September 2nd, 2010 by Ben
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Weather.com has, at least in my mind, always been the go-to place for weather forcasts. I don’t know why I made the association… oh wait! It’s because its probably one of the best domain names on the Internet. Nice job. Anyway, my only compaint has been that there is so much clutter inbetween me typing in my ZIP code and getting the actual forecast. Wait no longer, the site had a redesign this last week!
Weather.com did an excellent job branding the redesign as an overwhelming improvement, stating that the changes were based on the following customer feedback:
- the site is too cluttered
- I can’t find what I’m looking for
- The site is too slow
- The site is too hard to navigate
You’ll probably see that same kind of feedback on a lot of ad-supported sites! In the redesign, Weather.com added new features like saved locations, weather apps and user contributed pictures and video, as well as a large slideshow that highlights top stories and regional coverage. The redesign added a more comfortable layout, better top-level navigation and menus and did an excellent job of blurring site content with ads – check the right column.
Overall, I give it a B+ and a better commendation of continuing to use the site.
August 16th, 2010 by Ben
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I think this is a clever way of presenting the user with an explaination about why a page can’t be loaded – well it’s better than a logout or a 404 anyway.
It would be even better if the link I just clicked on from the last page would take me where I am supposed to go, but I guess that concept is outdated.
August 10th, 2010 by Ben
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I usually meet new standards with a bit of trepidation, fearing that the new standards will mess with things that are already working fine – the old “if it ain’t broke” mantra. Well, HTML4 isn’t broke, but I am really getting pumped about what HTML5 and CSS3 are going to do for the web!
I ran across these sites today, give them a look and tell me that your mind wasn’t opened to a whole new breed of websites that get interactivity without being locked into a bulky Flash interface.
- CSS3 Playground
- 25 HTML5 Features, Tips and Techniques You Must Know
Also see HTML5 Reset to get a blank-slate stylesheet to start new web designs with.
These new standards are really bringing it, the question is, how long until Internet Explorer supports it?
May 28th, 2010 by Ben
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Pork chops can be difficult to cook just right. If you’ve ever had chops that were too crunchy or chewy, you know what I’m talking about. Follow these steps for juicy, tender chops that really bring out the flavor of your favorite marinade or rub.
- Preheat the grill.
- Oil the grill grates.
- Put the chops on the grill for 1 minute.
- Rotate 60 degrees and grill for another minute. This gives marks the chops with the trademark criss-cross pattern.
- Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes for thin chops and 6-12 minutes for larger pieces.
- Move to indirect heat for 3-4 minutes (6-12 minutes for larger pieces)
- Internal temperature should hit 150 degrees. The inside should be white with just a hint of pink color.
- Remove from grill, seal in foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
I like to marinade with a steak rub and olive oil and then top it off with a little peach jam.
February 24th, 2010 by Ben
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I’m posting partly because I loved Van Halen in high school and partly because I was surprised to see them on the Interwebs this way.
Business Advice From Van Halen
My challenge to you is this, where are your brown M&Ms?
February 23rd, 2010 by Ben
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I’m reading the 4-hour Workweek right now, and one of the principles author Timothy Ferriss repeats over and over is to remind yourself to not invent things to do just to avoid doing the important things. Taking that into mind, yesterday I filled out a sticky note of things that I wanted to do today, and stuck it squarely in the center of my monitor, vowing to focus on the most important things. It’s still there, and I’m actually moving my windows around the note, trying to read my email first anyway. Even now, I’m typing this quick post around the sticky note. Clearly, I have a problem with avoiding the important. More to come.
