GuruBob's Blog

Blogsy Now Supports Posterous!

2011-08-20T22:55:00.001-07:00

My favorite iPad blogging application Blogsy now supports Posterous making it very easy to create posts that incorporate images and videos etc and publish to your Posterous site. This is a fantastic development as while it is relatively easy to publish to Posterous via email or through the web interface etc, the management of images and the creation of links is not always so straight forward. Being able to use Blogsy on the iPad makes this a lot easier.

Now, if only Blogsy would support Tumblr...it would indeed be the perfect blogging app on the iPad.

It is...as it is!

Click here to find Tweetbot on the iTunes App Store

Some New iPad/iPhone apps

2011-04-16T01:29:00.001-07:00

There have been some recent fantatsic app releases for both the iPhone and iPad. I have been using and can enthusiastically recommend the following three apps:

Tweetbot - A new Twitter client for the iPhone. You would have thought that there are more than enough Twitter clients by now but this new client from Tapbots, the makers of some great Twitter clients, is a fantastic addition and has even caused me to switch away from my previous favourite - Twittelator Pro.

Mr Reader - An ipad only RSS news reader app for the iPad. I have been, for a long time, a strong supporter of Reeder for iPad and continue to love the iPhone version of Reeder. But there is a significant feature of Mr Reader that has caused me to switch for the time being. This is the ability to manage and add RSS feeds to my Google reader account from inside the app on the iPad. This is a feature that Reeder for iPad doesn't have.

Click here to find Mr Reader on the iTunes App Store

Blogsy - An iPad blogging app. There has so far been a dearth of blogging apps for the ipad and those that do exist are either lame or not very useful including the Wordpress iPad app which is average at best. The recent release of Blogsy is a god send and I really like the functionality, the user interface and the interaction with sites like Flickr, Google images and YouTube for finding and integrating images and videos into blog posts.

Click here to find Blogsy on the iTunes App Store

Take a look at these apps they have been a great addition to my app collection.

It is...as it is!

Back To SEO Basics

2011-02-04T06:26:00.001-08:00

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” - Albert Einstein

I am fortunate to be in a position to offer SEO advice to a number of people and in this capacity I have observed that many (if not most) of the problems that people face with search engine optimization (SEO) don't stem from overly complex issues but from either a mis-understanding or mis-implementation of the SEO basics.

Funnily enough, it does remind me a little of a situation from my past. Years ag

Back To SEO Basics

2011-02-02T03:09:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I posted on my main blog at http://www.gurubob.co/ so I thought it was about time to describe the process I use to troubleshoot SEO issues that website owners have with getting their pages and websites to rank in the search engine results pages (SERPS).

I have found in, almost all cases, that the solutions are much simpler than people assume them to be. Focussing on the fundamentals is the key and ensuring they are implemented properly. The full post can be found at the link below:

Back To SEO Basics

It is...as it is!

Tim Cook - Apple COO

2011-01-17T16:36:00.001-08:00

In light of the news that Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) is taking another medical leave and will be replaced in the CEO position by Tim Cook, I thought I would take a few moments to find out more about him. I have been incredibly impressed by the scale of Apple's success over the last few years and amazed at the supply chain logistics that must have been overcome in order to bring such products as the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and the iMac to market. The success of this operation must be in no small part due to the commitment and efforts of Tim Cook.

During my search I found a recent commencement speech by Tim Cook to Auburn University graduates (Auburn is Tim Cooks Almer Mater). I have embedded a video of the speech below:

During this speech Tim points out the value of intuition, the need for preparation and the importance of a strong work ethic so you can be ready to succeed when the opportunity arises. These are all values I believe in myself and it is not hard to see why Tim is an importance and critical member of the senior Apple executive team.

It is...as it is!

The Mac App Store has arrived....

2011-01-07T19:28:00.001-08:00

And so after a long wait the Mac app store has arrived.

On Day 1 over a million apps have been downloaded and it looks, as expected, that the store will be an unqualified success. The store will certainly make it easy to find and install Mac applications and having purchased an app the licensing model allows you to install and use the apps on ALL of your Macs, apparently without limitation.

There have even been some tremendous pricing benefits, particularly from Apple themselves who have offered Aperture (high end Photo editing software) at $80 (in the US) which is well under 50% of the normal price.

