tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52781857999877146922023-11-15T07:16:09.255-08:00NewstorageWe present news from IT industry, tips & tricks for internet and much more in our blog that is updated on daily basis.Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-81686850836562243642012-11-27T14:20:00.019-08:002012-11-27T14:20:52.882-08:00Quick Question: What Is the Hardest Part of Developing a Game?<p><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/jammers11.jpg" alt="" title="jammers1[1]" width="660" height="165" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17709" /></p><br /><p>I have a quick question I’d like to get your answer to: what’s the hardest part of developing a game? Is it finding the assets, writing the code, making it fun, or just getting someone to play it?<span id="more-17708"></span></p><br /><hr /><br /><p>I’ve listed seven areas of game development that people commonly state are the hardest part of actually making a game. In your experience, which is the most difficult? If you could get more help or assistance with one, which would you pick?</p><br /><div class="tutorial_image"><br /><script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="http://static.polldaddy.com/p/6708881.js"></script><br /><br /><noscript><a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/6708881/">What is the hardest part of developing a game?</a></noscript><br /></div><br /><p>If your answer isn’t one of the seven above, feel free to add it to the poll or discuss it in the comments below!</p><br /><p>Thanks – we’ll use this information to help us prioritise what tutorials and resources to provide for you in the future.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/XvwoFue0NE8" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-15170436493367159772012-11-27T14:20:00.017-08:002012-11-27T14:20:52.154-08:0014 Criteria Buyers Consider When Purchasing Items<div id="attachment_17715" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 660px"><a href="http://photodune.net/item/binoculars/2672293?WT.ac=category_thumb&WT.seg_1=category_thumb&WT.z_author=fuzzbones"><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-2672293-binoculars-s.jpg" alt="" title="Binoculars" width="660" height="220" class="size-full wp-image-17715" /></a> <span class="wp-caption-text">Image from PhotoDune</span></div><br /><p>What do buyers consider when purchasing their items? It would be really helpful if authors knew the answer to that question. So ActiveDen and ThemeForest author Bedros <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/thread/buyers-how-do-you-buy/78932?page=1">asked</a>.</p><br /><p>What criteria do they consider? Do they search for items? What would make them return to the same author? What features are they after?</p><br /><p>If you’d like to know how real live buyers answer those questions, then read on!<br /><br /><span id="more-17712"></span></p><br /><h4>1. Source code is scrutinized.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I always switch off the CodeCanyon frame in preview mode and check src code of item, and view with firebug. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I look for clean code, where authors have taken the time to comment each sector where appropriate, this leads me to think if thy can be bothered to explain, then they understand and care about its use. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I also almost always remove the Envato frame as well. I also always look at the code – CSS , HTML and custom JS. I modify the items I buy extensively, and having good clean code is a high priority for me. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>What amazes me tho is still the amt of files that load js files in head. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>As for protected src code files, there is no such thing for client side files. So that isnt an issue, moreover i like to see good segragation, ie not buy something that has one huge style.css file, that has more to do with the demo than what i really need, so more often than not we totally rebuild an item we buy to fit in with our remit. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I absolutely detest tho, the framework style of folderisation .. Assets folders with assetts folders nested within etc, its ridiculously painful to work with. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>Well commented code. Even if I don’t have to go in the code of scripts I always check if the code is well commented. If this is the case that another proof for me that the author spend time on his product. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>HTML themes should also be well commented. These will be used in various CMS systems so it should be easy for me to modify it and not having to go deep in the code and find out for myself where each item block starts or ends. (nokiko)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>2. Badly rated items are often not even considered.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>Author rating does play a role, but a very small one. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>I don’t look at themes with 3 stars except if I know the author. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>Second, when we need to buy a new theme, we check the ones that look suitable and then look at the rating. We don’t buy themes with less than 4 stars, yet we keep in mind that when only two people gave stars, this isn’t something to rely on. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /><li>Sixth, we give it our own rating, because we believe in the stars. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /><li>If an item has 3 stars or less, I won’t even consider it. (dwhitmore)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>3. A demo or live preview is important.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I won’t buy anything without a live preview. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I too will not buy any item unless it has a live preview. (CSS Items must have a good vid.) No Preview = No buy for me. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>Of course there should be a perfect demo. If you want to win me over in buying an item I have to see how versatile something is especially in jQuery plugins if you have a basic a normal and a very different example this is proof enough for me to buy it. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>Third we run the demo through a couple of tests to see how it reacts on devices, to see if everything works fast and is well programmed. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>4. Buyers sometimes have favorite authors.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I don’t actually buy from any one particular author, but I do have preference to certain authors. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I check who the authors are, prioritize them: Any theme from AJ Clarke absolutely without question, authors I bought from before, Elite authors, silver paw and up, the rest based on the theme’s comments the ones I’m familiar with get priority, the lesser known ones I check the comments to gauge them. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>I have a few authors that I just buy each item they release because of the quality of the work. Even if I don’t have a project to use it for yet but the quality of the work I am accustomed to I am sure that i will find a use for it soon and this way I support that author to keep on making great items. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>I find myself checking out out particular authors’ portfolios when one of their items really knocks me out/meets my client needs, but most of my decisions are based on whether the item fits the project, using searches on topic/subject/keyword. (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>5. Feedback from other buyers in the comments is influential.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I guess I base most of my purchases on feedback in the item’s comments. I look for comments that state that the item was easy to use/install. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>Fourth, when we find a good starred theme that looks and works the way we want, we head over to the comment section to read all comments, from first to last. That’s probably most important for us: great support. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /><li>Check for buyer comments to see if there are any potential issues or negative comments. (dwhitmore)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>6. Authors look for an item that meets their need at the time.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I buy based on logic, and I don’t mean using logic. But I buy a product laterally based on achieving a result, that follows the logic of the item, and fulfils the logic of my requirement however loose that may be. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I shortlist at least 5 them- then check the features to see if I can live with the compromise. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>I find myself checking out out particular authors’ portfolios when one of their items really knocks me out/meets my client needs, but most of my decisions are based on whether the item fits the project, using searches on topic/subject/keyword. (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>7. The look and feel of the item is important.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I scan themes that have the<strong> LOOK and FEEL </strong>I visualized, regardless of what features/function they have. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>It’s all about the look and feel to me first before anything else. The theme must suit what I feel is best for my client. This means all these plain vanilla themes that’s been coming of the assembly line lately barely get 2 seconds of preview. (CLINE123)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>8. Documentation must be excellent.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>Documentation is a pre. Every feature should be well documented. If I can not find documentation in the live preview in a file that I am considering buying that I always ask the author to send a screenshot or a few pages so I can see how the documentation is setup. its not that I can;t code ur understand code but i don’t want to spend unnecessary time in understanding how it works. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>For themes, I look for well-documented offerings and have noticed that the “Elite” authors seem to be much more professional in their support and the packaging of their template/themes, so I do look at those items first. (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>9. Responsiveness from authors is valued and looked for.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I also look for questions asked by the buyers that get responses from the author. Questions asked and never answered stick out for me as a no buy item. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>One thing that does bother me is when a question is asked, and the author responds with “answered in email”. More then once I have had the same question, and now have to contact the author instead of reading the fix/answer right there where it was asked previously. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>10. Unique and original items attract more attention.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>If there is an item from a new or established author that is quite unique and original I just buy it to support the author even if I don’t have a use for it yet. As Orman Clark mentioned on twitter a lot of the themes lately look alike. Of course an author wants to make money so he creates what sells best so he looks at others best sellers. But ff ther are new authors that do it differently I support this buy buying the item. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>The more cutting edge/unique the theme is, the better. (dwhitmore)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>11. Newer items may be considered before older items.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I’ll shortlist newer themes first unless an old one stands out. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>Well, we check the new themes daily to keep a good overview of what’s happening out here. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>12. Good support is valued.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>Item support after the sale is probably #1 for me though I very rarely ask for support, it is nice knowing if I have any issues I can get help. (TwoJStudios)<br /></ul><br /><h4>13. Well-tagged items are easier to find.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I am a semi-frequent buyer (graphic/web designer) across several of the Envato marketplaces. I use the search functions a lot, and always appreciate properly-tagged items because I am usually on a deadline and trying to optimize! (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>14. The number of sales of an item is a consideration.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I also look at number of sales (very high might be a bit of a negative, very low makes me think twice about it, but in the end the quality is the tie-breaker.) (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><p>Well, that’s the end of the list as it stands at the moment. Did you find anything helpful or surprising? Let us know in the comments.</p><br /><p>A huge thank you to Bedros for asking the question and starting the thread on the forums. And an even bigger thank you to the buyers who answered so helpfully.</p><br /><p>And if you haven’t checked <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/thread/buyers-how-do-you-buy/78932">this forum thread</a> out yet, it’s worth reading – even after finishing my summary. There’s a lot of discussion there that’s missed when presenting the answers as a list.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/MThNFfv28sI" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-8574961361630264952012-11-27T14:20:00.015-08:002012-11-27T14:20:51.542-08:00Featured Profile Image: nishagandhi +4<p><img class="alignnone" title="nishagandhi" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/24003195/graphicriver-profile-2.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p>There are almost as many approaches to creating a profile image as there are authors. Some focus on showcasing artistic skills, others prioritize with slogans and company information. Some show their personal photo, while others display abstract forms. This one belongs to <a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/nishagandhi">nishagandhi</a>. Check below for four more! Which is your favorite, and why?</p><br /><p><span id="more-17721"></span></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="Smartik" src="http://0.s3.envato.com/files/26365506/smartik_profile.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/Smartik">Smartik</a></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="Art101" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/351548.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/Art101">Art101</a></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="RafaelOliveira" src="http://3.s3.envato.com/files/15062652/RafaelOliveira.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/RafaelOliveira">RafaelOliveira</a></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="MsTrends" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/32145475/profile_image.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/MsTrends">MsTrends</a></p><br /><p> </p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/uAPj8S9-hn0" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-49529219589921236252012-11-27T14:20:00.013-08:002012-11-27T14:20:50.812-08:00Freebie Black Friday: Freebies on AppStorm<p><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/freebie_friday1.png" alt="" title="freebie_friday" width="660" height="220" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-898" /></p><br /><p>The AppStorm team have been hard at work again. Here is a huge bunch of great free apps and web services they covered.</p><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Mac.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://mac.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2012/11/Evernote-5-Icon1.jpg" alt="Evernote 5: Beauty Meets the Old Evernote Client" />Evernote 5: Beauty Meets the Old Evernote Client</h4><br /><p>If you’ve read a few of my articles in Mac.Appstorm then you’ve probably seen how big of a fan I am of Evernote. It’s a wonderful service: not only does it let you create, organize, and share notes easily, but it also lets you keep everything synced up and accessible through many places, like their website, and the iOS, Android and Mac apps.</p><br /><p>The Mac app has been around for some time now, and even though it gets continuous support and works just fine, it has been in need of a UI overhaul for a long time. Well, just a few days ago the Evernote team revealed a new update that will bring a complete re-do to the app, and just now we’ve had the opportunity to test out the beta version of the new Evernote 5. Let’s see what’s new!<br /><br /><span id="more-17743"></span><a href="http://mac.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-review/evernote-5-beauty-meets-the-old-evernote-client/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://mac.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2012/11/Imagine-icon1.jpg" alt="Imagine: A Cheap, Simple and Beautiful Writing App" />Imagine: A Cheap, Simple and Beautiful Writing App</h4><br /><p>We’ve shown you a fair share of distraction-free writing apps before, everything from markdown editing apps to other more intricate apps that can get you writing a novel by playing sounds and placing images to get you in a creative mood. However, today we’re going to show you an even simpler and cheaper alternative to all the other apps we’ve showcased before.</p><br /><p>It’s called Imagine. Instead of just imagining how it’d be to write with, let’s take a look at it and see how it holds up to the competition.<br /><br /><a href="http://mac.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-review/imagine-a-cheap-simple-and-beautiful-writing-app/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Web.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/pixlr.png" alt="Pixlr: Simple Filters to Advanced Editing" />Pixlr: Simple Filters to Advanced Editing</h4><br /><p>Last month on Web.Appstorm, I looked at PhotoRaster, an advanced online photo editor which really impressed us. Today, we have another web app called Pixlr, which is another twist on online photo editing.</p><br /><p>While PhotoRaster, like most image editing apps, is a sole app that gives you tons of options, Pixlr is a photo editor split into three different apps. Each of these is built for a specific purpose, and you’ll likely find yourself only using one of the 3 Pixlr apps. In this article I’m going to cover each one so you can see which one is for you!<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/images/pixlr-simple-filters-to-advanced-editing/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/Screen-Shot-2012-11-12-at-4.01.37-PM.png" alt="Alto: AOL’s Newest Email Client" />Alto: AOL’s Newest Email Client</h4><br /><p>When I think of AOL, I cannot help but also think about the “You’ve Got Mail” tone that they made famous. As you take a look back on email, AOL was a pioneer in the field as they were one of the first companies to offer it to the masses, way back in the late 90′s. But outside of that and Instant Messenger, they have been very quiet now for quite some time.</p><br /><p>Well, that all has changed recently, with their newly, upgraded email client called Alto. Yes, email has come a long way since AOL last came out with a client, and some would even say it is an already crowded space. When I got into the beta for this, the main thing that I wanted to see was whether or not this could replace the apps I currently use for email. I tried to use it by itself for the last couple of weeks and I came away with some interesting thoughts about it.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/email-apps/alto-aols-newest-email-client/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/timetastic.png" alt="Timetastic Helps Manage Team Vacations and Leaves" />Timetastic Helps Manage Team Vacations and Leaves</h4><br /><p>If you’re managing a team, it can get very hard to keep a track of vacation time. With the holidays coming up, you don’t want to be caught in a situation where all your employees are out of office at the same time, unless you’re really planned for it. If you happen to have many freelancers working for your company, it can be especially hard to figure out who’s going to be unavailable, when.