Audio File for LiveValidation.com Review
(1 minutes 12 seconds)

For you web developers:

Finally… with all my extra time during the summer, I’ve spent more time coding.

I’ve always had a “I can do it better” coding style. I can think of hundreds of times that I’ve seen a piece of software (or code) and said, “I can do it better.” Then I go out and sure enough, I do it better

The problem is that I spend hundreds of hours doing it.

Just recently I needed a form validator. The form validator simply needed to verify that two different passwords were typed correctly. Although server-side data validation is required, its ugly. Server-side validation requires a user to hit a submit button and wait for a response. I wanted something that was real-time… So, I reminded myself how much time I waste trying to recreate the wheel and I set out to find a solution that was client side (preferably JavaScript).

And I found it… I’ve started using LiveValidation.

LiveValidation is a javascript library that provides form validation on the fly. It’s open source and completely free. You can find a ton of examples on their site. And if you can’t find an example, LiveValidation has well-written documentation (something that is hard to come by these days).

Good Luck

      

I’ve just added twitter updates to my sidebar. By doing that, any of my readers can see what I’m doing right now (assuming I’ve told twitter).

I’ve played with twitter for a while now and I am still trying to gather my thoughts on the product.

The Service
For those who don’t know, twitter is a web application that allows registered users to post what they are doing “right now.” They make updates pretty simple. You can update using their web site, text message 40404, and email.

You can follow other users as well. So, if I want to know what my friend Jeff Noble or Capillya is doing, I “follow” him. Once I follow someone, it text messages me an update of “what they are doing.”

The Usage
Twitter makes it easy to update what you are doing… allowing me text message what I am doing it great. In addition, there are some really nice apps that make updating really simple. For instance, Jott.com allows me to call a toll-free number and make twitter updates via voice calls.

The Review
A friend of mine (after discussing twitter), told me that it isn’t a viable service. He called it a “feature” not a product. His thought behind the statement is that this is something Facebook and most other social networking sites have built into their product.

I guess I sort of agree. My only argument is not the service itself. The twitter service is similar to Facebook status update. Facebook does allow you to update status and you can even receive mobile updates when someone updates their status (this is something I’ve had to literally show someone).

The argument is the way the service is used. Facebook users update their status as a statement of feeling while twitter users utilize updates as statements on what they are doing….

Typical Facebook updates look like “RJ Martino is bored” or “RJ Martino is lucky to have such a great friend”

Typical Twitter updates look like “RJ Martino is writing a review on twitter.com” or “RJ Martino is going to a court appearance”

This is hard to explain… but to sum it up, facebook updates tell followers how they are feeling… twitter updates tell you what people are actually doing, not what they’re feeling.

So, as a technical review, I don’t think twitter is much than Facebook. But after using it for some time, there is no doubt that they are used in two different ways.

It seems almost certain that twitter is a viable product by the number of users but I’ve stopped making predictions on product viability.

      

I was lucky enough to be highlighted by an exciting new publication Talk Business Quarterly. You can read the article below.

Although Talk Business Quarterly is new, Talk business has been covering Arkansas Business since 1999. Roby Brock is the host and executive producer of Talk Business and his show can be seen on Fox 16.

Check out his website at www.talkbusiness.net

In exchange for his nice article, I thought I’d give him a little exposure on my media outlet… rjmartino.com… I probably got a little more exposure than he did.

Read the article
Young Guns.pdf

      

Opinion: The offer is going to get accepted.

Microsoft obviously wants it, Yahoo!’s stock price is too low, Yahoo! isn’t competing with Google, and the price is right.

Paul Kedrosky describes ways that the YHOO/MSFT deal could be killed, but the chances are slim… very slim.

      

I’ve always wondered why people act like they need a daily cup of coffee to wake up. I’ve always been a little wired and never needed anything to “wake me up.”

Recently I’ve been waking up early and have really been struggling (I’ve always been a hard sleeper).