There have been a few unwelcome developments however. If you have purchased an app independently of the App store then you are unable to take advantage of the future upgrades functionality that the app store offers. This MAY mean that you will need to re-buy the app again through the app store if you want to take advantage of the licensing and upgrade benefits that the store offers. This is certainly the case with the app Pixelmator although fortunately the developers are offering the app at a discount price at present partly to encourage people to re-buy.

I was personally disappointed that the 2011 version of iWork (Apples office suite) wasn't available through the store at release so I guess we'll have to wait for that in the near future.

All in all I think the Mac App Store is going to be a positive enhancement for Mac users going forward and I for one can't wait to see how the store develops.

It is...as it is!

Google Now Treating .co as a Global Domain

2010-08-06T05:09:00.001-07:00

"Control your own destiny or someone else will." - Jack Welch

I feel privileged to have been invited to participate in the .co Co-Founder program right from the beginning and was lucky enough to be able to capture my main target keyword (GuruBob) as the domain name for this blog. It had irritated me for some time that the .com variation was not available and I was very happy to be able to locate my personal blog on http://www.gurubob.co/ as I wrote in the post entitled GuruBobsBlog.com has mo

iPad App Of The Month - Flipboard

2010-07-22T19:53:00.001-07:00

Flipboard (@flipboard on Twitter), the innovative social media review app for the iPad is here. Imagine being able to review all the activity on your Twitter and Facebook accounts not just the posts but a review of the content those posts link to all in an attractive easy to consume layout with a drop dead easy user interface. Well that functionality has arrived...and it is called Flipboard!

In short, it is an interactive digital magazine for your life...a magazine that updates daily even hourly!

The potential of this iPad application is enormous and Version 1 while good only hints at what this may become in the future. Right now it only interfaces with your Twitter and Facebook accounts...imagine when it can interface with your RSS feeds via Google Reader. I love three aspects of the app.

1. The ease with which you can review the content your friends, family and associates are sharing in Twitter and Facebook

2. The app provides a brief review of the content inside Flipboard with a link to the full web version but it seems to pre-load the full version in the background so if you decide to read the full version it is there instantly.

3. You can interact with the content inside the app so you can share or reply on Twitter inside Flipboard (and see who else is doing the same) or like on Facebook.

If you are a regular user of Twitter and/or Facebook then you are going to want this app. Once the app interfaces with your RSS feeds, EVERYBODY with an iPad will want this app.

It's an amazing time right now. Technology and creativity are colliding big time to create some amazing solutions.

It's almost like everyday there is something new.

Robert Somerville

ps the demand for the app is crazy at present and the company behind the app are instituting an invite system to manage the registration of your Twitter and Facebook accounts into the app. But don't don't worry they are adding extra servers to cope with the load so all will be sorted soon.

The Challenge 2010

2010-07-15T18:49:00.001-07:00

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Mark Twain
It has been an age since I've been able to find the time to post on the blog and I feel guilty for the time that has elapsed. There are mitigating circumstances, of course, not the least of which were the Coming Home seminar in San Diego and completing the planning and implementation for The Chal

Is the new iPhone the most Beautiful piece of Tech ever created?

2010-06-10T01:58:00.001-07:00

So the recent Apple keynote has come and gone and the new iPhone 4 is now officially released to the world despite the odd test model getting 'lost'.

In reading the specs and having watched the videos on the Apple website I can't wait to get my hands on the phone. Apple have added the A4 processor (the processor that makes the iPad so fast) coupled with a larger battery so we will be able to enjoy a long lasting and speedier experience. The addition of the better rear camera (now 5 megapixels) and a VGA front facing camera allows for video conferencing (Apple even have a new app called FaceTime) although only over WiFi initially.

The better camera allows for HD (720p) video recording and there is finally digital zoom (5x) a feature I am always looking for every time I try and take a picture with the current 3gs phone.

But beyond all that good stuff...this phone must be the most beautifully designed piece of tech I have ever seen. Johnny Ive has worked his magic yet again, who wouldn't want to hold and use one of these baby's.

The only negative for me is that Apple are going to be instituting a phased rollout meaning we will have to wait a month to get our hands on the new phones here in Australia :(

It is as it is!

http://jessicawatson.com.au/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=3749&PostID=79976

Jessica Watson - Savouring Every Second

2010-05-07T07:44:00.001-07:00

For some time now a courageous 16 year old Australian girl has been challenging the world's oceans in her attempt to become the youngest ever person to circumnavigate the globe.