</p><br /><p>Timetastic is a fantastic little tool that helps you manage leaves for people in your organization, and is loaded with options that make it a must-have for anyone responsible for the smooth functionality of a team. It’s even got a nice design. Let’s take a look.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/project-management/timetastic-helps-manage-team-vacations-and-leaves/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/BuildWithChrome_Logo_200px.jpg" alt="Build With Chrome: Lego + Google Maps = Super Fun!" />Build With Chrome: Lego + Google Maps = Super Fun!</h4><br /><p>I can’t tell you how many hours of my childhood have gone into building elaborate forts, spaceships or construction sites with Lego, the block-building toy that captured every kid’s fancy and continues to do so. I really thought that this generation wouldn’t find much appreciation for it until my nephew got his first Lego kit and spent a chunk of his vacation letting his imagination go wild with a bunch of little red bricks and yellow men.</p><br /><p>And then I came across Build With Chrome.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/gaming-reviews/build-with-chrome-lego-google-maps-super-fun/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/logo1.png" alt="PublikDemand: The Social Better Business Bureau" />PublikDemand: The Social Better Business Bureau</h4><br /><p>These days, businesses are just so competitive. They are driven by the motivation to match their competition feature by feature. So, there aren’t many distinguishing traits or USPs for products and services to stand apart. That is, except when it comes offering their customers exceptional support.</p><br /><p>We are better off forking a bit more money for a brand that promises to treat us with respect when knocking their doors for help. Such decisions end up saving a lot of time and frustration of dealing with indifferent and rude support people. Sadly, this doesn’t work all the time and you might have to fight hard with a brand to get your issue resolved.</p><br /><p>Fighting alone against a brand to get heard is an uphill task. But, the same is going to be a whole lot different if you fight alongside hundreds or thousands of people facing the same problem. That’s where PublikDemand comes in.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/social-networking/publikdemand-the-social-better-business-bureau/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/typing-karaoke.png" alt="Speed Up Your Typing with Typing Karaoke" />Speed Up Your Typing with Typing Karaoke</h4><br /><p>Remember Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing? Wouldn’t it be cool if someone wrenched it out from its stuffy confines of edutainment and wrapped it in a colorful, more “gamey” and fun package?</p><br /><p>Turns out, they did, sort of. Typing Karaoke is like a prototype for a Mavis Beacon meets SingStar game, and it’s fantastic — both as an aide to improving your typing skills and as a fun way to pass the time.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/gaming-reviews/speed-up-your-typing-with-typing-karaoke/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/FoodspottingLogo_200px.jpg" alt="Find Great Dishes, Not Just Restaurants, With Foodspotting" />Find Great Dishes, Not Just Restaurants, With Foodspotting</h4><br /><p>The world loves food. Even if you may not be a foodie, there has to have been a time when you came across a dish and it brought you instant joy. As Voltaire put it, nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.</p><br /><p>And given our obsession with what we put in our mouths, it’s no surprise that there are tons of web apps that focus on helping you find good restaurants to eat at. But that just tells you where to eat at, not what to eat there. Foodspotting wants to fill that void.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/social-networking/find-great-dishes-not-just-restaurants-with-foodspotting/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">iPhone.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/mirror.png" alt="Mirrorgram: a Funhouse in Your iPhone" />Mirrorgram: a Funhouse in Your iPhone</h4><br /><p>I’m a sucker for fancy photo apps. I want to go beyond Instagram effects and do really fun things with my images, like animate my cat or put moustaches on all of my friends. Sure, my definition of fun may not be the same as the next guy’s, but there’s no denying the iPhone has made us all amateur photographers, and all our photo editing apps let us make something really special with our pictures.</p><br /><p>Mirrorgram is such an app, helping you create really imaginative images in a flash. Like the name implies, you’ll be creating a mirrored copy of your image. However, the features and sharing options go beyond just simple image editing, allowing you to create tiny works of iPhone art.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/graphics/mirrorgram-a-funhouse-in-your-iphone/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/polar_icon.png" alt="Create Beautiful Polls with Polar" />Create Beautiful Polls with Polar</h4><br /><p>More often than my brothers would like to admit, I like to poll people about some discussion we’re having at the moment. These are usually strangers, and it’s usually a handful that I don’t think will hit or mace me. I’m happy to announce that I no longer need to do that, thanks to an app by Input Factory Inc. called Polar, which lets you poll complete strangers without the awkward initial conversation. Let’s see how it stacks up.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle/create-beautiful-polls-with-polar/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Matchbook-Logo.png" alt="Matchbook: Keep Notes on Where to Go" />Matchbook: Keep Notes on Where to Go</h4><br /><p>Long before racking up check-in badges on Foursquare, social butterflies collected matchbooks to document their journeys. As they evolved into scenesters, they were tasked with memorizing all those places to which they frolicked. But there’s also an added pressure of keeping tabs on new spots that may have opened up, as well as friends continuously counting on you for recommendations.</p><br /><p>It’s a huge responsibility to know about every hot new locale, along with what a venue is good for and where exactly it’s located. Thankfully, Matchbook aims to be your digital notebook for such content. With a few touches of the screen, the app will remember where you’ve been as well as keep track of those places you’ve yet to go. Each category can be filtered, just in case you plan to visit a certain neighborhood or want to check out a new hotspot.</p><br /><p>Can Matchbook be the all-encompassing guide you need to direct you around the city and keep track of the venues you’ve conquered along the way? Find out after the jump.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle/matchbook-keep-notes-on-where-to-go/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Squarespace-Note.png" alt="Compose Minimalist Notes with Squarespace Note" />Compose Minimalist Notes with Squarespace Note</h4><br /><p>Note-taking apps for the iPhone are hardly scarce, with many third-party options available for a device that ships with a stock Notes app fully integrated into it’s own cloud-based sync services. While Squarespace is best known as a blogging platform, the company recently pushed out a note-taking app of their own, Squarespace Note.</p><br /><p>Squarespace Note is a minimalist note-taking app that syncs your textual memos with a variety of services including Squarespace itself, Evernote and Dropbox. It’s advertised not as an independent note-taking app, but rather a proxy for your other subscribed services.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/office-reviews/compose-minimalist-notes-with-squarespace-note/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/learnvest.png" alt="LearnVest: Learning to Grow Your Finances" />LearnVest: Learning to Grow Your Finances</h4><br /><p>LearnVest started out in 2010 with the mission of educating and empowering women to take control of their finances. With financial planning tools and online workshops, access to financial planning professionals (for a fee), and a free budgeting tool that rivals anything Mint.com or others have come up with, LearnVest has shown that it’s not playing around. What it’s lacked, though, is an app that puts the tools you find in your browser in your phone.</p><br /><p>With a recent site refresh and SEC registration as a financial planner, LearnVest is adding more tools to the financial toolkit, including (finally), their own iOS app. While LearnVest still lets you know right on their mission page that their target demographic is women, everyone can use a little help, and their slick budgeting tool may be enough to make you make the switch.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle/learnvest-learning-to-grow-your-finances/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Icon6.png" alt="Dead Trigger: Console Gaming Gone Mobile" />Dead Trigger: Console Gaming Gone Mobile</h4><br /><p>What’s more fun than an action packed, zombie killing, adrenaline rushing, high speed intense game? Well the answer is simple. All of that in the palm of your hands! As a perfect example of console gaming gone mobile, Dead Trigger brings the first person shooting experience that we’ve all associated from the console straight to the iPhone.</p><br /><p>Through its stunning graphics and heart-racing gameplay, Dead Trigger is easily one of the most notable zombie FPS apps available for the iPhone. Its intense quests will have even the most experienced zombie players at the edge of their seats.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/games-reviews/dead-trigger-console-gaming-gone-mobile/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Letris-Friends-Logo.png" alt="Letris & Friends: Competitive Word Puzzles" />Letris & Friends: Competitive Word Puzzles</h4><br /><p>Words with Friends’ popularity peak seems like it was a millennium ago. But one thing was proven when it was at the top: gamers — both casual and habitual — love word games. They also love another time-tested favorite that features falling pieces and goes by the name of Tetris.</p><br /><p>Combine elements of the two and it adds up to Letris & Friends, the three-in-one word game app that features competitive finds, disappearing blocks and snaking searches that you can engage in with your buddies.</p><br /><p>Aiming to be the last word on letter-focused puzzle apps, find out what fun awaits you within Letris & Friends after the break.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/games-reviews/letris-friends-competitive-word-puzzles/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">iPad.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://ipad.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2012/10/Learnist_icon.png" alt="Learnist Introduces a Multimedia Educational Experience" />Learnist Introduces a Multimedia Educational Experience</h4><br /><p>Grockit, which calls itself the social learning company, specializes in collaborative online test preparation for those studying to take the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, SAT, ACT and other university-related exams. But now the company is expanding its vision with Learnist, an app designed to let anyone learn more about, well, pretty much anything. Think of it as the Pinterest for education.</p><br /><p>Or for informative multimedia, at the very least, which you can curate on any subject, and also share with others. Click “more” to see what it’s all about.<br /><br /><a href="http://ipad.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle-reviews/learnist-introduces-a-multimedia-educational-experience/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://ipad.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2012/11/GoogleSearch.jpg" alt="Google Search: Siri’s Worst Nightmare?" />Google Search: Siri’s Worst Nightmare?</h4><br /><p>Every so often, an app comes along that changes the game in it’s respective category. Shazam revolutionized how people identified songs. Instagram changed the way people capture and share photos. Evernote made it incredible easy to share notes across multiple platforms. While it’s become increasingly difficult for apps to change how people do certain things, it’s all the more impressive when one does.</p><br /><p>When it was originally released for the iPad in 2010, Google Search certainly wasn’t a game changer. It provided a easy way to use the world’s favorite search engine, but it definitely wasn’t a replacement for Safari. However, with the release of version 2.5, Google Search now offers a voice search functionality that rivals Apple’s baked in voice function, Siri. Join us after the jump to learn more about Google’s new streaming voice search.<br /><br /><a href="http://ipad.appstorm.net/reviews/utilities-reviews/google-search-siris-worst-nightmare/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://ipad.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2012/10/logo3.png" alt="Aviary: Pushing the Limits of Mobile Image Editing" />Aviary: Pushing the Limits of Mobile Image Editing</h4><br /><p>I have been a huge admirer of Aviary for a long time now. I don’t use their web apps often, but I’m in awe at them for showing the world what web apps are capable of. The range and quality of their toolkit on the web is praiseworthy. It’s no wonder that the developers have started licensing their toolkit.</p><br /><p>Image editing in the mobile phone genre is largely powered by Aviary, and the most famous example of this is the recently launched Twitpic app. Not just comfortable being in the background, Aviary has launched its official iOS app in the app store. Let’s go check out how functional it is.<br /><br /><a href="http://ipad.appstorm.net/reviews/photography-reviews/aviary-pushing-the-limits-of-mobile-image-editing/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Android.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/11/unnamed.png" alt="Navigate and Explore the Play Store’s Maze With Mapsaurus" />Navigate and Explore the Play Store’s Maze With Mapsaurus</h4><br /><p>Mapsaurus is a rich and easy to use discovery application that presents app recommendations in a rich, visual format. If you are reading this right now, it’s probably safe to assume you take an interest in new and exciting apps and games and, as such, I’m sure you’re already aware of applications that help you find the latest and greatest titles in the Google Play Store.</p><br /><p>Mapsaurus is one such application, but instead of insipid lists of apps for you to randomly peruse, it displays recommendations in a really cool way.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/reviews/utilities/navigate-and-explore-the-play-stores-maze-with-mapsaurus/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/10/icon.png" alt="Catch Notes: Capture Notes Anywhere and Store Them in the Cloud" />Catch Notes: Capture Notes Anywhere and Store Them in the Cloud</h4><br /><p>As a student I’m always taking notes on the go thanks to a small notepad and pen that I keep with me almost all the time. The problem is that you can always forget your notepad or your pen could run out of ink. However, one thing that you never forget is your smartphone.</p><br /><p>A great number of applications on the Play Store can act as your notepad, but there’s one that caught my eye. Catch Notes is a great way to create, manage and share notes. Not only that, but Catch is designed for collaborative note talking – perfect for any small project you might be cooking up with your friends and colleagues.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-reviews/catch-notes-capture-notes-anywhere-and-store-them-in-the-cloud/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/10/bakerapplogo.png" alt="Customize Your Recipes With The Baker App" />Customize Your Recipes With The Baker App</h4><br /><p>Most cooking apps for Android are rather straightforward, as cooking involves less time spent using the app and more time doing the actual task at hand. That’s pretty understandable, and as an occassional food maker, I have been content with whatever cooking app I had installed at the moment — until I came across The Baker App. This app not only got my attention, it also motivated me to venture into the exciting world of baking. It’s not every day that I get unusually excited about a cooking app, but The Baker App is obviously an exception.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/reviews/food-drink/customize-your-recipes-with-the-baker-app/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/11/vlc_logo.png" alt="VLC Media Player Comes to Android" />VLC Media Player Comes to Android</h4><br /><p>When it comes to media playback on the desktop, few media players enjoy the kind of ubiquitous love that VLC media player from VideoLan does. Over the last few years, VLC has become *the* app of choice for playing all kinds of video and audio files without the hassle of worrying about comapatibility and downloading codecs. The app has been available on a whole host of platforms including Mac, Windows and Linux, but has taken a while to arrive on mobile operating systems — barring a short unofficial stint on iOS before being pulled from the App Store.</p><br /><p>All that is about to change now, with the release of the public beta of VLC Media Player for Android on the Play Store. Although it wasn’t the most full featured of apps when it was announced a few months back, the development team has been hard at work adding features at a steady pace along with UI and compatibility enhancements. We will take a look at the current version of the app to try and see how well it stacks up against the host of very capable alternatives that have already established themselves on Android.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/general/app-news/vlc-media-player-comes-to-android/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Windows.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/10/virgin-trains-featured.png" alt="Virgin Train Tickets: Book Your Trains Easy!" />Virgin Train Tickets: Book Your Trains Easy!</h4><br /><p>Booking your transport is always a difficult task. Finding the cheapest fares for your specific destination is something which is necessary but time consuming. There are many apps which relate to flights, but, there seems to be much less that allow you to book train tickets directly. Virgin Train Tickets is an apps which helps you to book trains all over mainland UK quickly and securely.</p><br /><p>Not only does this app book your tickets, it also lets you track the ones you’ve already purchased. With all the data in the same place you’ll never miss a train again. Read on to find out more!<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/utilities-reviews/virgin-train-tickets-book-your-trains-easy/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/200.jpg" alt="Get Organized With Tasks" />Get Organized With Tasks</h4><br /><p>I am one of those people who has the compulsive need to be so darn punctual and pre-plan every tiny bit of thing that happens around me. I have multiple apps that keep me organised on my desktop but I have been searching for a good mobile app for days and I finally came across Tasks.</p><br /><p>Tasks is a simple but an excellent app for planning and organising your day to day affairs. It gives you the luxury of creating to-do lists, notes, project and add multiple to-do tasks and notes to it. Is it worth your time? Let’s find out!<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/get-organized-with-tasks/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/malwarebytes-logo.png" alt="Keep Your PC Malware Free With Malwarebytes" />Keep Your PC Malware Free With Malwarebytes</h4><br /><p>The internet can be a malicious environment if you’re not careful. There are safety precautions that are important to abide by while browsing the web. However, if you happen to be caught off guard and find yourself with an infected PC, completely removing the malware is absolutely vital in order to resume your day-to-day activities.</p><br /><p>While there are many tools available that will scan and remove malware from your system, one particular program known as Malwarebytes has been my trusted partner in crime for many years. Malwarebytes is a free anti-malware application that has a reputation for finding just about any trace of malicious software and removing it without leaving any evidence of the offending software’s existence.<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/security/keep-your-pc-malware-free-with-malwarebytes/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/snapcrab_icon.png" alt="Review: SnapCrab Makes Screen Grabbing & Sharing Simple" />Review: SnapCrab Makes Screen Grabbing & Sharing Simple</h4><br /><p>Think about screen grabbing and two ideas probably spring to mind – hitting the Prnt Scr key or using SnagIt. Taking the later route is a little primitive, while opting to using the latter means having to part with a little cash. SnapCrab – yes, crab, not grab – is a free, highly configurable screen grabbing tool that could just become your new best friend.