12 julio 2010 – Gabriel Catalano®

Renault ha conseguido un pequeño descapotable biplaza «Wind»

Renault ha conseguido un pequeño descapotable biplaza que destaca por su original sistema de capota rígida que se abre/cierra en sólo 12 segundos y que ofrece la misma capacidad de maletero con el techo plegado o desplegado.

El nuevo modelo se ofrece como alternativa urbana y viajera con estas medidas: 3,83 x 1,68 x 1,38 m, y una capacidad de 270 litros en el maletero. El rey en su categoría, pero con sólo dos plazas.
El Wind empezará a comercializarse en septiembre, al igual que en el resto de Europa occidental, dos meses después de su venta en Reino Unido y Eslovenia, país éste en el que se fabrica.

Renault ha conseguido un pequeño descapotable biplaza que destaca por su original sistema de capota rígida que se abre/cierra en sólo 12 segundos y que ofrece la misma capacidad de maletero con el techo plegado o desplegado.

El nuevo modelo se ofrece como alternativa urbana y viajera con estas medidas: 3,83 x 1,68 x 1,38 m, y una capacidad de 270 litros en el maletero. El rey en su categoría, pero con sólo dos plazas.
El Wind empezará a comercializarse en septiembre, al igual que en el resto de Europa occidental, dos meses después de su venta en Reino Unido y Eslovenia, país éste en el que se fabrica. Continuar leyendo «Renault ha conseguido un pequeño descapotable biplaza «Wind»»

10 Fresh Galleries for Web Design Inspiration

Creativity needs a jumpstart at times. When you’re feeling creatively low, one of the best ways to get inspired is to admire and look at exceptional web designs. In this collection, you’ll discover some new web design galleries to check out. I hope you find at least a couple of new favorites that you’ll bookmark and visit regularly!

by Jacob Gube

Creativity needs a jumpstart at times. When you’re feeling creatively low, one of the best ways to get inspired is to admire and look at exceptional web designs. In this collection, you’ll discover some new web design galleries to check out. I hope you find at least a couple of new favorites that you’ll bookmark and visit regularly!

1. Wireframe Showcase

Wireframe Showcase

Wireframe Showcase lets you peek under the hood of a web design. Instead of focusing just on the finished layout — which is how most web design galleries work — featured designs on the site have a discussion by the web designer and screenshots of preliminary sketches, prototypes, and wireframes, giving you insight on their production process.

2. Heart Directed

Heart Directed

A recently popular design trend is blogs that publish custom-designed blog posts. Heart Directed, a web project by Design Informer, highlights some masterfully crafted and visually stunning blog posts. Continuar leyendo «10 Fresh Galleries for Web Design Inspiration»

Download Our Latest Report For Free: The Future of the Cloud

We’re delighted to announce ReadWriteWeb’s fourth premium report, The Future of the Cloud: Cloud Platform APIs are the Business of Cloud Computing. Thanks to the generosity of our partners VMWare and Intel, we’re providing this report at no cost to you.

The Future of the Cloud highlights cloud computing’s impact on IT organizations, and explores both its disruptive nature and the new markets and opportunities it’s creating. The first phase of the cloud was about developing the foundation for the services it provides. Now that the fundamentals are in place, companies are using them to become an essential part of the cloud’s value chain.

We’re delighted to announce ReadWriteWeb‘s fourth premium report, The Future of the Cloud: Cloud Platform APIs are the Business of Cloud Computing. Thanks to the generosity of our partners VMWare and Intel, we’re providing this report at no cost to you.The Future of the Cloud highlights cloud computing’s impact on IT organizations, and explores both its disruptive nature and the new markets and opportunities it’s creating. The first phase of the cloud was about developing the foundation for the services it provides. Now that the fundamentals are in place, companies are using them to become an essential part of the cloud’s value chain. Continuar leyendo «Download Our Latest Report For Free: The Future of the Cloud»

Customer Service on Twitter, Should You do it?

The bar for customer service is admittedly still not very high across the board. In many, if not most cases, it’s because of business issues that keep an organization from focusing on the product or service — hence the need for extra support.

Many organizations are still looking at customer service as a cost center, when they could be taking a different view, especially with social media. The best way to communicate about something being better is by letting people see satisfied customers.

Many organizations are still looking at customer service as a cost center, when they could be taking a different view, especially with social media. The best way to communicate about something being better is by letting people see satisfied customers. Continuar leyendo «Customer Service on Twitter, Should You do it?»

Guest post: Can a startup think global without boarding a plane?

by Guest Author

This is a guest post by Richard Leyland, an entrepreneur and writer with a particular focus on the future of work. Richard is also the founder of WorkSnug, the location-based service for mobile workers.

Last year I founded a tech company in the augmented reality space. We’re doing pretty well. What began as me, an idea and a laptop is now a company with five people, plus a small army of freelancers and contractors. From roots in London we’ve now launched in sixteen cities across nine countries and two continents. We can reasonably claim to be global.

