Share the HyperArts Blog!

HYPERlinks February 3, 2012: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

February 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

HYPERlinks: February 3, 2012

This week we have a wide range of cool links to share – from competitive coding to responsive notebooks to really nerdy plugins and CSS features.

And just for fun, because we love the internet:

“Every second one hour of video is uploaded to YouTube. Let’s visualize that.”

http://www.onehourpersecond.com/

Jenni Schwartz / Designer

Go Code Racer, Go!

http://coderace.me/

Pretend you are at one of Facebook’s Code-A-Thons and race to finish code challenges before your contenders while using special weapons to foil their process. Win awards, the right to gloat, and of course you may even learn a thing or two.

Who’s Hungry?

http://stylishwebdesigner.com/30-delicious-and-inspirational-restaurant-websites/

We are finally seeing a design shift in the restaurant industry for the better. View the link below to view 30 delicious and inspirational restaurant website designs. Most of the sites are showing large images of food to entice the potential customer.
[Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Weekly Links Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ultimate Backup Plugin Solution for WordPress

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We love the WordPress platform because it is continually evolving to improve functionality and stay as secure as possible. Because of the changing nature of this open source solution, it is absolutely essential to make regular updates to your WordPress installation and plugins as they become available. That means it is also crucial to make regular backups in case any changes in the software affect your site or any data is damaged in the update process.

Backup BuddyThere two components of your WordPress website or blog that require backing up:

1.) The site files — primarily images, and
2.) The database which contains all of the text content on your website.

Backup Buddy WordPress Plugin

I tried a number of different backup solutions that did one or the other of these tasks, but I had to use multiple systems to make sure the site and all of my content was getting completely backed up and stored somewhere safe.  Finally I found Backup Buddy, a premium plugin by iThemes. Backup buddy is an incredibly robust solution for backing up your WordPress site in it’s entirety.

[Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , ,

Filed Under: WordPress / Blogging, WordPress Plugins Tagged With: , ,

Facebook eCommerce / F-Commerce Solutions for your Fan Page

January 24, 2012 By 2 Comments


Many brands are enjoying increased traffic and engagement on their Facebook Pages. Some might be wondering how to connect this thriving community with their online stores.

There are many available options for Facebook eCommerce (aka “F-Commerce”) and, although we don’t cover every Facebook eCommerce solution, we have included the most popular offerings and those that exemplify the various approaches to Facebook eCommerce.

What should you look for in a Facebook eCommerce solution?

Finding the best Facebook eCommerce solution will mean comparing several elements, all of which we will cover as we profile each eCommerce application and merchant:

  • Pricing
  • Where does browsing happen (on a tab or a canvas app)?
  • Is the Facebook application a stand-alone shop or part of an existing eStore platform?
  • How much custom design is allowed?
  • Compatibility with popular technologies (read: Dependence on Flash)

Facebook Store Front vs. Facebook eStore

One of the most important questions to ask is where do the transactions actually happen? This is how we will organize the different applications and platform in this post, first presenting apps that are simply “Store Fronts” and then identifying the platforms that offer a fully functional “Facebook eStore.” [Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Facebook Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HYPERlinks January 13 2012: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

This week we tried to avoid the temptation to share all of those “year in review” type articles. But Bill’s link to Web Design Ledger’s “Web Design Trends of 2012″ is a great list of design elements that you will be seeing all over the place. Jenni gets us excited about waking up early for CreativeMornings (San Francisco’s upcoming event sounds awesome!). Read on for more HYPERcool HYPERlinks…

Bill Dailey - HyperArts Programmer & Project Manager

Bill Dailey / Project Manager & Programmer

Web Design in 2012

http://webdesignledger.com/tips/web-design-trends-in-2012

Curious about the latest trends in web design? There is a great post over at Web Design Ledger listing emerging trends in 2012. Responsive Design is number one on their list, and has been a hot topic around the HyperArts office this week.

