Mar 142013
 

 

Webpages are constantly getting bigger.

Massive JavaScript libraries and endless sharing buttons aren’t helping, but the main culprit behind most of the bloat is the good old image. According to the HTTPArchive, images account for roughly 60 percent of total page size. That means the single biggest thing most sites can do to slim down is to shrink their images.

One way to do that is with alternate image formats like Google’s WebP, which can yield images between 25 and 34 percent smaller than more popular image formats. Despite the astounding space-saving potential of WebP it, like JPEG 2000 and other efforts before it, has not completely caught on with browsers.

So far only Google Chrome and Opera support WebP (both also automatically convert all images to WebP for their respective proxy browsing mobile services). Mozilla objected to WebP when it was first launched, but all of the issues raised in that post have been addressed as WebP has evolved. Firefox still does not support WebP. Nor does Internet Explorer.

However, as Opera’s Bruce Lawson recently pointed out, using some cutting-edge CSS wizardry you can serve WebP images to Chrome and Opera, while still offering JPGs to the rest.

READ MORE:  Put Your Site on a Diet With Google’s Image-Shrinking ‘WebP’ Format

 

 


 

Feb 042013
 

zip

You’ve probably already made sure to choose the appropriate format for each image as well as keeping its size (in pixels) to a minimum. Maybe you’ve reduced the JPEG quality setting as much as you can. (Although if you’re not quite confident in your knowledge of the fundamentals then the Designer’s Guide to Image Compression may help.)

The unfortunate reality is that, no matter how carefully you design your images, the graphics tool you’re using will not save the finished files in the most efficient way. And so passing those images through a compression tool can reduce their size considerably.

Exactly how much you can save is tricky to say for sure as it depends very much on your source graphics. Some JPGs may only drop by 50-100 bytes. It’s not unusual for regular web graphics to be compressed by 10-40%, though, with no loss of image quality (and lossy compression techniques, perhaps reducing colours or reencoding JPEGs can cut file sizes even more).

Which programs are the best, then? Good question. To help provide an answer we’ve pitched 18 of the top contenders against each other.

MORE:  The best image compression tools

 

 


 

Jan 242013
 

tumblr-icon

As a favorite hangout for the Millennial generation, Tumblr is already helping some brands reach this prized audience. (Check out some of the brands already on Tumblr here.) Every industry — from fashion to finance — is represented, and these companies are finding new and creative ways to connect to their customers using this platform.

Let’s take a look at a few of the opportunities your brand might be missing on Tumblr, as well as the brands that are getting it right.

Go native

Tumblr isn’t like any other social network, so a content strategy applied to Facebook, Twitter, or a blog won’t yield the same results on Tumblr. The most popular form of expression on the platform is visual — photos and GIFs (animated images).

To be successful on Tumblr, you first need to find a way to express the visual elements of your brand or message. This approach can showcase a different side of your brand, allowing you to communicate your brand’s personality in a new way. Striking images garner a great deal of attention on Tumblr.

MORE:  4 brands that are taking Tumblr by storm

 

 

 

Sep 042012
 

These new platforms are social at their core. So it’s instantly about more than putting a few images on a page; it’s opening a window into your brand. What companies share must strike a balance between bringing to life a genuine brand story and providing content that inspires and compels action. Furthermore, marketing strategies for how brands engage with consumers should reflect how and why consumers are using those channels.

Following are tips for navigating the waters of these new visual platforms using a combination of direct marketing best practices and our learned understanding of digital and social behavior.

If you’ve ever been a part of a website implementation, you know the biggest sticker shock is always the photography — how much it costs to produce high quality photo inventory. Yet the rise of new visual platforms has made this component more important than ever. Brands must consider the quality of photography and what images should represent their products and services.

MORE:  How Pinterest and Instagram are changing your brand strategy – iMediaConnection.com.

 


Aug 132012
 

McAfee Social Protection doesn’t force you to make a blanket restriction the way Facebook’s privacy settings do, so you can block your office manager from seeing those pictures of you dancing drunk at a bar in Cabo, while letting them see all of the nice pictures of your family and pets. If they try to see a picture that’s blocked, all they’ll get is a blurry pixelated version that reveals nothing.

Even if you are one of the chosen few who gets to see a picture, McAfee claims that the app will make it impossible to download, even using print screen or other common workarounds. Still, if you’re really desperate, I guess they can’t stop you from taking a picture of the screen with a camera.

MORE:  App stops creepy stalkers from stealing your Facebook pictures | DVICE.

 


Aug 032012
 

Digg is back. The social news site that coulda been a contender — or actually was a contender for a while — has risen from the ashes of its recent sale to Betaworks.

The current version is not, however, the Digg of old.

Not only has the site been completely rewritten from the ground up, but it’s far from complete. In fact, as the announcement notes, the site was rewritten in a mere six weeks. That’s impressively fast, but it has definitely left some rough edges on the initial release.

Today’s release is best thought of as a work in progress — it’s still buggy and feature incomplete — but it does give a glimpse of Digg’s future. This time around Digg is more visually focused — think one part Pinterest, one part Flipboard.

MORE:  Reborn Digg Starts Over From Scratch | Webmonkey | Wired.com.

 


Jul 302012
 

If you work from home, you owe it to yourself to set up a proper office space. It’s vital you have somewhere to concentrate that’s separate from your home life — and is hopefully a nice space to spend time in. A good working space is even more important if you operate your small business out of your home.

To help you out on this rather specific front, we have pulled together some useful tips from experienced home-workers and chatted with home office expert Lisa Kanarek, founder of WorkingNaked.com. Also keep in mind that having a home office can entitle you to certain tax breaks, so your investment can end up right back in your pocket.

MORE:  10 Tips for a More Beautiful and Functional Home Office.

 


Jul 052012
 

Here is a great graphic tool that answers a question we’ve asked ourselves many times – what size does that image need to be? This graphic breaks down the layouts on all your favorite social sites, giving the dimensions so you can properly size your images, and get exactly the look you want. Link below, or you can find it in this post on our forum here.

 

Online Marketing Trends: Social Media Marketing: Most Used Tactics Across Social Media.

 


Apr 162012
 

Facebook Rolls Out Bigger Profile Images, Days After Google+: “Over the course of the last week, Facebook has started to roll out a small improvement to Facebook profiles, increasing the size of a user’s profile picture on their Timeline, a move that comes just days after Google updated Google+ profiles to sport a larger photo.

Previously, a Timeline photo measured 130 x 125 pixels, overlaying a user’s Timeline Cover image. The image is a smaller version of a user’s profile image, which can be displayed in full when a visitor clicks it.

However, as Emanuele Bartolomucci and a number of Twitter users have noticed, Facebook’s profile images now measure 166 x 160 pixels.

SOURCE: Online Marketing Trends: Facebook Rolls Out Bigger Profile Images, Days After Google+.

 


Nov 042011
 

The incredible mixed-media art of Joe Fenton. He uses materials such as graphite, ink, acrylic, crayon and more.

 

 

via Sing that Lullaby › Illusion – The Most Amazing Creations in Art, Photography, Design, and Video..