</p><br /><p>At its heart, SnapCrab is very much what you would expect, but it also goes far beyond the capabilities of many other similar tools, and all without requiring you to part with a penny. Whether you are a blogger, a web site owner, a writer or just have some other need to taker screenshots on a regular basis, this may be the tool that makes you rethink the way you work.</p><br /><p>As well as being free, SnapCrab is also very small. The fact this is light on resources means that it is an ideal tool for anyone working on the move on a laptop which is not necessary the most powerful machine in the world. This is a relatively new piece of software, it has only hit version 1.0.3, but it boasts a stability and feature set that programs of several years’ standing would be jealous of.<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/graphics-reviews/review-snapcrab-makes-screen-grabbing-sharing-simple/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/Wordweb200px.jpg" alt="WordWeb: The Only Dictionary App You’ll Ever Need" />WordWeb: The Only Dictionary App You’ll Ever Need</h4><br /><p>NaNoWriMo is upon us, and if you’re a writer, this is one tool you must have in your arsenal. I have been using WordWeb for as long as I can remember and it’s among the first few programs I install on any new PC.</p><br /><p>WordWeb is a dictionary and thesaurus tool for Windows, iOS and Android. And if you thought that the new Windows 8’s global dictionary reduces a need for this, think again. WordWeb is infinitely more user-friendly, features several more options and is just as unobtrusive while doing all that.<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/wordweb-the-only-dictionary-app-youll-ever-need/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/NowFloats-icon.png" alt="Explore Cities Like a Local With NowFloats" />Explore Cities Like a Local With NowFloats</h4><br /><p>It’s amazing how, today, with a smartphone you have information about virtually everything at your fingertips wherever you go. And location-based apps take things a step further by allowing you to find friends nearby, search for restaurants in your area and see how bad traffic is en route to your next destination. But have you ever wished your phone could just tell you about great things to eat/see/do/buy around where you are, when you’re there?</p><br /><p>That’s exactly what NowFloats is all about — it’s a new, personal way to discover what’s interesting wherever you are, through tips and thoughts shared by other users, and updates on events and special offers. It’s perfect for exploring cities you’re unfmailiar with or even stumbling upon something you never knew about in your own neighbourhood. Let’s take a look at how it works, shall we?<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/explore-cities-like-a-local-with-nowfloats/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/toolboxicon.png" alt="Toolbox for Windows 8: A Veritable Swiss Army Knife" />Toolbox for Windows 8: A Veritable Swiss Army Knife</h4><br /><p>Windows 8 already offers limited multitasking functionality within it’s Modern UI, through it’s unique snap split view implementation. Toolbox, by Vectorform, takes multitasking a step further and allows users to split it’s application into up to 6 different applications, or Tools as they are called. Is Toolbox a worthy tool to add to your Windows 8 app arsenal? Let find out!<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-reviews/toolbox-for-windows-8-a-veritable-swiss-army-knife/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/r8HhKDfmPq4" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-89943247715922863732012-11-27T14:20:00.011-08:002012-11-27T14:20:50.087-08:00Help Envato Get a Crunchie!<p>Hey everyone, we’d like to be a part of the <a href="http://techcrunch.com/events/crunchies-2012/">TechCrunch Awards</a> this year and hopefully (with your help) we will have a chance to win! <img src='http://notes.envato.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p><br /><p><a href=" http://is.gd/cvpuOe"><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-3410415-vote-xs.jpg" alt="" title="Vote" width="556" height="359" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17763" /></a></p><br /><p>If you are a part of the Envato community and want to help us out, we’d love you to <a href="http://is.gd/cvpuOe">vote</a> for us. Head to <a href="http://techcrunch.com/events/crunchies-2012/">TechCrunch</a> and submit one nomination per category (per day) until the December 6th, 2012 at 11:59PM <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/na/pst.html">PST</a>.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Hf1V1-cC-JMSxXQG26GNI7au6-Y/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Hf1V1-cC-JMSxXQG26GNI7au6-Y/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Hf1V1-cC-JMSxXQG26GNI7au6-Y/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Hf1V1-cC-JMSxXQG26GNI7au6-Y/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=xIcvrLaw7vw:cNN_BYZGXWY:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/xIcvrLaw7vw" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-16272052926306390662012-11-27T14:20:00.009-08:002012-11-27T14:20:49.613-08:00Getting Support, Modifications and Upgrades<p><a href="http://photodune.net/item/hightech-technology-background/1402175"><img title="high-tech technology background" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/header2.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="220" /></a></p><br /><p>Authors on the <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/306">Envato Marketplaces</a> will sometimes provide after-purchase technical support, <strong>at their discretion</strong>. Learn more about what’s possible in this Knowledgebase post.<br /><br /><span id="more-17385"></span></p><br /><div style="background-color: #c0c0c0; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px;">This article is reposted from the Envato <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/213/55/getting-support-modifications-and-upgrades">Knowledgebase</a>, which contains information on all the Envato sites, and is a helpful resource for authors, buyers and users.</div><br /><p>If you have a question about a file, you may take the following steps:</p><br /><ol><br /><li>Check to see if the author has stated on their profile page or their item page that they will provide support or assistance. Some authors are glad to answer questions, other authors may choose not to.</li><br /><li>If the author provides support, leave a comment on the item page for technical assistance.</li><br /><li>If you’d like to inquire with the author about commissioning a custom modification of a file, please send a Site Mail to the author directly. You can do this by visiting their profile page and using the form in the right hand sidebar. Authors may choose to work with you at their discretion.</li><br /></ol><br /><p>An item should work as stated upon download. If the item does not work as stated or is malfunctioning somehow, please <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Tickets/Submit">contact support</a> who will assist you. If the item is found to be faulty or not working as described you are eligible for a full refund.</p><br /><p>If the author updates the file with fixes or new features, you can <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/254">re-download any file you’ve previously purchased</a>.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gWcgpwkeXKM2dnh0HOs6iQjimsQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gWcgpwkeXKM2dnh0HOs6iQjimsQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gWcgpwkeXKM2dnh0HOs6iQjimsQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gWcgpwkeXKM2dnh0HOs6iQjimsQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=hnPfGgCIpMM:blCC-TQhIn0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/hnPfGgCIpMM" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-26881092126331722552012-11-27T14:20:00.007-08:002012-11-27T14:20:49.070-08:00Meet Justin French<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17800" title="meettheteamjustin" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/meettheteamjustin.png" alt="" width="660" height="220" /></p><br /><p>Hey everyone, I’m Justin French. I’ve been with Envato’s Marketplace team for about seven months. My background is in design. I started in print and branding then moved into user interfaces and the web and now I focus on user experiences and products. Along the way I learned enough Ruby and Javascript to be dangerous and I’ve lead some pretty amazing teams and tackled some epic projects.<span id="more-17748"></span></p><br /><p>I’ve been part of a few start-ups here in Melbourne and in California. Looking back, the projects that were most important to me were those with a vision I believed in, customers I could relate to and a passionate community that really wanted to see us succeed. I had a few experimental years with bigger enterprises in the middle there, but joining Envato has put me back in my happy place.</p><br /><p><a href="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMG_1156.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-17750" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMG_1156-225x300.jpg" alt="Photo of Justin French with a tiny cupcake and tiny coffee" width="225" height="300" /></a>Initially, my role here was User Experience Lead, so I’ve been involved in a lot of hands-on design work with a variety of dev team projects. However, I’ve also been spending a lot of time talking with different kinds of authors and buyers, reviewing support tickets, reading forum threads and talking with our support and community teams to understand what issues are causing frustration and confusion.</p><br /><p>Very recently, my role has been upgraded to Product Owner. This means I will now spend my time focusing on the overall product design and prioritisation of these issues, so I’m really glad we’ve invested the time listening and building up this empathy. We have lots of work to do, a broad community to keep happy and plenty of tough prioritisation decisions to make, but everyone here is committed to improving our core features and experiences.</p><br /><p>You can expect to see me in the forums more often, acknowledging problems and asking a lot of questions. I’ll also be writing a monthly Notes post talking about our product development — what the dev team has been working on, why it’s important, what I’m thinking about and where we’re likely to focus next.</p><br /><p>Speaking of…</p><br /><p>Right now, the dev team is working on a major upgrade of our main marketplace code base to a newer version of Rails (the framework we use). There’s never a convenient time to do this sort of work, but avoiding it is actually slowing us down.</p><br /><p>In the meantime, I’m thinking about what comes next for the dev team. How do we break these big changes we want to make into smaller, incremental improvements? Which five things could we make <em>a little bit better</em> instead of one thing <em>amazingly awesome</em>?</p><br /><p>A lot of my focus has been around item support — reading the forum threads, talking to buyers, talking to authors and planning out some of first changes that will get things moving in the right direction. We’ll be starting this work in December. We’ll talk more about the changes as we go both here and in the <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/topic/notices/49" target="_blank">notices forum</a>.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/F-0RBmt3zYsTz7vt6AYmJ0bSulE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/F-0RBmt3zYsTz7vt6AYmJ0bSulE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/F-0RBmt3zYsTz7vt6AYmJ0bSulE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/F-0RBmt3zYsTz7vt6AYmJ0bSulE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=mndVTyB9jLI:dlc4IqvttcU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/mndVTyB9jLI" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-89769505200474226252012-11-27T14:20:00.005-08:002012-11-27T14:20:44.612-08:00Featured Workspace: Mucahitgayiran<p><img class="alignnone wp-image-17345" title="work" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/work.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" /></p><br /><p>There’s a great thread for showing off your workspace <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/thread/show-us-your-workspace/71087">over on the forums</a>. Here’s one of my favorites – it belongs to <a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/mucahitgayiran">mucahitgayiran</a>. What do you think?</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qfeL7noDbVD3v0tdrujcc1qqGyU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qfeL7noDbVD3v0tdrujcc1qqGyU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qfeL7noDbVD3v0tdrujcc1qqGyU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qfeL7noDbVD3v0tdrujcc1qqGyU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=CdNWjKsgpWQ:NRyABqs3jCY:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/CdNWjKsgpWQ" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-81449184108016765632012-11-27T14:20:00.003-08:002012-11-27T14:20:44.003-08:00Envato’s Most Wanted – $7,500 Reward for the First 10 Zen Cart Templates<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://all-marketplaces.s3.amazonaws.com/most-wanted/most-wanted-24.jpg" alt="Envato's Most Wanted" /></p><br /><p>We’re putting a <strong>$7,500</strong> bounty on the heads of Envato’s most wanted file type – <strong>Zen Cart Templates</strong> on ThemeForest. The first <strong>10</strong> files uploaded (and subsequently approved) to the <strong>eCommerce > Zen Cart category</strong> each get $750 (with a maximum of 2 files or $1500 per author).</p><br /><h4><span id="more-17803"></span>Details</h4><br /><p>In short, it’s a race to see who can quickly submit quality content based on the following criteria:</p><br /><ul><br /><li><strong>Date Posted:</strong> November 26, 2012</li><br /><li><strong>Prizes:</strong> 10 winning files will get a share of <strong>$7,500</strong> of prizes! 10 x $750 “cash” prizes are payable ONLY via either PayPal or Moneybookers/Skrill). Not only that, all winners will receive the much-desired <strong>Most Wanted Bounty Winner Badge</strong></li><br /><li><strong>Maximum Prizes per Author:</strong> 2</li><br /><li><strong>Closing Date:</strong> Thursday 28 February 2013 (12 p.m. Central US Time)</li><br /><li>Where Files Should be Submitted: <strong>eCommerce > Zen Cart</strong></li><br /><li>Winners will be announced 1-2 weeks after the event closes to ensure any late entries are processed. Prizes will be sent out 2-3 weeks AFTER the winners have been announced. Make sure you have completed our <a href="http://www.formstack.com/forms/envato-envatos_most_wanted_entry_agreement">authorization form</a>. Please <strong>DO NOT</strong> submit inquiries about prizes in the forums, via support or directly to staff, we promise we won’t forget your prize!</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>File/Contest Requirements:</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>Multiple submissions from the same author must all be different to one another.</li><br /><li>Normal ThemeForest upload instructions apply entries online for a minimum of 2 years: <a href="http://www.formstack.com/forms/envato-envatos_most_wanted_entry_agreement">http://www.formstack.com/forms/envato-envatos_most_wanted_entry_agreement</a> See form for full details. This form <strong>MUST</strong> be completed once your item has been <strong>APPROVED</strong> on ThemeForest if you wish your item(s) to be eligible for Envato’s Most Wanted</li><br /><li>By entering this contest, you MUST sign and agree to keep any WINNING entries online for a minimum of 2 years: <a href="http://www.formstack.com/forms/envato-envatos_most_wanted_entry_agreement">http://www.formstack.com/forms/envato-envatos_most_wanted_entry_agreement </a>See form for full details. This form <strong>MUST</strong> be completed once your item has been <strong>APPROVED</strong> on ThemeForest if you wish your item(s) to be eligible for Envato’s Most Wanted</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>Where Files Should be Submitted:</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>eCommerce > Zen Cart.</li><br /><li><strong>PLEASE NOTE</strong>: This category will <strong>ONLY</strong> be visible to authors initially. Once several items have been submitted and approved to the category we will officially launch the category and make it visible to everyone including customers. We do this to prevent launching empty categories.</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>Simple Summary of How To Enter</h4><br /><ol><br /><li>Read our full <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/311/0/envatos-most-wanted-terms--conditions">Terms & Conditions</a></li><br /><li>Submit your item to the eCommerce > Zen Cart category on ThemeForest.</li><br /><li>Post a link to your approved item in this thread.</li><br /><li>Complete the <a href="http://www.formstack.com/forms/envato-envatos_most_wanted_entry_agreement">authorization form</a> <strong>once your item has been approved</strong>. This form <strong>MUST</strong> be completed. Please take care entering your payment details! <strong>Your entry will be INVALID</strong> if (a) the authorization form is not completed and/or (b) you did not provide the correct payment information on the authorization form. <strong>Please take care entering your details</strong>!</li><br /><li>First 10 approved/published submissions with a completed <a href="http://www.formstack.com/forms/envato-envatos_most_wanted_entry_agreement">authorization form</a> will win!</li><br /></ol><br /><p>It’s as simple as that! The first 10 files to be uploaded (and subsequently approved) based on the above requirements win! Please note that we have some more specific rules to outline and clarify:</p><br /><h4><a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/311/0/envatos-most-wanted-terms--conditions">PLEASE READ FULL TERMS & CONDITIONS HERE</a></h4><br /><p><strong>Good luck!</strong> <img src='http://notes.envato.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hhxd8QpuAImjVvAGtWMh1BfcdvQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hhxd8QpuAImjVvAGtWMh1BfcdvQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hhxd8QpuAImjVvAGtWMh1BfcdvQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hhxd8QpuAImjVvAGtWMh1BfcdvQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=JHdu7ZlsTT4:kyU-S8xqv88:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/JHdu7ZlsTT4" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-35708669045332416742012-11-27T14:20:00.001-08:002012-11-27T14:20:43.175-08:00Author Interview: iKreativ<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17787" title="authorinterviewikreativ" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/authorinterviewikreativ.png" alt="" width="660" height="220" /></p><br /><p>Living in Wales, collecting Apple gear, climbing mountains, designing in the broswer. This week we meet Scott Parry (<a href="http://themeforest.net/user/iKreativ">iKreativ</a>) from ThemeForest.</p><br /><p><strong>If you’re an Envato marketplace author and would like to be interviewed for the blog, <a href="http://enva.to/authorinterview">head over to this form</a>. We’d love to hear from you.</strong><br /><br /><span id="more-17784"></span></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living</p></blockquote><br /><p>Currently living in the Snowdonia National Park, Wales UK. I’m a full-time designer and developer working from my busy home office. I do work for my own clients, freelance for other design agencies, build premium themes and release/contribute to open source projects.</p><br /><p>When I’m not working I can usually be found up a mountain somewhere. I’m also an Apple junkie.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Which marketplaces do you belong to? What types of files do you sell?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I release WordPress themes on ThemeForest.</p><br /><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17791" title="me_on_mountain" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/me_on_mountain.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="524" /></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>How did you get started? Have you had any formal training?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I’m completely self-taught in all aspects of design and development, learning mainly from viewing source and gradually progressing.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Describe your home workspace.</p></blockquote><br /><p>My office is primarily filled with Apple products (as if you couldn’t tell from the photo). In the photo: iPod Touch, iPhone 4S, New iPad, 15″ MacBook Pro, 24″ iMac, Ubuntu server and a Windows test environment.