Peek - Search with a preview

This site is simple, and works much like Google and others. But it gives you a Thumbnail view of the site next to the text, which is a very nice touch.

The returns look very similar to what I get on Google, which makes me suspect they are running a Google search in the background, or using Google as a "spider" somehow.

http://www.peekengine.com/

Kartoo - Visual Search

Kartoo is one of the search engines on one of the lists I linked to earlier. They offer a very intersting interface that shows how pages are linked together, their relationships, and which keywords they share. The image I have linked to is a quick search I did on my company name. It found my personal site, my LinkedIn page, as well as several contest sites we were involved with.

Interesting. To be honest, I'm not 100% sure how this is useful, but it is certainly neat and I'll give it try in the future.

Fundability.com - Connecting Entreprenuers and Funding

Steve and his team have been around the Sacramento/Northern California entrepreneurial community for a while under a different name, and have recently launched their website,
fundability.com/. At one point we had set up a basic profile for High Merit Thermoelectrics, but I'm not sure if it's still there. In any case, they've got a very cool idea, it's a web based storehouse and showcase for entrepreneurs and investors. Entreprenuers can post video clips, funding requests, due diligence information, and more. Investors can view profiles, join together for due diligence, etc.

Like any networking tool, it only becomes valuable when people use it, but they seem to have a solid product and a niche I haven't seen before. I'm probably going to give it a test and will report back.

http://fundability.com/

Texas - An emerging wind superpower?

I live in California, but grew up and went to undergrad school in Texas. It's funny how people out here perceive Texas as being redneck and backwards.

Texas is a big state, about the size of France. It has nearly every type of ecosystem imaginable, and people as varied as any. It's interesting to note that Texas is one of the biggest producers of wind power in the country. I like the idea of wind power a lot, though I'm not without reservation.

But if people begin to see that Texas is more than oil wells and cattle, then that makes me pleased.
http://earth2tech.com/2008/02/25/texas-and-wind-wildcatting/

Google and Yahoo aren't the only search engines.....

When most people think of search engines, most people tend to go to one or two specific sites. Google is so common that it's become a verb. Like Xerox, the brand is so popular it's become a generic term for an online search. And it does a good job, but there are many, many other search choices, many of which are specific to a type of search. You can search for people, search for images, or even get a graphical return that shows the relationships between web pages that contain similar keywords. Interested? Here are two sites that list hundreds of alternatives, grouped by the type of search being done.

http://www.philb.com/whichengine.htm
http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

I will be highlighting some of my favorites over the next few days,click here for my impressions.

70+ MPG Volkswagon Diesel Hybrid

A few years back, a friend of mine had a VW Jetta Wagon, with a diesel engine. We used it for several kayaking trips, and I was impressed. Nice to drive, and 40+ MPG with kayaks on the roof rack. Of course, those diesels polluted, and you couldn't buy a new one in California.

Now, VW is promising a hybrid diesel Golf that gets 70+ MPG, and meets even california's strict emissions standards. Simply put, I want one. Maybe a Jetta version, I'd give up a few MPG for the added space.

Read More:
dailytech.com

Pingg - Invitations

http://www.pingg.com - Evite may be the most commonly used, but Pingg is a new invitation company with some interesting features.

• Much better looking images than Evite, and the ability to upload your own pictures.
  
• Can purchase other stock images for a truly custom look.
  
• Invites can be sent via Email, SMS, Web, Facebook or even Snail Mail. For a surely classy twist, for a $1.50, you can send printed invites via postal service.
  
• You can import Contacts from Plaxo, Gmail, and more.
  

I haven't had an event to try this on, but I built some trial invites, and they look very nice.

Photoshop Tutorials

Photoshop is an amazing photo editor. I've been using it casually for years, and have barely scratched the surface of what it is capable of. When I have something I want to do, even if I think I know how, I will frequently search online for a tutorial, More often than not, I find a better way of doing it, easier and with better results, explained clearly in a tutorial. Here is a list of Tutorial Sites worth checking out:

• http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/ - This Site has a simple listing of techniques, nicely listed by what the goal is. (Remove a back ground, fix color, etc. )

http://www.tutorio.com/photoshop-tutorials.html - Another good collection of Photoshop Tutorials - The site also has tutorials on other subject, like Flash, Web Design, Etc.

• http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tut_fx.htm - Some of these are a tad out of date, written for PS 7, but cover some solid effects and the principles still apply.


• http://www.good-tutorials.com/tutorials/photoshop - A huge collection of great tutorials.


• http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/Photoshop/1 - 8,000+ PS Tutorials


• http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/Photoshop-tutorials/Most-popular/1/ - What to say? More great PS tutorials.


• http://www.sketchpad.net/photoshp.htm - A good collection of basic tutorials. Learn about Layers, Clipping, etc.


• http://pslover.com/ - 11,000+ Tutorials

Copyright Information

All material on this website is Copyright Geoff Jennings, unless otherwise noted.
_

If you like my work enough to copy it, please include proper attributes and link back to this page. And if you like my work a lot, consider hiring me to write something.

Blog Design Information

For this site, I was trying to do it quickly. I did download and start from a site posted at
www.isnaini.com
but have customized nearly all aspects of the design. The Paper tag image is my own creation, done in Photoshop and Illustrator. All that remains of the original template is the 3 column layout.


I do do some image and web design work, though it is a small part of my world, I enjoy doing it. For an example of a site I built from scratch, check out blog.kimandgeoff.com

Geoff Jennings

I'm a Sacramento, CA based entrepreneur currently working on a clean energy related start-up.

My interests are varied, but center around using technology to solve life's problems. These solutions can be simple or complex, and solve problems from big to small.

From kitchen tools, to web apps, to hybrid vehicles, I love solutions that are cost effective, elegant, and effective. This blog is my place to share those ideas, things I feel are great, and share ideas I have for making life better for myself and others.