She is within days of her goal and soon to prove all the whiners and naysayers wrong. I have been following her journey all along on her blog and her postings and thoughts have been very inspirational.

Any rewards and kudos that will come her way have be earnt the hardest way and with grace and constant undying optimism. I can't wait for her to make a triumphant landfall in Sydney Harbour.

I don’t normally bother addressing critics because someone’s always going to be saying something, no matter what I say or do. But I thought I’d have my 2 bobs worth on these claims that I haven’t ‘officially’ sailed around the world.

(via Instapaper)

Sent from Robert Somerville's iPad

10 Ways All Employees Can Contribute to Link Building

2010-05-06T04:33:00.001-07:00

While there are many aspects to SEO and getting your website to appear in the search engines, in the end it comes down to building links. The article below suggest 10 straight forward ways how people in your organization can participate in this process to benefit the exposure of your website in the search engines which should lead to more traffic.

10 Ways All Employees Can Contribute to Link Building | Search Engine Journal
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/10-ways-all-employees-can-contribute-to-link-building/19147/

It’s not a hidden secret that link building is an essential part of SEO, but how you go about building links can make a huge difference in your organic visibility. Having your company buy into the fact that actively building links to your site can help your bottom line can help make your efforts a lot easier. Instead of having an in-house SEO or marketing department focused on link building, why not leverage the power of the entire company and have everyone contribute.

(via Instapaper)

Sent from GuruBob's ipPad

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

2010-05-05T04:08:00.001-07:00

I've long been a fan of Malcolm Gladwell and his books such as The Tipping Point, Outliers and What The Dog Saw so it was inevitable that at some time I would get around to reading his book Blink which I have just finished reading using the Kindle App on the Apple iPad.

While in many of his other books Gladwell focuses more on the external world and forces us to challenge our assumptions, Blink is focussed internally and more specifically on how are brains work both consciously and subconsciously. Blink is a fascinating read as by the end I had much greater respect for the importance of snap judgements and hunches as Gladwell throughly exposes why those are usually founded on a much stronger platform than we might suppose.

As in all his books the examples he uses to prove his points are fascinating and certainly kept me engaged throughout.

Our minds are wonderful and mysterious but Gladwell manages to offer just that little bit of insight that makes it seem understandable why we do the things we do.

I highly recommended Malcolm Gladwells books, they make compelling reading.

GuruBob

iPad/iPhone App of the Week: Air Video

2010-04-22T21:44:00.001-07:00

Every now and then an App or website comes along that solves perfectly a need you have but that you didn't know a solution existed for.

And for me that App is Air Video...

You see I have an extensive collection of movies stored on an external hard drive...far to many to add to iTunes and in any case, most are in .avi format which iTunes doesn't like.

To watch those videos I have to copy them to the machine where I want to watch them usually via a memory stick or a network transfer and play using an application like the VLC player.

And then along comes the iPad and of course I'm thinking, well, I want to watch those videos on the iPad but I don't want to have to convert them to an iTunes compatible format and sync to the iPad every time I want to watch a particular movie.

What to do, what to do...

Then I see a brief tweet by Don McAllister from Screencasts online saying that there is an iPad version of Air video.

And I'm thinking...could this solve my problem?

And amazingly, it did. I CAN'T believe this app has existed for the iPhone for ages and now there is an iPad version and it works PERFECTLY and I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT!

After having downloaded the app to the iPhone or iPad and installed a software application on the computer where the videos are stored (and identified folders containing the videos) you simply navigate to the server on the iPad (or iPhone) in the Air Video App, select the video and hit play (for videos in an Apple friendly format like .mp4). For videos in a non-Apple friendly format you select play with live conversion and the server will convert the file before streaming to your device on-the-fly.

And it works and it is beautiful and I can watch my videos on my iPhone or iPad wherever I want to be.

I can't recommend this App highly enough if, like me, you have lots of videos you don't want to sync to your mobile devices via iTunes.

I don't think I can suggest any improvements at all. The App works perfectly right from installation.

Kudos to the developers.

ps now if only there were a version of Air Video I could run on my laptop...hint hint.

