r2*blog

Here at work, we’ve added a new feature to the service, the Exportable Timeline Widget! You can export your timeline as a Flash widget, which you can then place on other websites and show off your stories. One of the cool features about it, is that it’s dynamic in the way that if you were to add new stories on OurStory, those new stories would show up on your timeline widget that may live on your MySpace page.

Here’s an example, showing stories from my life:

Start your own timeline at OurStory.com

And here’s one for my cat, Orbit:

Start your own timeline at OurStory.com

After researching a little on how to go about constructing an HTML email template I have come to one conclusion, “that sh*tz whack!” I thought designing things to display properly in all browsers was difficult, now I find out that most email clients are light years behind their big brother browsers when it comes to CSS support (if they support it at all).

Oh well, that’s what I get paid for - to solve problems (and if I’m lucky, make it look pretty).

Here’s a list of resources I’ve come up with to begin my research:

• How to Code HTML Email Newsletters
• HTML Email Tips for Web Designers
• Using CSS with HTML Emails
• CSS and Email, Kissing in a Tree
• HTML E-Mail Client Program Summary
• How HTML Code Affects E-Mail Deliverability
• A beginners survival guide to designing, coding & delivering HTML email (PDF)

As I was saying, I’ve only done a little research so far. If someone out there has some better advise to offer, please leave me a comment.

For now, I’m off to that wonderful world of tables and in line styles!

Yesterday, the company I work for OurStory finally shed its BETA tag and unveiled our product to the world at DEMO ‘07. From what I have heard, our presentation went really well. I’m not that surprised, we have a great product and our founder, Andy Halliday, is a great speaker and is very passionate about our product.

Here’s a video of our presentation:

Here’s a few links to press we’ve been getting since the event:

• DemoBlog Raves about OurStory
  Exceptional OurStory feedback from DemoBlog. Quote from Keith Shaw “I ’m a big fan of the OurStory team ….. I’m rooting for this one.”
• OurStory.com at DEMO ‘07
  Andy halliday and OurStory.com’s presentation and product release at DEMO ‘07 in Palm Springs
• Demo 07: Looking for the Next YouTube
  OurStory.com lets you collaborate with others to add photos, videos, and text to tell the story of a person or an event, and then capture it in books or on a DVD.
• OurStory tells your story with a little help from your friends
  OurStory lets users collect and organize photos, videos, and blogs chronologically.
• Demo 07 OurStory.com shows some utility
  Standards Higher than Usual. One final DEMO attendee that actually shows some utility is OurStory, which allows families to plot stories, photos and videos on a timeline to share with others.
• More here on my Digg page…
  I should have just posted that link