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 Creating grunge brushes

Published on 2006-09-04 - by Veerle Pieters, ©Veerle Pieters

My recent tutorial about creating pattern backgrounds sparked some questions from readers if I could do the same for something that is referred to as "grunge". The pattern tool is ok for repeating items but the grunge look gets it effectiveness just from the randomness I think. So I think it would be better if I show you how to make a grunge brush instead. I know several of those are available for download but there is nothing more rewarding then creating your own :)

So in this article I’ll show you how to create 2 types of brushes that can be used to create the grunge effect. Like always this is just one way of doing things as I’m sure there are others also. In a next tutorial I’ll explain another way to create a similar effect in Photoshop if you just want borders. A brush is better because you can apply it everywhere and it gives you more creative freedom then the other technique.

File info:

• Source: http://veerle.duoh.com/

 Making Ajax Work with Screen Readers

Published on 2006-05-25 - by Gez Lemon and Steve Faulkner, ©Juicy Studio.

The accessibility community is understandably concerned about the accessibility of client-side scripting, in particular using Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax) to produce Rich Internet Applications. Steve Faulkner of Vision Australia and founder member of the Web Accessibility Tools Consortium (WAT-C) and myself on behalf of The Paciello Group (TPG) have collaborated in an effort to come up with techniques to make Ajax and other client-side scripting techniques accessible to assistive technology.

File info:

• Source: www.juicystudio.com

 What Is Podcasting

Published on 2005-07-20 - by Phillip Torrone, ©O'Reilly Media, Inc

The term podcasting derives its name from Apple's iPod, but to create a podcast or even to listen to one, you don't need to own an iPod™, or any portable music player for that matter. In a nutshell, Podcasting is a new type of online media delivery. You publish selected audio files via the internet and allow your users to subscribe via an RSS feed to automatically receive new files. Podcasting lets you create your own syndicated online talkshow or radio program, with content of your choosing.

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• Source: http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/

 Hosting Your Podcasts

Published on 2005-09-07 - by Jack Herrington, ©O'Reilly Media, Inc

The new form of internet subscription audio called podcasting has become wildly popular. Not only because it offers such a wide area of free entertainment, but also because it's so easy to become a podcaster. Producing a podcast can be as easy as recording with the internal microphone on your computer into the free Audacity sound editing program. (Check out What Is Podcasting for a step-by-step guide to getting started.)

But once the MP3 of your podcast is created, where do you put it? Podcast MP3 files are significantly larger than HTML files or JPEG images. On average, a podcast MP3 is ten to 20 megabytes, sometimes going to 40 megabytes or more. That's not only a problem for file storage on the server; it also becomes a bandwidth issue as more listeners subscribe to the podcast.

This article offers several solutions to the hosting problem. These ideas are pulled from the pages of my new book, Podcasting Hacks, on bookshelves now.

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• Source: http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/

 10 Reasons Clients Don't Care About Accessibility

Published on 2005-09-12 - by Christian Heilmann, ©Digital Web Magazine.

Working as an accessibility consultant in an IT company is a very frustrating job right now. Highly publicized lawsuits and deep-rooted accessibility myths leave us with a lot to explain when the final product does not really help visitors. Our clients simply don’t care about accessibility as much as we’d like them to, and there are several reasons for that.

File info:

• Source: www.digital-web.com

 Upgrade Your Podcast for Under $200

Published on 2005 - by Jake Ludington, ©Ludington Media, Inc.

Not too long ago I wrote a tutorial on recording a podcast, covering the absolute basics using one of those disposable microphones that ship with many home PCs. The quality of recordings produced with those cheap mics is never very good and they are notorious for picking up all kinds of room noise (which often includes the computer fan noise). Audio clarity ultimately suffers and it becomes vital to seek out better quality tools. If you do any vocal recording with your PC, whether the vocal tracks are talking, singing, yodeling or making strange grunting sounds, having the right equipment for the task is a must.

File info:

• Source: www.jakeludington.com

 Create Podcasts Using Your PC

Published on 2005-04-05 - by Jake Ludington, ©O'Reilly Media, Inc.

In my previous article, I wrote about receiving podcasts. This time around, I'm walking through the steps required to record and post your own podcast using tools virtually everyone has or can easily acquire on a tiny budget. Ultimately, if you decide to podcast on a regular basis, some equipment upgrades such as the podcast recording kit I recently detailed at JakeLudington.com will drastically improve the sound quality. To learn the process, though, you don't need anything fancy.