I’ve decided to move my workout to the mornings and because of that, I’ve started using N.O.-Xplode as a supplement. Every morning, I drink a cup of this stuff… it’s great. Its just like someone else drinking coffee… I need it to get going and as soon as I take it, I’m up and ready to go. I think the stuff is meth… My heart pumps a little faster and my brain works a little faster.

I’m not recommending the product or anything like that, I’m just happy that I found my morning coffee.

      

Yes… I know… I spend as much on phones as most people spend on cars… Every time that I start looking there is a review that promises me that some phone will solve all my problems… and each time, I’m dissapointed.

My last phone (the blackjack) was actually working perfect for me… it sync’d with my calendar, contacts, etc… It had email access… it had internet access… a full keyboard… played mp3s… took pictures… came with 2 batteries!!!

So, when I read all the fantastic reviews about the iPhone, I was pumped… I bought one and to my dissapointment, I’m still not happy… I actually want my money back and I want to go back to the blackjack… Here is what I hate…

1. Not a full keyboard… I have to look at my phone as I text
2. When I place it on my chin, it always puts people on hold
3. The internet is NOT faster
4. You can’t bulk delete from your emails
5. No third party applications
6. It has to sync with iTunes… I hate itunes

      

GrandCentral.com is a phone project brought to you by Google… free of charge.

My GrandCentral.com phone number is: 501-859-6035. You can call me now or you can even click the “call me” link on my page.

I’ve recently started using it and I’m really impressed. It make screening phone calls (something I do a lot) easier. Here’s the short version… Once you sign up, GrandCentral.com assigns you a phone number. When someone calls your phone number it immediately asks you who you are and why you’re calling… it then starts ringing… you can play any ring back… it also gives you a list of funny ring back options.

I told GrandCentral.com my “real” number and GrandCentral.com then calls my cell phone when I get a phone call from 501-859-6035… I pick it up and it says “X is calling.” I then have the option to answer it by pressing “1″, ignore it by pressing “4.” If I press “4″ to ignore, I can listen to the message that they leave… if I feel like answering while they’re talking, I can press “*” to pickup immediately… while they’re leaving a message! I can see a list of calls that I recieved on any day… and

It records the conversations and allows online access to voice mail. I can change my “real” cell phone at any time and just redirect where GrandCentral.com calls me from… I can switch phones while I’m on a call… I can immediately block unwanted calls (telemarketers hear a “disconnected” ring)…

Its pretty cool and worth taking a look at… if you’re interested, call me and ask me for a private beta invitation (I have a few left).

PS… I think this will be heavily used with the Google Phone. As a matter of fact, my prediction is that it won’t be network specific (like the iPhone, which only works with AT&T)… it will work across any network because the features are independent of the network you’re on…

      

This week I was able to show someone the power of RSS… If you don’t know what RSS is, or if you know what it is but don’t know why its so cool… check out the wiki for RSS it or try using an RSS reader like Bloglines.

      

The following reasons are why I got rid of my Blackberry 8700… I’m going back to the pocket pc.

Pros for the Blackberry
———————-

1. The text messages are shown with the response below… you can always follow the conversation
2. The key pad has a full key board, much easier to type
3. Quick OS… not lag
4. Rarely needs to be reset
5. Durable… I dropped it at least 100 times
6. Searching is easy and fast

Cons Against the Blackberry
—————————

1. When it is reset, it takes forever to reboot (almost 5 minutes)
2. No touch screen
3. Doesn’t synchronize with outlook very well… funny error messages, asks hundreds of questions while syncing, etc.
4. I can’t access my call log while on the phone
5. Can’t take pictures
6. Can’t play mp3
7. Cannot effectively use MS Word or Excel
8. No Expansion Card
9. Limited Software Applications

      

I’ve posted pictures from my Dartmouth trip. I really enjoyed every second. It had world class professors, a beautiful city, and a great group of students. The people I met there remind me why I would trade education for relationships any day of the week.

The people that were with me at Dartmouth have “hard to find” characteristics. These are the type of people that I want in my “everyday life.” They’re motivating, fun, challenging and force you to want more from yourself and your business.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to Tuck’s Executive Education Program, I completely recommend it.

Check out the pictures