But we don’t fly. More than that, our founding principles make a public commitment that we won’t fly in the course of our business.

by Guest Author

But we don’t fly. More than that, our founding principles make a public commitment that we won’t fly in the course of our business. Continuar leyendo «Guest post: Can a startup think global without boarding a plane?»

Becoming An Entrepreneur: Factors to consider when launching an Internet-based startup business

Bob Kemper

EDITOR’S NOTE: Historically, at the center of the trough in an economic recession, extended unemployment serves as a catalyst for starting small businesses. Entrepreneurship can be very appealing, with dollar signs popping in your eyes as you think of the Google/Facebook/Your Next Company Here billionaires.

Yet while you might be highly skilled at your own profession, being the boss means so much more than knowing how to do what you do well. From my own (extremely minor) foray(s) into entrepreneurship, let me assure you the hardest part is the required intense focus on things you really don’t care about.

When considering starting a business you’re likely already focused on the critical micro elements (your skillsets, potential customers you may know, a snazzy logo) and don’t have the resources for an on-staff Economist/Researcher. So below are a few things this Editor really doesn’t care about, but you should if you’re thinking about making that leap.

Director of Sciences Bob Kemper has been kind enough to share some very high level, yet still very important considerations…

Bob Kemper

EDITOR’S NOTE: Historically, at the center of the trough in an economic recession, extended unemployment serves as a catalyst for starting small businesses. Entrepreneurship can be very appealing, with dollar signs popping in your eyes as you think of the Google/Facebook/Your Next Company Here billionaires.

Director of Sciences Bob Kemper has been kind enough to share some very high level, yet still very important considerations…

I’ve recently been researching the current macroeconomic and societal environment, and here are a few considerations to keep in mind if you are planning on launching an Internet-oriented business, along with key questions to ask yourself. Continuar leyendo «Becoming An Entrepreneur: Factors to consider when launching an Internet-based startup business»

Usability makes business sense

By Isabelle Chan, ZDNet Asia

Good usability transcends age, geography and culture, says usability expert Jakob Nielsen.

It doesn’t matter if a Web site targets an Internet surfer who is 20 and not 50 years old, or is Asian and not American. The site will succeed in attracting visitors if it is designed according to how humans think and behave.

According to the 25-year industry veteran, studies show that legibility is important not only for older people. Even the young, and those who have good eyesight, prefer larger text that’s easier to read.

Nielsen says there is also little difference between Internet users in Asia and those in the United States or Europe, because «they depend on the fundamental characteristics of the human brain, which are the same all over the world».

In an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia, Nielsen shares one of his pet peeves and talks about Usability Week 2007, his first Asian conference, which will be held in March 2007 in Hong Kong.

By Isabelle Chan, ZDNet Asia

Good usability transcends age, geography and culture, says usability expert Jakob Nielsen.

It doesn’t matter if a Web site targets an Internet surfer who is 20 and not 50 years old, or is Asian and not American. The site will succeed in attracting visitors if it is designed according to how humans think and behave.

According to the 25-year industry veteran, studies show that legibility is important not only for older people. Even the young, and those who have good eyesight, prefer larger text that’s easier to read.

In an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia, Nielsen shares one of his pet peeves and talks about Usability Week 2007, his first Asian conference, which will be held in March 2007 in Hong Kong. Continuar leyendo «Usability makes business sense»

For Web-Design Expert, Ease of Use And Clarity Are Essential for Firms

Jakob Nielsen is a Web-design guru who has spent years advising companies about how to create attractive and easy-to-use Web sites. Lately, he has been thinking about other ways that companies reach out to customers, like blogs, RSS news feeds, newsletters and more.

You hear a lot these days about RSS news feeds, which is the software technology behind blogs. What do you think of them?

People who are in the field often use the term ‘RSS’ [Really Simple Syndication] to refer to ‘news feeds’ because that’s the name of the technology. But in one of our studies, 82% of those we surveyed did not know what RSS meant. It’s not something that the general public knows about. So if you are targeting business executives, or even if you are doing something for the general public, they are not likely to understand that particular term. Even if they are actually using the technology. So one of the real strong recommendations is to stop calling it ‘RSS’ and start calling it ‘news feeds,’ because that explains what it does.

By LEE GOMES

Jakob Nielsen is a Web-design guru who has spent years advising companies about how to create attractive and easy-to-use Web sites. Lately, he has been thinking about other ways that companies reach out to customers, like blogs, RSS news feeds, newsletters and more.

You hear a lot these days about RSS news feeds, which is the software technology behind blogs. What do you think of them?

Why We Look at Some Web Ads and Not Others

Do you think you’re more likely to look at an online ad if it contains 1) a picture, 2) an animation or 3) just text? The answer: just text. Surprised? Well, consider the man who was checking his e-mail when he came across a dating-service ad featuring a picture of a bikini-clad woman. He looked at the woman’s face and chest once — and then at the surrounding text five times. (See pictures of expensive things that money can buy.)

