Is Adobe Muse the Solution for Designers Who Don't Want to Learn or Pay for Coding?

Adobe Muse--which is just a temporary code name--is the latest creation from Adobe.  Muse is targeted at graphic designers who want to use their skills and familiarity with other Adobe products to build state of the art websites without writing any code.  This new program will only be offered by monthly subscription which Adobe states will allow them to ensure the product is updated frequently for all users.  Muse is currently in beta phase and is free until the first quarter of 2012 for anyone that wants to try it out.  Some highlights of the program are:

• Similar layout and buttons as Adobe InDesign
• Interfaces with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
• Useful widgets for javascript elements such as sliders, lightboxes, etc
• Requires no coding knowledge but a basic knowledge of website functionality is helpful
• Produces SEO-friendly and validated code

The internet and media all seem to agree that the program still needs to be developed further before it truly becomes a tool to create the same quality of websites that traditional coding offers but it is definitely a step in the right direction.  On a side note, I am currently using this application to develop a website for one of my clients.

Tom "The Unstoppable Force" Brady

Opening week of the NFL season was highlighted by some great individual and team performances, notably the Ravens dominance over the Steelers, Sebastian Janakowski's 63-yard field goal and of course Tom Brady's incredible offensive performance.  I was born and raised a New England Patriots fan so naturally I am a little biased when it comes to reviewing their gameplay but you would be hard pressed to find any player or analyst that was not impressed by Tom's Monday Night Football heroics.  He ended the game with 517 yards of passing and 4 touchdowns.  Even more impressive than the stat line was the way he commanded the offense on the first game of the year after a very short preseason. Tom ran a no huddle offense virtually the entire game and absolutely picked apart the Miami Dolphins defense.  It was a game and a performance for the ages and hopefully a foreshadowing of what this season has to offer for the Patriots.

A Review of The DMB Caravan at the Gorge

This was my fourth year making the epic pilgrimage to the Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA for a weekend of camping and Dave Matthews Band concerts and this year certainly did not disappoint.  Unlike past years, this concert series was a festival style event with about 20 other awesome bands and musicians in attendance.  Of these 20 or so bands that joined Dave Matthews for the caravan, one in particular stood out for me... DISPATCH.  Dispatch is a household name in New England where I am from but outside of that area of the country they have more of a cult following.  They are best known for their "last" concert in Boston which was a free concert were they expected about 25,000 people to show up but wound up practically shutting down Boston with over 110,000 fans in attendance.  After a 7 year hiatus, they got back together and started touring this year as part of the DMB Caravan.  Between the great music from Dave Matthews, Dispatch, John Butler Trio and others, beautiful scenery, great food and even better friends, it was a truly unforgettable weekend.

My Favorite Week of the Year: Annual Gorge Trip

It has been nearly 365 days since I last enjoyed the breathtaking views, comfortable climate, great company, camping and musical experience that is my annual trip to the Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA.  After months of anticipation, the time has finally arrived.  My fiance and many of our good friends from all over the country--Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California, Texas and even Calgary, Canada--will be flying out to Seattle, WA this Wednesday evening.  Thursday morning we will wake up nice and early from our favorite hostel so that we can grab a cup of coffee at the original Starbucks and head over to Pike's Place to pick up fresh veggies and seafood before hitting the road to drive the 2.5 hour trek to the Gorge Amphitheater and Campground.  After setting up camp we will begin 4 incredible days of attending the Dave Matthews Caravan concerts.  On Monday we'll hit the road back to Seattle to enjoy one more night there before going our separate ways back to reality.  Good times are ahead!

Possible Threat to Florida: Hurricane Irene

The most recent projections have Hurricane Irene picking up intensity to a Category 4 by Thursday which is coincidentally right around the time it should be passing by southeastern Florida.  As of right now, the hurricane is not expected to make landfall in Florida but the next 48 hours will determine if those projections remain.  The timing of this storm is quite unfortunate as I have plans to fly cross country next Wednesday to attend a music festival on Labor Day weekend in Washington state.  This is an annual trip that I make with friends from all over the country (and even a few from Canada) so needless to say hurricane or not I am making it to Washington.  If it requires me to drive across country then so be it!

Apple's Proposed Campus: Reboot

Plans have been unveiled for the next big Apple endeavor, and no it is not the iPad 3.  Apple plans to build a massive campus in Cupertino, CA and the current blueprints show that Apple's "Reboot" will be larger than the Pentagon and right up their with the Empire State Building.  The building will be approximately 1,615 ft in diameter, have four floors and two additional sub-level floors for parking.  Reboot is expected to house about 12,000 of Apple's employees and feature their state of the art technology throughout the campus.  While the proposed building still needs to pass environmental impact studies and a few other review processes, the campus is slated to be completed by 2015.

Will Google+ be the next "Facebook"?

Google+ is the newest concept from the internet powerhouse known as Google.  The have been at the forefront of internet technology and innovation for years but never had a product that directly competed with Facebook, one of the internet's other big players... until now.  Google+ is Google's attempt to redefine the way we share and communicate through social media.  The platform is still in it's infant stages and is currently not open to the public, but is rather easy to get an invitation to join.  The biggest advantage I see over Facebook is that Google+ is a much more robust platform with programs like Gmail and Picasa fully integrated.  Secondly, Google+ will eventually be able to offer a tailored web browsing experience by utilizing the ratings (+1) of your "circles" aka your friends, family and colleagues.  Google+ has a long way to go before they can even think about becoming the new "Facebook" but they certainly have the resources to do so and as long as they continue to improve the platform based upon user feedback I think they have a legitimate chance to take over the social media marketplace.