sorry... its been a while since my last post. Tons of stuff keeping me busy. I just recently stumbled upon an interesting feature in Lotus Notes 8, which I had not been aware of until now. If anyone has ever used Google Calendar to invite their friends/colleagues to meetings, ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/08/22/google-calendar-secret-integration-with-lotus-notes-8/ I just downloaded and installed the Mozilla Sunbird desktop calendar application and tried out the Google Calendar add-on. It appears to be working. It allows you to read, write, and delete calendar events both locally and when you are online with Google Calendar. Pretty neat. Until now, ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/06/29/free-mozilla-sunbird-syncs-with-gcal/ We are getting close to the launch of the iPhone and there is no shortage of media coverage. At least we are getting some constructive criticisms along with the praises. Here's a listing of some of the coverage that I've been reading... Zec Online Journal: Steve Jobs doesn't understand mobility Steve ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/06/27/iphone-buzz-fair-and-balanced/ Check out my new toy! More Info Just got it delivered to my house yesterday. I went around my neighborhood and down some back roads to get comfortable with the speed. The speedometer says it can max out at 80 MPH, but based on my first few rides, I seriously doubt ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/06/20/my-new-toy-yamaha-vino/ The general consensus when Steve Jobs announced that iPhone would support 3rd party apps coded as web applications was not that positive. However, I am here to say that we should keep an open mind as to what kind of capabilities that would be opened up by doing it this ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/06/12/wwdc-iphone-3rd-party-support/ According to a Slashdot story... National Hockey League Embraces TV Placeshifting. Ever since I bought my two SlingBox devices over a year ago, I've been able to watch pretty much all my favorite hockey team's games over the convenience of the Internet and my SmartPhone. Before that, I was ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/06/08/nhl-supports-slingbox-placeshifting/ Now that Google has breathed new life into the idea of having access to your favorite web applications offline as well as online, it has started to get me thinking of another potential benefit. We are now used to the idea of accessing our emails, calendar entries, to-dos, contacts, ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/06/08/importance-of-web-offline/ At Google Developer Day, Google announced the ability for web apps to be available both offline and online. At their Google Gears website, they describe it as: an open source browser extension that enables web applications to provide offline functionality using following JavaScript APIs: Store and serve ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/05/31/google-gears-notes-replication-for-the-web/ Here's something to keep in mind when creating forms for the mobile web.Time to stop using the button element because it doesn't render on many of the mobile web browsers. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/05/30/mobile-web-browsers-button-element/ Zec from Zec Online Journal wrote about a new concept from Nokia demonstrated at MobileCamp event in New York for the first time - Nokia Mobile Web Server:It's the concept of serving web pages directly from a mobile phone connected to the network.The plan is that every mobile web server ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/05/30/using-your-phone-as-a-web-server/ Amusing and instructional film about the advantages of being a smartphone user if you live in Japan!This is why mobile phones in N. America still suck compared to those in Japan. Let's see how the Apple iPhone starts to promote changes needed to catch up. http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/05/17/amusing-video-about-advanced-japanese-mobile-phone-usage/ It is really hard for non-qwerty keypad mobile phone users to input text into their mobile web browsers. This fact alone hinders the adoption of using the mobile web to do many of the things we normally do on the desktop web browser. If only there was a way ... http://www.cityblogz.com/blog/2007/05/15/need-better-user-input-mechanisms/