The Escape Blog...

There is no escaping the clutches of digital media within today’s society. It’s both changed and shaped the way we interact on a daily basis.

Over the years we’ve seen products significantly change and adapt in order to compete in today’s consumer market. Companies such as Apple are pioneers in this field offering innovative product solutions over a variety of genres. Their iTunes music store is a prime example of this expansion and it appears that the more a product can do, the more convenient and useful it becomes.

Being a digital ‘freak’ myself, I thrive on being up-to-date with the latest technologies and, this probably comes as no surprise, but I take a bite out of most things Apple. iTunes has become my chosen digital hub and is at the centre of my media content. It was only my DVD collection that hadn’t fully made the transition from disc to digital.

I felt somewhat dismayed that my DVDs were becoming redundant with the introduction of HD (High Definition) and digital downloads. My enjoyment of movies in SD (Standard Definition) had been inhibited by the knowledge that I could be watching them with more pixels. Being eager to start up a new collection and move with the times, it would seem appropriate to venture into the digital world. Considering the rest of my content ran through iTunes, what was I waiting for?

Firstly, I must state, since downloading music, podcasts and apps over the years  - everything has felt so very seamless. I took for granted that films should follow the same pattern. When in fact, movie downloads have the potential to be quite the opposite.

The first problem with iTunes is that, currently you can’t buy HD films in the UK Apple store (only HD TV series). So to start a digital collection you’re left with no choice but to pay out for SD content. Also, films are generally more expensive and lack the extras you get with a traditional DVD.

Although buying online saves space in my living room, my hard drive has started to feel the strain. The average SD film is between 1 to 2GB in size and for those extra pixels of HD you can expect a significant increase. A larger hard drive would definitely be required as well as an additional backup drive to store all those digital movies. This was not necessarily a problem faced with music and apps. because file sizes are substantially smaller.

Bigger files also require faster download speeds. With a lousy average download rate in the UK, it may take a while for films or a TV series to download. Luckily, I don’t have a bandwidth limit, but for those who do, they could find themselves reaching their monthly usage allowance half way through an HD TV series such as ‘Lost’. Film buffs that want to experience true HD may also be disappointed. iTunes currently only supports 720p resolution in comparison to 1080p on the BluRay disc. To the untrained eye the difference may be unnoticeable but still isn’t at the cutting edge of what is offered by BluRay.

If you have a fast computer, with plenty of hard disk space and a good Internet connection, then that’s half the battle won. Now you need to transfer your downloaded movies to the ‘big screen’. This is where I believe the real problem lies. To stream your HD content to your TV you will require an Apple TV box. As iTunes films are copy protected there isn’t really another alternative. Those who want flexibility with the way they stream content will have to look elsewhere. For £223 you get a 160Gb wireless box, which is great for casual users but for those like myself who look to start a new HD collection, I expect more space for my content.

It comes as no surprise that Apple TV isn’t as influential as the iPhone and iPod have been to mobile and music. It’s just lacking in features and doesn’t quite stand out from the crowd. This is not helped by the hindrance of technologies around it (Internet speeds etc.), which impact on how convenient the product could potentially be. For me, it’s only a matter of time before digital movie downloads become the next big thing, it just needs time to nurture. Until then, my DVD collection will stay ‘as is’ and won’t be joining my CD collection just quite yet.

Paper giant Sappi said it will raise the price of its coated fine papers by “at least 10%” in March. Whilst Mondi will increase the price of uncoated fine paper grades in cut-size, folio, and reels by 5-8% as of 1 April 2010. M-real will also raise coated and uncoated white-top kraftliner prices by £50 per tonne in the UK.

Will Oldham, general manager for UPM UK paper sales, said “the company has announced increases to its wood-free coated papers due to ongoing cost pressures”.

And today Arjo Wiggins announced that the cost of it’s woodfree and recycled papers would increase by a minimum of 8%.

