When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me about these books that help you read faster, some mumbo jumbo about 'speed reading'. So I tried it once, it didn't work out.
Ever since then I used to wonder about people who could actually speed read, who swift through passage after passage with 90-95% comprehension and actually eat and bathe like the rest of us. Turns it out they actually exist.
I was reading a Wired.com How-To on Speed Reading the other day, which is a very under publicized issue compared to typing fast, maybe because speed reading is older and has been written about so much in traditional media, but when it comes to digital content/applications on Speed Reading, its surprisingly unchartered waters. So at the end of the Wired.com article, they included a couple of links, one of which was an old Speed Reading website that has the feel and look of something from the early 90', and a younger web application, was titled Spreed:News.
This ingenious web application was built with one thing in mind, to speed up your reading. The Speed Reading (Spreeding if you may) interface is designed for what the creators call The Zen of Spreed which when backed with Scientific Research states that reading the way we know it could actually be improved and well, even revolutionized, I know I know, talk is cheap, but once you try it out you'll know what I mean.
The actual core application is built using ASP.NET, presented using JavaScript and although I'm not sure about it, I suspect sIFR is in the mix.
Aesthetically the layout is organized, moderately simplistic with elegant white spaces to complement the shades of blue that coincidently look as though designed with Chrome in mind as the default browser they do list supported browsers here. Personal experience proved it doesn't play quite well with Mozilla Firefox 3+, Chrome and IE 6.
Noticing places where improvements would come in handy, I sent some feedback, and the response was promising and timely, not one of those automated emails you get expressing indifference and appreciation. I believe the only way this application is going is up (alexa wise). And to add to the experience, they have a beta version of a service called Spreed:Docs, thats where you get to upload any .txt, .rtf or .pdf and read using the Spreed engine, yet it must be said its still under testing and mandates you send a request after registering for the Spreed:News service to be put on a waiting list. I personally think its worth the wait.
As most computer power users, I care about typing as efficiently and fast as humanly possible. And it took some hard work and practice to make a significant impact on my typing skills, which as a result comes in handy during those long chatting sessions, and naturally at work. But I have constantly overlooked my reading skills, assuming that with time and practice (and some serious reading) I would perfect the craft, I recently found out it didn't. I think Speed Reading has been overlooked while in fact, it's a necessity to those who spend long hours reading. To me the true appeal to Spreed:News lies in the fact you can do the tedious daily news feed reading and improve your reading skills at the same time, so really its a win-win situation.
I hope you enjoy this Cool Web App of the Week as much as I am, don't forget to share your experience with us after your done.
Salam
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I’d like to apologize, I haven’t been the best blogger
recently, and that’s mainly due to some family matters coupled with preparation
for a Web Development training course I started giving today.
Stay tuned for some interesting topics friends, family and
crawlers.
Salam
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Its been about 18 years now since I last saw Colorado, where I spent almost a decade of my life, my early childhood that is, and since then major changes have become of me and naturally of all my childhood friends, some I caught up with recently, and some still stay a distant memory I yearn to learn more about.
Two days ago, I came across one of those childhood friends through Facebook, the notorious social networking application that I now regard as a means of reuniting long lost friends, distant acquaintences and ofcourse the casual friends you make along the way. The childhood friend I came across was one I considered as kin and do till this day.
After a message or two expressing warm feelings and regret life split us apart all these years, I picked up a link that apparently was to a myspace.com profile, where I ever so eagerly started reading and smiling at as I went on, in a way trying to recompensate for all the lost years that had came between us, then the music started, she was an artist. I haven't expressed my passion for music before, I always intended to through a music section I have been planning on building for all the music lovers out there.
I don't know if the music I heard would have had the impact it did on me, if it had not been so close to the heart, made by a personal friend of mine, but friend or no friend, Manya has more talent than I have experienced in mainstream music for quite some time, she and her band ever so delicately capture the sound of sorrow and hope in their songs, which I can only describe as 'touches the sole'.
I don't know if this blog will have a music review section in the future, but for now, I thought of giving anyone who reads this, a present of music, I personally find intoxicating, and hope everyone who listens to it, will experience the same.
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I would like to apologize for not blogging for a couple of days, sadly I won't be able to do blog till next Sunday, because I am getting certified for the first time, I'm getting the MCTS 70-528 Web Based Client Development.
Thanks for understanding Bashar and Hisham :) And anyone else who's tuned in since I started the blog, wish me luck.
Salam
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I have been meaning to make a section for the social networking applications scene, but it being so diverse, this category will hold everything new and cool I try out and let you know so you can check it out too, or not, if you do, please feel free to share your experience and opinions afterwards in the comments.
