Web Standards, Accessibility & More

5 Great Ways to Download YouTube Videos

Dennis — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:25:49 +0000

Here are five excellent ways to download YouTube videos to your computer. The services work with other streaming video web sites, too, and offer multiple formats to download such as FLV, AVI, MOV, MPG, MP4, WMV, etc.

Zamzar - free online file conversion. Also provides conversion of images, music, and documents! Offers 3 levels of upgraded service for a fee.
SaveVid – provides daily and all-time top 10 lists.
KeepVid – download streaming videos. Simple and easy web site service. Also offers a bookmarklet.
KickYouTube – Download videos from youtube.
Flash Video Resources Downloader – a great Firefox add-on.

PS: Here’s a video to MP3 (audio only) service: VidToMP3

two lizards (from Zamzar)

DEVO Rules (with video)

Dennis — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:45:39 +0000

Yes, I’m an ’80s child. And I like a lot of ’80s music. One of the most unique, fun, profound, and geeky bands is, of course, DEVO. Their hit “Whip It” is their most well know song, but they have many others such as “That’s Good” and “Freedom of Choice”. They’re also known for their funny hats. Here’s a rocking YouTube video of DEVO playing “Gates of Steel” live.

Open Full-Time Tech Jobs in California

Dennis — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:28:53 +0000

Current job openings in California in the tech industry.

MySQL DBA in San Diego, CA. In the online gaming field.
Network Programmer in Foster City. Works closely with many game development studios on items like integrating middleware, services, and APIs. The team is largely C/XML based.
Mobile application programmer for top mobile company, Redwood City. Java, mobile, API experience.

Leave a comment or email me for more info.

Disappointed in Google WAVE

Dennis — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:12:56 +0000

Google WAVE logo

What can I say besides I’m just plain disappointed in Google WAVE. There was so much hype, so much excitement about it, and now it’s evaporated.

No HTML5

I understood that WAVE was to be done in HTML5, but it has a doc type of HTML 4.01. And actually, I found that it has a very serious case of “Divitis” (too many DIV tags). Can’t find any type of HTML5 tag at all, not even a section tag, header tag, nuthin’. Just a ton of DIVs and SPANs.

If you’re curious, here’s a look at the top of the source:

And the generated source:

Not Accessible

Google WAVE is not web accessible. Period. Simplistically, this means that people with disabilities cannot use it, or it’s very difficult. For more on this, check out my Web Axe entry Podcast #75: Jeremy Keith Interview, Google Wave and Google Wave Preview Accessibility Review by WebAIM’s Jared Smith.

To further frustrate us web accessibility professionals, Google has stolen the name of WebAIM’s free tool WAVE (web accessibility evaluation tool).

No Usage

No one’s using Google WAVE. Most people I know now who want a WAVE invite (and that’s a lot of folks), has received one by now. And I haven’t seen much activity at all. As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen any new messages for a month now.

If you’re on WAVE, please send me a message; that may help me feel better! (smiley) My address is dlembree [AT] googlewave [DOT] NOSPAM com

Addendum

How ironic. I just noticed that I received some WAVE invites, so if you don’t have an account and still want one after reading this (smiley), please feel free to leave a comment.

I overheard something that made me think of this funny line:

Today’s Google WAVE invites are becoming yesterday’s AOL invite CD ROM disks.

“Twitter and Web Accessibility” Presentation at AHG

Dennis — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:21:25 +0000

I just returned from the Accessing Higher Ground (AHG) 2009 conference in Westminster, Colorado (just outside Denver). Subtitled “Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference.” The event has a slant in higher education; making college and university information accessible.

I missed the workshops, but attended the 2 1/2 days of the main conference and also presented one session. The slides are posted on SlideShare.net and briefly made the “” list on the home page. You may view and DIGG the “Twitter and Web Accessibility” presentation here. It’s also embedded below.

Highlights of the conference include:

Finally meeting Jared Smith of WebAIM. We’ve known each other for several years online; since he was a guest in the early days of the Web Axe podcast and blog. Great guy.
I also met other great people, and several from Europe – UK, Netherlands, and Spain. And how could I forget, John Foliot of Stanford was there, too!
Great venue. The conference was held at a new hotel this year, the Westin Westminster, which was very nice. Much more spacious and elegant than previous years. (I attended the AHG 2008 event.) Some great restaurants, including Rock Bottom Brewery, were just across the street.
The day before I left, it started snowing. The streets were slushy, but the snow was pretty. I was a bit nervous about my flight home, but the Denver airport did a great job and there were virtually no delays.