GuruBobsBlog.com has moved to GuruBob.co

GuruBob.co and Moving A Wordpress Blog

2010-04-19T01:04:00.001-07:00

My main blog used to be hosted on the domain gurubobsblog.com. Recently, however, I was approached by the domain register for the soon to be released .co domain to participate as a co-founder and relocate my blog onto a .co domain.

And so http://www.gurubob.co/ was born and the post at the link below explains my reasons for re-location and some information about the .co domain opportunity.

Moving to the new domain involved moving a Wordpress Blog which cause a certain amount of trepidation but didn't turn out to be quite as bad as I thought. I've recently published a post on the steps involved in moving a Wordpress Blog and some of the issues and solutions I experienced.

Moving a Wordpress Blog

For those that haven't checked out my main blog it is the home of my online publishing in relation to the Thirty Day Challenge and on other subjects of interest such as SEO, Internet marketing in general and NLP. Take a look if you have any interest in those subjects.

It is as it is.

GuruBob

Click here to find Linchpin on Amazon

Untitled

2010-04-17T21:42:00.001-07:00

Just finished listening to Seth Godins book Linchpin as an audiobook on my iPhone. It's all about how to become indispensable in your life either as an employee, a business owner or whatever.

As Seth points out, becoming indispensable is not easy and is usually entirely the responsibility of the individual rather than the organisation within which the individual is practising or offering their skills and output.

I did find the book strangely motivating and Seth does cover in some detail the characteristics that define and indispensable person. I was also intrigued by the fact the Set defines a linchpin as being artistic and their output as art.

While I do consider myself as a linchpin, I have always thought of myself as a Scientist and scientific in the way I go about my work. Now, it seems I can legitimately call myself an artist…at least if Seth Godins definition has any merit.

It is as it is.

GuruBob

iPad Crack - News and Reviews

2010-04-02T20:47:00.001-07:00

Well...the day has nearly arrived when the Apple iPad is about to go on general availability in the US. The tech forums and feeds abound with stories not only about the iPad itself (generally the reviews are good to excellent) but also about the myriad of iPad apps that are either about to be released or due to arrive very soon.

My favourite story was the interview of Steve Jobs by Stephen Fry in Time magazine but I also enjoyed the iPad video analysis by Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun Times.

On the app front, the landscape is changing so fast it's hard to keep up but Gizmodo has published a good list of essential iPad apps.

For myself, I will be vicariously watching the adventures or Paul Colligan and Ed Dale as they undertake Operation iPad. It is a very exciting time rioght now in Tech and I can't wait to get my hands on an iPad and begin to intergrate it into my daily life.

It is as it is.

GuruBob

The Hurt Locker and the Academy Awards

2010-03-13T19:04:00.001-08:00

Well, the Academy Awards have come and gone and the film that took out the major awards (Best Film and Best Director) went to the previously little known - The Hurt Locker.

I had seen this film some time ago, it having been talked about extensively by Mark Kermode from BBC Five Live's movie podcast. I enjoyed it immensely as I do like war films and there have been only a few really good films about the Iraq war.

The Hurt Locker is a character study focussing on a bomb disposal team and reveals in a group of people living on the edge how important personality and integrity are to the survival of the group. Of course this is a group of men in war time so the testosterone level is high which makes the direction all the more masterful given that this film was directed by a women - Kathryn Bigelow. Her Best Director gong was a just reward.

While I think The Hurt Locker is a very good film, I'm not sure it was the best film of the year and the filmgoing audience supports that. In America it only took $20,000,000 at the box office prior to The Oscar's and in some countries it looked as though it would be a straight to DVD film before the Oscar Buzz happened.

My personal favourite for Best Picture and Best Director was Inglourious Basterds (and Quentin Tarantino) but it didn't have the momentum at this time of the year as it did when it was released. Avatar took out the awards it should have (Visual effects and art direction) but just being the highest grossing film ever doesn't give it a lock on the awards. Avatar is a must see for the ground breaking cinematography and effects. Time will tell if it's 3D wizardry marks the shake-up in the movie industry that some are suggesting.

I've put a trailer for The Hurt Locker below if you haven't seen it yet.

It is as it is.

GuruBob

Had Despair, Inc been serious with its early threat to sue everyone who will use the frowning emoticon :-( (since they'd registered it as their trademark), would you still be using the aforementioned emoticon?

