This is going to be huge! Combine it with their other services, and you have maximum scalability for any project. Media Temple (my current host) may lose me after all of this comes out of beta. I am already using S3 for backups and will begin rolling it into all of my upcoming podcast projects. I’ve been flirting with this Ubuntu AMI (Amazon Machine Image) on their EC2 platform, with good results. Keep ‘em coming, Amazon.
Amazon SimpleDB is a web service for running queries on structured data in real time. This service works in close conjunction with Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), collectively providing the ability to store, process and query data sets in the cloud. These services are designed to make web-scale computing easier and more cost-effective for developers.
Learn more and sign up here.
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Google Maps Mobile, has just been updated to add a slick new feature that helps pinpoint where you’re at using the Cell Towers for triangulation. If you have a GPS enabled phone, it will use that instead. Its pretty accurate, so far - usually pulling my location up within 3 meters (with my new Blackberry Curve II).
After the jump is a video explaining how it works.
Continue reading ‘Google Maps Mobile Adds My Location’
It seems that the Open Document Format, the native format for Open Office.org and contributed to by the Open Document Foundation, as slammed this week - by the ODF - as being too proprietary, and that the corporate backers (such as Sun who adopted the format for its own Star Office package) were more interested in killing Microsoft Office than TRUE Interoperability between Word Processors and the other office productivity tools.
Continue reading ‘Open Document Format Wars’
To invoice my clients, I use an application called Fresh Books, formerly called Second Site - at least that is what it was called when I signed up. I’ve been a customer for about 2 years or so. I signed up as part of a move to organize my freelancing and provide better service to my clients. Plus I needed a brain dead easy way of sending out invoices - something quickbooks sucked at.
They contacted me yesterday to inform me that I am the top performer “Days to Receive Payment” in your category of “Web Design and Development”. And they wanted to ask me, how do I do it?
As my “How Web Sites Are Built” pre-sales document explains, I tend to be upfront about payment. My billing practices are pretty simple actually, and were forged in the 4 years of frustration I felt during the early days years of my consulting practice.
- If the project is a flat rate, and is under $500 - The client must pay up front.
- If its a flat rate, and greater than $500, then a retainer must be paid up front - generally 50%. Larger projects (greater than $5000) can be done in thirds, if the client’s budget requires it.
- If I’m billing hourly than, payment is due when services have been rendered. Basically when the code is in production.
- All other bills are due 7 days after they are received. Fresh Books lets me know when my clients view their Invoices, an indispensable feature.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Continue reading ‘Know your value, and then Ask For it.’
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