Twitter and Web Accessibility AHG 2009 Nov12

View more presentations from Web Axe.

Social Media Idiot (video)

Dennis — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:41:40 +0000

This video about a “social media expert” by zetainteractive on YouTube is pretty funny. I’ve provided a transcription below. The service used to create the video, xtranormal, is even more impressive. It’s a web site that allows the user to create video from text. Very ingenious. I’ve attempted to create a similar video about web accessibility which I’ll post later.

Transcription

Man1: Acme corporation is finally getting into the social media game.

Man2: Have you thought about how you’re going to engage with individuals and provide value to the community?

Man 1: Hell not. We’re just going to build a bunch of fancy social media web assets and then spend a bunch of money on a big media push. We’re going to be rich.

Man2: What’s social about that?

Man 1: Nothing. But it’s going to look super cool, and we’ll have the mainstream media tell everybody that Acme is now engaged in social media. It’s going to be sweet.

Man2: You’re an idiot. No wonder your Twitter account got suspended.

80s Metal Bands: Sound Good, Look Bad!

Dennis — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:15:00 +0000

I grew up in the conservative 1980s; the Reagan years. It seems like such as repressive time. From the AIDS scare, to the War on Drugs, to cops watching a teenager’s every move, it was hard to have fun. But we sure did anyway.

Part of that fun was the classic ’80s “hairbands”. Or the guys with make-up, some call it glam rock. Yes, looking back, they do look pretty silly. But a lot of the music was great, and that’s what counts!

Judas Priest (Birmingham, England)

Leather all the way, man. Hits such as “Breaking the Law” (Beavis and Butthead’s signature jingle), “Living After Midnight”, and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”. More about Judas Priest on Wikipedia.

Judas Priest. Lookin' bad ass, or not.

Iron Maiden (London, England)

I’d have to say the ugliest ’80s rock band. But with kick ass songs and even famously demonic album covers, these guys were pioneers for several years. Never was huge on the charts in the U.S. (I think “Run to the Hills” may be their most popular tune), but Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast made it to #1 in the UK! More about Iron Maiden on Wikipedia.

Iron Maiden. Very ugly mugs.

Twisted Sister (New York, New York)

Hilarious rockers who made it big (briefly, that is) with entertaining videos for hit singles “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (a #21 hit in the U.S.) and “I Wanna Rock”. More about Twisted Sister on Wikipedia.

Twisted Sister. What is that?!

Motley Crue (Los Angeles, California)

Famous band known for hard drinking, tattoos, and womanizing. Hits included “Shout at the Devil”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, and “Dr. Feelgood”. I always liked the “Looks That Kill” song and video! (I was about 13 when it came out.) More about Motley Crue on Wikipedia.

Motley Crue. Glam rock studs.

Scorpions (Hanover, Germany)

Second for ugliest behind Iron Maiden, but totally awesome tunes like “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, “No One Like You”, and “Still Loving You”. More about the Scorpions on Wikipedia.

Scorpions. Don't look; just listen.

Def Leppard (Sheffield, England)

I saw these guys in concert around 1985 during the Pyromania tour, by far their best album. Included hits “Photograph”, “Rock of Ages” and “Foolin’”. In the late ’80s, hits continued with “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Love Bites”. Def Leppard was huge in the U.S., but not nearly as admired in their native UK. More about Def Leppard on Wikipedia.

Def Leppard. Talk about curly hair.

Van Halen (Pasadena, California)

Arguably the most successful rock/metal bands of all time, and the best lead guitarist of all time, Eddie Van Halen. Hits include “Runnin’ with the Devil”, “Aint Talkin bout love”, “Unchained”, “Panama”, “Hot for Teacher“, “Jump”, and many more. Unfortunately, the band started to suck bad when David Lee Roth left and the Sammy Hagar joined (thus becoming “Van Hagar”, ha ha). More about Van Halen on Wikipedia.

Van Halen. Yikes, this must be an early photo.

Ratt (San Diego, California)

Lesser-known, but solid ’80s rock. Most popular tunes include “Back for More” and “Round and Round” (great video, and with Milton Berle!). More about Ratt on Wikipedia.

Ratt. You may fill in this caption, ha ha.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratt