I’ve been looking at various online tools to create an international calendar for our worldwide training program. I ran into this handy world clock map you can easily embed in a blog.
It doesn’t solve our immediate problem, but it was interesting enough that I wanted to try it out!
Lots of web designers rely on Chris Pedrick’s Web Developer extension for Firefox. It’s one of many reasons Firefox is such a popular browser for web development. I’ve used this Firefox every week for years. We covered this in a tip back in 2006:
Archive Tip: Great Web Developer extension for Firefox.
So you may appreciate my happiness at discovering the greatly improved web inspector Apple has built into the new Safari 4 beta. Apple’s marketing claims this is the best set of development tools ever included in a browser. As I get to know Safari 4 better, I’m inclined to agree.
Make Mac Work is our sister blog focused on helping people who manage Macs in larger Enterprise environments. We’ve been working behind the scenes, and today we’re unveiling a clean new look to the site:
Jordan has updated most of the article archives for Mac OS 10.5 Leopard. For a sense of this site’s technical focus, browse through some of the essential articles:
» Deploy Portable Home Directories
» Master Open Directory
» Configure Network Installation
» Manage Account Preferences
» Control Software Update
» Bind to Active Directory
If you are an IT professional who is responsible for supporting Macs, this website is a resource you’ll want to bookmark.
Need to build some Flash skills? Swinburne University in Australia has posted almost 10 hours of free Flash videos taught by members of their design faculty. You can access the tutorials directly from their podcasts website, or subscribe in iTunes:
Swinburne Podcasts: Faculty of Design – Flash
iTunes U: Swinburne University Flash Tutorials
This collection of tutorials features training in Flash MX 2004. That’s a few versions back, but the learning applies to newer versions of Flash as well. It’s a good, free place to start building your Flash skills.
If you are looking for a good way to get a handle on various online social marketing tools, there is no better place to start than with these short "Plain English" videos from Common Craft:
Video: LinkedIn
Video: Social Media
Video: Podcasting
Video: Twitter
Video: Blogging
Video: Social Bookmarking
Video: Social Networking Sites
Video: RSS
Full Archive: The Common Craft Show.
These videos are created by Lee LeFever in Seattle and provide some of the best, jargon-free explanations you are going to find for today’s various online marketing tools.
There are three basic tools I need as a modern technical consultant: A flash drive to keep software utilities handy; a small screwdriver to open the occasional computer case; and (most importantly) a steady supply of business cards for referrals and introductions as I talk with people during the day.
I’ve spent more time than I can justify pulling together a basic toolkit that’s with me all the time. Here for your enjoyment, costing less than $100, is my keychain toolkit:
LaCie 8GB iamakey USB Flash Drive. ($35)
Swiss Tech Screwz-All Keyring Tool. ($4.75)
MOO MiniCards & MiniCard Holder. ($19.95 per 100 cards)
I looked at a lot of different products before settling on these three. If you are curious, read on for some alternate flash drives and keychain screwdrivers you might also consider.
Longtime readers of this tips newsletter know we love a good cheatsheet. When I’m mastering a new graphics application, I’ll tack a concise list of keyboard shortcuts on the wall next to where I’m working. If you are anything like me, you’ll dig these free shortcut guides from Noble Desktop:
Noble Desktop Keyboard Shortcut Guides
This collection of free PDF cheatsheets include guides for InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and QuarkXPress (Mac or PC format). Download a few, print them out, and start saving time.
When you are drawing with the Adobe pen tool, keep an eye on those small modifiers that appear in the lower-right of the pen icon. They change as you use the pen tool depending on what you do or which part of a path you hover over.
If you are new to the pen tool (or want a quick refresher) print this handy cheat sheet and train yourself to pay attention to the subtle cursor changes. Once you get to know them, the different icons remind you of the action you are about to perform.
Starting this May (2009), Creativetechs is offering a free, 10-week, worldwide, InDesign course. To make this happen, we need at least 1,000 people signed up to participate, so help us spread the word!
Want to enroll? Sign-up here: InDesign CS4 Course Enrollment.
Jason Hoppe, our Adobe Certified Instructor, has designed a comprehensive course that covers InDesign CS4 in detail. If you’ve been meaning to improve your InDesign skills, now is the perfect opportunity:
Week 1, May 14 – Interface & New Document
Week 2, May 21 – Working with Type
Week 3, May 28 – Shapes, Smart Guides, Pathfinder
Week 4, June 4 – Color
Week 5, June 11 – Images and Links
Week 6, June 18 – Layers, Making PDFs, Printing
Week 7, June 25 – Style Sheets
Week 8, July 2 – Master Pages
Week 9, July 9 – Tables
Week 10, July 16 – Finishing Details.
And yes, you can pass this offer along to friends, or even post it on your blog. Help spread the word. As I mentioned, we need a minimum of 1,000 people enrolled to make this free class viable.
Read on for an extended Q&A, and to ask your own questions in the comments. Jason is currently working on the class materials. If you have a topic you’d like to see him cover, mention it in the comments below.
If you’ve ever wondered how to create animated GIFs in Photoshop, we’ve created a simple tutorial with some example files you can download and try out.
We use a lot of animated GIF files in our weekly tips. They are fun to build, and better for our email subscribers because Flash animations are not supported in most email readers.