2010-03-12T16:44:00.001-08:00

As I've never used the frowning emoticon before the question is moot but I would have to say yes on principle!

Hi, GB. Do I really need an autoresponder and if so, what's your recommendation?

2010-03-10T16:13:00.001-08:00

Absolutely you need an autoresponder...building a list and forming a relationship with your community is the most important thing you will do online. There are several capable autoresponders but the one we use is Aweber. Pick one and become expert in using it!

Hi Guru Bob Ann here from London. Just a quick question. Where do I find the footer you recommend to add to my website - to get people to sign in their name and emails.

2010-03-09T16:54:00.001-08:00

I recommend Ultimate Footer Ads: http://www.gurubobsblog.com/UltimateFooterAds

What's your favorite mathematical constant?

2010-03-09T16:53:00.001-08:00

Pi of course.

formspring.me

2010-03-02T16:03:00.001-08:00

What have you noticed about Formspring.me SEO performance so far? Yahoo seems to love it from what I'm seeing.

Eric, I agree about Yahoo and I have also noticed my Formspring page appearing in Google for my main keyword "gurubob" as well despite the fact I have built no links to the page. If you have a need to offer a Q & A feature for your site I would recommend Formspring as a solution at this stage.

Google Buzz has completely changed the game: Here's How

What is this thing called Google Buzz?

2010-02-16T00:11:00.001-08:00

For many of you Gmail users out there, you will have seen a new facility offered to you over the last week called Google Buzz. I've been trying to get my head around where Buzz will 'fit' and I've already seen some good things and some bad.

Basically, Google Buzz allows you to share updates, photos, videos, and more to people who wish to follow you. You can therefore start conversations about the things you find interesting.

On the one hand it has some of the features and utility of Twitter + Facebook + Friendfeed and on the other it is somewhat intrusive and overwhelming. In communicating to the people that follow you (these will be other people who have Gmail accounts), you are not restricted by the 140 character limit that Twitter has. Your followers can then comment on your Buzz which you and your followers will see thereby initiating a conversation about the things you share.

The extent of comments can be very irritating such as on a typical Mashable post where there can be over 100 comments which leads to a great deal of 'noise' in your Buzz page. One thing I will say about Google is that they have been responding to early negative comments about Buzz and making rapid changes to the Buzz functionality consistent with the negative feedback.

The management of comments and the issue of auto following within Buzz are early examples of this.

While it is too early to say, for those people that are using Buzz, it seems to be facilitating a great deal more user comment and feedback than other social services. This maybe due to it's newness but it is a characteristic I will be monitoring going forward.

I don't have too much more to say at this stage but look forward to really seeing how it is going to fit within my own social media and networking strategy. I think it could be a keeper but I don't think it will replace services like Twitter and Facebook.

Mashable have also written extensively about Google Buzz over the last week including a great post below:

It is as it is.

iPhone App Of The Week: Facebook

2010-02-04T18:19:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure that Facebook is one of my favorite sites, I do have a Facebook account but I would put it into the category of a necessary evil.

I just find the web interface so complex and irritating. Which is why I love the Facebook iPhone app so much. It is simple, clean, quite fast and easy to navigate and a lot of the web functions seems to be available from the app.

So if Facebook is your thing and you have an iPhone. Checkout the Facebook app. It's another free app and a must have if you spend any length of time in your Facebook account.

It is...as it is.

Movie Of The Week - Departures

2010-01-30T02:39:00.001-08:00

Having written previously about the wonderful "Let The Right One In" I was amazed to find out it didn't win the Academy Award for best foreign film in 2009. In fact it lost out to a wonderful Japanese film called Departures.

It took me ages to actually get around to watch Departures but recently I did. I was amazed to read that this film took over $60 million dollars at the Japanese box office but only a paltry $1.5 Million in the US and probably another Million dollars elsewhere. This is criminal really, as it is a wonderful film and deserved to have a much bigger audience outside Japan. I guess cinema audiences just won't go out to watch a sub-titled film.

Departures (Okuribito) 2008

The basic plot line is about a devoted cellist who loses his job when the Orchestra he works for disbands. He ends up applying for what he thinks is a job in a travel agency but ends up being a job as an encoffineer which is a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. Everybody in his life hates the fact he has taken this job but as time passes, he begins to take considerable pride in his work as he perfects the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living.