</p><br /><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17788" title="office" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/office.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="497" /></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Describe your creative process. What steps do you normally follow to create your files?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I used to design layouts in Photoshop and then code it up when I was happy.</p><br /><p>More recently I’ve moved to “designing in the browser”, basically I open Sublime Text 2 and start coding away my ideas, adjusting layout, colours and adding features as I go. I find working this way much faster than moving back and forth between Photoshop. I then use Photoshop for creating little additions and flourishes that may compliment a design.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What is your advice to other authors regarding how to create a successful portfolio?</p></blockquote><br /><p>Don’t stop! Keep an eye on current trends, but don’t follow too much, create your own interpretation. When you think a design is ready, go outside, go game, do anything except sitting at your computer, then come back refreshed and take a final look, I’ll guarantee you will find something to improve.</p><br /><p>If you get rejected, take the criticism and move on, but don’t stop. We all get rejected, it’s just part of the process, in the end the rejection will make you a better designer!</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What do you do to market your files?</p></blockquote><br /><p>Through social media such as Twitter and Facebook and on my blog.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What are your three favorite files, and why do you like them?</p></blockquote><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/pocket-wordpress-theme/3152895">Pocket</a></p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/pocket-wordpress-theme/3152895"><img class="alignnone" title="Pocket WordPress Theme" src="http://0.s3.envato.com/files/36341750/Preview%20Images/01-pocket.__large_preview.png" alt="" width="590" height="300" /></a></p><br /><p>This theme just oozes quality, great typography and good use of space.</p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/boson-creative-photo-and-video-wp-theme/3447071">Boson</a></p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/boson-creative-photo-and-video-wp-theme/3447071"><img class="alignnone" title="Boson - creative photo and video WP theme" src="http://3.s3.envato.com/files/41354138/Screenshots/01_Mainpreview.__large_preview.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="300" /></a></p><br /><p>This theme just seems to captivate the visitor.</p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/minim-portfoliosmall-business-wordpress-theme/1158157">Minim</a></p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/minim-portfoliosmall-business-wordpress-theme/1158157"><img class="alignnone" title="Minim - Portfolio/Small Business WordPress Theme" src="http://1.s3.envato.com/files/24298982/screenshots/01_main.__large_preview.png" alt="" width="590" height="300" /></a></p><br /><p>Clean, pixel perfect design and great subtle details.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Apart from yourself, who is your favorite marketplace author, and why do you like them?</p></blockquote><br /><p>This is a hard one, I like a lot of authors, but if I can only pick one then it’d have to be <a href="http://themeforest.net/user/mikemcalister">Mike McAlister</a>. His designs are well thought out, carrying clean lines, great use of typography and whitespace, and always clearly content focused.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What do you do in your spare time?</p></blockquote><br /><p>Any adrenaline sport, hiking, climbing, slacklining etc…</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8xkfY9rQ_JZe89V4aK93lKr3b-M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8xkfY9rQ_JZe89V4aK93lKr3b-M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8xkfY9rQ_JZe89V4aK93lKr3b-M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8xkfY9rQ_JZe89V4aK93lKr3b-M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ECOPBVYx6n4:EyOVBKXZ9TM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/ECOPBVYx6n4" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-30541118654458378732012-11-23T15:28:00.019-08:002012-11-23T15:28:22.606-08:00Meet the Staff: Marketplace Growth Officer Shane Freer<p><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/meetthestaffshanefreer.png" alt="" title="meetthestaffshanefreer" width="660" height="220" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17607" /></p><br /><p>Living on the south-east coast of England, working American hours as a night owl, dabbling in his home studio, and exploring new and interesting ways of growing the marketplaces. Meet Shane Freer, who recently joined the Marketplace Growth Team.<br /><br /><span id="more-17604"></span></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Please tell us about your new job at Envato.</p></blockquote><br /><p>I’ve started working with the Marketplace Growth Team, helping to grow the marketplaces by discovering new item types, creating categories, filling those categories with quality content, and promoting them. I am based in England, so working remotely with the US team. </p><br /><p>It’s great working from home and avoiding the rush hour has been a blessing! By nature I am a night owl so working with US time is perfect for me!</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What were you doing previously?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I was a freelance designer before this and recently become an author on ThemeForest, selling my own themes and templates. I’d been watching all the successful and talented authors over the last few years create some amazing work, and I wanted to give it a go. </p><br /><p>Before that I was the Creative Director at Live Nation/Ticketmaster for a number of years, working in ecommerce and running a team designing and building music festival websites. </p><br /><p><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ShaneFreer1.jpg" alt="" title="ShaneFreer" width="600" height="794" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17612" /></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Just briefly, tell us about what you’re hoping to achieve on the marketplaces.</p></blockquote><br /><p>I have been on the marketplaces for over four years now (mostly as a buyer) and seeing how active the marketplace and community has grown in that time is a great motivator to try and add value to what the Envato are doing. </p><br /><p>I am constantly on the look out for an opportunity to help grow the marketplaces, whether it be a new platform to provide themes for, or a new application that has gained popularity, ensuring the authors have a space to sell products for new categories. </p><br /><p>One of my core roles will be working closely with authors to understand what they want to build and sell on the marketplaces.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Describe your workspace.</p></blockquote><br /><p>Basically a trip to Ikea is needed! At the moment my desk is a bit small, since moving from a tiny London flat where everything had to be microsized to fit. Now I have a small desk sitting in the middle of a big white, empty room… </p><br /><p>I have a Macbook Pro and screen, many drives, Motu828 audio interface, Fostex active speakers, Sennheiser mics, HD25 headphones and a MIDI keyboard. </p><br /><p><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/WorkSpace1.jpg" alt="" title="WorkSpace" width="660" height="442" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17616" /></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What has your average day looked like so far?</p></blockquote><br /><p>So far every day has been very different from the next. One thing that I noticed is how many great ideas are constantly being thrown around about how to better the Envato marketplaces. </p><br /><p>The day is filled with a lot of email, researching new business, problem solving and Skype calls. The tools used for our projects are Basecamp, Google Docs and DropBox. </p><br /><p>This week I am looking after a launch of our latest most-wanted campaign. These are used to help seed content for new categories and a great way for authors to win cash and badges. (It’s really all about winning badges!) </p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What do you do when you’re not working?</p></blockquote><br /><p>Finding a balance of on/offline is always tricky. Sometimes I do have to force myself to turn off Twitter and get away from the office! </p><br /><p>But being based in south-east coast of England there is a healthy outdoor life. So when I’m not working I can be found hanging out with my amazing kids and wife – going to the beach or the woods for walk and sometimes ending it with a good-ole English pub lunch somewhere in the South Downs countryside. </p><br /><p>I am also a bit of a music dabbler, so transforming my office into a studio is always a great fun – making loops, playing guitar and generally making a lot of noise! </p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kFJv0NwRc55SWUzWZdSaeHhxGMU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kFJv0NwRc55SWUzWZdSaeHhxGMU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kFJv0NwRc55SWUzWZdSaeHhxGMU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/kFJv0NwRc55SWUzWZdSaeHhxGMU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ADQskQv238c:XIYCK-lCjqA:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/ADQskQv238c" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-81144785253125570722012-11-23T15:28:00.017-08:002012-11-23T15:28:22.022-08:00How Can I Get Support For an Item that Isn’t Working Correctly?<p><a href="http://photodune.net/item/hightech-technology-background/1402175"><img title="high-tech technology background" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/header2.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="220" /></a></p><br /><p>You’ve found the perfect item on the marketplace, bought it, and downloaded it. But it’s not working the way you expected – or working at all. What can you do? Can you get help? Read on to find out!<br /><br /><span id="more-17384"></span></p><br /><div style="background-color: #c0c0c0; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px;">This article is reposted from the Envato <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/211/55/how-can-i-get-support-for-an-item-which-isnt-working-correctly">Knowledgebase</a>, which contains information on all the Envato sites, and is a helpful resource for authors, buyers and users.</div><br /><h3>Steps to take when troubleshooting an issue with a file</h3><br /><ol><br /><li>Read the help documentation</li><br /><li>Check the discussion on the item page</li><br /><li>See if the author offers support</li><br /><li>If there is a bug or the file does not work as described, <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Tickets/Submit">contact Support</a></li><br /></ol><br /><h3>The author isn’t responding to my questions</h3><br /><p>Whilst we do encourage authors to provide support for their products, they are under no obligation to do so, and this is entirely their choice. This is part of the reason why files on the marketplace are so cheap. </p><br /><p>Because of this we provide you with live, working examples that you can examine prior to purchase, you are also encouraged to ask questions before you buy the file. Even though not all authors provide Support, Envato requires that all items on our Marketplaces work 100% as described.</p><br /><h3>This file isn’t working the way it was described or has a bug</h3><br /><p>All files go through a thorough review process prior to being approved, but occasionally problems can slip through the cracks. If you believe that there is an issue with a file you have purchased, then please <a href="http://support.envato.com/index.php?/Tickets/Submit">contact Support</a> and we will investigate. Remember to include as much detail as possible to expediate the process.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R9SVYhghBAdifuyYdzZOrxI9QN0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R9SVYhghBAdifuyYdzZOrxI9QN0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R9SVYhghBAdifuyYdzZOrxI9QN0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/R9SVYhghBAdifuyYdzZOrxI9QN0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ecQSpU2t1DY:RrOUnmx3l0w:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/ecQSpU2t1DY" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-54704325936267652922012-11-23T15:28:00.015-08:002012-11-23T15:28:21.423-08:00Featured Workspace: WebDesignFudge<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17341" title="workstation" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/workstation.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" /></p><br /><p>There’s a great thread for showing off your workspace <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/thread/show-us-your-workspace/71087">over on the forums</a>. Here’s one of my favorites – it belongs to <a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/WebDesignFudge">WebDesignFudge</a>. What do you think?</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CWOWbd7r7yFl6HnvaNYJ6V4BLVo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CWOWbd7r7yFl6HnvaNYJ6V4BLVo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CWOWbd7r7yFl6HnvaNYJ6V4BLVo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CWOWbd7r7yFl6HnvaNYJ6V4BLVo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IqhzfH8c8ek:bZ3LrknZi7k:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/IqhzfH8c8ek" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-58982608729547100292012-11-23T15:28:00.013-08:002012-11-23T15:28:20.856-08:00Author Interview: Pletikos<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17623" title="authorinterviewPletikos" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/authorinterviewPletikos.png" alt="" width="660" height="220" /></p><br /><p>Living in Slovenia and studying Financial Mathematics, having a mobile workspace so he can design anywhere, and competing in the London Olympic Games… almost. This week we meet Nik Pletikos (<a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/Pletikos">Pletikos</a>) from GraphicRiver and PhotoDune.</p><br /><p><strong>If you’re an Envato marketplace author and would like to be interviewed for the blog, <a href="http://enva.to/authorinterview">head over to this form</a>. We’d love to hear from you.</strong><br /><br /><span id="more-17620"></span></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I come from a small city of Portorose, Slovenia. That’s a small country in central Europe in case you don’t know.</p><br /><p>I’m 22 years old, I’m currently studying Financial Mathematics in Lubiana. I’m a freelance graphic designer and I’m a professional dinghy sailor (almost qualified to London 2012 Olympic Games).</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Which marketplaces do you belong to? What types of files do you sell?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I mostly design for GraphicRiver, but I also have some photos uploaded on PhotoDune.</p><br /><p>I mainly create mockups. Apart from that a lot of other works are mockup-related. For example, I created business presentation and preview image templates that include several device mockups.</p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-17624 aligncenter" title="31042_430965225055_661840055_5967378_7657816_n" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/31042_430965225055_661840055_5967378_7657816_n.jpg" alt="" width="477" height="445" /></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>How did you get started? Have you had any formal training?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I’ve been designing for 10 years now and I never had any formal training. All I created I learned by myself and by following online tutorials. I also participated in some contests on <a href="http://99designes.com/">99designes.com</a> as a beginner.</p><br /><p>Last but not least, the Encide Community helped me a lot to improve my skills, especially in GUI and web design.</p><br /><p>I create a lot of different stuff, from web and print designs to UI and photo manipulations. I’m also quite good in HTML and CSS. If you would like to see more of my work, check out <a href="pletikos.si">my Portfolio</a> or my <a href=""http://jones500.deviantart.com/">Deviantart</a> profile.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Describe your home workspace.</p></blockquote><br /><p>I use my Toshiba Satellite laptop and a Wacom Bamboo tablet. I don’t have a regular workspace though. I carry my laptop around all the time and I design wherever I can. That’s why I don’t have a photo of my workspace.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Describe your creative process. What steps do you normally follow to create your files?</p></blockquote><br /><p>When I get a unique idea, I try to figure it out in my mind how would it look like in the end. Then I start making the item in Photoshop and I improve the item while I’m working on it.</p><br /><p>I spend a lot of time on the presentation as I think it is the most important part to increase your sales. I also record video tutorials to make file more understandable.</p><br /><p>In the end I try to use Smart Objects as much as I can, so the file is customizable.</p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-17626 aligncenter" title="61965_477573085055_661840055_7230843_5697534_n" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/61965_477573085055_661840055_7230843_5697534_n.jpg" alt="" width="574" height="720" /></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What is your advice to other authors regarding how to create a successful portfolio?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I still don’t have a successful portfolio, but you should try to create something new, something unique. Copying other authors won’t increase your sales. Also presentation is at least as much important as the item itself, so work on it.</p><br /><p>Last but not least, promote yourself, people need to know what you can offer them.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What do you do to market your files?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I use social networks like Behance, DevianArt, Twitter, Dribbble and Forrst. I create a detailed description and record the preview video, so the potential buyers can really see what I offer.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What are your three favorite files, and why do you like them?</p></blockquote><br /><p><strong><a href="http://graphicriver.net/item/envato-preview-image-templates/3394742">Envato Preview Image Templates</a></strong></p><br /><p>It’s definitely my favourite item. As I already said I think that the presentation is the most important part when selling the works. So as some of the sellers are not so experienced in creating preview images, I decided to make their lives easier with pre-made preview image templates.</p><br /><p>They are suitable for all Envato Marketplaces. You can promote anything, from logos, icons, graphic elements, to WordPress templates and other applications.</p><br /><p>It comes in three sizes, with five light and five dark backgrounds. It includes eight close-up and eight full-view pre-made device mockups, two header options and a lot of customizable details, such as ribbons and sidebars.</p><br /><p>It doesn’t matter if you are a graphic designer, logo desinger, web designer, template creator or a developer. It is a must have!</p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/item/envato-preview-image-templates/3394742"><img src="http://3.s3.envato.com/files/41000172/preview.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><br /><p><strong><a href="http://graphicriver.net/item/30-mockup-bundle/3265920">30+ Business Mockup Bundle</a></strong></p><br /><p>This is one of the largest mockup bundles on GraphicRiver. It includes seven different phone mockups, three different tablet mockups, three music player mockups, screen, PC, two laptops and TV mockups, three flyer or business presentation mockups, product box mockup, DVD case and DVD mockup, three business card mockups, two logo mockups and three pre-made multi-device mockups. This is the file I spend the most time working on.</p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/item/30-mockup-bundle/3265920"><img src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/37868214/preview.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><br /><p><strong><a href="http://graphicriver.net/item/devices-business-template/3327569">Devices – Business Template</a></strong></p><br /><p>I like this file as it is pretty unique and mockups are nowadays very popular for presenting the work. So I came up with the idea of creating a mockup related business flyers. It comes in two sizes and it is fully customizable.