The latest application I came across is called Wakoopa, the three Dutchmen behind the app apparently wanted to make a bang on the software scene, so they came up with this brilliant idea to help people share whatever software they use and in effect discover new software online, how did they do that you may ask? well quite simply, by giving the user a small tracker application with a similar name, that apparently listens to the OS's task list, and reports it back to the mother ship. From there on, you can click on a software application name or the category its under to see who else uses it, and what others who use your app of choice use also, meaning, you get suggestions by user preference on related software.
The site UI alone is attractive enough to get you interested in the network, although it has a couple of minor glitches that require work, but I think its a great way to stay up to date software wise. On an entirely unrelated matter, software development is almost as crazy as the web these days, and frankly OS based software and distributed applications are so intertwined lately its hard to figure out where the client ends, and the server begins. This application however gives you a good edge on where you stand from the latest good software packages out there.
The web application is built on the ASP.NET 2.0 platform driven by a MySql database developed using Ruby on Rails.
Wakoopa provides a simple interface to access some of your data via
XML and JSON.
You can use this data to make your own widgets or integrate our service with other services.
So for all of you .NET developers out there, this site is a good example of using diverse technologies to build a powerful and hopefully scalable web application, time will tell regarding the latter.
As proof of how cool it is, I found out about a software Package called Synergy that actually helps you run multiple connected desktops using only one keyboard and mouse pad, now tell me thats not cool?
This is this week's Cool Web App, drop by next week for more.
Salam
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The web giant Google changed its Favicon two or three days ago, first I noticed it amongst their image search result pages, apparently retrieving results from upgraded servers, but today, and since I have Google.com as my homepage, I noticed the favicon (now a lowercase - blue - serif typeface) giving it a softer impression.
Old Google.com Favicon:
New Google.com Favicon:
I personally think its lame, I liked the old one, had more character, and a box, this one only has a gradient. We'll read about the reasons why, but for now, just look away.
Whats next for Google? sorry, couldn't come up with anything smart for that, I mean common, they only changed the favicon people.
Salam
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21
intriguing - true story - satisfying ending - fun science - las vegas
Good acting, smart directing, the storyline was amazing and although the ending wasn't exactly a shock to the brain or emotions, but all in all, considering its based on a true story. Oh did i mention I think MIT is the worlds most amazing institution? (not based on movie)
I give it a 4.5/5.
Ironman
action - sci-fi - political - afghanistan
Its like the best of Transformers and Batman combined, in toehr words, repeated a bit. Not much of a plot to work with, didn't figure out why they had all those shots in Afghanistan. Odd they didn't Usama bin Laden or Al-Qaeda throughout the movie. The comic was a nice read as a kid, but this is sth else, wonderful acting from Robert Downi Jr., and very much fit for young audiences.
I give it a 3/5.
August RUsh
great music - emotionally packed - love story
A contemporary take at the classic Oliver Twist, with the depiction of the artful dodger in the talented young musician who helps our hero find lodgings and food.
I cried at least twice and sobbed throughout a third of the movie, I don't know whether it was the music, or the idea of music reuniting a family, I love music, so this movie really struck a chord so as to speak.
I can't think of anything but a 4.5/5
Atonement
romance - WWII - remorse - will power
I don't usually see movies with the keywords I put up for this one, but it was a touch to the soul, I found it depicting the struggle of ones ongoing persuit to redeam oneself of prior mistakes and consequences that came of those mistakes. The cinematography was beautiful, not a dull moment throughout the movie.
A 4.5/5 would be suitable.
No country for old men
action - survival - boring
I am one of those guys who just didn't get it, I'm sorry Mr. Jones, but I just didn't get it. Boring most of the movie, ending was a dissapointment, watched it with a friend of mine, which turned into a two hour wait for the movie to finally begin. Then it ended.
I give it a 2/5 (I've seen worse)
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Hello World!
Finally I got my first blog up and running, this being my first blog entry, I would like to thank all the little people who helped made this possible lol.
No seriously, this entry is just an intro to a hopefully fun story I hope all of my friends will be a part of, this blog will be an entry point for all those projects I have been wanting to try out for a while.
You will find here everything I care for and enjoy in life, that will include my latest movie reviews which will hopefully begin with a couple of the box office's top ten of this week.
For those techies of you, I will be posting whatever I find cool and interesting during my never ending quest in web development and a couple of web design tricks I learn a long the way.
I hope you all participate in making this site much more than what I alone can add to it.
Salam
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