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.

Local Artist Inspiration: Kendrick Kidd

A few months ago I was scrolling through my favorite site for design inspiration, dribbble.com, when I stumbled across Kendrick Kidd.  His work was awesome and it turns out he lives and works in good old Jacksonville, FL.  If you are a craft beer drinker then you have probably seen his work because he does all the packaging artwork for Bold City Brewery.  His style is very versatile, covering everything from beer labels to skateboard decks and of course the more traditional logo and print work.  Kendrick has become a major source of design inspiration for me and I chose him as one of my two artists to draw aesthetic influence from this semester in Illustration and Rapid Visualization.  You can check our his portfolio here.

Too Much Booze: Kings of Leon Cancels Rest of Summer Tour

Kings of Leon, one of my favorite bands to come around in the past 10 years, is on a slippery slope of self destruction.  This summer's tour has been troubled from the beginning with reports of backstage fights, tour buses being burnt to the ground and at a recent show, the lead singer Caleb walking off stage because he was too drunk and needed to vomit.  They have decided to cancel the remaining tour stops which unfortunately includes the show my fiance planned to attend in Virginia this Saturday.  As of right now the band is stating they will be back on tour in September but the rumors around the blog-o-sphere are saying that they will be taking the rest of the year off, or breaking up indefinitely.

iPad: The Coolest Piece of Technology You Don't Need

My lovely fiance recently purchased an iPad for me and needless to say I have been addicted to playing with it ever since.  However, non-iPad owners always ask me the same question, "Could you use it as your primary computer?"  The answer is "No."  Although the iPad is great for gaming, updating your Facebook page, reading books and even web browsing it is certainly not a replacement for a laptop or desktop computer.  So, if you are on the fence about buying one, keep in mind that you are essentially buying a giant iPhone which is really sweet to own but completely unnecessary if you already have a smart phone and a laptop.

My New TV Addiction: Top Shot

Before I actually watched an episode of Top Shot, I though how exciting can an hour of watching people shoot guns really be.  It turns out that it is really awesome and I now anxiously await each week's episode!  This is not your typical reality show; it features 16 of the country's top marksmen (and women) pitted against one another in a series of shooting competitions.  The weapons include everything from standard Colt 1911 handguns to tomahawks in a variety of different shooting scenarios.  The show keeps the typical reality show drama to a minimum and focuses on the competitions and the instruction the competitors receive from guest experts with that week's weapon(s).  The show airs Tuesdays at 10pm on the History Channel and with the season only halfway finished, it isn't too late to jump on the bandwagon like I did.

A Nikon Prime Lens For Under $200... Yes, Please!

The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G Lens is virtually the only prime lens on the market for under $200.  A prime lens is a camera lens that has a fixed focal length.  This particular lens has a very large aperture making it ideal for low-light shooting and environmental photography.  Typically a lens of this nature would cost upwards of $400 but because this lens was exclusively designed for entry level (DX) Nikon DSLR's only it is available at this very affordable price.  Needless to say, I plan on buying one this week!

Newest Mini Concept Car: The Rocketman

Mini USA is finally getting back to their roots.... well, sort of.  The newest concept car from Mini is the Rocketman, which unlike the recent models the Clubman and the Countryman is actually as small as the Cooper.  Although the Rocketman is comparable in size to the original Cooper, it is packed with new gadgets and gizmos including a center console screen that displays 3D graphics, a transparent roof and futuristic double-hinged doors.  The Rocketman will also feature configurable seating to allow for two, three and even FOUR people.  Here's to hoping this concept car makes it to production and onto roadways throughout the US because it is awfully cool!

Tough Week for The Celtics and Their Fans

With the Boston Celtics leading the Eastern Conference and all signs pointing to a successful second half of the NBA season, they made a last minute trade before the deadline that left many players and fans stunned.  Kendrick Perkins, who has played his entire career for the Celtics, has gotten substantially better each season and gives 110% in every minute he plays was traded to to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Blogs from all over New England were filled with comments from sad, disappointed and even angry fans.  The Celtics locker room wasn't any different with Kevin Garnett quoted as saying ""It's not even about a teammate. It felt like you lost a family member today, tough day."  Being a Celtic player or a fan is about persevering and that is exactly what we need to do to finish the season strong and take home the title.