I have to say I was profoundly moved by this film. The scenes showing the main character preparing the bodies to go into the coffin, often in the presence of the deceased family were incredibly respectful and emotional and shows the incredible respect the Japanese have for the dead. I read somewhere that over 95% of Japanese are cremated after death.

As Adam and Matty would say over on filmspotting.net, it got a little 'dusty' several times. Despite the subject matter this excellent drama doesn't get bogged down by melodrama and manages to offer a different perspective of death and the profession of a "casketer".This would be close to my favorite film of the last 12 months second only to Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards.

I highly recommend you take a look at this wonderful film.

It is...as it is.

GuruBob

My Thoughts On The Apple iPad

2010-01-28T02:49:00.001-08:00

By now, if you haven't been asleep for the past 12 hours, you have probably seen or heard of the forthcoming release of the Apple iPad. It is clear to me that Apple are trying to create a whole new class of mobile computing device and the iPad is positioned somewhere between the Ipod Touch and a MacBookPro laptop computer.

As an unabashed Apple fan, I have to say from the outset that I want one now (but I'll have to wait 2 - 3 months) even though there are some aspects of the device that didn't meet my expectations. And I suspect that most of the people that are publishing negative comments right now are also suffering from a disconnect between their expectations and the reality.

Some of the things that are missing from the device (that I would have liked to see included) are:

No Camera
No multi-tasking
No flash (but I suspect that this will become a non-issue with HTML 5)
No reported tethering with an iPhone (although they haven't yet said it won't)
Limited connectivity with external devices

In fact the device is much closer to a large iPod Touch than small laptop (and I was hoping for the later).

But you know what...it doesn't matter. This device will be amazing to use and to consume content. I can already foresee that I will much prefer to peruse email, web, video, books, music on this device over any other device I currently own including the iPhone. The fact is I know I want to navigate and access that content using my finger as a navigation device because I love that aspect of the iPhone. And the larger form factor and that beautiful screen is going to make the content look beautiful. And when the app developers start creating apps designed for and taking advantage of the iPads larger screen and speed (this baby is fast from all accounts) then any shortcomings are going to disappear.

I remember well the shortcomings of the 1st iPhone and I'm sure there will be some with the iPad, there always is for a first release and who could expect it to be different. But the advantages are going to far outweigh the disadvantages.

I just know I'm going to love this device and I can't wait to buy one!

The curiously inspiring story behind the building of the Brooklyn Bridge

2010-01-26T03:45:00.001-08:00

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with Long Island. It needed a suspension bridge that was 50% longer than any bridge that had been previously built at that time, however, and bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat. They were quick to tell Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

But Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind for this bridge. It consumed his thoughts and he just knew deep in his heart that it could be done. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge could, in fact, be built.

Father and son had never worked together before but quickly developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles might be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began the awesome challenge of building their dream bridge.

The project started well, but after just a few months, a tragic accident on the site eventually took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and hospitalised and left with some brain damage which meant he could not talk, walk or even move.

Of course the naysayers had a field day.

Almost everyone was negative and most felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who had any idea to build the bridge. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge as his mind was still as sharp as ever despite his handicaps.

It is hard to inspire the people around you when you have limited modes of communication, but Washington was undaunted in his desire to keep the project moving forward.

Suddenly an idea hit him. He could only move one finger, but he decided to make best use of it. Slowly he developed a form of communication with his wife using this finger.

He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was eventually under way again.

For 13 years, Washington gave out instructions by tapping his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today, the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

This is an amazing example of a man overcoming a terrible physical handicap to achieve an amazing goal due to a never-say-die attitude.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.

An amazing story...it reminds me a little of a wonderful film I saw recently called the "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". In this film the main character suffers a stroke that paralyses his entire body, except his left eye. But, using that eye, he was eventually able to blink out his memoir in which he describes the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he'd only visited in his mind.

A wonderful film and highly recommended. I've included the trailer for the film below:

It is...as it is.

GuruBob

Click here for the Twittelator Pro feature list.

iPhone App of the Week: Twittelator Pro

2010-01-19T23:53:00.001-08:00

Over at the Thirty Day Challenge we are constantly extolling the virtues of Twitter as a notification platform. It is unparalleled for disseminating small (140 character) messages to the community of people that chooses to follow you.