</p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/item/devices-business-template/3327569"><img src="http://1.s3.envato.com/files/38955634/preview.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>Apart from yourself, who is your favorite marketplace author, and why do you like them?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I really like <a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/Giallo/portfolio">Giallo’s</a> items. His mockups and layer styles are just amazing.</p><br /><p>My favourite action maker is definitely <a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/PrismaDesign/portfolio">Prisma Design</a>. Actions are just amazing.</p><br /><blockquote class="question"><p>What do you do in your spare time?</p></blockquote><br /><p>As I already mentioned I’m a professional sailor, so it takes almost all of my spare time.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6VDh6z1aczsMumDyJwzkdwyS36A/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6VDh6z1aczsMumDyJwzkdwyS36A/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6VDh6z1aczsMumDyJwzkdwyS36A/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6VDh6z1aczsMumDyJwzkdwyS36A/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=8AdB636QEXg:sxydZ7ZjXN0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/8AdB636QEXg" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-58448903586249216292012-11-23T15:28:00.011-08:002012-11-23T15:28:20.202-08:00The Halloween Competition Winner!<p><a href="http://themeforest.net/forums/thread/envato-halloween-competition-thread-2012/77529?page=5"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17631" title="halloweencostumecomp" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/halloweencostumecomp.png" alt="" width="660" height="220" /></a>The <a href="http://themeforest.net/forums/thread/envato-halloween-competition-thread-2012/77529?page=4">Envato Halloween Costume Competition</a> has ended and what a creative bunch our community are! The competition was fierce this year and sadly there could only be one winner.<span id="more-17630"></span></p><br /><p>This year’s winner is <a href="http://themeforest.net/user/iKreativ"><strong>iKreativ</strong></a> with his terrifying dead patient costume.</p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/forums/thread/envato-halloween-competition-thread-2012/77529?page=4"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17632" title="Screenshot+2012-11-08+at+22.49.41" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Screenshot+2012-11-08+at+22.49.41.png" alt="" width="510" height="671" /></a></p><br /><p>As we said, choosing a winner this year was hard but iKreativ won because everyone we showed his costume to was totally freaked out! <strong>Congratulations</strong> on winning the rare Pumpkin badge!</p><br /><p>Two costumes just missed out on the grand prize, <a href="http://themeforest.net/user/shellbot">Shellbot</a> and <a href="http://themeforest.net/user/aliengraphics">AlienGraphics</a> created some excellent costumes with their incredible spooky face paint skills!</p><br /><p>Shellbot as a scary ghost</p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/forums/thread/envato-halloween-competition-thread-2012/77529?page=4"><img class="size-full wp-image-17633" title="561800_10152209614550029_880886981_n" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/561800_10152209614550029_880886981_n.jpeg" alt="" width="320" height="241" /></a></p><br /><p>Aliengraphics as a terrifying skull!</p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/forums/thread/envato-halloween-competition-thread-2012/77529?page=4"><img class="size-large wp-image-17634" title="2e4hypz" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2e4hypz-616x1024.png" alt="" width="616" height="1024" /></a></p><br /><p>A huge thank you to all the awesome people who participated, your costumes were incredible and we hope you come back next year for your chance to win the rare and much revered Pumpkin Badge!<br /><br /><a href="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/halloweenbadge.png"><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/halloweenbadge.png" alt="" title="halloweenbadge" width="20" height="20" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17643" /></a></p><br /><p>You can check out all the other incredible costumes on the <a href="http://themeforest.net/forums/thread/envato-halloween-competition-thread-2012/77529?page=4">thread</a>!</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpUUDBIiwgZz9COrqQfq2tf8qXs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpUUDBIiwgZz9COrqQfq2tf8qXs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpUUDBIiwgZz9COrqQfq2tf8qXs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpUUDBIiwgZz9COrqQfq2tf8qXs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=qj2fF4acNCY:hBgcC0TU-BE:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/qj2fF4acNCY" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-70691951677100568382012-11-23T15:28:00.009-08:002012-11-23T15:28:19.489-08:00FreelanceSwitch Marketing Roundup: Branding, Facebook and More<div id="attachment_17704" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 660px"><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-859768-marketing-s.jpg" alt="" title="'Marketing' highlighted in green" width="660" height="219" class="size-full wp-image-17704" /> <span class="wp-caption-text">Image from PhotoDune</span></div><br /><p>Whether you’re a freelancer or marketplace author – or both – to see significant growth you must embrace marketing. That’s often no small feat – it requires a change in the way you see yourself. </p><br /><p>Besides identifying as a creative or marketplace author, you also need to see yourself as a marketer. In fact, your own marketing manager! And that requires constant action, a proactive attitude, and lots of experimenting.</p><br /><p>Fortunately, over the last few months FreelanceSwitch has published a bunch of helpful articles that show you how to do just that. They cover branding, Facebook, and other marketing strategies.</p><br /><p>So dig in, and try a few out. And please let us know in the comments which articles you found most helpful!<br /><br /><span id="more-17677"></span></p><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Market Yourself!</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-2026790-sleeping-in-call-center-xs.jpg" alt="Learn to Love Sales" />Learn to Love Sales</h4><br /><p>As a freelancer, your success depends on how well you can sell. Don’t like to sell or don’t know how? Too bad. Time to put away the excuses and buckle down. The future of your freelance business depends on it.</p><br /><p>The first thing you need to do is change your attitude about sales. Dispel any notion from your brain about sleazy used car salesmen right now. There is a great blog post on Inc.com about this very topic that I’d like to pull some wisdom from. Author Geoffrey James singles out three beliefs people who hate to sell hold close to them.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-news/commentary-analysis/learn-to-love-sales/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-447913-lightbulb-with-a-brain-xs.jpg" alt="You Need to Think Like a Customer: The Concepts You May be Missing" />You Need to Think Like a Customer: The Concepts You May be Missing</h4><br /><p>Clients do crazy things. There are entire sites devoted to letting freelancers vent about the most recent piece of nonsense that has come out of a client this week. But while it’s easy to get frustrated at clients who just don’t seem to understand, the reality is that there’s a fundamental disconnect between how freelancers and our customers think.</p><br /><p>You had better believe that there are plenty of clients out there who get frustrated by what the freelancers they work with are saying. It’s that same disconnect: each side has very different priorities, experiences and even expectations for a given project.</p><br /><p>It’s easy enough to suggest that we should communicate more with our clients, but communication isn’t really the problem. It’s understanding.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/think-like-a-customer/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Create Your Brand</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Get-Started-with-Crafting-Your-Freelance-Brand-Experience.png" alt="Get Started with Crafting Your Freelance Brand Experience" />Get Started with Crafting Your Freelance Brand Experience</h4><br /><p>Many freelancers work with clients in some capacity or another to create a brand identity. But few enough of us actually invest a lot of time in our own brands — it’s a case of the shoemaker’s children going barefoot more than anything else.</p><br /><p>But a brand can be valuable, making it easier for prospective clients to find you and reassuring them that even if you’re just one individual working on their project, you’re a consummate professional.</p><br /><p>Brand experience is what your clients will feel at every point of contact with your freelance business. It starts with a strong brand identity, but requires quite a bit of implementation, such as: crafting a relatable persona, communicating expert status, and delivering excellent customer service. It’s up to you to craft a brand experience for your clients.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/freelance-brand-experience/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-501964-old-brick-s.jpg" alt="Freelance Brand Preparation: What is Your Mission?" />Freelance Brand Preparation: What is Your Mission?</h4><br /><p>Your brand is crucial: it’s everything that makes a prospective client happy to work with you, or even reminds the client that you exist. But a brand isn’t something that you come up with overnight. You build a brand, brick by brick. You need the right foundation and the right supplies.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/brand-prep-your-mission/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-1458788-standing-out-from-the-crowd-xs.jpg" alt="12 Steps to Building Your Stand-Out Freelance Brand" />12 Steps to Building Your Stand-Out Freelance Brand</h4><br /><p>There are a million freelancers out there. The question is, how are you going to get noticed and help people remember you and the type of freelance work you do?</p><br /><p>The answer is branding yourself. As a freelancer, you need to create a memorable way for prospects to easily recall who you are and your freelancing specialty. I’ve reviewed hundreds of freelancers’ websites, and most of them don’t do a good job of presenting a memorable brand. But the good news is, it isn’t hard to improve your branding and gain a higher profile as a freelancer.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/start/stand-out-freelance-brand/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-2534655-bee-xs.jpg" alt="15+ Buzzworthy Techniques to Promote Your Freelance Brand" />15+ Buzzworthy Techniques to Promote Your Freelance Brand</h4><br /><p>One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a freelancer is to ignore building and promoting your brand. Starting my freelance business in 2010, I shrugged my shoulders at the thought of branding strategy. It sounded like something that only larger businesses engaged in, not freelancers.</p><br /><p>Over the years, I’ve learned that brand promotion is actually a critical part of a freelancer’s overall business, no matter how small. With a little effort, you too can build a better freelance business with strategic branding.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/promote-your-freelance-brand/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/101-Ways-to-Improve-Your-Freelance-Brand.png" alt="101 Ways to Improve Your Freelance Brand" />101 Ways to Improve Your Freelance Brand</h4><br /><p>As freelancers, we sometimes tend to think that branding is only about being different enough to attract clients. We want to stand out, so we spend hours adjusting our logo.</p><br /><p>But great brands are more than an attractive symbol alone.</p><br /><p>Great brands have values. They’re passionate about these values too. They respect the goals of their customers and they keep their promises. They strive to make a positive impact. They tell stories and capture the imagination of those they speak to. Brands that believe in the work they do for others are the exceptional ones.</p><br /><p>Nike+ doesn’t tell you that wearing their shoes will make you the next Michael Jordan. They focus on helping their customers be the best athletes they can be because they believe in human potential.</p><br /><p>Creating a great brand is essential to the success of your freelance business. Go beyond the skin and dig for the core of your brand identity. It’s a story, a feeling, and a goal to create things of value. That’s where your brand exists.</p><br /><p>Here are 101 branding tips to help you improve your freelance identity and help your business succeed:<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/improve-your-freelance-brand/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Use Facebook Effectively</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Freelancers-Is-Facebook-Right-for-You.png" alt="Freelancers: Is Facebook Right for You?" />Freelancers: Is Facebook Right for You?</h4><br /><p>Is there any freelancer in the world who hasn’t heard of Facebook?<br /><br />It’s the place online to hang out with friends, share family photos, follow updates from your favorite brands, and find out what your fellow high school students have made of their lives.</p><br /><p>For many people, Facebook is synonymous with the Internet. It has become such an integral part of life that many smartphones come with Facebook apps and buttons built-in.</p><br /><p>But is Facebook a good fit for freelancers?<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/is-facebook-right-for-you/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Facebook-for-Freelancers-Groups-Pages-or-Profiles.png" alt="Facebook for Freelancers: Groups, Pages or Profiles?" />Facebook for Freelancers: Groups, Pages or Profiles?</h4><br /><p>Once you’ve decided Facebook is right for you as a freelancer, you’re ready to put together an action plan on how you’ll use it to promote your business and market your services.</p><br /><p>Your next step is to decide whether to promote your business with a Profile, a Group or a Page. These are the three set-ups Facebook offers, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/facebook-groups-pages-profiles/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/How-to-Present-Your-Freelance-Services-on-Your-Website.png" alt="How to Present Your Freelance Services on Your Website" />How to Present Your Freelance Services on Your Website</h4><br /><p>When constructing the perfect freelancers’ website, you want visitors to know what you do the moment they reach your site — at least generally speaking. For the specifics, you’ll need to give them a clear idea of the services you offer.</p><br /><p>For most freelancers, that means creating a services page that lays out the details, along with a little information about how you provide such services and what results your clients can expect.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/services-on-your-website/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">A Few More Marketing Strategies to Try</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/chrisbrogan1.jpg" alt="How You Should Use Google+ for Your Business" />How You Should Use Google+ for Your Business</h4><br /><p>Chris Brogan is the author of the new book, Google+ for Business: How Google’s Social Network Changes Everything.</p><br /><p>As a Google+ skeptic (heck, I’m skeptical of all new social media) I was interested to learn more, so I sat down and watched this video where Michael Stelzner of Socialmediaexaminer.com interviewed Brogan about how Google+ can help small businesses.</p><br /><p>As a freelancer, you are running a small business—a very small business that probably includes just you. And you should think of yourself as a small business when it comes to representing yourself both online and in the real world. If you are thinking about creating a page on Google+, you might want to watch the video for yourself (or check out Chris Brogan’s book)—here are some snippets and take-aways from Brogan’s interview.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-news/commentary-analysis/use-google-for-your-business/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/How-to-Set-Up-Your-LinkedIn-Profile-Freelancer-Guide.png" alt="How to Set Up Your LinkedIn Profile: A Freelancer’s Guide" />How to Set Up Your LinkedIn Profile: A Freelancer’s Guide</h4><br /><p>LinkedIn makes sense for professionals, but what about for freelancers?</p><br /><p>In my experience, LinkedIn is an important tool in my marketing toolbox. Being on LinkedIn allows me to showcase my skills and experience. Additionally, LinkedIn is a networking platform, which makes it perfect for finding prospects, hooking up with new clients or reconnecting with past clients.</p><br /><p>In this article I show you how to set up your LinkedIn profile as an effective marketing tool. Setting up your profile for success is important because it provides the foundation on which to build your LinkedIn networking and marketing efforts.</p><br /><p>Here’s what you want from your profile.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/set-up-your-linkedin-profile/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/How-to-Use-Blogging-Market-Your-Freelance-Business.png" alt="How to Use Blogging to Market Your Freelance Business" />How to Use Blogging to Market Your Freelance Business</h4><br /><p>You may have started off your freelancing career like I did by picking up one large client and a couple of small ones right off the bat. This worked for awhile until my husband lost his job and I suddenly needed to bring in enough to make up for his income. Fortunately, he joined me in my freelancing endeavors, and added his marketing expertise to my business.</p><br /><p>Like many of our fellow freelancers, though, we didn’t have any extra money to put toward marketing expenses. We had to find a way to get the word out about our content writing business, for free and as quickly as possible. Social media and blogging (these two go hand in hand, as I’ll point out below) became the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way for us to gain new freelance writing gigs.</p><br /><p>While my husband had some experience in social media, our use of blogging as a marketing medium involved quite a bit of trial and error. Even so, we suddenly found ourselves acquiring new clients, so many, in fact, that we had to become selective and only partner with those clients willing to pay what we needed to get our bills paid. We became highly desired experts in our freelancing field almost overnight it seemed without spending hardly a penny.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/use-blogging-to-market/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The-Freelancer-Quickstart-Guide-to-Email-Marketing.png" alt="The Freelancer’s Quickstart Guide to Email Marketing" />The Freelancer’s Quickstart Guide to Email Marketing</h4><br /><p>So maybe you’ve heard about the benefits of email marketing for your freelance business or maybe you’ve heard about the crazy ROI email marketing can get: The DMA puts email marketing’s ROI for 2011 at $40.56 for every $1 invested.</p><br /><p>But starting a new marketing channel can appear overwhelming when you don’t know what to do or where to start.</p><br /><p>Forget about being overwhelmed. Here are 3 simple steps to get started with email marketing TODAY.<br /><br /><a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-marketing/guide-to-email-marketing/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1IT0ugLjsUy8VzMB4n1JRBWOnNA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1IT0ugLjsUy8VzMB4n1JRBWOnNA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1IT0ugLjsUy8VzMB4n1JRBWOnNA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1IT0ugLjsUy8VzMB4n1JRBWOnNA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=si7Y2EoWZ7k:p2Woy0A-g8k:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/si7Y2EoWZ7k" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-66830046739510996222012-11-23T15:28:00.007-08:002012-11-23T15:28:18.853-08:00Quick Question: What Is the Hardest Part of Developing a Game?<p><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/jammers11.jpg" alt="" title="jammers1[1]" width="660" height="165" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17709" /></p><br /><p>I have a quick question I’d like to get your answer to: what’s the hardest part of developing a game? Is it finding the assets, writing the code, making it fun, or just getting someone to play it?<span id="more-17708"></span></p><br /><hr /><br /><p>I’ve listed seven areas of game development that people commonly state are the hardest part of actually making a game. In your experience, which is the most difficult? If you could get more help or assistance with one, which would you pick?</p><br /><div class="tutorial_image"><br /><script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="http://static.polldaddy.com/p/6708881.js"></script><br /><br /><noscript><a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/6708881/">What is the hardest part of developing a game?</a></noscript><br /></div><br /><p>If your answer isn’t one of the seven above, feel free to add it to the poll or discuss it in the comments below!</p><br /><p>Thanks – we’ll use this information to help us prioritise what tutorials and resources to provide for you in the future.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/dK6vHLNDYeNUXtEUtMyWTD9v-zI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=XvwoFue0NE8:GFY1CNLv7ww:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/XvwoFue0NE8" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-37128792030404988852012-11-23T15:28:00.005-08:002012-11-23T15:28:18.273-08:0014 Criteria Buyers Consider When Purchasing Items<div id="attachment_17715" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 660px"><a href="http://photodune.net/item/binoculars/2672293?WT.ac=category_thumb&WT.seg_1=category_thumb&WT.z_author=fuzzbones"><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photodune-2672293-binoculars-s.jpg" alt="" title="Binoculars" width="660" height="220" class="size-full wp-image-17715" /></a> <span class="wp-caption-text">Image from PhotoDune</span></div><br /><p>What do buyers consider when purchasing their items? It would be really helpful if authors knew the answer to that question. So ActiveDen and ThemeForest author Bedros <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/thread/buyers-how-do-you-buy/78932?page=1">asked</a>.</p><br /><p>What criteria do they consider? Do they search for items? What would make them return to the same author? What features are they after?</p><br /><p>If you’d like to know how real live buyers answer those questions, then read on!<br /><br /><span id="more-17712"></span></p><br /><h4>1. Source code is scrutinized.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I always switch off the CodeCanyon frame in preview mode and check src code of item, and view with firebug. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I look for clean code, where authors have taken the time to comment each sector where appropriate, this leads me to think if thy can be bothered to explain, then they understand and care about its use. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I also almost always remove the Envato frame as well. I also always look at the code – CSS , HTML and custom JS. I modify the items I buy extensively, and having good clean code is a high priority for me. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>What amazes me tho is still the amt of files that load js files in head. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>As for protected src code files, there is no such thing for client side files. So that isnt an issue, moreover i like to see good segragation, ie not buy something that has one huge style.css file, that has more to do with the demo than what i really need, so more often than not we totally rebuild an item we buy to fit in with our remit. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I absolutely detest tho, the framework style of folderisation .. Assets folders with assetts folders nested within etc, its ridiculously painful to work with. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>Well commented code. Even if I don’t have to go in the code of scripts I always check if the code is well commented. If this is the case that another proof for me that the author spend time on his product. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>HTML themes should also be well commented. These will be used in various CMS systems so it should be easy for me to modify it and not having to go deep in the code and find out for myself where each item block starts or ends. (nokiko)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>2. Badly rated items are often not even considered.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>Author rating does play a role, but a very small one. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>I don’t look at themes with 3 stars except if I know the author. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>Second, when we need to buy a new theme, we check the ones that look suitable and then look at the rating. We don’t buy themes with less than 4 stars, yet we keep in mind that when only two people gave stars, this isn’t something to rely on. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /><li>Sixth, we give it our own rating, because we believe in the stars. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /><li>If an item has 3 stars or less, I won’t even consider it. (dwhitmore)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>3. A demo or live preview is important.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I won’t buy anything without a live preview. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I too will not buy any item unless it has a live preview. (CSS Items must have a good vid.) No Preview = No buy for me. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>Of course there should be a perfect demo. If you want to win me over in buying an item I have to see how versatile something is especially in jQuery plugins if you have a basic a normal and a very different example this is proof enough for me to buy it. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>Third we run the demo through a couple of tests to see how it reacts on devices, to see if everything works fast and is well programmed. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>4. Buyers sometimes have favorite authors.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I don’t actually buy from any one particular author, but I do have preference to certain authors. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I check who the authors are, prioritize them: Any theme from AJ Clarke absolutely without question, authors I bought from before, Elite authors, silver paw and up, the rest based on the theme’s comments the ones I’m familiar with get priority, the lesser known ones I check the comments to gauge them. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>I have a few authors that I just buy each item they release because of the quality of the work. Even if I don’t have a project to use it for yet but the quality of the work I am accustomed to I am sure that i will find a use for it soon and this way I support that author to keep on making great items. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>I find myself checking out out particular authors’ portfolios when one of their items really knocks me out/meets my client needs, but most of my decisions are based on whether the item fits the project, using searches on topic/subject/keyword. (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>5. Feedback from other buyers in the comments is influential.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I guess I base most of my purchases on feedback in the item’s comments. I look for comments that state that the item was easy to use/install. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>Fourth, when we find a good starred theme that looks and works the way we want, we head over to the comment section to read all comments, from first to last. That’s probably most important for us: great support. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /><li>Check for buyer comments to see if there are any potential issues or negative comments. (dwhitmore)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>6. Authors look for an item that meets their need at the time.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I buy based on logic, and I don’t mean using logic. But I buy a product laterally based on achieving a result, that follows the logic of the item, and fulfils the logic of my requirement however loose that may be. (SportTipsWorld)</li><br /><li>I shortlist at least 5 them- then check the features to see if I can live with the compromise. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>I find myself checking out out particular authors’ portfolios when one of their items really knocks me out/meets my client needs, but most of my decisions are based on whether the item fits the project, using searches on topic/subject/keyword. (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>7. The look and feel of the item is important.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I scan themes that have the<strong> LOOK and FEEL </strong>I visualized, regardless of what features/function they have. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>It’s all about the look and feel to me first before anything else. The theme must suit what I feel is best for my client. This means all these plain vanilla themes that’s been coming of the assembly line lately barely get 2 seconds of preview. (CLINE123)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>8. Documentation must be excellent.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>Documentation is a pre. Every feature should be well documented. If I can not find documentation in the live preview in a file that I am considering buying that I always ask the author to send a screenshot or a few pages so I can see how the documentation is setup. its not that I can;t code ur understand code but i don’t want to spend unnecessary time in understanding how it works. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>For themes, I look for well-documented offerings and have noticed that the “Elite” authors seem to be much more professional in their support and the packaging of their template/themes, so I do look at those items first. (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>9. Responsiveness from authors is valued and looked for.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I also look for questions asked by the buyers that get responses from the author. Questions asked and never answered stick out for me as a no buy item. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /><li>One thing that does bother me is when a question is asked, and the author responds with “answered in email”. More then once I have had the same question, and now have to contact the author instead of reading the fix/answer right there where it was asked previously. (TwoJStudios)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>10. Unique and original items attract more attention.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>If there is an item from a new or established author that is quite unique and original I just buy it to support the author even if I don’t have a use for it yet. As Orman Clark mentioned on twitter a lot of the themes lately look alike. Of course an author wants to make money so he creates what sells best so he looks at others best sellers. But ff ther are new authors that do it differently I support this buy buying the item. (nokiko)</li><br /><li>The more cutting edge/unique the theme is, the better. (dwhitmore)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>11. Newer items may be considered before older items.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I’ll shortlist newer themes first unless an old one stands out. (CLINE123)</li><br /><li>Well, we check the new themes daily to keep a good overview of what’s happening out here. (MagentaManiacs)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>12. Good support is valued.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>Item support after the sale is probably #1 for me though I very rarely ask for support, it is nice knowing if I have any issues I can get help. (TwoJStudios)<br /></ul><br /><h4>13. Well-tagged items are easier to find.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I am a semi-frequent buyer (graphic/web designer) across several of the Envato marketplaces. I use the search functions a lot, and always appreciate properly-tagged items because I am usually on a deadline and trying to optimize! (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><h4>14. The number of sales of an item is a consideration.</h4><br /><ul><br /><li>I also look at number of sales (very high might be a bit of a negative, very low makes me think twice about it, but in the end the quality is the tie-breaker.) (tlacross)</li><br /></ul><br /><p>Well, that’s the end of the list as it stands at the moment. Did you find anything helpful or surprising? Let us know in the comments.</p><br /><p>A huge thank you to Bedros for asking the question and starting the thread on the forums. And an even bigger thank you to the buyers who answered so helpfully.</p><br /><p>And if you haven’t checked <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/thread/buyers-how-do-you-buy/78932">this forum thread</a> out yet, it’s worth reading – even after finishing my summary. There’s a lot of discussion there that’s missed when presenting the answers as a list.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mZoqMVzBfSBZ5iTJYuFzwZe-k5c/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=MThNFfv28sI:3N-AZ8PoYFo:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/MThNFfv28sI" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-58002819119551879252012-11-23T15:28:00.003-08:002012-11-23T15:28:17.655-08:00Featured Profile Image: nishagandhi +4<p><img class="alignnone" title="nishagandhi" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/24003195/graphicriver-profile-2.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p>There are almost as many approaches to creating a profile image as there are authors. Some focus on showcasing artistic skills, others prioritize with slogans and company information. Some show their personal photo, while others display abstract forms. This one belongs to <a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/nishagandhi">nishagandhi</a>. Check below for four more! Which is your favorite, and why?</p><br /><p><span id="more-17721"></span></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="Smartik" src="http://0.s3.envato.com/files/26365506/smartik_profile.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/Smartik">Smartik</a></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="Art101" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/351548.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/Art101">Art101</a></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="RafaelOliveira" src="http://3.s3.envato.com/files/15062652/RafaelOliveira.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/RafaelOliveira">RafaelOliveira</a></p><br /><p><img class="alignnone" title="MsTrends" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/32145475/profile_image.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="242" /></p><br /><p><a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/MsTrends">MsTrends</a></p><br /><p> </p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zFBCUsjNIQOiOfKB9jt77rHwxg8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=uAPj8S9-hn0:Ds-clayRXzk:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/uAPj8S9-hn0" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-48543135658273322612012-11-23T15:28:00.001-08:002012-11-23T15:28:16.489-08:00Freebie Black Friday: Freebies on AppStorm<p><img src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/freebie_friday1.png" alt="" title="freebie_friday" width="660" height="220" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-898" /></p><br /><p>The AppStorm team have been hard at work again. Here is a huge bunch of great free apps and web services they covered.</p><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Mac.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://mac.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2012/11/Evernote-5-Icon1.jpg" alt="Evernote 5: Beauty Meets the Old Evernote Client" />Evernote 5: Beauty Meets the Old Evernote Client</h4><br /><p>If you’ve read a few of my articles in Mac.Appstorm then you’ve probably seen how big of a fan I am of Evernote. It’s a wonderful service: not only does it let you create, organize, and share notes easily, but it also lets you keep everything synced up and accessible through many places, like their website, and the iOS, Android and Mac apps.</p><br /><p>The Mac app has been around for some time now, and even though it gets continuous support and works just fine, it has been in need of a UI overhaul for a long time. Well, just a few days ago the Evernote team revealed a new update that will bring a complete re-do to the app, and just now we’ve had the opportunity to test out the beta version of the new Evernote 5. Let’s see what’s new!<br /><br /><span id="more-17743"></span><a href="http://mac.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-review/evernote-5-beauty-meets-the-old-evernote-client/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://mac.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2012/11/Imagine-icon1.jpg" alt="Imagine: A Cheap, Simple and Beautiful Writing App" />Imagine: A Cheap, Simple and Beautiful Writing App</h4><br /><p>We’ve shown you a fair share of distraction-free writing apps before, everything from markdown editing apps to other more intricate apps that can get you writing a novel by playing sounds and placing images to get you in a creative mood. However, today we’re going to show you an even simpler and cheaper alternative to all the other apps we’ve showcased before.</p><br /><p>It’s called Imagine. Instead of just imagining how it’d be to write with, let’s take a look at it and see how it holds up to the competition.<br /><br /><a href="http://mac.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-review/imagine-a-cheap-simple-and-beautiful-writing-app/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Web.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/pixlr.png" alt="Pixlr: Simple Filters to Advanced Editing" />Pixlr: Simple Filters to Advanced Editing</h4><br /><p>Last month on Web.Appstorm, I looked at PhotoRaster, an advanced online photo editor which really impressed us. Today, we have another web app called Pixlr, which is another twist on online photo editing.</p><br /><p>While PhotoRaster, like most image editing apps, is a sole app that gives you tons of options, Pixlr is a photo editor split into three different apps. Each of these is built for a specific purpose, and you’ll likely find yourself only using one of the 3 Pixlr apps. In this article I’m going to cover each one so you can see which one is for you!<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/images/pixlr-simple-filters-to-advanced-editing/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/Screen-Shot-2012-11-12-at-4.01.37-PM.png" alt="Alto: AOL’s Newest Email Client" />Alto: AOL’s Newest Email Client</h4><br /><p>When I think of AOL, I cannot help but also think about the “You’ve Got Mail” tone that they made famous. As you take a look back on email, AOL was a pioneer in the field as they were one of the first companies to offer it to the masses, way back in the late 90′s. But outside of that and Instant Messenger, they have been very quiet now for quite some time.</p><br /><p>Well, that all has changed recently, with their newly, upgraded email client called Alto. Yes, email has come a long way since AOL last came out with a client, and some would even say it is an already crowded space. When I got into the beta for this, the main thing that I wanted to see was whether or not this could replace the apps I currently use for email. I tried to use it by itself for the last couple of weeks and I came away with some interesting thoughts about it.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/email-apps/alto-aols-newest-email-client/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/timetastic.png" alt="Timetastic Helps Manage Team Vacations and Leaves" />Timetastic Helps Manage Team Vacations and Leaves</h4><br /><p>If you’re managing a team, it can get very hard to keep a track of vacation time. With the holidays coming up, you don’t want to be caught in a situation where all your employees are out of office at the same time, unless you’re really planned for it. If you happen to have many freelancers working for your company, it can be especially hard to figure out who’s going to be unavailable, when.</p><br /><p>Timetastic is a fantastic little tool that helps you manage leaves for people in your organization, and is loaded with options that make it a must-have for anyone responsible for the smooth functionality of a team. It’s even got a nice design. Let’s take a look.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/project-management/timetastic-helps-manage-team-vacations-and-leaves/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/BuildWithChrome_Logo_200px.jpg" alt="Build With Chrome: Lego + Google Maps = Super Fun!" />Build With Chrome: Lego + Google Maps = Super Fun!</h4><br /><p>I can’t tell you how many hours of my childhood have gone into building elaborate forts, spaceships or construction sites with Lego, the block-building toy that captured every kid’s fancy and continues to do so. I really thought that this generation wouldn’t find much appreciation for it until my nephew got his first Lego kit and spent a chunk of his vacation letting his imagination go wild with a bunch of little red bricks and yellow men.</p><br /><p>And then I came across Build With Chrome.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/gaming-reviews/build-with-chrome-lego-google-maps-super-fun/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/logo1.png" alt="PublikDemand: The Social Better Business Bureau" />PublikDemand: The Social Better Business Bureau</h4><br /><p>These days, businesses are just so competitive. They are driven by the motivation to match their competition feature by feature. So, there aren’t many distinguishing traits or USPs for products and services to stand apart. That is, except when it comes offering their customers exceptional support.</p><br /><p>We are better off forking a bit more money for a brand that promises to treat us with respect when knocking their doors for help. Such decisions end up saving a lot of time and frustration of dealing with indifferent and rude support people. Sadly, this doesn’t work all the time and you might have to fight hard with a brand to get your issue resolved.</p><br /><p>Fighting alone against a brand to get heard is an uphill task. But, the same is going to be a whole lot different if you fight alongside hundreds or thousands of people facing the same problem. That’s where PublikDemand comes in.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/social-networking/publikdemand-the-social-better-business-bureau/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/typing-karaoke.png" alt="Speed Up Your Typing with Typing Karaoke" />Speed Up Your Typing with Typing Karaoke</h4><br /><p>Remember Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing? Wouldn’t it be cool if someone wrenched it out from its stuffy confines of edutainment and wrapped it in a colorful, more “gamey” and fun package?</p><br /><p>Turns out, they did, sort of. Typing Karaoke is like a prototype for a Mavis Beacon meets SingStar game, and it’s fantastic — both as an aide to improving your typing skills and as a fun way to pass the time.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/gaming-reviews/speed-up-your-typing-with-typing-karaoke/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://web.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/11/FoodspottingLogo_200px.jpg" alt="Find Great Dishes, Not Just Restaurants, With Foodspotting" />Find Great Dishes, Not Just Restaurants, With Foodspotting</h4><br /><p>The world loves food. Even if you may not be a foodie, there has to have been a time when you came across a dish and it brought you instant joy. As Voltaire put it, nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.</p><br /><p>And given our obsession with what we put in our mouths, it’s no surprise that there are tons of web apps that focus on helping you find good restaurants to eat at. But that just tells you where to eat at, not what to eat there. Foodspotting wants to fill that void.<br /><br /><a href="http://web.appstorm.net/reviews/social-networking/find-great-dishes-not-just-restaurants-with-foodspotting/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">iPhone.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/mirror.png" alt="Mirrorgram: a Funhouse in Your iPhone" />Mirrorgram: a Funhouse in Your iPhone</h4><br /><p>I’m a sucker for fancy photo apps. I want to go beyond Instagram effects and do really fun things with my images, like animate my cat or put moustaches on all of my friends. Sure, my definition of fun may not be the same as the next guy’s, but there’s no denying the iPhone has made us all amateur photographers, and all our photo editing apps let us make something really special with our pictures.</p><br /><p>Mirrorgram is such an app, helping you create really imaginative images in a flash. Like the name implies, you’ll be creating a mirrored copy of your image. However, the features and sharing options go beyond just simple image editing, allowing you to create tiny works of iPhone art.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/graphics/mirrorgram-a-funhouse-in-your-iphone/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/polar_icon.png" alt="Create Beautiful Polls with Polar" />Create Beautiful Polls with Polar</h4><br /><p>More often than my brothers would like to admit, I like to poll people about some discussion we’re having at the moment. These are usually strangers, and it’s usually a handful that I don’t think will hit or mace me. I’m happy to announce that I no longer need to do that, thanks to an app by Input Factory Inc. called Polar, which lets you poll complete strangers without the awkward initial conversation. Let’s see how it stacks up.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle/create-beautiful-polls-with-polar/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Matchbook-Logo.png" alt="Matchbook: Keep Notes on Where to Go" />Matchbook: Keep Notes on Where to Go</h4><br /><p>Long before racking up check-in badges on Foursquare, social butterflies collected matchbooks to document their journeys. As they evolved into scenesters, they were tasked with memorizing all those places to which they frolicked. But there’s also an added pressure of keeping tabs on new spots that may have opened up, as well as friends continuously counting on you for recommendations.</p><br /><p>It’s a huge responsibility to know about every hot new locale, along with what a venue is good for and where exactly it’s located. Thankfully, Matchbook aims to be your digital notebook for such content. With a few touches of the screen, the app will remember where you’ve been as well as keep track of those places you’ve yet to go. Each category can be filtered, just in case you plan to visit a certain neighborhood or want to check out a new hotspot.</p><br /><p>Can Matchbook be the all-encompassing guide you need to direct you around the city and keep track of the venues you’ve conquered along the way? Find out after the jump.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle/matchbook-keep-notes-on-where-to-go/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Squarespace-Note.png" alt="Compose Minimalist Notes with Squarespace Note" />Compose Minimalist Notes with Squarespace Note</h4><br /><p>Note-taking apps for the iPhone are hardly scarce, with many third-party options available for a device that ships with a stock Notes app fully integrated into it’s own cloud-based sync services. While Squarespace is best known as a blogging platform, the company recently pushed out a note-taking app of their own, Squarespace Note.</p><br /><p>Squarespace Note is a minimalist note-taking app that syncs your textual memos with a variety of services including Squarespace itself, Evernote and Dropbox. It’s advertised not as an independent note-taking app, but rather a proxy for your other subscribed services.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/office-reviews/compose-minimalist-notes-with-squarespace-note/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/learnvest.png" alt="LearnVest: Learning to Grow Your Finances" />LearnVest: Learning to Grow Your Finances</h4><br /><p>LearnVest started out in 2010 with the mission of educating and empowering women to take control of their finances. With financial planning tools and online workshops, access to financial planning professionals (for a fee), and a free budgeting tool that rivals anything Mint.com or others have come up with, LearnVest has shown that it’s not playing around. What it’s lacked, though, is an app that puts the tools you find in your browser in your phone.</p><br /><p>With a recent site refresh and SEC registration as a financial planner, LearnVest is adding more tools to the financial toolkit, including (finally), their own iOS app. While LearnVest still lets you know right on their mission page that their target demographic is women, everyone can use a little help, and their slick budgeting tool may be enough to make you make the switch.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle/learnvest-learning-to-grow-your-finances/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Icon6.png" alt="Dead Trigger: Console Gaming Gone Mobile" />Dead Trigger: Console Gaming Gone Mobile</h4><br /><p>What’s more fun than an action packed, zombie killing, adrenaline rushing, high speed intense game? Well the answer is simple. All of that in the palm of your hands! As a perfect example of console gaming gone mobile, Dead Trigger brings the first person shooting experience that we’ve all associated from the console straight to the iPhone.</p><br /><p>Through its stunning graphics and heart-racing gameplay, Dead Trigger is easily one of the most notable zombie FPS apps available for the iPhone. Its intense quests will have even the most experienced zombie players at the edge of their seats.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/games-reviews/dead-trigger-console-gaming-gone-mobile/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://iphone.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/4/files/2012/11/Letris-Friends-Logo.png" alt="Letris & Friends: Competitive Word Puzzles" />Letris & Friends: Competitive Word Puzzles</h4><br /><p>Words with Friends’ popularity peak seems like it was a millennium ago. But one thing was proven when it was at the top: gamers — both casual and habitual — love word games. They also love another time-tested favorite that features falling pieces and goes by the name of Tetris.</p><br /><p>Combine elements of the two and it adds up to Letris & Friends, the three-in-one word game app that features competitive finds, disappearing blocks and snaking searches that you can engage in with your buddies.</p><br /><p>Aiming to be the last word on letter-focused puzzle apps, find out what fun awaits you within Letris & Friends after the break.<br /><br /><a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/reviews/games-reviews/letris-friends-competitive-word-puzzles/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">iPad.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://ipad.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2012/10/Learnist_icon.png" alt="Learnist Introduces a Multimedia Educational Experience" />Learnist Introduces a Multimedia Educational Experience</h4><br /><p>Grockit, which calls itself the social learning company, specializes in collaborative online test preparation for those studying to take the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, SAT, ACT and other university-related exams. But now the company is expanding its vision with Learnist, an app designed to let anyone learn more about, well, pretty much anything. Think of it as the Pinterest for education.</p><br /><p>Or for informative multimedia, at the very least, which you can curate on any subject, and also share with others. Click “more” to see what it’s all about.<br /><br /><a href="http://ipad.appstorm.net/reviews/lifestyle-reviews/learnist-introduces-a-multimedia-educational-experience/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://ipad.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2012/11/GoogleSearch.jpg" alt="Google Search: Siri’s Worst Nightmare?" />Google Search: Siri’s Worst Nightmare?</h4><br /><p>Every so often, an app comes along that changes the game in it’s respective category. Shazam revolutionized how people identified songs. Instagram changed the way people capture and share photos. Evernote made it incredible easy to share notes across multiple platforms. While it’s become increasingly difficult for apps to change how people do certain things, it’s all the more impressive when one does.</p><br /><p>When it was originally released for the iPad in 2010, Google Search certainly wasn’t a game changer. It provided a easy way to use the world’s favorite search engine, but it definitely wasn’t a replacement for Safari. However, with the release of version 2.5, Google Search now offers a voice search functionality that rivals Apple’s baked in voice function, Siri. Join us after the jump to learn more about Google’s new streaming voice search.<br /><br /><a href="http://ipad.appstorm.net/reviews/utilities-reviews/google-search-siris-worst-nightmare/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://ipad.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2012/10/logo3.png" alt="Aviary: Pushing the Limits of Mobile Image Editing" />Aviary: Pushing the Limits of Mobile Image Editing</h4><br /><p>I have been a huge admirer of Aviary for a long time now. I don’t use their web apps often, but I’m in awe at them for showing the world what web apps are capable of. The range and quality of their toolkit on the web is praiseworthy. It’s no wonder that the developers have started licensing their toolkit.</p><br /><p>Image editing in the mobile phone genre is largely powered by Aviary, and the most famous example of this is the recently launched Twitpic app. Not just comfortable being in the background, Aviary has launched its official iOS app in the app store. Let’s go check out how functional it is.<br /><br /><a href="http://ipad.appstorm.net/reviews/photography-reviews/aviary-pushing-the-limits-of-mobile-image-editing/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Android.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/11/unnamed.png" alt="Navigate and Explore the Play Store’s Maze With Mapsaurus" />Navigate and Explore the Play Store’s Maze With Mapsaurus</h4><br /><p>Mapsaurus is a rich and easy to use discovery application that presents app recommendations in a rich, visual format. If you are reading this right now, it’s probably safe to assume you take an interest in new and exciting apps and games and, as such, I’m sure you’re already aware of applications that help you find the latest and greatest titles in the Google Play Store.</p><br /><p>Mapsaurus is one such application, but instead of insipid lists of apps for you to randomly peruse, it displays recommendations in a really cool way.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/reviews/utilities/navigate-and-explore-the-play-stores-maze-with-mapsaurus/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/10/icon.png" alt="Catch Notes: Capture Notes Anywhere and Store Them in the Cloud" />Catch Notes: Capture Notes Anywhere and Store Them in the Cloud</h4><br /><p>As a student I’m always taking notes on the go thanks to a small notepad and pen that I keep with me almost all the time. The problem is that you can always forget your notepad or your pen could run out of ink. However, one thing that you never forget is your smartphone.</p><br /><p>A great number of applications on the Play Store can act as your notepad, but there’s one that caught my eye. Catch Notes is a great way to create, manage and share notes. Not only that, but Catch is designed for collaborative note talking – perfect for any small project you might be cooking up with your friends and colleagues.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-reviews/catch-notes-capture-notes-anywhere-and-store-them-in-the-cloud/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/10/bakerapplogo.png" alt="Customize Your Recipes With The Baker App" />Customize Your Recipes With The Baker App</h4><br /><p>Most cooking apps for Android are rather straightforward, as cooking involves less time spent using the app and more time doing the actual task at hand. That’s pretty understandable, and as an occassional food maker, I have been content with whatever cooking app I had installed at the moment — until I came across The Baker App. This app not only got my attention, it also motivated me to venture into the exciting world of baking. It’s not every day that I get unusually excited about a cooking app, but The Baker App is obviously an exception.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/reviews/food-drink/customize-your-recipes-with-the-baker-app/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://android.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2012/11/vlc_logo.png" alt="VLC Media Player Comes to Android" />VLC Media Player Comes to Android</h4><br /><p>When it comes to media playback on the desktop, few media players enjoy the kind of ubiquitous love that VLC media player from VideoLan does. Over the last few years, VLC has become *the* app of choice for playing all kinds of video and audio files without the hassle of worrying about comapatibility and downloading codecs. The app has been available on a whole host of platforms including Mac, Windows and Linux, but has taken a while to arrive on mobile operating systems — barring a short unofficial stint on iOS before being pulled from the App Store.</p><br /><p>All that is about to change now, with the release of the public beta of VLC Media Player for Android on the Play Store. Although it wasn’t the most full featured of apps when it was announced a few months back, the development team has been hard at work adding features at a steady pace along with UI and compatibility enhancements. We will take a look at the current version of the app to try and see how well it stacks up against the host of very capable alternatives that have already established themselves on Android.<br /><br /><a href="http://android.appstorm.net/general/app-news/vlc-media-player-comes-to-android/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><h2 class="roundup-h2">Windows.AppStorm</h2><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/10/virgin-trains-featured.png" alt="Virgin Train Tickets: Book Your Trains Easy!" />Virgin Train Tickets: Book Your Trains Easy!</h4><br /><p>Booking your transport is always a difficult task. Finding the cheapest fares for your specific destination is something which is necessary but time consuming. There are many apps which relate to flights, but, there seems to be much less that allow you to book train tickets directly. Virgin Train Tickets is an apps which helps you to book trains all over mainland UK quickly and securely.</p><br /><p>Not only does this app book your tickets, it also lets you track the ones you’ve already purchased. With all the data in the same place you’ll never miss a train again. Read on to find out more!<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/utilities-reviews/virgin-train-tickets-book-your-trains-easy/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/200.jpg" alt="Get Organized With Tasks" />Get Organized With Tasks</h4><br /><p>I am one of those people who has the compulsive need to be so darn punctual and pre-plan every tiny bit of thing that happens around me. I have multiple apps that keep me organised on my desktop but I have been searching for a good mobile app for days and I finally came across Tasks.</p><br /><p>Tasks is a simple but an excellent app for planning and organising your day to day affairs. It gives you the luxury of creating to-do lists, notes, project and add multiple to-do tasks and notes to it. Is it worth your time? Let’s find out!<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/get-organized-with-tasks/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/malwarebytes-logo.png" alt="Keep Your PC Malware Free With Malwarebytes" />Keep Your PC Malware Free With Malwarebytes</h4><br /><p>The internet can be a malicious environment if you’re not careful. There are safety precautions that are important to abide by while browsing the web. However, if you happen to be caught off guard and find yourself with an infected PC, completely removing the malware is absolutely vital in order to resume your day-to-day activities.</p><br /><p>While there are many tools available that will scan and remove malware from your system, one particular program known as Malwarebytes has been my trusted partner in crime for many years. Malwarebytes is a free anti-malware application that has a reputation for finding just about any trace of malicious software and removing it without leaving any evidence of the offending software’s existence.<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/security/keep-your-pc-malware-free-with-malwarebytes/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/snapcrab_icon.png" alt="Review: SnapCrab Makes Screen Grabbing & Sharing Simple" />Review: SnapCrab Makes Screen Grabbing & Sharing Simple</h4><br /><p>Think about screen grabbing and two ideas probably spring to mind – hitting the Prnt Scr key or using SnagIt. Taking the later route is a little primitive, while opting to using the latter means having to part with a little cash. SnapCrab – yes, crab, not grab – is a free, highly configurable screen grabbing tool that could just become your new best friend.