Taking Google Analytics To The Next Level

http://24ways.org/2011/getting-the-most-out-of-google-analytics

Many of you likely have Google Analytics tracking code installed on your web pages (and if you don’t, you should). This article from 24 Ways gives some great insight into how you can use GA to analyze what is happening on your website, and how you can improve it.

Fun with jQuery

http://www.catswhocode.com/blog/10-awesome-jquery-snippets

I love using jQuery, and this article gives from Cats Who Code has some great code snippits that do useful things – preload images, open all external links in a new window, and disabling the Enter button a form. Ah the magic of jQuery. [Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Weekly Links Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Facebook Sponsored Stories Become “Featured Stories” In the News Feed

January 12, 2012 By 2 Comments

“Businesses can pay to feature a post so there’s a better chance you’ll notice it.” -Facebook

Facebook Ads Enter Your Feed

Facebook has quietly announced (to Inside Facebook here and in their Help Center here) that they will be rolling out a new form of advertising for Pages called Featured Stories.

Sponsored Stories have been a form of paid advertising for a while now, you can see them in the right column of the Facebook interface. They are stories that might normally appear in your News Feed (when a friend likes a Page, recommends something, etc) but they also might NOT.

Facebook has admitted that many stories get lost in the News Feed: “…a lot of impressions do get lost because there’s so much content coming through…” (via official Sponsored Stories page). The benefit of Sponsored Stories is that paying advertisers are able to harness the social nature of these stories, since Facebook users are more likely to pay attention to ads if they feature familiar faces and trusted names.

The only drawback is the location – in the right column of the Facebook interface. This is a space that most FB users know is for advertising. So we might ignore it automatically. But with the newly introduced Featured Stories, Facebook puts these paid ads directly into the News Feed. [Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Facebook, Facebook Strategies, Platform Updates Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

How to Migrate your App Profile Page to a Facebook Page

January 9, 2012 By 26 Comments

Facebook’s December 9, 2011 announcement that as of February 1, 2012 they are removing App Profile Pages has confused a lot of users.

The problem is that Facebook doesn’t — at least at this time — create a link users can click to add an App to their Page which was the main purpose of the App Profile Page, a link that could be in the App Settings area.

In my previous article about the App Profile Page removal, I focused on how to code a link, using HTML, that when clicked provides the option for users to add an App to their Page.

In this article, I focus on how to migrate your App Profile Page to a Facebook Page so that all the Likes for the App Profile Page get transferred to the new Page, and how to add a custom tab on the new Page to allow users to add the App from that new Page.

Who actually NEEDS an App Profile Page?

If you’ve created your own iFrame Page Tab app, and you intend to just add it to your own Page, or perhaps to several Pages you admin, then you don’t really need an always-available “Add to My Page” link. I recommend following the instructions on my recent tutorial on adding Apps to Pages after February 1.

The need for a publicly available Page where users can go to add an App applies primarily to App developers who need to provide an add-to-my-page link, and I describe a way to do this, below.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Facebook Programming, Platform Updates

HYPERlinks January 4 2012: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

HYPERlinks: January 4, 2012

Happy New Year to you! We are excited about getting back to work in 2012 (not to say that we didn’t all enjoy 2 3-day weekends in a row…) and one of the most fun things we get to do each week is share some of our favorite industry links with you.

This week Jenni and Jason share links to websites and blog posts that might inspire some reflection on the past year – both on your own design work and the work of others. If you are feeling like Santa left your wallet nice and full, check out the premuim WordPress tools and icons sets recommended by Tim and Rachel.

Jason Amor / Facebook Designer & Developer

The Great Discontent

http://thegreatdiscontent.com

Inspiring interviews of artists, designers, musicians, and other creative types — all presented on a beautiful responsively-designed website.

Simple Desktops

http://simpledesktops.com

De-clutter your workspace by applying a simple, distraction-free desktop background.

FontShop: Best Typefaces of 2011

http://www.fontshop.com/blog/newsletters/dec2011c/

Take a look back at the best typefaces of 2011.


[Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Weekly Links Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

HYPERlinks Dec 22 2011: Holiday Gift Edition! Tools and Toys for Web Designers and Developers

December 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

HYPERlinks Holiday Gift Edition: December 22, 2011

This week we share our best gift ideas for fellow Web designers and developers. Some of these gift ideas are practical tools for Web professionals, others are just plain funny. From books to iPad covers, these toys and tools will help you out as you work on the Web. Plus, now we know how Bill protects his Macbook from the Dark Side…

Jason Amor / Facebook Designer & Developer

Books for people who make websites

http://www.abookapart.com/
 
Give the budding web developer in your life the gift of knowledge. The latest publications from A List Apart include the most up to date information about HTML5, CSS3, Content Strategy, Responsive Web Design, Designing for Emotion, and Designing for Mobile.

V-Luxe iPad Stand

http://www.bknydesign.com/
 
If you watch movies on your iPad and consistently wake up with a mangled neck and sore arms, it’s time to invest in an iPad stand. Get this one, etc.

[Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Weekly Links Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

HYPERlinks Dec 14 2011: A Weekly Roundup of Links to Great Design, Web Tools and Services

December 14, 2011 By 4 Comments

Web Development and Design Resources for Web Developers

HYPERlinks: December 14, 2011

This week both Tim and Jenni have links about Responsive Web Design that are must-reads for developers working on sites that need to look good on any screen, from a desktop monitor to a smart phone. Jason shares some HTML5 resources and fixes for IE stubbornness. Analisa is in love with the Pandr‘s color tool, you will see why…

Thanks for following our weekly link series, we have fun picking the best links to share with you!

Jenni Schwartz / Designer

Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design is a hot topic these days. From desktops to mobile browsers to netbooks and tablets, users are visiting web sites from an increasing range of devices and browsers. Are your designs ready?

The term “responsive web design” is related to the concept of developing a website design whereas the layout changes according to the user’s screen resolution. The practice consists of flexible grids and images and an intelligent use of media queries.

50 Gorgeous Responsive Web Design Examples:
http://designmodo.com/responsive-design-examples/

Techniques in Responsive Web Design:
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/11/techniques-in-responsive-web-design/

Tutorial: A Basic Responsive Grid (plus handy CSS3 media quiery reporter)
http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/htmlcss-tutorials/a-basic-responsive-grid-plus-handy-css3-media-query-reporter/
[Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Weekly Links Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Facebook Removing App Profile Pages on Feb 1, 2012

December 10, 2011 By 116 Comments

UPDATED January 9, 2012: I’ve added a detailed step-by-step tutorial on migrating your App Profile Page to a Facebook Page.

UPDATED Dec 14, 2011: I added a (heavily edited) discussion thread from the Developer Blog post that addresses the transferring of a Vanity URL to an existing Fan Page, and user questions around this. See below….

On Friday, Dec 9, 2011, Facebook announced that as of February 1, 2012 they are removing App Profile Pages, to be replaced by a much easier method of adding apps to pages.

Today, we are announcing that we will remove all App Profile Pages on February 1st, 2012. Though similar in appearance, the automatically generated App Profile Pages differ in features from traditional Facebook Pages, and over time the inconsistencies between the two, such as different Insights, APIs, and distribution channels, have become more apparent.

(See the discussion with Facebook’s Cat Lee, below….)

What takes the place of an existing App Profile Page?

You’ll need to migrate your App Profile Page to “an existing Facebook Page with the same name and of Product/App category.”

If you are an admin of an eligible Facebook Page (must be of the Product/App category and match the app name), you will be prompted with the ability to transfer Likes to this Page. Transferring Likes will give you the ability to publish updates to these users from your new Facebook Page as you do today.

Please note that we will only transfer Likes, and not the content of these Pages. Before you go through the migration process, please ensure you have downloaded all photos, posts, Insights, and any other material that you want to keep. Once you hit the migrate button, the App Profile Page will be deleted.

[Read more...]

Technorati Tags: , ,

Filed Under: Facebook Programming, Platform Updates Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts