Web design for Real beginners - Ms Expression Web 4 or Wordpress

A few years ago, actually several years ago, with the advent of the 64-bit version of Microsoft Office, I couldn't keep the older FrontPage at the same time so I went looking and settled on Expression Web. At the time it seemed WordPress was aimed more at writing Blogs, didn't need that. When I started with FrontPage 'purists' were using Notepad to write HTML pages.

If you go with WordPress be sure to get the latest, some security issues have arisen lately.WordPress 4.7.2 Security Release

Source: Web design for Real beginners - Ms Expression Web 4 or Wordpress

Tools needed to start a Web Site Design Business

editor (notepad, textpad, sublime, atom etc)browser (whatever is loaded on your computer)

and that is it ... that's all ... literally and figuratively ...nothing else is required ...

you can get everything else (images, code, etc) from the web ... for FREE ...

Source: Tools needed to start a Web Site Design Business

Android embraces Progressive Web Apps that act like local software

Google is further blurring the line between local apps and web apps in Android, rolling out the ability to add Progressive Web Apps to the homescreen but with the speed of a regular app. A feature of Chrome, the new functionality is currently only available in Chrome Canary – the most cutting-edge of versions for developers – but will be rolling out to Chrome 57 beta over the next few weeks, Google says. The upshot for users, so the promise goes, is apps that have the visibility of locally-installed software but the flexibility of online services.

Currently, while you're able to pin web services to the homescreen, they're effectively bookmarks. Progressive Web Apps go significantly further, mimicking the experience of a local app by caching a version on the device for offline use: even if you don't have an internet connection, you'll still be able to use the web app. Meanwhile, they're also integrated with things like Android's notification management.

In order for their web apps to qualify, however, developers will need to tick a few boxes. They'll need to be provided by a secure, HTTPS server, for instance, and use a responsive design that works on both phone and tablet displays. There are speed requirements too, around how fast the initial interface must load: Google says that, even on a 3G connection, the first visit to the app must take less than ten seconds. Google has a tool, Lighthouse, which makes testing these criteria and others more straightforward.

Web apps that support the new feature will get an option in Chrome to "Add to Home screen"; from that point, the web app's icon will show up in the launcher and any other app management system the device uses. It will be able to live alongside, rather than replace, any native app version. Permissions like notifications and access to hardware such as the device's camera will be assigned on an as-used basis, and other apps will be able to launch Progressive Web Apps directly. Still in the pipeline is support for associating a web app installed locally in this way with a certain file type.

To be clear, this is different from another web app system Google is experimenting with, Instant Apps. In a sense, they approach the concept from the opposite direction: rather than installing an app from the Google Play Store, the software is delivered piecemeal from the web. Google began public testing of Instant Apps last month.

Progressive Web Apps will support any version of Android back to Jelly Bean (v4.3).

MORE Google

Source: Android embraces Progressive Web Apps that act like local software

Annual Embedded Computing Design Innovation Awards - Submissions Now Open

Embedded Computing Design's Annual Top Embedded Innovators and Innovative Product Awards highlight the most influential people and products from the Embedded and Internet of Things industries over the past year.

2017 Top Embedded Innovators (People)

Embedded Computing Design invites members of the embedded and Internet of Things communities to nominate exceptional individuals for their contributions to technology, industry/market evangelism, philanthropic contribution, and business acumen. Nominees are judged by Embedded Computing Designs esteemed Advisory Board, as well as its experienced content team comprised of Rich Nass, Curt Schwaderer, Brandon Lewis, and Jamie Leland. Judging is based on a 14-point rubric, outlined below.

Criterion

• Technology What are this candidate's top contributions to embedded/IoT technology?

• Evangelism How has this candidate or his/her accomplishments influenced or driven the embedded/IoT market?

• Philanthropy In what ways has this candidate given back to the industry/community?

• Business What financial milestones this person accomplished for their company(ies) during their career?

Three entrants will be chosen as 2017's Top Embedded Innovators based on the judges cumulative scores, with the winners receiving a plaque denoting their achievement and the opportunity to participate in an in-person video interview with members of the Embedded Computing Design content team.

Nomination Deadline: 3/31

Submission Form: opsy.st/2017InnovativePeople

 

2017 Most Innovative Products

The Most Innovative Products section allows vendors from the embedded and Internet of Things industries to submit their market-leading technology solutions released between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017 for consideration as one of the past year's Most Innovative Products. Product submissions are graded by the Embedded Computing Design Content Team consisting of Rich Nass, Curt Schwaderer, Brandon Lewis, and Jamie Leland based on a 16-point rubric, detailed below.

Note: A nominal fee is associated with Innovative Product submissions to support printing and production costs.

Criterion

• Design Excellence How does the proficiency of the products design and/or architectural elements enable embedded/IoT engineers in new ways?

• Relative Performance How does the performance of the product compare to alternatives, relative to the context in which it is typically used?

• Market Impact/Disruption What impact has this product had on the embedded/IoT design engineering market (does it enable new innovations, disrupt existing technologies, provide new methods for solving engineering challenges, etc.)?

All submissions are highlighted on the Embedded Commuting Design website and in the June 2017 Innovation Issue. Three finalists will be selected in each of the categories of Silicon, Software, and Systems based on the judges' cumulative scores. All nine finalists will be featured on the cover of the ensuing 2017 Embedded Computing Design Resource Guide, with the company of the most highly graded product (1) from each category also receiving a plaque commemorating the accomplishment, as well as the opportunity to participate in a video interview with Embedded Computing Design's content team.

Submission Deadline: 4/14

Submission Form: opsy.st/2017InnovativeProducts

 

For questions and further details, please contact OpenSystems Media Publisher Patrick Hopper (phopper@opensystemsmedia.com) or Embedded Computing Design Brand Director Rich Nass (rnass@opensystemsmedia.com).

About Embedded Computing Design and OpenSystems Media

OpenSystems Media has been a leading publisher of electronics magazines, e-mail newsletters, websites, and product resource guides for more than 30 years. OpenSystems Media is also the leader in driving leads and awareness through social media, and is the largest producer of lead-generation tools such as webcasts (E-casts), whitepapers, product directories, digital E-mags, and Techcasts. OpenSystems Media offers E-casts, Techcasts, and Embedded University online training for engineers and provides interactive tools that allow participants to communicate directly with presenters and top industry editors. Current publications include: Embedded Computing Design; Military Embedded Systems; IoT Design; Industrial Embedded Systems; PICMG Systems and Technology; PC/104 and Small Form Factors; VITA Technologies ; and Signal Processing Design.

Source: Annual Embedded Computing Design Innovation Awards - Submissions Now Open

Top 7 Online Live Chat Tools / Software to Use in your Website

Have you ever noticed a "Live Chat" button while visiting any website? Or maybe a small box suddenly popped out from the bottom corner to letting you know that an agent from that site is available live to help you with any of your queries? Although you may not feel to use these live chat sessions often, but this will surely grab your attention all time. Also, in general cases, this makes you confident about the website and their service.

Several previous studies show us that the live chat option helps to increase the conversion rate of any website enormously. We should give it a try for a while to check actually it is working on our site or not. Are you wondering how to implement a live chat option on your website? Are you wondering how difficult it would be to implement? If so, I should tell you, the answer is quite simple. There are several good live chat tools currently available in the market. You just need to opt for any of those tools. Each tool comes with a very easy to implement options that anyone can follow to make it live on your website. Today I am sharing 7 such live chat tools which you can use on your site. Let's know about them in detail.

Zendesk Chat was previously known as Zopim, and it does not need any introduction separately. So let me directly tell you about the features of Zenddesk Chat:

It helps to keep your customers or visitors engaged into your website for increasing the sales of your site.

The work list options to analyze the chat activities.

Fully customizable chat widgets to match with your site design.

