WORD - GetMotivated.com

Sometimes we get stuck in our ways and feel the need to jumpstart our brains.  Have you ever heard of GetMotivated.com?  It’s a seminar of some of the world’s greatest leaders and achievers that gather to share their experience on one platform.  Get Motivated is coming to Michigan this year on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 and will be held at the Palace of Auburn Hills from 8am – 4:45pm.  The cost is only $1.95 per person or you can send your entire office for only $9.95!  Some of the speakers include Bill Cosby, Rudy Giuliani, General Colin Powell and Joe Montana!  Click this link to check out all of the speakers that they have lined up.  Consider going to this great seminar!

WORD - Flash vs. HTML5

Did you know that there is a battle going on between Flash and HTML5?  Many say that HTML5 will eventually be the end of Flash, while others stand firmly behind Flash.  Flash has the ability to still do many things that HTML5 can not yet do.  HTML5 can do much of what Flash can do, but with many limitations because it’s still in its infant stages and many web browsers still don’t support it.  Either way, it really doesn’t matter which one will prevail in the end, because new technology is constantly getting released.  It’s always best to keep up with new technology as it comes out.  This is a constantly evolving field where you need to keep up with the changes, or get left behind.  Read more about this argument here.  Check out this article too!

WORD - Drop Shipping

Have you ever heard of a drop shipping business?  Did you know that people sell products online and never have to deal with the hassle of storing the products they sell?  “Drop shipping is a method of retail merchandising which allows business owners to sell products without first purchasing and stocking the items they sell.  The arrangement is made between the seller and the supplier.  The seller would display a product on their site and never really have it in inventory.”  This is a unique way to make money.  Amazon offers this type of service.  Try setting up your own drop shipping website through Amazon at this link here.

WORD - Yoast.com

Have you ever checked out Yoast.com?  If not, do so right away!  This is probably one of the best resources for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Wordpress on the web today!  This is a site created by a 28 year old web developer that has made a big impact on the web.  Make sure to check out the latest posts and podcasts on this site!

WORD - INTERFACES 2011

Interfaces 2011 is tomorrow!  If you have not yet received your tickets, please do so here:

http://iadtdetroit.ticketleap.com/interfaces/

You will not want to miss this very informative and inspiring conference!!!

WORD - jQuery

Have you ever heard of jQuery?  It’s a current trend in web design that focuses on using a new kind of JavaScript library along with HTML to create visually appealing content for the web.  Developers typically use jQuery to create content for the web that resembles Flash, but doesn’t use a Flash Player.  Read more about jQuery at jQuery.com.

WORD - WebDesignerWall.com

Have you ever heard of the Web Designer Wall?  This is a great site with numerous tutorials and general info that will quickly catch you up on the latest and greatest web design/development trends.  Be sure to bookmark this site and read it daily!  You may even want to follow the creator of this site, Nick La on Twitter, @NickLa. 

WORD - Color

Do you know much about color?  Color is a very important part of the design process.  Color can define emotions to your designs.  If you want a refresher on color, please make sure to check out this link.  Make sure to read up on http://rgbworld.com/color to learn more about color.

WORD - Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad

Did you know that production companies in Michigan are still busy making films?  Someone that you might want to check out is Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad at Exxodus Pictures.  He is a true visionary when it comes to anything multi-media related.  He created a script for a movie called Jinn, that will be released this year.  He also has been meticulously involved in the whole production and post production process of this movie.  He even created a car for the movie called the Fire Breather and raised funds to have the car built for the film.  The car will be on display at Interfaces 2011!!!!

Ajmal will be presenting at Interfaces 2011 this year!!!  Be sure not to miss his extremely motivating lecture!  Interfaces is May 21, 2011.

Students, be sure to register HERE for Interfaces 2011.  It’s free for all IADT students to attend, but you MUST register right away!

WORD - Megabyte

Do you know what 1 MB (Megabyte) represents?  Did you know that 1 MB = 1,024 kb (kilobytes) or 1,024,00 b (bytes)?  This is very important to understand when dealing with file sizes, especially when you are trying to export your files to some type of media. 

Did you know that a 4.7 GB DVD actually only holds 4.38 GB of info?  This is because everyone tends to round the number 1,024 kb to 1 MB.  Read more about the Megabyte here.

WORD - ELance.com

Have you ever tried to find freelance projects online?  Did you know that you can find and complete work for clients online all from the comfort of your own computer?  Typically, on sites like this, you never even meet the client in person.  Check out websites like ELANCE.com to bid on projects and start making money now.

WORD - Formating External Drives

Have you ever bought an external hard drive only to figure out that it doesn’t work on a Mac?  Did you know that you can re-format the hard drive so that it can be read and written to on both Mac and PC computers?  It’s rather simple to do.  Check out this great article on reformatting your external hard drive to work on both Mac and PCs.

WORD - Codecs

Do you know what video codecs are?  They are a way of compressing your audo/video files.  You need to understand what types of codecs to use on your audio and video projects.  Codecs are a way of  representing a fundamentally analog data set in a digital format.  Without adding compression (codecs) to your audio or video, your project’s quality would be the best, but your file size would become too large to distribute.  When adding codecs, you must make a choice between file size and project quality.  Many codecs like H.264 offer great quality with minimal file sizes.  You can read more about codecs and compression here.

WORD - Adobe Shortcuts

Do you ever try to remember Adobe shortcuts when working on projects, but sometimes forget what some of them are?  You can download a free app that shows all of Adobe’s shortcuts and will help speed up your workflow.  Download Adobe Shortcut today!