QR (Quick Response) Code

I just created a QR Code for the URL of the carbonBased Media home page. A QR Code can contain a URL, Plain Text, a Phone Number or SMS.
qrcode

I used the generator at http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ to create the code and I use the Semacode iPhone App to decode it.

That’s cool and everything, but to get the most mileage out of a QR code, I’d prefer to have a bit more information included, so I found this handy QR VCard generator at qrvcards.com that integrates QR Codes and vCard data.

Here’s a QRVCard I made using the web app at http://www.qrvcards.com/

This QRVCard contains the following data:

BEGIN:VCARD

VERSION:2.1

N: Maskew;Dwight

FN: Dwight Maskew

ORG: carbonBased Media

TITLE: Multimedia Developer

TEL;WORK;VOICE: 303-881-9342

ADR;WORK: 4565Everett St;Wheat Ridge;Colorado

EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET: dwight@carbonbasedlife.com

URL: http://www.carbonbasedlife.com

NOTE: Visualize the Future

END:VCARD

Pretty slick, eh?

March 17, 2010 | Filed Under Dev, carbonBased | Leave a Comment

Detoxifying houseplants

Due to progressing advancements in home insulation, homes are achieving, essentially, a total hermetic sealing, known as the “envelope effect”. Subsequently, homes are effectively trapping air inside and eliminating regular circulation. Trapped indoor air is not necessarily healthy, as it is often filled with trace gasses from indoor synthetic materials and chemicals, and as a result indoor air pollution is becoming a widespread problem. In fact, it has been listed as one of the top five threats to public health.

Parlor Palm

Chemicals are released into the air within the home through a number of catalysts which are common to the home, (and often undetected as health threats) including upholstery, curtains, plywood, particle board, stains and varnished, paints, paper towels, tissues, carpets, permanent-press clothing, fabrics, construction materials, modern synthetic furniture, computers, electrical equipment, and other household products, synthetic materials and chemicals in, or around the home.

As an unfortunate result, a condition known as Sick Building Syndrome is becoming more prevalent. Symptoms of SBS include allergies, asthma, irritations of the eyes, nose and throat, fatigue, headache, nervous system disorders, respiratory congestion and sinus congestion.

Fortunately, Indoor plants have the ability to naturally detoxify the air in the home. Studies run by NASA have proven that plants in the home can reduce up to 85% of indoor air pollutants, and as follows, indoor plants should be considered essential to any home or workplace.

Fish Tail Palm

There are many benefits to keeping plants inside the home, a few of which being:

The control of humidity within the home
Indoor detoxification and purification of the air.
A resultant cooling effect condition
The reduction of sound levels
The reduction of stress levels
A reduced reliance of chemical products

Based on criteria including the ease of growth and maintenance, the resistance to pests, and the efficiency at removing chemical vapors and affecting transpiration rates, the following is a list of ten of the most beneficial indoor plants in profile:

Areca Palm, also known as Yellow Palm or Butterfly Palm, an Areca Palm releases moisture into the air, which regulate the indoor humidity. The plant is also rated consistently as one of the best indoor houseplants for removing indoor chemical toxins.
Bamboo Palm has one of the highest transpiration ratings of all indoor plants, meaning it will release water vapor into the air, which is important during winter months when the air is often dry from heating systems. Bamboo Plant is also one of the best known plants for removing traces of benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde within the home.
Boston Fern will require a degree of special attention – it must be watered and misted frequently. However, it is the best known plant at removing indoor air pollutants, in particularly formaldehyde. It is also the best known plant at adding humidity to the air through transpiration.
Dracaena Janet Graig is a slow growing plant which can survive low light conditions, and is the one of the best known plants at removing trichloreoethylene in the home.
Dwarf Date Palm surprisingly, is a tall plant. It grows very slowly, and in the right environment, can survive for decades. It is one of the best palms at removing indoor air pollutants, in particularly xylene.
English Ivy is easy to grow, and is excellent at removing benzene from the air. Note: English Ivy does not fair will in high temperatures.
Ficus Alii is a large plant which grows very easily and has a high resistance to insects. It is great at removing toxins to purify the air.
Lady Palm is one of the easiest indoor plants to care for. It grows slowly, is resistant to most insects, and is great at improving indoor air quality.
Peace Lily has everything a great indoor plant should have. It helps to regulate the indoor humidity level through its high transpiration rate. It is also particularly great at removing alcohols, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde from indoor air.
Rubber Plant is over all an excellent plant for the home. It is a tough, easy to grow plant which can survive in little light. It has been tested to be the best of the ficus plants at removing indoor toxins, in particularly formaldehyde.

Other indoor plants not listed above which are excellent at purifying indoor air – removing Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Carbon Monixide – are the following:

Agloanema Modestum, or Chinese Evergreen
Gerbera Daisy, or Gerbera Jamesonii
Dracaena Marginata, or Marginata
Dracaena Massangeana, or Corn Plant
Sansevieria Laurentii, or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
Chrysantheium morifolium, or Pot Mum
Dracaena “warneckii, or Warneckii

(TIP: Ideally, for a house with the area of 1800 square feet (170 square meters,) 15 to 20 indoor plats are recommended)

Bamboo Palm

Dracaena

Kentia Palm

Madagascar Dragon Tree

February 24, 2010 | Filed Under carbonBased | Leave a Comment

Super SEO

by Dwight Maskew, carbonBased Media

super_seo A good starting point is verifying that you have a a standards-compliant Web site that is search engine optimized (SEO). This makes is easy for search engines to crawl and index your Web site pages. Web standards are simply best practices to follow when creating a Web site, and ensure that your site will be easy to maintain in the future. It also makes updating more efficient. Optimize your site by creating content that sends a consistent message about who you are and what services you provide.

Content is the most important part of your Web site. Search engines sort their results by content relevancy, so you want your site to be a relevant authority for your speaking topics. Many speakers write articles, so it’s important to create a clear, concise list of 15 to 20 keywords or key phrases and use them consistently throughout your pages and articles to increase your topic relevancy.

When the search engines see that most of your pages relate to a series of specific topics, they will begin to recognize your site as an authority in those areas. The best advice comes from an expert, right? (ed: Be an expert!) Having links to your site from other Web sites in the same topic categories also increases the significance of your content. Trade links with other speakers who focus on a variety of topics and everyone will benefit from the exchange.

When visitors come to your site, you want them to stay (ed: as long as possible). Keep your site fresh by offering some tasty media snacks on a regular basis. Entertaining and informative blog posts, tutorials, downloads and podcasts will increase your traffic. Images from a recent conference and video will also attract and keep visitors.

Humorous and instructional videos are very popular right now, and leveraging free video hosting sites like YouTube.com or Blip.tv will keep your marketing costs down. Utilizing social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter also help create a network of contacts that can spread the word.

d_maskew Dwight Maskew is owner of carbonBased Media, which builds Web sites that highlight the important parts of your company’s services. For more information, visit www.carbonbasedlife.com

Read the original article in NSA’s Speaker Magazine for October 2009, Fresh Insights on Web Site Design, page 33. 2 other web developers also offered great information on web site design. Check it out!

October 27, 2009 | Filed Under SEO, articles, carbonBased, web sites | Leave a Comment

Analog Nights Wallpaper

Full on retro tech…

Analog Nights is a new line of wallpaper from Aimée Wilder, a New York based designer that has collaborated with Vans on shoe design among other projects.

I’ve seen pixel inspired wallpaper and even blankets as wall (or window) coverings, but there is just something so right about seeing a repeated pattern of cassette tapes, turntables, speakers and keyboards.