A Tool for Every Job
“A Tool for Every Job” is going to be my column dedicated to reviewing different tools that make my life better/easier.
Today’s post introduces Google Voice.
Google’s soon-to-be competitor to Skype, has some great features that any small business owner may want to get. Being able to get a free phone number that you can “route” to any existing phone number is terrific. What happens if you’re starting a business and want all your calls to get routed to your mobile phone? With Voice, you can do that…for free…for now.
Having voicemail sent to your inbox is pretty sweet, too. But, there are a few downfalls to the service. For now, you can’t call out using your Voice number.
Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts!
photo credit: lars hammar
Helvetica – A Documentary
I recently saw the movie Helvetica. A must see for all designers. According to the website for the film, “Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which recently celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives.”
The post thumbnail came from this website.
Book Review:The Great Bridge
Recently, I finished reading The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s an excellent book. As usual, David McCullough doesn’t disappoint. There’s a good mix of encyclopedic knowledge and great storytelling.
I’m not going to pretend that I’m some kind of book reviewer. The book was great. I found it absolutely fascinating how the foundations were dug and built. It’s also interesting to note that the Brooklyn Bridge is a one of a kind engineering masterpiece. The likes of which don’t exist anymore. The combination of masonry and steel cabling are one of a kind on such a large scale.
Purchase the book here: The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
Chase (iPhone) Banking
Banking with Chase just got a whole lot better. The only thing that could be better is if I opened up my account online and it was loaded with millions of dollars. What I’m speaking about is the new improvements to the Chase iPhone app. You now have the ability to deposit checks from your wherever simply by using their app.
There are two rules.
- The check can’t be more than $1000
- You can only deposit a maximum of $3000 per week
The app is extremely simple to use. All you do is take a picture of the check (both sides) with your phone. The camera is built into the app and is proportioned for the rectangular shape of checks. On the next day, the money is magically deposited in your account without ever leaving home. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Here are a few screen grabs I found online of the app in action.
Freehand Sketching-Book Review
Today’s post is a book review of Freehand Sketching An Introduction.
I really like books that are compact. Ones that can travel with me. Don’t get me wrong. I have my favorite coffee table-architecture books, too. But, if I’m going to get something out of it. The book needs to travel with me. Freehand Sketching is compact and thin. It gets right to the point in the first few pages. I love it.
The writing style is purely instructional. Everything to get started sketching simple line drawings is the name of this book’s game.
I like it how the author, Paul Laseau, emphasizes the art of sketching. He doesn’t suggest you purchase some expensive pens or sketchbooks. He concentrates on the importance of practicing, training yourself to DRAW what you SEE. I admit, this is my biggest challenge. It’s difficult for me to not fill in the gaps, by drawing what I THINK I see.
I appreciate all the samples and exercises that are found throughout the book. Using found object to practice sketching. It reminds me of our drawing class, back in college.
Please check out this book. I first took it out of my local library, but it’s inexpensive and worth every penny!
Link to Freehand Sketching: An Introduction
photo credit: Tattershall
uprinting.com
Getting printing done cheap and good can be tough. Getting printing done for next to nothing and good seems impossible. There is a solution and you’ll find it over at uprinting.com. Admittedly, my experience with this company doesn’t cover a large variety of printed projects. I’ve had several sets of business cards made and a few posters printed. I must say that for the price and for the overall quality, you may not be able to find a better option. They’ve had one mistake, to this day I’m not even sure how it happened, but they quickly fixed it, discounted the price and provided new prints quickly.
More often than not, some sort of special promotion or discount can be found for whatever type piece you need printed.
If you’re a small business and operate on a tight budget, uprinting.com is a great solution. Follow this link to find out all the different printed products they can create. Professional templates can be found in a wide variety of formats to help get you started with the layout and design.
Do you have experience with uprinting.com or any other online print shops, both positive and negative? We’d love to hear them and we’re always looking for other alternatives for printing.