The technical workflow management tool to organize all chats to make it easier and smoother to handle.

Mobile friendly design.

Live demo/examples: The premium businesses like Corel Corporation and Avast is using Zendesk Chat on their websites.

LiveChat is another popular chatting tool which is very popular due to its handful of features. The benefits of LiveChat are as follows:

It can be able to increase the amount of customer satisfaction rates, just by keeping an eye on the grade you receive at the end of each chat from your visitors.

It can be able to guide your customers as soon as they face any problem, especially during checkout times. LiveChat can prevent you from losing any customers as soon the problem arises.

There is a scope of measuring up the speed of your responses and chatting speed towards your customers.

Efficient customer support for you as well as for your clients.

Live demo/examples: The software firm like Ubuntu and the web hosting company like Media Temple are using LiveChat on their website.

BoldChat gives their users the power of flexibility and control. It is the easiest way of keeping your customers engaged with your site for a long time. The benefits you are getting as follows:

Omni-Channel Engagement – just be with your clients, the way you want to be.

Stay engaged through your mobile.

APIs system to integrate with anything.

Full control over their administration and the reporting systems like advanced security and permissions settings, comprehensive and intuitive supervisor dashboard, robust routing, reporting and testing capabilities.

Live demo/examples: To see it live, if you visit the Phoenix Storage Units page of US Storage Centers (USSC), you can find one big blue "Chat Live Now!" button on the top-right section. Bold Chat powers this chat. Similarly, the American Cancer Society is also implemented BoldChat on their website.

Comm100 is getting a quick popularity among users. The features you can expect are as follows:

Administration: Easy Customization, Automatic Chat Routing, Software Deployment, Security and Reliability, Third Party Integrations and Plugins, Visitor Information Collection and so on.

Management: Agent Management, Reports, Chat Supervision.

Chat Agent: Applications, Visitor Engagement, Collaboration, Chatting.

Support: 24/7 support system.

Live demo/examples: The video software firm Movavi is using Comm100 on their support page. You can check it live.

LiveHelpNow is a very easy installable tool with a strong technology backbone. The features are:

It can be able to identify the identity of your customers.

Easy setup as well as easy integration system.

The freedom to customize your environment.

The facility of managing and training your employees.

Get the chance to live track your chat from anywhere anytime.

Live demo/examples: The summer session of the University of Illinois at Chicago implemented LiveHelpNow chat on their website. You can find the "Live Help" button on the footer of the site.

This is a live chat, analytics and visitor scoring tool from a very popular brand called Zoho. Let's see what else they have to offer:

Can easily track and engage your incoming visitors.

Can get the chance to view visitor insights along with lead scoring.

Zoho CRM driven engagement system is present.

The setup, as well as the customization facility, is super quick.

Can be able to measure, coach, and monitor the customer growth in your website.

Lastly, CMS & eCommerce integration facility is also there.

Live demo/examples: Visit the Signup page of Zoho, and you can see the live chat option itself powered by SalesIQ.

Through the help of this chat tool, you can not only do just live chat but something more than this. It is going to help you and your team in picking up the whole conversation on your website and across any channels or medium. Let see what else are there:

Can easily do combine conversations across multiple channels.

Manage all messages for your help center and website.

The scope of doing real-time visitor monitoring.

Custom fields for collecting extra information of your customers for your need.

Excellent options for watching your team's insights performances.

Multi-lingual customer support and localizations are also there.

Zapier integration is also there for connecting with more than 500 business apps.

Simple Webhook integration for pushing up customer data into Kayako.

You can keep full control over the look and design of your Help Center.

Slack integration facility is also there.

Can easily manage and offer up unique experiences for multiple brands if you want.

Live demo/examples: You can check the live chat demo itself in the Kayako website. Conclusion:

The above chatting tools are unique and special in their way. The requirements of these types of tools vary from man to man, especially upon the requirements and needs. So choose the one which suits best your needs.

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Source: Top 7 Online Live Chat Tools / Software to Use in your Website