I use the GuruBob Twitter account to keep people up to date on the 30DC, and on matters technology related and my favorite quotes. Twitter is perfect for quotes and I get many supportive messages and re-tweets regarding the quotes I choose to tweet.

My iPhone Twitter client of choice is Twittelator Pro...and it has been right from it's first release. It has just the right amount of functionality and design elegance to suit my needs and there are regular updates that keep it in-line with the changes taking place in Twitter.

So if you haven't decided on a Twitter client for the iPhone as yet, I highly recommend Twittelator Pro. And right now, and for the remainder of January, Big Stone Phone (stone.com) have announced that all profits from the sale of Twittelator Pro, it's leading Twitter client, will be donated to help the victims of the tragedy in Haiti.

GuruBob

If this video doesn't inspire you...nothing will!

2010-01-18T05:15:00.001-08:00

Every now and again I see a video on Youtube that just gets to me.

This was one of them:

GuruBob

iPhone App of the Week: IMDB

2010-01-13T04:40:00.001-08:00

In keeping with the movie theme of my last post...my iPhone App of the
Week is the IMDB app which gives you full access to the amazing movie
database at http://www.imdb.com/

I first got serious with the internet back in late 1994 and 1995 and
the IMDB website was a pretty serious movie resource way back then and
it has turned into the King Kong of movie websites since then. They
pretty much own the search engine rankings for most movies and actors
and directors etc.

This app is a fantastic addition to the service provided by IMDB,
there would be few days that I don't go to the site to look up
something about movies and the App is very fast and probably easier to
navigate than the IMDB site itself. Where it really comes into it's
own is in your local DVD rental store. How often have you stood there
looking at the cover of the DVD thinking I wonder how good this movie
is. Well now you have the massive resources of the IMDB website at
your beck and call.

I think the user rating system for movies on IMDB is pretty good as
well. I wouldn't often watch a movie that rates less than 6 out of
10. Once the ratings over 7/10 then the movie is usually very good
and over 8/10 well then it is a must watch.

And best of all...the App is FREE. Unbelievable!

GuruBob

2009 - The Year of the Vampire Movie

2010-01-09T18:59:00.001-08:00

When I'm not on the computer working, I'm more likely to be watching movies than anything else. So from time to time I plan to post on some of my favourite movies from the present and times gone by.

Any of you that are also into movies will have surely noticed the attention given to the Twilight franchise last year. Now I don't want to comment on the merit of the Twilight films. They have certainly been a crowd favorite and while I find them entertaining, I don't place them in the category of great cinema by any stretch of the imagination.

As it turns out, however, 2009 did see the release of two fantastic films in the Vampire genre that I want to draw your attention to. The first is the Swedish film 'Let The Right One In" and the other is a Korean film 'Thirst'.

Let The Right One In (imdb.com rating: 8.1 out of 10) rated R

Voted the movie of the year by Empire magazine this dark coming of age tale of good and evil is a superb genre defining movie. I absolutely loved it as it gave a very different look at the Vampire genre because the Vampire in question is a young 13 year old girl. This is a must watch and I couldn't believe it didn't win the oscar until I watched the film that beat it which I will post about soon.

Thirst (imdb.com rating: 7.4 out of 10) rated R

This film by Chan Wook Park (maker of the brilliant Oldboy) again seeks to explore the Vampire genre in a different way. It is about a priest that becomes infected after a blood transfusion that turns him into a vampire. If you are familiar with Chan Wook Parks work then you won't be surprised by the dark, violent nature of this film with many plot twists and turns.

If you like beautifully told vampire stories or are a fan of Chan-wook Park, seeing THIRST should be obvious. Easily one of the best films of 2009.

So there you go if you like Vampire films and want to explore the genre beyond the slick entertainment that comprises the Twilight films I highly recommend Let The Right One In and Thirst. Please note that both of these films are rated R so would be unsuitable for a young/teen audience.

Enjoy,

GuruBob

Do you think you know what Web 2.0 is?

2010-01-03T20:16:00.001-08:00

Many of you have probably heard of the term Web 2.0..but do you really know what it means?

To me it has always meant the principle of websites being built based on user contributed content and that is certainly one aspect of Web 2.0.

The YouTube video below, for me, is the best explanation of Web 2.0 I have seen. Take a look...

GuruBob