Kickball: Just Like Elementary School But With Adults And Beer

With the Spring season of kickball less than a month away I wanted to share my passion for this amazing sport.  As a 7 season veteran of the WAKA kickball league and current editor of my league's newsletter, Ghost Man on Third, it is fairly obvious that I love the game.  WAKA stands for the World Adult Kickball Association and they have leagues established all over the world.  The same basic rules of kickball that we all learned as kids still apply but adult kickball is fast-paced, incredibly competitive and best of all drinking is not only acceptable but actually encouraged! If anyone reading this post is mildly athletic and looking for a great way to meet new people and have a good time then I would highly suggest visiting www.kickball.com and signing up for a league near you.

Rumor Has It: Dave Matthews Band To Announce Summer Tour Dates Today

Yet, it is nearly 5pm ET and no dates have been posted which leads to the question of will there even be a summer tour.  Originally, Dave Matthews closed the 2010 tour season in Charlottesville, VA with an epic two-show finale that was supposed to be the final show until 2012.  Hence the reason my friends and I spent a lot of hard earned money and drove 10 hours overnight to go to the shows.  Shortly after the rumors started up that the band would be playing a few festival style tours in 2011, then came the rumor that in addition to the festivals, DMB would also be playing their annual Labor Day weekend show at my favorite venue in the world... The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA.  As I sit and wait for an official announcement from the band I can't help but think that I may have gotten my hopes up for nothing.  Please don't let me down Dave.

Web Designer Depot: A Great Resource for Web Designers and Graphic Artists

Web Designer Depot is an amazing resource for aspiring web designers. This blog-style site features posts and articles with everything from tutorials to inspirational works of art. I frequent this site for new ideas and sometimes just to marvel at the amazing artwork. Web Designer Depot should be a favorite for any designer but is worth checking out even if you are not in the industry.

Click Here to Visit Web Designer Depot

Patriots Playoff Loss Still Hurting... Baseball Season Can't Come Soon Enough!

Since the Patriots path to the Super Bowl was cut short by my least favorite team in the entire NFL, the New York Jets, I have been trying to block that devastating memory by focusing on the upcoming baseball season. With a mere 2 weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, baseball season is right around the corner and the Boston Red Sox look primed for another World Series trophy.  It has been a busy off-season for the Red Sox with major acquisitions such as Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Jenks and Carl Crawford that make an already potent roster that much stronger.  Boston has arguably one of the strongest pitching staffs and most powerful offenses in MLB, so as long as they possess the desire to win that the Patriots clearly did not we should be an unstoppable force.  Even if the Red Sox do not win the World Series I just hope they don't lose to the Yankees in the playoffs because I cannot take another loss like that to a New York team!

Auto Oxymoron: The Four-Door Mini Countryman

As an avid Mini enthusiast and current owner of a 2003 Mini Cooper S, I am having difficulty coming to terms with the new Mini Countryman.  In many ways the Countryman goes against everything I have to come to love about the brand.  The Countryman is taller, bulkier and has two more doors than the typical Mini Cooper, but the true question I have is does it still "handle like a Mini?"  The new commercial below, although it is heavily animated with computer graphics, leads me to believe that yes it will.

Although my Cooper S would without a doubt leave the Countryman in a trail of dust, it does expand a very successful fleet of vehicles and will open up a whole new customer base for Mini.  Now my curiosity has officially reached it's peak... time to schedule a test drive!

Dispatch 2011: The Kings of Independent Music Retake the Throne

The day has arrived that some fans thought would never come, Dispatch is back.  With a six stop tour scheduled that begins at the epic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO and ends at the home of the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, MA, they are back in a big way.  Dispatch is one of the greatest bands of all time in my opinion. They are three incredibly talented musicians that each have the ability to play every instrument in the band and whose voices combine for some awesome harmonies.

I saw them for the first time at the Living Room in Providence, RI and have been a huge fan ever since.  If you have never heard of them, you should probably get on that as soon as possible...  Did I mention that they are also back in the studio?

Visit this link for more info about the tour: Dispatch 2011 Tour Info

Cheers,
Corey