As the power and influence of the Internet continues to shape how we all do business, getting a top ranking for a website continues to be the ‘Holy Grail’ for many companies - large and small.

The benefits are obvious. Better visibility on the Web will result in a greater number of eyeballs, generating more traffic and stimulating greater interest in your products and services.

Naturally, a well-designed website with compelling, quality content is a vital ingredient to getting good placement in the organic search engine rankings while other factors such as ease-of-use, clear navigation, valid code and some basic optimisation techniques will also help considerably. But these are all ‘on-page’ aspects of website optimisation. So what of ‘off-page’ optimisation, the other critical part that’s needed to gain a good ranking on a search engine results page (SERP). And, in particular, the process of link building?

Many website owners are understandably strapped for time just running their business, so here are five top tips for busy people on how to increase the number of backlinks to your site.

1. Cross-site linking
   If you own more than one website, one of the quickest and simplest ways to backlink involves putting a link to relevant pages from another of your sites. And the neat thing is, by using content-based links, you can precisely control the anchor text of each link for maximum benefit.
2. Directory submission links
   Submitting your website to free, online directories takes surprisingly little time and can be a very effective way to increase your inbound links. This is especially true if it becomes part of an ongoing process, for example, if you commit to two or three directory submissions a week, this will result in at least a hundred over a year. Some directories even allow writing your own title and description which presents another opportunity to include relevant ‘anchor’ text.
3. Social media links
   The most popular (and therefore the most valuable) social media tools as far as backlinking is concerned, can be broken down by media type. Each are relatively quick methods to get your content onto the Web and the potential to make sure you get good keyword-based inbound links. Here are some of the most widely used:
   - Blogging: Blogger, WordPress
   - Micro-blogging: Twitter, Plurk
   - Social networks: Facebook, MySpace
   - Social bookmarking (or tagging): Digg, StumbleUpon
   - Video sharing: YouTube, Vimeo
   - Picture sharing: Flickr, Photobucket.
4. Article distribution links
   Yet another powerful link-building strategy is to write interesting and informative articles and publish them online. Keep them original  and brief (around 500 words) and then submit them to popular article marketing sites such as ezinearticles.com and articlesbase.com.
5. Paid advertising links
   OK, so paying for links to your website might seem like ‘cheating’ but it really can work well depending on the size of your wallet. Set up a Pay-Per-Click campaign such as Google AdWords or Microsoft’s adCenter programmes. In Google’s case, they claim that the signup process “can go live in 15 minutes or less.” If you’re new to paid search advertising, it’s a good idea to research thoroughly at first and take a steady-as-you-go approach. Otherwise, enlist the help of experts.

As we all know, the Web is a place of rapid change and many of the techniques used today to promote your website may not be as effective tomorrow. But the worst thing you can do if your serious about getting a better search ranking for your website is do nothing. Happy link building.

This is a statement I know too often to be true. You would think after a few bad experiences I might have learnt my lesson. However in times of financial strain we all tend to try and cut corners or perhaps the more appropriate phrase would be ‘take a risk’.

A flyer came through my door a few weeks back. It was from a girl who had set herself up selling Bio-sculpture Nail Services. Bio-sculpture is a clear gel that basically strengthens the nails and allows them to grow. As I looked down at my chubby digits with thin brittle nails I though “why not, it won’t break the bank and I can’t afford to go to a beautician this month so I will give her a call”. After an hour of mindless talk and a set of incredibly tacky solid white tips, covered by very messy gel I gave the girl the £22 and said my goodbyes.

After she left, I tried to battle that sinking feeling that you get on occasions such as this. For at least 20 minutes I tried to convince myself “oh it’s not that bad for the price really”.

Well actually, it was that bad, it was really bad! Instead of my usual ’slightly masculine’ looking hands, I now had slightly masculine looking transvestite hands! Oh yes –  it was as though Vicky Pollard herself had given me her hands in her last will and testament and I HAD to wear them!

