Quick mention: Family Guy collection!

One of my all time favorite TV shows is Family Guy. And now you can get customized Family Guy merchandise on Zazzle! YAY!

IE7 to be distributed via Windows Update!

This was announced on the Internet Explorer Blog today! So this is both good and bad. It's good because the adoption of IE7 will be much faster than if it was left to users to download proactively. It's bad because us web developers will now have to support IE7, as well as IE6, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, etc. It's just one more browser to think about.

Of course, it SHOULD be more standards compliant, and therefore more cross browser friendly. Let's hope for a solid launch!

Hybrid HOV stickers!

I finally got my Hybrid HOV Stickers! It was a painful ride getting these. First, I had to renew my license since it was expired and I had moved. Next, I had to renew my registration for the same reasons. Then, I had to sign up for FasTrak. Of course, I end up signing up for the non-hybrid FasTrak, so then I had to contact them to get the right one. And like an idiot, I fax them my application and everything except for a copy of my registration. I had to wait almost 2 weeks to get a letter in the mail saying they needed a copy of my registration.

Well, bottom line is, I got 'em.

New license plate designs

Since joining Zazzle.com, I've been busy creating designs for shirts, mugs, stamps, etc. For all of you who dig Web 2.0 topics, here's one of my California License Plate designs for shirts.

Many more available in my gallery!

My new digs...

Today was my first day at my new job. After almost three years, I left agámi Systems to go work at Zazzle.com. This was a tough choice to make, since agámi has been great for me. But in looking at where my career is headed, I decided I needed to be surrounded by more artistic and creative types that I can learn from, and work in a more consumer-centric company.

Zazzle fits me...and I fit Zazzle. After only one day, I already feel very comfortable with my coworkers, and I can tell this is going to be great fun! Have a look at the site and you'll see why I'm excited :-)

Make your own South Park avatar with South Park Studio

This is just cool. If you like South Park, make your own South Park style avatar using this nifty little Flash program.


You can add all sorts of clothing, body parts, and accessories.
Check me out!

Web 2.0 Watch: Connected Innovators - The Supernova 12

According to the Supernova Conference web site, "the Connected Innovators program brings together the creators of exciting emerging technologies with the industry's top technology and business influencers."

Below is the list of the Supernova 12 - twelve Web 2.0 companies chosen as "connected innovators" for the conference.

Attensa	Ether	lifeio
Netvibes	PostApp	PROTOMOBL
Sharpcast	SoonR	StumbleUpon
Vpod.tv	Webaroo	ZiXXo

This is scaring me a bit. I'm getting that old "dot-bomb" feeling again. How many of these companies will make it? Most likely, not many if history is a guage. What is more troubling to me, though, is that out of all the new Web 2.0 companies out there, these 12 don't all strike me as revolutionary in any real way.

Some have very interesting ideas, but is it enough to build a company on? Well, apparently, this time around, most companies are not really out to be independently profitable...they are looking to get bought out by one of the big boys.

The big boys (Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc) are scared to miss the next big thing, and it is easier for them to buy out one of these startups and integrate their offerings than to build it all from scratch.

So this may be a new dot-com bubble, but this time, at least their is an exit strategy. There will be many deaths along the way, but hopefully not a huge nuclear explosion that takes them all out at once.

Let's hear it for progress.