Maine Website Designer

Do you need a simple solution to download YouTube videos?  I recently had a project that required a download of a YouTube video so that I could show it in a presentation where I would not have access to internet.  There are multiple tools and applications you can purchase to download YouTube videos but I found a free, online solution that is simple, quick and uncomplicated.

KeepTube

I was impressed with KeepTube’s simplicity.  All you need to do is find and copy the URL of the the video you would like to download and paste it directly into the video field on KeepTube.com.

KeepTube will then provide you with multiple download options and formats to chose from (usually MP4 and .flv).  Select where you would like to save the video on your computer and wait for the download.  That’s it!

I expected to find that the video would have a “KeepTube” watermark or some other interruption to the video to help promote the company but I was pleasantly surprised that this FREE service was actually free with no strings attached!

QR Code stand for “Quick Response Code” and is just a 2 dimensional code similar to a bar code.

We all know that bar codes are scanned at the grocery store at check-out time to speed the process of calculating our total bill.  What sets QR Codes apart from bar codes is that bar codes are usually linked to a database that the scanning device pulls information from (price, name, etc.) whereas QR Codes actually contain information.  QR Codes do not need to pull data from a database because the information is embedded within the code.

What can you store in a QR Code?

What type of  information can be contained in a QR Code?  Well, just about anything; however, there is a limit to the amount of characters you can store in a QR Code.

You can store up to 4,296 alpha-numeric characters in a QR Code

Most people will choose to use a QR Code to store text and numbers and with 4,296 characters available you have a lot of flexibility.

Why should I care about QR Codes?

You should care about QR codes if you want an easy way to share information with people!  How many times have you seen an advertisement and wanted to remember the information for later, but didn’t have time to write it down?  Someone gives you a business card and while you have good intentions of adding the information to your contacts you never get around to it and end up losing the card!  As a business owner you may want clients to visit your website; however, how do you expect them to remember the address?  What if your website address ends in .org, .co, .net, .me or anything else except .com – even if people get the first part of your URL correct they can still end up in the wrong location if they don’t have the ending right.

With a QR Code these challenges all go away.  A person can use their smartphone and installed scanner application to scan your code and be taken to your website, add your contact information to their contacts, and even add an event to their calendar!

What do I need to use QR Codes

To use QR Codes you first need to have a QR Code generator.  The QR Code generator will create the QR Code for you and once you have the code you can put it on your business card, print advertising, agendas, etc.  I have a free QR Code generator here.  Once you have a QR Code you will need a smartphone and an application that can read bar codes.  I’ll compile a list of apps for your smartphone in a future post.

Please feel free to use the QR code generator.  You can create a QR code for a website, a business card with your personal information or a code with a message.

Tip:

When creating a URL QR code make sure to include http:// at the beginning of the address.  Doing so will allow most scanners to open your web page automatically.

Type: Business Card URL Message

Name:

Company Name:

Telephone:

Work Address:

City:

State, ZIP Code:

Email Address

Website

Memo

URL

Message

How to use your QR Code

QR codes can be used anywhere someone has a smartphone.  QR Codes can be used in:

• Print advertisements
• Business cards
• Stationary
• Memos
• Online
• Stickers

It is an understatement to say that I live on my computer so a couple of years ago after several friends suffered a complete systems failure I started looking a backup solution that would protect my computer. I decided on Acronis True Image because it offered the features I was looking for.

Many people look for an online backup solution, but I’m just not convinced that backing up an entire drive online is a smart choice. I was looking for a backup solution that would create a complete image of my hard drive that could be used to restore my entire system, not just restore my favorite files.

The great thing about Acronis is that it can quickly complete a full backup of a hard drive by creating an Image backup. An Image backup is different than creating a file backup because the resulting backup is much smaller than if you were to actually copy each individual file AND the image can be fully restored to a hard drive without much effort.

My last restoration of my hard drive happened about 2 weeks ago after my computer contracted a virus that annihilated my entire system. The good news was that I had a backup that I could restore from, the bad news was that I hadn’t been backing up on a regular basis.

What I ended up doing was using the Acronis True Image 2011 bootable disk, locating the files on my damaged hard drive that I needed and creating a backup of just those files. I then restored my computer to the last full backup that I had and after confirming that everything was working I restored those few files (my documents, etc.) so that I had the latest copies.

I missed a few files that I wish I had recovered before doing the restoration – mainly Outlook data files. Since I use IMAP for most of my accounts it wasn’t a big deal, but a few accounts that I use POP were only restored to my backup file.

While this workaround worked for this occasion I’ve since set Acronis to backup my computer everyday. I’m also considering purchasing Acronis Disk Director 11 to reduce the size of my C drive so the backups are even smaller than they are now. If you’re interested in this product I found a coupon for it here which is good through January 17, 2011:
Get 15% off Acronis Disk Director 11 Home with coupon code NDJDD15

I’m pleased to announce that Gretchen Gregory will now be working with me to build websites. Gretchen has extensive marketing experience and is currently working on her degree in Digital Media from the New England School of Communications in Bangor, Maine.

Gretchen brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the table and will be key in our web development projects moving forward!

Well, after 2 snow delays it looks like my class is finally going to happen. It’s been in the works for a long time so I’ll be glad it’s finally here! Unlike the 10 week class that took place last year, this one is a 4 hour introduction to web design. The timing works out great because we start at 8 am and are out the door around Noon – leaving the remainder of the day to catch up on chores.

As you will see from the navigation I’ve added a new page for the classes being taught.  Each class will have a dedicated page with all of the resources we will need.  The tutorials will also be made available as a refresher to the class and I hope class participants will use the site as an opportunity to ask questions and keep everyone up-to-date on their progress.

After much delay I’ve updated the header image for the site. I took this photo back in 2004 while hiking at the Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle, Maine. The view is from South Peak looking north and you can make out North Peak in the distance. Moving forward I will make sure to update the header image on a more regular basis.

I’ll be spending the next few weeks adding content to the site to provide you with more information about my services. Additionally, I am putting together multiple pages of resources for the “do-it-yourselfer” topics will include:

• Help with FrontPage – including video tutorials
• PayPal tutorials
• osCommerce
• Website Templates
• Search Engine Optimization
• Security
• Blogging
• Domain Names

While my time is tight, I hope to add at least one new page per week. For those wishing to get updates on new content as it’s added, please feel free to subscribe to my RSS Feed.

While I was reluctant to take this step initially, I do have to say that I’m very excited about the decisions to “officially” start building websites for others. 

For those that don’t know me, my name is Fred Grant and I am the creator of CollegeHelpers.com.  CollegeHelpers.com is a business I started when I was working at Babson College.  It’s an online job board that helps college students find part-time off-campus jobs.  I actually contract with colleges around the country to manage their posting process, save their staff time and improve the job hunting process for both students and employers.  The short story is that running the business became a full-time job and financially allowed me to leave my post as Director of Campus Life at Babson.  I now live in my hometown of Houlton, Maine with my wife and three children and make my living on the Internet.

I am passionate about building websites, integrating new technologies and driving traffic to my sites, but until just recently I have focused exclusively on my sites. Friends and acquaintances have frequently asked if I would be interested in building a site for them and I found that there is a real need for quality web design in Maine.  Not just sites that look professional, but also get noticed by the search engines and drive qualified traffic to their sites.

Having recently hired someone to work with me on CollegeHelpers.com I now have more available time to build sites for others on a limited basis.

So… If you are interested in building a website, opening an on-line store, updating an existing site or just getting some advice – pick up the phone and give me a call.  You can reach me at 877-256-5474 ext. 703 or feel fee to email me at fred@maine-webdesigner.com.