File info:

• Source: www.windowsdevcenter.com

 Receive Podcasts Using Your PC

Published on 2005-03-15 - by Jake Ludington, ©O'Reilly Media, Inc.

In October 2004 I wrote what was arguably the first article on receiving podcasts with Windows Media Player™. At the time, client software options were limited, and the process of adding downloaded files to Windows Media Player™ and subsequently transferring them to your favorite portable device was extremely convoluted.

File info:

• Source: www.windowsdevcenter.com

 PodCasting 101: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

Published on 2005-09-01 - by Merle Stinnett, ©Bona Fide Reviews

Everywhere you turn online these days you hear the word podcast or podcasting. No, it's not some broadcasting method used by Martians, even though it might sound like it. A Podcast is just an audio file that is syndicated via an RSS feed, that you download and listen to with your computer or a portable device such as an iPod.

File info:

• Source: www.bonafidereviews.com

 How to Make Your Own Podcast

Published on 2005-08-31 - by Suzie Ridgeway, ©Designtechnica Corporation

Podcasts are the latest developments in digital audio broadcasting. Some shows are professionally created by media outlets, such as Disney and ABC News, and others are produced by creative individuals with a microphone and a smidge of know-how. You can listen to anything from the latest sports news from ESPN to a group of random women dishing about pop culture on their girls’ night in. Why, (shameless plug alert) you can even listen to technology news via the new, weekly Designtechnica Podcast.

File info:

• Source: www.designtechnica.com

 Principles of Design (The)

Published on 2005-06-13 - by Joshua David McClurg-Genevese, ©Digital Web Magazine

This column is about Web design—really, it is—though it may at times seem a bit distant and distracted. In my opinion, any good discussion about design begins with the fundamentals. Almost by definition, the primary tenets around which any field is based are universal: they can be applied to a variety of disciplines in a variety of ways. This can cause some confusion as principle is put into practice within the unique constraints of a particular medium.

Web design is a relatively new profession compared to other forms of design, due to the youth of our medium. As with any design discipline, there are aspects of the Web design process that are unique to the medium, such as screen resolution, additive color spaces and image compression. But too often these more unique details override our sense of the bigger picture. We focus on the fact that it is Web design and push aside core design concepts—concepts that can that make any project stronger without interfering in the more technical considerations later on.

File info:

• Source: www.digital-web.com

 Page Turn Effect in Flash MX

Published on 2004-09-03 - by Sham Bhangal, ©O'Reilly Media, Inc.

In Hack #25 of Flash Hacks, I talk in general terms about how symmetry can aid the thought and design processes when you are developing scripted effects, because symmetry is a very common feature in both natural and man-made effects. I go on to show how to deconstruct one of the most recent How is that done? effects, the page turn, by looking for symmetry in the effect. What I don't cover is how to develop code that can be used to create the page turn effect. This article provides that part of the equation.

File info:

• Source: www.oreillynet.com

 Content Management with Bricolage

Published on 2004-08-27 - by David Wheeler, ©O'Reilly Media, Inc.

If you've ever had to manage a web site with tens of thousands of pages of content where many people need to be able to update that content, you've no doubt recognized the need for a content management system (CMS). Once you start to manage several such sites, the problem becomes even worse. Since you're reading this article on Perl.com, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you're actually interested in Perl-based content management systems.

File info:

• Source: www.perl.com

 Creating Web Content for Mobile Phone Browsers, Part 1

Published on 2004-06-02 - by Robert Jones, ©O'Reilly Media, Inc

After a slow start, browsing the Internet from mobile phones is finally taking off. The latest batch of phones have helped the cause considerably. People are buying them for the cameras and other bells and whistles, but the side effect is that mobile Internet access is now in the hands of a huge number of people -- and they are using it. Users in the UK alone downloaded 8 billion pages to their phones in 2003. A huge audience; but bear in mind that most of them are viewing sports scores or downloading custom ring tones, and not a lot else. The opportunity for developers like us to serve up imaginative and useful content to their phones is tremendous.

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• Source: www.oreillynet.com

 Flash: Workflow and Workspace Tips

Published on 2004 - by Robert Hoekman, Jr., ©O'Reilly Media, Inc.

You're still here? Oh. Well then I guess I'll keep talking. Here are some tips that can improve your workflow while using Flash. I hope this appendix answers some of the questions that may be lingering in your head.

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• Source: www.oreillynet.com