FlashLadyBug.com

In case you haven’t noticed, Google has changed its favicon, the little box that shows up to the left of the address bar in Firefox and Safari (and somewhere in IE too, but I haven’t used it in so long, I forget where. . . . .).

For many people, this was quite a surprise, simply because Google isn’t in the habit of changing the design or layout of their pages or logos. They just don’t. Okay, so its just the little icon next to the adress bar. Its not that important in the grand scheme of things. So why the change?

From the official Google Blog :

“Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience, and Micheal Lopez, Web Designer

You
may have noticed that Google has a new favicon, the small icon you see
in your browser next to the URL or in your bookmarks list. Some people
have wondered why we changed our favicon — after all, we hadn’t in 8.5
years(!). The reason is that we wanted to develop a set of icons that
would scale better to some new platforms like the iPhone and other
mobile devices. So the new favicon is one of those, but we’ve also
developed a group of logo-based icons that all hang together as a
unified set. Here’s the full set:”

And there it is. What I find really interesting is this block of favicons that didn’t make the cut, or were just ideas that were tried out. It’s no surprise to me how simple the final favicon is; Simple is quite often better, especially with such a small graphic.

Images and quote from the Official Google Blog,
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/one-fish-two-fish-red-fish-blue-fish.html

UPDATE : In some random browsing, I noticed that the Google “G” with the blue background is a lot like the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/) favicon,

.

It was similar enough to make me wonder for a second why the page I was looking at was connected to Google. . . . Maybe Googles new favicon needs some more work after all? I also have to say that I wondered why the Google “g” was done in such a funny lower case font - compare it to the Guardian “g” and its backwards.

What I wonder is how favicons will be used in the future. I mean, on a iPhone screen, I’d think that favicons might soon be integrated in new bookmarks, so that you just look for the favicon instead of reading the text. I’m not sure what you’d do if a page didn’t have a favicon, or how you’d store them on the mobile device, but its a thought.

And now, if you’re still curious, here the Favicon for FLB (the little logo on the left before HTTP:// ) :

Its the small version of our homepage logo,

This little robot searches for things to drum on, drives up to them, and starts playing.

“According to a study by Australian consumer group Choice, video game
consoles such as Sony Playstation 3 consumes five times more energy
than a medium sized refrigerator.

They found out that a medium sized refrigerator of about 12 cu. ft.
volume (60 inches in height) will cost $50 a year while Sony
Playstation 3 will cost $250 a year even if it is not in use and only
turned on.”

“…Incredibly, the Playstation 3 consumed over ten times as much power as the Nintendo Wii.”

(http://www.intology.com/computers-internet/playstation-3-consumes-more-power-than-a-medium-sized-fridge/)

People always say that being “green” costs too much money. Green, or energy-efficient (whatever you want to call it) products sometimes do cost a little bit more upfront. But the cost of an appliance, game console, etc., isn’t just the cost to purchase the unit. It’s the cost to run it as long as you own it. You don’t buy a car and NOT consider how much you’ll spend on gas for it. You must make the same considerations with video game consoles and other electronics. At least, remember this : If you leave it on, you’re paying for the power to run it.

So, I know theres been quite a few lists of demotivation posters, and I just want to contribute some that I have found to be especially funny or striking. A lot of these came from sites that made flash slideshows, and so here, I provide the actual image file in case you people want to keep a set on your own harddrive
Check it out: Flashladybug Demotivation Poster Collection

A rather useless thing for most people, but is something interesting to know if you are curious. This program displays the upload and download speeds of multiple network connections in realtime, and can record monthly reports. Heh, it could tell you how much bandwidth your using in your own house.
Check it out: SpeedApps Cyber Bandwidth Monitor

This is really off topic/not a normal post for flashladybug…but really, I just have to get this off of me.
You know those sites that claim they have found the secret to making thousands off of adsense? Their always in this particular format, long page, signature, personalized by the person who sold it, etc. I dont know about you, but, I used to think those were 1) all made by like the same person in some bot craze and 2) makes no money at all.
Well…surprisingly, I’m here to tell you that, atleast, ONE is legit
*gasp
let me clarify. By legit I mean that I, or rather a friend of mine personally knows the person making the claims, has worked with him for several years, and heres the kicker…actually makes money!
Really, its quite surprising. And who knows, it could just work
And so…this guy deserves a page on flashladybug, in addition to this post. Really…I just posted this because to actually know someone who does this for a living, and IS living, is quite amazing to me and who knows, he probably has some tricks up his sleeve.
Check out the description for his ebook: Adwords Profits 2

So, today’s post is about managing your desktop space. You know how it is, sometimes you’ll open up a screen and want it as big as you can….BUT without covering some other window…like, maybe your aim window on the right side. Heh, you press the max button and its gone!
You can use DesktopCoral to reserve a portion of the desktop that allows certain programs to exist, and others aren’t allowed to maximize into.
At the same time, you can use AllSnap to align your windows perfectly.
I know..alot of us have to have those windows line up exactly! Well…allsnap will let you snap em together You can even designate lines on your desktop to snap to. Its pretty interesting, and i’m sure someone who really has to have everything line up will love both of these apps.

“The striking young man - never without his
red-and-white-striped top, bobble hat, walking stick and glasses - had
a habit of turning up in the most unlikely and crowded of places, from
ancient Aztec kingdoms to medieval battlefields.

Melanie Coles, the artist, has released this photo of the figure taken from a helicopter

But
now a Canadian artist has brought the game into the 21st Century, by
painting an enormous Wally that can be seen by Google Earth satellites.

The
55ft figure was installed on an undisclosed rooftop in Vancouver last
month, sparking a flurry of interest among internet users keen to be
the first to spot this Web 2.0 Wally.”

. . .

“Coles, an art student who publicised the project on her blog www.whereonearthiswaldo.com, is encouraging others to follow her lead and create a network of Google Earth Wallys across the world.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/10/wwaldo110.xml

“Acton’s
plans call for his biggest and most detailed model yet as he constructs
a model of the tremendously ancient city that
Tolkien says “appears hewn from the rock of Mount
Mindolluin” in the White Mountains. 
Acton’s matchstick version of the seven-level city was started in February
of 2007. The Minas Tirith model will contain hundreds
of city buildings and will be topped with the Tree of Gondor
and the White Tower of Etchelion. “

From his website, “Iowa artist
Patrick Acton turns ordinary wooden matchsticks into incredible works
of art. The Matchstick Marvels display is wood art at its best,
showing creativity and detail work unmatched by other skilled woodworkers.
Millions of matchsticks have been painstakingly glued together to
represent scaled models of life-like sculptures, intricate machines,
and world renown architecture.”

View more pix here
http://www.matchstickmarvels.com/Comingin2009.htm