</p><br /><p>At its heart, SnapCrab is very much what you would expect, but it also goes far beyond the capabilities of many other similar tools, and all without requiring you to part with a penny. Whether you are a blogger, a web site owner, a writer or just have some other need to taker screenshots on a regular basis, this may be the tool that makes you rethink the way you work.</p><br /><p>As well as being free, SnapCrab is also very small. The fact this is light on resources means that it is an ideal tool for anyone working on the move on a laptop which is not necessary the most powerful machine in the world. This is a relatively new piece of software, it has only hit version 1.0.3, but it boasts a stability and feature set that programs of several years’ standing would be jealous of.<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/graphics-reviews/review-snapcrab-makes-screen-grabbing-sharing-simple/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/Wordweb200px.jpg" alt="WordWeb: The Only Dictionary App You’ll Ever Need" />WordWeb: The Only Dictionary App You’ll Ever Need</h4><br /><p>NaNoWriMo is upon us, and if you’re a writer, this is one tool you must have in your arsenal. I have been using WordWeb for as long as I can remember and it’s among the first few programs I install on any new PC.</p><br /><p>WordWeb is a dictionary and thesaurus tool for Windows, iOS and Android. And if you thought that the new Windows 8’s global dictionary reduces a need for this, think again. WordWeb is infinitely more user-friendly, features several more options and is just as unobtrusive while doing all that.<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/wordweb-the-only-dictionary-app-youll-ever-need/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/NowFloats-icon.png" alt="Explore Cities Like a Local With NowFloats" />Explore Cities Like a Local With NowFloats</h4><br /><p>It’s amazing how, today, with a smartphone you have information about virtually everything at your fingertips wherever you go. And location-based apps take things a step further by allowing you to find friends nearby, search for restaurants in your area and see how bad traffic is en route to your next destination. But have you ever wished your phone could just tell you about great things to eat/see/do/buy around where you are, when you’re there?</p><br /><p>That’s exactly what NowFloats is all about — it’s a new, personal way to discover what’s interesting wherever you are, through tips and thoughts shared by other users, and updates on events and special offers. It’s perfect for exploring cities you’re unfmailiar with or even stumbling upon something you never knew about in your own neighbourhood. Let’s take a look at how it works, shall we?<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/explore-cities-like-a-local-with-nowfloats/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><div class="roundup"><br /><h4><img class="alignleft" src="http://windows.appstorm.net/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2012/11/toolboxicon.png" alt="Toolbox for Windows 8: A Veritable Swiss Army Knife" />Toolbox for Windows 8: A Veritable Swiss Army Knife</h4><br /><p>Windows 8 already offers limited multitasking functionality within it’s Modern UI, through it’s unique snap split view implementation. Toolbox, by Vectorform, takes multitasking a step further and allows users to split it’s application into up to 6 different applications, or Tools as they are called. Is Toolbox a worthy tool to add to your Windows 8 app arsenal? Let find out!<br /><br /><a href="http://windows.appstorm.net/reviews/productivity-reviews/toolbox-for-windows-8-a-veritable-swiss-army-knife/">Continue Reading</a><br /></div><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9RmmT86Y8i146O4rtVUk7NsfUg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=r8HhKDfmPq4:zcvYUxHkUS4:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/r8HhKDfmPq4" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-73116408304035355132012-11-19T13:33:00.019-08:002012-11-19T13:33:46.924-08:00Author Interview: UBL<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17434" title="authorinterviewubl" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/authorinterviewubl.png" alt="" width="660" height="220" /></p><br /><p>Following Arsenal Soccer Club, owning a car valet business, learning design via online tutorials, and being a marketplace author for just over a month. This week we meet Robert Gouveia (<a href="http://themeforest.net/user/UBL">UBL</a>) from ThemeForest, GraphicRiver and CodeCanyon.</p><br /><p><strong>If you’re an Envato marketplace author and would like to be interviewed for the blog, <a href="http://enva.to/authorinterview">head over to this form</a>. We’d love to hear from you.</strong><br /><br /><span id="more-17432"></span></p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I am originally from London but moved to the Midlands – Derby. I have been within the web design trade for roughly 12 years.</p><br /><p>I love most sports, but mostly football (soccer) and golf. My passions are Arsenal FC, web design, graphic design and my family. Not in that order mind you. <img src='http://notes.envato.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p><br /><p>I work from 9am – 5pm officially – 9am – 12am realistically, which I bet a few of you guys know the feeling! I do have Sundays to myself, or should I say for my wife to get me doing house chores. <img src='http://notes.envato.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>Which marketplaces do you belong to? What types of files do you sell?</p></blockquote><br /><p>ThemeForest, GraphicRiver and CodeCanyon</p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>How did you get started? Have you had any formal training?</p></blockquote><br /><p>No it started out as a hobby when owning my car valeting business, but gradually got the experience and the knowledge to take it full-time.</p><br /><p>I started with tutorials and websites similar to Tuts+, learning Photoshop and web design. I moved on to learning HTML, CSS and Javascript, and finally learning server-side coding.</p><br /><p>12 years later I’m here. <img src='http://notes.envato.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>Describe your home workspace.</p></blockquote><br /><p>My workspace at home is boring so no photo guys, just a iMac on a desk, stuck in the corner next to my living room TV on the wall.</p><br /><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17436" title="me" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/me.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="884" /></p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>Describe your creative process. What steps do you normally follow to create your files?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I first think about what theme I would like to create… I then jot down what features I would like to incorporate and what market I would want to reach.</p><br /><p>I then open Photoshop and start designing. Sometimes I can hit the nail on the head on the first go, others I just upload to my website as freebies. This way I generate traffic to my site for the things I am selling.</p><br /><p>After Photoshop I hit the good old text editors. If I’m at work I use Notepad++ and if I’m at home I use Sublime.</p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>What is your advice to other authors regarding how to create a successful portfolio?</p></blockquote><br /><p>As I have only been selling for just over a month, I feel a little premature to offer my view on here, but in general as long as you research the market you are wanting to hit, your designs are unique and creative you should be able to offer a fantastic portfolio.</p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>What do you do to market your files?</p></blockquote><br /><p>I use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Forrst and my own website.</p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>What are your three favorite files, and why do you like them?</p></blockquote><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/moot-responsive-wordpress-theme/3028507">Moot Responsive WordPress Theme</a></p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/moot-responsive-wordpress-theme/3028507"><img class="alignnone" title="Moot Responsive WordPress Theme" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/35002176/Screenshots/00_main.__large_preview.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="300" /></a></p><br /><p>This was my first WordPress theme on ThemeForest, so this will always be up there!</p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/moot-responsive-html-theme/2981103">Moot Responsive Html Theme</a></p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/moot-responsive-html-theme/2981103"><img class="alignnone" title="Moot Responsive Html Theme" src="http://2.s3.envato.com/files/34350290/Screenshots/00_main.__large_preview.png" alt="" width="590" height="300" /></a></p><br /><p>This was my first HTML theme, and again will always be up there due to this fact.</p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/stella-studios-responsive-wordpress-template/3150198">Stella Studios Responsive WordPress Template</a></p><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/item/stella-studios-responsive-wordpress-template/3150198"><img class="alignnone" title="Stella Studios Responsive WordPress Template" src="http://1.s3.envato.com/files/36318605/Screenshots/stella.__large_preview.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="300" /></a></p><br /><p>I like this theme because of the style. It’s personal taste and some people will hate it, but for me if I saw this item I would purchase it for myself.</p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>Apart from yourself, who is your favorite marketplace author, and why do you like them?</p></blockquote><br /><p><a href="http://themeforest.net/user/jonathan01">jonathan01</a>. I even have one of his templates. Some of his designs are clean, crisp and easy to use. His support is good and an all round good author!</p><br /><blockquote class="tutorial_image"><p>What do you do in your spare time?</p></blockquote><br /><p>Spare time? No such thing. When I do get a minute for myself I spend it with the family.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TddtChLyqoGq83q7CBONO0XbpCU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TddtChLyqoGq83q7CBONO0XbpCU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TddtChLyqoGq83q7CBONO0XbpCU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TddtChLyqoGq83q7CBONO0XbpCU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=d1iosKb38Ck:sgRbtUMUU6s:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/d1iosKb38Ck" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-70604375549272186842012-11-19T13:33:00.017-08:002012-11-19T13:33:46.165-08:00Featured Workspace: Graphic-Studio<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17336" title="C9zRc" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/C9zRc.jpg" alt="" width="560" height="422" /></p><br /><p>There’s a great thread for showing off your workspace <a href="http://graphicriver.net/forums/thread/show-us-your-workspace/71087">over on the forums</a>. Here’s one of my favorites – it belongs to <a href="http://graphicriver.net/user/Graphic-Studio">Graphic-Studio</a>. What do you think?</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QRWO5cyuMMC_AV-yQefGpA8B980/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QRWO5cyuMMC_AV-yQefGpA8B980/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QRWO5cyuMMC_AV-yQefGpA8B980/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QRWO5cyuMMC_AV-yQefGpA8B980/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=a6ps6L-kIbE:e2v0S1vUYXs:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/a6ps6L-kIbE" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-69802546762992349032012-11-19T13:33:00.015-08:002012-11-19T13:33:45.390-08:00TED Talk: The Power of Introverts<p><iframe src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></p><br /><p>In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.</p><br /><p>Our world prizes extroverts — but Susan Cain makes a case for the quiet and contemplative.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xcgMs0UJQuDU-NBSTE6-yYJTvvA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xcgMs0UJQuDU-NBSTE6-yYJTvvA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xcgMs0UJQuDU-NBSTE6-yYJTvvA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xcgMs0UJQuDU-NBSTE6-yYJTvvA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=ukceCfPFPCY:Hs8STO3LiVM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/ukceCfPFPCY" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-60534254516797802912012-11-19T13:33:00.013-08:002012-11-19T13:33:44.746-08:00A Thailand Meetup with Elite Authors<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17364" title="kailoon-peerapong" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/kailoon-peerapong.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="510" /></p><br /><p>It was an amazing experience to meet up with two of the Elite authors from ThemeForest, one of them being the Power Elite Author – Pete Peerapong. I’ve known them since 2010, when both of them had several early submissions rejected by me (sorry about that). Finally, I had a chance to meet with them in their country – Thailand.<br /><br /><span id="more-17362"></span><br /><br />We had dinner together and had a chat about ThemeForest and how we found this wonderful marketplace. Interestingly, they both found ThemeForest via ad banners, one from a website and the other from an ad banner in a Twitter app. They were both attracted by the nice looking design (no kidding) and decided to give it a go.</p><br /><p>So, I took this golden opportunity to ask a few questions.</p><br /><h3>Pete Peerapong</h3><br /><p>Although Pete is not active on the forums, he does have a few words for new authors.</p><br /><blockquote><p>“Do not give up when your item is being rejected, take it as a challenge and continue to improve. The reviewer is there to help.</p><br /><p>Many new authors ask me how to get their files approved on ThemeForest. I wish I could help but it actually depends on the author’s attitude.” – Pete Peerapong.</p></blockquote><br /><p>I’m always curious about how many tickets a power Elite author gets everyday, so I asked. The answer is about 100 emails a day. How do they handle all these requests whilst maintaining such a large portfolio? Not to mention that he is still submitting new items. </p><br /><p>Here are some tips from Pete:</p><br /><blockquote><p>“Try to limit yourself to just 100 support emails a day, you just can’t handle everything in one day. Further, buyers are from different time zones. So, when you are answering an email at midnight, they are probably in office hours and the response time will be shorter.”</p></blockquote><br /><h3>The Other Elite Author (Who Prefers to Remain Unnamed )</h3><br /><p>A few word for new authors?</p><br /><blockquote><p>“I don’t have anything to say, but when I look back to my rejected submission now, I think that they look like a piece of sh*t. So, keep improving and keep trying. That’s the only way to success.”</p></blockquote><br /><h3>My Experience</h3><br /><p>Pete is very humble and polite. I always imagined that an Elite author with such income could have a big ego or be cocky. Well, it would be understandable if he was. However, meeting Pete has proved that I was wrong! He is very down-to-earth and friendly.</p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K-XDiPazCxmP4E0HCm3jXNQtqSk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K-XDiPazCxmP4E0HCm3jXNQtqSk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K-XDiPazCxmP4E0HCm3jXNQtqSk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K-XDiPazCxmP4E0HCm3jXNQtqSk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=Fe8kkCviAX8:bsDKYjIUnBA:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/Fe8kkCviAX8" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5278185799987714692.post-12644348098161855252012-11-19T13:33:00.011-08:002012-11-19T13:33:44.092-08:00Dev Manager Update<p>Hi, my name is John Viner and I am the new Development Manager of the Envato Marketplace dev team. My last 2 roles have been at companies where the community is at the heart of the product (as the dev manager at social sports network <a href="http://www.playup.com">PlayUp</a> and as dev manager at <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com">Lonely Planet</a>). So I appreciate the importance of the Envato community and keeping you updated.</p><br /><p>Since I started 10 weeks ago there have been some exciting things happening in the team.<span id="more-17480"></span></p><br /><p>Firstly, we are growing. We have had a couple of new developers come on board (Martin Jagusch and Shanon McQuay) and are looking to keep expanding the team. <img src='http://notes.envato.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p><br /><p><a href="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMGP7531.jpeg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17525" title="IMGP7531" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMGP7531-1024x678.jpeg" alt="" width="660" height="436" /></a></p><br /><p>Secondly, we have completed several “back end” engineering projects that we needed to do to ensure our site can continue to handle the growth in traffic we’ve been experiencing.</p><br /><p>These projects included restructuring the way we handled photo processing in the background (to enable it to be more stable and scalable) and upgrading our search engine to handle traffic increases and put us in a better position to roll out new search features.</p><br /><p>Having completed these engineering projects, we have started to focus more on delivering improvements to the experience that you, the community, will notice. We are proud of these changes and hope you like them!</p><br /><ul><br /><li>We’ve done a significant rework on the way we handle signing up and signing in to ensure that we reduce the pain of having to enter CAPTCHA and at the same time can protect the site from nasty distributed-dictionary attacks. The results have been better than expected, with now only 25% of users seeing CAPTCHA at sign in, which is down from 75% beforehand.</li><br /><li>We’ve simplified the sign-up form, reducing the number of steps it takes to create an account.</li><br /><li>We’ve been working on making improvements to the author experience, so if you see any small changes, they are a part of this on-going project.</li><br /></ul><br /><p>We’ve been working on a number of small tweaks, some of these include:</p><br /><ul><br /><li> Adding spam control on collections</li><br /><li> Creating a HTML5 compatible player for AudioJungle</li><br /><li> Added a buyer survey for first time buyers</li><br /><li> Better password validation on signups, reseting passwords and update passwords</li><br /><li> Provide a single consistent starting page for the upload process (/upload) and added “Upload” to the user menu</li><br /><li>Fixed collection page layout to allow for wider images</li><br /><li>Update search indexes for an item when a sale is made, so that sales<br /><br />counts remain in sync better.</li><br /></ul><br /><p>With the help of the community team I’ll be keeping you all up to date on a monthly basis. We hope you will be delighted with the many more upcoming changes, as we swing our focus heavily towards making your experience as good as possible.</p><br /><p><a href="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/PA1303941.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17529" title="PA130394" src="http://notes.envato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/PA1303941-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="495" /></a></p><br /><p>We also want to give our community an insight into the more technical aspects of our architecture and development process, so we are launching a new tech blog very soon (stay tuned). In the meantime, enjoy this picture of me after a big climb, it’s great to meet you all! <img src='http://notes.envato.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif' alt=':D' class='wp-smiley' /> </p><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zq9TpExh98MiEXoUWV2LrhaoW-4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zq9TpExh98MiEXoUWV2LrhaoW-4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/><br /><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zq9TpExh98MiEXoUWV2LrhaoW-4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zq9TpExh98MiEXoUWV2LrhaoW-4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"><br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?a=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/themeforest?i=IlXU5_wHZ9o:AQjiqvkxNwQ:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themeforest/~4/IlXU5_wHZ9o" height="1" width="1"/>Alex MANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00279345727843708348noreply@blogger.com0