The Internet has cracked open a brave new world for folks whose job it is to spend ad dollars. The ability to track where a Web user clicks provides a sort of precision intelligence advertisers could have only dreamed of in decades past. But before a click comes a look, and according to new research, advertisers are often wrong about what attracts our attention.

By Barbara Kiviat

Michael Prince / Getty

Waterproof Products

Useful water resistant products and gadgets: laptops, notepads, keyboards etc.

Continuar leyendo «Waterproof Products»

Facebook’s OpenGraph, Three Months Later

Written by Curt Hopkins

It’s been about 90 days since the f8 Facebook Conference and the debut of OpenGraph, a platform consisting of publisher plugins, semantic markup and a developer API. Every new vehicle needs time for a shakedown drive, to bang out the kinks and to see if users can make something of it.

In point of fact, users have made something of it. fbLike has compiled a list of six OpenGraph success stories, and possible models, for use of the Facebook platform, and were good enough to share it with ReadWriteWeb’s readers.

Not shockingly, they’ve included themselves. But they make a pretty good case for inclusion.

Written by Curt Hopkins

In point of fact, users have made something of it. fbLike has compiled a list of six OpenGraph success stories, and possible models, for use of the Facebook platform, and were good enough to share it with ReadWriteWeb‘s readers.

Not shockingly, they’ve included themselves. But they make a pretty good case for inclusion. Continuar leyendo «Facebook’s OpenGraph, Three Months Later»

Goldsmith, Mingley y una guía para manejar la innovación

“Innovación” solía relacionarse sólo con productos. Pero, durante la última década, “las empresas han ido poniendo más énfasis en la innovación de servicios. Es tiempo –subraya Robert Goldsmith- de que las compañías miren bien como gestionan innovación”.

“Ésta es una de las áreas manejada con menos cuidado” afirma David Mingley, profesor de marketing y autor de “The innovation manual”. Por eso “se malgastan recursos y se cometen errores costosos. Pero no son los esfuerzos que se ponen en innovar lo que decide el éxito: es cómo se encara la innovación lo que separa líderes del resto”.

“Innovación” solía relacionarse sólo con productos. Pero, durante la última década, “las empresas han ido poniendo más énfasis en la innovación de servicios. Es tiempo –subraya Robert Goldsmith- de que las compañías miren bien como gestionan innovación”.

“Ésta es una de las áreas manejada con menos cuidado” afirma David Mingley, profesor de marketing y autor de “The innovation manual”. Por eso “se malgastan recursos y se cometen errores costosos. Pero no son los esfuerzos que se ponen en innovar lo que decide el éxito: es cómo se encara la innovación lo que separa líderes del resto”. Continuar leyendo «Goldsmith, Mingley y una guía para manejar la innovación»

Lavandería móvil que facilita la donación de ropa

Method, una marca norteamericana de productos de limpieza realizó una campaña de marketing en mayo durante la cual recorrió la ciudad de Nueva York con su camión “Wash Smart, Give Smart” para fomentar y facilitar la donación de ropa.

Mediante una asociación con Goodwill, Method – con base en San Francisto — equipó un camión de paredes de vidrio con un lavadero móvil donde se hacían dos tipos de limpieza, a seco y con lavarropas común. El camión visitó un lugar diferente en cada uno de los tres días que duró la campaña.

Method, una marca norteamericana de productos de limpieza realizó una campaña de marketing en mayo durante la cual recorrió la ciudad de Nueva York con su camión “Wash Smart, Give Smart” para fomentar y facilitar la donación de ropa.

Un “latte” de McDonald’s

Cuando la línea original de negocios llega a un punto donde es difícil crecer más, no queda más que incorporar otros negocios. Eso es lo que está haciendo McDonald’s.

Que son número uno en marca de hamburguesas y todo su entorno no lo duda nadie. Pero ahora Mcdonald’s tiene un negocio respetable en la línea de bebidas no carbonatadas imitando éxitos de otras marcas. Es un mercado de US$ 153.000 millones donde está lista para pelear una porción mayor.

: Image via Wikipedia

Cuando la línea original de negocios llega a un punto donde es difícil crecer más, no queda más que incorporar otros negocios. Eso es lo que está haciendo McDonald’s.

La publicidad en vídeos online sólo molesta a un 25% de la audiencia

Los proveedores de contenido, que buscan formas de monetizar los vídeos online, se han encontrado con dos opciones básicas: apoyos publicitarios, honorarios o la combinación de ambos. Mientras servicios como Hulu Plus añaden un muro de pago a los servicios ya patrocinados por publicidad, las investigaciones sugieren que aunque haya más anuncios no tienen por qué perderse usuarios, informa eMarketer.

Una encuesta de Frank N, Magid Associates, patrocinada por Metacafe, revela que la mayoría de los espectadores de vídeo online cree que los anuncios que se incluyen en ellos son, al menos, tan aceptables como los anuncios en televisión. Menos de un 25% de los encuestados afirma que estos anuncios sean más molestos.