It got me thinking about how it relates to ‘almost’ all of our choices regarding services… whether it be builders, kitchen fitters, hairdressers, mechanics and so on and so on. This includes the industry I work in. Nothing angers me more than seeing some ropey piece of design or artwork that has clearly be done by someone who hasnt got a clue, but probably ‘pedals their wares’ as an experienced pro.

We are often questioned on cost in our industry because there is usually someone’s ’son’s, friends, brother’ who has just discovered Photoshop for the first time and has promised a 20 page brochure for a packet of Marlborough Light’s and fifty quid. My Dad has always said “you get paid for doing something that not everyone else can do”. This is true, and it also comes with years of experience and knowledge passed on from other professionals over the years. I think that generally applies to whatever industry you choose, so long as you have a good mentor. This is what you pay for right? A job may ‘only take’ 2 hours to amend, but it takes two hours and 15 years of experience and skill. I read from David Thorne’s website, a designer who cleverly and funnily puts this point across (see Link) http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p2.html.

I think he hits the nail on the head. There is of course nothing to say that there aren’t people out there who do a good job for a good price, but I would say there is a difference between a good price and a incredibly ‘cheap’ price. If the brochure prints with pixelated images, grubby colours and inconsistencies, then not only does this reflect badly on you (the client) as a person and your business interests….  you then have the stress and conflict of either trying to get your money back or pay someone else to do it again. If you have a website built where you have more chance of navigating your way around Spaghetti Junction then the pile of confusion on the screen, then it is not exactly doing the job you had in mind.

I suppose it’s up to you whether you are happy to ‘take the risk’ in life. I certainly won’t be taking any more risks with my nails and will stick with the tried and tested skills of the girls at Beauty Box in Basingstoke from now on!

This weekend, I finally made the trip to the cinema to watch the much-hyped Avatar in 3D, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Having seen a couple of the latest generation 3D films as well as the classic ‘old style’ red & blue lens 3D in my childhood, it got me thinking about where 3D has come from and what the future is for it.

Way back in 1894 William Friese Greene discovered and filed a patent application for a new technology that would change the way we see motion picture. That technology was 3D, three-dimensional motion picture that provides the illusion of ‘depth’. However, although revolutionary, it had never been able to remain a constant fixture in our cinemas, getting killed off before once again returning like a classic horror movie bad guy, having comebacks throughout the 20th century as technology evolved.

But is our latest & current fascination of 3D just another stint or is it here to stay - a happy ending for 3D? I think a key part of it’s survival is for it to break out of the cinema & become more involved in our everyday lives. Let’s face it, back in the 60’s most people would have thought that a 3D tv would common place in every house by 1990, let alone by 2010 (not forgetting living our lives like the Jetsons, flying round on spaceships). The big players in technology have made 3D tv sets for domestic use & more studios are now shooting in both 3D and 2D as standard which would suggest that this may not just be another fad. Also without film studios capitalizing on the dvd market, it maybe difficult to sustain. It’s not just movies that will be hitting our tv’s in 3D, with BskyB launching a dedicated 3D channel this year, beaming a wide range of 3D tv straight into our homes from Swan Lake, to Premier League football. This of course will require a ‘3D ready’ tv for the end user reap the benefits, but it’s another strong indication that 3D will become standard in homes in the near future. It was trialled for the first time this weekend by Sky, in a handful of pubs across the UK, showing Arsenal v Man United with that extra dimension (However, even 4D would not have made that game the slightest bit enjoyable for me, being an Arsenal fan).

This doesn’t just stop at the movies and TV either. The gaming industry is at an all time high, if not bigger than the movie industry - so it looks increasingly likely 3D will be adding a whole new dimension to the way we play games. Can 3D become part of our working lives too? Will brands start manufacturing 3D monitors? As a web designer, will we have to take a new dimension into consideration when creating a website for a client?

I guess only time will tell if it will be a happy ending for 3D.